The marching never stopped.
Hour after hour.
The sound rolled through the earth like distant thunder.
Thousands of boots.
Hundreds of horses.
Metal against metal.
An army.
---
Elsa stood at the edge of the forest.
Watching.
---
Far beyond the trees—
Banners moved across the horizon.
The kingdom's crest.
Rows upon rows of soldiers.
Siege wagons.
Mage divisions.
Dragon hunters.
---
Too many.
Far too many.
---
"They're scared."
The words escaped quietly.
---
Rowan stood beside her.
Silent.
---
Because fear was the only explanation.
---
No kingdom gathered this much strength for one person.
Unless they truly believed that person could destroy them.
---
"How many?"
Elsa asked.
---
Rowan's expression darkened.
---
"Enough."
---
That wasn't reassuring.
---
The army continued arriving.
The line stretched beyond sight.
---
A force built to fight monsters.
---
And now it had come for her.
---
For several minutes neither spoke.
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Then Elsa laughed softly.
Not bitterly.
Not angrily.
Just tired.
---
"My father would be furious."
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Rowan smiled faintly.
---
"Probably."
---
"He'd spend three hours arguing with the commander."
---
"Then accidentally insult a noble."
---
"Then apologize."
---
"Then insult him again."
---
For a moment—
Both smiled.
---
The moment passed quickly.
---
Reality remained.
---
The army wasn't leaving.
---
And eventually—
Someone would give an order.
---
Behind them—
A familiar voice spoke.
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"Then don't give them one."
---
Elsa turned.
---
Jack stood at the edge of the clearing.
Dust covering his cloak.
Travel-worn.
Exhausted.
---
But alive.
---
The air immediately became tense.
---
Neither moved.
---
Neither attacked.
---
The old wound remained between them.
---
Jack looked older than before.
Not physically.
Spiritually.
---
Like a man who had spent too many nights staring at truths he wished were lies.
---
"I found the records."
---
Elsa remained silent.
---
"The reports about your mother."
---
For the first time—
Her expression changed.
---
Only slightly.
---
But Jack saw it.
---
And continued.
---
"She never attacked anyone."
---
Silence.
---
"She spent months running."
---
The wind moved softly through the trees.
---
Jack's hands tightened.
---
"The kingdom knew."
---
Another silence.
---
"They knew she wasn't a threat."
---
Elsa lowered her gaze slightly.
---
Somehow—
That hurt more than ignorance.
---
Because they knew.
And chose fear anyway.
---
Just like Edward.
---
Jack looked directly at her.
---
"I was wrong."
---
The words came without excuse.
Without defense.
Without justification.
---
Just truth.
---
Rowan looked surprised.
---
Elsa didn't.
---
Because Jack had always been honest.
Even when honesty made him unbearable.
---
"You killed him."
---
The words came quietly.
---
Jack nodded.
---
"I know."
---
"I hate that you say it so easily."
---
Jack flinched.
---
Not physically.
Emotionally.
---
Good.
---
Because it wasn't easy.
It never had been.
---
"I think about it every day."
---
Silence.
---
Then Elsa asked something unexpected.
---
"Do you regret it?"
---
The question struck like a blade.
---
Because Jack didn't answer immediately.
---
He couldn't.
---
For years—
The answer would've been no.
---
Now—
---
"...I don't know."
---
Finally.
Truth.
---
Painful truth.
---
Because if Edward had been right...
Then everything Jack did became something terrible.
---
The forest remained silent.
---
Then a horn sounded.
---
From the distant army.
---
Long.
Deep.
---
A signal.
---
Everyone turned.
---
Movement began immediately.
---
The front ranks advanced.
---
Slowly.
Deliberately.
---
The kingdom had arrived.
---
And it wasn't waiting.
---
Far within the marching army—
A man watched from horseback.
---
The spear warrior.
---
The same man who killed Elsa's mother.
---
The same man who would eventually kill Elsa.
---
His eyes remained fixed on the forest.
---
Unreadable.
---
Yet deep inside—
Something felt wrong.
---
Because the closer he came—
The more Elsa reminded him of someone.
---
Black horns.
Quiet eyes.
Gentle smiles.
---
A woman from sixteen years ago.
---
A woman whose death had never left him.
---
The army marched onward.
---
The forest waited.
---
And Elsa finally understood something.
---
No matter how carefully she lived.
No matter how much kindness she chose.
No matter how hard Edward fought to give her a normal life.
---
The world had finally come to collect the future it feared.
---
And somewhere deep inside her—
For the first time—
She felt anger beginning to outweigh patience.
---
Not enough.
Not yet.
---
But the balance was changing.