Three days had passed since the battle.
Three very long days.
Milena carefully stacked several baskets of Royal Velvet Apples inside one of the newly repaired storage buildings.
The village was still recovering.
The damage could have been worse.
Much worse.
Only a handful of structures had been destroyed completely. Several fences required rebuilding. One fish pond somehow contained a cart.
Nearby, lamias worked together to replace damaged roofing.
Several mudwolves hauled logs twice their size across the settlement.
One Ghastly was currently stealing nails.
Another Ghastly was stealing nails from the first Ghastly.
Rosaline had already confiscated both.
Life continued.
It always did.
Milena placed another basket onto the shelf.
Then another.
Then another.
Busy hands helped.
Unfortunately, they did very little for a busy mind.
Her thoughts drifted again.
As they always did lately.
Toward the battle.
Toward Jemina.
Toward everything that happened afterward.
Toward the people who never returned.
A sigh escaped her lips.
Three days.
Three days have passed since Jemina disappeared with the man who decapitated a primarch.
Nobody knew what brought that to happen.
Nobody except perhaps Cyrinne.
And Cyrinne refused to explain anything.
Milena had asked.
Everyone had asked.
The answer never changed.
"They are alive."
That was all.
Nothing else.
No explanation.
No details.
No concern.
Just that they are alive.
Milena stepped outside the storage building.
The afternoon sun filtered softly through the trees.
The village looked peaceful again.
Almost.
But not quite.
There was still a tension lingering beneath everything.
An uneasiness.
People worked.
People laughed.
People repaired.
Yet everyone occasionally glanced toward the forest.
Waiting.
Watching.
Wondering.
Especially Ayine.
The young lamia looked absolutely miserable.
Milena spotted her sitting atop a fence nearby.
Staring into the distance.
The giant spider-deer monster sat beside her.
Milena approached.
"Any news?"
Ayine groaned.
"No."
"Have you asked Cyrinne again?"
"I asked Cyrinne six times."
Milena smiled faintly.
"What did she say?"
"Nothing. She obviously knows who that man is."
A pause.
Then Ayine lowered her voice.
"I think she's doing it on purpose."
"Really?"
"Definitely."
The two women exchanged a look.
Then laughed softly.
The laughter faded quickly.
Because the worry remained.
Milena thanked Ayine and continued walking.
The village was busy.
But her thoughts refused to stay busy.
Eventually, they returned to Jemina.
A familiar occurrence.
Milena still remembered that moment in the forest.
The relief she felt when she heard Jemina's voice.
The cheerful woman had appeared smiling.
Surrounded by monsters.
Entirely unconcerned by the fact that she was confronting one of the most dangerous men on the continent.
Milena still didn't understand how Jemina managed that.
Most people feared danger.
Jemina seemed to adopt it.
The thought made her smile.
Then slowly, her expression softened.
Because gratitude settled heavily inside her chest.
If Jemina hadn't come, Milena would be gone.
Back inside that world.
Back inside those walls.
Back inside a life she could no longer endure.
She stopped walking.
The village stretched before her.
Mudwolves sleeping beneath trees.
Lamias arguing over roofing materials.
Rosaline carrying medical supplies.
Lucas pretending not to help while clearly helping.
This place had become home.
Not because it was perfect.
Because it was hers.
The choice had been hers.
A sudden ache settled inside her chest.
Because inevitably, her thoughts drifted toward him.
Ysilvern.
Milena lowered her gaze.
She wondered where he was now.
Probably furious.
Definitely furious.
Possibly plotting revenge against several mudwolves.
The image almost made her laugh.
Almost.
Instead, it hurt.
Because, despite everything, she knew exactly why he came.
Ysilvern had crossed kingdoms searching for her.
Risked his life entering the Null Forest.
Fought monsters.
Tracked impossible trails.
Refused to stop.
Because he loved her.
The realization remained painful.
Love had never been the problem.
If anything, it had been the reason she stayed for so long.
Milena sat beneath a tree.
The sounds of the village continued around her.
Comforting.
Distant.
Safe.
She closed her eyes.
Memories surfaced immediately.
Uninvited.
Unwanted.
Ysilvern quietly placing food on her desk whenever she forgot to eat.
Ysilvern standing outside her door during storms because he knew she disliked thunder.
Tiny things.
Stupid things.
The worst kind of memories.
Because they made leaving harder.
Milena wrapped her arms around herself.
"You deserve better."
The words escaped before she realized she had spoken.
Someone stronger.
Someone smarter.
Someone useful.
Someone capable of standing beside him without constantly feeling overwhelmed.
Someone who belonged in his world.
Not her.
Never her.
She had told herself that countless times.
It didn't hurt any less.
The painful truth was that she wanted him to move on.
Truly.
She wanted him to be happy.
Wanted him to find someone capable.
Someone who could stand beside him proudly.
Someone who would not constantly feel trapped.
Someone worthy.
Yet the moment she imagined it, the thought became unbearable.
Another woman.
Another smile.
Another person standing beside him.
The image pierced unexpectedly deep.
Milena laughed weakly.
It was ridiculous.
Absolutely ridiculous.
She was the one who left.
The one refusing to return.
The one hoping he would start a new life.
Then why did the thought hurt so much?
The answer never came.
Only silence.
A soft breeze drifted through the trees.
Milena looked toward the sky.
Freedom.
That was what she wanted.
Freedom to choose.
Freedom to breathe.
Freedom to belong to herself.
And she had found it.
Here.
In this strange village hidden inside a forest full of monsters.
She did not regret leaving.
Not for a single moment.
She would make the same choice again.
Every time.
Yet freedom and happiness were not always the same thing.
Sometimes freedom simply meant choosing which pain you were willing to carry.
Milena slowly stood.
Work remained.
Life continued.
The village needed help.
So she walked forward.
One step.
Then another.
Then, a distant howl echoed through the forest.
Everything stopped.
The village froze.
Mudwolves lifted their heads.
Lamias paused.
Even the Ghastlies stopped stealing things.
Milena turned.
Everyone turned.
Toward the forest.
Silence spread.
A figure emerged between the trees.
Small.
Familiar.
Jemina.
Relief exploded through the village immediately.
People shouted.
Several lamias cheered.
Ayine nearly fell off her fence.
Milena smiled.
Then another figure emerged behind her.
Tall.
Dark.
Unmistakable.
The Primarch decapitator.
The entire village became silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Nobody understood.
Because the man was carrying several straw baskets.
Milena blinked.
Lucas blinked.
Rosaline blinked.
Ayine blinked.
Even Cyrinne looked mildly interested.
Jemina waved cheerfully.
"Hello! We're back!"
Nobody answered.
Because everyone was staring at the terrifying man behind her.
He calmly adjusted the basket hanging from one arm.
Then looked toward Jemina.
"Where would you like these placed?"
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Milena stared.
Then stared some more.
"Is this really happening?"