After Raphaël left the room, Sarah walked over to Maïli's bedside, carrying a blanket to warm her. She gently draped it over her shoulders, offering her a semblance of comfort. Then Sarah sat down beside her, their bodies close, sharing a small, human warmth in the middle of this ordeal.
Sarah began to tell her own story one filled with sorrow and suffering. The two of them sat side by side, their pain mingling, creating a deep, immediate bond between them. Sarah spoke softly, her words steeped in melancholy and in a hurt that echoed Maïli's.
The weight of what had just happened, combined with what she had already endured in the past, was crushing Sarah, while Maïli was still trying to recover from her own trauma. Tears flowed quietly down their cheeks, proof of the depth of the pain they shared. Together, they tried to draw strength from one another to face the shadows of the past and the uncertainty of what was to come.
The room, silent and dim, was filled not only with their shared sadness, but with their solidarity, and the understanding that now bound them.
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"Yes it is. If only I'd been stronger! Stronger than my father! I would've torn out his throat and my brother's too!"
Maïli placed her hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.
"Hold on to that hatred I share it with you. One day they will pay. And I want you by my side when it happens."
"You can count on me," Sarah said, her expression resolute.
"What do we do with her now?" Maïli asked, looking at the elf who was watching them.
Raphaël had left her there, saying he didn't need her anymore, before leaving, visibly satisfied.
--
The next day, Stanislas was in his office with Marie, preparing a large number of documents for the meeting scheduled in a few hours. They were carefully sorting many papers into different envelopes meant for the other guild masters and for the rulers. After some time, everything was finally organized and properly completed. Stanislas then turned to Marie and asked:
"What is Logan doing right now?"
"The day after the incident, he went to take a bunch of quests at the guild. It's been two full days now that he's been training nonstop, without any rest," Marie replied.
"And Aria?" Stanislas went on.
"She was hit hard by her mother's death. For now, she's staying with the freed slaves," Marie explained.
Stanislas nodded, his gaze hardening slightly.
"As is only natural. If she'd kept a cool head, her mother might still be alive. Now it's up to her to forgive herself. If she manages that, she'll only come out stronger and more mature from all this."
"I hope so," Marie said sincerely, the worry obvious in her voice.
Stanislas sighed, glancing at the neatly arranged documents on his desk.
"We all have our own demons to face. Aria needs time, and support. Let's hope she finds the strength to overcome this tragedy."
Marie nodded, looking thoughtful, while Stanislas was already anticipating the meeting at the castle.
"The heroes will be there this is going to be interesting. I can't wait to see the king's face when he sees one of the heroes he threw away," Stanislas chuckled.
While he was laughing, Beth and Marine had only just begun their adventurer life a few days earlier.
They were walking through the Circular Forest, a place recommended to beginners by one of the guild receptionists. However, they'd been warned not to go too deep, because the further you went, the stronger the monsters became. Beth and Marine had joined a group of three other girls who were beginners as well. The sun was high in the sky when they came face to face with goblins.
Ana, the group's tank, a sturdily built girl, was holding the goblins back with a large shield. While she was keeping them in place, Tina, armed with daggers, attacked them from behind with deadly precision. The third member, Dana, wore brass knuckles and fought barehanded, smashing in the goblins' skulls with brutal strength. Beth and Marine, for their part, supported the group by casting spells from a distance, cornering the enemies.
Together, the five young adventurers had just defeated around twenty low-level goblins, between level ten and fifteen. The girls stood firm, victorious. They looked at one another, their eyes shining with pride.
"That was child's play," Ana said, cutting off the goblins' ears as proof of subjugation.
"Especially now that we've got Beth and Marine, everything's way easier," Tina laughed as she sheathed her daggers.
Beth and Marine felt a bit embarrassed. Despite not being all that talented, the training they'd received at the castle gave them a definite edge compared to other beginners. Still, they weren't going to complain, and they were determined to keep getting stronger.
"Everyone okay to keep going?" Dana, the group leader, asked confidently.
They all nodded, because the fight against the goblins hadn't been particularly hard, and their teamwork had been surprisingly solid for a newly formed group. Buoyed by that first success, they decided to go a bit deeper into the forest in search of more prey to level up.
As they moved forward carefully among the trees, the forest's atmosphere grew darker and denser. The sounds of the creatures became more distant, but also more threatening. The group stayed alert, each girl watching her surroundings closely.
"Stay on guard," Ana murmured, her shield ready to take any hit.
They ran into silver spiders, but thanks to their numbers and current level, those creatures weren't a real threat. They took them down easily, dealing with a small group in a coordinated and safe way. A bit later, they found themselves facing human-sized mantises and centipedes of the same size.
Even so, they handled it well. Ana held the front, drawing the monsters' attention, Tina formed the second line, backing Ana up, and Dana played the free roamer. And Beth and Marine did their support work properly, dealing damage from a distance. Their training was paying off, and their coordination improved with every fight.
However, after a while, fatigue started to set in. Their stamina and mana were going down, which was normal after so much effort. On top of that, our two young mages hadn't learned healing or mana-recovery spells yet, but they had planned ahead and bought potions to make up for it.
Even so, the day had been extremely productive. They'd taken down 50 goblins, 15 silver spiders, six mantises and six centipedes. That shared success only strengthened their determination and their team spirit.
"We could keep going," Tina said, confident.
"No, that's not a good idea," Dana replied. "That last fight with the centipede was exhausting. Luckily the mantises and the centipedes don't move in packs, otherwise it would've been a lot harder. I think we should stop here. That was a good hunt. I managed to gain ten levels and reach level 25," Dana said.
"Yeah, but we're not that tired. We should be able to hunt a few more hours, get more levels and make more money. Right, girls?" Tina insisted, tempted by the gain and pushing the others to follow her.
"I agree. I can still fight," Ana added, confident and eager to continue.
"That's two against one. The choice is up to Beth and Marine," Dana said, turning toward them.
Beth and Marine exchanged a look, each weighing the pros and cons. Eager to level up quickly, they finally decided to go deeper into the forest, despite their leader's hesitation.
"We want to keep going," Beth declared, determined. Marine nodded beside her.
Dana sighed, but she had no choice but to agree, knowing going back alone would be too dangerous.
"All right, but we stay alert. If it gets too risky, we head back right away," she sighed.
So they went deeper into the forest, where the trees stood taller and thicker, creating a maze of greenery where any monster could appear at any time. Still, the hunt went on without a hitch, every step calculated and every sound assessed. The forest was a strange mix of mystery and danger, and their senses were on constant alert.
After another good hour of tracking, filled with coordinated and tiring fights, they decided to stop and catch their breath. They found a small clearing where sunlight filtered through the dense leaves, creating a peaceful, comforting atmosphere. Sitting on moss-covered rocks, they pulled potions out of their bags to recover. The emerald-green potion had a slightly sweet taste with a hint of mint, refreshing their minds and their tired bodies.
The mood was relaxed, and they joked and shared hunting stories in good spirits, catching their breath and recharging for the next part of their adventure. For a moment, the forest almost felt welcoming.
Suddenly, a sound came from the surrounding bushes. In a split second, they all jumped to their feet, senses on high alert, ready to face danger. What came out of the bushes, however, was just a mantis. They relaxed a bit, thinking it would only be one more enemy, easy to take down like the others they'd met so far.
But before they could react, the mantis's skull exploded violently into a thousand pieces, throwing them into total shock. Chitin shards flew in every direction, and silence fell again, heavy and oppressive. From the foliage emerged a high goblin then another, and another, until there were seven of them. Their evil eyes gleamed with a sinister light.
Alarmed, Tina immediately cast an appraisal spell. A blue light wrapped around the goblins, revealing their power levels, and her face twisted in horror.
"They're all level 50!" she cried, horrified.
The girls realized with dread that they'd gone too far into the forest because of their greed. If it had been one or two high goblins, it might have been doable but seven? That was hopeless.
Without hesitation, they all knew they had to run. Tina was the first to take off, triggering the survival reflex in the others, who followed her instinctively.
"This way, quick!" Tina shouted.
"No!" Dana replied.
But the group, stunned, could only follow their most basic instincts, ignoring their leader's orders, and she was forced to go with them. It showed how recently this group had been formed, and how badly they lacked experience. If Dana had told them not to follow Tina, it was for a reason: she had studied at the Sigma academy and knew everything there was to know about monsters.
"We have to turn back now!" she shouted.
"Are you crazy?! We're gonna get killed!" Tina yelled, completely panicked.
Fear often wins over reason in beginners, forcing them to make stupid choices or act irrationally. And that's exactly what had just happened: not one of them was listening to their leader.
"We're going to die anyway if we keep running this way. We have to double back and circle around them!" Dana yelled.
"Why?" Ana asked she had followed Tina without thinking, instead of listening to their leader.
But she got her answer soon enough when they ran straight into a clearing where several wooden huts stood.
"Because they were trying to lure us into their village," explained Dana, unable to prevent the worst.
"Shit, and why didn't you say so earlier!" Tina cried, terrified.
"Because you didn't listen to me and you bolted like a rabbit without waiting for my orders!" Dana retorted angrily.
They didn't have time to argue any further, as the ten tall goblins appeared behind them, while those from the village came out to encircle them. From now on, they were surrounded by more than forty tall goblins, a situation equivalent to certain death.
"We're really going to die this stupidly," said Ana, her shield and sword trembling in her hands. The tall goblins watched them with lecherous and dark eyes, drool dripping from their foul mouths.
Stay in formation. If we manage to kill a few of them, maybe a breach will form!" Dana exclaimed, signaling to Marine.
Marine immediately raised her staff to cast a skill, but before she could succeed, she felt immense pain on the side of her stomach. A blade pierced her, then she took a violent blow from a club right in the upper chest. The blow broke many of her ribs, causing her to scream in pain. She collapsed to the ground, her mouth covered in blood, desperately gasping for air, one of her lungs likely punctured by a broken rib.
"Marine!" Beth cried, horrified.
The situation seemed hopeless. The tall goblins advanced slowly, their eyes filled with cruelty. Dana, despite the terror gripping her, tried to maintain her composure.
"Beth, focus!" "We need to find a solution!" ordered Dana, frantically searching for an exit.
Beth, with tears in her eyes, stood up and began casting protective spells around their comrades. Ana, despite her fear, stood in front of the group, her shield raised, ready to take the hits.
"We can't give up!" We must fight!" cried Dana, hoping to instill a bit of courage in her friends.
However, they could only pale in terror when Ana's skull exploded into multiple pieces of bloody flesh, her shield falling to her side, her arms having given way under the multiple blows from the tall goblins. Tina, with her agility, dodged several attacks, but they were far too numerous. She took a blow to the back, incapacitating her instantly and leaving her on the ground, unable to move. Dana fell to her knees, after fighting valiantly, blood flowing from her arms and head, the goblins laughing with delight.
Beth saw the despair in Dana's eyes, a despair that also gripped her as she heard Marie's labored breathing. Then came the sharp sounds of Tina's clothes tearing, followed by her screams.
"No, what are you doing?" Please! No, please, don't do that!" she screamed.
The more Tina screamed, the more excited the high goblins seemed to get. One of them put his foot on Tina's head while another tore her panties. Tina's nightmare then began, the tall goblins taking turns raping her relentlessly amidst her own cries of pain and terror.
Beth, paralyzed by terror and helplessness, could only watch this abominable scene. The goblins laughed and mocked, their eyes shining with cruelty. Tina's suffering mingled with that of the others, creating an atmosphere of absolute despair.
As one of the tall goblins grabbed Dana's leg, he began to break it piece by piece, then moved on to the other leg and then the arms. Dana's horrible cries of pain echoed thru the forest, making the scene even more unbearable. Beth, witnessing this atrocious spectacle, could only piss herself, completely paralyzed and resigned to the fate that awaited her.
Several tall goblins began to tear off her clothes without her offering the slightest resistance.
"So this is how I'm going to die... Mom, Dad..." Beth murmured, resigned.
Her life flashed before her eyes, she regretted coming here, she regretted believing that life here could have been better than at home. She should have reacted like Logan, but fear and the allure of promises of power and wealth had blinded her.
However, it was too late for regrets. The goblins continued to undress her, tearing off her panties by force. Despair seized her, and she felt herself sinking into endless terror.
She closed her eyes, resigned to the sequence of events, as a loud noise whistled in her ears, followed by heart-wrenching screams. The forces that had been holding her to the ground evaporated as if they had never existed. She reopened her eyes to see the bodies of the tall goblins scattered on the ground, dead. The goblins still standing cried out in rage, their gazes directed toward a new threat.
Beth turned her head and saw, thru her tears, a lone man walking calmly toward them. Five of the goblins charged toward him, but he continued to advance as if nothing was happening. Before the goblins could reach him, their bodies were thrown into the air, pierced by stone spikes that emerged from nowhere.
The man made a gesture with his right hand, and half of the goblins were blown away before being reduced to shreds. The three young girls still conscious could only tremble with fear upon seeing this man. His abilities surpassed anything they had seen so far, and he inspired a chilling terror.
What struck them the most was the color of his eyes: a deep blood red. His eyes seemed to burn with an intense and threatening energy.
"Who... who is he?" murmured Beth, barely audible, her words trembling with apprehension.
The goblins could only tremble in fear, most of them having been annihilated in just ten seconds. They all fled without looking back, terrified because a monster worse than them had appeared. However, they had barely taken a few steps when their vision blurred and their heads were severed without them understanding how.
The fight had taken a one-sided and ridiculously fast turn. The man then turned toward Tina, who swallowed nervously. He opened her mouth and poured a liquid down her throat. She then felt most of her pain disappear and regained the ability to move. The man then took out a garment from his pocket and gave it to her so she could cover herself.
He also took care of Dana and Beth, stabilizing their injuries and helping them get up. Dana, out of danger, then regained her composure. The man in front of her, with his black hair and red eyes, was now known as Red, an extremely promising adventurer. Although she and he had started at the same time, the difference in level was colossal. Many described him as a prodigy, others as a monster, and she thot it had been exaggerated. But now, seeing him at work, she understood that he amply deserved all the praise and titles he had been given.
Beth, for her part, could only be shocked by the familiar face she never thot she would see again, let alone in these circumstances.
"Logan." she whispered.
Beth, it seems like your dreams of glory ended quickly. Let me guess, ousted because you weren't useful enough?" Logan uttered these words coldly.
"I..." she stammered, unable to answer.
"It doesn't matter anyway," Logan replied, cutting short his apologies.
He headed toward Marie, who was suffering terribly, and quickly assessed her condition.
"You have several broken ribs and you have been poisoned." We are much too far from the city. I have to tell you, you're going to die, Marine."
She had trouble breathing, the blood slowly filling her lungs and the poison attacking her from the inside.
"We must be able to save her with healing potions!" exclaimed Beth, desperate.
She has fatal wounds, and I don't have high-quality potions capable of healing this kind of injury, let alone the poison.
"It's impossible," Beth sobbed.
Beth broke down in tears the situation had become unbearable.
With every breath, Marine let out a harsh, wheezing sound, her life slipping away little by little.
But she reached out and placed her trembling hand over Beth's, before turning her head toward Logan with great effort.
"End it…" she whispered.
The pain was unbearable, and she knew she was going to die slowly, without any chance of survival. Her request was not only logical it was the most humane thing she could ask for.
"Very well," Logan said quietly, placing his hand on her forehead.
"Even if we weren't close, I promise I'll avenge you."
A faint smile crossed her lips before she managed to utter her final words:
"Help Beth."
"I will," Logan replied.
"Thank you…" she murmured.
A blade of air passed cleanly through Marine's forehead, killing her instantly and painlessly.
Beth screamed, clutching Marine's lifeless body tightly in her arms.
"You can cry later. I have to get you back to town," Logan said firmly.
He then escorted them safely out of the forest, carrying Marine's body in his arms.
Before leaving, he turned to Beth and said:
"When you've recovered, come find me."
He then headed back into the forest to resume his training, until the meeting with Stanislas.
Beth, Dana, and Tina forever scarred by what had happened knew that their survival was entirely thanks to Logan.
They swore to become stronger and never find themselves in such a situation again.
The path toward healing and growth would be long, but they were determined to honor the memory of Marine and Ana, and to prepare themselves for the challenges yet to come.
----
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