"FOSTER!" The scream echoes across the cliff, heavy with fear.
I grab her by the shoulders before she can try to get up by force.
"Easy! You're safe…" My voice is firm, yet low, trying to cut through the panic.
Her eyes, still wide, sweep the surroundings as if expecting something horrible to emerge from the shadows. Her hands tremble, and her breathing is far too quick — almost a constant gasp.
"He… he was surrounded…" She swallows hard, struggling to form the words. "I saw Foster… on the ground… bleeding… and that… thing…" Her gaze drifts off, as if the image is still burning alive in her memory.
From the intensity in her voice, I know it wasn't just an ordinary dream.
"Hey, look at me." I hold her face in both hands. "It might've just been a nightmare."
She shakes her head, refusing.
"No… I felt it. It was real. He's in danger… I know he is!"
Her words hit me. I remember the moment we fell through the cliff torn open by the earthquake… and how, before losing sight, I saw Foster and Alex down below. Could that damned eagle have gotten them? Or… something worse?
"Alissa, breathe." I try to stay calm. "I'll send my crows to scour the area. In the meantime, you need to rest and recover your strength."
She hesitates, but finally nods. It's then she notices the makeshift bandage on her leg: a strip torn from my own shirt, tied tight to stop the bleeding.
Her face flushes.
"He… touched my leg?!"
I can almost read the thought in her eyes, so I cut the tension before it grows.
"It was nothing. Just basic first aid. Besides, you saved me earlier too."
Even so, I notice a shiver run through her. The air here is treacherously cold. I'm about to improvise some other way to keep her warm when she notices her bow and arrows nearby.
"Give me that," she says.
I hand them over. She takes an arrow, murmurs something almost inaudible, and with a flick of her hands, the tip begins to glow a vivid red — shifting into a steady flame that doesn't consume the wood. More stable than a candle, but with a gentle warmth.
I watch, intrigued. Truth is, I've never really understood Alissa's abilities — and the more I see, the more my curiosity grows.
"Seems you're curious about my skills, LL!" she says in a tone that suggests she knows exactly what I was thinking —catching me off guard. "We, the Vigilants, can form bonds… or contracts… with a specific weapon. Each one has unique abilities and powers, depending on the user and the growth of our cultivation strength."
She continues, "My cultivation isn't bad for a Vigilant, but it's not mediocre either. We need to find Foster so we can leave and return to a less chaotic area."
I'm impressed by her people's abilities, but even more by the abrupt way she changes the subject.
"My crows are still searching for tracks. So far, nothing. They might even be looking for us."
"Yeah… Foster's stubborn. He won't move from one area to another without finding his sister first!" she says, with a delicate, beautiful smile. "He's probably looking for me right now, but this is the most dangerous area on the board. He could run into a lot of trouble."
"You're right, but he's with Alex. It might not be that bad. Besides…" I recall Alex's words. "He said that if we take down the ruler of this area, we might be able to win this board."
"Yes, but that's not an absolute truth." She exhales. "Still, we lose nothing by trying. Hopefully we find him — and then we can plan our next move."
At that moment, a shiver runs through me. The link with one of my crows brings me a vision that freezes my blood.
Alex… walking alone through a dark forest. The light barely pierces the canopy above, and the ground is covered by a low, creeping mist. In his hand… Foster's sword. The metal catches a cold glint, and from its edge, drops of blood fall slowly, marking the soil.
My fists clench. The air feels thin.
"LL?" Alissa's voice pulls me back, but my mind is still trapped in that scene.
I take a deep breath, trying to keep my face neutral… but the weight of the image still burns in my eyes. Should I tell her what I saw? No — it would shatter her. And deep down, I'm not even sure of what happened. There's no more time to waste.
"Alissa, our companions are in danger." My voice comes out firm, leaving no room for hesitation. "We have to go. Hold on to my back… we're flying there."
She doesn't question it — just moves behind me and grips tightly. My crows stir restlessly, sensing the tension in the air.
I beat my wings hard, slicing through the heavy silence of the cliff. The cold wind cuts at my face as we gain altitude, the shadowy forest from the crow's vision drawing closer with every second.
In my chest, one certainty pounds: whatever's happening there… it won't end well.