The sun rose in the east as always, while the birds sang with joy.
The golden light began to filter between the giant leaves of the ancestral trees that surrounded the elf city. From afar, the place looked like a dream carved in living wood and white stone. The towers rose intertwined with roots and branches, as if nature itself had decided to become architecture.
In the distance, at the top of the canopy of an enormous tree, three hooded figures with black masks stood on the branches, observing the elf city.
Their silhouettes were barely distinguishable among the shadows of dawn.
—He must be there, right?
Said one of the men while adjusting his mask. His voice was deep, restrained, but carried a hint of impatience.
—Yes… that's what one of the spies who were there said.
Replied the second. He coughed lightly after speaking. His breathing sounded heavy, as if he were exhausted… or sick.
The third did not speak immediately. His eyes, barely visible under the hood, remained fixed on the city.
—I see… so he's there.
His tone was cold.
—Then today we kill the Demon King, no matter what. In the end, he must be alone.
The wind blew hard, shaking their dark cloaks. From that height, the city seemed calm. Too calm.
Not even ten seconds passed when the three figures disappeared from their positions.
No jump.
No sound.
They simply stopped being there.
---
Meanwhile, Kael and his small group walked back into the city, coming out of the forest.
They had woken up very early, more than usual. Maybe because none of them had slept well the night before.
The atmosphere felt strange.
The stone streets were damp from the morning dew. Some elf women walked with baskets of fruit. Others chatted near the open markets. Everything seemed normal… and yet, something didn't fit.
Kael walked in front, with his hands inside his cloak. His mind was still trapped between memories and doubts. The dream from the previous night still weighed on his chest.
Seraphyne turned to look to her right.
Among the crowd of elf women, she distinguished for a second a man with a black hood.
He didn't wear the colors of the city.
He didn't walk like the others.
He moved like a shadow.
Seraphyne frowned and tried to approach, but when she took two steps toward him… he disappeared without explanation. As if the earth had swallowed him.
She stopped abruptly.
—Magnus, keep a close eye on Kael. I feel something bad is about to happen.
She said in a low voice, positioning herself at the rear while scanning the surroundings.
Magnus nodded, his expression hardening instantly.
Viridia, on the other hand, seemed not to notice the tension.
—Kael… when you were alone with the elf queen, why were you both so nervous when I arrived?
The question fell like a stone in the middle of the silence.
Kael blinked.
—Huh? Nothing… we were just reaching an agreement, as always. We weren't doing anything weird. Why the random question?
His answer was too quick.
His eyes looked everywhere. His hands moved restlessly under the cloak.
Viridia narrowed her eyes.
—Well, I don't know… I just saw you two a little too affectionate. Could it be that you like the elf queen, Kael?
Before he could react, Viridia passed her arm around Kael's neck and pulled him forcefully toward her chest.
—Seriously, do you like the queen? Tell me more, tell me more, Kael. I'm very curious about you two. How far did you get, huh?
Viridia's gaze was intense.
Too intense.
Kael felt the air starting to fail him.
—Uh… Viridia… it hurts… please… can you let me go?
He tried to free himself, giving small taps with the palm of his hand on the arm that held him trapped.
—Be quiet for a moment.
Magnus's voice cut through the atmosphere like a sword.
His expression had completely changed.
There was no trace of joking left.
—The queen is in danger. The knights aren't standing guard. Let's go.
The tone allowed no discussion.
Seraphyne was already drawing her sword.
—This isn't normal… —she murmured—. The main entrance always has at least twenty guards.
Kael finally freed himself from Viridia's grip, coughing as he caught his breath.
—Are you sure?
Magnus nodded.
—Too much silence. Too much emptiness.
And then they felt it.
A pressure in the air.
As if something heavy had fallen over the city without anyone noticing.
A distant scream broke the calm.
Then another.
Kael raised his gaze toward the elf castle, whose white towers shone under the sun.
—Let's go.
They didn't wait any longer.
The four began to run through the stone streets, dodging citizens who were starting to panic. Some elf women looked around confused. Others ran without knowing exactly what they were fleeing from.
A rumble echoed in the distance.
The top of one of the castle towers cracked slightly.
Seraphyne clenched her teeth.
—They've already started…
When they reached the main square, they saw it.
One of the hooded men stood on the central fountain. Around him, several elf knights lay on the ground, unconscious or worse.
The man slowly raised his head.
Under the mask, his eyes shone with a terrifying calm.
—So he's not alone…
He murmured.
Kael felt a chill.
—Who are you?
The man did not respond.
He disappeared.
Kael barely had time to turn when a black blade appeared in front of his face.
Magnus blocked the attack with his sword, generating a spark that lit up the place.
—Kael, back!
Another hooded man appeared behind Seraphyne, but she spun with elegance and launched a cut that forced the attacker to retreat.
Viridia began to channel magical energy between her hands.
—How annoying… I barely woke up properly and they already want war.
The third hooded man appeared on the roof of a nearby building.
—The target is the Demon King —he said coldly—. The rest are irrelevant.
Kael clenched his fists.
—You came all the way here just for me?
The first one smiled under the mask.
—Exactly.
The air became heavy again.
The city that minutes ago seemed calm was now on the verge of chaos.
Magnus took a step forward.
—If you want to touch him… you'll have to go over us.
Seraphyne positioned herself beside her.
Viridia snapped her fingers, making a magic circle form under her feet.
Kael took a deep breath.
His heart beat hard.
The hooded man tilted his head slightly.
—Interesting… then let's make it fun.
And in that instant, the three disappeared again.