Sofía arrived in Dreville escorted by eight hundred knights and two hundred mages under the command of Major General Aleph Douglas. The thunder of armor shook the foundations of the small fief. A villager ran to Baron Aritz, his face pale, to inform him of the situation.

  Aritz, holding his children's hands, could barely hide his trembling."If I die," he said in a broken voice, "try to reach the royal family."

  "Father, what's happening? Why is there such a large army outside the town?" asked his eldest son, Iker.

  Aritz looked away in shame."The young man who had been visiting us went out for a walk beyond the village, but he didn't return last night. I didn't think it was necessary to assign him an escort—he was well accompanied… I regret that now. Because of him, they mobilized every soldier."

  Andrea burst into tears."I love you, Father… thank you for everything."

  Iker hugged him tightly."I'll always remember you as a great man."

  Margarita, his wife, looked at him with restrained tears."You were a good husband. No matter what happens, I will always love you."

  As he walked toward where Sofía awaited him, the baron felt sweat soaking his back. He couldn't understand how a simple oversight had turned into a nightmare.

  Duchess Sofía, mounted on her beast Thunder, approached with a hardened expression."Where is my son?" she roared, her fury chilling the air.

  Aritz bowed clumsily."He said he was going for a walk in a nearby village, Your Excellency."

  "Take me there now!" she ordered.

  Fifteen minutes later, upon arriving at the village, the local knights knelt at her presence. She accepted no greetings—only demanded answers. Once informed of what had occurred, Sofía immediately headed toward the mountains where Lusian had last been seen.

  From afar, they spotted a contingent approaching. Sofía mounted Thunder once more and advanced alongside Larryet, followed by her personal guard.

  Albert stepped forward to greet her, but the moment he entered Thunder's range, a bolt of lightning hurled him to the ground. Charles, Leonidas, and Jaiden froze. Sofía dismounted swiftly and ran toward Lusian.

  "What are you doing here, Lusian?" she asked sternly.

  The young man swallowed, fully aware of the gravity of the situation—and of Albert's still-smoking body lying nearby."I'm sorry, Mother. I only wanted to…"

  Emily intervened bravely."It's my fault—"

  Lusian moved her behind him and spoke firmly."I went out for a walk, but an accident occurred. If it weren't for Albert and the others, it would have been a disaster. I will take responsibility for the knights' deaths, so I will accept—"

  Before he could finish, Sofía pulled him into a tight embrace."I'm glad you're safe, my son. You have no idea how afraid I was of losing you."

  Surprised, Lusian took a few seconds before returning the embrace. Until that moment, he had only known the duchess—not the mother."I'm sorry, Mom… I just wanted to fulfill the duty of a noble. I'm so sorry," he murmured, his voice breaking.

  Sofía gently stroked his hair."It's all right now. What matters is that you returned alive."

  "So… you're not angry?" Lusian asked with a faint smile.

  "Well…" she replied with restrained calm, "before you asked, no. But now that you have—yes. Very much so. Why couldn't your knights protect you?"

  "They were dying, Mother. I couldn't just stand there watching. Umber disobeyed my orders, so I had to intervene."

  Sofía sighed deeply."I don't want you putting yourself in danger again. Every knight in the duchy exists to protect you—even if they must die to do so."

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  At that moment, Aleph Douglas arrived, accompanied by Aritz, who breathed in relief upon seeing Lusian alive.

  "My lord, it is a great relief to see you safe," Aleph said respectfully. "You had us deeply worried. You are the future of the duchy—please do not take such risks again."

  "It won't happen again. Thank you, General," Lusian replied.

  Aritz, nervous, stepped forward."Lord Lusian, please forgive me for failing to assign you an escort. It was an unforgivable mistake."

  "Lord Aritz," Emily intervened, "I must inform you that the demonic cult was kidnapping people to summon a demon." She gestured toward the freed prisoners.

  Aritz's eyes widened in horror."What are you saying? Is that true?"

  Lusian looked at him coldly."Do you think we're lying? Speak with them and make sure they receive immediate care." His tone carried the authority of a noble accustomed to being obeyed.

  Meanwhile, Albert struggled back to his feet.

  "Did that hurt?" Charles asked.

  Albert stretched his neck and smiled."No. It's good for relaxing the muscles. Highly recommended." The others laughed nervously.

  Back in Dreville, Lusian lay down on his bed, exhausted. Adela entered quietly.

  "Do you need anything, my lord?" she asked.

  "Was my mother very angry?" he whispered.

  "Of course not." Adela smiled. "The last time I saw her truly furious was the day you ran away."

  Lusian frowned."Really?"

  "Yes. That day, she was arguing with the duke because he wanted to name Caleb as heir without her consent. And when I entered to report that you had disappeared, Lord Laurence's head was inside Larryet's jaws, and Umber was devouring his own arm—the one he used to wield his sword. Believe me, that was a terrible day."

  Lusian pressed a hand to his forehead."That… actually happened?"

  "It did. Compared to that day, today she was only worried." Adela covered him with a blanket. "Rest, my lord."

  At dawn, the convoy began its return to the capital. Columns of knights marched in perfect order, carrying both the glory of victory and the weight of loss. Among them traveled two special guests: Lusian Douglas, heir to the duchy, and Emily Laurent, daughter of the Marquis of Lanter.

  Upon arrival, Lusian personally escorted Emily to her mansion. In front of the main gate, Marquis Daniel waited anxiously, his face marked with concern.

  "There's an uproar across the entire capital," he said as soon as he saw them. "Everyone saw Duchess Sofía depart with hundreds of soldiers toward the mountains. Some rumors claim the governor of Dreville was executed. Is that true?"

  Emily quickly shook her head."No, Father. None of that happened. We encountered a group from the demonic cult."

  Daniel immediately stepped forward and took her by the shoulders."Are you all right, my daughter? Did they harm you?"

  "I'm fine, Father. I was never in danger… Lusian wouldn't have allowed it." Her voice trembled slightly.

  The marquis exhaled in relief."He fulfilled his duty, as befits your fiancé. Then why do you look so distressed?"

  Emily lowered her gaze, unable to contain the guilt weighing on her."I was the one who insisted on helping the villagers kidnapped by the cult. I thought it would be a simple rescue mission, but… it was a massacre. Many of Lusian's knights died, and he carries that guilt on his shoulders. I don't know if I did the right thing."

  Daniel embraced her gently."I know you, Emily. You have always had a noble heart. You did what was right. The strong must protect the weak, even if the price is high."

  Emily closed her eyes and allowed herself to be held, while her father's words only slightly eased the burden on her conscience.

  "Even so…" she whispered, "when I saw him standing among the bodies of his men, I realized that kindness can also hurt."

  Daniel stroked her hair and replied firmly,"Then make sure that pain is not in vain. We will formally thank the young duke. I will send several gifts in the name of our house as a sign of respect for his bravery and noble actions."

  Emily nodded softly. As she watched her father walk away to give orders, her gaze drifted toward the window. There, in the rays of the morning sun, she thought of Lusian.

  High in the mountains, the surviving cultists had improvised a camp among scorched rocks and pine trees. Torches crackled, and smoke mixed with the night's cold; wounded men and women, wrapped in bandages, murmured prayers on the edge of despair. Jerges, pale and with his cloak stained in blood, stood apart, holding a magical artifact that emitted a faint scarlet pulse.

  From within it, a voice echoed—cold and authoritative. It was not the voice of a man speaking with concern, but an order wrapped in fury.

  "Your Excellency," Jerges said, his voice trembling, "I deeply regret it. We have failed. Our base was discovered, and only a few of us managed to escape."

  The response came as a snort of restrained rage."Useless!" the voice cut in. "Who dares interfere with our plans?"

  "It was the Douglas family," Jerges replied, swallowing hard. "A child was wandering through the area and, by accident, found us."

  A silence followed, swallowing even the crackling of the torches. Finally, the voice spoke again, cold as iron:

  "Tell me his name and location. I will seek him out myself and ensure he receives the punishment he deserves."

  The artifact vibrated in Jerges' hand. His fingers tightened around it as the red glow intensified, as if responding to the promise of blood.

  "I will," Jerges murmured. "I will not fail again."

  The voice offered no mercy."I do not tolerate incompetence. Recover what was lost, or your life will pay the price."

  As the communication faded, Jerges stared toward the horizon, where the mountain's shadows concealed the path by which peace had fled the valley. Beside him, the few remaining recruits fixed their gazes on the distance, knowing that this failure would not be the end—but merely the prelude to something far worse.

  The artifact continued to pulse in the night, and in its rhythm echoed a promise:

  They would return.