As Gram watched his party being picked off one by one, a gnawing fear gripped him, but it was mixed with disbelief. How dare they die when he had personally selected them? This day was spiraling out of control, and the absence of Sylvie's group only made things worse. He couldn't accept the idea of dying in a place like the Valley of Day. He was a noble, a Warlord. People died for him, not the other way around.
Desperation clawed at him, and then he remembered something his brother had given him before he left for this mission. It was meant to be used only in the direst of emergencies. He fumbled through his belongings and pulled out a small, ornate script, hurriedly chanting the word inscribed on it.
"FELEGRA!"
An intense, blinding light engulfed the area, forcing Gram to shield his eyes. When the light dimmed and he could see again, his heart nearly stopped. Slordes surrounded him, mere moments away from closing in on him before he vanished. The creatures growled in frustration, their deep, resonant voices reverberating through the valley. The leader of the pack issued a command, its irritation palpable. Despite what many believed, Slordes were not mindless beasts; they were intelligent, and they would not easily forget Gram's trespass.
---
**At Shun Village:**
Sylvie lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, unease gnawing at her. Everything had seemed too easy, almost like the calm before a storm. She couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen. Mia, who had noticed Sylvie's contemplative mood, tried to reassure her.
"Everything is fine, you know. No need to worry," Mia said, though her voice lacked conviction.
Sylvie remained quiet for a moment before replying, "Everything just seems off. I feel like something bad will happen."
Mia pouted, thinking Sylvie was worrying too much. As she tried to dismiss her unease, a sudden, terrified scream pierced the night, making them both jump out of bed.
"WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?! STATE YOUR PURPOSE!!"
Rushing to the window, they saw village guards pointing their weapons at a disheveled figure standing in the middle of the road. Sylvie's eyes widened in disbelief and annoyance as she recognized the man.
"Gram!" she muttered under her breath, irritation lacing her tone. The sight of him only heightened her sense of dread. His sudden appearance was a bad omen, and she wanted nothing to do with it. To make matters worse, Gram looked like he was on the verge of a breakdown, his usual arrogance replaced by raw fear.
Bane, alerted by the commotion, joined them as they all rushed outside. The three of them arrived just in time to see Gram groveling on the ground, wild-eyed and mumbling incoherently.
"Why are you creeping around like a common rat beast? I swear, causing a commotion like this is low even for you," Sylvie said, her voice cutting through the chaos.
Gram, despite his fear, knocked the guards' hands away. He was a noble, and the indignity of being manhandled was too much for him to bear. "You dare lecture me, witch? Tsk. I don't have to listen to your crap. My party was just wiped out by those night creatures, so my night isn't exactly going well."
The guards exchanged horrified glances. They knew exactly what Gram was talking about, even if the others didn't.
"This is bad! Warn the chief immediately; we must start the protocol before they arrive," one of the guards barked, his voice tinged with urgency.
Mia ran up to the guard who seemed to be in charge. "What protocol?" she demanded, trying to make sense of the situation.
The guard looked at her in disbelief. "How have you traveled to the Valley of Day and not know about the Slordes?"
Mia stammered, "Of course I know of Slordes! But why would they come here?"
The guard's eyes flicked to Gram, his expression a mixture of fury and despair. "Because they are emotional creatures and hold grudges. If this man insulted or angered one, they will come."
All eyes turned to Gram, who was now pale as a ghost. The realization of what he had done hit him like a sledgehammer. It was the statue—he had destroyed one of the Slorde statues. But it was dead, wasn't it?
Bane wasted no time. He knelt in front of Gram, grabbing his face with a vice-like grip. "You will tell me…what did you do!"
For a moment, Gram considered lying or refusing, but the look in Bane's eyes made him reconsider. There was something primal in that gaze, something that promised pain if he didn't comply. Bane's Hydra blades, sensing the impending danger, were reacting with a low hum, vibrating with anticipation.
What most people didn't know was that the Hydra was a Guardian beast, part of a rare class of creatures that maintained the balance of the natural order. Guardian beasts, including Hydras, Dragons, and others, were instinctively drawn to anything that threatened that balance. The mutated Slorde, awakened by Gram's folly, was such a threat, and the Hydra blades responded accordingly.
Gram, feeling the pressure of Bane's grip and the weight of his own guilt, finally broke. "I didn't know they could hold grudges. All I did was cut down a stupid statue."
The guards' faces drained of color, their fury boiling over.
"You didn't…," one of them began, his voice trembling with rage.
"BOY, DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'VE DONE?!" the guard shouted, nearly spitting in Gram's face. "You have doomed us all. The Slorde statues are not to be cut! When destroyed, they mutate and enter an enraged state! You have given wings to a tiger!"
Mia's device suddenly buzzed, pulling her attention away from the heated exchange. She glanced down and saw an urgent alert.
"What is going on?" she muttered, her heart sinking.
Sylvie, noticing Mia's alarmed expression, asked, "What happened?"
Mia looked up, her face pale. "Our mission just got upgraded."
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Gram's recklessness had not only endangered the village but had also escalated their mission into something far more dangerous. The Slordes were coming, and they would not stop until they had exacted their revenge.