19th Century
Almyra quickly scanned the medical tent as she searched for Doctor Brinton. She quickly gives up and hurries outside to join her men, but is instantly met with distant screams and gunshots. She reflexively draws her sword and runs toward the sound as quickly as her legs will take her, the adrenaline pulsing through her veins.
She passes tent after tent as the screams seemingly become farther away, causing her to feel like she won't make it in time.
Arriving at the clearing, Almyra stops in her tracks, seeing dead bodies scattered along the field. Everything was happening so fast, soldiers shooting their guns at what we could only assume was nothing, it's impossible. Her men are dying right in front of her, but there's no one to be seen.
"How is this possible?" She whispers, perplexed trying to take the whole scene in. One after another, bodies dropping on the ground, but then one of her soldiers hit something with a bullet and the figure was hunched over on the ground, holding the spot where they were hit. The figure had a hooded cloak on, which was pulled down to show a man. He looked up, making direct eye contact with Almyra and smirks. She froze and held her breath until he vanished.
"What the hell?" She starts running towards the soldier who she now knows is Sanford, realizing that who he shot was the Unseen.
"Oh, fuck." Almyra mumbled to herself.
"RUN SANFORD! Run!" Almyra couldn't yell fast enough, the moment he looked at her he was already dead.
"RETREAT! RETREAT! FALL BACK! EVERYONE GET BACK!" She yells and frantically waves her arms, trying to get everyone back to safety, but her soldiers are too slow. There's no use, we would never be able to outrun them.
Then out of the blue William appears and starts to fight the Unseen with his sword, killing multiple at a time.
"How is that possible?" Almyra asks out loud, staring in shock trying to think of a good explanation as to how William can kill these things without seeing them.
She then has a flashback to when William was conversing with the two older men and how he seemed to be in charge of every aspect. Like William was somehow their General. Who is he really? Why is he double crossing us?
"Wait, no. He can't be. That's not possible." Almyra whispers, and as if William can hear her, he looks up making direct eye contact with her and smirks.
This makes Almyra's blood boil and she starts charging towards him, never breaking eye contact. William lowers his sword and stands with perfect posture waiting for her to get closer.
With every step, the Unseen seems to fade away as she focuses on making her way to William. The closer she gets, the angrier she becomes.
"What the fuck is going on, William?!" Almyra yells as she closes the distance between them, throwing her hands against his chest in an effort to push him back. The Unseen now visible, start to slowly form a giant circle around them, their gazes never moving from Almyra.
"I don't know what you mean. I'm obviously helping." William chuckles as he steps back from Almyra and holds his arms out, gesturing to all he's done as a few of the Unseen laugh at his remark. Almyra slowly takes everything in, looking at all the faces of the "invisible" men her soldiers were just fighting moments ago. They're all just normal people, some of them look familiar.
"How could you possibly think this is helping? All of my soldiers are practically dead because of you! How dare you try and play both sides, William?! What did you even accomplish from this?" Almyra says in distress. William watches her, his lips curling up into a smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't remember saying anything funny. Is this amusing to you?" Almyra questioned as William silently laughed and shook his head.
"Oh, sweet Almyra. You never change, do you? You really think this is the worst that I can do? These men meant nothing to you." He points around to all the dead soldiers.
"Of course they do! What are you insinuating?" Almyra retaliates.
"Don't worry. Just know that you are the reason for all this." He said, pointing at her.
"Bullshit! How is this my fault? I did my best to help my men, it was you who killed everyone. And for what? Just to play both sides. How is that good for anyone?" Almyra says, drawing her sword and pointing it at his chest.
"Oh, enough of this. If you wanna fight, let's fight. But please, stop talking." William dramatically groans and Almyra scoffs and takes a step forward.
"Fine, just know I'm going to kill you." William laughs at her remark and lifts his sword, daring her to make the first move. She tilted her head to the side slightly and he instantly charged at her. Almyra quickly side steps to her left and lifts her sword, slicing down the length of his back.
William effortlessly stabs his sword into the ground as he falls to his knees, using the sword for stability. He looks up at her and starts hysterically laughing as she watches his back heal right before her eyes.
"What the fuck, William?! You're one of them?" Almyra says as she points to the Unseen around them.
"Oh please. As if you didn't already think I was. You know you knew from the moment I stepped onto the field." Almyra took a step back, shocked.
"Why do all of this? I don't understand… What was the point?" William's eyes darken as he slowly takes a step toward her.
"What's the point? How many times do I have to make you remember what you did to me?! This has been going on for centuries and you're always completely clueless as to what's been going on. Kian always remembers, but what is it with you?" William says as he examines Almyra as if he's going to magically find something wrong with her.
"What do you mean by 'Kian always remembers'? What did you do?" Almyra scowls, looking at him in pure disgust.
"I killed him, duh. Couldn't have Mr. Ruins Everything tell you anything about me before you found out on your own. What's the fun in that?" William says, shrugging.
"Seriously? That's why you killed him?" Almyra asked with an exasperated sigh. William suddenly grabs Almyra by the shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes.
"Almyra, I want you to forget everything that happened on this battlefield from the moment I appeared. The only thing you are to remember is that you helped kill all of the Unseen, but all of your men are dead. You couldn't save everyone, you are the only one left." William compelled her. The rest of the Unseen disappeared as William slowly let his arms drop and took a step back before he vanished as well.
Almyra blinked a few times, shaking her head before taking a look around, confused.
"What happened?" She groans, putting her hand on her head. She sits on the ground as she remembers that they won. Well… She won. There was no one else left, but Almyra. Tears start streaming down her face, knowing how many friends she's lost that she'll never see again and how many families she's going to have to let down.
The walk back to camp was a slow brutal walk. Trying to prepare for what she was going to tell the families, she couldn't stop feeling like there was something she was forgetting.
Something bigger was going on, but she couldn't remember what it was.
Almyra pauses, overlooking the camp. Taking a deep breath and holding her head high, she starts walking through. Not knowing what to expect, she enters the clearing of tents, stumbling back.
"Oh my god, no…" Almyra whispers as tears start to flow down her face. She looks around, horrified as she sees all the nurses and patients that were supposed to be safe in the tents, strewn into a big pile in the middle of the clearing. Everyone on top of each other, completely mutilated, blood dripping all over the bodies and pooling into the dirt, slowly trickling outwards like snakes.
Almyra wipes her tear-streaked face with the back of her hand and starts walking towards the pile, looking at all the innocent people squished together. Blood pouring from their mouths and nose, fresh blood.
"This was recent." Almyra whispered, continuing to circle the pile, bemused. She stops when she notices the nurse from earlier that day, her blonde hair stained red from the blood. Almyra takes a step back, looking at the top of the pile. She instantly spots Benny, his face barely covered with a hand that's hanging down from above him. A familiar hand. Almyra squints as she trails her gaze up the arm to see who it is.
"Kian? What the fuck?! Who could do this to you?!" Almyra cries out angrily, looking at Kian who is laid on top of the pile.
Not knowing what else to do, she turns and walks away. Her fist gripping the hilt of her sword before she drops it on the ground and rushes into her tent, tears streaming down her face.
Almyra sits motionless on her cot, staring at the floor thinking about what she had just witnessed. There was something bothering her about this whole situation, but she couldn't figure it out. Laying back on her cot, she drifts off to sleep with the vision of Kian on top of the pile of dead bodies.