"Crackling."
I stared into the campfire's flame, my thoughts lost in the memory of a recurring, disturbing dream where Cintra was burning. With each passing day, I was more convinced it wasn't just a nightmare. The visit from that man with cat-like eyes, as enigmatic as it was frightening, seemed far more than a coincidence. What if he was telling the truth?
"No, it's not possible," I murmured, trying to convince myself. As I was deep in thought, a firm hand slapped my back, jolting me out of my reverie.
"How's it going, Aiden?" asked the commander, his voice calm yet filled with warmth.
"I'm fine, Commander. Don't worry," I replied, though the worry gnawed at me from the inside. Around us, some soldiers prayed silently, others murmured words of encouragement to their comrades. But on every face, fear was etched, piercing through strained smiles.
"And you, Commander… aren't you afraid?"
A deep, hearty laugh echoed through the camp. "Afraid? Of course not! Death is an old friend," he replied with a wry smile.
I managed a faint smile, though the doubt lingered. "That's right. You're from Ard Skellig, aren't you?"
"Yes," he replied, with a pride tinged with nostalgia. "I learned there that to truly live, you must defy death. Where we come from, death isn't feared; it's embraced. But this time, it's different. I have loved ones to protect. A woman who taught me what it means to love, and a son who inherited my fire." His eyes shone with a tender gleam. "For them, I'm no longer afraid of dying. When you protect what you love, fear becomes strength. And you, Aiden? Don't you have someone to protect?"
I felt my throat tighten. "I…" Before I could finish, he burst out laughing.
"Come on! Everyone knows it's the princess you want to protect!"
The other soldiers joined in the laughter. My face flushed under their gaze, but the commander knew how to lighten the atmosphere. For a moment, the laughter masked the anxiety hanging over the camp. Once calm returned, the commander placed a firm hand on my shoulder and looked at me with a more serious gaze.
"Aiden, listen to me carefully. I hope you'll never face the dilemmas I have. The decisions I've made… I made them for the kingdom, following my duty. But sometimes, at night, the cries of my men haunt me. Soldiers sent into battle knowing they marched toward death… That burden can never be erased."
He paused, as if a painful memory washed over him. "So, if you ever find yourself in that position, ask yourself what kind of leader you want to be. Will you sacrifice everything for the kingdom, or will you choose those you love first?"
"And… is there a right choice?" I asked, my voice uncertain.
"Everyone has to find their own answer," he replied. "Both are hard, but neither is wrong."
He gently patted my shoulder. "Now, go get some rest. We'll need strength for tomorrow."
I nodded, my thoughts in turmoil. As I walked toward my tent, snowflakes began to fall. I lifted my hand to catch one, watching its delicate shape before it melted away. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my head.
"Argh…"
My vision blurred. I was in a dark, grim throne room. In front of me, a king lay dying from poison as a man in armor approached him. "The king is dead, long live the king," he murmured coldly. In that instant, his eyes met mine.
"Aquila, defender of the Swallow…" His voice echoed like a prophecy. "I didn't expect to see you here, but it seems fate has other plans." Before he could finish, I was ripped from the vision.
I found myself back at my tent, trembling, gasping for breath. "What… was that?" I shook my head, trying to clear the image. Fear still gripped me as I slipped into my tent, exhausted, letting sleep take me into a restless slumber.
I woke up at dusk, called by the commander for a celebration. The queen had sent us supplies, a reminder that tonight might be our last. Around the fire, the soldiers sang, laughed, savoring each moment like a fleeting treasure.
But I left the gathering early, feeling the weight of the day that awaited us.
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The next day, the commander summoned me again. "Aiden, you're staying by my side during the battle. No front lines for you."
"Why? I want to fight with them."
"Because I want you to watch. You'll learn far more here. And… the princess would kill me if I put you in the front line," he said with a smile.
I prepared in silence, but an uneasy feeling gnawed at me. As I studied the map, I noticed an opening between the plains. "Commander, this passage… is it guarded?"
"No need. It's the Howling Pass. They say a werewolf roams there. Nothing should come through."
I nodded, though something about it felt wrong. We then joined the battlefield, and the commander rallied his men, his voice strong and clear. "Soldiers! Today, we fight for the future of Cintra! For our people, our families!"
The soldiers responded with a collective shout, their voices echoing through the valley.
The first enemy assault was repelled easily, but a massive shadow appeared in the sky, unleashing a burst of flames. Screams of pain and the stench of burning flesh filled the air. My legs froze, my stomach twisted at the horror. Then, like a deadly wave, the enemy cavalry attacked from the flanks. The battlefield became a hellscape of flames and blood.
Suddenly, a figure charged at me, sword raised. Acting on pure instinct, I drew my weapon, and in a split second, my blade met its mark. The man dropped to his knees before me, blood pouring from his throat, his gaze filled with fear and pain as it fixed on me. My breath quickened, a bitter taste of horror filling my mouth.
"I…" A shiver of disgust ran through me, and I wanted to look away, to forget everything. Guilt clenched my chest, oppressive. "Sorry…" I whispered in a broken voice, but his eyes were already closing.
I tore my gaze away from the lifeless body, my hands trembling. The violence, the brutality of it all, and the fear of this reality engulfed me. But the commander's voice jolted me back.
"Kid! Listen! You need to leave. Take a horse and warn the queen and princess to flee."
I clung to his words, regaining my senses. "And you, Commander?"
"I'm staying. Do your duty, go!"
Hesitating a moment, I mounted a horse, casting one last look at the commander. "Hyah!" The horse took off at full speed toward the capital. It was up to me to protect her now.
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The commander watched Aiden ride off before turning to his captains.
"So, last battle, Commander?" one of them asked.
"Yes," he replied with a sad smile. "A warrior's honor is to fight for what matters." He spurred his horse toward the enemy army, murmuring his last words to the wind: "Forgive me, Camille… and you too, Lucas. Your father goes before you."
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"Damn."
We were in full flight, pursued by enemy riders, their arrows whistling at our backs like the cries of death. Each whistle seemed to draw closer, as if fate itself were chasing us down.
"Aiden, go warn the capital. Paul and I will hold them off."
"What? No, I can't leave you!"
One of the men, John, looked at me intently, his gaze coldly resolved yet oddly warm for someone I barely knew. "Listen, the commander saw something in you. Honor his last words. Save the one you must protect and become the person he thought he saw in you."
These words, as strong as they were, came from a man who had only shared brief campfire conversations with me. His sacrifice, his detachment, crushed me. I felt my eyes blur as I watched John and Paul ready themselves to turn back and confront our pursuers, fully aware they wouldn't survive.
"May we… meet again," I murmured, my voice hoarse, gripping my horse's reins, my heart heavy with sorrow and guilt.
John gave a faint smile. "Don't worry, kid. Live your life." Then, in a swift motion, he drew his sword, and he and Paul turned to face the enemy riders.
The clash of swords rang behind me, mingling with the shouts and growls of battle. An opening appeared in the chaos, but as a brief moment of respite seemed to emerge, I saw an enemy archer nocking an arrow, aiming straight for my chest. Time seemed to slow, each fraction of a second stretching, cruel and unforgiving. The arrow flew, relentless, and despite my reflexes, I knew I wouldn't dodge it in time.
No, I have to hold on… I have to keep this promise!
At that moment, my eyes blazed with a strange light, and I felt a shiver run through me, from head to toe. Something deep within me awakened, a dark, powerful energy that exploded, radiating from me like a burning wave. The next thing I knew, I felt weightless, almost as if I was floating outside myself, beyond the danger.
Before the stunned eyes of our pursuers, a burst of green energy cut through the air, and the archer vanished, swept away like a shadow by the light.
Regaining my senses, I felt my hands tremble slightly on the reins. My heart pounded, but I had no time to understand what had just happened. Gritting my teeth, moving forward… that was all that mattered.
As I continued my race toward the capital, I left behind John and Paul's cries and a bitter guilt etched in my memory, like a fresh, raw scar.