Kin and Commander Lei had taken out the attackers and defended the village. At first, when the attackers saw that the resistance was here to help, they signaled for reinforcements. The army of the Sulten rushed to the scene, but they only succeeded in walking into a trap. Ri and her men ambushed them with precision.
Kin, still angered, vividly recalled what he had seen in Su Yin's memories just a few days ago. What had happened to her and her family was a nightmare no one should endure. Slaughtering the men responsible would not even begin to make up for her suffering, but for now, it would have to do.
Despite being the ones who initiated the ambush, the fight was a bitter one. It was fought between barely armed farmers, supported by a few soldiers, against the armored and deadly soldiers of the Sultan's army. What made it worse was the bitter irony: these men were charged with protecting Wize's borders.
The battle was fierce and terrible, but with Kin and Commander Lei leading the charge, they powered through and defeated the enemy.
Everyone was shocked to witness the prince fighting the way he did. Kin wielded his trusted sword, Ken, with terrifying efficiency, cutting down enemies without hesitation. A ten-year-old boy had succeeded in defeating hardened soldiers on the battlefield.
Once the fight was over, murmurs rippled through the crowd. Many wondered if this was indeed the "useless prince of Wize" that the rumors spoke of. Even Commander Lei was astounded by the way Kin had fought.
When the battle ended, Kin sat down on a small stone, watching as the wounded were tended to and the dead were carried away. A few seconds later, Ri approached him.
"Commander Lei and Sanjay are still pursuing those who escaped. We can't let them spread word of what happened here," Ri said.
"Hmm," Kin replied without looking up.
"I believe you told them to leave no survivors?" Ri asked.
"I did. Was I wrong to?"
"No. It doesn't matter. We've already caught some of them. The rest can be killed," Ri replied, her tone sharp but weary.
She looked at Kin, his figure drenched in blood. She couldn't imagine what had happened to turn a boy into what he had become. Despite her own resolve, she couldn't help but worry if it was right to subject someone so young to such madness.
But it was inevitable. They needed Kin—his strength, his presence. Now, more than ever.
Was it fair to demand so much from someone so young? Perhaps not. But fairness wasn't a luxury they could afford. Ri was certain Kin understood that, too.
"Your curse," Ri began hesitantly. "How exactly does it work?"
Kin suddenly summoned Ken, his sword appearing in his hand effortlessly.
"Apparently, I can make weapons from within me. Powerful ones," he explained matter-of-factly.
Ri frowned, unsure what to make of that. It sounded simple, but it felt far from it. There was a force behind his strength, something beyond the typical power of a curse. No, this was something darker. Something dangerous.
The longer she stood near Kin, the more she felt her skin crawl.
"I'd advise her not to probe your abilities too much if I were you," a voice sneered. It was Ashell, Kin's ever-watchful companion.
"She means no harm," Kin replied calmly. "And even if she did, she'd be dead."
Ri studied him closely. "I know there's more to your curse than you're letting on. It's smart to keep it a secret."
"Then don't expect me to say much about it," Kin replied.
"It's scary, you know," Ri said softly.
"I know," Kin admitted.
"Are you scared of it?" she asked.
"Sometimes," he said after a pause. "But I'm learning not to be."
"This madness needs to end soon," Ri said, her voice filled with concern.
Kin stared at her for a moment before laughing.
"What?" Ri asked. "Did I say something funny?"
"Not really. I just never thought anyone would look at me with eyes filled with concern," Kin said.
Before Ri could respond, one of her soldiers interrupted.
"Lady Ri," the woman said urgently.
"What is it?" Ri asked, turning sharply.
"There's been a problem."
Ri's expression darkened. "What kind of problem?"
"It's the base. There seem to be intruders."
Ri's eyes widened in shock. "We're leaving," she said. Stretching her hand forward, an energy formed at her fingertips, and a doorway materialized in thin air.
The door opened, and Ri stepped through with Kin following close behind.
Moments later, they found themselves back at the base. Most of their forces had been deployed for the earlier fight, leaving only a few non-combatants behind.
The scene before them was chaos. The hideout was in shambles, with people fleeing in panic.
At the center of it all stood a creature, facing off against three strangers. The creature's skin was cracked like ash, with shadowy tears trailing down its face and dissipating into the air like smoke.
Its wide, unnatural smile revealed rows of sharp teeth—a smile carved straight out of a nightmare. From its back, dark tendrils or malformed wings extended, writhing as if they had a mind of their own.
A faint glow emitted from its chest, and its grim eyes radiated sharp determination.
The three strangers stared at the creature, their shock evident as they attempted to calm it down, failing miserably.
"Why isn't your ability working?" one of the girls screamed.
"She's resisting it!" the young woman replied, her voice strained.
"I told you we should've killed it!" said a girl with silver hair.
"We're not killing anyone!" the smallest of the group shouted.
"Why are we even here? For all we know, this could be some kind of cult!"
"I thought we should investigate the creepy place Vera sensed," another added.
"And I thought we'd meet the creepy prince!"
"What kind of logic is that?" a silver haired girl asked
"You know what? I'm taking her down," the silver-haired girl declared, drawing a knife.
She moved swiftly, attempting to stab the creature from behind, but before her blade could connect, something struck her from the side, sending her crashing to the ground.
Kin stepped between the creature and the girl, his sword raised protectively.
"Su Yin," Kin said firmly, addressing the creature. "Calm down."
The monster hesitated, like a dog recognizing its master's voice. Slowly, it spoke.
"My Lord…"
"Yes, Su Yin. It's me."
Once Su Yin recognized Kin, her monstrous form began to shift. She transformed back into her human self, trembling but calm.