Luis staggered back to his feet, his chest aching and his breath uneven. His head still spun from the hit, but his eyes remained fixed on the shrinking figure in the sky carrying Kael and Ardyn.
Helplessness overwhelmed Luis, he fell to his knees, his teeth clenched in frustration because he hadn't been able to do anything.
"Kael," he muttered in a hoarse voice.
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Kael's thoughts raced as the grip on his shirt tightened, lifting him off the ground. He turned to see who it was, but instead, he saw his brother being thrown to the ground with a single swing.
"LET GO!" he shouted, instinctively activating his blessing and trying to compose himself as he attempted to loosen the grip. But it was too strong. When neither Taran nor Aelina could loosen it, he began to panic, thrashing around wildly. Suddenly, his vision darkened. The last thing he saw was Taran's body collapsing, his eyes lifeless.
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Ardyn's frame trembled as he turned to see who had picked him up from behind. Something about the man terrified him.
He tried to move, to escape like Kael was trying, but his body refused to cooperate. He opened his mouth to call for help, but all that came out was a choked whimper.
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Taran's heart pounded as he watched the soldier drag Kael and Ardyn away. His mind screamed at him to do something, but his body froze in fear. Finally, Taran forced himself to do something he rushed forward trying to loosen the man's grip.
Taran had heard the soldier's warning he knew what would happen if he helped Phoenix Clan members. But he still gripped the soldier's hand, desperately trying to make him let go.
When the soldier told him to release his grip if he wanted to live and that this wasn't his concern, Taran's heart raced. Panic left him unable to speak, but he held on because Luis and Aelina were his friends.
Taran didn't even have time to react to what came next. The soldier gave him a chance, but after Taran refused to let go, his claws pierced Taran's chest. Pain exploded through him before it quickly faded, his vision darkening as everything around him disappeared. Taran had questioned if he had made the right choice.
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Lira trembled as she watched everything unfold. She had always been told to use her blessing to run when in danger, but right now, she couldn't move. She had seen Luis get struck, and now she was watching the soldier pierce Taran's chest. Uncertainty and fear overwhelmed her.
She glanced at Aelina, who gave her a look one that told her exactly what to do. Guilt churned inside Lira as she turned and ran, tears welling in her eyes. She had been told that getting help from strangers was useless; she needed to find Phoenix Clan members.
Before fleeing, she created an illusion of herself and Aelina, then used her blessing to make them invisible. Placing the invisibility on Aelina completely drained her aura, leaving her physically exhausted as she ran.
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Aelina's body trembled as she tried to get up. Pain radiated from her stomach. She screamed her brother's name, but she couldn't do anything. She couldn't chase after him—the feather had drained all her aura. All she could do was hope her father would arrive in time.
Luis slowly walked over to Taran's unmoving body. His skin was pale, his eyes lifeless. Luis couldn't bring himself to stand beside him. He was frozen in place.
He turned to see Aelina on the ground, clutching her stomach, her eyes staring into the sky. Time felt like it had frozen. The chattering of the village had stopped. There was nothing but silence.
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Ten kilometers east of the village, Freyheart, Aelina's father, was on a hunt. He stood at 6'8", his muscular frame intimidating, his blond hair falling just past his ears. His black eyes appeared cloudy, making it impossible to tell where he was looking. He wore a simple cream-colored tunic, dark fitted trousers, and sturdy leather boots.
Freyheart had been sent to kill a high-tier creature that had wandered too far from its territory. Sera had sensed it earlier, and since Freyheart was the fastest person in the village, he was chosen for the task. However, without blessings for tracking or reconnaissance, he had spent significant time searching for the creature.
He could have handled the task faster, but he couldn't use blessings connected to the Phoenix Clan, which slowed him considerably. Freyheart had a rough idea of what to look for, as he knew the high-tier creatures in the nearby regions.
Before he could continue his search, his wings blessing activated automatically. For a split second, he was confused, then he felt it a feather had returned to his wings.
His eyes glowed red, his hair turned crimson, and all the blessings the Xoliti Clan had used to disguise him vanished. His wings outstretched, he disappeared from where he had been standing.