Dawn broke over Riverstone, but the sun's light brought no warmth or comfort.
Instead, it illuminated a landscape of utter devastation. Smoke rose in spirals from the burnt remains of buildings, drifting into the sky. The cobblestone streets, once filled with the sound of daily life, were littered with debris—splintered wood and shattered tools.
Kael and Lira stood at the edge of the square, their faces pale and drawn. Where the heart of Riverstone had once stood, there was now only ruin.
The granary was reduced to ashes, its blackened frame leaning precariously. The meeting hall, their last safehold, had collapsed inward, its roof caved in and its walls cracked.
The air was thick with the stench of burning wood and the metallic sent of blood. Bodies lay scattered across the square, a sad reminder of the battle that had raged through the night.
Some were villagers, their makeshift weapons still clutched in lifeless hands. Others were corrupted.
Kael clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. His gaze swept over the wreckage, each scene etching itself into his mind.
A child's toy lay abandoned near the remnants of a barricade, it had been burned black. A single bloody boot lay up-side-down by the well, its owner nowhere in sight.
For Lira, the scene was overwhelming. She swayed on her feet, her breaths shallow and rapid. The enormity of the destruction was too much to process. This was her home, the place where she had grown up, it now looked unrecognizable.
"It's... all gone," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
For Kael, it felt like an unraveling, a slow, agonizing dismantling of everything he had fought to protect.
He had known they were outnumbered, had understood the odds, but standing here now, in the aftermath, he felt the sharp sting of failure.
Lira fell to her knees, her hands clutching at the dirt. Tears streamed down her face, her sobs were unrestrained.
Kael knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. He wanted to say something, anything, to ease her pain, but the words wouldn't come. What comfort could he offer when he felt just as broken?
For a long moment, they stayed there, lost in their shared sorrow.
Kael's tears came slow and reluctantly, as though his grief was something he had tried to suppress. His shoulders shook as the events of the night came back to him.
He had always tried to be the strong one, the protector, but now, in the ruins of their village, he couldn't hold back.
Lira's sobs grew quieter, her body trembling as she clung to her brother. "Why... why did this happen?" she choked out.
Kael didn't have an answer. All he could do was hold her, his own tears falling silently.
Eventually, the need to act began to override their grief. Kael took a deep breath, forcing himself to stand. "We need to find the others," he said, his voice rough. "There might still be survivors."
Lira nodded, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Kael and Lira began their search, moving through the wreckage. They called out as they went, their voices echoing eerily in the silence surrounding them.
"Is anyone there?" Kael shouted.
At first, there was no response. The silence was deafening, each unanswered call chipping away at their hope. But then, faintly, they heard a voice.
"Over here..."
Kael and Lira ran toward the sound, moving through the debris. They found a group of villagers huddled near the remnants of a wall. Many were injured, their faces pale and their clothes stained with blood.
Kael knelt beside an older woman whose arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. "We'll get you out of here," he said, trying to sound reassuring.
Lira tore strips of fabric from her tunic to bind wounds, her hands shaking. She whispered words of comfort to the wounded, even as her own grief threatened to overwhelm her.
The survivors clung to Kael and Lira's presence like a lifeline. They showed no gratitude, their faces etched with the same grief and exhaustion that Kael and Lira felt.
After assisting them Kael and Lira continued their search for survivors which soon became a desperate quest to find their father. Each body they passed filled them with dread, their hearts racing as they scanned faces and clothing.
"Please, no," Lira whispered each time they approached another lifeless form. Kael said no words, already knowing what to expect.
Finally, near the center of the square, they found him. Marcus's body lay crumpled, his axe near him, along with a corrupted's dead body. His face was peaceful, but the sight of him was like a knife to their hearts.
Lira collapsed beside him, her cries piercing the silence. She clutched his hand, her tears falling onto the dirt. "Dad, no... please..."
Kael stood frozen, his chest tight. He wanted to stay strong for Lira, to be the anchor she needed, but his composure crumbled. He dropped to his knees, his tears flowing freely as he reached out to touch his father's shoulder.
"I should've been here," Kael said, his voice breaking. "I should've done more."
Lira shook her head, her sobs making it hard to speak. "He... he saved us. He... kept us safe."
Kael wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "We'll make it through this," he whispered, though he wasn't sure he believed it. "We'll make him proud. His sacrifice won't be in vain"
As Kael and Lira continued their search, they encountered wounded corrupted that had somehow escaped death. The attackers moved slowly, their injuries slowing them down, but they were still dangerous.
Kael gripped his spear tightly, he then moved to attack. Each strike was powerful, driven by a mixture of rage and determination. He couldn't afford to falter—not now.
After Kael finished off the undead, he found that his spear had worn out, its blade dull and the wood cracking 'That was fast, this wood was fresh and the blade sharp when they gave me the weapon yesterday.'
Despite that they continued their search.
Near the edge of the village, they found a man sitting against a wall, his weapon resting on his lap. For a moment, Kael thought he was one of the injured survivors.
"Sir?" Kael called out, approaching cautiously.
The man didn't respond. As they drew closer, Kael realized why. The man was dead, his eyes staring blankly ahead.
Lira gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Kael closed his eyes briefly, the sight was another reminder of the night's horrors.
"We can't stay here," Kael said softly, guiding Lira away. "There's nothing we can do for him."
As the sun rose higher, its light revealed the full extent of Riverstone's destruction. Kael and Lira stood together, their hearts heavy but their resolve unbroken.
The village was gone, but its people, the survivors, were still here. And for them, Kael and Lira would keep going. They would find strength in each other, in the memory of their father, the fallen, and in the hope that, somehow, they could rebuild.
Because even in the face of overwhelming loss, life endured. And so would they.