The path to Kabunlawan stretched endlessly before them, silent and uneventful at first. The youngsters clung to their beast mounts, the rhythmic gallop of the creatures offering a false sense of calm. Each thud of clawed feet against the dirt seemed to echo the unease in their hearts.
But then, a deafening bang shattered the stillness—a burst of magic crackling like thunder through the air. The youngsters froze, their mounts rearing slightly in response to the sound. Even the riders knew what it meant.
"It's him," the leader of the E-rank guards muttered grimly. "The old man's power."
The realization hit like a cold wind. The old man, who had stayed behind to protect their village, had unleashed his magic—a sign of an escalating battle and certain danger. Without hesitation, the group urged their mounts forward, the beasts snarling as they picked up speed.
"We have to get to Kabunlawan!" the carriage driver barked, his voice tense.
In the distance, ominous shapes emerged—hound-like monsters with glowing eyes and salivating maws, their inhuman forms bounding toward them in pursuit.
"Hounds!" one of the youngsters cried, their voice trembling with fear.
The E-rank guards riding alongside immediately sprang into action. They steadied themselves on their mounts and began casting fireballs, their magic igniting the night. Flames lit up the surrounding darkness, the fireballs roaring as they collided with the ground to slow the oncoming pack.
"Keep moving!" a guard shouted, releasing another volley of flames.
The beast mounts responded to their riders' commands, their powerful legs propelling them faster and faster. But the hounds were relentless, their snarls growing louder with each passing moment.
"Hold them back!" another guard yelled, throwing more fireballs. The hounds briefly scattered, their formation disrupted, but they quickly regrouped, closing the distance again.
Ahead, the walls of Kabunlawan finally came into view, its gates illuminated faintly by torches. Relief flooded through the group as they pushed their mounts harder, the beasts breathing heavily but charging with everything they had.
The guards fired a final barrage of magic, and, for a moment, the hounds hesitated. It was enough. The group reached the gates just as the hounds began closing in again. The heavy gates creaked open just wide enough to let them through before slamming shut with a deafening clang.
Inside the safety of the walls, the youngsters dismounted, their legs shaky and their faces pale. Without hesitation, they ran to the guards stationed at the gate, falling to their knees in desperation.
"Please! You have to help our village!" one of them begged, tears streaming down their face. "It's being destroyed!"
The Kabunlawan guards exchanged uneasy glances but remained silent. Moments later, a stern-looking official stepped forward, his expression devoid of sympathy.
"Help cannot be sent," he said firmly. "Your village is overrun with monsters. If we send men, we risk bringing the beasts here. Kabunlawan must be protected above all else."
"But our families!" another youngster cried out. "There are still people back there! You can't just—"
"I'm sorry," the official interrupted. "Your village is lost."
The youngsters stared at him, their faces stricken with disbelief and grief.
"You don't understand!" one of them shouted, their voice cracking. "We can't just abandon them!"
"The borders are sealed," the official said coldly. "You'll stay here now. That's all we can offer."
The weight of his words settled over them like a suffocating shroud. Despair clawed at their hearts, but amidst the sorrow, a spark of defiance flickered.
A few of the older youngsters from Saliksik, standing slightly apart from the group, exchanged glances. Unlike the younger children, they refused to be silenced. These were teenagers, hardened by their upbringing in a harsh world and emboldened by desperation.
"You can't just leave them to die!" one of them said, stepping forward boldly. "You have soldiers, walls, and magic! What's the point of all this if you can't protect others?"
The officials remained firm, shaking their heads. "The risk is too great. Kabunlawan must be protected."
Before the youngsters could press further, the sound of hoofbeats echoed through the air. A cavalcade of warriors on beast mounts approached the gates of Kabunlawan. Their armor gleamed under the torchlight, and their presence radiated authority and strength.
The guards at the gates straightened and saluted as the leader of the group—a tall figure clad in reinforced leather armor adorned with silver sigils—dismounted.
"Captain Sidlak Luna, we thank you for the visit," one of the guards said, his voice filled with respect. Even the grumpy village chief, who had been observing the commotion from afar, adjusted his demeanor and stepped forward to greet the group with a forced smile.
The older youngsters from Saliksik saw their chance. They burst from the crowd and ran toward the cavalry, their voices rising in desperate pleas.
"Please help our village!" one shouted, tears streaming down his face.
Another added, "Our families are still there! Please, let us come with you!"
The village chief's face darkened, and he moved to reprimand the children. "Enough of this nonsense! Step back and—"
"Let the kids be," Captain Luna interrupted, raising a gloved hand. His voice was calm but commanding, and his presence silenced the chief instantly.
The chief clicked his tongue in annoyance but turned and walked back toward his abode, muttering under his breath.
Captain Luna studied the youngsters carefully. Despite their tear-streaked faces and trembling voices, he saw the fire of determination in their eyes.
"How many of you are asking to come?" he finally asked.
"Five of us," one of the teens replied, standing straighter despite the weight of fear and grief.
The captain nodded. "Then you'll ride with us. But know this—this isn't a journey of safety. It's a battlefield. If you come, you follow orders, no matter what."
The teens nodded fervently, their resolve unwavering.
The younger children, who had been watching quietly, began to sob. One of them clung to his older brother's arm. "Don't go! What if you don't come back?"
The older brother knelt and hugged the child tightly. "I'll come back. I promise. Stay here, stay safe, and keep praying for us and everyone in the village."
Moments later, the five older youngsters mounted borrowed beasts and joined the cavalry. As the gates of Kabunlawan opened once more, the 13 C-rank soldiers and their B-rank captain rode out into the darkness, their formation strong and unyielding.
The six younger children were left behind, standing by the gates with tear-streaked faces. As the sound of hoofbeats faded into the distance, they knelt together in prayer, clinging to hope that their older siblings and parents would return safely.
The cavalry moved swiftly, their mounts cutting through the night like streaks of lightning. The younger villagers, who had been allowed to join, watched in awe as the soldiers unleashed magic and skill with precision. Fireballs, wind blades, and shimmering barriers of light decimated the E-rank hounds that pursued them, scattering their remains into the night.
Despite their amazement, tears streamed down the teenagers' faces as they realized the harsh reality—their families had been fighting these monsters alone, with far less strength and resources. The image of their elders, frail but defiant, clinging to survival against such relentless foes weighed heavily on their hearts.
As the cavalcade approached the ruined gates of Barangay Saliksik, the scene before them was devastating. The village, once lively and full of laughter, was now shrouded in chaos. Fires raged from scattered homes, painting the night sky orange. Desperate cries and the monstrous growls of hounds echoed through the air.
At the center of the town stood the village chief, Elder Lolong. The once-proud leader was battered and bloody, his garments soaked with crimson and his staff barely able to support him. Surrounding him were snarling hounds, circling for the final blow. Despite his E-rank fighter-mage status, Lolong's age and injuries made him vulnerable. He still fought valiantly, an ember of defiance burning within him.
The teenagers broke down at the sight, their tears falling freely. Without thinking, they rushed forward, driven by desperation and love for their elder. The cavalry immediately acted, slashing down the nearest monsters with practiced ease. Captain Luna barked commands, leading most of his team deeper into the village to rescue survivors, while a single soldier stayed behind to protect the youngsters.
As the battle raged on, the cavalry's healers approached Elder Lolong. They mended his physical wounds with glowing magic, but the mental scars remained untouched. The old man shoved them away with trembling hands, his body shaking—not from injury, but from grief and anger.
"Leave me!" Lolong shouted, his voice breaking. "This is no place for children or cowards. Go back to where you came from!"
The teenagers recoiled, frightened by his outburst, and sought refuge behind the lone cavalry soldier. One of the youngsters, unable to hold back any longer, cried out, "Please don't, Elder Lolong! Please don't leave us!"
The elder, his face twisted in pain, muttered to himself, his voice barely audible over the chaos. "If only I had been stronger... If only I hadn't been born so weak... If only I had worked harder. None of this would've happened. None of this..." His muttering grew louder, more venomous, as he began to direct his anger outward.
"If only no fools had abandoned us, leaving us to fend for ourselves! If only those brats hadn't been born!" He turned his gaze to the teenagers, his eyes filled with bitterness. "We spent everything—our time, our funds—on raising you! On giving you a better life! And what did we get? This! If it weren't for you, Saliksik could've had walls, defenses, a chance to survive!"
The words cut through the teenagers like a blade. One of them collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, their legs too weak to support them. The others, though trembling, tried to comfort their friend.
A deep, foreboding silence followed. The cavalry soldier standing guard sensed the shift in the air. His hand went to the blue torch strapped to his belt, lighting it with haste. The torch ignited, releasing a radiant, protective barrier that encircled the children in a 4-meter radius.
"Don't step outside this barrier, no matter what happens," the soldier instructed firmly.
The youngsters, their faces streaked with tears, nodded in unison, clutching one another for comfort.
But it was too late. Elder Lolong's despair had reached its peak. The negative energy surrounding him coalesced, feeding off his anguish, his regrets, and his fury. He let out a blood-curdling scream as his body began to transform.
The process was horrifying. His frame swelled, muscles ripping apart and reforming into grotesque limbs. Extra arms sprouted from his sides, clawing at the ground as eyes opened across his warped body.
His once-human form was gone, replaced by a monstrous abomination. The transformation finished with a deafening roar as he reached the rank of a D+ monster—a force beyond what the lone cavalry guard could handle.
The monster that was once Elder Lolong glared at the barrier protecting the youngsters, its many eyes gleaming with malice. In an instant, it leaped toward the cavalry soldier.
The soldier raised his shield, bracing for impact, but the force of the creature's attack sent him crashing against the barrier, shattering it like fragile glass.
The protective light faded. The children screamed.
In that moment, the world seemed to stop.
All they saw was a massive claw swinging down toward them as everything felt quite and suddenly went black.