The goblin horde stood in formation.
Ten archers lined up in the back, their bows drawn. Five goblins with short swords and shields formed a defensive front, prepared to block and counter. Four dagger-wielding goblins moved like shadows, waiting for an opening to strike from the flanks.
At the very back stood the goblin leader, its twisted grin revealing yellowed teeth. It watched with calculating eyes, gripping a jagged cleaver.
This was no mindless assault.
This was an ambush.
Noir's POV
"A formation, huh?" Noir muttered under his breath.
His crimson eyes gleamed behind the mask as he lowered his stance, his single-edged sword pointed forward.
The goblins reacted instantly.
The frontline raised their shields, bracing for impact. The archers released their arrows, the air whistling as the sharp projectiles closed in.
Shhhhhhh.
A deep, mechanical breath escaped Noir's mask, a sound almost unnatural—as if something inside it was alive.
Then, he moved.
A single step forward.
In an instant, he was among them.
The goblins barely had time to register the flash of steel cutting through the air.
Time itself seemed to stop.
Noir's blade sliced through the formation, an arc of crimson splitting the very air.
A moment of silence.
Then—
Click.
The sound of his sword snapping back into its scabbard.
A gust of wind followed, and in its wake—chaos.
The goblins stood frozen.
Then, in eerie unison, their bodies split apart.
Blood sprayed the ground. Limbs fell. Shields cracked. The leader's grinning head rolled from its shoulders, its eyes still locked in stunned disbelief. Even the trees behind them bore the mark of Noir's cut, collapsing into the forest with a thunderous crash.
Noir remained still, his mask exhaling once more.
"Hooo... I guess I haven't rusted after all."
His voice carried a different tone.
Something darker.
Nimfa's POV
A rustling in the bushes.
Noir turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he sensed movement.
From the shadows, a radiant figure emerged.
The Aetherhart.
Its luminous silver coat shimmered, leaving faint glowing footprints in the air. Upon its back—Nimfa.
Her silver hair billowed from the speed of the ride, strands dancing in the wind as the beast carried her forward with effortless grace.
As the Aetherhart slowed, Nimfa gently slid off its back, landing softly on the ground.
She placed a gentle hand on its neck, leaning her forehead against its head in gratitude.
"Thank you for guiding me," she murmured, her voice touched with quiet reverence.
The Aetherhart let out a soft, knowing hum, then turned, vanishing into the forest like mist.
But Nimfa's relief was short-lived.
She turned to Noir.
"Is that you, Noir?" she asked, her voice hesitant, uncertain.
Then she saw it.
The massacre before her.
Her breath hitched.
The goblins—all of them—split in half.
Blood pooled around their mangled bodies, the metallic scent thick in the air. The trees, the ground—everything bore the scar of his blade.
A single attack.
Her golden eyes flicked back to Noir.
He stood still, his mask concealing his expression, but something was different.
The air around him felt heavy. Suffocating.
His crimson eyes glowed subtly, his posture unnaturally calm in the wake of bloodshed.
For the first time since meeting him, her hands trembled.
Nimfa's Internal Conflict
"What… is this feeling?"
This wasn't the Noir who had cooked her a meal. The Noir who had shielded her from the Snarles.
This was someone else entirely.
Her people had always described demons as merciless, creatures of destruction who lived for bloodshed.
For the first time, she wondered—were they right?
Her pulse quickened.
She had thought she understood him, that maybe he was different from the demons her kin feared.
But now, standing before this undeniable carnage, she felt something she never expected.
Fear.
Noir's POV
Noir watched her reaction.
The way her hands trembled.
The way her golden eyes darkened with hesitation.
He had seen that look before.
A quiet sigh escaped beneath his mask.
"So… she's afraid of me now too, huh?"
He turned away from her gaze, shaking the blood off his blade before sliding it back into his scabbard.
"Let's go," he said, his voice unreadable.
Without another word, he walked past her.
The village was still in danger.
And for now, that was all that mattered.
Nimfa's POV
"I know he hides his real self behind that mask. But whether or not I accept him for who he truly is… I can't deny the warmth he's shown me."
The memory of the meal he prepared, the way he shielded her from danger—it lingered in her chest, refusing to fade.
"The Noir I met in the meadow is still there."
She followed behind him, keeping her distance, but watching closely.
Then—
"ROAAAARR!!"
A thunderous roar shattered the stillness.
Screams erupted as the dragon descended upon the village, its massive wings casting shadows over the crumbling houses.
The beast tore through wooden structures as if searching for something.
Smoke curled into the sky.
Panic spread like wildfire.
"Ahhh! Run! Evacuate to the south!"
Villagers scrambled in every direction, the streets flooded with chaos.
Nimfa's breath hitched.
Her heart pounded as she took in the destruction.
She could feel it—the dragon's unrestrained malice, its seething hunger.
And then—
A child's cry pierced through the noise.
"Mama… h-hik!"
A small boy stood frozen, his tiny hands clutching his chest, his tear-filled eyes locked onto the dragon's looming form.
The beast's gaze snapped to him.
Its golden eyes burned with recognition.
"Grrrhhh…"
The child was marked.
A Few Days Ago – West of Yeeho
Three children ventured beyond the safety of the village, their laughter ringing through the untamed wilderness.
"Come on, Sylvan! Don't give up yet—climb up!"
The voice belonged to Lyric, a young girl with a high-pitched, teasing tone.
"Hngh…" Sylvan groaned, his fingers struggling to grip the jagged rocks. "You guys are too fast—I don't know if I can make it!" His breath came out in labored puffs.
Then, without warning—
A forceful shove from behind.
"ACK!" Sylvan yelped as he was launched upward and landed face-first beside Lyric.
"Ouch… my butt…" he groaned, brushing the dust off his clothes.
Lyric spun around, her brows furrowed in frustration. "Hey, Caelum! That was too much!" she snapped. "He almost crashed into me!"
Caelum, already climbing with ease, grinned mischievously. "Yes, yes, my princess—sorry about that." His tone dripped with playful sarcasm.
"So, princess, why exactly are we here again?" Caelum asked, raising an eyebrow.
Lyric smirked, her brown eyes glinting with excitement.
"I heard there's a dragon nest here. I want to see if it's true or not."
"D-D-Dragon!?" Sylvan nearly choked on his own breath. His face paled as he realized just how deep into trouble he had gotten himself.
He turned to Caelum, his voice bordering on panic.
"A-And you knew about this?! You let her drag us all the way up here?!"
Caelum tilted his head back, tucking his arms lazily behind it.
"Well… yeah. An adventurer in the village said there was a nest somewhere on this mountain. I didn't think we'd actually find it, though."
"See? Dragons really exist!" Lyric beamed, her enthusiasm unshaken.
"But… don't dragons eat people when they see them?" Sylvan whimpered.
"They will if you make them angry," Caelum said, casually lifting a finger.
Sylvan gulped.
He didn't like the sound of that.
The Nest
As they pressed on, the rocky terrain gave way to something unnatural.
The mouth of a dark, looming cave opened before them, its jagged edges resembling the gaping maw of a beast.
Lyric's breath caught in her throat.
"There… that's it! It's a nest!"
Without hesitation, she dashed forward, her golden hair dancing in the air behind her.
"Lyric, wait!" Sylvan called out, but she was already inside.
Inside the cave, the air was thick with something ancient and powerful.
The smell of earth and charred stone filled Lyric's lungs as her eyes fell upon something enormous.
Nestled in the center of the cavern, surrounded by remnants of shattered bones and dried leaves, was a massive egg.
Black, glossy, and layered in thick, armored scales.
Lyric's fingers twitched.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"Hmmm… this does look like a dragon's nest," Caelum muttered, scanning the area. He moved cautiously toward the far side of the cave.
Sylvan, however, was trembling.
"Lyric… I really don't think this is a good idea," he whispered. "This nest… it's massive. Like… really massive."
His voice quivered, but Lyric barely acknowledged him.
She stepped forward, reaching toward the dragon egg.
Her fingers hovered just above its cool, hardened shell.
That was when Caelum stiffened.
A shadow moved along the cave walls.
Something was lurking.
Caelum's stomach dropped.
"Guys…" his voice was low, urgent. "We need to leave. Now."
Lyric barely turned to look at him.
"What? But we just—"
Then—
"Ka-KA REAK!!"
A chilling, guttural shriek pierced the silence.
The Attack
Goblin.
Not just one.
Dozens.
"LYRIC! SYLVAN! RUN!"
Caelum burst into a sprint, a blur of movement as he bolted back toward them.
But he was too late.
A sharp whizzing sound sliced through the air.
THWACK!
An arrow pierced his shoulder.
"GAH!" Caelum staggered, gripping his wound. His vision blurred from the sudden pain, but he pushed himself forward.
Lyric and Sylvan froze in place.
Their bodies refused to move.
Lyric's blood ran cold as she laid eyes on the creatures emerging from the darkness.
Twisted, grotesque goblins, their sickly green skin glistening in the dim light.
Their eyes—hungry.
Their mouths—grinning.
"Kaka reak! Kakare!" they screeched.
The meaning was clear—"Take the egg!"
Lyric's POV
This is my fault.
Her chest tightened.
She had dragged them here.
She had pushed them forward.
And now—
Caelum was hurt because of her.
Sylvan was paralyzed because of her.
The goblins were closing in because of her.
She had thought this was just another adventure—something exciting, something thrilling.
But the reality of it all crushed her like a heavy weight on her chest.
"This isn't a game. This is real."
"I put us in danger."
"I put them in danger."
Tears stung at the corners of her eyes.
For the first time, fear wrapped its cold fingers around her heart.
Caelum's Final Push
"Guhh—!"
Caelum coughed, blood dripping from his mouth.
But he still stood.
Through sheer will, he reached out, grabbed both Lyric and Sylvan, and threw them off the ledge of the nest.
"GO!"
His scream echoed through the cave, mingling with the goblins' howls.
The egg tumbled after them, rolling across the rocky ground.
Lyric's breath caught as she saw Caelum's form standing alone against the horde.
His legs trembled.
His hands bled.
But he did not run.
"NO!" she cried, reaching toward him.
Their eyes met for a single, fleeting moment.
Then—
A goblin lunged.
Caelum raised his dagger—
And Lyric fell into the abyss below.
Caelum's breath came in ragged gasps, his fingers slick with blood as he gripped his dagger.