"What's your name?" Nimfa asked gently, offering a warm, reassuring smile.
The boy hesitated, his small hands trembling as he clutched at his torn sleeves. His voice came out as a murmur. "Sylvan."
Nimfa's golden eyes softened. "Sylvan, do you know where the egg is?" She kept her tone calm, trying not to startle him further.
Sylvan shifted uncomfortably, his gaze darting left and right before lowering to his feet. "I… I don't know. My friend Lyric does. She was the one who took it."
Then, as if his mind had cracked open a dam of grief, his small frame trembled violently. His fists clenched, his nails digging into his skin, and suddenly—he sobbed.
"Because of us, Caelum died!" he wailed, his cries raw and filled with guilt. "He saved us… but we left him behind… wahh!"
Henry's heart stopped.
The weight of those words struck him like a blade to the chest. His breath hitched, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Caelum… died?"
For a moment, Henry stood frozen, unable to process the words. His thoughts raced—Caelum, the boy who had always looked after the others, the one who smiled even in the face of trouble, was gone?
He barely registered Nimfa moving as she wrapped her arms around Sylvan, pulling the trembling boy into a gentle embrace. Her warmth surrounded him like a protective shield, her hands smoothing over his messy hair.
"It's going to be alright," she whispered, her voice like a soft lullaby. "You don't have to carry this alone. Caelum was brave, and he would want you to keep moving forward, not to drown in guilt. He's watching over you now, in a good place."
Her words were kind, but deep inside, Nimfa's chest ached.
"How many more innocent lives will be lost because of this senseless war? Why must children bear the weight of things beyond their control?"
As she held Sylvan, she cast a quick glance toward Henry. His hands were clenched into fists, his jaw tight, and his eyes distant. She could tell—the news had shaken him to his core.
Meanwhile – The Village Outskirts
A goblin let out a final, gurgling shriek as it collapsed, a soldier yanking his bloodied sword from its body.
"Gahh!" the creature's dying breath echoed.
One of the armored men wiped sweat from his brow, exhaling sharply. "Whew, that should be the last of 'em, right?"
He was clad in silver plate armor, a buckler shield strapped to his arm, and a long sword gleaming under the firelit sky. His golden hair was tied back messily, and his sharp brown eyes surveyed the battlefield with calculated arrogance.
Cedric.
He spun his sword skillfully in his grip before sheathing it with a satisfied smirk. "Good. Now, all that's left is the dragon."
His eyes flickered toward the towering beast that loomed over the burning village, and a slow grin spread across his lips.
"If I slay that thing… wouldn't I be promoted to a knight? Maybe even higher."
A glint of greed flickered in his gaze. Honor? Justice? No. What he wanted was glory.
As Cedric indulged in his ambitious thoughts, movement in the distance caught his attention. A small figure darted through the village.
A young girl.
His smirk vanished. "Hey! It's dangerous over there!" he called out, but she didn't stop.
Frowning, he barked out orders. "You—follow that girl. Now."
One of his soldiers saluted. "Yes, sir!" Without hesitation, the man sprinted after her.
Lyric's POV – The Shed
Lyric's breath was ragged as she ran, her legs burning from exhaustion, but she didn't stop.
"I have to get to the egg. I have to fix this."
When she finally reached the shed, she threw open the wooden doors—and her heart plummeted.
Two goblins stood inside, their sickly green hands wrapped around the massive dragon egg.
"No… no, no, no!"
Her stomach churned as she took a shaky step forward. "H-Hey! Put that down!"
The goblins sneered, their sharp teeth glistening in the dim light.
"Kekeke…" one of them snickered. "Human girl… think she stop us?"
Lyric's blood ran cold.
She had no plan. No backup. No weapon—
No. She did have something.
She reached for the dagger strapped to her waist, fingers curling around the hilt.
"I won't let Caelum's sacrifice be in vain."
Just as she was about to make her move, a shadow shifted in the corner of her vision.
Something lurking. Waiting.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Suddenly—a goblin lunged at her from the side.
"AHH!"
Lyric barely dodged in time, twisting her body just enough to avoid a fatal strike. In a panic, she yanked her dagger free and stabbed wildly—
The blade sank into the goblin's waist.
The creature shrieked, but before she could react, its clawed foot kicked her square in the chest.
"Guh!"
She was sent flying backward, slamming into the wooden wall with a sickening THUD.
Pain exploded through her ribs. Stars danced in her vision.
Somewhere outside, she heard the pounding of hurried footsteps—
A soldier. Someone was coming.
But her strength was failing, and the goblins… they were still there.
Her trembling hand pressed against the wall as she struggled to stay conscious.
"I can't… black out now…"
Blood dripped from the wound in the goblin's waist, but the creature wasn't finished. It staggered forward, sneering.
Lyric felt her breathing grow shallow.
The last thing she saw—
The goblin raising its weapon.
Then—
Darkness.
The goblin, still impaled with Lyric's dagger, smirked through its pain.
"Kekeke…" its guttural laugh was sickly, twisted, as its beady yellow eyes fixated on Lyric's small, unconscious form.
Drool dripped from its cracked lips, its tongue lolling out in hunger.
It took a step forward—
SPLURCH.
A silver flash, followed by the sickening sound of a blade cleaving flesh.
The goblin's head flew clean off, tumbling onto the bloodstained wooden floor before its body collapsed.
The remaining two goblins froze in place.
Their small, twitching hands trembled as their lifeless comrade lay before them, warm blood pooling beneath its severed head.
A thick, murderous aura seeped into the air, chilling them to their bones.
Standing in the shed's entrance, his sword dripping with fresh blood, was a man.
His raven-black hair fell slightly over his piercing, icy-blue eyes. A wolf-fur cloak draped over his shoulders, complementing the gleaming silver-plated armor underneath. His presence alone was suffocating—cold, unyielding, like a harsh winter storm.
Ronan Frostborne.
The two goblins, rattled but desperate, dropped the dragon egg they were carrying and charged.
One swung wildly.
Ronan sidestepped effortlessly, avoiding the jagged blade. Without hesitation, he drove his knee into the goblin's gut.
"Guhh!"
The creature flew backward, crashing into the wall with a loud THUD.
The second goblin, enraged, lunged at him from behind.
Ronan didn't even turn around. With one smooth motion, he swung his blade—
SHING!
The goblin split clean in half, its remains slumping to the floor in two gruesome pieces.
The shed fell into silence.
Ronan stood motionless for a second, his sword dripping, before letting out a quiet sigh.
Ronan's POV
"This village… what a mess I've walked into."
His cold, sharp gaze flicked to the remaining goblin he had kicked against the wall. The creature clutched its stomach, coughing up blood, barely alive.
"Tch."
Without hesitation, Ronan stepped forward and plunged his sword into its chest.
The goblin's body jerked… then went still.
He withdrew his blade with a slow, deliberate motion. Blood dripped lazily from the steel as he stared down at the lifeless bodies before him.
"let me end your suffering from this world."
His tone was neither merciful nor cruel—it was simply a statement.
With the threat eliminated, he turned to the unconscious girl sprawled on the floor.
Kneeling beside her, he observed her injuries. Her breathing was steady, and though her ribs were likely bruised from the impact, there was no internal damage.
"This one… she's got some fight in her," he mused, brushing a lock of golden hair away from her bruised forehead.
For the briefest moment, something flickered in his icy-blue eyes.
"Maybe… I've finally found it."
He reached down and lifted her effortlessly into his arms.
Just as he did, a faint rustling sound filled the air.
His sharp gaze flicked to the dragon egg.
"Hmm…" he inspected the smooth, black-scaled surface. "So this is the egg they were after?"
He turned his head toward the exit, peering outside for signs of movement.
"That arrogant fool Cedric is nowhere in sight."
His lips curled slightly in mild amusement.
"Of course, he'd run off to chase glory while letting his men clean up the real mess."
Shifting his grip on the girl, he prepared to leave—
Then she stirred.
Lyric's POV
A dull throbbing pounded against her skull. Her body felt light, yet aching.
Her eyelashes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was—
A face.
Sharp jawline. Dark hair. Cold blue eyes.
A man was carrying her.
"H-Huh?" her voice came out weak and confused.
Ronan's piercing gaze met hers. "You're awake."
For a second, Lyric forgot where she was.
But then it all rushed back.
The goblins. The egg. Caelum—
Her breath hitched.
Her small hands gripped Ronan's cloak tightly. "C-Caelum—!"
But she couldn't finish. Tears welled in her eyes.
"He's gone."
Ronan remained silent, watching the emotions crash over her.
Lyric buried her face in her hands, trembling. "I-It's my fault," she whispered. "I shouldn't have gone to the nest."
For a long moment, Ronan said nothing.
Then—he shifted slightly, adjusting his grip.
"There's no point in grieving over what you can't change."
His voice wasn't cruel. Just… matter-of-fact.
Lyric looked up at him, her vision blurred with tears. "But—"
"The best way to honor the dead is to keep moving forward."
The words hit deep.
She stared at him, uncertain, but… there was something steady in his expression. Something that made her feel less lost.
Then she wiped her tears.
"I have to take the egg back."
Ronan quirked a brow. "You're injured. You shouldn't be running around."
Lyric shook her head. "I don't care. I have to do this."
A sigh. Then—he turned around.
"H-Huh?"
Without warning, Ronan knelt slightly, exposing his back.
"Hop on."
Lyric froze.
Her small hands balled into fists. "I can run on my own!"
Ronan glanced back. "Your legs are shaking."
Lyric flushed. "That's—that's just 'cause I was scared, okay?!"
Ronan sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But don't fall behind."
He grabbed the dragon egg securely in one arm.