Chapter 15 – Shadows on the Horizon
The man's ragged breaths filled the tense silence, his body trembling from exhaustion. The villagers stood frozen, exchanging nervous glances. Fear crept into their eyes—fear of the unknown, of whatever danger this man had fled from.
Ymir remained still, watching him closely. His clothes were torn, his hands caked in dirt, and his feet were blistered and raw. He had been running for a long time.
The village elder, an older man with graying hair and a firm posture, finally stepped forward. "Who is coming?" His voice was steady, but there was a flicker of unease beneath it.
The man swallowed, struggling to find his words. "Soldiers," he rasped. "Marleyan soldiers. They—" He coughed violently, his body shaking with the effort. "They attacked my village. Burned the houses. Killed anyone who resisted."
A sharp current ran through the gathered villagers. Some gasped, others exchanged worried murmurs.
Ymir's fingers curled into fists.
Marley.
Of course.
"They're moving through the countryside," the man continued, his voice raw. "Taking supplies. Taking people."
A chill ran down Ymir's spine.
She had seen this before. Lived it.
The cycle never ended.
The elder's expression darkened. "Why would they come here?"
"We don't have anything of value," a woman whispered.
Another man shook his head. "They don't care about that. If they think we're hiding something—hiding someone—they won't hesitate."
Ymir felt their gazes shift, however briefly, in her direction.
They still didn't know who she was. What she was.
But she was an outsider. And outsiders brought trouble.
Ember floated beside her, arms crossed, his golden eyes unreadable. "So much for a quiet stay."
She ignored him. Instead, she focused on the elder.
"What do you intend to do?" she asked, keeping her voice even.
The elder hesitated. "We must decide quickly. If they are coming, we cannot afford to be caught unprepared."
A younger villager stepped forward. "We should hide. Take what we can and leave before they arrive."
"Leave?" Another man scoffed. "This is our home!"
"And if we stay, it could be our graves," someone muttered.
The argument broke out quickly, voices rising in fear and frustration.
Ymir exhaled through her nose. This was always how it started. Panic. Disagreement. Some would want to flee, others would want to fight. But in the end, it wouldn't matter.
Marley didn't care about their choices.
They never had.
Her fingers grazed the wooden wolf at her belt, her thoughts shifting.
She had the power to stop this. To make sure no harm came to these people.
But if she did—
If they saw what she was—
She could already see it. The fear in their eyes. The realization that she wasn't just an outsider. She was something far worse.
A monster.
A weapon.
She had lived it before.
She wasn't sure she could live it again.
"Ymir."
She blinked.
Lifa was standing beside her, clutching at her sleeve. The girl's face was pale, her hands trembling. "You won't leave, right?"
The words struck deeper than they should have.
Ymir swallowed. She glanced at Ember.
He simply watched, waiting.
She turned back to the crowd, to the terrified villagers, to the desperate man who had brought them this warning.
She could run. She had no real ties to this place. She had spent centuries being used, running when she could, hiding when she had to.
But she wasn't that girl anymore.
She took a slow breath.
And then she spoke.
"How long?"
The elder frowned. "What?"
She met the tired man's gaze. "How long until they get here?"
The man hesitated. "A day, maybe less."
Not much time.
Ymir's grip tightened around the wooden carving.
This time, she wouldn't run.