Valtiria groaned in pain, her half-severed arm bleeding profusely onto the grass. Meanwhile, Daisy was hysterical, desperate to run to her granddaughter, but the Enforcer refused to release her, even for a second.
"You foolish girl. I would have needed you with a normal arm, yet you went and crippled yourself," Lance scoffed.
The man then turned to Boby, intent on killing him. But just as he was about to strike, Valtiria shouted again.
"Wait! You haven't even seen the show yet," she said.
Lance turned to her, and at that moment, everyone watching was utterly shocked. The arm that had been severed slowly began to regenerate, growing back fully in just a few seconds.
Daisy, seeing her granddaughter's incredible ability for the first time, was stunned. Now, she understood why these children were being hunted. If Valtiria possessed regeneration, she assumed the other six had their own unique abilities as well.
"Now, let them go, and I will come with you," Valtiria said, her eyes weary.
The Enforcer holding Daisy finally released her, allowing her to rush toward Boby, who lay weakly on the ground. Meanwhile, Valtiria followed Lance as he walked away.
As they neared Lance's horse, the man suddenly turned back and approached Boby. Seeing this, Valtiria froze, unsure of what he intended to do.
Lance drew his sword once more, his steps growing closer to Boby. Realizing his intent, Valtiria ran to stop him—but an Enforcer blocked her path.
"NO! You promised to let them go! Please, don't kill him!"
Valtiria screamed, her heart feeling as though it had been pierced as she watched Lance kill her grandfather right before her eyes.
Tears streamed down her face as she struggled against the Enforcer's grip. But with her smaller frame, she was powerless. She was hoisted up forcefully and carried away.
The Enforcer swiftly mounted his horse and rode away, taking Valtiria to the kingdom.
•••
20 Years Later
In the middle of a quiet forest, a woman walked alone, shrouded in a black hood that blended with the shadows of the trees. Her steps were light, careful not to disturb the serenity of nature. The setting sun bathed her face in golden light.
She walked without direction, letting her feet decide the path. Dry leaves crunched underfoot, creating a rhythmic sound. She stopped when she sensed someone following her.
Raising both hands, flames ignited in her palms, ready in case the pursuer was an enemy. However, as she turned, there was no one in sight. Still, she could feel another presence nearby.
"Come out, or I'll burn this forest to the ground!" Astraea threatened.
At her words, a man stepped out from behind a large tree, raising his hands in surrender.
"Please, don't do that," he said.
"Who are you? And why are you following me?"
"I'm Jake. I'm here to ask for your help."
"And what if I refuse?"
"You won't refuse—because this is about your sister."
•••
"Ladies and gentlemen, standing before you is a traitor to the Kingdom of Everia. She attempted to assassinate our queen!" declared a royal soldier, his words met with loud cheers from the crowd.
A woman with cream-colored hair stood on a wooden platform, a noose around her neck, ready to strangle her. A blindfold covered her eyes, and her hands were tied behind her back. She was the one condemned as a traitor for trying to kill Queen Kali of Everia.
Meanwhile, Astraea watched from a rooftop, shocked to see her sister, Calantha, about to be executed. But of course, she wouldn't let that happen.
"You need to leave now," Astraea said to Jake.
"What? What are you planning?" Jake asked, worried she was about to do something reckless.
"I'm going to burn them all."
"What? No! Even if you can burn them, that won't guarantee your sister's safety. This is their territory—you'll be surrounded," Jake reasoned.
He had a point. The chances of saving Calantha that way were slim.
"Then what should I do?" Astraea asked.
"I need you as bait. But no matter what happens, don't use your powers."
Astraea was stunned by Jake's plan. Part of her feared this was a trap, but a larger part worried more about her sister's fate.
The royal soldier who had been delivering the speech turned to Queen Kali as if asking for final approval.
Kali, her face always hidden behind a steel mask, nodded slightly. The soldier then prepared to kick the stool beneath Calantha. He called on the crowd to count down together.
"THREE... TWO... ONE!! DIE, TRAITOR!" the people shouted in unison.
"STOP!" a woman's voice rang out from the crowd, halting the execution for a moment.
"You have no right to kill her," Astraea declared, stepping forward.
Kali, the masked queen, stood and asked, "Who are you? And what right do you have to interrupt this execution?"
"You don't need to know who I am. I'm here to kill her myself." Astraea pulled down her hood. "She murdered my entire family, and I need my revenge."
"She belongs to me now. But I will grant you your revenge," Kali replied, returning to her seat and signaling for the execution to continue.
A soldier kicked the stool, and Calantha began to hang, her body writhing as the crowd cheered.
A dagger suddenly flew through the air, slicing the rope. Calantha collapsed onto the platform. A soldier rushed to grab her, but another dagger struck him in the throat.
Kali scowled, her gaze landing on Astraea, who held another blade in her hand.
"I told you—she's mine," Astraea said coldly.
"Seize her!" Kali ordered.
The soldiers rushed forward to obey.
"Hmm… Not a bad plan, Jake," Astraea muttered.
Meanwhile, Jake watched the chaos unfold from his hiding spot, waiting for Astraea to execute her next move.
As the battle escalated, Astraea found an opening and threw a smoke bomb onto the platform.
"Perfect!" Jake whispered excitedly.
He sprinted toward the platform to rescue Calantha—only to find it empty. She was gone. He was certain he had seen her just moments before the smoke bomb detonated.
Before he could react, a soldier grabbed him, striking him hard enough to knock him unconscious.
Astraea, unaware of Jake's capture, used another smoke bomb to make her escape.