That morning, the air felt heavy. Though spring had begun to warm the earth, a thin mist still lingered among the trees. The sun shone dimly, as if hesitant to pierce through the gray cloud cover. I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers unconsciously caressing my stomach, which had felt different lately. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my increasingly irregular heartbeat.“Ruby?” Zephyr’s voice sounded at the doorway. There was a note of concern he couldn’t hide. He stepped closer, his eyes sweeping over my face. “Is something wrong?”I shook my head, but tears were already flowing. Zephyr’s gaze grew sharper, forcing the truth out. When the doctor arrived and uttered those words—pregnant—all sound in the room seemed to fade away. Zacharias, who had been standing by the window, turned with wide eyes.“I… am happy,” my voice barely a whisper, “but I’m also afraid.”“Afraid of what?” Zacharias asked, his voice hoarse, as if he already knew the answer.I lowered my head, my fingers
The ground was still wet with blood when we left the battlefield. The heavy footsteps of the warriors behind me echoed like an endless lament. The smell of iron and smoke lingered in the air, stinging my nose, mingling with the suffocating scent of death.Carried by Zephyr, Zaire's body lay motionless. His face was pale, as if he were in a long sleep that would never end. My eyes couldn't tear themselves away from him; every second felt like a knife slicing painfully into my heart. Zacharias walked on the right side, staring straight ahead, but his jaw was clenched, holding back the turmoil within his chest. Occasionally, I saw his hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. No words were spoken, only a heavy silence. The other warriors walked with their heads bowed. Some of them were quietly sobbing. A young warrior whispered to his comrade, his voice trembling, “He saved my life earlier… I didn’t even get to say thank you.” The others nodded, wiping away tears with
The magical explosion erupted in the air like fireworks bursting in the dark night—only there was no beauty, only destruction. The heat wave swept across my face, burning my skin. I saw it: dozens of black fireballs hurtling toward our troops, followed by bursts of purple energy spears spinning like vicious snakes. Screams filled the air, but amidst the chaos, our warriors held their ground, tearing through and piercing the enemy lines. They knew one thing: destroy the wizard casting the spell, and the rain of death would cease.“It’s a shame I can only take a few seconds of your focus, but aren’t you truly curious about the death of your parents?” he said again.I refocused my gaze. “You’re just a mad sorcerer who takes everything for your experiments. What do you know about my parents, huh? Shut your mouth! I’ll take your life soon.” A bolt of lightning flew toward him, but he easily dodged it.“Do you want to protect those still alive? You’re so noble, Ruby.”I deflected one explos
Ruby Maverick's POVMy gaze sharpened. About five kilometers away from us, the black wizards were ready. There were more than a thousand of them, a number I never expected. Meanwhile, our total number was 1,300, and we were dominated by close-range attackers. Yet we had to cover this long distance. Well, but that fact certainly didn’t dampen the fire in our hearts. “For now, we must focus on the few black wizards who have descended onto the field,” I thought to myself, a smirk curving my lips. “ATTACK!” Zephyr’s voice boomed, met with roars and cheers from the others.The first explosion erupted in the air like a war drum splitting the earth. From the front lines, I saw a wave of black wizard troops charging—their robes fluttering wildly, faces hidden beneath dark hoods, eyes blazing with intense hatred. The smell of sulfur, gunpowder smoke, and blood mingled in the biting cold air."Form a defensive line!" shouted one of the commanders, raising his sharp claws toward the sky. His
Ruby Maverick’s POVZephyr’s words hung in the air like thick fog that was difficult to dispel. The room felt silent, with only the beating of my heart pounding against my temples. I looked at my three mates—Zephyr, Zaire, Zacharias—and saw the seriousness that pinned them in place. There were no smiles, no jokes. Only the raw truth they had just revealed.“The oath’s contents…” Zephyr began, his voice heavy, “…are that if we betray the black wizard clan by killing their leader, the life of the one who draws the knife will also vanish. If any one of us—or even all of us—kills him, then we too will be killed.”Those words pierced me deeper than I had anticipated. I could see how Zaire bowed his head, his jaw tightening, and Zacharias clenching his fist at his side. They knew how terrifying the boundary set by the oath was.I stepped forward, ignoring the distance between us. My hand reached out, grasping them one by one, before finally embracing all three of them at once. They were sti
Zephyr Maverick’s POVEven before the words left my lips, I could feel Ruby’s breath catch, as if the air around her had turned heavy. Her eyes fixed on me, as if trying to find a crack in my face, waiting for an explanation she knew would not be easy to hear.“There’s something we’ve never told you…” My voice was low, but its weight felt like it was shaking my chest. Beside me, Zaire and Zacharias stood silent as statues, but I could feel the waves of their emotions—anger long buried, sorrow that never faded, and guilt that never truly went away.I nodded slowly, my hands resting on Zaire and Zacharias’s wrists. “We’ve agreed to tell you this. Though our hearts are still filled with anxiety, fearing you’ll distance yourself from us once you learn of our dark past.”Ruby clasped our hands together, shaking her head firmly. “Never. I will never leave you.”Those two sentences managed to lift the weight on my heart slightly. “This happened when we were sixteen years old.”Flashback onT