CHAPTER THREE: THE FIRE

The village was chaotic. Flames devoured the huts one by one, and thick black smoke filled the air. Villagers ran in every direction, screaming and crying.

"Call the village elder!" one woman screamed.

"People are still inside!" another woman cried. "Who will save them before the elder gets here?"

"All the men have gone to the royal palace for a meeting," another woman said. "I will go and check if the village elder is still at home."

Aria stood among the frightened villagers, listening to everyone talk, but no one was doing anything.

Her heart raced.

The screams coming from inside the burning huts were becoming louder.

She couldn't just stand there.

Someone had to help them.

Without wasting another second, Aria ran toward the edge of the forest. Her axe swung through the air, cutting down small trees and thick branches. Her arms burned, but she didn't stop. She gathered as much as she could carry and threw them around the burning area, creating a small opening through the flames.

The villagers stared at her in shock.

"What is she doing?" someone asked.

"She's going inside!"

"Stop her!"

But Aria didn't listen.

The fire had begun to weaken in one section.

She took a deep breath.

Then she ran inside.

The heat immediately surrounded her. Smoke filled her lungs, and she coughed violently. Her eyes burned. She couldn't see. She stumbled forward, her hands reaching out blindly.

Then she heard it. A small whimper.

She pushed forward.

And then she saw them. A little boy and a little girl were lying on the floor, their bodies still.

"Please, no…"

Aria rushed toward them and checked their breathing.

They were still alive.

Relief washed over her.

She quickly lifted the girl onto her back and carried the boy in her arms.

They were heavier than she expected.

Her legs shook as she struggled to move through the smoke. A piece of burning wood fell nearby. Aria flinched but didn't stop. The flames caught the edge of her clothes, but she kept running. She could feel the heat against her skin, but she refused to look back.

She had only one thought in her mind.

Get them out.

Finally, Aria burst out of the hut with the children.

The villagers gasped.

"They're alive!"

"She saved them!"

"Look at the girl!"

"She went inside the fire!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

Aria gently placed the children on the ground and took several deep breaths. Her lungs burned. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to her knees.

The village elder finally arrived with several men, and they quickly worked together to put out the remaining flames.

When everything was finally under control, the elder approached Aria.

"Child, are you hurt?"

Aria looked down at herself. Her clothes were burned in several places, and bruises covered her arms and legs.

"I'll be fine," she whispered.

"Would you like me to treat you?" the elder asked.

Aria shook her head faintly.

"No, thank you. My mother taught me how to treat myself. I can do it."

The elder looked at her with admiration.

"You are a brave girl."

Aria managed a small smile before turning toward the forest.

She didn't stay long enough to enjoy the praise.

She needed to get home before Thomas and Mira returned.

---

That evening, Thomas and Mira finally returned from hunting.

When they entered the cottage, they found Aria asleep in her room.

Mira quietly closed the door.

"She must be tired," she whispered.

They decided not to wake her immediately. Instead, they prepared her favorite meal.

When everything was ready, Mira went to wake her.

"Aria, wake up. We cooked something special for you."

Aria slowly opened her eyes. She quickly pulled a long cloth over herself, hiding the bruises covering her body.

She followed them to the table and sat down.

"My love, I gave you the biggest piece of bush meat," Mira said with a smile.

Thomas laughed.

"And you should have seen how long it took me to catch it."

He began explaining how they had hunted the animal while Mira served the food.

For a few minutes, everything felt normal.

Then Aria lowered her head.

"There was a fire today."

Mira froze.

"What?"

Her eyes immediately moved over Aria's face and body.

"Where? Here?"

"Not here," Aria muttered. "It happened in the neighboring village."

Mira's expression remained tense.

"How did you know?"

"I heard people shouting."

Aria hesitated.

"I also heard that the men had gone to the royal palace for a meeting."

Thomas slowly lowered his spoon.

"So?" Mira asked.

Aria swallowed.

"I saved two children."

Mira's eyes widened.

"What?"

She stood up so quickly that her chair moved backward.

"You did what?"

"I couldn't just watch innocent children die. Someone had to save them."

"Have you gone insane?" Mira's voice cracked. Her hands were trembling. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to you?"

Thomas remained silent.

"Why couldn't someone else save them?" Mira continued. "Why did it have to be you?"

She turned toward Thomas.

"Can you hear your daughter? You were the one who trained her to be this way."

Thomas sighed.

"Mira—"

"I told you!" she cried. "I told you that teaching her to care about everyone would put this family in danger."

"Caring about people isn't a crime." She continued.

"It is when her life is at risk!"

Mira pointed toward Aria.

"She didn't just put herself in danger today. She put all of us in danger."

"Sit down," Thomas said firmly.

Mira looked at him.

"Shouting won't solve anything now. What is done is done. We need to think of a solution."

Before anyone could say another word—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

The three of them froze.

Mira slowly turned toward Thomas.

Fear filled her eyes.

"You see what I'm saying?"

She looked around the cottage nervously.

"We have lived quietly for years. No one has ever come here."

Aria lowered her head.

Tears filled her eyes.

I have disappointed them.

I have put my family in danger.

She wiped her tears.

I should have turned a blind eye.

"I'll get the door," Thomas said.

He walked toward the entrance and opened it.

A woman stood outside holding a piece of bush meat. She was smiling widely.

"Hello, Mr. Thomas. I'm here to thank you and your wife for raising such a brave girl."

Thomas stiffened.

"Your daughter saved my children today."

The woman held out the bush meat.

"Please accept this as my little token of appreciation."

Thomas forced a small smile.

"You're welcome."

He accepted it and quickly closed the door.

For several seconds, he stood there without moving. For years, he had made sure not to interact with anyone, terrified that someone might discover Aria. They had arrived in this village shortly after finding her, and while they occasionally greeted the neighbors, they kept their distance. Only the village elder knew her name—and only because he was in charge of the houses in the village.

Then he let out a long breath.

Mira walked toward him.

"I told you," she whispered. "The whole village must have heard about her."

Thomas said nothing.

"And if the villagers are talking about her…" Mira continued, "the royal palace will hear about her too."

Thomas looked toward Aria.

His face hardened.

He walked into his room.

Aria stared after him.

Her legs felt weak.

She pinched her arm gently, almost as if hoping this was all a nightmare.

"I hate myself," she whispered through her tears.

"Why didn't I think about the consequences?"

A few minutes later, Thomas returned.

"Go pack your bags."

Aria looked up.

"We're leaving first thing tomorrow morning."

He walked away before she could respond.

Aria couldn't say a word.

She knew they were angry.

She slowly stood and went to her room.

Then she began packing.

---

ROYAL PALACE

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The sound of Voss's pen echoed through the silent room.

His assistant shifted nervously.

"What did you just say?" Officer Voss asked, not looking up.

The young man swallowed.

"There was a fire in one of the villages earlier today, sir."

"And?"

"A young girl saved two children trapped inside."

Voss's hand stopped moving.

"Where was the village elder?"

"He arrived afterward, sir."

Voss leaned back in his chair.

"And he didn't report the incident?"

"No, sir."

Tap. Tap. Tap.

The tapping became faster.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes, sir. I heard the villagers talking about it. They were praising the girl and calling her brave."

Voss stopped tapping.

"Who is she?"

The assistant hesitated.

"I don't know, sir."

Voss stared at him.

"You don't know?"

"No, sir. Nobody seemed to know much about her."

Voss's eyes narrowed.

That answer didn't satisfy him.

He was the Crown Officer responsible for registering citizens and tracking down those who lived without registration. He had spent years enforcing the kingdom's laws. And he was not known for mercy.

People feared Officer Voss.

Especially those who had something to hide.

"A girl appeared out of nowhere, saved two children, and no one knows where she came from?"

The assistant remained silent.

Voss picked up his coat.

"We're going to that village tomorrow."

He looked at his assistant.

"Get everything ready."

"Yes, sir."

Voss walked toward the door.

It closed behind him.

Far away, in a small cottage deep in the forest, Aria folded her clothes with trembling hands.

She didn't know.

She didn't know that her act of kindness had just sealed her fate.