LOGINHe took a step toward them. They instinctively retreated.“Leader,” one of them whispered, “his fighting style is strange. No group besides ours can move like that in the dark. Could another division have copied our techniques? If they have, we’re in serious trouble. We need to find out where he came from—and eliminate him along with his entire group.”“Then tell me which division you’re from!” the leader barked. “Murky of the Fourth Division won’t allow anyone to imitate our fighting style. Anyone who dares will answer for it!”“In that case,” Aurus replied evenly, “answer my question first.”He fixed his gaze on the leader. “What do you want with the woman? Why are you so determined to take her from me?”“The woman with you...” the leader said. “She’s the Premier Guard, isn’t she?”Aurus remained silent. Taking his silence as confirmation, the man continued.“We’re here to rescue the Premier Guard. Hand her over. We’ll take her to the Fourth Division, at Dekzas. She’ll be far safer
Aurus hurried into the hut just as a volley of flaming arrows rained down in his direction. He quickly slammed the door shut, only to stagger back when one arrow pierced through the wooden wall. The section it struck burst into flames at once. The hut was built from old, dry timber, and he knew the fire would spread in no time.Do they suspect the Premier Guard is hiding here?He rushed into Gaia’s room to check on her condition. She was still sleeping soundly, untouched by the attackers. As far as he could tell, no one had entered the hut before he arrived.“Burn that hut down! I have a strong feeling there’s another powerful being hiding inside besides the man who went in. Don’t let either of them leave here alive!”Aurus heard the shout from outside. Without wasting another second, he wrapped Gaia securely in a blanket. Then he smashed through the back wall of the hut, creating an escape route.“We’re no longer safe here, Premier Guard. We have to leave. If I stay and fight them, w
Aurus let out one long sigh after another as he watched the unconscious woman. After giving her the medicine, he had carried her back to the hut. The drug’s effects would last for forty hours, and only a day had passed, so Gaia would remain unconscious until tomorrow.“I don’t know what possessed me to come back for you, Premier Guard,” he muttered, shaking his head at the sleeping woman. Even he couldn’t believe what he had done.The moment he saw Gaia collapse, he hadn’t hesitated. He leaped from the boat he was riding and swam back to her. He knew he could help her, even if it meant sacrificing his position as a general of the kingdom he served. At least he was at peace knowing they had finally found Tana. They had searched for her for years after she left the kingdom in search of her twin. For the first time in a long while, he had seen genuine happiness in her eyes while she was with Gaia. He couldn’t bear to see Tana lose her sister again.Gaia’s stubbornness had kept her from a
Aurus’s gentle strokes along Gaia’s back gradually eased the tension in her body. Little by little, the burning sensation on her face subsided until everything felt normal again.“I-I’m sorry,” Tana said softly. “We’ll talk later, Gaia.”Gaia heard her sister’s footsteps retreating. Once she was certain Tana was out of earshot, she stepped away from Aurus’s embrace. He released her without protest.“Thank you... for what you did,” she whispered, careful not to let Tana overhear. “Because you protected my secret, I promise you’ll leave Forbideria safely. Consider it my way of repaying the debt I owe you.”Aurus said nothing. His eyes remained fixed on the side of her face where the mark had appeared.“You should return to your tent,” Gaia continued. “Bring your companion here first thing tomorrow so he can see Tana. I’ll also make the necessary arrangements for all of you to leave Forbideria.”Aurus let out a quiet sigh before speaking.“The mark that appeared on your face is unlike an
The conversation between Gaia and Aurus continued after she admitted that she knew where Tana was, though she still refused to reveal her twin’s exact location. She also kept silent about the true nature of their relationship.Instead, she ordered that Aurus and Zeus be released from their cell, provided with food, and given a place to stay. They remained under constant surveillance within Dooms Gate to ensure they wouldn’t do anything reckless.“As far as I know, your illness is called the Bloody Illness,” Aurus began after Gaia summoned him to her tent once again. “It’s likely hereditary. Fortunately, the ingredients needed to cure it can all be found within Forbideria.”“What ingredients?” Gaia asked.“Have you ever heard of the medicinal herbs Skroutz, Litauen, Krandular, Prietz, Queirmone, and Uterob?”“What kind of herbs are they?”“Skroutz is a golden powder. Litauen is a red fruit. Krandular is a gray flower. Prietz is a blue root. Queirmone is water drawn from the Black Lake.
A week had passed since Gaia’s conversation with Aurus, yet she still couldn’t figure out how he had discovered the truth about her illness.The question lingered in her mind as she patrolled the western sector of Dooms Gate. Mounted on horseback, she rode through the dense forest until she crossed paths with two guards, both astride their own horses and seemingly making their rounds as well.“Premier,” they greeted in unison.Gaia acknowledged them with a brief nod before riding past. She had barely gone any distance when she sensed a swift attack from behind.She ducked instinctively, flattening herself against her horse’s back as a hunting knife whizzed over her head. The blade buried itself into the trunk of a nearby tree.Pulling sharply on the reins, Gaia tried to bring her horse to a stop. Before it could fully halt, one of the guards leaped from his mount toward her, sword raised high.She struck her horse’s flank, urging it into a burst of speed. The attack missed, but the gu







