Why are you here?

The full moon illuminated the sky, casting a pale light over the clearing where the slave merchant camp was set up. Tattered tents surrounded a central campfire, whose flame crackled irregularly, casting grotesque shadows on the nearby trees. The sound of coarse laughter and the clash of metal against metal echoed through the forest, mixing with the muffled laments of prisoners held in nearby wooden cages.

High in the branch of an imposing tree, Eva remained still, her silhouette blending with the darkness around her. The wind gently stirred her black cloak as her eyes glowed like a predator about to strike. It was a place she didn't wish to be... but a place she needed to be.

She had been tracking this group for weeks, following clues left behind by villagers, travelers, and sometimes traces of destruction.

These slave traders were known for their cruelty, raiding villages and kidnapping innocents. Among the victims, she wasn't looking for anyone in particular, or so Elion thought. In truth... Eva was searching for a specific woman.

From her vantage point above, Eva could clearly hear the conversation among the traders.

"How many did we sell today?" asked a burly man, his face covered by a scruffy beard, spinning a knife in his hands.

"Ten. Maybe twelve tomorrow, if the boss agrees to bring the prisoners from the other caravan," replied a second, thinner man, his voice sounding treacherous.

"Good. The more gold, the better. These elves are worth a fortune on the black market. Especially the women."

Eva clenched her fists. Her breath remained controlled, but hatred burned within her. These men didn't deserve mercy. But she knew that in order to rescue the prisoners, she would need a plan. An impulsive attack could put everyone at risk, especially the innocent.

She pulled a small crystal from her belt—an artifact that emitted a faint, almost imperceptible light. Whispering ancient words, she activated the crystal, which began to project images of the surroundings. The entire camp appeared before her eyes, in a magical map marking the position of each individual, the guards, and even the cages.

"Three guards at the entrance, two patrolling the campfire, and the boss is in that larger tent," she murmured to herself. "The cages are poorly guarded. This could work... but we're short on people..."

Suddenly, a sound caught her attention. A sharp movement on the outskirts of the camp. Eva narrowed her eyes, adjusting her position for a better view. It wasn't a merchant...

It was Kael.

She had no idea, at least not that she had been followed. Why was he here? Elion would never let him wander out here alone, away from the protection of the forest...

"Why is he here?" Eva whispered, stifling a frustrated sigh.

Kael was moving cautiously, but it was evident that he had no experience in stealth. A branch snapped under his feet, and Eva held her breath as the traders turned toward the sound.

"Did you hear that?" asked the bearded man, rising with a knife in hand.

"Probably some animal," replied the skinny one, though his tone suggested worry.

Eva knew she couldn't wait any longer. The meticulous plan she had crafted in her mind evaporated like smoke. Now, it was a matter of acting before Kael was discovered—or before the prisoners paid the price for his impulsiveness.

She moved like a shadow, leaping from the tree and landing silently behind one of the guards watching the cages. Before he could register her presence, Eva silenced him with a precise strike. Her blade glimmered for an instant in the moonlight before disappearing again into its sheath.

Kael, for his part, finally realized he had made a mistake. His eyes widened as he saw the traders begin to approach his hiding spot. But before they could reach him, a swift shadow passed by them.

Eva revealed herself, facing the traders with a cold, deadly expression.

"You've done enough," she said, her voice low and threatening. "Now, it's your turn to be hunted."

"Who the hell are you?" shouted the bearded man, raising his knife in a defensive gesture.

Eva didn't answer. Instead, she tilted her head slightly, as if analyzing them, calculating her next moves. Then, with a fluid motion, she drew her blade—a sword with a black edge, its spectral glow seeming to absorb the light around it.

"You don't need to know who I am," she murmured, her voice as cold as death. "Only that today... you will pay for every life you destroyed."

The silence was broken by the scream of one of the traders, who rushed toward her with an axe. It was the last sound he made. Eva spun in place, her blade slicing through the air with lethal precision. The man's blood sprayed in an arc, and he fell to the ground, lifeless, before he even understood what had happened.

"KILL HER!" the leader screamed, and the traders rushed toward her.

But they weren't facing just any woman.

Eva moved like a storm—fast and relentless. Each swing of her blade was fatal, cutting through flesh and bones as if they were paper. The air around her seemed to vibrate with the dark energy emanating from her, and even the forest seemed to be on her side—branches snapped and leaves fell, creating a chaotic and suffocating scene.

One merchant tried to attack her from behind, but Eva noticed him before he could even get close. She spun around, her blade cutting through his chest in a brutal move. Another tried to strike her with a spear, but she easily dodged, grabbing the shaft of the weapon and driving it into the aggressor's neck.

The bearded man, who had started the confrontation, watched in horror as his companions fell one by one. "This... this isn't human!" he shouted, retreating.

Eva looked at him, her eyes glowing with a supernatural intensity. "You're right. I'm no longer human. And you... you should have never crossed my path."

With an agile leap, she vanished from his sight for a moment. The leader frantically looked around, trying to locate the assassin, until he felt the cold tip of a blade pressed against his throat.

"Please... please, I—"

"Silence."

She slit his throat before he could finish the sentence. His body collapsed to its knees, falling lifeless next to the campfire.

The clearing was immersed in silence once more. The traders were dead, their blood soaking the earth. Eva wiped the blade on one of the bodies' clothing, her expression impassive as she glanced at the prisoners in their cages.

Kael, hidden behind a tree, finally emerged from his hiding spot. He was pale, his eyes wide as he looked at the massacre he had just witnessed.

"Damn... you killed them all..." he murmured, staring at the carnage Eva had caused in just a few seconds.

Eva turned slowly, meeting the boy's gaze. "They deserved it. Every one of them. Besides, why do you seem so normal seeing death for the first time?" she asked him.

Kael didn't know what to say. After all... "Well, my mom's killed a few men in front of me, so it's all good," Kael said, shrugging, and Eva analytically confirmed that he was telling the truth.

"Well, knowing your mother, I don't doubt it," she said before turning away again.

Eva walked toward the cages, breaking the locks with her blade. The prisoners began to emerge, some crying, others silently giving thanks. She looked at them but said nothing. She wasn't there for gratitude.

She turned to Kael, crossing her arms. "Start talking," she ordered. "How did you end up here?" she asked, seeing Kael looking a bit nervous and scratching his head.

"S-something like... my mom left... and I wanted to come out here and try using magic, but... I felt a lot of mana around here and came to see what it was," he said, which this time was actually the truth.

Eva watched him in silence for several moments, her eyes locked onto Kael's. He tried to maintain his composure, but the intensity of her gaze was overwhelming. There was no space for lies or excuses with Eva; she saw through him as if she could look into his very soul.

"Do you have any idea the danger you put yourself in?" she finally asked, her voice firm and controlled.

Kael swallowed hard, averting his gaze. "I... I just wanted to help..."

"Help?" Eva let out a cold, short laugh, crossing her arms again. "If I hadn't been here, you'd be just another body thrown into the dirt. Or worse, a slave like them."

Kael lowered his head, his expression one of shame. Despite her harsh words, he knew she was right. But there was something he couldn't help but say.

"But I felt... something strange here. It wasn't just curiosity or stubbornness... It was like something was pulling me here," he explained, raising his gaze again. "I felt a very strong energy."

Eva narrowed her eyes, evaluating what the boy was saying. She knew he had no formal training, but his sensitivity to mana seemed unusual. Maybe there was more to Kael than she had initially thought.

"You're saying you followed an instinct?" she asked, her voice calmer now, but still carrying authority.

"Yes," he replied firmly.

Eva took a deep breath, her eyes scanning the clearing as if searching for something Kael might have felt. There was no doubt that the presence of the slavers had disturbed the natural balance of the area, but what exactly had he sensed?

Before she could ask further, one of the prisoners, a woman with pointed ears and glowing eyes, approached. She seemed hesitant, but there was something in her posture that suggested gratitude and respect.

"You... you saved us," the elf said, her voice soft but full of emotion. "We will never forget what you did for us. But... there's something you need to know."

Eva frowned. "Speak."

The elf glanced at Kael for a moment before returning her attention to Eva. "These slavers... they were after something else. Something they said was hidden in the forest. A little girl, tied to the mana of the earth. They weren't just trafficking lives... they were after someone from the royal family..."

Eva narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms again. "Did you hear who it was?"

The woman shook her head. "Only fragments. They spoke of a dark elf with white hair, said it was a five-year-old child..."

Eva then turned to Kael. "Doesn't the description match Sylphie?" Eva asked, and Kael nodded vigorously.

"I see... Can you make it back to the continent of Álfheim? I have matters to settle here..." Eva said, looking at the elves.

"Do not worry, savior, the land will guide us back home. Have a good mission." The group of elves bowed to her.

As Eva watched the elves leave, taking things from the dead slavers, she turned to Kael.

"You left her alone?" Eva asked, her eyes fixed on Kael, evaluating every movement he made.

Kael nodded, though there was a slight tremor in his voice. "I made sure she was sleeping and put a bracelet on her that my mother said would protect her."

Eva narrowed her eyes, weighing the boy's words. She knew Elion wouldn't leave any artifact in his possession without an important purpose, but still, the risk of leaving her alone weighed heavily on her mind.

"Alright... then let's—"

Before Eva could finish her sentence, the sound of something breaking echoed through the forest, a deep and resonant crack that seemed to come from all directions at once. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, as if the earth itself felt the impact of what had just occurred.

Kael looked around, alarmed. "What was that?"

Then, as if an invisible veil were being torn apart, a translucent barrier around the forest began to disintegrate. The cracks spread like shattering glass, each fragment emitting a faint light before vanishing into the air.

"The dome..." Eva murmured, her eyes widening. "Elion's barrier has been destroyed."

At that very moment, a pillar of purple light erupted from the heart of the forest, rising toward the sky. Its intensity was such that it made the shadows of the trees dance violently around, creating a spectacle almost surreal. The pulsating energy emanating from the pillar made the air vibrate, charged with mana.

Kael took a step back, his eyes fixed on the light. "What... what is that?"

Eva didn't respond immediately. Her eyes were locked on the pillar, her expression hardening. She could feel the strength of that magic, something ancient and dangerous, far beyond what any slave trader could wield.

"That's what they were looking for," she finally said, her voice low and full of gravity. "The princess... The Princess of the Dark Elves."

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