Returning to Ruin

Emeney paced the length of the safe house's living room, her arms folded tightly across her chest. She hadn't slept, not for a second. The night had been long, her mind restless with worry. 

Where are they?

The silence of the empty house only made it worse. She kept glancing at the door, half-expecting Commander Dion and the King's Guard to walk in at any moment. But the night passed. And they didn't come. 

Now, the first light of dawn crept through the windows, casting a soft golden hue over the room. The distant chirping of birds outside did little to calm her nerves. Emeney's jaw tightened as she turned on her heel to pace again. The waiting was unbearable. 'What if they didn't make it? What if…..'

*Click*

The door suddenly unlocked and swung open. 

Emeney spun around, eyes widening as Commander Dion stepped inside, his usually commanding presence dulled by exhaustion. Behind him, seven of the King's Guards followed, their bodies battered and bloodied. Two of them leaned on their comrades for support, barely able to stand. 

They looked like they had been through hell. 

Relief and horror hit her all at once. She rushed toward them, quickly helping one of the wounded guards settle onto the couch. "What happened? Are you all right?" Her voice was frantic as she turned to Dion, searching his face for answers. 

The commander exhaled heavily, wiping sweat and blood from his forehead. "We held them off" He said, his voice gruff with fatigue. "But we lost two guards" 

Emeney stilled, the weight of those words sinking into her bones. 

She did a quick count, her stomach twisting when she confirmed it, two were missing. Her throat tightened. "Who?" 

Commander Dion's expression darkened. "Gareth and Elric" 

Her breath hitched. She closed her eyes for a moment, forcing the grief down. There was no time to mourn. Not yet. 

A casual voice broke through the tension. 

"Looks like you guys had fun." 

Emeney and the others, including Commander Dion, turned sharply to see Rayne stepping into the room, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand. He looked completely relaxed, too relaxed, like he hadn't spent the night worrying at all. 

His eyes flickered to the wounded guards, then to the Commander, before he took a slow sip of his coffee. "So, who won?" 

Dion shot him a glare but was too exhausted to engage him. 

Emeney ignored Rayne's usual nonchalance and turned back to the commander. "Tell me everything" 

Dion took a deep breath and sat down, rubbing his temples. "It was an ambush. We thought we were going up against just twenty of them. After you both left, and we had taken down half of them, twenty more appeared from the shadows and they kept appearing. We fought against fifty of them, all B-Class mages. They were waiting for us. The Dark Mages…they weren't just there by chance. They knew exactly where we'd be" 

Emeney frowned. "But how?" 

"The only way they could've known is if they were tracking us the entire time" Dion muttered. "And if that's the case…then we were never the real target." 

A chilling silence fell over the room. 

Rayne slowly lowered his coffee cup, his expression unreadable. 

The realization hit Emeney like a thunderclap. 

"This was a distraction" She whispered. 

Commander Dion nodded grimly. "They wanted us out of Arcania. Which means—" 

Emeney's eyes widened in horror. "Arcania might be under attack right now" 

Everyone in the room went still. 

And then chaos. 

The commander barked orders, the remaining guards forcing themselves to their feet despite their injuries. The safe house became a flurry of movement as they gathered weapons and prepared for departure. 

Emeney's heart pounded in her chest. 'Please, let us be wrong'

Rayne downed the last of his coffee, watching the frantic preparations. Then, without a word, he grabbed his jacket and followed them out the door.

***

The convoy of black SUVs drove slowly through the ruined streets of Arcania, the tension inside the vehicles thick enough to choke on. 

Emeney gripped the armrest of her seat, her knuckles turning white. As they neared the heart of the city, the devastation became undeniable. Buildings were partially collapsed, the roads were scorched with remnants of powerful magic blasts, and the air carried the sharp scent of blood and burning debris. 

They could see them, mages and healer mages working desperately to tend to the wounded. Civilians, soldiers, and mages lay scattered across makeshift healing tents, some groaning in pain, others too still to be alive. 

Emeney's stomach twisted painfully. "We weren't here" She whispered, the weight of guilt crashing down on her. 

Commander Dion sat rigidly behind the wheel, his hands clenched into fists. His expression was grim, his usual unreadable gaze laced with regret. "They planned this perfectly. We walked right into their hands" 

The SUV rumbled forward over broken stone and debris. Emeney turned to look out the window, her throat tightening as she saw a child clutching his mother's lifeless hand, a healer mage trying to console him. 

Her heart cracked. 

Rayne, sitting behind them, watched the destruction with a cold, unreadable stare. His fingers drummed lightly against his knee, but he said nothing. 

The closer they got to the palace, the worse the destruction became. Craters lined the streets, some still steaming from powerful magic. Charred bodies of fallen soldiers littered the ground, their armor melted into their flesh. Then, finally, the palace came into view. 

The once grand entrance was now lined with shattered stone and battle scars. The golden banners of the royal crest were torn, some still smoldering from fire spells. 

The palace gates, however, still stood strong, their protective barrier shimmering faintly. The guards standing watch looked battered but alert. As soon as they recognized the convoy, they moved quickly, lifting the barrier. 

The gates groaned as they were pulled open, allowing the vehicles to drive inside. 

As the SUVs came to a stop in the courtyard, Emeney barely waited for the vehicle to fully park before throwing the door open and stepping out. Her gaze swept across the palace grounds, more injured soldiers, more destruction. 

She turned to commander Dion, her voice firm despite the ache in her chest. 

"I need to see my father. I need to know he's safe. I need to check on Xander too" She blurted out urgently. 

"I'll get the king's guards settled and taken to the healers" 

"I'll come with you, princess" Rayne said, surprising everyone, Emeney most of all. 

"Alright let's go quickly" She instructed and started for the entrance of her home with Rayne following behind. 

***

Emeney stepped into the King's quarters, her heart pounding as she braced herself for the worst. The air inside was thick with the scent of incense, meant to ease the King's fragile state. Her eyes landed on the grand canopy bed at the far end of the room, and relief flooded her chest when she saw her father, alive. 

King Snow lay propped against a mound of pillows, his once powerful frame now frail. His dark hair, once thick and commanding, had thinned, and his skin had lost its former glow. But his sharp eyes, though tired, lit up the moment he saw her. 

"Emeney" He breathed. 

She crossed the room in swift strides, kneeling beside his bed. "Father" 

His weak hand reached for hers, and she took it gently. "You're safe" He said, his voice hoarse but full of warmth. 

"As are you" She whispered, squeezing his hand, while being in the brink of tears. 

From the corner of her eye, she saw movement. She turned to find Xander and his father, the King's Advisor, standing near the fireplace. 

"Princess" The Advisor greeted, his expression unreadable as always. 

Xander, however, wasted no time. Relief flashed across his face as he strode toward her, his strong arms wrapping around her before she could even react. 

"You're back" He murmured against her hair. 

Emeney let out a breath, allowing herself to sink into the embrace. For a brief moment, she forgot the destruction outside, the lives lost, the weight of their failure. She closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of Xander's presence, the steady beat of his heart against hers. 

"I was worried about you" He admitted, pulling back slightly to search her face. 

She gave him a small smile. "I was worried about you too" 

Xander exhaled, brushing a strand of hair from her face before pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I knew you'd come back" 

Behind them, Rayne stood silently by the doorway, watching the interaction. His gaze flickered between Emeney and Xander before he looked away, the corner of his mouth twitching as if suppressing a smirk, or something else entirely. 

The Advisor, standing beside them, cleared his throat. "We should debrief." 

Xander and Emeney separated, both nodding in agreement. 

They all took their places around the King's bed, recounting everything, the mission, the ambush, the dark mages, and the realization that it had all been a diversion. In turn, Xander and his father filled them in on the attack at Arcania, the damages, and the casualties. 

By the time they were done, the weight of it all settled over the room like a heavy storm cloud. 

Emeney exhaled, her fingers curling into her palm. "We should've been here" 

Xander shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. They planned this too well" 

The King, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke. "We need to be smarter. Stronger. This isn't the last attack.It's the same as their last attack seven years ago. What are they planning?!" 

Emeney straightened. "Then we prepare" 

A grim silence followed. 

Then, Xander reached for her hand again, squeezing it reassuringly. "Whatever comes next, we'll face it together" 

Rayne, standing in the shadows, let out a soft chuckle. 

Everyone turned to him. 

"Something funny, Egan?" Xander asked, narrowing his eyes. 

Rayne shrugged, his usual smirk back in place. "Nothing at all" 

But as Emeney looked at him, something in his eyes told her otherwise. 

"Who the hell are you?" The King asked with squinted eyes. 

"Oh yeah, he's Rayne Egan. The new member of the king's guards. The replacement. He went on the mission with us and is one of the reason I was safe" Emeney explained 

"I see. Thanks for protecting the princess" 

"You're welcome, your majesty" He replied with a smirk, one that pissed Xander off more. 

"Back to issue on ground…." The Advisor drew their attention again. "This doesn't seem like a random attack. I think there's something else afoot. If they wanted to attack us head on, they wouldn't send such few mages, knowing they couldn't possibly win" 

"You're right. I think so too" Xander nodded. 

"Maybe they are after something" Rayne suggested with a shrug. 

"But what could they be after?" The Princess asked with a puzzled expression. 

"If they had to draw us the king's guards out of our land, then maybe they were after something in the palace here. Knowing they couldn't get close to their goal at all if the king's guards are present" Rayne explained. 

"But surely they would know about our defenses around the castle, the barriers. They would know from their last attack. They have no way of entering or breaking through. So what was their plan? And they left after causing so much damage. They left on their own accord, the rest of them that were alive. They left like they had accomplished their goal" The advisor stated. 

"Did they get what they came for then?" Xander questioned. 

"I don't think so" Said the king. 

"How are you sure, your highness?" Rayne asked, staring at the king intently. He knew there was something the king wasn't saying. He could tell he was contemplating if to say it or not. 

The king sighed, giving in, and said what he knew. "I think they are here in search of the crimson flower" He announced. 

'There it is' Rayne smiled slyly, with no one noticing. 'Finally, here it comes. My mission'