Prologue

The wind finally dies, but the silence it leaves behind is louder than any storm. It carries the scent of ash and blood, mingling with the iron tang of battle. All around, the clash of swords and cries of the dying echo into the blood-red sky. The clouds burn with a deep crimson glow, like a warning or a promise.

I stand still in the chaos, my breath shallow, heart thudding in my ears. My eyes find him the man who orchestrated all of this. The one who started the war, tore our cities apart, shattered families and futures alike,just for his satisfaction. He stands on a hill above us, serene and untouched, his smirk cutting deeper than any blade. He doesn't need to fight. He lets others die for his ambitions.

And still, he smiles.

I feel something in me fracture.

My hands curl into fists at my sides, trembling as my nails dig into skin. My knuckles turn white from the pressure, from the sheer effort of holding back everything that screams to be unleashed. After everything… this is what we're left with? After years of bleeding, fighting, sacrificing this?

I laugh, but there's no humor in it. Just disbelief.

No. I won't accept it.

We didn't survive all those years just to die at the hands of cowards hiding behind armies. We didn't suffer through every nightmare just to have it end in defeat.

I close my eyes for a moment, and the battlefield fades. What replaces it is a memory buried deep but never forgotten.

Twelve years ago, on a quiet morning that smelled of flowers and cake.

My mother's birthday.

We were laughing. The windows were open, the breeze gentle. I remember the way the sunlight caught her smile. I was helping her set the table, clumsily folding napkins into crooked shapes. She teased me for it. Her laugh God, her laugh it echoed with warmth.

Then the world tore apart.

A dungeon break. No warning. No sirens. Just a roar, like the sky itself was screaming.

I remember the sound of glass shattering. The floor trembled. The walls cracked. Then, the ceiling collapsed.

She didn't even hesitate. She shoved me to the ground and threw herself over me.

When I came to, everything was dust and smoke and blood. My ears rang. My arms ached. And my mother was buried a pile of concrete and shattered beams pinning her to the earth.

For a moment, I thought she was gone. My small hands shook as I reached for her, calling out, begging, hoping.

Then I saw her fingers move.

"Mom?"

I scrambled forward, sobbing, my hands clawing desperately at the debris. My skin split open, fingers raw, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. Not when I still had the chance to save her.

Her voice reached me, faint and broken.

"Ris…?"

I dropped everything. "I'm here, Mom! I'm right here!" My tears blurred her face, and I could barely breathe. "Don't talk, okay? I'm going to get you out. I swear."

She smiled. Even through the pain, she smiled. And then her hand closed around mine.

"So brave," she whispered. "But you have to run, sweetheart. Find your uncle. You'll be safe with him."

"No!" I shook my head, trying to pull her free. "I'm not leaving you! I'm not—"

Her grip tightened, just for a moment.

"I love you. Always."

Then the light in her eyes dimmed. Her hand slipped away.

I screamed. I screamed until my voice broke. I called for her long after she was gone. I stayed there, clinging to her hand, wishing for a miracle that never came.

It wasn't until my uncle found me that I moved. He lifted me into his arms, his voice trembling. I didn't hear what he said. I didn't care. I just stared at the rubble that had taken her.

And in the silence of that ride away from my old life, I made a vow.

I would never be that helpless again.

I would survive — not just for me, but for her. For everyone we lost.

And one day, I would stand before the ones who caused this and make them understand what it means to lose everything