*Briella*
I leaned heavily against an ancient oak, my chest heaving with emotion. The argument with Drius still echoed in my ears, his words sharp as thorns.
"Go home, Briella," he had insisted, his hazel eyes hard and unyielding. "It's not safe here. The villain we face… is beyond anything we've encountered. You will be safer at home with your people."
I bit back a sob, frustration welling up inside me. Drius was more than just a friend. He was family, a brother to me just as surely as Kai. Our childhood memories were intertwined with laughter and shared secrets. But now, his stubbornness and relentless determination were all becoming too much.
"I can't just leave, Drius," I replied, my voice cracking with the strain of our predicament. "You know I can't abandon the valley, especially
