The Last Warning
1034 Words
A quiet scoff escaped him.
"I've seen carrion with more dignity."
His gaze returned to her, cold enough to freeze the air between them.
"A filthy, foul-mouthed pig like you actually believes she could tempt me?"
He gave a slight shake of his head, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Your arrogance is even uglier than your face."
He turned away as though the conversation had already ended, dismissing her with the same indifference one might show an insect beneath their feet.
"I'd rather spend an eternity in a pit of rotting corpses than lower myself enough to touch you."
A faint, almost mocking smile tugged at his lips.
"So..."
He gave a lazy shrug.
"Nah."
"I'll pass."
For a heartbeat…
The forest fell silent.
The witch's smile vanished as though it had never existed. Her expression twisted into one of pure fury.
Her fingers curled into a tight fist.
The flames dancing around her hand surged violently, bursting outwards in a brilliant wave of crimson light that swept through the shadowed forest.
For the briefest of moments...
The darkness gave up its secrets.
Hidden figures were revealed between the ancient trees.
Men and women…
Wolves, witches, vampires, and seers...
Their silhouettes stretched deep into the undergrowth, cruel smiles flashing beneath the blood-red glow.
There were hundreds of them.
Then…
Just as quickly as it had flared, the crimson light receded.
The flames shrank once more, returning to the witch's hand, dancing as though nothing had happened.
The forest was swallowed by darkness again.
But the brief glimpse had been enough.
Anastasia had seen them.
Hundreds of hidden eyes had been watching them all along.
A vein throbbed at the witch's temple.
"...What?"
The single word slipped through clenched teeth, trembling with barely restrained rage.
Her blazing eyes locked onto Lucien, burning with murderous intent.
She took another slow step forward, the fire coiling hungrily around her arm.
"...Who..."
Her voice dropped into a venomous hiss.
"...are you calling a filthy, foul-mouthed pig?"
While the adults exchanged words...
Anastasia remained frozen behind Anana.
Her wide blue eyes were still fixed on the darkness where, only moments ago, the witch's flames had exposed what had been hidden.
The light had lasted no more than a heartbeat… Yet it had been enough.
She had seen them.
Hundreds of figures concealed among the ancient trees…
The darkness had swallowed them now, but Anastasia couldn't unsee what the crimson flames had revealed.
Her heart pounded painfully against her ribs.
It wasn't herself she feared for… It was her parents.
There were simply too many of them.
Her trembling fingers tightened around the edge of Anana's cloak before she gave it a small, hesitant tug.
"...Mother..."
Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
"...I'm scared."
Without ever taking her eyes off the enemies surrounding them...
Anana reached back and found her daughter's trembling hand.
She gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze.
"You don't have to be."
Her voice was quiet, calm, and unwavering.
"Your father is here."
There wasn't the slightest hint of fear in her words… Only complete, unshakable faith.
Somehow…
That quiet certainty reached Anastasia.
The frantic pounding of her heart didn't disappear, nor did the fear tightening around her chest.
But it loosened its grip.
Just enough for her to draw a slow, steady breath.
If her mother could remain this calm…
Then perhaps…
Everything really would be alright.
The first man's patience finally snapped.
The cruel amusement drained from his face, replaced by naked irritation.
He clicked his tongue in disgust.
"Enough!"
The roar of his voice tore through the clearing, silencing every other sound.
His eyes burned with impatience as he jabbed a finger towards Lucien.
"I've wasted enough time listening to this fool."
His expression twisted into a snarl.
"Kill the man."
Then he swung his hand towards Anana and Anastasia.
"The woman and the child stay alive."
A wicked grin slowly returned to his lips.
"They're worth far more to us breathing."
No sooner had the order left his lips…
Three Wanderers burst from the shadows.
One from the left…
One from the right…
One straight ahead…
Weapons raised, they lunged at Lucien with murderous intent, their movements swift and perfectly coordinated.
They intended to overwhelm him before he could even reach for his blade.
They never got the chance.
Lucien didn't move. He didn't reach for his sword or even shift his footing.
He simply flicked his wrist.
BOOM!
An invisible force erupted from him with terrifying violence.
The air itself seemed to explode.
The three Wanderers were blasted backwards as though they had collided head-on with a charging mountain beast.
Their bodies were hurled through the forest, smashing through thick branches, splintering tree trunks, and tearing up the undergrowth before crashing violently into the earth dozens of meters away.
The impact echoed through the woods.
For a single heartbeat…
Silence!
Then…
A wave of horrified gasps rippled through the ranks of the Wanderers.
Eyes widened… Smirks vanished…
The confidence that had filled the clearing only moments earlier crumbled into stunned disbelief.
Not a single one of them had seen Lucien cast a spell or had seen him draw his sword.
He hadn't even taken a step.
He had merely flicked his wrist…
And three seasoned Wanderers had been flung aside as though they were no heavier than dry leaves caught in the path of a raging storm.
An uneasy silence settled over the clearing.
For the first time… Doubt crept into their ranks.
Before anyone could fully comprehend what they had just witnessed…
Three witches stepped forward from the crowd.
Unlike the others, they did not look shaken. Their expressions hardened with grim resolve.
As one, they raised their hands.
Crimson light erupted from their palms, bathing the surrounding forest in an eerie glow.
Ancient runes flared to life beneath their feet, intricate symbols spreading rapidly across the forest floor like glowing veins.
The air grew heavy and oppressive.
The very atmosphere seemed to tighten beneath the weight of their magic, causing the leaves overhead to tremble and the surrounding shadows to writhe.
One of the witches thrust both hands towards Lucien, her voice ringing with unwavering authority.
"Bind him!"
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