The night was a battlefield In their minds, a relentless tug-of-war between worry and exhaustion. Fang tossed and turned, the rough linen of his bedsheet a source of discomfort, mirroring the unease churning within him. Was Ash okay? Had she encountered trouble? He replayed every interaction, every shared glance, searching for a hint, a sign that his fears were unfounded. He couldn't shake the image of her, her quick wit and unwavering spirit, and the thought of her facing hardship gnawed at him.
Beside him, Raven was a restless sea. His thoughts, too, were cantered on one person: Shu. Every rustle of the wind, every creak of the house, fuelled his anxiety. Was she alright? Had something happened? He desperately wanted to know, to hear her voice and be reassured, but he was trapped by a strange paralysis. He couldn't articulate the anxious knot in his stomach, the raw, unfamiliar protectiveness that made his chest ache. Who could he tell? What could he even say? He couldn't confess a vulnerability he barely understood.
Dawn painted the sky with pale strokes of pink and grey. When they finally emerged, their faces were etched with a sleepless night's torment, dark circles under their eyes, and a subtle tension in their shoulders. Ri, ever observant, noticed immediately. "What's wrong with your faces? Why didn't you sleep all night?"
Raven flinched, his mood already dark, and snapped, "I fell asleep. Nothing happened to me." He turned away, his voice sharp as he coldly added, "Go to your work and leave." Fang remained silent, his head lowered, and slipped away without a word.
Jihu, appearing from behind, chuckled softly. He nudged Ri playfully. "Don't you understand why they didn't sleep?"
Ri, unable to suppress a small smile, replied, "Yes, I understand that they didn't sleep because of Ash & Shu." He shook his head, a mixture of exasperation and fondness in his voice. "I… I didn't sleep either."
Jihu, ever the pragmatist, considered this for a moment. "Well, there was no signal all night, or any signal this morning. That suggests they're fine. It means it's time for them to return. Don't worry, they are fine. Let's just wait and see what happens."
Later that day, just as Jihu predicted, Ash and Shu descended from the hill. Shu walked carefully, her left hand held awkwardly, a subtle wince flickering across her face with each step. Ash, ever watchful, opened his mouth to ask about it, when Ri ran up to them.
Ri's eyes widened at the sight of Shu's hand. "What happened to your hand? Why is it like this? You were fine yesterday!"
Shu tried to keep her tone light. "It's okay. Go home and call everyone, I have something to say."
Soon, everyone was gathered inside the house. As Raven's gaze fell on Shu's injured hand, a wave of hot anger washed over him. His voice, usually controlled, shook with barely restrained fury. "What happened to your hand? Who did this?"
Ash answered, his own anger simmering close to the surface. "When we were listening to the Minotaur leader, they thought we were eavesdropping. Their leader pushed Shu, and she hit her hand on a stone very badly."
Shu, however, cut him off with a sharp wave of her hand, wincing slightly. "All this will be discussed later. Let's talk about the real thing first."
Raven's patience snapped. "No, first this will happen! I will kill them. How dare they touch you? They have such great courage. I will destroy them all!" He was unwittingly revealing the depth of his concern, the protectiveness he had tried so hard to suppress. His voice trembled with an emotion he could neither name nor control, an emotion that resonated clearly with everyone present.
A small quiet laughter rippled through the room. They saw the connection, the unspoken feelings he had barely acknowledged himself. Shu, however, saw the situation spiralling out of control. "The situation is going in the wrong direction," she said, her voice tight with a hint of anger. "I'll tell you the truth first." She paused, collecting herself. "I have got some information. Can I share it with everyone? If someone keeps quiet?"
The laughter died down immediately. They all fell silent, their faces serious. They could sense the urgency in her tone, the gravity of the information she was about to reveal. This was important, something that could be vital to their mission. Their eyes were fixed on her, full of anticipation, waiting to hear what she had to say.
The air in the dimly lit chamber hung thick with anticipation. Everyone fell silent at Shu's words, her usual playful demeanour replaced with a gravity that demanded attention. They knew, instinctively, that she had uncovered something crucial, something that could make or break their mission. Eyes, wide and serious, were fixed upon her.
After a beat of absolute silence, Shu broke it, her voice measured. "Fang," she began, her eyes meeting his, "Did you find out anything? Anything at all?"
No one dared to speak. The weight of Shu's seriousness was palpable. Fang, his usual easy-going nature replaced with a sombre expression, nodded slowly. "I did," he said, his voice low. "I've learned that the trolls attacked Freedonia twenty years ago. But they failed because the residents there… they have magic. So, the trolls targeted humans instead. Humans have no magic, making them easy to control." He paused, the unspoken horror hanging in the air. "Just like twenty years ago, they're planning another attack. But this time, it will be in the human world."
A chill settled over Jihu and Raven. The words were like a hammer blow to their fragile defences. Jihu's face crumpled, the memory of the attack twenty years ago, when he lost his mother, flooding his senses. Raven, though not having lost his mother, had never seen her walk again since that day, her life irrevocably altered by the troll's attack. The weight of the past, the shared trauma, held them in a suffocating silence.
Ri's voice cut through the heavy atmosphere, breaking the spell. "Why didn't you tell me this yesterday?" Her voice held a hint of accusation.
Fang sighed. "I wanted to tell everyone at the same time. It's something we all needed to hear together."
Ash, usually quick with a quip, spoke in a sombre tone, "That's… more terrifying than I could have imagined."
Shu raised a hand, stopping Ash. "There's more. We've discovered something even bigger. The Minotaurs aren't the masterminds." A murmur rippled through the group. "I saw their leader speaking to someone through a mysterious mirror. She was smiling… sinisterly." Shu's voice dropped to a near whisper. "I couldn't see her face clearly, but from what I gathered, their conspiracy is… brutal. The reason behind it might be just as brutal. We need to be careful, now more than ever."
Raven, his face set with grim determination, spoke, his voice resonating with fierce resolve. "I promise, the Earth will not become another Freedonia. Not on my watch."
Ri's gaze turned to Jihu, who was quietly weeping. Tears streamed down his face as he choked out, "I don't want anyone else to lose their mother like I did. This conspiracy… it destroyed my mum. I'll stop it, even if it costs me my life. I know how lonely it is, not having a mother."
Ri reached out, placing a comforting hand on Jihu's shoulder. "I'm here, Jihu. You're not alone."
Raven stepped forward, placing a hand on his brother's other shoulder. "Brother," he said, his voice solid, "I won't let it happen either. Don't worry. We'll fight together. This is our test. We have to pass it. No matter what, we will stay together. We will fight together. This is our promise to each other."