A soft thud hit the ground. Ren looked down, and his blood ran cold.
A severed head rested by his feet, eyes wide open in frozen horror.
He gasped, stumbling backward, trembling uncontrollably. Why? his mind screamed. Why would the kingdom do this? What did Alora ever do to deserve this?
"Ren!" Hana Tenkai, his mother, grabbed his hand tightly. "We need to go, now!"
She pulled him forward, running through the chaos. Flames danced through the air, buildings crumbled, and screams of pain filled the night.
Through the thick smoke, they stumbled upon Kobayashi Ryota, Tanaka Yui, and Ishikawa Haruka. Ryota was kneeling, his face soaked in tears.
"They… they killed my parents..." he choked out, unable to look anyone in the eye. Haruka held his shoulder, silently crying. Yui bit her lip, eyes wide with fear.
The group had no time to grieve.
Shouts echoed behind them. Five or six royal soldiers emerged, armed and ready. Magic crackled in their palms. Death had found them.
Hana turned to Ren, eyes fierce but soft. "Ren… please live a happy life—for your mother."
She faced his friends. "All of you—protect him. Promise me."
Before Ren could react, Hana stepped forward toward the soldiers.
"No! Mother, wait!" he screamed, trying to reach her.
But Hana cast a Wind spell, a powerful gust blasting him backward into Ryota's arms.
"I have to fight—" Ren protested, struggling.
Ryota held him tightly. "You can't! You've never trained. You don't even know how to cast spells!"
Hana turned briefly. "Please, Ryota… take him. Go!"
Ryota gritted his teeth. "We'll protect him. I promise."
He dragged Ren, who kept crying and screaming, as they vanished into the treeline. "MOM! Come back! Please!"
But Ren's cries were drowned in magic blasts.
A dizziness struck him. His vision blurred—and in that strange moment, he saw her.
Hana Tenkai, standing her ground, casting Wind magic like a tempest. She fought with fierce grace, hurling soldiers back with gales and slicing winds. But she was alone.
One soldier slipped past and cast a Fire spell.
Flames consumed her body. She screamed in pain, pushing one last gust of wind that sent two soldiers flying. Her last thoughts… were of Ren.
Is he safe? Did he escape?
Ren snapped out of the trance.
He and the others were deep into the forest now. But he couldn't stop crying. The image of his mother burning—dying to protect him—was etched in his soul.
He fell to his knees.
And the only sound that remained… was the wind rustling through the trees.