Five years had passed.
Elara stood by the window, her thoughts heavy and silent, when a soft voice called from the doorway.
"Elara?"
She turned slightly. "Come in."
Olivia stepped inside and bowed her head in quiet reverence. Her eyes, filled with something unspoken, settled on Elara.
"What is it?" Elara asked, sensing the tension.
"It is time," Olivia said gently.
Elara's gaze shifted to Zarek, sleeping peacefully on a nearby couch. Then back to Olivia. She nodded.
---
Now seventeen, Quinn returned from the hunt, an antelope slung over his shoulder. The setting sun cast long shadows, but something else caught his eye—smoke, rising into the sky from the distance. His heart tightened.
He ran.
As he neared their homestead, horror struck him—their home was ablaze. Flames roared where memories once lived. Dropping the antelope, he sprinted toward the fire, shouting, "Mother!"
But the house was empty. His gaze darted to the tree near the clearing—and his breath caught.
There, tied to the scorched trunk, was a charred body.
He staggered forward, trembling. As he reached the remains, recognition pierced him like a blade. It was Aurora. Burned. Unmoving.
"No!" Quinn screamed, collapsing. "Mother!" His voice cracked like splintering wood. Saliva dripped from his mouth as he crawled through the dirt, reaching for her lifeless form. Mucus ran from his nose, but he didn't care. His hands clung to her burnt body, the skin sticking to him as if refusing to let go.
He wept until exhaustion stole his senses and he collapsed at her feet, unconscious.
---
Night fell.
Quinn awoke weak and numb. He rose slowly, staggering into the ruined house. There, among the ashes, he found a shovel. With trembling arms, he dug through the hardened soil until a shallow grave lay ready.
He covered Aurora with a cloth he had left out to dry earlier. Carefully, gently, he laid her to rest and buried her. Then he lay atop the mound, sobbing quietly through the night.
For three days, he remained there, unmoving, grieving.
On the fourth day, with swollen eyes and a hollow chest, Quinn knelt by the grave.
"I will love you forever, Mother," he whispered. "If only I knew who did this…"
His fists clenched. His gaze rose to the mountain.
"I swear—I will find them. And I will avenge you."
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the northern mountains.
---
Elara walked slowly through the woods, weariness dragging at her limbs.
"Can we stop here?" she asked.
Olivia glanced around and nodded. "Yes."
After a moment, Elara spoke. "Are we even sure this is the right path?"
Olivia knelt, placing a hand on the earth. Her eyes turned a glowing white as the magic stirred within her. Her face twisted with concern.
"What is it?" Elara asked.
"He's moving farther away from us," Olivia said quietly.
"Farther?" Elara echoed.
"We have to hurry," Olivia replied, rising.
Elara nodded, her body aching, but her resolve firm. "Then let's go. Which way?"
---
Duke sat in silence beside young Zarek. In his hands, he held Elara's letter. He stared at her final words:
Please don't come looking for me. Take care of Zarek.
Torin entered the chamber, eyes sharp. "She still hasn't returned?"
"No, Father," Duke said.
Torin paced. "This isn't possible. I can't sit here and do nothing."
"She asked that none of us follow," Duke reminded him.
"With only a maid?" Torin snapped. He turned, storming out of the chamber. "Prepare one hundred riders," he barked to his general. "We ride at dawn."
---
Elara and Olivia stood before the ruins of Quinn's home. Charred wood, ashes, and the faint smell of death lingered. A grave marked the side of the clearing.
Elara's heart clenched. "What happened here?"
Olivia turned to her, solemn. "Your brother lived here. All this time."
"My… you mean Quinn?" Elara whispered.
She turned toward the grave. "And this…?"
Olivia knelt, touching the ground once more. Her eyes turned white as the vision came. Moments later, she stood, her voice grave. "There," she pointed up the mountain. "That's where they are."
Elara followed her gaze. "You mean the ones who did this?"
"Yes. And Quinn—he's already on the move, heading for the northern clan. I can only delay him for so long."
Elara looked at the path ahead. "Then we must hurry."
"If we push hard, we can reach him in two days," Olivia said.
Without another word, they began to climb.