The village of Rellis nestled deep in a forest glade, far from the reach of kingdoms and coin. It was small, peaceful, simple. Thatched roofs, cobbled paths, a central well where the children laughed as they chased chickens through muddy puddles. Selena remembered the smell of fresh bread from her mother's oven, the sound of her father's hammer ringing as he repaired tools for neighbors. They were poor, yes, but rich in the things that truly mattered.
The morning sun filtered gently through the trees surrounding the village of Rellis, casting golden light over thatched roofs and dew-kissed fields. Chickens clucked in their pens. Smoke drifted lazily from chimneys. Somewhere nearby, a dog barked once, then settled down again.
Twelve-year-old Selena skipped along a dirt path, her bare feet lightly dusted with soil. A basket swung from her arm, half-filled with herbs and wildflowers. Her brown hair was tied in two clumsy braids, and her blue eyes sparkled with mischief.
She ducked under a low-hanging branch and spotted her mother in the garden, kneeling beside the carrot patch.
Selena: "Mama! I got the flowers you wanted!"
Her mother looked up, brushing a strand of hair from her face. A soft smile tugged at her lips.
Mother: "That's my little sunray. Bring them here, let's make the table pretty today."
Selena ran forward, dropping the basket beside her. Her mother ruffled her hair, then held up a fat, dirt-caked carrot.
Mother: "Good trade? Flowers for stew?"
Selena: "Only if I get two pieces of bread this time!"
Mother: "You drive a hard bargain."
They laughed together, the sound light and free, unbroken by fear.
From the distance, the village bell rang once, just the morning chime.
Peace.
That was Rellis.
A tiny haven in a cruel world.
And in that fleeting moment, Selena believed it would last forever.
The Night Rellis Burned
The fire started with a scream.
It was late. The sky was thick with stars, the moon a pale eye watching over the slumbering village. Inside their small wooden home, Selena lay curled under a wool blanket beside her mother. The hearth had gone cold, but warmth lingered in the air, the kind born of safety and love.
Until that scream shattered it.
A man's voice. Then another. Then the crack of splintering wood.
Selena jolted awake.
Selena: "Mama?"
Her mother was already up, moving fast. She grabbed Selena by the arm and yanked her from bed, whispering urgently.
Mother: "No time. We need to hide. Now."
Boots thundered outside. Steel clashed. A child cried out. Then came the roar of flames, sudden and hungry.
They ran to the root cellar, barely two steps from the house.
But the door burst open before they reached it.
Three men. Dirty armor. Grins like wolves. One held a torch, the others swords. The flickering firelight made monsters of their shadows.
Bandit 1: "Look what we got here."
Selena screamed. Her mother shoved her behind.
Mother: "Run, Selena! Go!!!"
A blade flashed.
The world tilted.
She froze as her mother collapsed in front of her, blood spreading like ink into the dirt.
She ran.
Through smoke. Through screams. Through blood.
Her mother's voice was the last thing she remembered before the world turned red.
Selena was twelve when her village burned.
The flames consumed Rellis like hungry wolves. Homes crumbled. Men died. Children were dragged into the woods, kicking, screaming, begging. She saw her neighbours fall. Her mother… her beautiful, strong mother… died with a carving knife in her hand and three bandits at her feet.
Selena had screamed until her throat bled.
Strong hands grabbed her. She kicked and screamed, but it didn't matter. The last thing she saw before the sack went over her head was her home on fire. The garden. The field. The sky. All swallowed by smoke.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
She woke with a gasp.
The air wasn't thick with smoke anymore. No screams. No fire. Just the creak of old wood and the scent of soap.
Her hand darted up to her chest. Still breathing.
She blinked, heart pounding, and realized she was no longer in a cage.
She was in a room.
A real room.
Soft bed. Clean sheets. Wooden floor. A little desk in the corner. A window with morning sunlight leaking through.
It took a moment for her to remember. Last night. The food. The clothes. The bath. The way warm water had washed the grime and years of filth from her skin.
And him.
Red.
She sat up slowly and looked to the bed beside hers.
There he was.
Sleeping.
His armor was stacked neatly on the floor. Without the armor, he looked younger. Not boyish—but human. His sharp jawline, the scar just under his collarbone, the faint rise and fall of his chest.
He slept like someone who had carried the weight of the world… and refused to let it crush him.
Selena hugged her knees to her chest.
Selena: "Thank you…"
She hadn't said it properly before.
Not really.
She pulled the blanket around her shoulders.
He had bought her. Freed her. Fed her. Given her clothes, a room, safety.
No man had ever done that without a price.
But Red never looked at her with hunger. Or pity. Only quiet certainty.
She didn't understand him yet.
But her heart had already decided something: she would follow him.
No matter where he went.