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My jaw sets. Ai trembles beside me, tears shining on her face.

I glare at the line of soldiers, preparing to unleash the storm I’ve kept caged inside.

Then something else surges up in me: a new wave of suspicion that the Red Purna orchestrated this perfect ambush. That knowledge only fuels my wrath.

We can’t remain here. The soldier nearest me snarls, “Drop your weapon!”

I smirk, letting a sliver of magic crackle around my fingertips. “Come and make me.”

He tenses, the intensity in his posture betraying caution. Ai glances at me with wild eyes, as if uncertain what I’m planning. I meet her gaze, hoping my expression conveys that no matter how bleak this seems, I will not let them have her.

Behind the soldier, the tall elf steps forward. Torchlight washes over his obsidian skin, highlighting a scar that slashes across his cheek. His presence vibrates with authority. Whoever he is, he’s no ordinary grunt. A hush falls over the other soldiers, indicating that he’s the one giving orders.

Suddenly, a distant call resonates through the alley, carried by the swirling chaos of the raid: “Commander Vaelith! The perimeter is set!”

Ai clenches my hand. Commander Vaelith.

He shifts slightly, adopting a posture of utter control. I can sense the tension in every line of his frame. He’s waiting for me to either strike or yield. If I do neither, his men will close in. My illusions have run their course, and I’m pinned by his unwavering attention.

My heart thrashes. They have us trapped.

The swirl of torches behind me grows brighter—another unit of soldiers closes in from the rear.

This is precisely the moment I dreaded. The Red Purna did plan this, I’m sure of it.

Betrayal tastes bitter on my tongue, but I have no time to rage at them. Survival is all that matters.

I grip Ai’s shoulder, breath ragged. She trembles, on the edge of panic. The ring of armed elves forms an inescapable circle. My every sense screams that we are out of options.

Commander Vaelith’s voice reverberates through the hush, low and resonant: “Surrender the girl. If you cooperate, I might spare your life.”

Ai gasps, panic threatening to spill from her lips. I bare my teeth at him in silent defiance. I’ve come too far to hand her over. I can’t let them take us. The final vestige of my magic crackles around my pulse points, ready to lash out in one last stand.

The possibility of unleashing a suicidal burst crosses my mind, but I know the cost. Ai would be caught in the aftermath. I steel myself for a desperate gamble, scanning the alley for any possible gap in their formation. None. They’re well trained.

Torches blaze, illuminating Ai’s tear-streaked face and the determined set of my jaw.

I look up, meeting Vaelith’s gaze. For an instant, all else fades.

The grim lines of his face suggest he’s used to subjugating whomever he desires.

Arrogance bleeds from him, yet I catch a flicker of something else—curiosity, perhaps.

He speaks again, voice tinted with menace. “Do you value your life, purna? I can end this quickly or drag it out.”

My heart slams in my chest. This is the final moment before everything changes.

Ai clings to my arm, trembling so violently that my own fury amplifies.

If this city thinks I’ll kneel, they’re mistaken.

But there are too many soldiers. The circle tightens.

In the distance, more elves swarm Lowtown, stamping out any chance of escape.

I feel trapped, cornered in the mouth of a hungry serpent. My mind replays all the warnings, all the doubts about this mission. The Red Purna set me up. My throat burns with betrayal. But a flicker of defiance roars inside. I will not kneel willingly.

Commander Vaelith steps closer, his expression resolute. The soldiers behind me close in, cutting off any retreat. Ai stares at me with watery eyes. We are moments from the clash that will decide our fates.

The final thread of hope slips through my fingers. Another wave of torches surges at the alley’s entrance, accompanied by a triumphant shout—clearly the rest of the raid flooding in. Ai stiffens against me. My own body coils tight, preparing for a reckless strike. The time for hiding is over.

I fix Vaelith with a glare. The entire district rings with the clang of steel and the distant screams of panicked humans. Ai’s breath rattles. Her tears sparkle in the harsh firelight. I gather a trembling gust of energy, ready to fight until the last drop.

But deep down, I can’t shake the sense that the Red Purna got exactly what they wanted: me in Orthani’s lethal grip, with Ai as the key. My fists clench, heart pounding so hard that lights spark in my peripheral vision.

All around us, the city’s watchers converge, forging an unbreakable chain of swords and torches. It’s over. Or perhaps it’s just beginning.

“Take the child,” Vaelith orders, voice echoing in the alley.

My fury spikes, but we’re outnumbered ten to one. Ai lets out a desperate sob. Soldiers surge toward us. I tense, summoning magic to my palms, ready to defend her, no matter how futile. The night in Orthani’s Lowtown descends upon me, cruel and unstoppable, threatening to devour us both.