“Stop being so touchy; you’re seriously creeping me out!” I snapped, yanking at the arms that had wrapped themselves around me, pushing him away with all the strength I could muster. The horse beneath us bucked wildly, caught off guard by the sudden struggle, its hooves pounding unevenly against the packed dirt road.

  “You wanted to ride this goddamn horse with me!” Markus shouted, his voice strained as he fought to regain control of the animal with whatever feeble skill he had.

  “Because I can’t see, you idiot! Just stop touching me!” I hissed, keeping my eyes shut because of the bright daylight. We were deep within elven territory now, the army snaking through the ancient forest and moss-covered hills. Even surrounded by our ranks, we somehow carved out a strangely large pocket of space just for ourselves — a bubble of uneasy calm amidst the looming chaos. The end was coming; I could feel it in the thick, electric tension hanging in the air.

  “You’re such a weirdo! You’re leaning against me!” he grumbled, clearly frustrated.

  “Do I have any other choice? You insisted I sit in front,” I retorted sharply, puffing out my cheeks in mock exasperation.

  “Because the girl always sits in front of the guy,” he said, like it was the absolute gospel truth.

  I opened my mouth to call him a sexist and drag him through the mud, but then a better idea struck me. “You read way too many romance novels,” I shot back with a smirk.

  “You too,” he shot right back. The comeback hit me before I could defend myself, and I was scrambling for a reply when the sudden quiet around us snapped my attention away.

  “They’re coming,” Tom whispered, the bickering dying instantly as the subtle thundering of hooves and the soft clink of armor reached my ears.

  I inhaled deeply, steadying myself. Our entire mission hinged on this moment. The plan was simple, in theory: bait the Devourer into revealing itself by presenting myself as vulnerable, alone, and unprotected—exposed under the harsh gaze of sunlight in hostile land. Nothing to hide behind, nothing to shield me.

  “1701 seconds,” I murmured, counting the seconds with an eerie calm. “We’re close.”

  The dull rumble of horses grew louder, a wave of armored figures closing in around us. I glanced at Tom, locking eyes with him one last time. “You know what to do,” I breathed.

  Without hesitation, Tom urged the horse to a swift trot, turning sharply and riding away in the opposite direction. I slid from the saddle, nearly twisting my ankle in the process, but caught myself with practiced grace. Bowing deeply in a curtsy, I faced the incoming line of knights.

  “Hello, my dearest enemy,” I called out, voice dripping with mock affection.

  The knights responded in perfect unison, their words sharp and cold like blades. “Greetings, our least favorite victim.”

  Around us, the other soldiers barely stirred, their indifference amplifying the weight of the moment. I was standing right in the heart of a hornet’s nest, exactly where I wanted to be.

  “Have you given up now?” they taunted, stepping forward with swords drawn. “Leaving the protection of Arthur wasn’t the smartest move.”

  My hand instinctively went to my hip—right where my sword should have been, but couldn′t because of the weight—smiling despite the danger. Thankfully, I had found a pair of lighter daggers which I could wield a little during the day, allowing me to protect myself somewhat even during the day. “Maybe,” I said softly, “or maybe it’s the smartest move of all.”

  “Is it, though?” The soldiers said softly, voice barely above a whisper, eyes scanning the shifting shadows around me. “I suspect you’re lurking nearby, wanting to see my end with your own two eyes.”

  I strained to catch every rustle, every whisper carried on the breeze. But there was nothing—only the heavy silence broken by the dull thuds of armor-clad feet shifting in the dirt. Either she wasn’t here, or she was clever enough not to fall for my bait. Or perhaps my ears had simply dulled under the harsh sunlight, muffling what should have been clearer sounds.

  “Maybe I am around,” the voice teased from nowhere and everywhere at once, “maybe I’m not. Either way, you’ve lost. I won’t give you another night to wreak havoc.”

  The knights slowly closed ranks, their formation tightening like a noose around me. I stood perfectly still, heart pounding as I searched for the faintest hint of danger. The sun, unforgiving and bright, sapped my strength and dulled my senses; it was nearly impossible to distinguish anything through the haze clouding my hearing. But for a brief heartbeat, I thought I caught a voice different from the rest—a soft, melodic tone threading through the harsh chorus of male warriors. This was going to be far more interesting than I anticipated.

  “1800,” I breathed out quietly, barely moving my lips. Time was running short, but I wasn’t waiting for the countdown to hit zero. The moment the Devourer reacted—that twitch, that shift—it would be my signal. The moment of truth was imminent.

  Suddenly, a horrified scream shattered the tense stillness. “What have you done?” The knights spun as one, eyes wide, bodies twisting toward a massive plume of smoke rising against the horizon. Flames curled like furious serpents, licking the sky in fiery tongues.

  “I don’t need a night to wreak havoc,” I said, voice low and deadly, turning on my heel as adrenaline surged through my veins. “Just a single day.”

  Without hesitation, I surged forward, breaking the circle. My hands darted toward the twin daggers resting lightly on my hips. I hadn’t drawn them yet—the sunlight sapped my strength, slowed my reflexes, made me feel sluggish and vulnerable. I had no hope of standing against these knights in a fair fight. But I didn’t need to.

  This was only the opening act.

  Hell erupted around me as my knights set flame to the piles of supplies and carts laden with the worm-infested corpses. The fire roared to life with an unnatural hunger, licking hungrily at the dry wood, and soon, explosions thundered across the narrow march route like savage beasts unleashed. Each blast sent shockwaves shuddering through the tightly packed ranks of the army, scattering men like rag dolls. The confined space worked to my advantage — chaos was a wild, terrible tide that could not be controlled.

  One explosion detonated just a few hundred meters from me, its violent force throwing me through the air like a ragged doll. I crashed onto the hard earth with a bone-jarring impact, coughing up bitter, coppery blood that trickled down my chin. Around me, knights who had been too close crumpled in heaps, their bodies limp and lifeless. Thousands of humans—whether infected by the worms or not—were already falling in the initial onslaught of my plan.

  My breath came in ragged gasps as I tried to steady myself, my eyes searching the maelstrom I’d wrought. Arthur was nowhere to be seen giving orders; perhaps he never intended to. Sometimes, surrendering to the chaos and letting it run rampant was the only answer.

  My ears still rang with the thunderous echoes of the blast when suddenly, a rough hand clamped down on my collar, yanking me upright. The weight of the man’s grip was iron.

  “What have you done?” His voice was a mix of fury and disbelief.

  I let out a low, bitter chuckle. “I just thought I’d go out with a bang that everyone would hear. You’ve made too many mistakes lately... Sure, your prediction of my little flood was sharp. But what did you expect after that? That I’d simply fold? You’ve shoved me into a corner, and now, like a cornered beast, I’m lashing out at everything around me. I’ll hurt you as much as I can—even in the daylight, when you least expect it.” I grinned, then spat a streak of blood directly at his face.

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  “This is just a suicide attack. You’ll pay for this!” His words were punctuated by another spray of spit thrown back at me, his rage nearly bursting from him.

  It was revolting—and yet, exhilarating—to see how my strike had already wrought devastation that a flood alone couldn’t achieve.

  “Will I?” I said, voice cold and mocking. “It’s been fun playing with you... fun losing to you. But here’s a secret—I hate losing. With every fiber of my being.”

  Just then, a sudden rain of burning arrows fell from above. Thousands of fiery shafts cascaded through the smoke-filled air, scorching the remaining carts and piercing through armor into the flesh of countless soldiers. Some knights roared as their armor caught fire, others screamed in agony as the arrows found vulnerable spots.

  “Boom!” I laughed harshly as the knight holding me suddenly ignited, flames engulfing him in a raging inferno. Within seconds, his innards exploded, sending me hurtling through the air once more. I crashed against a nearby tree, my dress catching fire in patches, skin blistering beneath the scorch. The impact jarred my head violently, and I tasted blood as my nose began to bleed.

  The wounds that normally healed so quickly now ached with agonizing slowness, the harsh daylight sapping what strength I had left and leaving me vulnerable in a way I’d never known.

  Dizzy and disoriented, I raised my right hand to steady myself against the tree. But as I pressed my palm to the rough bark, I froze. The surface was sticky—coated in a thick, amber sap I had never seen before. It clung to my fingers like glue, resisting half-hearted attempts to pull away.

  As I stared in confusion, a sudden, intense heat radiated from the tree itself—an unnatural warmth that seemed to pulse beneath the sticky surface, making the air shimmer faintly around it.

  “Oh, fuck.” The moment I realized what I’d done, it was already too late. The sap coating the tree was a volatile tinderbox, practically begging for a flame—and I had just set it ablaze. The heat flared instantly, a sudden roar bursting from the tree’s core. I stumbled backward, losing my footing, and crashed onto the scorched ground.

  Instinctively, I rolled onto my belly and curled into a protective ball, arms shielding my head. The explosion ripped through the forest like a thunderclap, shards of bark and flaming splinters hurtling through the air like deadly missiles. One jagged piece of burning wood slammed into my thigh with brutal force, piercing deep enough to drive a scream from my lungs as the searing fire licked at the surrounding flesh, burning away skin and muscle.

  Grimacing through the strangely thrilling pain, I scrambled away from the fiery inferno, crawling back toward the narrow street that still wasn’t safe by any means. Above me, fire arrows continued to rain down relentlessly, striking anything and anyone in their path without mercy or resistance. The chaos I and the elven king had unleashed kept the humans and the Devourer preoccupied—none had the luxury to fight back effectively.

  “Devourer~ come to mommy~” I shouted, my voice cutting through the roar of destruction. I cracked open my right eye just a sliver—then a little more. The thick smoke billowing from the burning forest obscured the sun entirely, blotting out its draining light. While this didn’t restore my usual strength, it at least let me see a few metres ahead.

  “YOU!” The Devourer screamed in a maddening cacophony of voices—each mouth yelling in rage and frustration as she staggered, clearly losing control.

  “Didn’t you expect me to invite others into this little game we play? How terribly unwise of you.” I taunted, voice dripping with cruel satisfaction. “And you didn’t think the elves would be capable of this? Well, that’s only for those who’ve read the ancient magic tomes. Nobody ever invades the elven core land, because that cursed forest is resisting with all its might. So come here, little kitten—I’m going to end your suffering now.”

  A smile curled on my lips as I felt the plan unfolding flawlessly. I couldn’t yet call this a victory – especially not my victory - but the Devourer’s demise was inevitable, whether by my hand or the consuming flames.

  I stepped back, pulling my left dagger free, ready to strike. A man stumbled through the smoke and fire toward me, and before he could react, I plunged the blade into his chest. His soul vanished, leaving only surprise frozen in his eyes as I yanked the dagger free.

  “What a bummer,” I muttered, barely turning my head as another explosion thundered nearby. Flesh and debris flew through the air, some of it dangerously close.

  “If this keeps up, I could single-handedly support the economy of a whole country with the amount of dresses I’m going to need.” I mumbled to myself, stepping toward the inferno with a casual air, brushing away smoldering patches on my dress. My feet were already blackened and bloodied messes from the burning ground and jagged debris.

  After a few paces, I discarded my boots—they were little more than charred husks, burning too nicely to keep. The flames flickered around me, but I kept moving forward, undeterred and ready for whatever came next.

  “Devourer~ I know you’re here. Come out and play~” I taunted, vaulting over a larger blaze that cracked and hissed beneath me. The thick, choking smoke curled like tendrils all around, but I wasn’t about to let it hide her. Suddenly, a sharp sting exploded in my shoulder—an arrow slicing through the haze and embedding itself deep in the burning fabric of my dress.

  “Fuck!” I yelled, collapsing to the scorched earth. The flames licked hungrily at my shoulder as I ripped away the burning cloth, tearing off the arrow’s shaft with a sharp snap. Elven arrows were wicked—barbed to stay lodged inside flesh—so I didn’t even try to pull it out. Pain flared hot and sharp, but I gritted my teeth, pushing myself back to my feet and shouting into the smoke once more.

  “Devourer~ you murdered Luna and Kat~ now I’m going to murder you~!”

  Before me, a twisted figure lunged—no longer quite human, his features contorted by whatever dark curse had claimed him. Without hesitation, I slashed across his throat. His arm had been severed before I even noticed it, yet he swung with his sword blindly until blood loss finally dragged him down, limp and lifeless.

  A voice cut through the smoky chaos—sharp and furious. “My father is going to kill you!” a woman screamed from just a few metres away.

  “Tell him he’s welcome to try~” I snapped, barreling through the choking smoke, leaping over flames that flared like angry beasts. Even with my impaired vision, I recognized her—the mage I had foolishly shared the carriage with, the one I hadn’t yet managed to silence. She stood there, bow drawn, arrow nocked and aimed straight at my head.

  “Hmmm, that’s odd,” I murmured, noting the patches of burnt skin across her body. Unlike the others, she wasn’t going up in flames. It had been a good decision to draw her out this way—I couldn’t be certain I’d kill her any other way.

  “Just so you know,” I warned, voice low and dangerous, “if you hit my eyes, it’s theoretically possible to kill me. But if you miss...”

  “I have the knowledge of hundreds of archers. I won’t miss,” she said, her grin sharp as a blade.

  “Bothersome...” I muttered. “Hey, before we end this... how exactly did you escape purgatory?”

  She smirked wider, eyes glittering with dark amusement. “As if I’m ever going to tell you that. Any last words?”

  “Yeah… your attire is on fire.” I taunted, eyes flicking to the faint flicker of flames crawling up her sleeves. She might be mostly immune to fire, but the children she controlled weren’t. That had to terrify her — fire was unpredictable, unstoppable, and merciless. A flicker of doubt crossed her face as she glanced down, just as I’d expected.

  Seizing the moment, I lunged forwards, my dagger flying through the smoky air and plunging deep into her right hand. She howled, a sharp, piercing sound that echoed through the chaos, and stumbled backward, clutching the wounded hand.

  I raised my other dagger, ready to strike again — but before I could throw it, an arrow whistled through the air and slammed into my back with brutal precision. The impact sent me stumbling forward, my foot landing on a burning shard of wood that seared through my sole. Pain twisted my face, but it didn’t stop me from pushing after her.

  “Now you also have the knowledge of hundreds of people dying~” I spat with a wicked grin. “I know you want to avoid the pain… so Devourer, why don’t you just stop this crappy hive mind of yours and let me finish you off~~”

  She staggered, her footing faltering as she too stepped onto a glowing ember. The fire hissed and crackled beneath her feet, and I could see panic flicker in her eyes.

  “Why don’t you just die?” Another arrow came hurtling from farther away, the arc betraying its origin. It grazed past me, forcing me to duck and twist my body just in time, my strength sapped by the relentless daylight weakening me.

  I turned my head away for a fraction of a second — and she used that split second to vanish, sprinting into the dense smoke.

  “Hehe~ want to play catch or what?” I called after her, stepping forward…

  Suddenly, a bulky figure materialized from the smoke—a man, shrouded in shadows and wrapped with a slightly burning cloth around one arm. I swung my dagger to strike, but realization hit me just too late.

  “Whoppa,” I muttered, diving sideways as the man burst into flames, the fire devouring his body in an instant. The explosion sprayed gore everywhere, barely missing me but thick enough to obscure my vision.

  Through the blood mist, an arrow zipped straight into my chest — right where my heart beat fiercely beneath the skin.