While cheers echoed across the battered deck of the ship and passengers rejoiced over their narrow victory, far above the chaos, in the quiet skies beyond anyone’s gaze, floated two women like specters of silk and shadow.

  They hovered effortlessly, their long black dresses flowing with the wind—each dress elegantly parted down the center to reveal the curve of their chests, adorned in shimmering dark lace. One had hair like spun gold, cascading down her back in waves—this was Stella. The other, with hair a fierce shade of red, had her arms crossed and lips curled in annoyance—Selene.

  Neither looked impressed.

  Stella pouted as she kicked lightly in the air, spinning slowly in place like a sulking child. “Ughh! Why did that thing ruin everything?! That kraken wasn’t supposed to die that fast! The prophecy isn’t even supposed to start yet!” she whined.

  Selene rolled her eyes so hard it was almost audible. “It died fast because you failed, Stella. Your idea of sending a beast to ‘test his strength’ was as idiotic as your choice of perfume.”

  Stella gasped. “Excuse me?! You liked that perfume last week!”

  “That was before it gave me a migraine,” Selene muttered.

  Just as the two were about to descend into full-blown bickering, a gentle voice cut through the tension like soft moonlight.

  “Enough, both of you.”

  Between them appeared Luna, graceful and serene, her long brunette hair drifting around her like ribbons. Her expression was calm but firm, eyes glowing faintly silver as she floated. There was a softness to her voice that instantly silenced the squabbling.

  “We need not fight,” Luna said gently. “You both made your point. But now, we must return. Lord Umbra should be informed of this... outcome.”

  Stella huffed, still pouting, but nodded. “Fine…”

  Selene gave one last glare before sighing, “Let’s go then.”

  And with that, the three wives began to fade—first their bodies, then their dresses, until their shapes unraveled into curling wisps of shadow, like black smoke caught in reverse wind. Their essence shimmered briefly before dissolving completely into the sky.

  They were gone.

  As the ship rocked lightly over the settling waves, laughter and cheers rang out. Some passengers even broke into song, others clapped each other’s backs, celebrating their survival like old comrades after a battle.

  Meanwhile, Vul gently lowered Stefan back onto the deck. The moment his boots touched the wood, Anna rushed over, almost slipping in her excitement, and threw her arms around him without thinking.

  "Stefan!" she cried out.

  But as quickly as she embraced him, realization hit her like a wave. Her face turned crimson as she pulled away, flustered and awkward, brushing down her nobleman’s coat like it would erase what just happened. Stefan, for his part, rubbed the back of his neck, clearly just as embarrassed, stealing a quick glance at Vul.

  That’s when he noticed something—Vul wasn’t cheering, wasn’t smiling. Instead, she looked strangely downcast, standing awkwardly by herself near the railings.

  Frowning, Stefan approached her. His shadow fell over her small figure as he crossed his arms casually.

  "Hey," he said, tilting his head slightly. "Why the long face?"

  Vul hesitated before mumbling, barely audible over the breeze, "I... failed to bring you closer to the kraken."

  Stefan blinked, a little surprised by the answer. Of all things, that’s what she was upset about?

  Vul looked up at him, a little anxious.

  "Are you... disappointed?" she asked carefully, like she was bracing herself for a harsh answer.

  But Stefan only shrugged, like the whole thing wasn’t even worth stressing over. "Disappointed?" he echoed. "Tch. People aren’t perfect. They screw up all the time. Trust me, I’ve failed more quests than I care to count."

  He let out a short breath, almost like a laugh, and then did something unexpected—he bent down, resting his hands on his knees so he could be eye-level with her.

  "So," he said, with a slight smirk, "are you people... or are you perfect?"

  Vul’s mouth opened slightly but no words came out. Her mind scrambled to find an answer, but nothing made sense. She just stood there, utterly confused.

  Seeing her blank expression, Stefan chuckled under his breath, stood back up, and casually patted her head, ruffling her hair just a little.

  "Welcome to life," he said, almost teasingly, before turning back toward the deck where the others were gathering.

  As a reward for taking down the kraken, the captain—grudgingly but true to his word—agreed to sail them to Yro-Ei. The ship coasted closer to the dark shoreline, the worn, broken docks barely able to hold the weight of the smaller landing boats.

  As Stefan, Vul, and Anna disembarked, the captain leaned over the railing with a twisted grin on his face. "If you’re dead set on dying," he said in a half-joking, half-threatening tone, jabbing a thumb toward Stefan, "at least don’t drag the rest of us with you."

  And with that cheerful warning, the captain barked orders at his crew, and the ship turned, quickly sailing back into the open sea, leaving the three of them standing alone on the broken, rotting dock.

  Vul looked around slowly, her red eyes taking everything in.

  The place was... ruined.

  Architectures, or what was left of them, slumped against each other like dying animals. Cracked stone, burnt wood, and crumbling roads stretched out in every direction. Everything was coated in a thin layer of ash and dust, the skies above choked with thick, heavy clouds that barely let the sunlight through. It was like the air itself was tired, old, and heavy.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Though there weren’t any monsters immediately in sight, the whole place reeked of them—scratches across walls, bones littering the streets, strange claw marks and dried blood staining the paths. A low, endless wind howled through the ruins, making every broken doorway and shattered window groan and whisper like the ghosts of the people who once lived here.

  It was the kind of place that screamed hopelessness.

  Anna came to stand beside Vul.

  "Yro-Ei used to be a safe haven for humans," she said softly, almost mournfully. Then her voice hardened, "But now it's infested with MONSTERS ever since the Order of Midnight took over."

  The way Anna said 'monsters'—like the word itself was something rotten and vile—made Vul’s chest tighten. Her mind wandered to Stefan, who never hid his disgust for monsters... monsters like her.

  How am I ever supposed to prove myself... Vul wondered, if humans hate monsters just for existing?

  Meanwhile, Stefan had wandered a few steps ahead, glancing uneasily around the broken landscape. He let out a low sigh. "I don’t think I can face off monsters now... not without my sword," he muttered.

  Anna turned to him and gave a small, reassuring smile. "I know a place," she said. "An old spot that’s still standing. We can stay there for now."

  She gestured for them to follow, and without another word, she led them into the crumbling, shadowed remains of Yro-Ei.

  Anna led them through the broken streets, weaving through piles of rubble and past houses that were nothing more than collapsed frames. After a while, they reached what seemed like a hidden part of Yro-Ei — a small village tucked between the ruins.

  Compared to everything else, it was like finding a candle in a sea of darkness.

  The village was rough, but alive. Makeshift houses were pieced together with old wood and scavenged stone, laundry lines stretched between them fluttering in the wind. A few people walked around, their clothes worn but their faces determined. Despite the gloom around them, they had built something... something still standing.

  But what caught Vul’s eyes the most was the giant green barrier that surrounded the village like a giant bubble. It shimmered faintly, almost invisible, but to Vul, it was clear as day.

  Anna and Stefan walked ahead casually — not even hesitating as they passed through it like it was just air.

  Vul slowed down, unsure. She reached out a hand, and immediately, the barrier pushed back, a force slamming into her like a wall. It didn’t hurt much at first — just a strong resistance — but when she tried to step through like the others, it was different.

  It was like walking through fire.

  Her body sizzled, smoke curling off her skin as she gritted her teeth. It felt like her skin was peeling off layer by layer, but she refused to back away.

  No, Vul thought stubbornly, I'm not staying out here.

  With a growl, she forced herself forward with everything she had. The pain was unbearable — but finally, after what felt like forever, she burst through the barrier, stumbling onto the other side, panting heavily.

  Her arms were shaking, her skin stung sharply all over.

  "Tch... that was nothing," Vul muttered under her breath, though her voice was hoarse and her body screamed otherwise.

  Meanwhile, ahead of her, Stefan and Anna continued their way through the village, completely unaware.

  Anna turned to Stefan with a small smile and said, "I used my savings to build this place... for the survivors of Yro-Ei who couldn’t escape."

  Stefan looked around, nodding thoughtfully. "You did all this?" he asked, a little surprised.

  Anna just gave a humble shrug.

  As they walked, she suddenly spotted someone in the distance — an old woman sitting by a well, mending clothes. Anna’s face lit up.

  "Miss Elena!" she called out excitedly, waving both her arms over her head.

  Stefan’s sharp eyes caught something then — a mark on the back of Anna’s hand. It looked... burnt, like a rough, ugly scar that the skin never healed from.

  Without thinking, Stefan reached out and gently grabbed her hand to get a better look. "Anna..." he said quietly.

  Anna blinked in surprise, her cheeks immediately flushing pink. She quickly pulled her hand back, laughing awkwardly. "I-It’s nothing! Really! Don’t worry about it! I must have gotten it when the kraken attacked!"

  But there was no fire in the ocean....

  Stefan raised an eyebrow but didn’t push, while Anna fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve, clearly flustered.

  They didn’t even notice Miss Elena coming up to them, her cane tapping lightly against the dusty ground, a warm smile on her wrinkled face. Around her, a small group of children came running, laughing and giggling as they rushed toward Anna.

  "Miss Anna’s back! Miss Anna’s back!" they chirped, grabbing at Anna’s hands and clothes excitedly.

  Anna knelt down, ruffling their hair and laughing brightly, her previous fluster forgotten for a moment.

  Miss Elena, meanwhile, raised an eyebrow at the scene before her, then let out a soft, teasing chuckle.

  “Well, well,” she said with a sly grin. “You came back to this cursed land just to introduce us to your lover, did you?”

  Anna immediately froze, her face turning beet red.

  “N-No! It’s not—He’s not—I mean—!” she stammered helplessly, waving her arms around in panic.

  Stefan, equally caught off guard, awkwardly scratched the back of his head, looking absolutely mortified.

  “A-ah… it’s not like that...” he mumbled, averting his gaze.

  Elena only laughed heartily at their miserable attempts to explain, her shoulders shaking as she leaned on her cane. “Oh, young people these days,” she said, wiping a tear of laughter from her eye.

  Seizing the opportunity to change the subject, Stefan cleared his throat and asked, “Miss Elena… for a place crawling with monsters, how’s it that this village hasn’t been overrun?”

  Elena’s laughter softened into a knowing smile.

  "My son, the village chief, he’s the one who set up the barrier," she explained proudly. "It keeps the monsters out. And if any foolish beast tries to force its way in..." she paused, her eyes twinkling, "the barrier punishes them dearly."

  Anna chimed in as well, “And Miss Elena has the gift of foresight. Plus, a small group of mages came together to help build the village and keep it standing.”

  As Stefan listened, a sharp thought crossed his mind — Vul.

  He asked carefully, “How exactly does the barrier punish creatures?”

  Before Elena could answer, they heard hurried footsteps behind them.

  Vul stumbled toward the group, looking absolutely miserable.

  Her clothes were singed and stuck to her in patches, smoke still lightly rising from her skin. Her arms were red with angry burns, her hair damp with sweat. She looked like she had been dragged through fire itself — because, in a way, she had.

  Elena’s warm smile immediately dropped into a frown of deep concern.

  “Oh, my poor child,” she said in a soft, motherly voice as she hurried to Vul’s side, her cane forgotten. Her hands trembled slightly as she reached out.

  Stefan and Anna exchanged worried looks.

  "Was the journey here really that dangerous?" Elena asked, glancing up at Stefan, her tone almost accusatory.

  Before Stefan could respond, Anna quickly spoke up. "No, no monsters on the way. We... we came here safely!" she insisted.

  Elena nodded slightly, though she didn’t seem convinced. She gently took Vul’s burned hands in her own, her touch surprisingly soft for such an old woman.

  “There, there,” Elena whispered soothingly. “You’re going to be okay, little one. You’re safe now.”

  Vul, despite everything, mustered a weak smile and opened her mouth to say thank you—

  But before she could, Elena’s grip on her hands suddenly tightened, startling her.

  Vul flinched as Elena’s eyes began to glow — a deep, eerie blue — the same eerie light that shimmered faintly in the village’s barrier.

  Elena’s hands, still clutching Vul’s, suddenly began to tremble violently. Her face paled, the color draining so fast it was like she’d seen death itself. With a small, choked gasp, she jerked away from Vul as if burned.

  She stumbled back and collapsed onto the ground, her cane clattering beside her.

  Her finger shakily pointed at Vul, her entire body quivering uncontrollably.

  “MONSTER!” she shrieked, her voice cracking with terror.

  “MONSTER! SHE’LL KILL US ALL!” she cried again, louder, drawing the attention of nearby villagers.

  Anna rushed to Elena’s side in alarm, helping the old woman sit up as she continued to point at Vul, her eyes wide and wild with fear, her mouth trembling as though she could barely even form words anymore.

  Stefan immediately stepped in front of Vul, standing between her and the panicking villagers who were starting to murmur among themselves, their faces filled with confusion and unease.

  Elena kept repeating it over and over like a broken record, “Monster... monster... she’ll kill us… she’ll destroy everything…”

  Anna, torn between comforting the trembling Elena and understanding what just happened, turned her worried eyes to Vul — her tattered, burned state, the pain and confusion written all over her young face — and then back to Stefan.

  Swallowing thickly, she hesitated before asking the question that now weighed heavy in the thickening air:

  "...Stefan... is Vul... really a monster?"