What Do We Do With Them?

The freed captives huddled together, their wide eyes filled with fear and uncertainty. My heart clenched as I scanned their faces—exhaustion and relief etched into their expressions. Their clothes hung off their frail bodies, dirt and bruises marking their skin. Some clung to each other, whispering in hushed tones, while others sat in silence, their gazes distant and unfocused.

But something felt off.

Among them were children with pointed ears and luminous eyes—hybrids of humans and elves or fairies. I swallowed hard.

This wasn’t just a simple rescue.

Alexander stood beside me, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His gaze lingered on the trembling children—some barely standing, others too weak to even lift their heads.

“This complicates things,” he muttered.

I exhaled. “Yeah. And we need to figure out where they go.”

Alexander’s shoulders tensed. “It’s simple. The human children will be returned to their families or placed under my people’s care.”

I turned to him. “And the hybrids?”

His jaw tightened. “They’re different. The human kingdom won’t accept them.”

“That’s exactly why I should take them,” I argued. “They won’t be safe in human society. They’ll be treated as outcasts—or worse.”

Alexander scoffed, shaking his head. “And you think the Enchanted Forest will welcome them with open arms? Valkyrie, be serious. They’ll face just as much danger there.”

I straightened, meeting his gaze. “I’ll find a way. These children deserve a place where they won’t be hunted or abandoned.”

His frustration flared. “Do you even hear yourself? You just fought a battle, and now you’re taking on more responsibility?”

“Because someone has to.” I clenched my fists. “If I don’t do it, who will?”

Alexander’s expression darkened. “You act like you can carry the world on your shoulders, but one day it’s going to crush you.”

I took a slow breath. “I don’t have the luxury of doing nothing. If I turn my back on them, I’m no better than the ones who abandoned them in the first place.”

A long silence stretched between us, broken only by the soft whimpers of the children. Finally, Alexander sighed, rubbing a hand over his face.

“Fine. You take the hybrids. I’ll take the humans.”

The decision settled heavily on my shoulders.

***

That night, we camped a safe distance from the ruins of the slavers’ den. The air smelled of damp earth and lingering smoke, a bitter reminder of the horrors we had just escaped. The children sat near the fire, eating what little food we had left. Some had fallen into exhausted sleep, curled up together for warmth.

“You should come to the palace,” Alexander said, his tone softer now. “Father would be delighted to see you. You’ve done enough for today.”

I scoffed. “So now you care about my well-being?”

His jaw tensed. “I’ve always cared, Valkyrie. You just make it impossible to protect you.”

Before I could respond, a sharp voice cut through the night.

“Valkyrie, I told you to rest!”

Elara stormed over, her crimson hair almost glowing in the firelight.

Alexander, wisely, took that as his cue to leave. Without a word, he turned to the guards, instructing them to arrange a more comfortable sleeping area.

I grinned sheepishly. “I’m fine now. Thanks for healing me and restoring my mana.”

Elara folded her arms. “If you act carelessly again, I’ll get mad.”

“Roger!” I saluted playfully, knowing she wouldn’t understand the gesture.

Her frown deepened.

“How about Magnus? He was tortured the most, right?” We turned to where he lay on his back, staring at the sky.

“Stop talking in front of me. It hurts my head,” he grumbled.

I smirked. “You know, if you got captured, you should’ve just kept quiet.” I poked at one of his bandaged wounds.

“Enough, Valkyrie!” He snapped, glaring at me.

I froze. He had never called me by my name before.

Elara giggled.

“Stop laughing, Elara,” Magnus growled.

Something was definitely off.

“What happened? Did the torture mess with your head?” I teased.

Magnus sighed, his expression softening. “It’s my way of saying thanks… for saving me. You always save me. Both of you.”

“Oh my, the mighty royal Magnus is thanking us?” I grinned.

His face turned red. “How dare you, you inferior beings!”

And just like that, he was back to normal.

“But really, Magnus, did you say, ‘Don’t touch me, you filthy humans!’ to the slavers?” I asked, tilting my head.

Silence.

He did.

That’s why they tortured him.

“How foolish, Magnus,” I muttered, shaking my head.

***

As the night stretched on, I moved among the freed captives, checking on the hybrids. Most of them had settled down, exhaustion finally overcoming their fear. But one boy sat apart from the others.

His pale green hair fell over his face as he trembled, arms wrapped tightly around himself. Something about him drew me in.

“Hey,” I said softly, kneeling beside him. “Why are you sitting so far away from the others?”

He flinched at my voice but didn’t answer.

“What’s your name?” I asked, trying again.

The boy hesitated before looking up, his eerie blue eyes glowing faintly. “C-Cassius,” he whispered.

“Before you were captured, do you remember where you lived?”

He shook his head.

“Do you know why they took you?” The moment the words left my mouth, I realized my mistake. His body tensed, his breathing grew ragged, and the fear in his eyes deepened. I had forced him to relive the very nightmare he was trying to escape.

“No!”

The moment he yelled, I felt it—his mana surged, wild and unstable. The air around him pulsed unnaturally, flickering with erratic bursts of power beneath his skin. Just like when I first awakened my magic.

Elara hurried over. “Valkyrie, his mana—”

“I know,” I cut in. “It’s unstable.”

Cassius shuddered violently. A sudden burst of raw energy cracked the ground beneath him. The other children gasped and scrambled away in fear.

Elara murmured a celestial incantation, forming a barrier around him. I wove stabilizing plant threads with my own magic, trying to contain the surge.

“Cassius, listen to me. Breathe. Focus.”

But his mana spiraled out of control, his body too weak to contain it. If this continued, it could consume him from the inside out.

I tightened my grip on his shoulders. “Stay with us.”

Slowly, his breathing evened out, and the flickering mana settled. His small body sagged with exhaustion, his limbs trembling.

It had been so hard to stabilize him. When my mana went rampant, Master Eisen had helped me—alone. He really was amazing.

The crisis had passed, but unease lingered in my chest. Watching Cassius struggle reminded me of a time when I had felt just as powerless—trapped in a gilded cage as the crown princess, unable to change anything.

Back then, I lacked the strength to protect anyone.

But now… now things were different.

I glanced at Alexander, Magnus, and Elara, then at the children huddled together. I had made a choice, and with it came responsibility. This wasn’t just about saving them—it was about giving them a future where they wouldn’t have to live in fear.

I brushed a strand of green hair from Cassius’s face as he drifted into exhausted sleep.

“I won’t let this happen again,” I whispered.

And I meant it.