Ashes of the Innocent

Hibiki Arata (響 新) clung to his mother’s back as she ran, her breath ragged, her kimono soaked with sweat and ash. His father led the way, cutting through the forest with desperate speed, his sword clutched in shaking hands. Behind them, screams echoed. His people, his home, all devoured by fire.

A few hours ago, he had been laughing with his friends, watching the village elders carve mana crystals from the cavern walls. Now, those same elders were dead, their bodies trampled beneath the boots of royal soldiers.

“Keep running,” his father whispered. “Don’t look back.”

But Hibiki did.

Through the flickering flames, he saw the banners of the kingdom. He saw the silver-clad knights cut down his people, their swords glinting red. And then, he saw him. The knight with the black wolf emblem on his cape. The man who had led the slaughter.

Their eyes met.

The knight smiled.

In a blink, he was upon them. Hibiki’s father swung his sword, but the knight was faster. The blade cut deep. Too deep. His father collapsed. His mother screamed. She turned to run, but the knight’s sword slashed across her back.

She stumbled. Hibiki tumbled from her grasp, hitting the cold earth.

The knight loomed over him, his sword raised high. “Nothing personal, boy.”

Hibiki couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. This was it.

Then, the wind howled.

A silver flash tore through the darkness. The knight gasped, blood spilling from his lips. A blade jutted from his chest.

Behind him, a figure stepped forward. An elf, her cloak billowing, her emerald eyes cold. With a swift motion, she pulled her sword free, and the knight collapsed, lifeless.

She turned to Hibiki. “If you want to live, get up.”

Hibiki’s body refused to move. His parents’ bodies lay beside him, their hands still reaching for him. The fire reflected in their lifeless eyes.

The elf knelt, gripping his chin. “You can mourn when you’re safe. But if you stay here, you die.”

Her voice was sharp, commanding. Something in it shook him free of his paralysis. He took her hand.

And together, they vanished into the night.