And shed his blood to stem the flood, to barricade invasion

“Nadia, get out of here…” I think, unable to say it out loud. The wounds are so deep I’ve gone numb to them. My breath barely reaches my lungs, and I can only hold on to consciousness long enough to see her frightened, furrowed face from behind.

«Stupid girl,» the captain mutters. «Take care of her. Wipe that foolish look off her face!» he snaps, gesturing sharply toward Nadia. The loutky shifts into position, sprouting a multitude of arms. «And don’t forget—alive.»

The loutky charges. In a flash, Nadia transforms her familiar into a beast I’ve never seen before and hurls it at the creature. Looking closer, the familiar has turned into an aitvaras, a majestic feathered wyvern.

Sweat runs down Nadia’s temples; her breathing is uneven. Still, she joins the fight: every time the loutky strikes at her, the familiar shields her; and whenever the loutky corners the familiar, she alters its form.

Meanwhile, the captain steps closer to me. «My thanks,» he says with a slight bow, arms spread. «You see, you’ve been nothing but trouble for our king. But fortunately, you were kind enough to leave your hoodie behind at the castle. If not for your little gift, we never would’ve tracked your scent. We never would’ve found you.»

“What?!” His words carve into my wounds like knives. “It’s… it’s all my fault. All of this… it’s my fault people in this city are being killed and buildings are burning. It’s my fault the village was discovered, that people were forced to flee or die. Oh God—Thyra, her son… what have I done…”

The commander yanks my hair, forcing me to watch the chaos I unleashed. Nadia looks hurt, and her familiar can’t seem to hold a shape. «I want you to watch every second. See how that stupid girl is crushed because of your weakness! I want you to suffer for the shame you threw on me, making me struggle and retreat in battle the other day. Because of that stupid woman, the smert jesera are dead, the gwiber wounded, and a loutky killed!» “Really? Then they’re alive! Thyra is truly incredible.” «Wipe that smile off your face!» he roars, jerking my hair. «I killed the lanky one… that woman cared for him so much. You should’ve seen her face! She even cried over his corpse. Pathetic.»

“Ha-Håkon is dead? His wife, his son, Thyra…” Tears stream endlessly down my face.

Silence falls heavier than the noise. All I hear is my ragged breath. The acrid stench of ash and blood fills my lungs. I force my gaze upward. The familiar is gone. Nadia lies on the ground, bruised and battered.

The loutky steps forward and, with the same slow gentleness a child uses to pick up a rag doll, grabs her by the neck. I see her limp body lift, her head dangling.

«Finally, it’s over.» Wilkotak’s voice reaches me muffled.

“Why… why am I so weak? Ever since I had the smert jesera killed—or rather, since I wished to come to this world—I’ve done nothing but bring ruin to innocents… This is my responsibility, and mine alone.”

Blood pounds in my temples, my burning eyes wide. There’s no room left for fear—only a face twisted with rage and despair. But inside me, there’s only one certainty now. All my strength, all my pain, everything I am… pours into that hoarse whisper: «I’ll protect you…»

“Laila…” In an instant, she appears, wrapped in a violet aura. Her expression is pure horror at the sight before her. «I wish…» But I can’t speak another word, not even a rasp. My head grows lighter and lighter.

«Did you really think I’d let you make a wish? The king warned me about this…»

Time stops, along with the pain. Laila walks toward me, tears in her eyes. She collapses to her knees and embraces me. «I’m sorry…» she sobs. «It’s my fault we’re in this world. If only I hadn’t brought you here, you wouldn’t be suffering now.»

Hearing her cry, my tears stop. “Don’t worry… it’s okay. It was good while it lasted,” I think with a calm smile.

«No, it’s not okay! We still have so much time to spend together—r-reading manga, watching anime, playing games…» She pulls her face away just enough to wipe her tears. «We still have that trip to Japan, remember? You can’t die without it.»

“I hate seeing you cry—it hurts worse than any wound.” She blushes, turning away with tears still clinging to her cheeks. “Wait a second! Did you just answer me? You can hear my thoughts?!”

Laila looks at me, resigned, covering her face with her hands to block me out as tears stream down. «Your intentions… your deepest ones… they’re the source of your wishes. Our bond, the way I feel every will and thought you have. I tried to deny it… but I can’t ignore it anymore.»

I lower my gaze, choking back the words I’ll never say. It isn’t a pain you scream—it isn’t tears. It’s a silent weight crushing me inside. My mouth twists into a bitter smile, but my eyes don’t lie. Some words will never be spoken, some feelings will always hang between us. It’s strange… even at this farewell, what I feel for you doesn’t need to be said. But it still hurts. “If you hear them, then you know what I was about to ask…”

«Yes…» she answers softly, lowering her eyes. Then she looks at me again. «But are you sure about this wish? Your intentions behind it aren’t as simple as you think.»

“Yes. I’m sure.”

«Alright… But know this won’t heal your wounds, and you won’t have long before you die. Please, if you must ask this, at least use your last wish to heal yourself.»

“No. I’d rather it end this way. Nadia can always bring me back.”

«The rules forbid me from reviving the dead. For you, this will be the end,» she says through tears.

“That’s fine. I had fun with the two of you. Please, take care of Nadia.”

«I will…» she whispers, bowing her head. Rising to her feet, she steps back. «Wish granted.»

Pain flares at my carotid again, but time hasn’t resumed… yet the flames around us seem to shift, almost imperceptibly. I focus on them—and amber flames surge from my body, cauterizing my severed jugular.

My focus snaps back to Nadia. Gritting my teeth, the flames engulfing me swell, forcing the captain to release his grip. The loutky notices and squeezes Nadia’s neck tighter. Sparks crackle around me as I launch forward. With my severed arm, I create a luminous one, ripping Nadia free and holding her gently against me. My legs dig trenches in the earth as I skid to a stop, dust rising.

“I don’t understand—what is this power? I thought it’d only let me make shields or something…”

No time to think. I glare at the loutky, extend my right arm, and drop his limb to the ground.

Nadia’s body is pulled from me, floating gently toward Laila. I entrust her to her care.

The screams of the city claw at my head like forks scraping porcelain. I clutch my ears, but they won’t stop. I double over in pain. “I can’t take it anymore, enough!” Flames erupt from me in a wave, sweeping through the city. Every zombie is incinerated, their weapons and armor melting into pools of metal, until at last—the screams cease. I relax, arms dropping at my sides, gazing upward. The sky darkens with black clouds, and amber rain falls over the city, dousing the flames.

«Your doing?» Wilkotak growls, impatient. Unable to answer, I simply draw my sword. The loutky regenerates its arm and sprouts more from its back. The commander raises his blade. «Oh Rugiewit, grant me your strength!» he cries, a crimson aura enveloping him.

I dash forward—faster than Wilkotak can react. My fist smashes into his face, splitting his helmet, the metal digging into his flesh. I feel his jaw almost snap. The blow hurls him through several buildings. “Shit… I may have overdone it.”

The loutky lunges at me, its endless arms reaching to ensnare me. But they’re slow—far too slow now. My speed… It’s too much even for my body. Pain sears me everywhere. With my left arm, I swat them aside like paper. I march forward and drive my blade into its body, slicing it clean in two. The grimace that had been locked on its face twists into a child’s wail, it swells, then explodes, instinctively, I raise a barrier around it—but I’m not fast enough to seal the gap before me, the blast sends me flying.

I slam into the ground, bones cracking in ways I’d never wanted to hear. Fire scorches every inch of me, especially my front. Gasping, I haul myself from the crater, my clothes reduced to rags.

A groan catches my ear. I turn and see Wilkotak, facedown. Slowly, he pushes himself up with his greatsword. «I… swear I’ll make you pay—for this, and for the monster that gave you this power,» he spits blood.

I turn away, walking toward Nadia. «Are you sparing me?» he mutters. «You filthy, crawling worm?!» he roars, charging. Too exhausted to fight, it’s the desperate flailing of a coward. I watch him for a moment, disappointment and regret heavy in me, then slice his legs out from under him. He crashes to the ground, wheezing. «Do you know who I am? I am Wilkotak! Captain under General Stoyan’s command! The one who wields the power of the god Rugiewit!»

He keeps ranting. But I no longer care. I only want to return to Nadia and Laila.

My breath falters. The sword slips from my hand. The arms vanish. My legs give way, cold ground pressing against my knees. Darkness swallows my sight. I collapse, spent, and close my eyes.