CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: BLUEBIRD

Everything happened in split seconds.

The sudden invasion of Luyas. The screams. The bloodshed.

Before Luna could grasp what was truly happening, she was running—dodging through the castle halls, from the rooftop of her private chamber to the lower kitchens, where panic had erupted. Knights barked orders, blades drawn.

In the crowd, she spotted a cluster of familiar figures—Nana and a few servants, trembling in the corner.

“Nana!” Luna shoved through the mob and gripped the elderly woman’s hands. “Are you alright? Is everyone safe?”

Nana’s voice quivered. “Everyone’s searching for Lord Ranfel. Do you know where your father is, Lady Luna?”

Luna shook her head. “Not in his office?”

“No. Commandant Grants has taken charge. He’s confronting the Spirits’ army as we speak!”

“We can’t win against Spirits,” one of the maidservants cried. Her face was stricken with terror. Others nodded grimly.

“I’ll find him,” Luna said, breath hitching. Her forehead was flushed, whether from fever or fury she couldn’t tell.

“Milady—” Nana tried to stop her, but Luna was already halfway down the corridor.

Knights tried to block her path, but she slipped past their grasp and ran toward her father’s office. Her lungs burned as she reached the door and flung it open.

Empty.

But she didn’t leave.

She rushed to his desk, cluttered with maps, scrolls, and loose papers. The name “Mika” appeared repeatedly across documents and letters. Luna’s stomach turned.

Everything… all of this destruction… Was it because of her?

Why? What could Mika possibly possess that made her father obsess over her? Why had her brother risked everything to bring Mika home?

Focus, Luna. Now wasn’t the time to unravel. She scanned the papers, searching for any clue about her father’s whereabouts when the sound of footsteps froze her.

The door creaked open.

Two men entered and closed it behind them.

“The plan’s going well, wouldn’t you say, Lord Ranfel?” said a deep, smooth voice.

“Yes…” her father replied. “Though it took some convincing to grant you access, Sir Tal. My Commandant is... headstrong.”

Under the desk, Luna covered her mouth, heart hammering. What is happening?

“That’s understandable,” Tal replied coolly. “Spirits are still Mankind’s sworn enemies. But that’s not why I’m here. The Princess. Where is she?”

There was a pause. Her father cleared his throat.

“The deadline isn’t for another fortnight. We’re doing our best to track her down.”

“The Queen grows impatient. You should’ve had her by now.”

Lord Ranfel snapped, “If the White Wolf Clan hadn’t interfered, she would’ve been delivered already!”

“Excuses?” Tal’s voice turned razor-sharp.

A beat of silence. Then — shing.

Luna’s blood chilled. That was the sound of a blade being drawn.

“I have an order.”

“No—wait, please!” Lord Ranfel’s voice cracked.

Tal raised his sword, the edge now inches from the trembling man’s throat.

“FATHER!” Luna screamed, scrambling from her hiding place.

“L-Luna?!” Lord Ranfel choked out, eyes wide.

Tal turned slowly. His eyes were crimson with menace.

“And what do we have here?” he purred. “A brave little child come to defend Daddy’s honour?”

Luna reached for the sword resting in the statue’s grasp. Her fingers curled around the hilt, and she drew it with both hands.

Tal chuckled. “Adorable. Do you plan to fight me?”

She didn’t answer. She bent her knees into the stance every academy knight knew. Her hands gripped the blade tightly, her heart pounding.

Lord Ranfel’s gaze shifted between his daughter and the Spirit assassin. With Tal’s focus fixed on Luna, he made a desperate move—launching himself onto Tal’s back, locking his arms around his throat.

“Run, Luna!”

Tal staggered back, cursing. The hold wouldn’t last, but it was enough.

Luna hesitated.

“GO!” her father shouted. “Warn the others—”

Crack! Tal rammed his elbow into Ranfel’s face. Blood gushed from his nose.

“You’ll regret that,” Tal snarled. He lunged, sword gleaming.

Ranfel barely dodged, stumbling against the desk.

Luna turned and bolted.

She didn’t dare look back.

Tears blurred her vision as she flew through the hallways, clutching the document she had snatched from her father’s desk — a desperate letter requesting aid from the other nations.

She burst through a side corridor. Outside, the world had descended into chaos.

Spirits and knights clashed beneath a sky painted in crimson and ash. Blood soaked the courtyard. Screams tore through the air.

Her eyes swept the field — there, near the gates.

Commandant Grants stood firm, defending the line with the Vice-Commandant Claire beside him.

Relief hit her like a wave.

Luna tucked the letter into her tunic and slipped through the castle’s back exit. She didn’t stop running.

She had to reach Andania. Deliver the letter.

Save what was left of her home.

***

Upon reaching the gates of Andania, Luna let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. The town hadn’t fallen. Not yet.

Luyas Knights rushed to meet her. “Lady Luna! Is it true—Luyas has fallen?!”

Luna nodded grimly. The air shifted, tension mounting among the gathered men.

“Everyone, stay calm,” Luna called out, lifting her voice above the unease. “We may not be prepared to face enemies this powerful. But… But, we’ve been training for months. Now is the time to stand proud as Knights of Luyas!”

A murmur of resolve moved through the group.

One bold knight stepped forward. “Then why aren’t you with them? On the battlefield?”

Luna fumbled through her pockets. Her trembling hands pulled out the sealed letter. “This. This letter was written by my father. It requests reinforcements from Lord Eden.”

The knight scanned the signature and seal, nodding. “Understood. We’ll take you to Lord Andania.”

***

Lord Andania read the letter, his brow creasing.

“How horrible,” he muttered. “Luyas… overrun.”

Luna stood with her head bowed. “There has to be a way to reach Lord Eden. Immediately.”

“I wish I could say so,” he replied. “But the City of Eden’s envoy left this morning. It’ll be two days before he returns. And the journey from here to Eden takes even longer by foot.”

“But this is urgent!” Luna cried. “Isn’t there any other way?”

The meek lord looked down, ashamed. “Andania sits at the edge of the continent. Our lines are fragile.”

“Then I’ll go. By myself!”

“Milady —”

“I said I’ll go!” she shouted. “Better that than waiting helplessly here while people are dying!”

BOOM — An explosion ripped through the southern gates.

“The Spirits!” a knight screamed, bursting into the chamber. “They’re here!”

Lord Andania paled. Then, without a word, he grabbed his seal and stamped the letter. Shoving it into Luna’s hands, he pulled her toward the back door.

“Where are we going?!” she gasped, trying to match his pace.

“The only remaining route to Eden is through the Forbidden Forest. It’s long and dangerous. But no one's used it in years. It’s your best and only chance to get out of here, alive.”

They stopped at the forest’s edge. He handed her a pouch of medicine and a few coins.

“M-Milord? You’re not coming with me…?”

“No. My place is here, Andania. No matter what happens to us, I hope you won’t forget about Andania, Lady Luna.”

Tears brimmed in her eyes. “I’ll come back with reinforcements. I promise! Please… Just stay alive.”

“Go, Luna! Now!”

Luna hesitated for a little bit, then she turned and sprinted into the darkness.

The screams of war behind her. The thud of her heart echoing in her chest. The twisted roots and looming trees became a blur.

She didn’t stop.

Not even when her legs ached. Not even when her feet bled.

***

Time dissolved into pain and mud and breathless counting.

What should’ve taken two days, she completed in less than one and a half.

By the time she reached Eden’s gates, Luna was drenched in mud and sweat. Her hair tangled with twigs. Her lips cracked. Her eyes hollowed with exhaustion.

Two Eden guards stepped forward cautiously.

“C-Code name: Bluebird!” Luna rasped. “I-I have a message. From the Kingdom of Luyas and Andania Town!” She handed them the letter with trembling and dirty fingers.

The guards exchanged a look. One nodded quickly.

“This way, Lady Luna.”

She tried to respond, but the moment her legs buckled and arms gave way, Luna broke down. She sobbed uncontrollably, tears of fear, pain, and sheer survival.

Later, cleaned and steadied just enough, Luna was led through Eden’s pristine streets by Captain Devone.

“Are you alright, Lady Luna?” Devone asked, noting her sudden hesitation.

She’d stopped mid-step.

Eden was quiet. Too quiet.

The streets were spotless, untouched by smoke or blood. White stone gleamed beneath lantern light. Guards stood calm and alert, their armour unmarred. It felt unreal. Like a painting she didn’t belong in.

“They’ll follow me,” Luna whispered. “The Spirits… they’ll come for me.”

Devone turned sharply. “You’re safe here, I promise — Lady Luna.”

But the words didn’t reach her.

The silence pressed in on her chest until it sounded like screaming. Her breath hitched. Her pulse roared in her ears. Somewhere beyond the walls, Luna swore she heard steel, or perhaps it was only memory. She took a step back. Then another.

“Lady Luna—”

Luna turned and ran. She fled into the forest bordering the city, mind fractured by fear and exhaustion. Her breathing came in sharp, broken gasps. Her vision blurred as roots and shadows rushed past her.

SWOOF—

Something whistled past.

Then — pain. A sharp, burning pain tore through her arm.

Luna screamed and fell to her knees.

Blood poured from the wound.

Then another cut. And another.

Blades. So many blades.

Luna collapsed, gasping, trembling. She clawed at the dirt. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Please… let it end.