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I was in the plantations with my friend. The unbearable sun sank into my shoulders, and the exhaustion in my body was so evident that every movement felt like dragging chains.
    “Sylphiett?” I called her, my throat dry. “Let’s go home. The sun is already setting and it’s getting late, don’t you think?”
    “Hmm... yes, you’re right, let's go,” she replied, reaching out a hand to help me up.
    Upon arriving home and opening the door, the cool air from within met us with an unsettling silence. 
    There was my mother, sitting in the dining room with her head in her hands. Looking closely at her eyes, I noticed the damp trail of tears. Sylphiett stayed by my side, plunged into a confused silence.
    “Go rest,” I whispered to her. “I'll be there in a few minutes.”
    “I see... alright,” she nodded, retreating slowly.
    I approached my mother and wrapped her in an embrace. She startled, as if my touch had torn her from an abyss of dark thoughts. I sat beside her and took her hand; it was cold despite the heat outside.
    “Guiki, go to sleep. It’s late,” she said, but her voice lacked any trace of spirit.
    “Tell me first... why are you sad, mother?”
    “Is it that obvious?” she asked, trying to force a composure she didn't have.
    “Tell me what happened.”
    “Nothing happened, you can rest easy. However, Guiki... today is our wedding anniversary. It hurts that your father isn't here. You’re young to understand, but his absence... it hurts. It’s a void that weighs too much on me... I miss him,” she confessed, her head bowed.
    “Mother, you have to be calm. If you keep crying and being sad for him, you'll only feel worse. Go rest; tomorrow you’ll be better, believe me.”
    “I love you, my son. Go to sleep. Your mother will be fine, I promise.” She looked at me with a confident smile and stroked my head.
    I stood up and said goodbye to her with a long hug. I headed to my room. I want to help her; I truly do, but I find myself at a loss. Sylphiette was already asleep, so I went to bed; I need to recharge my energy because tomorrow the harvest continues.
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    The next day, the darkness of dawn was torn apart by a dry, metallic sound—the clash of swords striking one another. I bolted upright, my heart pounding violently. I woke Sylphiett with quick, cautious movements.
    “Guiki...? What’s happening?” she murmured, her voice still thick with sleep.
    “Listen.”
    We remained silent for a second. The clashing of metal was joined by screams; screams of plea. There was no doubt: the village was under attack.
    Adrenaline forced me to act. I ordered Sylphiette to stay in the room, promising her I would return as fast as possible.
    I searched desperately for my mother throughout the house, but found only emptiness. I ran out into the night, driven by fear.
    In the distance, I saw men dressed as Vikings massacring the villagers and setting fire to our homes without mercy.
    “This is a raid...” I muttered to myself, my eyes scanning the disaster for any sign of her.
    I ran toward the orchard, hoping she might be there. The moon barely filtered a pale light over the path, and every step felt heavy, as if the ground were trying to swallow my feet. Amidst the furrows of wheat, the silence was terrifying. I crouched, hiding in the shadows to think of my next move. Suddenly, a raspy voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
    “Young Guiki? Have you not fled yet?”
    I spun around immediately. It was a well-known old man, hidden among the wheat fields.
    “Sir, I’m looking for my mother. Do you know where she might be?”
    “She helped my grandchildren and my daughters escape the village,” he answered with difficulty. “She told me she would come for me after finding a horse. Go quickly, young Guiki.”
    His words pierced through me like a bolt of lightning. I couldn't stay here.
    “I’ll come back for you, I promise.”
    “Young man... this land raised me. To die here, knowing my family is safe, will be my honor.”
    I looked at him with respect, then turned and ran. The air grew thicker; the heat of the burning houses could already be felt. With my heart pounding furiously, the corral appeared through the shadows. I ran, feeling my chest thumping from the inside with every heartbeat. The pressure was devouring me; my mother, Sylphiette, my people. The Vikings were closing in; I had to be swift.
    Upon reaching the corral, the world stopped. The roar of the flames and the screams faded into a dull hum.
    “Mother...”
    She lay on the ground, surrounded by a crimson pool spreading over the earth. She had a deep wound in her lung that hissed with every attempt to breathe. I felt the air escaping my own lungs as well; I collapsed by her side, my body trembling.
    “Mother, wake up, please...” I whispered, my hands desperately searching for a way to stop the bleeding.
    “Gui... Guiki? Is that you?” her voice was broken.
    “Yes, mother... What did those bastards do to you? Please, hold on, I’ll get you out of here. ¡We have to leave now!”
    My thoughts were overwhelmed by the chaos. I gathered my strength and took her into my arms, carrying her back toward our house as hell broke loose. The flames were reflected in my eyes; they were massacring our people.
                                                              ◇ ◇ ◇
    When I entered, I found Sylphiette. She could barely stand.
    “Mother, we have to get out of here. Come, let me hold you,” I insisted, trying to lift her again.
    “Guiki, listen to me carefully,” she interrupted with superhuman effort. “Take Sylphiette first. There is no time... take her to the outskirts of the village.”
    “I’ll come back for you, mother. I swear it.”
    We climbed out through the back window and ran through the shadows until we reached the outskirts of the village. In the woods, I hid Sylphiette among the thick bushes, where the darkness was deepest.
    “Stay here. I’ll come back with her,” I ordered before spinning on my heels.
    My body felt heavy, but adrenaline pushed me beyond my limits. I ran toward the house, and as I drew closer... i saw the door ajar. An icy chill ran down my spine.
    Two men were brutally dragging my mother. My blood boiled instantly.
    “Don’t touch her, you bastards!” I screamed, lunging at them with clenched fists.
    One of them intercepted me halfway with a brutal kick to the stomach that knocked all the air out of me. I fell to the ground, the impact leaving me dazed; I could barely open one eye. I have to get up.
    “This scrawny brat?” the taller one let out a mocking laugh. “Is this whore your mother?”
    “Yes... don’t hurt her... or you’ll have to deal with me,” I threatened, attempting to stand, though my legs would not respond.
    “¡Wow! A child is threatening me... I’m so scared,” he laughed again as he unsheathed a dagger that gleamed like death itself. “Better watch closely what I do to her.”
    “Noooo!”
    The steel sank into my mother. The sound of tearing flesh was followed by the killer’s sadistic laughter. My mind went blank; the world was dyed in absolute emptiness. A violent tremor shook my body, and a strange vibration of hatred and unbearable pain expanded through my consciousness. I stood up through my tears.
    “¡I’ll kill you! You damned bastards!”
    I lunged at them in one last burst of fury, but a blunt blow to my face sent me back to the ground.
    “¿What should we do with the boy?” one of the Vikings asked, looking at my lifeless body.
    “Leave him. He’s practically dead,” the killer declared with a cackle. “I already gave the woman two stabs; I don’t know how she’s still breathing. Let’s go, we have to finish burning the back section.”
    I heard their footsteps fade away as I crawled across the ground; every inch was pure agony. I reached her and took her cold hand.
    “Hold on, mother... please...”
    The atmosphere was steeped in a sepulchral silence, broken only by the soft whisper of the wind.
    “Guiki, listen to me...” her voice was a fading whisper. “Go to your father’s tree... under the root that sticks out. Dig a hole and you will find a box. Inside are the daggers he used when he was a soldier. Only use them to defend yourself... and to protect those in need.” A tear rolled down her cheek as her eyes searched for mine. “My son, go to the capital. Enter the academy, just as I always dreamed for you. Don’t cry, Guiki... I love you. Find the meaning of being a warrior. Flee with Sylphiette and be happy... do it for me, and for yourself.”
    Cold sweat ran down my forehead, while through my tear-filled eyes, desperation invaded me like a raging sea threatening to drown me.
    “Mother... no, please...”
    Her chest stopped moving. I placed a trembling hand under her nose, searching for a breath that had already been extinguished. The world vanished into a haze of pain and guilt.
    “Why wasn't I faster?” I sobbed, striking the ground. “It’s my fault!”
    Sadness wrapped around me like a dark shadow, but alongside it grew a burning fire that filled me with hate and rage. I stood up with effort.
    I turned one last time to see my mother, her serene face etched into my mind forever.
    “I will avenge you, mother. I will enter the academy... I promise.”

    I went to find the daggers. Digging into the earth tore at my fingers; my hands were bleeding, but I felt no physical pain. The ache in my soul had numbed everything else.