Chapter 3

encounter at the border
​

“Why did you leave me? Why did you not come back for me?”
 
My eyes fluttered open, beads of sweat forming on my face. I breathed deeply, trying to regain my composure. Dreaming about my sister with that kind of expression on her face was heart-wrenching.
 
I heard someone throwing up outside and when I looked at the window, the boy who came with me was barely moving from his current position, his knees and hands on the ground as he was sobbing from extreme hunger and exhaustion.
 
“Yo, kid,” I called and he looked up, his face covered in tears and snot. “Stop crying. You look ugly.”
 
The boy glared at me as he wiped his face. The weight bands on his hands and feet must be around 20-25 kilograms. Those were way lighter than mine but it must be hard for him since his body was still that of a ten-year old kid.
 
“What’s your name? I haven’t asked you that time.”
 
He was still glaring at me. “Hale,” he muttered as he choked back his tears.

“I’m Winter,” I said.
 
Somehow, I felt like I was talking to Krystal. Maybe after what happened at the border, I started seeing him as a younger brother who needed protection.
 
He started walking away and it was painful to watch how slowly he was moving.
 
I, too, went outside of the barracks, which took me almost half an hour, and walked toward the training grounds. Hilda was already there, ‘torturing’ the other kids who kept falling into the pits she was controlling using her earth attribute.
 
The 40-kilogram bands attached on my limbs were still hindering my movements but it was easier today than the last few days. My body was getting accustomed to the additional weight, though it was still eating up my stamina.
 
Most of the members of the rebellion force still gave me doubtful glances. I knew they still see me as the daughter of Ark, not a leader, but it’s alright since that was the truth. I still wasn’t deserving for the position.
 
I suddenly heard some screams at the far side of the training grounds. Some of the adult members of the rebellion were collapsing, icicles covering their weapons and bodies.
 
“That’s Gerald.”
 
I recoiled when I heard a voice behind me and when I turned around, Isaz was already smirking at me. Dang it, I didn’t even feel his presence!
 
‘Because I can hide it well,’ he said inside my head, which was still creepy even though I already knew it was a high-level skill. ‘Especially from people who aren’t wary of their surroundings.’
 
His gaze drifted to the guy he just called Gerald.
 
“Along with Aaron, those two were the right-hand men of your father,” he said. “They tried to help him but he said they should help their allies instead.”
 
I felt a sinister aura around and chills crawled down my body. The next thing I knew, Hilda was already in front of me. But what surprised me the most was the fact that the part of the ground where we were both standing emerged and hovered above Isaz.
 
The height was enough to get me disoriented. Hilda stared at me, her eyes squinting, and flicked her finger. The chunks of earth zoomed toward the training grounds for juveniles and my stomach churned upon landing.
 
“You need to be more agile, Winter,” she commented. “From now on, you have to evade all of my attacks.”

“H-huh?!”

“Are you raising your voice at me?” she asked, though it sounded like a warning.

“N-no . . .”

She smiled. “Good.”
 
That day, Hilda became the most terrifying person for me.
 
***
 
It had been a couple of weeks since I began training, and it felt like the bones and muscles in my body were already tearing apart. Even a little movement on my bed was enough to get me stifling a scream as I got up.
 
The only good thing that had happened was the removal of the weight bands. I felt lighter and faster compared before but the brutality of those elders’ training also skyrocketed to the point that I wanted to curse at them.
 
“Oh-ho, is that true?”
 
It felt like my heart leapt out of my mouth when I heard Riyo’s voice somewhere. And then there he was, standing just beside the windows.
 
Beads of water formed around him, fluidly taking any shapes and sizes. Riyo looked like the youngest of the three but he was actually the oldest, which made him more daunting than the other two, in a way.
 
“What were you saying, Winter?” he asked.

I shuddered upon seeing his grin. “N-nothing. I . . . I wasn’t . . . I mean, I didn’t—”
 
I wasn’t able to finish my sentence because the next I knew, I was already inside a giant sphere of water and I got thrown outside. A wave of horror showered my body. I was already thinking of how long I’d be bedridden after this freak show when an alarm suddenly blared, petrifying everyone who had heard it.
 
“What’s that?” I asked and Riyo’s face hardened.
 
He immediately went to the manor while everyone looked anxious.
 
The higher officers started wearing their armors and weapons, while the kids were ordered to get inside the barracks.
 
“W-what’s happening?” Hale asked as he walked toward me.

“I don’t know. It seems like a bad news.”
 
Isaz went out of the manor and looked at us. He gestured for us to come to him and we obliged.
 
“You two will go with me,” he said.

“Where?” I asked.

“To the border of North Black and East Black. We need to save people.”
 
Before we could ask more questions, he started walking away and we had no choice but to follow. The mirage created by the wind attribute users rippled and then we were out of the quarters.
 
We immediately went to the trees, concealing ourselves from potential onlookers. We navigated through trees and roofs when there were officers present. Other Huntres followed us from a distance while some took another road.
 
It took us almost three hours before we arrived at our destination, and fortunately, we didn’t have to hide because there was already a huge crowd gathered near the boundary.
 
Several merchants were being harassed by the officers. Some were already unconscious, while others were bleeding due to critical injuries. One of them was getting punched and kicked but he wasn’t retaliating because another officer was holding a kid in front of her, threatening to kill her if he moved an inch. The anger I was suppressing for the past few years was starting to resurface and I had to clench my arms from shaking.
 
“Why are they doing that?” I asked, seething in anger.

“Those are our primary weapons provider,” Isaz answered. “Most of them had to affiliate with Flame Spectre out of fear, but some would rather fight and die than bow down to those monsters.”
 
There was a moment of silence between us and I could feel Isaz trying to quell his emotions, too.
 
“Training will hone your fundamentals but experience will teach you aspects that can’t be grasped in training. Winter, I want you to save the child. And you, Hale, will observe everything and report it to Riyo and Hilda. You’re better at concealing your presence than her.”
 
Hearing that from him sparked something inside me. This kid? He was better than me?
 
The child started crying and when I was about to tell Isaz my thoughts, he was already gone. Everything happened so fast that I had trouble seeing the whole thing. I just saw Isaz tapping the chest of one of the officers for a splitsecond, then he wasn’t there anymore.
 
The officer suddenly stopped moving, a look of terror on his face as he clutched his chest, and then he collapsed on the ground. Some of the onlookers screamed upon seeing the sudden death of the officer and they all scampered, frightened that they might be blamed for it.
 
I used that moment to get the child and I was surprised by my sudden speed that the remaining officers didn’t even notice me . . . except for the guy who was getting assaulted a while ago. Our eyes met and for a second, he looked relieved.
 
The kid, who might be two or three years old, was still crying, and I had to cover her mouth to conceal our current location.
 
Isaz revealed himself to the rest of the officers, but before they could react, huge icicles were already impaled through their chests.
 
The rest of the force appeared and rescued the merchants lying on the ground. Isaz went to that guy and helped him get up.
 
“I’m glad that you’re still alive, Leo,” he said. “Where’s Minerva? I haven’t seen the both of you since . . . since we lost the capital.”
 
The guy, Leo, winced upon the mention of that name.
 
“I’m on my way to the orphanage,” he mumbled as he glanced at our direction. “I can’t be with her child in this state.”

“What do you mean?”
 
Despite being covered in blood, I could see pain and anguish on his face. He looked like he was on the verge of breaking down.
 
“I . . . I’m sorry,” Leo grimaced.
 
Isaz seemed to know what already happened. He just stared vacantly at the guy and this was the first time I saw him with that kind of expression.
 
“Minerva . . . she’s already dead,” he said, his voice trembling. “She sacrificed herself to save us from that terrifying flame.”
​

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