“Xi Ya!”
“Where are you?”
Dailina ran through the dark forest.
Every few steps, she stopped, cupped her hands around her mouth, and called out Xi Ya’s name, but the only response was the rustling of leaves in the wind.
“Xi Ya!” she shouted with all her might, but her voice was quickly swallowed by the forest and disappeared into the night.
She couldn’t run anymore.
Dailina stopped in front of a withered tree, hands on her knees, panting heavily.
She had run all the way from the village without stopping, and with the constant shouting, her stamina was nearly depleted.
“Xi Ya, where are you…”
She murmured softly, lifting her head to look around.
Strange dead trees surrounded her on all sides.
She could no longer remember how long she had been running, nor could she tell which direction she had come from.
Had she been too impulsive, running out alone to find Xi Ya?
She should have first gone to ask the villagers for help…
As Dailina thought this, a cold night wind blew past, making her shiver.
She hugged her arms tightly but still couldn’t stop trembling.
So cold~
Cold like the winter in the Northern Border.
That night two years ago had been just as cold.
Heavy snow had almost buried every road.
She had wrapped herself in a thick cloak stolen from her father and trudged deep into the snow, each step sinking.
The snow reached past her knees, soaking her shoes and socks.
The chill crept from her feet all the way up her body, making her teeth chatter.
But she couldn’t care about the cold.
She had to go see the children living in the shacks.
Yet when she pushed open the door, instead of the children’s smiles, she saw crying faces.
Only then did she realize one child was missing.
She anxiously asked the others where that child had gone, and learned that a wolf had dragged him away.
Her first thought was to chase after him.
She had just been promoted to a 3rd-rank junior mage, capable of handling low-level monsters; dealing with an ordinary beast should have been no problem.
But she was afraid.
She chose to go back and ask her father for help.
Her father scolded her for sneaking out at night, but still sent guards to accompany her to rescue the child.
By the time they arrived, she saw the wolf sinking its fangs into the child’s neck.
The child’s scream echoed through the entire snowy night.
Bright red blood splattered on the white snow.
She found it blindingly bright—so bright it mocked her cowardice.
So close.
Just a little more.
If she hadn’t gone back, but instead mustered the courage to save that child, would he have been saved?
She blamed herself for two years.
After returning to the Royal Capital, she met Xi Ya.
Xi Ya was just as pitiful as those children—born in the slums, worrying about food every day, and enduring the cold stares of nobles.
She couldn’t bear to see him face all this alone, so she couldn’t help but care for him.
That day when Xi Ya fell into the ruins, her first reaction was to jump down and save him.
But Feili stopped her, saying she would go rescue Xi Ya and that Dailina should fetch help.
She chose to trust Feili.
Yet when she returned with the guards, she saw Feili pointing her sword at Xi Ya.
If she hadn’t arrived just in time, that sword would have pierced him.
So close.
She had nearly repeated the mistake of the Northern Border.
So this time, she couldn’t wait any longer.
Xi Ya must be somewhere in this forest, waiting for someone to save him.
Dailina struggled to push herself up, ready to move forward.
Caw—caw—
Two crow calls came from above.
She looked up and saw a crow perched on a branch of the withered tree, looking down at her.
It was the crow from outside the window.
How had it followed her?
Dailina stared at its dark red eyes, feeling uneasy.
Caw caw caw~ caw—
The crow tilted its head left and right a couple of times and called again, as if mocking her futility.
It’s useless.
You can’t save anything.
Dailina’s grip on her wand tightened.
Her mind wandered for a few seconds, but she quickly adjusted, forcing down the unease in her heart.
‘Xi Ya, wait for me…’
The crow above suddenly fell silent.
Dailina sensed something wrong.
Just as she turned around—
“Finally, I found you. Such a perfect sacrifice.”
She spun around.
A man in a tattered robe stood not far away.
His face was sickly pale, and his pupils glowed an unsettling blood-red.
“Who are you?”
Dailina eyed the man warily.
His appearance matched the vampire Xi Ya had mentioned.
Could the one who stole the poultry and made the villagers disappear be him?
And was Xi Ya also…
“Little girl, come with me quietly. I don’t want to harm the sacrifice.”
The man didn’t answer her question.
A grin slowly spread across his face, and red light flickered in his eyes, like he was looking at prey caught in a trap.
“Where is Xi Ya? What did you do to him?”
“Oh? You mean that black-haired kid? My Blood Fowls have surrounded him. By now, I’m afraid he’s already been drained dry, right?”
Dailina’s heart clenched.
“What did you say?”
“Xi Ya… he…”
Her voice trembled.
In her mind, she couldn’t help but picture Xi Ya lying in a pool of blood, being gnawed by those Blood Fowls.
How could this…
Was she going to repeat the same mistake again?
No.
No, no, no.
Xi Ya can’t be in trouble.
She forced herself not to think about that image and stared hard at the man.
“You’re lying…”
“Heh, you don’t really think that black-haired kid could survive, do you?”
The man spread his arms and sneered mockingly.
“You’re lying!”
Dailina suddenly raised her wand.
Several golden orbs of light appeared near the wand’s tip, transforming into arrows of light that shot toward the man.
The man’s smile froze.
He quickly sidestepped to dodge, but one Light Arrow still struck his shoulder.
“Ah!!!”
The man screamed in pain, stumbling backward.
He clutched his shoulder with his left hand, where the golden light was burning white smoke.
His entire face twisted in agony.
“Damn Holy Magic…”
He gritted his teeth, slowly raising his head.
The mockery in his eyes turned to anger.
“I didn’t want to hurt you…”
He released the hand covering his wound, letting the dark red blood drip from his shoulder onto the ground.
“Since you won’t behave, don’t blame me for getting rough!”
The pool of blood did not seep into the soil.
Instead, it writhed like a living thing, gathering into a ball.
The man stomped on the ball of blood, and it transformed into several Blood Spears, suspended in the air, their tips all aimed at Dailina.
Dailina tightened her grip on her wand, her heart pounding.
Instinctively, she raised her wand to form a Defensive Magic Circle.
But the golden light flickered and died out in an instant.
Her mana was exhausted.
“Don’t worry, I’ll spare your life. After all, you’re the sacrifice I’ve been longing for.”
The man swung his arm, and the Blood Spears flew toward Dailina.
The Blood Spears reached her face.
She wanted to dodge, but her legs felt as heavy as lead.
She couldn’t avoid it.
Dailina closed her eyes, accepting her fate.
‘Xi Ya, I’m sorry…’
Several flashes of silver light streaked by.
The Blood Spears exploded in midair, turning into dark red mist that scattered to the ground.
Dailina waited a few seconds.
The pain she imagined never came.
She opened her eyes and found a silver figure landing lightly in front of her.
Silver-white hair swayed gently with the air current from the landing, shimmering like silk satin in the moonlight.
A night breeze carried a faint fragrance of lilies, brushing against her nose.
The figure turned around.
Amber-golden eyes glanced at her, then the brow relaxed.
“Phew~ Made it in time…”
Dailina stared blankly at the figure before her, forgetting to breathe for a moment.
At that instant, she seemed to see the legendary hero.
“Sword Maiden… Lady?”