CHAPTER 43: CH 43: RESCUE MISSION - PART 4

The elder’s voice rang through the clearing, sharp and mocking.

"Pathetic. This is what becomes of those who dare oppose us. Remember this—today is your last day."

He sneered, glaring down at the people crammed inside the cage.

The soldiers laughed, their jeers cutting deeper than any whip.

Inside the cage, the prisoners shrank back. Children whimpered, clutching at their mothers. Men pressed their foreheads against the iron bars, eyes hollow with despair.

Hidden in the shadows of the trees, Lucian and Luna watched silently.

Luna’s heart clenched. Her fingers twisted into her thin cloak as she turned toward the boy beside her.

"What will you do? You can’t just watch them suffer like this..."

She whispered, her voice shaking.

Lucian didn’t answer.

His eyes never left the scene. Instead, he lifted his hand slightly, the gesture so subtle that only those watching for it would notice.

A shimmer stirred in the air.

From the branches above, delicate lights appeared—tiny fairies, their wings glimmering like starlight. They danced silently into the clearing, unseen by human eyes, and with a single wave of their hands the air began to distort.

The mocking soldiers paused.

The elder’s smirk faltered.

Suddenly, the storm above their heads thickened. The winds howled louder, rattling branches, shaking the very earth. Flashes of lightning lanced across the sky though no rain fell.

And then—growls.

From the treeline, the shapes of beasts emerged. Their eyes glowed, their fangs bared, their bodies massive and hungry. The sound of padded feet thudded closer, circling, surrounding.

"W-what is this?"

One soldier stammered, raising his weapon with trembling hands.

Another backed away, pale as death.

The elder himself stiffened, his mocking laughter gone. His eyes darted left and right, the confidence draining from his face. The pressure of danger weighed on his shoulders like lead.

He cursed under his breath, stepping back quickly.

"Enough. We’ve wasted time here. They won’t live through the night anyway."

The soldiers hesitated, but the fear in their master’s eyes was enough. One by one, they retreated, dragging themselves away from the cage and the storm that wasn’t truly there.

Before leaving, the elder cast one last glare at the prisoners.

"No one will dare cross us once your corpses serve as the example."

Then they vanished into the forest.

Silence returned to the clearing, broken only by the soft sobs of the captives.

Luna stared in disbelief.

"They... they just left? Without doing anything?"

She turned to Lucian, confusion written across her face. The boy, however, remained calm.

"It’s because of my friends. Their magic is powerful. Enough to fool even men like that."

He said quietly, nodding toward the faint glow above them where the fairies lingered, their tiny bodies still shimmering in the dark.

Her lips parted in awe, but she said nothing more.

When the last of the elders’ group had disappeared, Lucian pushed himself to his feet. His cloak shifted, hood falling lower as he stepped out of hiding.

"Stay close."

He told Luna without looking back.

He moved steadily down the slope, his boots crunching softly against the ground.

The cage loomed before him, its bars twisted from long use. Inside, the prisoners froze as his figure appeared in the open.

Fear and suspicion flickered across their faces—until recognition dawned.

One of the men whispered hoarsely.

"It’s him..."

Another gasped, gripping the bars as hope sparked for the first time that night.

Lucian stopped in front of the cage, his expression calm.

"You’re safe. What you saw just now was only an illusion. There is no storm. No beasts. Nothing will harm you."

He said firmly.

The captives’ wide eyes filled with disbelief, then relief. Slowly, as his words sank in, the tension bled from their bodies. Shoulders sagged. Quiet sobs turned into shaky laughter.

Lucian placed his hand on the lock. With a flick of his wrist and a surge of power, the metal creaked and snapped. The door swung open.

One by one, the prisoners stumbled out, clutching each other, testing the air as if afraid the nightmare would return. The men who had signed contracts with him stepped forward, bowing deeply.

"You saved us. We thought it was the end..."

One said, his voice raw.

Lucian gave a brief nod.

"There’s no time to waste. Gather your families. We’re heading back."

The group began to move, checking the children, steadying the elderly.

Then Luna stepped forward. She had been waiting at the edge, hesitant, watching with wide eyes. Now, as if pulled by instinct, she ran to Lucian’s side.

But the moment she reached him, the air shifted.

The rescued families tensed, eyes narrowing at her. Mothers pulled their children closer. Men gripped makeshift weapons.

Suspicion clouded the air, heavy and sharp.

"Who is she? Why is she with you?"

One demanded.

Another spat bitterly.

"Was she one of them? Did she follow us here?"

Luna flinched, her hands tightening at her sides. She opened her mouth but no words came out. Her chest ached with the familiar fear of being cast aside.

Lucian, however, didn’t hesitate.

"She’s with me. Her name is Luna. From today onward, she’ll be your companion as well."

He said simply, his tone leaving no room for argument. His eyes swept over the group, cool and unyielding.

The tension hung for a moment longer, the air thick with doubt.

Then, slowly, the men lowered their makeshift weapons. The mothers eased their grip on their children. The hostility didn’t vanish, but it dulled under the weight of Lucian’s assurance.

Luna blinked at him, startled. Her lips parted, and for the first time in years, something fragile stirred in her chest.

Acceptance.

They all headed back to the valley without wasting much time looking around. The snow storm was not much of an issue with Lucian and the fairies around, and even the beasts kept their distance from them.

"So this is the outside world? It feels rather...serene and lonely than i thought."

The wife of one of the people Lucian contracted said in a sad and melancholic voice but Lucian did not reply to her.

He just gave them time to digest where they were and their new lives.