CHAPTER 66: CH 66: THE START - PART 2

For the past ten years, Lucian had worked without rest.

What had once been a quiet valley with only a handful of desperate survivors was now a thriving village that stretched across the land like a green jewel amidst the endless white wasteland.

Fields of crops grew year-round, protected by the warmth of the valley’s reactors and tended by the people Lucian had taught.

The villagers had learned not only to survive but to live, and in doing so, they had created something miraculous.

The Dawn Village.

That was the name given by the outsiders who came from faraway places.

It was said to be a paradise in the frozen land—a place where food was plentiful, where children laughed without fear of starvation, and where people were treated fairly regardless of their pasts.

Naturally, word of such a place spread quickly.

People flocked to the valley. Refugees came in droves, drawn by the promise of safety and warmth.

The population surged in numbers greater than Lucian had anticipated. Houses had to be built, farmland expanded, and defenses strengthened.

But with growth came new challenges.

Not everyone who entered the village came seeking peace. Among the honest refugees were those with darker intentions—men and women who saw opportunity not in harmony but in control.

To them, Dawn Village wasn’t a paradise to join but a resource to exploit, a jewel to be claimed.

And so the raids began.

Groups tried to strike from the outside, armed with weapons and greed. They thought the villagers were soft, spoiled by comfort.

But they were wrong.

Security had grown strong under Lucian’s watch. Guard patrols walked the walls, watchtowers burned bright through the night, and at the gates were stationed the terrifying guard dogs.

Every raid ended the same way: broken bodies dragged back into the snow, and the village standing tall, untouchable.

The Dawn Village had become the strongest settlement in the region. Its power was undeniable. And for some... unbearable.

In a shadowed alley far from the central square, a group huddled together.

Their leader, a man with sharp eyes and scars across his jaw, leaned against the wall as he whispered to the others.

His voice was harsh but steady, carrying the conviction of someone who had not yet given up on his ambition.

"This is our chance. Lucian may think he’s untouchable, but he bleeds like the rest of us. If we take him out, the villagers will have no choice but to follow us. And once that happens... all of this will belong to us."

He said.

Around him, ten or twelve faces nodded nervously. They had all once come to this place as refugees, welcomed with food and shelter.

Yet here they were, plotting betrayal in the dark.

The leader clenched his fists.

"Do you want to spend the rest of your lives as peasants, begging for scraps? Or do you want power? Do you want wealth? This village could be ours. The food, the warmth, the land—it should belong to those strong enough to take it."

Murmurs of agreement filled the alley.

And yet, not all of them were fully convinced. Some shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting as if ashamed.

The truth was undeniable: life in Dawn Village was better than anywhere else. Food was shared fairly. Work was divided equally. Merit was recognized, and no one went hungry.

But loyalty to their old settlements still bound a few of them. Pride kept them from bowing their heads, even if it meant betraying a place that had saved their lives.

The leader’s jaw tightened.

He thought of the people he had once called his own. He thought of the oaths he had sworn to protect them. He couldn’t let go of that past, no matter how much this new village offered.

As he cursed his frustration, one of the men suddenly froze.

"Did you hear that?"

A faint sound—a scrape of leather against wood—echoed above them.

Before they could react, a shadow dropped from the rooftop and landed in front of their only exit.

The figure rose, a smile tugging at her lips. Her eyes gleamed with wild amusement, and her stance was both graceful and predatory.

"Mira..."

Someone whispered, their face turning pale.

Her smile widened.

"What’s this? Planning a little rebellion, are we?"

The huge wolves behind Mira looked ready to tear them apart.

Panic surged through the group. They spun toward the other end of the alley, desperate to escape.

But another figure was already there. She stepped out of the moonlight, her beauty striking and almost serene, though the cold sharpness in her eyes made their hearts sink.

"Going somewhere?"

Luna asked softly.

The air turned suffocating.

The rebels looked between the two women, their breaths quickening.

Both Mira and Luna were infamous throughout the village—Lucian’s dogs, they were called. Terrifying yet beautiful, loyal only to him, they enforced his laws without hesitation.

No one who crossed them had ever escaped.

The leader cursed under his breath. He had expected resistance, yes, but not this. He hadn’t even begun his revolution, and already it was over.

One of the men dropped his weapon with a clatter, hands shaking. Another fell to his knees, muttering prayers as if the godless land would suddenly bless him.

The leader gritted his teeth. His heart screamed at him to fight, to resist until the end, but his body refused to move.

The wild look in Mira’s eyes froze his blood, and Luna’s calm, almost pitying gaze made him feel smaller than ever.

This was the end.

The revolution had died before it even began.

And in that alley, under the cold watch of two enforcers, the would-be usurpers realized the truth.

The Dawn Village could not be overthrown. Not by them. Not by anyone.

Not while Lucian’s dogs stood guard.

Mira tilted her head, the wild glint in her eyes softening just a little as the captured infiltrators groaned at her feet.

"Well, that’s done. Luna, want to grab dinner together?"

She asked casually.

Luna arched a brow, her expression calm as always. "I’ll have to decline. We’re not that close."

Mira’s lips curled into a pout.

"Tch. Just because we’re rivals in love doesn’t mean we can’t be friends too! Do you plan on being cold to me forever?"

Luna’s gaze lingered on her for a moment, then she looked away, clearly refusing to entertain the complaint.