1 A similar life to save

She was strolling through a dense but lively forest, listening to the sounds around her and enjoying the scenery of the faeries playing at mischief among themsleves upon the trees, glittering and giving off an ethereal feel.

Her skin was dark and her ears were pointed, easily recognizable as a Dark Elf at a glance, a race which was frowned upon by the rest of the world for their dark magic and sinister beliefs.

She was wearing a long yet simple robe of silk which appeared to give off a cyan glow under the moonlight. She had an ethereal presence about her, one which spoke of tranquility, totally different from what would be expected of a Dark Elf.

She was thinking of her past, as she always did every night, reminiscing about the time she used to spend with her dearest sister back when they were young. It had been over seven years since.

At that moment, foreign sounds which did not belong to the forest at night interrupted her thoughts.

The Dark Elf, Karina, immediately reacted and with a sudden cyan glow at each of her hands, her twin Moonlight Blades manifested themselves while her robes too emitted a similar glow and transformed into pieces of armor.

Armed and alert, she silently walked towards the sounds which she had discerned to be of weapons clashing through her years of experience in the battlefield.

As the noise gradually grew louder, she neared a particular clearing in the forest. There were craters everwhere and she could see five figures engaged in battle.

It appeared that two of those figures were being hunted by the others.

Karina decided to silently observe the battle at first without getting involved. It was her insight as an assassin which made her do so.

The shorter one of the two fleeing figures suddenly turned around and cast an art. A glowing circle of light appeared under one of its pursuers with a magical thread attaching itself to him.

As the pursuer who was thus affected ran a few more meters, he was suddenly moved back into the circle of magic, as if time rewinded, creating distance between him and his prey.

As the short figure who casted the spell kept running, it's appearance was revealed in a ray of moonlight.

It was a short and fat looking bird, holding a staff with one of it's wings which had a mysterious clock at its peak.

Karina immediately recalled a rumour about a particular prodigy in chronoscience, renowned for being a ticking time bomb, literally.

'Yet such a being is fleeing for his life, it is indeed ironic', Karina thought. But her mocking thoughts disappeared in but a moment as she heard the words uttered by the short bird, apparently aimed at his companion.

"Don't worry child, I will not let them use you as a sacrifice for their nonsensical ritual for an imaginary god! I am after all the great Diggie who has control over time!" said the bird. But it's worried undertone could not be disguised.

As for the child, she appeared to be a young Elf girl, her delicate skin exposed with her clothes in tatters. Sratches and bruises could be seen all over her body and she had a terrified expression on her face.

Karina was immediately triggered by the words spoken by Diggie as well as the appearance of the little Elf girl.

She was once again reminded of the event which still haunted her, the day when a similar event separated her from her sister for all eternity, the day when Selena was sacrificed to the Abyss.

With rage that could burn the heavens, Karina unleashed her wrath at that moment and launched herself like lightning at the three pursuers intent on ending their lives in her sudden madness, whoever they were, and whatever the consequence.