1 CHAPTER 1: The Last She Saw

"We have to go, now!" Marco shouted to his wife as he came running from the outside, barely making it as the night sky is filled with ashes.

"Just a moment!" Nadia's parents pack in tremble as the streets outside their home were in chaos. It was dark at night but the town is lit by huge fires coming from burning houses and corpses. Guns were firing from all around as they hear the people cry in pain and fear.

"Where's Nadia? She could be in danger!"

"Mother, I'm here!" Nadia ran towards her.

Her mother kneeled and looked at her, worried, "Don't you leave my sight young lady! The town is in chaos, we have to leave!"

"I'm scared." Nadia hugged her mother tightly. "They were killing people." She said with tears in her eyes.

"I will protect you. Both of you." Marco assured his family as he peaks out of their door, searching for an opportunity to leave.

As the men clear out, they ran fearfully as they try to avoid the raining arrows from atop the mountain. Gianna held Nadia by her hand and they follow Marco as they leave. Nadia tearfully looked at the people she is so fond of get killed right in front of her eyes. She saw archers and gunmen behind them, mages burning down houses, searching for every villager they can kill. They were an army, a diverse one. Merciless, not even a hint of hesitation. "Aaaghh!" People were crying and bleeding everywhere. She does not understand. Why is this happening all of a sudden?

Gianna picked Nadia up. "Close your eyes baby. We'll get out of here soon."

She leans her head at her mothers shoulders, her arms wrapped around her mother's neck. Her eyes were closed but she still can hear and feel the people die around her. She cried in fear.

"Soldiers! Over there!" a man with a sinister, psychotic voice, saw Gianna and Marco running and ordered his men to shoot. Nadia heard and she opened her eyes, seeing a man at the edge of a cliff barely a silhouette. But a fire suddenly went huge in front of him, lighting his every detail; frail-looking, grey-haired. A man who held a staff with green fire, who was he?

Marco saw the approaching men and stopped. They wore full metal armor from head down to their feet and they were armed with sword and some, bows and guns. They looked at them in worry and fear.

"Go! I'll stop them."

"No Marco! We leave!" Gianna tried to pull Marco's hand but he resisted.

"We cannot outrun them all. Someone has to slow them down." He looked at the soldiers approaching. He pulled out the bag around him and gave it Gianna.

"Please." Gianna cried as she painfully let go of his hand.

"Take care of our little girl. Now go!" He picked up a sword from near him and pointed it towards the enemy.

Marco fought the remaining men as Gianna ran as fast she can.

"Ready, shoot!"

Nadia heard multiple gun shots fired.

As Gianna reached the foot of the mountain she put Nadia down. "Are we going to go back to father?" She asked.

Gianna tries desperately to hide her pain, "It's still too dangerous up there. We cannot go back to father yet, but we can take shelter at the church."

Soldiers ran and searched for the two as they were ordered that all people killed. "There's a woman down there!" a soldier exclaimed.

Gianna panicked. "They saw us! Run quick!" she grabbed Nadia by her hand and pulls her hard as they ran fast.

"Shoot them!" the same sinister man demanded.

"Mother!" Nadia cried as she saw her mother fall, arrows were shot behind her.

Dying, she whispered, "Run, Nadia. I love you." Nadia held her mother's hand the last time as she breathe her last breath.

As she saw the same soldiers try to kill her too, she tearfully rushed to the church just like her mother said she should. She feels nothing but anger and pain towards these men as they mercilessly kill her family and her village. And who is that devilish man? She vowed to find and end him.

Suddenly, a man in his late 50's called with an almost husky voice, "Natalia? Natalia!"

She then opened her eyes.