Chapter 25

At Maveth's declaration, the eyes of all the villagers turned to the shallow section of the woods. Most appeared visibly confused until a few keen-eyed observers screamed in horror.

"By the gods!"

Along the edge of the forest, dozens of bodies lay lifelessly on the ground. Of course, the first to move was none other than Silvia, who sprinted toward the closest body.

"Silvia, it's dangerous!" Zoran called out, barely managing to stay on his feet as he attempted to chase after her. Freir and Orros followed, running close behind, while Maveth strolled along casually beside them.

Silvia's face turned pale at the sight of the sheer number of bodies. She dropped to her knees and began feeling for a pulse or any sign of breathing. When she found neither, she started chest compressions in a desperate attempt to restart the heart. By this time, most of the group had arrived, watching her efforts with somber, uneasy expressions.

After a moment, Silvia moved to the next body and repeated her actions, hoping for any sign of life. Alas, it was in vain. Body after body, from men to women and even children, she could do nothing.

"Silvia, they've been dead for a while. Let them go," Zoran said softly as he approached close enough to whisper.

"But why?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Why what?"

"Why did they all die? Their injuries… they're too strange. I don't—" Her sentence trailed off as confusion overtook her.

Meanwhile, the chief stood nearby, deeply troubled and at a loss as to what should be done. He didn't recognize the corpses and had no idea how they had ended up there.

"Perhaps a burial would be most appropriate," someone unexpectedly suggested. It was Maveth, who didn't look the least bit uncomfortable among the bodies, startling the group with his calm demeanor.

"He's right. We ought to lay them to rest, at least," Freir agreed, his gaze lingering sorrowfully on the lifeless body of one of the children.

"Hang on," Zoran interrupted. "Right now, we need to figure out how these corpses got here."

"The most likely explanation is that they were victims of the beasts we just dealt with," Maveth reasoned.

"Then how did they all get here?" Zoran asked skeptically.

"Perhaps they wandered into the beasts' territory and inadvertently lured them here before finally succumbing to their injuries."

"Then why didn't the beasts just take their meal and leave?"

"Enough," Orros interjected, his tone firm. "While I agree the situation is strange, Sir Maveth's version of events makes sense. Moreover, it's not worth bickering amongst ourselves." Orros, now intent on resolving the matter, proposed organizing a burial in the village cemetery, which would regrettably need to be expanded.

The others saw the wisdom in Orros's words and began to leave. Even Silvia, who had been desperately searching for survivors, finally gave up and turned away. The sole exception was Zoran, who lingered, staring at the faces of the dead, still unable to comprehend how they had come to be here.

"Zoran?" Silvia called. "Come on, I still need to patch up you and Maveth's wounds."

After a long moment of profound silence, Zoran reluctantly turned and followed Silvia back to her dwelling.

Several hours later, Zoran sat in Silvia's home, receiving stitches from her as she worked silently, her focus unwavering. Maveth had already left, claiming he wanted to assist with the burial preparations.

"Silvia, listen, I—" Zoran began, but she interrupted him.

"No, you listen. When Asha was born, it was as if my life gained new colors. Everything I thought I knew shifted, and everyone else in the world became secondary to my daughter. When Abbas died, I knew I'd be okay. Not because I actually was, but because I had to be, for her. That grief wasn't mine anymore; it was hers. I had to do everything I could to stay strong."

Zoran remained silent, allowing her to continue as she diligently tended to his wound.

"Do you know why I never wanted her to be a warrior, or even to Awaken?"

"No," Zoran replied honestly.

"My daughter has a condition. When she's under extreme stress or fear, she'll fall unconscious. You actually saw it happen today."

Zoran's eyes widened in astonishment as he turned to look at Silvia.

"I didn't know."

"I didn't tell you. It wasn't your business to know."

In battle, stress and fear were constant companions. They shared every meal and haunted every dream. To be a successful fighter, one had to learn to coexist with those emotions and harness them. Asha could never do that, and the realization left Zoran deeply unsettled.

He had been humoring the girl's desires because he thought that, given time, it might be possible for her to grow stronger. However, if she fell comatose during every fight, she would undoubtedly end up dead long before achieving anything of value.

Zoran sighed heavily, breaking the somber silence that had settled over the cabin. Neither he nor Silvia realized that someone had woken up and overheard their conversation. Asha, fully aware of her condition, felt a pang of regret. She feared that Zoran would refuse to train her now. In her mind, the solution was simple: if she became strong enough, she wouldn't feel fear or stress in the first place.

"I'm going to train her anyway," Zoran declared, startling both mother and daughter.

"What are you talking about? I just told you why she can't!" Silvia, clearly upset, shot back.

"If she has the potential to Awaken, her condition might not affect her in the same way, or at all. I've heard stories of people with illnesses being cured after Awakening," Zoran argued.

"That's assuming she even survives that long! Zoran, I'm telling you right now, I will not bury her! I can't..." Silvia's voice rose to a near scream before she caught herself, holding back the grief she still hadn't fully released.

"Silvia... I promise I won't let her die. I'll train her not only for her own sake but for yours as well. Once she reaches a level of strength neither of us can even imagine, you'll finally be able to let go of your fears."

"But what if something like today happens again? What if you're not strong enough to protect her?"

"By training her, I'll grow stronger too. If I don't take responsibility, she might put herself in harm's way to force her Awakening. I know the risks, and I promise to keep her safe."

"I... fine," Silvia relented, returning her focus to tending his injuries. Her heart and head warred within her as she worked. She understood Zoran's reasoning and even agreed with it, but the lingering "what ifs" gnawed at her. In the other room, Asha wiped away tears, a massive grin lighting up her face.

"Raise your glasses for our newest hero, Maveth!" Orros cheered, prompting a round of applause. The same villagers who had earlier eyed Maveth with suspicion and fear now celebrated him with enthusiasm. Maveth, however, maintained his stoic expression as he took a seat beside the chief and Zoran.

A section of the village had been transformed into an impromptu festival. Tables laden with food stretched along the area, and villagers eagerly gathered to feast.

"How's the food?" Zoran asked, taking a bite of his own plate of meat and vegetables.

"Irrelevant," Maveth replied curtly, effectively ending the conversation before it began.

"I owe you an apology, Maveth," Zoran said, setting down his utensils.

"First gratitude, now remorse. Is there a reason?" Maveth asked, his tone as detached as ever.

"No, I just thought you deserved one." Zoran paused, then turned to Orros. "Chief, I've got bad news."

"Yes?" Orros asked, his cheerful demeanor fading.

"Genahven's gone," Zoran said grimly.

"What!? How's that possible? I heard there was a highborn living there!" Orros nearly shouted, his voice tinged with frustration.

"It happened not long ago. I heard the news the day Maveth arrived but didn't have a chance to tell you. I don't know what happened to the highborn. My guess is they left before the chaos started."

"Is this highborn one of your leaders?" Maveth asked, his confusion evident.

"No, highborns aren't our leaders. Why would you even ask that?" Orros replied, his irritation evident. "Do you have any other news you'd like to share?" he added sarcastically.

"Not really," Zoran said. Then, addressing Maveth, he explained, "To answer your question, highborns are just what they call themselves. They aren't human like us; they're a different species with an inflated sense of self-worth."

"I see. How are they different from humans?" Maveth asked, his curiosity piqued.

"I've never met one myself, but apparently, they're extremely attractive. Beyond that, the main thing I've heard is that they're incredibly strong."

"How so?"

"Well, the primary reason is that they're born Awakened. They come into this world already stronger than most."

"I've heard this term before but don't fully understand it. Could you explain what it means to be Awakened?" Maveth asked, his voice tinged with genuine curiosity.

Zoran raised an eyebrow, surprised that someone who was already Awakened wouldn't know what it meant. Still, he owed the man a debt, and the least he could do was answer a few questions.