Crescendo.

Valeria and I watched as the battle between Hagen and Gelidra took on an intensity that my brain couldn't keep up with.

Their movements were a blur to my eyes.

Each clash sent pressure waves throughout the air that I could feel in my bones. The ground beneath them was shattering like glass from the amount of force being exerted.

So this is the power of a master bloodbearer. 

I initially had some hope of joining the fray and helping Hagen out, but by the second, it just seemed foolish, for I would only become a dead weight, a hindrance to him.

Frost began to form at Gelidra's fingertips, tendrils of icy blue energy coalescing and intertwining. With a swift flick of her wrist, she released this energy, and it erupted into her immediate surroundings like a tempest. 

The air itself seemed to freeze as intricate patterns of frost materialized, crawling across the ground with a delicate but potent aura.

The very temperature dropped around Gelidra as she cast these fields, the air turning frigid and biting. It was as if she could summon the essence of winter itself, bending it to her will.

Each step taken by Hagen was skillful to avoid all the ice fields Gelidra had created in his immediate surroundings to throw Hagen off his feet.

Hagen was on the offensive and seemed like he wasn't going to let that down anytime soon, his eyes radiating blue at only one thought: Defeat this enemy right here, right now.

Gelidra, on the other hand, seemed to be meeting him with just as much power and speed as Hagen, defending and parrying as well as launching her own counterattacks in between.

It was impressive that a normal mage could keep up with a bloodbearer and still use magic of such mastery and control.

They're evenly matched. Neither of them wanted to let up. This has now turned into a battle of attrition.

Through the flurry of strikes and blurred motions, I couldn't tell who had the upper hand.

*Boom!*

A huge surge of energy from the fight sent both of them flying in opposite directions, and while Hagen managed to keep his footing as he slid to our side, Gelidra was sent tumbling.

"It seems like Our highness Hagen has the upper hand for now." Valeria whispered to me.

She helped him get up and asked him, "Do you want me to step in? Perhaps this might be a little bit too much for you to handle. Hehe, want me to join you in the fray and finish this quickly? She asked Hagen in a playful turn.

All I could do was sit and watch on the sidelines as these two extraordinary individuals duked it out. The gap in strength between me and them was so large that it was comical.

If I were to take on either Hagen or Gelidra, it would be like a flickering candle daring to challenge a raging inferno.

With a powerful blow, Hagen knocked back gelidra, and she hit a wall at blistering speed, collapsing it in one go.

Gelidra was back on her feet right away.

"There won't be a second time for this." She sounded raspy and exhausted.

"You can make excuses after you lose, missy." Hagen was heaving between his words as well.

*BOOM!*

We heard another bang come from the queen's room, this time much louder, and Valeria was much more concerned this time.

"Ed, Valeria, go check up on our queen; I feel like Gelidra might not be alone! I'll handle this myself!" Hagen shouted back. Valeria and I swiftly pivoted, veering in the direction of the Queen's wing, running down a long hallway adorned with marble.

And there, lying crumpled on the cold marble floor, was Zorro. His usually confident and composed demeanor was replaced by a vulnerable stillness. His eyes were closed, his face pale, and a trickle of blood ran down from a cut on his forehead. It was clear that he had been overpowered and attacked.

"Zorro!" Valeria gasped, rushing to his side. I followed closely, pained to see my castle's commander lying defenseless. How powerful must these enemies be if they've laid waste to him in such a manner?

Valeria knelt down, carefully cradling Zorro's head. "Zorro, can you hear me?" she whispered, her voice trembling with worry. She gently patted his cheek, trying to rouse him.

Zorro's eyelids fluttered, and after a few moments, he groaned softly, signaling his slow return to consciousness. His gaze was unfocused at first, but as he blinked, a flicker of recognition appeared in his eyes.

"Val...eria?" He mumbled, his voice weak.

"Yes, it's us," Valeria replied, relief evident in her voice. 

"You're going to be okay. What happened?" I asked him, my nerves on end.

He couldn't speak out much, but he pointed in the direction of the queen's room. "Give me a couple minutes, and I'll join you." He groaned.

As we approached the queen's room, the door stood slightly ajar. Valeria and I exchanged a quick glance before we pushed the door open, revealing a scene that struck fear into our hearts.

A man in a black cloak, with a thick beard framing his face, was bending over Queen Isabelle. His arms were positioned under her, carrying her with practiced ease. In that moment, he straightened up, his gaze meeting ours with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine. His eyes held a mix of determination and something else—something unreadable yet deeply unsettling.

"Who are you? What have you done to the queen?" Valeria's voice echoed with a mix of anger and concern.

The man looked at us with an enigmatic smile. "Ah, my apologies for the abrupt introduction. Names are of little consequence right now. As for the queen, she's merely taking a little nap. A necessary one, you might say."

I felt my heart pounding in my chest as a surge of panic coursed through me. This man was clearly no ordinary intruder. His presence exuded an air of danger and mystery that sent shivers down my spine.

I clenched my fists, my knuckles turning white. "Who are you? Why are you here?"

He let out a sigh, his gaze shifting from Valeria to me. "Very well, you may call me Abaddi. As for why I'm here, let's just say that the queen has something I need, and I intend to retrieve it."

Valeria's grip on her sword tightened. "Over my dead body." She growled.

Abaddi's smile widened. "Such spirit. I can appreciate that. But I'm afraid your efforts would be in vain."

As Valeria stepped in to open the door a bit more slightly, four more figures came into view, all dressed in black and masked up, hiding their faces.

The four figures blocked my path and were a literal barrier that I had to pass to get to the queen. I just didn't have the resolve to go forward, even though I wanted to. My brain was firing off alarm bells as I tried to take every step towards her, telling me to run away.

I gritted my teeth and screamed, "Why are you doing this!?"

Abaddi turned back with a sombre look on his face. "Isabelle must repent for what she has done. The day of reckoning is at hand. The consequences of her actions have brought calamity upon this land, and now it is time for her to pay for her sins. With that, he kept his foot on the edge of the huge window.

Confusion and rage took hold of me. "What sins?? Whatever it is, I'm sure you have a misunderstanding! Isabelle dedicated her entire life to serving this kingdom and its people, and she has operated with honor and dignity for the past fifteen years!" I screamed, trying to reason with him.

"Oh, how naïve you are, Eduardo. Under that regal and benevolent façade of your queen lies something disgusting. Something truly ugly She is responsible for the invisible suffering that the kingdom has been subject to for far too long, and it all ends today." He said, his voice low and menacing. 

Hearing these words made me want to gouge my eyes out.

"You're Lying!" My mother would never do such things! "She has always put the needs of others above her own!" I didn't know why this was happening, and I knew that I was powerless to stop it.

Even so, I have to try. I pushed the people blocking my way, and my hand reached for my sword hilt. With a swift motion, I drew it out, and the blade gleamed brilliantly in the soft moonlight.

Abaddi saw me, and took a step forward, to the window with Isabelle.

"Stop right there or I'll chop you to pieces!" I screamed out of desperation.

"Oh, you wouldn't want to try that." Abaddi said as he turned to face me, and he leaned back just a little bit and let go. I watched in horror as Isabelle disappeared over the ledge.

"Nooooo!" I screamed, the sound of my own voice echoing in the cold night air.