Abigail's POV
Before we even dared to approach the city’s edge, the air felt heavy. Like there was a weird since that we were standing on the edge of something far bigger than ourselves. Either that or it was the feeling you get right before you get up and perform in front of a crowd. Where the cold air settles in your bones and every second of a breath feels like an eternity.
We couldn’t afford to rush in blindly. More than courage was needed for this. We needed a plan. The kind of plan that could hold together under pressure, and I wasn’t about to let my team stumble into danger blindfolded.
When the wind howled and the torches flickered, the guards shouted orders from the ramparts. When figures in black mercilessly hunted down and killed and we were forced to fight with what little we had.
I couldn’t predict what had laid ahead, but I knew this: my team had to survive. And if we were to free the kingdom from the grip of tyranny, we had to be smart, not just brave. We chose our campsite carefully, settling far enough from the city walls to avoid detection, yet close enough to observe the rhythms of the patrols. The terrain was uneven, scattered with dry grass and jagged stone, but it gave us cover.
From this vantage point, we could watch, wait, and plan. Lord Jayce had given us a map, an old one. Its edges curled, and ink faded. It was helpful, yes, but frustratingly vague. The outer regions were marked with precision: roads, gates, rivers. But the inner kingdom? Blurred. As if someone had smeared the ink with trembling hands. Or maybe it was deliberate. Whatever it was, it made it a lot harder to work with.
My name is Abigail. You probably already know that.
I’m not one for speeches, just someone standing here on this hill, waiting for Holly to return. One of our most skilled operatives whose sharp, quiet, and moves like wind through tall grass, unseen and unheard but always watching.
After speaking with her, I feel the weight of silence pressing in. So maybe it’s time I speak. Just a little.
I come from Klemond.
A village nestled far from here, surrounded by forest and rivers. It was peaceful once upon a time. With kids playing in the meadows, the elders telling stories by firelight, and the river whispering tails to the stones. But peace is a fragile thing. It doesn’t shatter all at once, it cracks slowly. A whisper of unrest. A missing traveler. A strange figure at the edge of the woods.
The smell of fire and smoke. Then the sound of silence after the screaming stopped. That was years ago. The scars may still remain, but the village... it’s just a distant memory now.
Ah, there she is. Holly. Her silhouette crests the hill, framed by the dying light. I call out, “Well?” But she doesn’t answer. Just a glance, then she slips into the tent. That silence mean that whatever she saw, it was serious.
Minutes later, I gathered the others in the main tent. The air is thick with tension. I lay the map flat on the table, smoothing its creases.
“We all know why we’re here,” I begin, my voice steady. “We need a way in. Quietly. Safely. And we need to get the survivors out.”
I turn to Holly. “What did you find?”
She doesn’t hesitate, one of the things I admire about her and almost always straight to the point.270Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ47QYwbuQT
“There are three main walls,” she begins. “The outer, the inner, and the center. The outer wall guards the markets and supply depots. The inner wall surrounds the residential areas, homes, taverns, inns along with only a couple of emergency storage houses and armories."
"The center wall?" Kalaya asked.
"That’s the castle. Guard quarters, main armories, and the heart of this whole ordeal.”
She leans over the map, her finger tracing a line to the southwest.
“Now, the guards have a tight patrol on all sides. Multiple stationed below and above the gates. They’re also fully equipped. No one’s slipping past them unnoticed.”
“But I think I found a way in. Here. The river. Only two or three guards patrol this stretch. And there’s a gap, two minutes between patrols. If we time it right, we can slip through."
Silence settled over the group, broken only by the soft crackle of the fire. Kalaya nodded in agreement.
“Well, at least we know where to start," her voice calm.
“But we still need to find the survivors,” Brynlie added, her brow furrowed. “Lord Jayce, is there anywhere the townsfolk might go if they were in danger?”
Jayce looked up, his expression distant. “Not that I can think of,” he admitted. “My work was always with artifacts, relics, and ancient texts. I never dealt much with the people directly.”
He hesitated, then added, “But Lord Timothy Tassell, he was beloved by the townsfolk. He helped with their daily affairs, listened to their troubles. I did overhear him once, speaking of a safe room near one of the armories inside the inner wall. He didn’t say where exactly, though.”
Holly folded her arms, her gaze sharp. “Then once we’re inside, we search every armory we can find. They’ll be scarce, but it’s our best chance.”
“Agreed?” she asked, her voice firm.
“Agreed,” we echoed, almost in unison.
Jayce shifted uneasily. “What should I do?”
I turned to him, meeting his gaze. “Lord Jayce, I need you to stay here. Wait for the others I’ve summoned. When they arrive, brief them everything, our plan, our route, and that we’ll meet them by the river in a few hours. That’s our rendezvous point. From there, we’ll regroup and begin evacuating the citizens.
However, if at least one of us doesn't show by late tomorrow, send one of them in and met us in the middle of the inner wall.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “With more help, this becomes possible. I want you to lead the citizens back to camp safely. And make sure they understand, something must be done about the guards. We can’t leave the city in chains.”
Jayce nodded solemnly. “Will do.”
“Now, let’s finish getting ready,” I said, my voice steady despite the weight pressing on my chest. “We’ll wait until the cover of night, then move out. This meeting is adjourned.”
The words hung in the air for a moment, lingering even as the others began to file out of the tent. Boots shuffled against the dirt floor, cloaks rustled, and quiet murmurs faded into the wind. One by one, they disappeared into the twilight, leaving only Lord Jayce and me beneath the dim lantern light.
He hadn’t moved. His eyes was fixed on the map, but I could tell his thoughts were elsewhere, buried in memories, or perhaps in fear. I stepped closer, lowering my voice.
“Are you sure she’s there?” I asked.
Jayce looked up slowly, his eyes shadowed with something I couldn’t quite name.
“Yes,” he said, simple and firm.
I hesitated. The next question clawed at my throat, but I couldn’t let it out, not fully.
“And what about…” I began.
“Your-” he started, but I cut him off with a sharp whisper.
“Don’t!” I said, the urgency in my voice slicing through the quiet. “Just… say yes or no.”
He didn’t speak. Just nodded once.
“Okay,” I breathed, the word barely audible. “Then, when everyone is accounted for and safe, I’ll go in and take care of it myself. No one else can know. If they did… it could compromise everything.”
Jayce didn’t argue. He understood just as he had from the start and walked toward the tent entrance. He stopped short and turned.
"I hope…it goes well. Good luck."
Without another word, he stepped out into the fading light, his silhouette swallowed by the dusk.
I lingered for a moment longer, staring at the map, tracing the river’s curve with my finger. Then I followed him out, the cool air brushing against my skin like a warning.
Outside, the camp was alive with quiet preparation. Holly was sharpening her blades. Kalaya adjusted the straps on her pack. Brynlie had whispered something to herself while preparing sandwiches. Everyone moved with purpose, but beneath it all was a shared tensional silent understanding that tonight could change everything.
I checked my gear: blades, cloak, signal flares, the small pouch of herbs tucked into my belt. Everything was in place. Everything except certainty.
Hours passed. The sun dipped low, bleeding orange and crimson across the sky before vanishing behind the mountains. Shadows stretched long and slow across the hills, and the air grew colder. The mountain’s silhouette began to climb over us, casting the camp in darkness.
I stood on the hilltop, watching the city below. Torches flickered along the walls, casting golden halos against the stone. Guards paced in tight formation, their armor glinting like teeth. The gate was lit, glowing like the mouth of a beast waiting to devour anything that dared approach.
Behind me, the team was ready. Cloaks drawn, weapons sheathed, and eyes sharp. The sky was dark now. The stars blinked into view, silent witnesses to what was about to unfold.
It was time to both move, risk everything, and take down a tyrant.
and then Add to home screen.