Chapter 2: In the Canyon of Shadows

In the Canyon of Shadows

I awoke on the battlefield.

The air was filled with the strong smell of burnt flesh and blood. The burning trees around me tore at the horizon, while ashes fell slowly like snowflakes. Each breath burned my throat, as if I were swallowing flames.

Dust, smoke, pain. Wherever I turned my gaze, chaos reigned. My head was buzzing, my body was burning. Why can't I move? All I see are flames, rending shadows, and people fighting for their lives. I hear their screams, the clash of weapons against claws and teeth.

I am a healer. I should have been standing, helping. Instead, I'm fallen, helpless. My team... My team has been decimated. I can't do anything. One word fights to escape me, a desperate hope.

"Hitomi! Where are you?!"

The word that came out of my mouth made me bleed. I felt my chest tighten and my breath catch, leaving me gasping for air. My head buzzed, as my body sank into the ground, which was stained with my own blood.

Somewhere nearby, Hitomi's screams tore through the roar of the battle. The metallic sound of swords clashing, the crunch of bones under immense forces, the thundering cries of the Orcs—it was like I was trapped inside a living nightmare of blood and death. My eyes blurred.

"Is this my end?" I thought, as a heavy fog fell over my consciousness.

Suddenly, an invisible force pulled me into a nightmarish vision. Six gigantic angelic figures emerged from a veil of darkness and light, their shadows stretching out like fingers trying to touch me. Their voices were not just words—they were whispers that slithered like snakes into my ears, screams that shattered all logic. They chanted something ancient, their words seeming to be carved directly into my mind, rather than being heard with my ears.

The sky tore open. A beam of light descended and, from within it, the seventh angelic figure appeared. Its gigantic sword, made of pure energy, flashed in the darkness.

"You cannot escape your destiny." His voice sounded like a thousand whispers and thunderbolts at once.

The sword touched my forehead and a hot shiver ran down my spine. It felt as if it were dissolving me from the inside out, as if an ancient knowledge were tearing through my thoughts and replacing them with something foreign, inaccessible. Time dissolved, my existence hovered in the void and then... the future unfolded before me.

I saw my hand holding the necklace. The four elemental crystals—fire, water, air, earth—sparkled, but from within them came screams. It was as if they were suffering, as if they were obeying an unknown, terrifying force.

The image suddenly changed. An explosion broke the silence, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air. My father. Torn apart. A black mass stood over him, its body covered in darkness. The memory froze the blood in my veins. The world around me was collapsing.

Reality hit me like a hammer to the skull. The world flipped upside down, my vision filled with stars, and the pain pierced me like nails. My scream was cut short as air filled my lungs with the violence of a drowned man just resurfacing. The cries of battle tore through my head. My chest was burning—not like a wound, but something deeper, as if my very soul had been marked.

"No... No... No! This is wrong! IT CAN'T BE TRUE!"

Their whispers were like chains binding my thoughts, each word a string breaking time. I was at the center of light and darkness, and yet, I felt no fear. I felt... acceptance. These whispers, this voice—it was the calling I never expected, but always knew.

The world of the vision shattered like glass falling to the ground. I felt my hand sink into the wet soil beneath my body. My heart pounded like a war drum, and the sound of battle returned, heavy and unstoppable. I was back there. Alive, but devastated.

Noctua was struggling to keep the situation under control. She knew that Prometheus was seriously wounded, but first she had to ensure she could reach him alive. Two Orcs attacked her at once, their gigantic blades descending with force towards her. She dodged back, avoiding the first blow, and with a quick turn, she drew her two pistols.

BANG! BANG!

Her bullets found their mark—one in the eye of the first Orc, the other deep in the neck of the second. She felt her body protesting from exhaustion. The battle was relentless, and she had already used almost all her energy. But she couldn't stop now. Her gaze fell upon Prometheus, lying on the ground, covered in blood. "Not yet..." she whispered and rushed towards him.

Her eyes gleamed with anguish and filled with tears. She knelt over me, her hands trembling as she began to use her minimal healing power.

"Pull yourself together, Prometh! This is no time to lose yourself!"

I was stunned. The memories of the vision mixed with reality. What had happened?

"Pull yourself together, Prometh! There's little left to stabilize your wounds. I need you close. I thought you were dead!" she whispered, her voice broken with emotion.

Her voice was broken, almost terrified. For a moment, I didn't know if she was talking to me or to herself. Her breathing was heavy, as if she were holding within her a fear she didn't want to show. With difficulty, I raised my hand, touching her face – I wanted to be sure she was real. I smiled faintly. I tried to lighten the mood.

"If I died, what would you do without someone to get on your nerves? You'd be left alone with all your seriousness."

She raised an eyebrow and, before I could react, she gave me a sharp hit on the head.

"OW! I'm wounded, you know!"

"And you deserve it!" she shouted. "That's what you get for talking nonsense at a time like this!"

Despite her cold mask, I could see her concern. For the first time, I felt gratitude.

"Where is Hitomi?" I managed to whisper.

My gaze began to wander, searching. I remembered the voices, Hitomi's screams. And then I saw her. She was lying down, wounded, unconscious, a little further away. She had vital signs. If I don't do something, she'll die.

My body tried to move, but the weakness was relentless. My nerves were burning, my blood frozen from exhaustion. My head turned slowly and then... I saw the shadow approaching.

A wounded Orc, half of its body covered in wounds, was a few steps away. Its eyes had the look of a beast that refuses to die. It wasn't just an opponent – it was a wild animal fighting to its last breath. Its growl came out as a sick sound, and its weapon was raised. If I didn't move now, it was all over. Its gaze met mine. I knew what that meant. I was weak, wounded. An easy target. I didn't have a moment to hesitate. My body, however, refused to obey. My hands trembled, the blood in my eyes blurred my vision. Its blade was about to fall. There was no time.

Then Noctua raised her weapon and blew its head off, shouting, "Won't you leave us alone? Go die!"

When I looked at the Orc's head dissolving from Noctua's blast, I was truly stunned. I thanked her warmly.

"Wow, Noctua, great reflexes! I'll buy you whatever you want when we get back!"

She looked at me, continuing the healing. "Yes, I'll take whatever I want, and you won't say a word about it."

I simply said, "Okay, okay!"

I saw the ribbon on my left arm. Hitomi's ribbon, and her words came to mind: "I will be there for you, through this ribbon. Remember that!"

My blood froze, as if it had stopped flowing. Not from fear, but from a deeper power. The sight of her, fallen to the ground, was the only thing that mattered now. Despair began to turn into a flame of determination.

The pain is unbearable, but the emptiness is worse. My body is heavy, as if it has forgotten how to move. My blood is frozen, my eyelids heavy. But I don't have the right to rest. Not yet. My right leg... it's not there. I know it, but my mind keeps trying to move it. My shoulder is dripping blood, the sensation of the cut still burns like a heated blade. And my left arm... I can't even feel it. No burning, no pulling. As if it never existed.

My wounds are being stabilized thanks to Noctua, who continues to use her minimal healing power. It was the two Great Orcs that caused these injuries. I remember them clearly, like a nightmare that refuses to leave me. Their huge shadows had fallen upon us. They appeared out of nowhere and attacked us simultaneously, like ravenous beasts that thirsted for blood. Their power was overwhelming.

My heart was pounding loudly, each beat one step closer to the decision. The world around me continued to burn, the battle did not stop. Somewhere further away, a figure moved within the flames, her sword flashing like lightning.

Galdric appeared at the last moment, the flames of battle dancing around him. His gaze was fixed on the two Great Orcs, and with a voice that echoed above the noise, he declared: "You've played enough, maggots. It's time to feel fear." The flames formed a circular dance around him, and his presence sent a shiver through both allies and enemies. His sword struck with precision, every move full of confidence. The Great Orcs did not have time to react before his blade cut through the air, sowing death.

He broke the silence with a loud battle cry, while his body danced within the flame of battle. Thanks to him, at least, their weight didn't crush us completely.

But the necklace... What was it that I saw? The words and whispers of the figures still echo in my mind. The pulse of energy I felt was not normal. As if I had awakened something old, something ancient. Or was it all a trap?

What I saw... was it true? Or just an illusion, an attempt to break me? If it was a sign... what does it mean for me? What does it mean for all of us? It makes me wonder if what I saw was a message or a threat.

Whatever happens, I have to save them. But first... I have to take care of my own wounds. I can't help anyone if I can't stand on my own two feet.

I quickly search my pouch, my fingers fumbling anxiously. Two crystals, only two. One for healing and one for attack. If I choose wrong, there's no second chance... I thought, as I felt the pulse of the crystals synchronize with my turmoil. I felt as if I was standing on the edge of a cliff, with each choice bringing my team closer to salvation or destruction.

The world around me was fading, the battle seemed to be moving away, as if suddenly only I existed and this choice. My fingers tightened around the two crystals. Time now had meaning only through this decision.

Breck stood in the chaos, his silver sword stained red with the blood of enemies. His chest rose and fell heavily, his breath full of smoke and sweat. Every muscle in him burned with fatigue, but his gaze showed no fear—only absolute concentration. An Orc, larger than the others, charged at him with a huge axe. Breck dodged it at the last moment, the axe embedding itself in the ground, kicking up rocks and mud. He didn't waste a moment—with a quick spin, his sword traced a silver arc and cut deeply into the Orc's side.

The beast howled, but Breck didn't stop. With a second swift movement, his sword passed through the opponent's neck, ending the battle. He took a step back, breathing heavily. His gaze wandered over the battle. His companions were fighting, their blood watering the ground.

"We're not done yet," he murmured, tightening his grip on his sword hilt.

Laima moved like a shadow across the battlefield. Her bow whistled through the air, and an arrow found the neck of an Orc before it could raise its weapon. She didn't stop moving—she dropped to the ground, making a low roll to avoid an attack, and pulled another arrow.

Her arrow was aimed precisely next to Breck. The knight, without turning, made a slight movement of his head – a silent message of understanding. Laima released her arrow just as Breck took a low step to the side. The arrow pierced the Orc's heart, dropping it to the ground.

"Target confirmed," she whispered to herself, before turning to the next opponent.

Breck said nothing, but he knew. Laima always had his back. He never told her, but he knew it. In every battle, in every danger, she was there. What they did was not luck. It was training. It was survival. It was her.

Her movements were like a dance. Every step designed, every arrow deadly. The Orcs sought her out in the battle, but before they could locate her, she had already vanished into the shadows.