My dearest husband,

I write to you, unsure if this will ever reach you but I find this is the only comfort I can find in this wretched place.

The King’s orders couldn’t be defied and when I watched them take our little boy, I volunteered to go and since I had experience with alchemy they accepted me. I wanted to at least say goodbye but there was no time. I suppose that is the reason I’m writing to you now.

I am ashamed and heartbroken to tell you I lost track of our son. After the guards gathered us up we were separated into two lines. One was for the adults to enter and the other for the children. Gods, there were so many children, scared and crying but those Dark Elves, in their blood red armor, remained stoic as if they didn’t hear the terrified wailing.

As we arrived at the front of the line, we were met with two black doorways, so dark that there was no way we could see the inside. Standing next to their respective doorways were two young women dressed in black, wearing veils of the same color over their faces, trails of black stained their cheeks like spilled ink, even creeping along their arms. I couldn’t look int the eyes of either of the women but I could swear they saw me. Looking at me, or rather, looking into me. I’ve never felt so scared but I pushed on in hopes of seeing our son once more.

Once I stepped through that accursed doorway, the real nightmare began. A dark and starless sky greeted us with a bright Red Moon hanging above. I’ve learned now that the Red Moon doesn’t move at all, it just sits over the city. We were escorted behind the high stone walls, we were guided to our quarters and locked in. Along the way, I saw no sight of the children nor did I hear their cries but I still held hope. That's all I could do for my own sake.

That was months ago...During that time I had been forced to refine some strange maroon-colored concoction. I’ve only heard rumors of what happened since then. They don’t harm the children, instead, they train them and teach them about him. I fear even writing his name after he destroyed the unified army.

One day, we were being moved and I managed to slip away. We were restrained but it didn’t much to dissolve my restraints, the concoction they had us work on was quite corrosive. I covered my body with a worn tarp and slipped through the narrow passages of the city only to arrive near its center much later. There was a huge temple with the statue of some unsightly four-eyed beast with horns in front of the entrance and a crowd gathered outside. I managed to get into the crowd. A Scribe stood in front of the temple and began reciting some scripture that spoke of him. All his evil deeds were seen as good in the eyes of these people. The very thought made me sick, I wanted to scream at them. I wanted to tell them that what they were doing wasn’t right...But I needed to find our son, so I waited and held my tongue. The Scribe finished speaking and earned a loud, simultaneous, praise for “The Keeper.”

I didn’t pay attention to the content of his speech and by the Gods, I wish I had. The crowd was brought into the temple and led through a dark tunnel, reaching the inner sanctum. As we moved, I tried my best not to stick out but I attracted strange looks and a few guards whispered to each other, causing me to speed up.

Further in, there was an area for rituals. The kids, dozens of human children, were gathered in front of a metal cauldron with an image of wolves inscribed into its sides. I looked for our son among them but the scribe’s words distracted me. I can still hear them now, “These are the children who’ve embraced the teachings of the Keeper in earnest while displaying incredible talent.”

After that, a child stepped up to the cauldron and I felt my chest grow tight. It was our boy...but he wasn’t the same at all. They cut his hair, and his eyes were darker. Even from where I stood I could see his eyes. They were cold and unwelcoming with no sign of his innocence in sight. I stifled my cries while looking for a way to get him out. I watched as two female Dark Elves dressed in black robes, strange circles on their head, lifted a wooden bowl full of red liquid. It was the same mixture that the Dark Elves forced us to refine. In its raw state, it could eat through metal and I feared to even think about what it would do now. Without fear of being discovered, I ran out as our boy consumed the murky red liquid.

I didn’t even see them move, but two guards grabbed me immediately and pinned me to the floor. I cried and I screamed, I yelled and I fought, hoping that my son...that our son would see me. He did see me. He looked at me with distant eyes as if he barely recognized me. All the while, his skin began to flush and his breath grew heavy. I was almost close enough to grab him and because of that, I could see his chest moving rapidly. The foul mixture began to take effect but the Dark Elves showed no concern.

The scribes and robed Dark Elves looked at me strangely, but they didn’t say anything. Instead, they let our son speak and I heard something that drove me into the depths of despair.

“You haven’t accepted the teachings of the Keeper, Mother.” He spoke while gritting his teeth, fighting through the agony the liquid brought on. I could see that he was in pain and yet our fragile little boy, he resisted crying out. The same boy who cried from a few scratches after falling was now quietly grunting as that liquid ran rampant throughout his body.

To my surprise, he wasn't hurt at all. In fact, he even seemed to show relief and joy after the painful sensation subsided.

I couldn’t say what happened after that. My vision went blurry and my ears buzzed, my heart ached for our boy. The guards spoke of something and then a woman in black arrived. She was standing in a dark corner of the room all this time. I don’t know how I didn’t see her before but she revealed herself at that moment. She approached me, her soft steps made it seem if she was gliding across the floor.

“There will be no more pain.”

Her voice seemed to hold pity toward me. She lifted her veil and…

I can’t remember what happened after that. I can no longer remember the name of our son. I can no longer remember your name...I can no longer remember my own name. I struggle to hold onto what little memories of you and our boy that I have left. Even the painful feelings I had before faded with each day. I will find some way to send this to you in hopes that we meet again and you can help me remember what once was.

Your loving wife, a woman who has nearly forgotten everything.

…

“Look what I found.” A half-dragon youth snickered as he lifted a letter up in the air. It was tucked away in a drawer behind a false compartment. Since the half-dragons were still somewhat too young for official duties they performed tasks such as room sweeps and patrols on the humans Ira requested.

“A letter?” A teenage Dark Elf tilted her head while resting her swordspear on her shoulder.

“Yup, I wonder if I’ll be rewarded.” The half-dragon tucked the letter into his shirt.

“You probably will.” The Dark Elf girl sighed. “I still haven’t done anything to stick out. I heard that a human managed to impress the Keeper’s sister and was taken under the wings of a Valkyrie ever since.”

“Do you want to train under them that badly?”

“Of course! The Valkyries are the strongest warriors to exist. I would even give up everything to train under the Keepress herself.” The Dark Elf girl had starry eyes as she daydreamed.

“I’d rather train under the Keeper’s son, Valeryn.” The half-dragon boy replied as they resumed their patrols.

“Valeryn isn’t training anyone though.”

“No, but I heard that if he sees someone with a bit of potential he’ll give you some advice. Didn’t you hear about one of the weakest human children running into Valeryn? They said the next day his talent with the sword improved tremendously. If a few pointers could do that, imagine him teaching you a for a few years.” The half-dragon boy sighed while thinking of how much he could improve with Valeryn’s help.

“Oh, what are you two talking about?” A full-grown lycanthrope spoke, drawing the attention of the two.

“Nothing, Sir!” The two saluted in tandem, slamming their spears onto the ground and taking up a well-disciplined stance.

“No, no, I understand. I too wish that the Keeper would perhaps recognize me one day. If the Keeper’s grace reaches you, the Queen and the Valkyries will pay attention to you.” The Lycanthrope man dropped his head dejectedly, he knew that his talent and abilities were only so-so when compared to some of his comrades.

Eloise, Sylun’s personal guard, was the head of the lycanthrope faction and she was on a completely different level compared to him. In order to draw attention, he would have to at least be near her strength.

The three members of the Dark Elf Empire stood silently for a moment, each one thinking of their own goals with hearts full of desire.

“Ah, Sir!” The half-dragon recalled the letter and produced it with shining eyes. He looked to his dark-elf companion and spoke. “We both managed to find this letter hidden away.”

Her eyes opened in disbelief of his intentions but he just smiled. Of course, the Lycanthrope standing in front of them noticed but he kindly pretended not to.

“Good work. I'll report this and make sure that both of you receive credit.”

“Thank you, Sir!” The two saluted once more and the Lycanthrope took his leave.

All around the city, similar things were occurring. Numerous youths were looking for a chance to distinguish themselves but no one sought to use illegitimate means. Their loyalty toward Ira was becoming deeply ingrained with each passing day. Eventually, they would grow into soldiers who only thought of serving their empire and Ira.