The third army marched over the snowy mountains towards the capital. They had left early in the morning before the light of dawn shone. General Ahri had ordered her army to leave as soon as the second army had arrived. Elnor was at the front, riding along General Ahri. It had been a couple of hours since they left Fort Badai, and the light of dawn began to appear.

“Commander Elnor,” Ahri said to Elnor. “Take the lead.”

“Where are you going?” Elnor asked her General.

“I’m taking the scroll to another location. Lead the rest of the knights back to Sutra.”

“Where are you taking it?”

Ahri shook her head. “It’s on a need-to-know basis, unfortunately.”

“I understand, General,” Elnor said apathetically. She was glad to be away from it anyway.

“I’ll meet you in the capital,” Ahri said to Elnor as she moved her horse towards the carriage at the rear where the scroll was in. A unique metal carriage was hastily made to be able to lift the heavy tube without breaking. Twenty horses were used to pull the carriage. “Commander Irun and Commander Yenel!” Ahri shouted, and the two Commanders went to their General. “Follow me.” The General, along with the two Commanders and a few powerful sorcerers, diverted away from the main army as they approached the fork in the path.

Elnor fixed her gaze towards the road towards the capital, not even glancing at the knights that had parted. She had ordered scouts to spy on Akar’s camp not long after she had reached Fort Badai, and they had brought back dire news. The camp was gone, and they found tracks that Akar’s army had broken up and left in different directions. She did not know where they had taken her squire or even if he was still alive. Elnor stared at the snowflakes that fell from the sky, how they fall freely, not worried about the boots and horses that were about to trample them. She had the rest of the winter to spend with her family. After that, the all-out war was going to begin.

Akar’s Commander Alzam unlocked the door where he had left his prisoner overnight. Alzam saw the Ronan knight remained quiet, only twitching now and then as a drop of water fell on his forehead. Alzam swore he heard screaming last night. He approached the prisoner and could see a red mark where the water had continuously fallen on the man’s forehead, causing the skin to break.

“I’ll kill you,” the man strapped to the table said when Alzam came into his view. A drop of water fell on the man’s head, and he twitched.

“Brave words,” Alzam responded and smiled. He turned the valve of the pipe, stopping the dripping of water. “Will you tell me now where the scroll is being taken to?”

“I don’t know.”

Alzam frowned and stared at the prisoner’s eyes. They were bloodshot with heavy dark bags underneath. Alzam saw pain, distress, anger, and surprisingly malice. He noticed something different from how the man had acted earlier. What Alzam had thought the man was twitching due to the water droplets, he realized now that the man was twitching unconsciously.

Alzam sighed and brought his face close to the man. He whispered, “All you have to do is tell me where your knights are taking the scroll, and all this would end.”

The prisoner tried to bring his face close to Alzam’s, but the chains prevented him from doing so. Veins on the prisoner’s neck protruded from his skin as he struggled. “I don’t know,” he spoke angrily. “Now let me go, or I will kill you slowly and painfully,” he whispered.

Alzam sighed again. “I will let you go,” he stared at the man’s eyes. Alzam could see that the prisoner believed in his soundless threat and wondered how naïve the prisoner is. “As soon as you reveal where the scroll is.”

The prisoner said nothing, only stared back at Alzam. “You’ve made your choice, I guess,” Alzam kissed his teeth and said to the bound man. “Although I prefer not to do this, believe me when I tell you that I very much enjoy doing this.”

Alzam turned the valve back on, and water started to drop on the man’s forehead, causing the man to release a few grunts. Alzam left the room and shut the metal door behind him. “Prepare the next step,” he said to the guard waiting outside.

“Yes, Commander,” the knight replied and left.

Alzam returned to the door and peeked through the bars on the metal door. He saw the prisoner twitching and struggling against the chains, but the prisoner did not scream. “I’m going to break you if that is what it takes,” Alzam muttered.

Elnor rode her horse on the roads of Sutra. The city was bustling with people, but she heard nothing. She stared ahead impassively as her horse trotted. It was late at night when she reached her estate. She knocked on the front door softly, not wanting to wake up the children who must be asleep. Mrs Sari’s room was close to the entrance, and not long later, she opened the door. “Madam Elnor?” Mrs Sari said sleepily.

“Hello, Mrs Sari,” Elnor replied to the housekeeper.

“You’re back. We were so worried when we heard Akar attacked our Southern border. We knew from your letters that you were there.” The housekeeper grabbed Elnor’s hands between hers. “Hua wouldn’t stop crying when you stopped sending letters after the news. I told her it was because there was no post office near you, but she still feared the worst. Hua will be so glad to see you, Elnor,” Mrs Sari whispered.

“Is she awake?” Elnor softly asked.

“She’s asleep, but I’ll wake her up. I’m sure she’ll be glad to see you.”

“No need,” Elnor shook her head and frowned. “Let her sleep. I’ll see her tomorrow morning.”

Mrs Sari saw the sorrowful expression on the mistress’ face. She recognized that look. These days she saw it more often every time Elnor returned. “What’s wrong, madam Elnor?” She asked the mistress softly, pulling the woman to a hug.

“My squire, Ishan,” Elnor replied shakily. “I abandoned him.”

Mrs Sari recognized the name from the letters that Elnor had sent. She pulled Elnor close and rubbed the woman’s back gently. “Let’s get you inside, madam. I’ll make you some tea,” Mrs Sari said as she led Elnor inside.

Nevan sat on a wooden chair surrounded by the amphoras that Nalia used to love. There was only one other person who sat on the chairs with him now that Ishan had perished. Ishan had screamed as the water fell on his head after a few hours, and Nevan had screamed with him. Ishan had taken the brunt of the impact, but it still had affected Nevan. Nevan remembered when Ishan perished. Nevan had cried out as he felt pain in his head like it was tearing itself apart. He was never warned of the impact of the death of personality would do on him. He never even knew a personality could be destroyed. He wondered if it was even real or he was simply going mad, and that’s the way his mind had coped.

A metal surface pushed into Caro’s back, and Nevan growled on his wooden seat. Nevan remembered when Ishan perished, and Caro immediately stood up from his chair.

“I’m next,” Caro said, placing a hand on Nevan’s shoulder.

“Why?” Nevan asked, shaking in his chair. His personalities were usually reluctant to let Nevan take back control when he ordered them, under normal circumstances. Why is it now that they willingly flock to protect him when he was in such a dreadful situation?

“Survival,” was all Caro replied before he stepped through the doorway.

The Akar knights had placed Nevan inside a cage, the width only allowing him to stand, and tied his hands on the top bars. They had sliced the skin on his back and poured salt on it before the healers closed the surface of the wound. A metal surface rubbed on where his skin protruded, and Nevan screamed angrily.

“Where is the scroll?” Commander Alzam asked.

“I’ll kill you,” Nevan growled. “And your god. Even the Garuda itself will bleed before me.”

Commander Alzam nodded at the knight who held the metal bar. The metal bar rubbed at the prisoner’s back, and he screamed. “Don’t make it worse for yourself,” Alzam said to Nevan.

Nevan breathed heavily, tiptoeing to let his aching arms rest. Bloodshot eyes stared at his interrogator. “I’ll kill you.”

“Elnor!” Elnor heard Hua shouted as her sister ran into the room in the morning. Hua was still in her nightdress, and her eyes were red and filled with tears. Elnor pulled her sister to an embrace as the girl climbed onto her bed. “I thought you were not coming back,” Hua sobbed into Elnor’s chest.

Elnor rubbed her sister’s head. “I’m sorry I made you worried,” she said to the child.

“You didn’t send any letters after the attack. I thought I wouldn’t see you ever again,” Hua cried, hugging Elnor tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Elnor repeated, as her tears also fell.

Hua looked up with swollen eyes. “You’ll never leave me, right?” the girl asked. “I’m scared that one day you’ll never come back.”

“I’ll always come back for you,” Elnor cupped the child’s cheeks and wiped the tears with her thumbs. “I will never leave you alone.”

Nevan stood inside his cage. His interrogators had left when they did not receive an answer after several hours. The girl who had brought him food stood on a stool, feeding him gruel with a spoon.

“Why not just tell them already?” she said to him.

“No,” Nevan whispered tiredly. He just needed to buy more time; Elnor was on her way.

“Nobody knows where you are. So don’t expect any rescue.” The girl placed a spoon against Nevan’s lips, and he opened his mouth, swallowing the gruel.

“No,” he said again.

The girl paused, then sighed. “I have seen many people in your position, and I can tell you that you’ve been the longest one here.” She placed the spoon back against his mouth. “I don’t know how you haven’t given in yet, but I don’t enjoy seeing anyone like this.”

Nevan swallowed the last of the gruel. “Then why are you here? Why are you working for them?”

“They feed me and treat me well,” the girl replied impassively.

Nevan looked at the rags the girl wore. “That’s it?”

The girl placed the bowl down and lifted the water cup, pouring water down Nevan’s dry throat. “I’m an orphan. What else am I suppose to ask for? It’s not like someone will help me.”

“My Commander is coming for me,” Nevan said. “You should come with us. They’ll treat you much better in Ronan.”

The girl smiled sadly and shook her head. “You’re a good man, whatever your name is. But I doubt anyone is coming for you.”

“She will,” Nevan said. “And she’ll destroy this place when she does.”

“Then I’ll pray for you,” the girl replied. “But I’ll remind you that the quickest way for this to end is to tell them what they want.”

“I can’t.”

The door of the room they were in opened, and Commander Alzam entered with the other interrogators. The girl picked up the empty bowl and cup and exited the room. One of the knights closed the door as she left. Commander Alzam approached Nevan with a massive smile on his face. “Back to it?” the Commander asked.

In Nalia’s room, Nevan screamed in pain as Caro roared. He could feel the rough salt scrapped against his muscles as the metal surface rubbed his back. Nevan clutched his head, feeling Caro being slowly ripped apart from his mind.

“Ahh,” the remaining personality smiled. “I guess my turn will be coming up soon.”

Nevan stared in pain at the last personality. Nevan had never embodied him nor gave him a name. He was too dangerous, to himself, to be allowed to leave the door.

“No, no, no,” the personality pushed Nevan back down the chair. “I’ve been waiting for this. Don’t take my fun away.” He shook his finger. “I’ll be happily dead anyway after this. The least you could allow me is to go out on my terms rather than you destroying me yourself.”

“At least tell me why,” Nevan asked. “I appreciate it,” he breathed deeply. “But why?”

The last personality wore a huge grin with wide eyes. “Like what Caro said. Survival.”

Nevan screamed as Caro disappeared; the searing pain threatened to drill out of his head.

The last personality laughed. “Goodbye for good, my friend.” And he left the room through the door.

Commander Alzam stared at his prisoner. The angry roar his prisoner screamed turned into laughs. Commander Alzam forced himself to smile, not allowing his disappointment to show. “You seem to have lost your mind. Did we push you too hard?” Alzam gingerly asked.

Nevan laughed uncontrollably, ignoring the Commander. “No, I don’t think you’re even close,” Nevan shook his head, still giggling.

The Commander’s smile grew sinister. “We’re going to have so much fun together.”

Nevan also grinned in return. “I can’t wait.”