Zara sat in her kitchen, rocking her leg restlessly. Today was the day. It had come much earlier than expected, but this was preferable to her. The sooner it was over, the better. A cursory glance at the water-powered clock on the counter told her that noon would be here soon.

Just twenty more minutes... she thought. Oh. But it will probably take a few minutes to make the announcement... I wonder how long exactly?

Her boyfriend, Konnor, had given her instructions on what to do on this day, but he failed to mention concrete time frames. She was to keep Riala here to protect her, and not let her go to the main square at any cost. But how would she know when it’s done? And when they could leave the house again? Would she have to wait until he came home? When would that be? In the end it didn’t matter though. Even if she had to lock up her sister for a week, she would do it. At least she could finally keep her away from them once more. From him.

Zara was looking forward to it coming to an end, but she was also incredibly nervous. Given the tantrum Riala had thrown the night before, it was a small miracle that she had been quietly brooding in her room all morning. If she kept this up, things would work out. If not, Zara’s work would be cut out for her.

Reigning her younger sibling in had always been close to impossible, but ever since becoming whatever she was now, Zara was essentially helpless. She had to trust that Riala would listen to her to a degree, and the rest she had to solve with other measures, such as locking the door and nailing the windows shut.

Konnor’s words echoed through her mind once more. “Keep her here by any means necessary.” He was a great guy. He wouldn’t have to care about Riala, and the girl certainly didn’t give him any reasons to, but he did nonetheless. He even shared this plan with Zara. It was a risk for him, but he wanted her to be informed, and able to keep her sister out of harm’s way.

“Keep her here...” Zara mumbled.

Suddenly, she froze. Yes, Riala would quietly brood at times. But wasn’t it a bit too quiet? She hadn’t heard a single noise for over two hours, and she had a premonition that something wasn’t right.

Her door is locked... Zara thought as she slowly turned towards the hallway on her stool. The windows don’t open... she thought as she stood up, left the kitchen, and entered the hallway.

She came to a stop in front of Riala’s room, apprehension rising inside her. Zara opened and removed the padlock from the door. She swallowed hard, pressed down the door handle, and shoved the door open. Naturally, she hoped to find her sister, but all she saw was an empty room.

It took Zara a moment to process that she had failed at the only job she had. Riala was gone. She didn’t know how, she didn’t know when, but her sister had left. And if she wasn’t here, Zara knew exactly where she would be.

The main square...

Without a doubt, she would’ve gone to work. She would be with them. She would accompany them there. And then...

Wasting not a second, Zara immediately jumped into action. She hopped into her shoes and left the house as quickly as her legs would carry her. Making the trip in less than twenty minutes would be tough for her, but she didn’t have a choice.

She arrived at the main street and cut a corner to then keep sprinting north, past other people on the way to the main square. At that moment she realized she didn’t feel as fatigued as she should’ve. However, she didn’t care at all where this energy was coming from, as long as she made it in time. She had to make it.

As she got closer to the main square in less time than anticipated, her hopes of being able to go and grab Riala rose, though that hope soon came crashing down again. Her eyes fell on a wall of people erected in front of her. The main square looked packed, similar to the time when Lilly initially made her appearance. Just like back then, people who were unable to find a spot inside decided to stand in the streets instead.

For Zara, this was the worst case scenario. Filling the street and pressing all the way against the buildings on the left and the right of it, there was no way past the other citizens. But she couldn’t let this stop her. She ran right up to the barrier and started pushing herself into the masses.

“Excuse me! I need to get through here!” she said in a slight panic as she shoved people to the side and kept going.

It was a valiant effort, but she hadn’t even passed ten percent of the main square’s area when the town bells rang, signaling that it was noon.

Zara looked around helplessly, standing amidst the enormous crowd that seemed to become more denser and less willing to open paths for her. As she desperately tried to come up with a new plan, a group of people clothed in expensive suits and extravagant dresses walked up on stage in front of the temple, led by a young man. Confused murmurs could be heard from all around.

“Huh? The Rulers?”

“I thought Lilly was back...”

“Isn’t that Grom Raha?”

“What’s happening?”

Most of them didn’t know what was to go down today, though they would learn about it soon. They grew quieter as Grom took the podium and addressed the people, his voice traveling across the main square.

“Dear citizens of Alarna! You must be wondering why it’s me standing before you, and not Lilly or one of her people. It is with a heavy heart that I need to inform you... Lilly is dead.”

In a heartbeat, the large area became dead silent. Nobody dared usher a word, worrying that they might miss something.

“It was a shock to all of us,” Grom continued, “but it was nothing compared to learning the horrifying cause of her death. Her killer was none other than Tomar Remor!”

The Ruler gestured to his right and the doors to the temple opened. Zara stretched her neck to just barely make out Tomar, leaving the temple through the door. He was surrounded by four guards pointing their swords at him, with two more following them at a small distance, bows trained on Tomar.

Zara gritted her teeth. Bastard... To think that I was ready to accept you! And that I had to act nice in front of you!

She had admired Lilly. A smart, young woman who gave her all for this town, and who actually considered Zara’s feelings when discussing Riala’s future. Not like Tomar, who kidnapped and dragged her into danger.

I thought it was just my jealousy, but no... He really was always weird. No wonder with such a father! Thank the gods that Riala didn’t take after him.

Tomar was led onto the stage. She couldn’t quite make out his expression at this distance, but his posture seemed almost relaxed, which infuriated her even more. She wanted him to pay, to regret what he did. Was this really not fazing him at all?

Grom peered at Tomar in disgust as he kept shouting. “We have heard multiple first and second-hand accounts from trusted citizens and guards, who risked their lifes to bring us this information! To tell us of his crimes! Last week, on the sixteenth day of Saharl, he and Lilly left the town in the middle of the night. When he returned, he was carrying the lifeless body of the woman we all hoped would lead us into a better future!”

Zara kept listening with one ear, while looking around for some way to reach the stage. They had undoubtedly apprehended Riala as a matter of course. She was known to be a potential danger, and the sooner Zara advocated for her, the better. No matter how far astray Tomar led her, she was a good girl, and she could be an asset to this town going forward.

She pressed herself through thin cracks between the people, receiving irritated grunts in response to distracting others from the speech.

“I’m sorry...” she whispered as she kept going and listened in on Grom listing Tomar’s misdeeds once more.

“... more! We also have circumstantial evidence that these people were not sent by the gods! In fact, our agents have discovered their method for keeping the beasts away from Alarna, and it’s entirely man-made! Given the circumstances, we don’t blame Lilly for going this route, but we have to ask ourselves... If they have learned to keep beasts away, can they also lure them here? And what would a murderer who wants control over this town do with that power!?”

Zara briefly stopped, her gaze fixed on Tomar. He was calmly scanning his surroundings, apparently not even listening to Grom. And not denying any of it either. No innocent man would act like that.

He’s insane... she thought. He doesn’t even care that they’re about to punish him. Back then he calmly left our house just to be arrested as well!

“No longer!” Grom yelled, emphasizing something he just said.

Focused on finding a way, she was missing half of the speech, but it didn’t matter. Konnor had already told her everything. She also found more joy in listening to the whispers around her as she passed people. They began to understand that Tomar had fooled them all.

“So he called those beasts that destroyed Cerus here?”

“I guess that makes sense...”

“Even though Lilly trusted him!”

“Despicable!”

“And of course these weird black stones were his doing! I heard he was a stoner!”

“Right! Where else would they have come from?”

“Just so we would believe his lies...”

“I told you! He was suspicious from the start!”

The citizens’ opinion of Tomar was shifting quickly, making Zara sneer. She had been supposed to babysit Riala at home, and she needed to protect her, but a part of her was happy to experience this.

Meanwhile, Grom went on. “You will understand that we can’t stand around and do nothing in the face of such repulsive acts! In the name of you, the people of Alarna, the Rulers are taking back control! We do not want you to worry about the future, however. We have also heard you loud and clear. We understand your wishes for a better future, and we promise that we will work towards it. In Lilly’s spirit! For this purpose, Tomar Remor will be placed in jail for the rest of his life, where he can atone for his crimes by helping us to help you!”

Zara froze. Mouth agape, she thought, Wait, what? Are you mad!?

She could barely comprehend what she heard. According to Konnor, Tomar was to be executed. He couldn’t be trusted! Not only had he broken out of prison before, he escaped the town’s guards on multiple occasions. Based on what she heard, he had also grown even stronger. How could the Rulers possibly believe in being able to contain him?

Fired up, she kept pushing. If she made a deal with them regarding Riala, they wouldn’t need him. According to Lilly, her sister was even more talented than her and Tomar. She was the better choice in every possible way.

“... King Hertar!”

Not paying full attention, she didn’t realize when Grom suddenly gestured towards the prison. The crowd shifted as people started pushing in different directions, trying to catch a glimpse of the king, who they hadn’t seen in weeks. Many started cheering and waving, while Zara stumbled and fell to the ground.

“Ah!”

Getting shoved and kicked around, she didn’t manage to get back to her feet at first. Suddenly, however, the people stopped and turned around towards the temple again.

“What was that!?” she heard Grom hiss.

Zara carefully stood up on shaky legs, holding her arm in pain. She looked towards the stage and saw Grom angrily stomp towards Tomar.

“Your time has come!” Grom yelled. “It’s better for you if you just take your sentence in stride!”

She hadn’t heard what Tomar said, and she doubted that the others back here had, but in their excitement, they kept cheering despite themselves. Until Tomar yelled to make himself heard.

“Shut the fuck up!”

Surprised, everyone went quiet once more.

“Didn’t you hear me? You—” Grom said, taking another, angry step towards Tomar, but when his head snapped in the Ruler’s direction, Grom faltered momentarily and took a quick step back.

The guards next to Tomar readjusted their swords, one placing his weapon against his throat threateningly from behind. Even now, he didn’t seem worried, however, just annoyed. He could barely move without getting pierced by steel, and yet nobody dared stopping him from speaking up again.

“Listen up!” Tomar yelled. “If you think the nonsensical crap this idiot is spouting makes sense, and you want me to leave, I will! But I sure as heck will not become a trophy for these idiots! You should all think long and hard about this though! Not only about whether his story makes sense in some way, but also about whether it’s logical from the perspectives of the people involved! Make your choice!”

The people didn’t wait long to push back.

“That’s all you say in your defense!?”

“Ha, ha! He’s at his wit’s end!”

“Must feel bad to get found out!”

“Murderer!”

“Liar!”

Tomar closed his eyes and slowly shook his head, seeming exasperated.

Reinvigorated, Grom stepped up once more. “Just listen to yourself! You’ll leave voluntarily? What do you think—”

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up!?” Tomar yelled, irritated, before addressing the people one last time. “I’ll take that as a ‘Yes’ regarding the question of whether you want me to leave. So be it! Guys!”

Suddenly, the temple doors burst apart as three guards came flying out. Another crashed through a window, and large streams of water cut holes into the temple’s outer wall. The water rained down over the crowd as it dispersed in the air above them. The people couldn’t make out what exactly was happening inside, but a fight had evidently broken out.

Several guards stationed in front and around the stage readied their weapons, preparing to head inside, but the ones holding Tomar in check suddenly flew backwards, pushed by an invisible force.

“You’re staying here!” he shouted, and all the Fighters came to a sudden stop.

Zara didn’t see what exactly was happening, but it seemed to her like they feared him. She looked on in shock as several people came walking out of the temple and Tomar leisurely made to step down from the stage. He was getting ready to leave.

You should have killed him right away... Why didn’t you kill him? Why!?

“Ahhh!”

“Help!”

“Wah!”

Suddenly, blood-curdling cries erupted from different directions and Tomar stopped, looking at the back of the crowd, his eyes widening.

Zara attempted to follow his gaze, but before she could, something slammed into her and pushed her to the ground again. Her head was spinning from the impact on the hard stone tiles, and someone seemed to be standing on her back, pushing her down. She noticed the people around her fleeing, crying out in fear, but she couldn’t get a good look at what they were running from. She went pale when something grabbed her neck and slowly pulled her up, ever higher, until she was dangling in the air. Unable to breath, she started struggling, trying desperately to pry off the seemingly sharp, hairy fingers holding her. But it was pointless. They didn’t budge.

The last thing she heard before losing consciousness was a strange, female voice, happily shouting, “Tomar! You broke the agreement!”