Chapter 36:Wings of Salvation
Little 5 quickly stepped beside the girls and greeted them with a smile.
"You must be Ariella and Elara. I've heard so much about you girls. I'm glad I can finally place a face to the name," he said warmly.
The girls were stunned by the strange newcomer. They didn't expect the dead to rise, let alone with a stranger by their side. They stared at him, trying to make sense of it all, but found no clues.
"And who might you be? How are you related to the Shrouded One?" Elara asked, though she didn't expect an answer. These people were shrouded in mystery—especially the Shrouded One, who had been around the longest yet remained nameless to everyone in the village.
The Shrouded One had been given his title by the Queens. He always made a dramatic entrance, surrounded by beasts and cloaked in thick smoke, and the villagers decided to call him the Shrouded One. He hadn't minded the nickname—it was better that no one knew his true name.
Just as Elara expected, the stranger dodged her question and posed one of his own.
"My name doesn't matter, nor does my relationship with him. What you should be worried about is what's about to happen to you," Little 5 said with a chilling smile.
"You should ask what I'm going to do to you."
From those few words, the girls could already tell he was far more dangerous than he appeared. His seemingly calm demeanor was only a facade to mask his true nature. It was possible he was even more dangerous than the Shrouded One himself.
"And what do you want to do, stranger?" Ariella snapped back, her voice fearless.
"Now that's more like it. You really do live up to your reputation—a fearless little girl. Glad you didn't disappoint. Honestly, I didn't expect any less from you," Little 5 sneered.
"Oh, you need not worry. We just came for the birthday, and everyone else had to leave the venue for us. All this food will be wasted, especially that beautiful cake. So how about we share a meal? Hmm? What do you say?" Little 5 spoke as though they were old friends catching up over lunch.
"Since you like it so much, we'll leave you to it," Ariella said, turning her disdain toward the Shrouded One.
"You couldn't handle us, cheated death, and now you've brought this funny boy for backup. For just two little harmless girls like us, you needed help? Say, who's the real coward now? You can't even handle little kids and now you're throwing your weight around because you have someone to hide behind."
From their earlier encounters, Ariella had realized something important—how deeply proud the Shrouded One was. Sure enough, her words hit their mark. The Shrouded One's previously carefree appearance vanished. A terrifying aura engulfed him. His eyes darkened, glowing a deep, bloody red.
Little 5 watched the change and smirked. As he had expected, the Shrouded One's blood rage had been triggered.
He briefly considered stopping him but decided against it. If the blood rage could get the job done, better to let it unfold and move on.
In a flash, the Shrouded One rose from where he had been seated and caught the girls by their necks, lifting them into the air as if they weighed nothing. The girls gasped, stunned. Staring into his crimson eyes, they knew—the blood rage had fully taken over.
They had to act quickly or lose their lives. They struggled desperately, but it was no use. Their powers—once their greatest asset—were blocked. The only sign of their strength was the faint red glow on the marks of their palms.
For the first time, true helplessness gripped them.
Back when they were buried alive, they had clung to hope, fueled by the stones' powers. But now, with the blood rage suffocating them, even that hope seemed out of reach. Death was closing in.
In that moment of despair, Elara remembered the Queens' final words before they left:
"We will always be with you and will be ready whenever you need our help."
Clinging to that memory, Elara closed her eyes and silently called out to them.
Then she heard it—a voice in her mind: "Spread out your arms."
She turned to Ariella, and their eyes met. They had both heard it. Without hesitation, they obeyed.
At that instant, two birds slipped from the Shrouded One's grasp, freeing them from death's grip.
Author's Note:
Just when all hope seemed lost, two mysterious birds appeared to save Elara and Ariella! But are these birds simply a gift from the Queens—or could they be something far more powerful and important to the prophecy? Every rescue comes with a price, and the true meaning behind their sudden arrival will soon unfold. Keep reading to discover the secrets waiting just beyond the skies!
Chapter 37: A Moment of distraction
The Shrouded One was shocked. He stared at his empty hands—hands that a moment ago held people he had wanted to snap the necks of. Now, suddenly, they were empty. In that moment, he regained his rationality. The deep red of his anger faded, leaving behind his usual, less intense shade.
That brief distraction allowed the birds they had been searching for to seize the opportunity. With a burst of fiery breath, they unleashed a devastating wave of flame that engulfed everything in an instant, not sparing the Shrouded One. Not even Little 5 escaped. They burned, but just as quickly, their minds cleared, and they teleported away from the flames. Still, they weren't unscathed; they had burn injuries.
They fled to the Shrouded One's home in the forest. "What just happened? Did the girls disappear and get replaced by birds, or did the girls themselves turn into birds?" Little 5 asked, confusion evident in his voice.
Beside him, Little 9 looked far from pleased. He was burned—again—by the same person. How on earth did these girls manage to harm him every time he came close to destroying them? Every time, something always happened to distract him, and that distraction was always so powerful, so intense, that he couldn't avoid it. And that was all they needed. A minute.
He decided to ignore Little 5 and focused on checking his injuries. Fortunately, this time, they weren't too severe. He still had his powers. To test them, he blew wind, and Little 5 was immediately carried away and dumped outside the house. Little 5 screamed as he hit the ground, grumbling angrily as he tried to stand up.
"Hey, what did I do to deserve that? If you wanted a spar to feel better, you should have just asked instead of sneaking an attack behind my back. You don't have to take your anger out on me! It was those girls! And don't forget, I only came to help you, and now I have injuries too," Little 5 shouted.
"Sorry, I wanted to be sure my powers were working," Little 9 muttered, not even bothering to check if Little 5 had sustained serious injuries. Fortunately for him, his body was resilient, unlike the other brothers, and the wounds weren't severe enough to require immediate attention.
What annoyed him, however, was that now he would have to ask Percy to heal them. Not that he wanted to include Little 9—this was all his fault. He planned to call Percy over when Little 9 was away so he could heal without Little 9 knowing.
"That serves him right. He deserves it, hmph," Little 5 scoffed, then silently called for Percy in his mind.
Back at the castle, Percy, who had been stewing over how to avenge himself ever since Little 9 unleashed his blood rage, wasn't pleased to be called, but he had no choice. It was the Master's rule—they had to respond when called. So, grumbling between clenched teeth, he stood up and headed toward Little 5.
"Why did you call for me, you stupid boy?" Percy growled, clearly irritated.
"Come on, little brother. Your ancestor here needs your expertise," Little 5 replied, unaffected by Percy's mood.
Among them, only Percy and the Master had healing powers, so Percy always had to stay at the castle, available for emergencies.
"What happened? These wounds feel familiar. Don't tell me those girls dealt with you too," Percy said, then suddenly burst into laughter, forgetting his earlier frustration. "Hahaha, I didn't expect you, the cunning Little 5, to be tricked too!"
Little 5, on the other hand, just let him laugh it out. As long as it eased Percy's anger and he healed him quickly, Little 5 wouldn't complain. After all, he needed Percy to heal him before Little 9 came back. The punishment was for Little 9 to suffer with the wounds for a while.
Unbeknownst to Little 5, his scheming was unnecessary. The Shrouded One had no intention of calling Percy to heal him. In fact, when he first got burned, his instincts had triggered a call for Percy. By the time he realized it was too late, the call had already been made. He tried to mask his scent, hoping Percy wouldn't find him. But the Master, knowing exactly where to look, would have found him regardless. Even if he hadn't called for Percy, the Master would have known. The Shrouded One decided to let his wounds heal on their own—an ongoing reminder to deal with the girls and exact his revenge.
Author's Note:
In this chapter, the stakes grow higher as the Shrouded One's inner turmoil distracts him long enough for the girls to escape with their lives—barely. The recurring theme of being one step away from victory, yet constantly thwarted by distractions, becomes even more evident. It's a reminder that even the most powerful cannot always control their emotions or predict when they'll be caught off guard.
Chapter 38:Bound by Feathers
Back at the village, two birds were seen hovering above the rooftops. The earlier fear they had felt upon seeing the Shrouded One only intensified. The villagers wondered if the appearance of the birds meant a new enemy had arrived—or if the Shrouded One had sent the birds to wipe out the entire village in a single swoop.
Screams of terror once again engulfed the village.
People scrambled about, each trying to find safety.
Meanwhile, the two birds perched atop a tree.
That was the cost.
Elara and Ariella had survived the Shrouded One's attack but were now trapped in bird form.
They had no idea how to return to their human selves.
Chirping back and forth was their only way to communicate, as they could no longer speak in human language.
Time flew quickly, and soon night fell.
The villagers had retreated to their houses, believing the immediate danger had passed.
However, the mood at the Bristow and Johnston households was tense and heavy.
The parents couldn't find their daughters anywhere.
They didn't know whether the girls had managed to defeat the Shrouded One—or if they had fallen by his hand.
Worry gnawed at their hearts as they paced anxiously to and fro.
On a tree just outside the compound, the two birds perched silently, watching everything unfold below.
Whether they could understand the parents' distress or not was unclear.
Eventually, they decided to fly down and approach the grieving families.
Startled, the parents recoiled at first.
They remembered seeing the birds hovering over the village earlier and now feared the worst: that the Shrouded One or some new enemy had come for them personally.
Fear gave way to despair.
They were now certain their daughters had been defeated.
The sounds of weeping and wailing filled the night air.
The parents blamed the gods for forsaking their daughters, sending them to their deaths.
Sensing their grief, the birds moved closer, each standing next to one of the mothers—one near Ariella's mother, Mrs. Johnston, and the other near Elara's mother, Mrs. Bristow.
The parents paused their crying, momentarily stunned by the birds' strange behavior.
These birds, though feared, had not harmed anyone.
Now, standing so close and offering quiet comfort, a strange thought crossed the mothers' minds—one they hardly dared believe.
"Don't tell me my child has turned into a bird," Mrs. Bristow whispered hoarsely.
And with that realization, she broke into fresh sobs.
"Wuwuwuwuwu, I can't believe my only child is now a bird! What will I do? I can't lose her like this! Wuwuwuwu..."
Mrs. Johnston, on the other hand, though deeply saddened, found a spark of gratitude in her heart.
At least her daughter was still alive, even if in a different form.
With trembling hands, she gently lifted the bird onto her palm and began caressing it with great care.
Then, she softly hummed Ariella's favorite childhood lullaby—the one she used to sing while tucking her into bed.
The bird remained calm in her hand, as though soothed by the melody.
Even though the future was uncertain, Mrs. Johnston was grateful for this small miracle—that she could still hold her daughter, even like this.
Word of the strange event soon reached the village elders.
At first, they refused to believe it.
How could humans transform into birds?
Yet the evidence stood plainly before them.
They had no choice but to accept the truth.
Deep down, the elders prayed the Shrouded One had either been defeated—or at least frightened enough not to return.
For now, the village was vulnerable, their only protectors reduced to birds.
And no one knew how long this new reality would last.
Author's Note:
This chapter reveals the unexpected price of victory — a physical transformation that separates Elara and Ariella from their families and community. I wanted to show both the desperation of the parents and the fragile hope that remains. Even in the face of fear and sorrow, love finds a way to bridge the impossible.
Chapter 39: A Rift Between Brothers
Word spread among the villagers about the ordeal that had befallen them, and in particular, the Bristow and Johnson families. They felt sorry for the families, but there was nothing they could do to save the girls or ease their pain. They could only hope the Shrouded One wouldn't return. How they missed the peaceful days when the prophecy was just a distant rumor.
Soon, word even reached the Shrouded One and Little 5.
They realized that the birds who had slipped from Little 9's grasp were the girls themselves.
Little 5 could hardly believe it, but the truth was undeniable.
"Say, little brother," Little 5 said with his usual smile, "don't you think we should attack while they're still birds? I mean, that way we have so many chances of winning."
Little 9 spared him only a cold glance before turning away without a word. He ignored him entirely.
Little 9 had already figured out what Little 5 had done — secretly summoning Percy to heal himself while he, Little 9, had endured intense pain alone. Just because he hadn't said anything didn't mean he didn't know. Little 9 scoffed inwardly at the thought.
Being ignored so bluntly didn't sit well with Little 5. He growled and barked out angrily,
"I'm talking to you, and you dare walk out on me? Did you forget I'm older than you? By hierarchy, you're supposed to respect and obey me!"
Little 9 paused his steps, turned slightly, and spat back coldly,
"If you're in such a hurry, you can get the job done yourself. Haven't you always believed you're the best among us? You weren't very happy when Master gave me this job, and you've always held a grudge against me for that. You don't need me, I believe."
With that, Little 9 turned and continued walking away.
Little 5's face darkened like never before.
It seemed he had gotten too soft. These boys had forgotten who he was — the eldest among them.
He needed to reassert his dominance.
Without warning, he sprinted after Little 9, his fists clenched.
Sensing his presence, Little 9 turned — only to be met with a punch to the face.
He retaliated immediately, and soon enough, the two brothers were throwing punches back and forth in a fierce, brutal brawl.
Time passed quickly, and before they knew it, four hours had gone by.
Finally, exhausted and bruised, they could no longer continue.
"Feeling much better now?" Little 9 asked, panting.
"Yeah, much better," Little 5 grunted in reply.
Apparently, the boys just needed a good fight to blow off steam.
But Little 5 wasn't about to let the matter go.
"So what's your plan now? Do you intend to sit around and wait for them to return to human form and lose your chance of winning?" he asked pointedly.
"I am not so weak as to take advantage of my enemies," Little 9 replied. "That's not a true victory to me. A real win comes from a fair fight. Besides," he added, "I still haven't healed completely."
"You and your pride," Little 5 muttered, shaking his head. "Fine. Whatever makes you happy. I'll go take a look tomorrow."
The Shrouded One didn't stop him.
He simply let Little 5 do as he pleased.