The city of Lirielle was eerily quiet, the usual hum of its vibrant streets repced by the distant growl of wolves and the occasional csh of metal.

  Lysara stood at the edge of the high walls, staring out at the horizon where the lycans were gathering like a storm—ominous, relentless. She felt the familiar tug in her chest, the urge to defend her people, to fight with everything she had. She wanted to act, to rally her forces and charge headfirst into the battle.

  But Valerius was standing behind her, silent, his cold gaze scanning the situation.

  "You need to listen to me," Valerius spoke, his tone steady. "The lycans will only destroy this city if we stay. If you want to save them, you have to think with your mind, not your heart."

  Lysara clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. "I can't just leave them to die," she murmured, almost to herself.

  Aris, standing to the side with her arms crossed, nodded in agreement with Valerius. "I will always fight for you Lysara, but this time, I guess He's right. If we stay, we’re going to lose everything. Your people might fight valiantly, but without a solid strategy, it’ll be a massacre."

  Lysara’s eyes flicked between Valerius and Aris. She knew they were right. Her heart screamed for her to protect her city, to stand beside her people. But her mind—the strategist in her—knew that the longer they waited, the more difficult it would become to save anyone.

  Yet, her heart still fought against it.

  "I don't want to be the one who leaves them behind," she whispered, her voice shaky. "I... I can't."

  Valerius stepped closer, his gaze softening slightly, though his words remained firm. "Sometimes, leaving is the only way to protect them. If we stay, they will all die. And then, what? You'll have nothing left to fight for."

  Lysara’s chest tightened. The weight of the choice was suffocating. Leave them behind, or stay and risk everything?

  Aris pced a hand on Lysara’s shoulder. "I know it’s hard," she said gently, "but this isn’t about what you want. It’s about what's best for everyone."

  Lysara shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. "I don't know what to do anymore."

  In that moment, Lysara felt like she was torn between two parts of herself. The strategist—the one who understood the cold logic of Valerius’s words—and the woman who cared deeply for her people, who couldn’t fathom walking away from the destruction that was coming.

  Valerius's voice broke through her turmoil. "I won’t make this decision for you. But remember, this is a war. Your people can’t survive if you’re not there to lead them. And if you make the wrong decision, you’ll lose more than just this city—you’ll lose yourself."

  The words were harsh, but true. Lysara turned to face him, searching his eyes for something—anything—that might reassure her. But his expression was unreadable. He had no room for sentimentality. This wasn’t about feelings. It was about survival.

  After a long silence, Lysara nodded slowly, the weight of the decision still crushing her. "I understand. But I won’t leave without trying to save my people first."

  Valerius’s lips curled slightly, though his eyes remained serious. "I’m not asking you to abandon them. But you need to be ready to make the hard choice. Your heart may lead you, but your mind is what will keep you alive."

  The decision was hers to make, and the responsibility was unbearable. But as Lysara looked at Valerius—his unyielding strength, his cold logic—she realized something. He wasn’t just trying to control her. He was preparing her to be stronger, to think beyond her emotions and take charge of the situation.

  With a deep breath, Lysara steeled herself. "I’ll make the right choice, I promise."

  Later that night

  Lysara sat in the small room within the castle, the weight of her decision still hanging heavy in her chest. She stared out of the window, watching the faint glow of the lycans’ campfires in the distance.

  Aris entered the room, her face stern but gentle. "You’re thinking too much again, aren’t you?" she asked quietly.

  Lysara looked up at her, offering a weak smile. "I don’t know what to do, Aris. I want to save everyone, but... it’s so hard."

  Aris sat beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "You’re not alone in this, Liri. You have Valerius, me, and your people. But you need to make a choice, not just for them, but for yourself."

  Lysara nodded slowly, her gaze distant. "I know. It’s just... hard to think clearly when my heart is in the way."

  Aris gave her a reassuring smile. "That’s what makes you human. But your mind is just as powerful. You just have to trust it."

  As the night stretched on, Lysara found herself reflecting on everything Valerius had said. Maybe, just maybe, it was time to trust her mind instead of her heart.

  The next day, as Valerius and Aris prepared to leave the castle with Lysara, the weight of the decision was finally beginning to lift. Lysara knew that whatever happened next, she would follow the path her mind had id out. She could no longer afford to be ruled by her emotions. The war was coming, and she had to be ready.

  As they walked out into the cold morning light, Valerius turned to her. His expression was as stoic as ever, but there was something in his eyes—something that made her feel like he was watching over her, guiding her.

  And for the first time, Lysara felt like maybe she could trust him too.

  The cold morning light cut through the trees, casting long shadows across the now-silent battlefield. The once bustling city of Lirielle had fallen into an uneasy quiet, but Lysara knew that peace was fleeting. The lycans were closing in. Valerius, Aris, and Lysara had made their way to the outskirts of the city, preparing to leave—only to be met with the terrifying sight of the lycans already on the move. The pack had begun their charge, their howls echoing across the nd, a chorus of death approaching fast.

  Lysara’s heart skipped a beat. "They’re here already."

  Valerius stood firm beside her, his crimson gaze narrowed. "This is our chance to escape, Lysara. We have to move quickly."

  Before Lysara could respond, the ground beneath them trembled. The lycans had appeared on the horizon, their speed and strength undeniable. But something didn’t feel right. Valerius instinctively drew his bde, his stance ready for the inevitable csh, but his eyes flicked between the advancing pack and Lysara, sensing something was off.

  "They’re coming for us," Valerius said, his voice tight.

  Just then, the lycans charged forward, but to Lysara's surprise, they didn’t head straight for Valerius. Their focus shifted—right toward her.

  Lysara froze, shock rippling through her.

  What? Why her?

  Valerius didn’t hesitate. He was already moving in front of her, his bde fshing as he fought off the first wave of lycans that lunged at them. His speed was deadly, his strikes swift and unrelenting. Aris was beside him, equally deadly, her armor gleaming in the light as she intercepted another lycan with precision. They were like two unstoppable forces—each one a whirlwind of power, defending Lysara from the oncoming horde.

  But even with their might, the lycans’ numbers were overwhelming. Lysara could feel the weight of the situation pressing in on her, but she still couldn’t understand why they were targeting her instead of Valerius.

  Before she could voice her confusion, one of the lycans broke through, its cws raking across her arm with vicious force. She winced as the wound burned, the cut shallow but painful, enough to make her stumble.

  "Get back!" Valerius shouted, his voice thunderous as he swung his sword, cleaving through two lycans at once.

  Lysara’s vision blurred with the pain, but she didn’t have time to process it. Valerius was there in an instant, his hand gripping her tightly as he pulled her to safety. The battle raged on, but in that moment, he didn’t hesitate—he carried her, his speed unmatched as he darted through the battlefield.

  Aris moved beside them, keeping the lycans at bay with swift strikes. The trio moved like a single, unstoppable force, each one covering the other’s weaknesses, ensuring that Lysara stayed safe.

  As Valerius set her down behind a rge boulder, his crimson eyes softened with concern. But his words were sharp. "You’re injured," he said, his voice gruff. "Stay back. Don’t move unless I say so."

  Lysara could feel the sting of the wound, but it wasn’t as bad as she’d feared. More surprising was the overwhelming feeling of safety when Valerius held her. The trust she’d pced in him, the reliance on his strength, had only grown stronger during the battle.

  The lycans retreated for a moment, regrouping. The trio stood in the clearing, catching their breath. Lysara gnced up at Valerius, her mind racing. Why her? Why had the lycans targeted her and not him?

  Valerius’s brow furrowed as he looked at her. "We need to move," he said, his voice hard. "It’s not safe here."

  But Lysara couldn’t shake the feeling of unease. She gnced at Aris, who was equally perplexed.

  "Why are they after me?" Lysara asked, voice trembling. "They should have been after you, Valerius. You’re the one they fear."

  Valerius’s expression tightened, his thoughts whirling. "I don’t know," he said slowly. "But there’s no time to waste. We need answers, and we need to move before they regroup."

  As they began to move forward, Aris, still on alert, spoke up. "This doesn’t make sense. They know you’re the st of your kind, Valerius. If they wanted to end this, they would have gone after you. Not her."

  Lysara’s mind raced, the questions piling up faster than she could process them. Why was she the target? What had changed? And most importantly, what would happen next?

  But as the group pressed forward, Lysara found herself struggling to keep up with Valerius’s relentless pace. She knew he was trying to protect her, but at that moment, the realization hit her like a punch to the gut.

  She had hesitated. She had faltered when it mattered most.

  And now, it almost cost her everything.

  Later, as they took shelter for the night

  The night was cold, and the air thick with the tension of the battle they had just survived. Lysara sat against a tree, her mind still racing. The pain from her wound had dulled, but the greater ache was still there—the frustration that she had hesitated when Valerius had asked her to make a decision.

  Valerius, sitting a few feet away, gnced at her. His expression was unreadable, but his voice was sharp. "You almost got yourself killed today," he said, his tone cutting through the night like a bde.

  Lysara flinched at his words. "I know," she whispered, her voice small. "I... I should have made a decision faster. But I didn’t think—"

  "Exactly," Valerius interrupted. His gaze hardened. "You didn’t think. You let your heart guide you, instead of your mind. And if you continue like this, you’ll lose everything."

  Lysara swallowed, her throat tight. She had no response to that. Valerius was right. She had acted on impulse, driven by the overwhelming need to protect, to do what felt right in the moment. But in doing so, she had endangered herself—and everyone else.

  "I’m sorry," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Valerius’s gaze softened slightly, though the edge in his voice remained. "Sorry doesn’t change the consequences, Lysara. You need to trust your mind, not just your heart. You can’t afford to make mistakes like that again."

  Lysara closed her eyes, feeling the weight of his words. She didn’t know what had happened with the lycans—why they had targeted her instead of Valerius—but she knew that this moment, this failure, was her own to bear.

  "I will," she whispered. "I’ll do better."

  Valerius didn’t say anything more, but there was something in the way he looked at her that told her that his trust in her had grown, even if only a little.

  And with that, Lysara realized that the journey ahead would not just be a physical one. It would be a journey of the mind as well—one where she would need to learn to trust herself, to make decisions quickly and decisively, not just based on emotion but with logic and strategy.

  As the night stretched on, Lysara sat in silence, pondering the weight of Valerius’s words. She had a long way to go—but she was determined to rise to the challenge.

  The cold morning light had long faded, repced by the suffocating weight of darkness. The air was thick, charged with the low growls and snarls of the lycan pack. Valerius, Aris, and Lysara stood together, backs pressed against the rough stone of a cliffside. Behind them, the open wilderness stretched out like an endless expanse, offering little refuge.

  The lycans had surrounded them.