You turned to Miya and Liora, your voice calm but firm so everyone in the guild hall could hear clearly.
"Miya, Liora — I need you both to stay behind and look after the survivors. Buy a large, comfortable house for them in the capital. Make sure they have everything they need: food, clothes, medicine, and security. Let them stay there safely. Take care of the children and elders until we return."
You reached into your pocket (or simply created it with a thought) and handed Miya a small, glowing blue magic stone.
"Once you've finished everything and the survivors are settled, crush this stone. You and Liora will teleport straight back to me instantly. I will be going to the village now with my brother to check if there are any other survivors."
Miya took the stone carefully, her emerald eyes filled with determination and loyalty. She bowed her head slightly.
"As you command, my lord. I will protect them with my life. We'll finish quickly and return to you."
Liora stepped forward and bowed deeply to you, then to Lukas. "I will help Lady Miya take care of the survivors. Please be safe, Lord Grim… Cosmic Lord Lukas."
You nodded once, then placed a hand on Lukas's shoulder.
"Come, little brother. Let's go see what's left of Eldenwood."
Snap.
You and Lukas vanished from the guild hall in a swirl of starlight.
You both reappeared at the edge of the Whispering Woods, right where the village of Eldenwood once stood.
The sight was devastating.
The once-warm and lively village was now a charred ruin. The beautiful stone walls you had upgraded were cracked and blackened. The mountain of enchanted food was scattered and rotting. Many houses had been burned to the ground. The ground was stained with dried blood and littered with broken weapons and demonic corpses that had already begun to decay.
The protective barrier you had originally created was gone — overwritten and shattered by the Goddess's divine interference.
The silence was heavy. No birds sang. No children laughed. Only the wind whispered through the burnt trees.
Lukas's face darkened, shadows flaring violently around him as he took in the destruction.
"Big brother… they really did this. All those people who celebrated with us… gone." His voice trembled with anger. "The Goddess… she'll pay for this."
You walked slowly through the ruins. There were no other survivors visible. The only signs of life were a few scattered footprints leading toward the hidden tunnel the elders had mentioned — the path the small group had used to escape.
The Goddess's isolating veil had already dissipated now that the attack was over, but the damage was done.
Lukas stood beside you, fists clenched, cosmic power radiating from him.
"What now, big brother? Do we search for more survivors? Or… do we go after the ones responsible?"
The ruined village of Eldenwood lay silent around you. The weight of what the Goddess had done hung heavily in the