Hyoga and Naomi ran deep into the forest without looking back, heading toward the Temple of Lost Runes where Hyoga had secretly trained with Valerius at night.
When they reached the ivy-covered stone gates of the temple, both were gasping for air. Hyoga pushed the heavy stone door and slipped inside. This was the place Valerius had told him about: "Come here when you have nowhere else to hide." Hyoga quickly opened the hidden compartment beneath the altar. Inside were a few items Valerius had left behind: two thick winter cloaks, a portion of dried meat, and a small blue crystal that helped stabilize mana flow.
Hyoga wrapped one of the cloaks around Naomi's trembling shoulders. "Wear this, it will be freezing tonight," he said. He tucked the dagger Emily had given him firmly into his belt and filled a bag with the supplies. This place was no longer safe; the soldiers would soon begin scouring the forest.
"Hyoga… I can't go on anymore," Naomi said, her voice stifled by sobs. "I'm so scared for my mother and Aunt Emily. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest."
The tears streaming from Naomi's eyes broke Hyoga's heart. This was too much for a twelve-year-old child, but his will had been hardened by Valerius's training. He gripped Naomi's hands tightly.
"Lola and Emily are strong, Naomi. They wanted us to survive. If we give up now, we make their sacrifice meaningless. We must leave the temple; the soldiers might find this place."
Seeing the unwavering resolve in Hyoga's eyes, Naomi gave a slight nod. They slipped out of the temple's back exit and onto a narrow path known to no one.
The night forest was a deadly labyrinth for the two children. Growls echoing through the branches and distant wolf howls signaled that predators were near. After walking for a while, they saw a flickering light through the dense trees.
"Look, Hyoga! A fire… There are people!" Naomi surged forward, driven by a flicker of hope.
The ominous feeling inside Hyoga stirred again, but they had nowhere else to turn. Four people sat around the campfire. Overwhelmed by a sudden mix of relief and exhaustion, Naomi collapsed. Hyoga dropped to his knees beside her in a panic.
"Naomi! Wake up, please wake up!"
A woman from the group rushed over and knelt beside them. After examining Naomi, she smiled with a soft voice. "Calm down, little man. Your friend has simply fainted from hunger and exhaustion."
A harsh-looking man appeared behind the woman, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade. "Who are you? What are you doing in the forest at this hour?"
Hyoga felt crushed under the man's lethal gaze. Gathering his trembling voice, he replied, "We were fleeing… They attacked our village, everything was burning! My aunt and the Archmage stayed behind to save us."
The other woman by the fire stood up and embraced Hyoga. "It's okay, it's over now. Please, calm down," she said. Then she turned to the harsh-looking man. "Hey, Bram! Stop looking at the boy like that, you're terrifying him. Can't you see he's telling the truth?"
Bram returned to the fire without a word. The woman holding Hyoga continued gently, "I'm so sorry for what you've been through. My name is Sofia, and this is my friend Shizuka."
Sofia and Shizuka carried Naomi to a tent to rest. When Hyoga sat by the fire, Shizuka studied him with curious eyes. "Tell me, Hyoga, weren't you afraid in the middle of all that chaos? Not everyone makes the right choices like you did. How old are you?"
"I'm twelve," Hyoga replied.
The women smiled. "You're a strong boy. And where are your parents? We could take you to them if you'd like."
The question pierced Hyoga's heart like a dagger. "I don't have parents… They died shortly after I was born."
A heavy silence fell over the campfire. Just then, the fourth member of the group, a young man, approached. "Truly impressive… I sense a light within you, child. My name is Noah, and I'm the leader of this group." Noah handed Hyoga a bowl of hot rice with a sincere smile. "Eat this. You'll need your strength."
As Hyoga ate ravenously, he looked at Noah. "Who are you? Why are you camping in this dangerous forest?"
Noah answered calmly, "We are adventurers, my little friend. We heard rumors of an ancient artifact hidden in these woods. We're here to find it."
Bram frowned from across the fire. "Noah! Why are you telling a child these things?"
Noah's smile didn't falter. "Relax, Bram. He's not a threat… right, boy?"
Later that night, Naomi woke up. Hyoga fed her the food the adventurers had provided. "We're with a group of four adventurers," he whispered. "I don't know their true nature yet, but they're searching for an artifact. We need to rest."
Naomi smiled sadly. "We'll find my mom and Emily, won't we?"
Hyoga had already drifted into a deep sleep from sheer exhaustion. Naomi hugged him tightly and closed her eyes as well.
A few hours later, Hyoga woke up with an indescribable sense of dread. Naomi was not beside him. When he lifted his head, he saw her lying face down a short distance away.
"Naomi? Why are you lying there?" he murmured.
He approached slowly to turn her over, but the sight made his stomach lurch into his throat. Naomi was covered in blood. She had been stabbed repeatedly, and dark purple handprints were bruised into her throat. She had been strangled and brutally slaughtered.
"No… no… NO!"
Hyoga began to vomit in sheer horror. At that moment, a dark figure loomed behind him and struck his stomach with the blunt end of a bloody axe. A scream ripped from Hyoga's lungs. Before he could cry out a second time, the figure raised the axe and brought it down on the boy's head like a falling guillotine.
In the deep reaches of the dark forest, the lifeless bodies of Hyoga and Naomi lay side by side, buried in the cold silence of the night.