The air was heavy as Eliana and the Elf Queen descended the spiralling stairs of the hideout. The soft echo of their steps reverberated through the stone walls, mixing with the low murmur of distant activity.
"I don't understand," Eliana said, her voice quiet but tight. "We're their prisoners—why do they let us wander wherever we please?"
The Elf Queen did not look at her daughter, but her voice was calm, edged with caution. "Because they are confident we cannot escape."
As they reached a wide floor lined with heavy doors, one of them creaked open. Eliana and her mother froze. A stream of Unbound began to emerge, rowdy and unpredictable. The atmosphere shifted.
From the door, Daiel caught sight of the two Elves and offered a crooked smile.
"You two lost or something? Turn back."
The Elf Queen instinctively stepped in front of Eliana as more Unbound poured from the room. Then came Alcoos. The towering, green-scaled figure strode toward them with a slow, deliberate gait. His eyes gleamed with mischief, his grin wide and unsettling.
The Elves backed away step by step until their retreat was stopped by a wall. Alcoos loomed closer.
"You know," he said, licking his lips, "I've never had an elf before. I wonder how it'll feel."
He reached out, trailing a webbed finger along the Elf Queen's cheek. Eliana clutched her mother's arm, trembling.
"I want this one," Alcoos murmured.
The Elf Queen's voice rang out sharply. "Run, Eliana!"
But before her daughter could move, Alcoos slammed both hands against the wall, caging them between his arms.
From the side, Daiel's voice cut through. "Stop it, Alcoos. You know what Dreados said—no one touches the Elves."
Below, muffled voices echoed from the staircase. Valerius and his siblings were ascending.
"Who's that?" Valerius whispered, crouching low. "Someone's up there."
They crawled quietly, staying hidden behind the curve of the stairway. Peering through the shadows, they saw the confrontation unfold.
Beily stepped out from the room, her voice sharp. "What are you doing? You know we're not supposed to touch them."
Daiel leaned lazily against the wall, arms crossed. "Fish boy here wants to have his way with them."
Beily's eyes widened. "Are you insane? You know what Dreados said."
Alcoos grinned. "It'll be quick. I'll make sure not to hurt her. why does Dreados care so much? Is it cuz he's an elf too?"
Eryndor, crouched just out of view, clenched his jaw.
"I cannot sit by and watch this."
Valerius turned sharply to him. "Are you stupid? What are you gonna do? That fish-looking guy has four stars."
Eryndor's eyes never left the scene above. "I am fully aware, Valerius."
Valerius narrowed his eyes. "You wanna help them, fine. I get it. But look—you can't do shit. You're a one-star man. What the hell are you gonna do against that guy? Aren't you supposed to be the smart one?"
Eryndor's voice was composed, cold. "Unlike you, Valerius, I do not act without contemplation. And cowardice dressed in sarcasm remains cowardice all the same."
Valerius scoffed. "Hell yeah it's cowardice. I'm too young to die. This isn't the time to play noble hero, man. Read the damn room."
Ziraiah tugged gently at Eryndor's sleeve. "Val's right."
But Eryndor's gaze remained steady. "You both forget that our current value to them renders us inviolable. They cannot afford to harm us—not yet."
His voice lowered.
"This is precisely the moment that separates the passive from the principled."
The tension thickened. Above them, the Unbound had yet to make their next move.
---
Jeriana stepped forward, her expression unreadable.
"You men really can't control what's between your legs, can you?" she muttered coldly.
With a single wave of her hand, Alcoos stiffened into an upright position—locked in place, completely paralyzed.
"What? What are you doing?" Alcoos barked, struggling against invisible restraints.
"I'm stopping you from doing something stupid," Jeriana replied flatly. "Let's go."
With another gesture, Alcoos's feet lifted off the ground. Hovering helplessly, he floated alongside her as she turned and strode away down the hall.
The siblings remained hidden, watching the scene unfold.
Ziraiah exhaled in relief. "Thank God... it's been taken care of."
Suddenly, Beily appeared—squatting casually on the stairs above them, a wide grin across his face.
"Hey," He said, as if nothing unusual had happened.
The Elves flinched, torn between fear and relief.
Where are you, Father? Eliana wondered silently, her heart pounding.
Daiel stepped forward with a shrug. "Most of us aren't that nice. Are you alright?"
The Elf Queen narrowed her eyes. "What do you want from us?"
Daiel held up his hands innocently. "I've no idea. Dreados is the one who brought you here."
He began walking away, waving a hand over his shoulder. "If something like this happens again, just scream. Someone will come. Oh, and try not to wander."
Beily turned to the siblings. "I want to see what you guys can do. Tomorrow, meet me at the field at nine. Ask Silvie where it is."
She rose smoothly to her feet and started walking off—but then pointed to Eliana without looking back.
"You too, princess. Nine sharp."
As her footsteps faded down the hall, Valerius muttered, "This dude has four arms... There are all kinds of people here."
Eryndor walked forward, his expression composed, his voice laced with poise and concern.
"Are the two of you unharmed?"
Eliana nodded. "We're fine."
She took her mother's arm gently and whispered, "Let's go back, Mother."
The Elves turned and left, disappearing down the corridor.
Valerius folded his arms and sighed.
"Well… that went better than expected."
---
The morning sun poured through the tall window of the bedroom, its golden rays casting a warm glow across the oversized bed. The siblings slept in an entangled heap—Eryndor in the middle, arms sprawled out like a fallen monarch, while Valerius and Ziraiah clung to opposite edges of the vast mattress.
Valerius stirred first. He blinked at the light, groaned, and then scowled when he noticed a bare foot pressed against his ribs.
"Dude," he muttered irritably, shoving the foot away with a slap, "this bed's massive—why was your foot on me?"
Eryndor cracked open an eye, voice groggy but clipped. "Was that truly necessary, or are you simply incapable of subtlety upon waking?"
Before Valerius could respond, the door burst open with a loud thud. Silvie stood in the doorway, arms full of folded clothing.
"Wake up! I've come to get you," she called, walking over to place the clothes on a nearby table. "Brought your outfits."
Valerius rubbed his eyes, then squinted at her. "Come to think of it… how do you keep finding clothes that fit us?"
Silvie grinned. "Jeriana makes them with her magic. She made mine too." She struck a brief pose. "Pretty, huh? Go clean up and get ready."
Valerius glanced around the room. "Why does the bathroom keep disappearing?"
"That's because Lisa creates it with her ability—only when someone needs it," Silvie replied.
Right on cue, Lisa opened the door with a firm expression. "Hurry up," she said curtly, then disappeared into the neighbouring room where the Elves were staying.
Silvie followed and shook the sleeping princess gently. "Hey—wake up. You've got training today."
Eliana blinked up, disoriented. "Both of us?"
"No, just you," Silvie replied.
Eliana sat up slowly, confused. "What am I going to do there?"
"We're going to find out what you're capable of," Silvie said, placing neatly folded clothes at the edge of the bed. "Here. Wear these."
Soon after, Silvie led the siblings and the elf princess out to the field.
The training ground was vast—like a flattened plain—stretching wide without a single tree. Its low grasses rustled softly in the breeze, but beyond the open field stood towering trees, hiding the area from the outside world. It was tucked right beside the hideout, protected by natural barriers.
The siblings had changed into their new gear: fitted leather trousers and sleeveless black tops, designed for movement and flexibility. Valerius and Eryndor's pants had three pockets on each leg; Ziraiah and Eliana wore slim-cut versions of the same, with cropped black jackets that hugged their forms.
Valerius glanced around, impressed. "This place looks like a football field."
Near the center of the field, Beily stood talking to Lisa. His four arms were crossed casually, but his tone was serious.
"I know it's a lot to ask after what happened," Beily said, "but I need you to watch them closely. Heal them if it goes too far—I'm probably going to mess them up a little."
Lisa's eyes narrowed as she noticed Eliana walking with the siblings. "Why is the princess here?"
Beily shrugged. "Dreados's orders. She's coming with us."
Lisa frowned. "Why? This isn't the place for a royal."
"Jeriana found a tracking device on her," Beily said with a grin. "Turns out her dear old father is headed our way. But don't worry—they're still far. Dreados says there'll be unwanted variables at the Baniek Ruins, so the Ignir forces will handle them for us. The princess is just… bait."
Lisa stiffened. "Unwanted variables?"
Beily leaned in and whispered, "Dreados believes we have a traitor among us."
Lisa's eyes widened. "What—"
Beily placed a finger over her mouth. "Shhh. Let's let them deal with it."
Just then, Silvie waved from across the field. "Beily, they're here."
Beily turned slowly, unfolding his arms. "Good."
He flexed his right hand—extending his fingers, retracting them, and then curling them into a tight fist.
In the blink of an eye, he vanished.
A sharp gust tore across the field as Beily's fist materialized just inches from Eryndor's face.
The force of wind blew Eryndor's hair back, and he struggled to maintain his footing.
Valerius, Ziraiah, and Eliana stood frozen.
Eryndor blinked, wide-eyed. One moment… he was across the field. The next… he was here.
Beily turned his head slightly, analyzing him.
"Hm. Slow reaction speed. I guess Elvheins aren't fast."
Eliana stepped forward. "What are you doing?"
But Eryndor remained still, trying to process what had just occurred. His thoughts spun with unsettling clarity.
Had that strike connected… it would have proven fatal. I had no opportunity to respond. None. I couldn't even perceive the movement itself.
Then, without warning, Beily opened his hand, vanished once more—only to reappear beside Valerius.
With a single blow, he struck Valerius squarely in the chest.
A burst of blood flew from Valerius's mouth as his body launched skyward, flipping several times before crashing down into the field.
Ziraiah screamed. "Val!"
Valerius hit the earth hard, coughing and wheezing as he struggled to breath.
Ziraiah rushed to his side, dropping to her knees. Eryndor stood motionless, his fists clenched at his sides.
The weight of his own powerlessness settled over him like iron.
Beily lowered his arm and smiled faintly.
"I'm here to see exactly what you can do. Don't disappoint me."
---
Eliana rushed to Valerius's side, dropping to her knees beside him. Blood stained his lips, and his breath came in sharp, rattling gasps.
"You could have killed him!" she shouted, glaring up at Beily with wide, furious eyes.
She placed her hands gently on Valerius's chest, a soft glow emanating from her palms as healing magic began to work its way through his injuries. The golden light pulsed faintly beneath her fingers, steady and warm.
Beily raised a brow, impressed. "Oh? You know healing magic too?" He leaned forward slightly. "And you're a silent caster. Very impressive, princess."
He turned toward Lisa, who was watching closely from the edge of the field. "Go help her. Let's heal him faster."
Lisa walked over without a word, kneeling beside Eliana to aid the process.
Beily turned back to the princess and grinned. "Now then—you can leave him to Lisa. It's your turn."
He took several steps back, putting distance between them, then turned and stood with confidence, folding his upper pair of arms while letting the lower ones hang loosely by his sides.
"Come at me. Anything goes," he said. "I'm waiting."
Eliana stood there, hesitant. Her hands trembled slightly as her mind wandered—back to earlier that morning.
---
Earlier
Eliana stood before the mirror, adjusting the slim-cut leather trousers Silvie had given her. Her cropped black jacket lay folded beside her. On the bed, the Elf Queen sat quietly, concern heavy in her eyes.
"Do you really want to go?" her mother asked softly.
Eliana paused. "It's not like I can refuse."
She pulled the jacket over her shoulders, fastening it quickly.
"After what happened yesterday… they're clearly not allowed to harm us," she added, trying to sound confident. "And besides, the human girl—Silvie—will be there. I trust her."
Her mother sighed. "It's good that you've befriended her. She seems like a kind soul."
She looked toward the window, her voice growing distant.
"Like us, she was taken. She has nowhere else to go. When your father arrives… we should take her with us."
---
Present
Eliana's jaw tightened. I was a fool to think nothing bad would happen.
Beily raised a hand casually and smirked. "Don't worry, princess. You're the only one here with the privilege of not getting hurt."
She straightened, tucking the chain of her pendant into her shirt and stepping forward, her eyes hardening.
"Fine," she said coldly. "You asked for it."
She raised her hand and closed her fist.
In response, a massive vine burst from the ground beneath Beily, thick and pulsing with life. It coiled around his legs in an instant, yanking him into the air before he could react.
"What the—?!" Beily shouted, flailing briefly as the vine lifted him several meters off the ground.
Eliana's expression didn't waver. She swept her arm sharply to the side, and the towering plant responded. The vine coiled higher, spinning him midair, then pulled taut.
With a powerful downward motion, she swung her arm—and the vine obeyed.
Beily was slammed into the ground with an explosive thud, a shockwave of dust and air rippling across the field. The ground trembled from the impact.
The cloud of dust lingered for a moment… until Eliana stepped through it.
She stood tall, unshaken.
"Don't underestimate me," she said coolly.
Valerius, still being healed beside Lisa, stared with wide eyes. He winced from the pain in his ribs but couldn't hide the awe in his voice.
"...Whoa."
To Be Continued...