Thomas clutched his book tightly. He couldn’t shake the thought that within its pages were the final peaceful moments of countless people who had just lost their lives. The image of his friend Long Legs being murdered by Tyler was still vivid in his mind and so was Tyler’s mocking laughter as he killed Dareth. Thomas knew he would never forget that monster’s name. During the escape, Thomas made a silent promise to Dareth. “I’ll record everything, Long Legs. And when the day comes, I’ll take joy in writing about Tyler’s fall—for the both of us.” He held back his tears. This wasn’t the time for them.
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The forest beasts moved swiftly, far faster than any human. They carried the survivors through the wilds with desperate urgency.
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Behind them, Brother Cecil and his remaining troops formed the rearguard. They were the shield between the fleeing survivors and the pursuing enemy. “Glory to the Creator!” Brother Cecil cried, lifting his blade as his men braced for the oncoming horde.
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Tyler’s corrupted followers came crashing down in a wave of madness and fury. It was a clash of feral savagery against unshakable faith. One by one, the defenders were overwhelmed. One by one, they fell.. slaughtered to the last. No one remained to witness their final stand. But they would not be forgotten.
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Later, it would be memorialized by Copper Thomas in his writings:
“Against an evil no one could have ever prepared for, Brother Cecil and the Church’s force fought for the lives of countless many. Even as their light faded, their sacrifice saved. Their faith was unbreakable. We will always be their light bearers.”
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It had been days since the fall of Silver Falls. Rhaine glanced over at Alex. “We’ll be back at River Hallow soon. What are we going to do about the army chasing us?” Try as she might, she couldn’t come up with a solution.
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Alex guided his mount closer to hers. “I have an idea,” he said, coming to a stop. “It’s not a great one.” He met her gaze. “I’ll lead them away from River Hallow.”
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Rhaine turned sharply toward him. “You’re right, it’s not a great one. But you won’t be able to do it alone.”
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Alex shook his head. “You heard the plant woman. River Hallow is in danger. You’re needed there.” He paused, then added, “When you see him, tell Jirjin I said Black Arrow.” He turned toward the surviving soldiers. “Who will come with me?!” As volunteers stepped forward, Alex waited with them for Tyler’s forces, standing firm.
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Rhaine, heart heavy, pressed on toward River Hallow with the rest of the survivors.
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Alex turned to the half-dozen soldiers who had stayed behind. “When the enemy arrives, we draw them away for as long as we can. Lady Rhaine and the others need time.” Before he could say more, the first of Tyler’s corrupted troops began to emerge from the tree line. “I always knew I’d die defending a pretty lady,” Alex whispered to himself with a faint smile. He signaled for the others to begin the retreat, staying just far enough behind to keep Tyler’s forces enticed.
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“Don’t leave me!”
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Alex turned to see one of the Church's soldiers sprinting toward them on foot. Without hesitation, he rode back, reached down, and hauled the man up onto the back of his elk. “Move!” Alex shouted, urging the elk forward. They sped off, just narrowly escaping the pursuing horde. The plan had worked. Tyler’s corrupted soldiers now followed Alex and his volunteers deeper into the forest.. further away from River Hallow.
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“Oh, Father!” the Crimson Mist taunted, their voice like a twisted lullaby. “Come play tag with us!”
They drifted just beyond Marcus’s reach, laughing. “You get to kill whoever is it!”
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Marcus trudged after them, weary. “Please, children… I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He had been apologizing for days, but they never stopped. They haunted his every step. Every moment was saturated with their laughter. And when, for a fleeting second, they fell silent, the voices of Lorna and Conner would take their place—twisting, tormenting, unrelenting.
There was no reprieve. A sudden wave of unbearable cold washed over him, bringing Marcus to his knees in agony. His hands trembled as he reached out to a low-hanging branch for support. Where his skin made contact, the leaves and grass blackened, shriveled, and died.
“What’s happening to me?” Marcus whispered, staring at his hand in horror.
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“Silly Father,” the little girl, Lisa, giggled. “That’s Master inside you… feeding off the life around you.”
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Another wave of cold surged through Marcus, and more of the surrounding life shriveled away. Grass withered, leaves blackened, and the air itself seemed to recoil. “What the hell is inside of me?!” Marcus screamed, the pain now nearly unbearable. Then it happened, something deep within him shifted. For the briefest moment, it felt like a hand gripped his heart and shook it violently. The sensation vanished just as quickly as it had come, leaving a hollow echo in its place. Marcus staggered, then forced himself back to his feet. The cold was gone. But the ground around him was dead utterly lifeless. Not just the plants, but the soil itself looked corrupted, as though something had poisoned it at its core.
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"You were never one for the outdoors, Marcus," Lorna’s voice echoed. "Once again, all you do is destroy."
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Marcus lowered his head and trudged forward, choosing to ignore his wife’s cruel words. With every step, he was hounded by their voices, Conner, Lorna’s, the children's never relenting. He couldn’t gather his bearings, couldn’t find a moment of peace. All he could do was walk, hoping to outrun their torment. But no matter how far he went, they were always there… waiting.
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It had been a couple of hours since Rhaine and Alex parted ways. The town of River Hallow was finally in sight. From a distance, everything looked peaceful. As they rode through the gates, the townsfolk gave them puzzled looks, likely due to the strange forest creatures they rode.
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"Where is Jirjin Nightside?" Rhaine called out as she dismounted. "Is everyone okay?" she asked, still unsettled by Winterfawn’s warning about the town being in danger. Each person she questioned responded with confusion. No one seemed to know what she was talking about. Moments later, Jirjin emerged from the tavern.
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"You look worse for wear," he said, eyeing the ragged survivors. "I take it the battle didn’t go as planned? Where’s my brother?" His voice hardened with concern.
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"Alex took a few volunteers to lead the enemy away from us," Rhaine replied. "We were told River Hallow was in danger."
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Jirjin sighed. "Yeah… that sounds like one of his brilliant ideas. But things have been pretty quiet here since you left."
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Rhaine hesitated, then said, "He told me to tell you something ‘Black Arrow.’ What does that mean?"
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Jirjin chuckled. “That crazy fool is leading them here.”
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Rhaine’s brow furrowed. “He said he was leading them away.”
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Jirjin nodded. “He is… in his own way. ‘Black Arrow’ is something we used to do back when we were bandits. During night raids, when the guards came for us, Alex would lure them straight into our trap.” He turned and started walking back toward the tavern.
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“Where are you going?” Rhaine called after him, still unconvinced. “What are you planning to do?”
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Jirjin stopped at the door and looked back with a grin. “I’m going to get the trap ready. If Alex gave the signal, he’ll be here by tonight. We need to be ready.” Before Rhaine could say anything else, Jirjin threw open the tavern doors. “Alright, kids! We’ve got a Black Arrow coming our way tonight! Load up and get Betsy ready! We’re having company!”
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