✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Lightmaker • hyunchanlix *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Prologue *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

"Nora, just leave them!"

The elytrian woman screamed as she was dragged away from the collapsed house where her children were. One of her wings had been crushed in the collapse and the other was bleeding. The ground was shaking, people were screaming, children were crying, and no one knew what was going on, other than the fact that they had to go before the humans killed them all.

"We have to get them, please, Kal!"

Kalina had tears in her eyes as she dragged Noriana away from the house.

"We have to find the others!" Kalina cried.

"Castellia?! Where's Castellia?!" Noriana screamed.

Kalina sobbed, "I don't know!"

"We have to leave!"

"Please, my babies!" Noriana screamed, trying to break free of Kalina's hold. She could hear her children crying for her.

"Nora, we have to go!"

"Kalli, Nora!"

"Rowyn!" Kalina shouted. The blazeborne woman at the top of the hill came running down. Together, the two of them heaved Noriana up and dragged her kicking and screaming away from the collapsed house.

"Did you see Rhea or Rev?" Kalina asked frantically.

Rowyn shook her head. "I know Alex, Lilia, and Lucille are on the ship already, but I don't know where Cas or Cal are."

"Did you find Benedict or Canary?"

Rowyn shook her head once more. "No, and Reiden's missing too."

Rowyn noticed Kalina staring forlornly into the distance.

"You had to leave your children behind too?" Rowyn whispered, a terrified look on her face.

Kalina nodded her head. "They'd never survive the journey. Not now."

Benedict and Lilia came running towards them. "There you guys are! We have to get out of here!" Lilia said, a look of relief on her face.

"What about the others?" Kalina asked worriedly, looking around for her husband and friends.

Lilia shook her head. "The others are already on the ship with everybody else."

"Are we really just gonna leave the kids here?" Noriana asked through her sobs.

Benedict sighed. "They will survive. They're Magicfolk children. They're far smarter than the humans will ever be."

Rowyn let her tears fall, throwing herself into Lilia's arms. Lilia just frowned and petted her best friend's hair. They heard shouting in the distance. Benedict said, "We have to go. Now!" They took off running towards the docks, where two ships were docked.

Just as they arrived at the edge of the shore, Kalina saw movement out of the corner of her eyes. There was someone, a singular person, just beyond the treeline. Kalina blinked, absolutely sure that her eyes must be playing tricks on her.

"Kal? What's wrong?" Rowyn asked.

Kalina turned to Rowyn and Noriana, who was still crying. "You said that Alexandria was on the ship, correct?"

"Yes? What does that have to do with anything? We don't have time for this."

"I could've sworn I just saw someone who looked just like Alex in the forest there. Only... much taller with shorter hair. It kind of looked like an older Ji..."

She trailed off and shook her head. "It was probably nothing. Let's go."

"Nora!" Castellia shouted from the deck of one of the ships.

"Come on, guys! We gotta go!" Lucille shouted. Just as they were about to board the ship, the whizzing of an arrow was heard and Noriana froze.

"Nora, what are you doing? We have to go!" Caldia shouted. Noriana opened her mouth to speak, but she choked, coughing up blood. Kalina screamed in horror as Noriana collapsed into the water, turning the water red. An arrow was stuck into her back, right where her heart was.

"Come on, leave her! Let's go!" Lilia shouted, tugging Kalina onto the ship.

"NORA!" Castellia screamed frantically. It took both Rhea and Revell to stop her from jumping off the side of the ship.

"NO, NORIANA!"

At least the goddesses had taken pity on Noriana, carrying her to the bottom of the ocean so no human could lay hands on her body.