[ENG] Last Reader Standing

Chapter 40: The Revelations of the Valley of Shadows

After a well-deserved rest in the cave, Jun, Calla, Miranda, Sora, and Miiko resumed their march, determined to reach the village at the heart of the Valley of Shadows. The information they had gathered indicated that this village held crucial secrets, not only for their mission but also for Calla and Miranda.

«The village is called Lysandra,» explained Miranda as they advanced, her eyes reflecting fierce determination. «That's where the Güldenstern Order committed atrocities, and I believe we might find answers about my family and my destroyed village.»

Calla nodded, her heart pounding. «I've heard of Lysandra too. My brother was seen there a few months ago. I hope we'll find clues about what happened to him.»

As they approached the village, the ruins loomed before them, dilapidated buildings and charred remains bearing witness to past violence. The oppressive silence added to the eerie atmosphere.

«Let's stay on our guard,» murmured Jun. «The Order might still have spies here.»

They entered the ruins, each alert to the slightest sound. Calla and Miranda felt a mix of apprehension and determination, knowing their pasts were intertwined with this sinister place.

Suddenly, a group of Order soldiers emerged from the rubble, swiftly surrounding them. Their leader, a towering man with ice-cold eyes, stepped forward, a sword adorned with dark runes in his hand.

«You should have stayed away,» he declared in a cold voice. «The Güldenstern Order protects this place for a reason.»

Calla clenched her teeth, focusing on the man's voice rather than his face hidden behind a mask. She recognized this voice, a voice that had been familiar to her since childhood.

«Aiden! It's you!» she exclaimed, her heart wrenching.

Aiden, her missing brother, wore the mask of a fairytale character, but his voice was that of her brother. «Calla, you should never have come here. You don't understand what you're doing.»

«We're seeking answers, Aiden,» Calla replied, her voice trembling but resolute. «Why did you join the Order? Why did you allow this destruction?»

Aiden didn't respond, merely raising his sword. «I can't let you proceed. The Order needs this village, and I won't allow you to stop us.»

The battle erupted, both sides clashing with ferocious intensity. Jun summoned light barriers to protect his friends, while Miranda cast devastating spells. Sora and Miiko, in their most formidable forms, fought with unmatched savagery.

Calla found herself facing her brother, their swords clashing in a flurry of swift and precise strikes. «Aiden, listen to me! We can find another way, we can fight the Order together.»

But Aiden was unyielding, his face hardened by hatred and loyalty to the Order. «There's no other way for me, Calla. You must understand that.»

Meanwhile, Miranda, in the midst of battle, recognized symbols on the uniforms of the Order soldiers. These symbols were the same as those left behind in her destroyed village. A cold rage gripped her.

«You're responsible for the destruction of my village,» she shouted, unleashing a powerful spell that devastated several enemies at once. «I will find the truth, and I will have my vengeance.»

The confrontation between Calla and Aiden reached its climax. Calla managed to disarm her brother, but instead of yielding, Aiden used one last desperate attack. Calla, tears in her eyes, couldn't deliver the fatal blow.

«Aiden, I'm sorry,» she whispered as he collapsed, wounded but still conscious.

Seeing their leader fall, the remaining Order mercenaries fled, taking Aiden with them. Silence fell over the ruined village.

Miranda approached Calla, her eyes shining with tears and anger. «We've lost so much because of them. But now, we must press on. We'll find answers, and we'll end the Güldenstern Order.»

Jun, Sora, and Miiko joined the two women, forming a circle of support. «We're together,» Jun declared. «And together, we'll succeed.»

As the sun set over the ruins of Lysandra, the group stood united, ready to face the challenges ahead. The day's revelations had strengthened their resolve to fight the Order and uncover the entire truth about their pasts and destinies.