Rudolph could feel his armor weighing him down, but he could not afford to be exhausted right now – not when there were people still trapped in the Edge. Gritting his teeth, Rudolph ran across the street, heading toward a dipidated house. Suddenly, he heard a growl to his left and swiftly raised his sword.

  “Oof!” Rudolph gasped as a Lacerator rammed against him, sending him flying into one of the houses. “Shit!” the soldier groaned, sensing a dull pain in his chest. He groggily got to his feet, while brushing bits of wood and stones from his shoulders. As he turned his attention toward the Lacerator, he noticed a middle-aged woman crouching near the firepce cradling a baby in her arms.

  “No! No! Stay away!” the woman cried out.

  It did not take long for her voice to be heard by the Lacerator; its footsteps hastened. Rudolph instantly ran out of the house, staring directly into the monster’s hungry eyes. “Hah!” he deflected the Lacerator’s arms and spun around in a circle before swinging his bde in a single motion. He heard a thump, followed by a hard sm. The Lacerator now lied next to his feet, and bck liquid spurted out of its decapitated body. But he knew it was not totally dead.

  Rudolph darted back into the house, shouting at the sobbing woman, “Come, let’s go!”

  Although hesitant at first, the woman obeyed his order and followed him outside. “Stick to the road and run toward the citadel gate. No matter what you hear or see, do not stop.”

  The woman nodded his head and bolted off with the soldier tailing her closely from behind. “What’s going on? I was just about to go to bed, but then I heard a big explosion-.”

  “Focus on getting yourself and your child to safety first, ma’am,” Rudolph retorted.

  BAM!

  A Lacerator burst out of the house in front of them, prompting Rudolph to step in between the monster and the woman. However, a shadowy figure soon leaped out of the destroyed residence, a silvery glint by its side.

  Rudolph gasped as soon as the moonlight cast its light on the silhouette, revealing the white porcein mask on their face. “No, it can’t be,” the soldier murmured.

  The Night Terror nded in front of the Lacerator, their falchion completely drawn. Like the sword, their snowy robe was smeared with countless bck dots and lines. Ignoring the soldier’s presence, the viginte taunted the Lacerator with their fingers. As a response, the monster angrily charged toward them, and all it took was one swift motion of the sword to effortlessly split the creature in half. However, the viginte’s action was loud enough to attract the attention of more Lacerators, it did not take long for them to come running toward the noise.

  Realizing this, the Night Terror waved his sword over his head, creating a translucent curtain that canvased the area.

  “W-What is this?” said the woman, her eyes widened in fear.

  “A diversion. Close your eyes, and don’t open them until I said so,” Rudolph ordered.

  Shortly after the woman shut her eyes, two Lacerators emerged from an alleyway. They began to sniff the air; their eyes actively scanned the surroundings. Sauntering around, one of them stopped directly in front of Rudolph.

  The soldier halted his breathing as the Lacerator’s hideous face closed in on his. He firmly gripped the woman’s arm, bringing her closer to his side. Fortunately, the monsters lost their interest and immediately returned to where they came from. Rudolph let out a sigh of relief, but he felt something cold touched his throat.

  “An elderly soldier on the battlefield. How interesting,” the Night Terror remarked, the edge of their falchion pressed against the soldier’s neck.

  “Sir?” the woman said nervously, but Rudolph instantly grabbed her hand and reassured her everything was fine.

  “If you’re pnning to kill me, at least let her and her child go.”

  “You insult me, sir. I never put my hands on civilians…and good soldiers,” the viginte replied before sheathing their bde. “There is a secret tunnel north from here which will lead you into the citadel. It is not far from here, but there is no guarantee our road is safe.”

  “Noted. Go on then, show us the way…please,” Rudolph muttered.

  ***

  [Five minutes ter…]

  Sticking the shadows, they finally reached a sewer entrance hidden behind a thick bush. It was rge enough for one person to fit through and looked like it had not been used for a long time. “Follow the wall until you meet a man dressed in white. He will give you temporary accommodation until everything settles down.”

  The woman looked at Rudolph warily, wondering if the viginte was speaking the truth. The old soldier, in turn, gave him a warm smile and said, “Just do what he says, ma’am. You’re going to be alright, I promise.”

  “A-Alright,” said the woman before giving Rudolph a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you, sir. I’ll never forget this.”

  Rudolph nodded his head sheepishly and watched in silence as the woman scurried into the shadows.

  “Now, I remember where I’ve seen you before,” said the Night Terror. “You were that king's personal guard, aren’t you?”

  “King Cyrus is his name, and I am still His Radiance personal guard.”

  “Which makes it so much sadder. An absent king, and a traitorous prince – it must be devastating for you.”

  “Whoever broke down that wall, was not the prince of the Opal Sun. He will never betray his people,” Rudolph growled.

  “Yet, it does not change the fact that the Edge is overrun with monsters,” said the Night Terror. “Leave this pce before it’s too te, soldier. Spend your remaining days with your family. You don’t owe the king anything.”

  “I owe His Radiance my word,” Rudolph quickly retorted. “The Empyreans are the beacons of hope for the people of this kingdom. They will bring peace to this nd once more like the great King Apollo.”

  The Night Terror stared at Rudolph for a brief moment. Then, the viginte shook their head and said, “Your faith in them is commendable, soldier. However, if you return to the battlefield in your condition, you will surely die. If those Distorted did not kill you, your injury will.”

  Rudolph pced his hand on his breastpte, his chest was still aching and he also realized it was getting more difficult for him to breathe. “If fate dictates it, so be it. Besides, I am not the only one who is eager to see Prince Jason ascend the throne.”

  The viginte quickly turned away from the soldier, but Rudolph immediately added, “If anything happens to me, please look over those three. They are still young and have much to learn, but they are the only ones who can restore this broken kingdom.”

  “Asking an infamous criminal like me for help is unknightly of you.”

  “I’m asking as one warrior to another -- one that cares deeply for his people and, his mothernd. Please, consider this my dying request.”

  The Night Terror spun around to face Rudolph and bowed their head slightly. “Then, I will abide by your request, Rudolph of the Royal Guard. They will be under my protection; you have my word.”

  “Thank you,” said Rudolph before walking past the viginte; his eyes focused on the destroyed vilge. He gnced over his shoulder, expecting the Night Terror behind him but they were already gone. Taking a deep breath, he pulled a heart-shaped locket from his breastpte and whispered, “Forgive me, my love. Forgive me.”