Aira and Alliot walked closer to the city walls, moving as silently as possible and keeping in the shadows. The night was as dark as they could have hoped. The sky was covered with clouds, and only the town's flickering lights were visible.

  Their talk, as usual, wouldn't give them away as all discussions of the enlightened and between Aira and those people went through magical channels. One of the things that unnerved Lila so much. One of the things that probably made her depart and seek for another contact with her fellow humans.

  "It's so strange to see a settlement go so dark and still at night," Alliot said. "For us, night isn't much different from day. It's still full of activity and work. The tasks might change, but that's it."

  "You said you enjoyed learning, here's a lesson for you," Aira said. "Humans can't draw energy from the environment like we can. But maybe this opportunity to observe them will show you there still are many similarities between our races… Your races… Whatever."

  With a nod to her partner, Aira darted forward, her movements a blur as she wove between shadows. It was time for them to split. Exactly as they planned. Alliot's task was to create a distraction on one side of the town, and Aira had to move to the other and infiltrate it as unnoticeably as possible.

  The exhilaration of using her skills, even in this diminished capacity Aira had left in this world, sang in her blood. She could feel Alliot's presence in the party chat and his energy signature falling behind further and further away.

  Was she going to follow his requests? If it was only Alliot, she probably wouldn't keep herself to only 'necessary' violence. She ached to punish people who dared to attack her friend. But then, there were also Lila's wishes. And she made it clear from day one: no human deaths unless there was no other option.

  Aira reached the opposite side of Mountain View without incident. This area didn't differ much from the place where she left Alliot. Same patrols and single guards on the walls. Same lights that tried to decipher some reason from the darkness of the night.

  "I'm ready," Aira messaged to Alliot. "It's time for you to begin."

  It didn't take long for the effects of Alliot's actions to spread all around the town's wall. It was like a wave of whispers and running orderlies spread around the defensive structures.

  Aira could hear loud voices and hushed whispers discussing something unexpected that was happening on the other side of the town. Strong gusts of wind suddenly leveled sections of the forest and even damaged the town's wall in one place. All non-essential personnel were ordered to report and help with clearing the debris.

  "It is too easy," thought Aira, sensing the energy signatures of the guards shifting again all over the wall and even within the town. "Could this really just go according to the plan?"

  Pausing in the darkness as another guard passed overhead, Aira almost vibrated with anticipation. Her fingers twitched, aching to unleash her magic and blast through the obstacles in their path. But she reined in the impulse, instead focusing on the rough stone beneath her fingertips as she began to climb.

  Higher and higher, Aira ascended, her body moving on instinct, finding handholds and footholds with preternatural ease. Her boosted base stats gave her not only additional force but also the dexterity to scale this obstacle and not even get winded. At the top, Aira crouched low, surveying the settlement spread out before her. It was precisely the right moment between the patrols. But she still had to remain in the shadows as much as possible.

  With the exception of the guards, the town was sleeping. And somewhere in there, Lila waited.

  ***

  From the height of the wall, Aira could finally hear at least some of the noises coming from the other side.

  "I'm not sure why Alliot thinks people wouldn't suspect a supernatural hiding behind this attack," she thought. "It's not like a storm of this power could be localized that much and come that unexpected."

  But whatever humans thought, Aira didn't care much. They had to fulfill their mission fast, and it didn't really matter what would happen in Mountain View later.

  Aira probed the town with her Energy Manipulation skill once again, pinpointing Lila's location. Now, she could better understand where exactly her friend was. Seeing the streets and some of the significant buildings helped Aira to put the energy blip from her magical vision against the town's plan.

  It was a building she had the honor to visit for a single night before her failed execution. Lila was in the town's prison.

  "I can confirm that Lila's isn't a guest of honor here," Aira said to Alliot over the party chat. "She is imprisoned."

  "But at least she's still alive," said Alliot. "Isn't she?"

  "Yes, she is," said Aira. "But her signature is very feeble."

  "I don't have much experience with humans," said Alliot. "Maybe she's just sleeping?"

  "I hope so," said Aira. "And I'll find out soon, I'm going in."

  "Good luck!" said Alliot. "Busy here. They're swarming the breach. Hard to keep them running… without hurting them."

  "Maybe you shouldn't restrain yourself," said Aira. "See you later."

  Aira moved swiftly and silently through the dark streets of Mountain View, keeping to the shadows cast by the flickering street light mounted on buildings. Her enhanced senses allowed her to anticipate the movements of the few remaining guards on patrol, easily avoiding detection. How much of her understanding of this place and her power has changed in the past few months? Now, she could almost draw a mental map of this place just by scanning the energy signatures of humans, animals, and plants that filled the town.

  A sense of unease gripped her as she drew closer to the prison. The streets were more familiar here and Aira couldn't avoid remembering their walks while she was still Elder Jorin's guest. And then, the same streets on their way to prison after Garrick usurped power.

  "Somehow, so much has happened since I first came to this town," Aira mumbled.

  "What is it?" asked Alliot.

  "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to send this message through the chat," said Aira. "It's just that I have a surprising amount of memories connected to this place. Not that it made me want to come back."

  But it was time to focus on Lila once again. Aira closed her eyes, letting her magical senses unfurl. Lila's signature was a flicker on the edge of her awareness, like the last ember of a dying fire. Each pulse was faint and erratic, sending a chill down Aira's spine. "Hold on, Lila," she whispered, gripping the stone wall beside her as if bracing herself against the weight of what she might find.

  Finally, the prison loomed ahead, a squat stone structure with tiny barred windows. Even if Aira had been tortured, she wouldn't have been able to guess which window was hers when she was a guest here. But she could easily sense which one was Lila's.

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  "I'm coming, dear," Aira thought. "Soon, I'll be with you."

  Two guards stood at the entrance, their postures alert despite the late hour. Aira crept closer, hiding herself behind a stack of crates as she considered her options.

  A frontal assault would be quickest, but it risked attracting too much attention even with most of the rangers distracted. Subtlety was key. Closing her eyes, Aira reached out with her Energy Manipulation, feeling for the threads of power that connected all living things. There—the guards. With a precise twist of magic, she sent a pulse, releasing precise shocks of energy that rendered them unconscious before anyone could raise the alarm.

  Aira darted forward, snatching the keys from one of their belts. She unlocked the heavy wooden door and slipped inside.

  The prison reeked of damp stone and stale sweat, a suffocating blend of mildew and desperation. The air clung to her skin, thick with the sour reek of sweat and mildew. Faint groans echoed through the narrow halls, and the iron bars of each cell were streaked with rust, jagged edges gleaming faintly in the dim torchlight. Somewhere in the shadows, a rat scurried, its claws scratching faint rhythms against the hard surfaces.

  Aira's boots scraped against the uneven stone floor as she moved down the hallway lined with cells. Her every step sounded louder than it should in the oppressive silence. Her heart hammering in her chest.

  Crude wooden stakes leaned against the walls between cells, their tips stained from practice drills. Carvings of unknown symbols and obscene words covered the doorframes, their edges worn smooth by anxious hands. A faint smell of burned herbs lingered in the air, a desperate attempt to purify a space steeped in fear.

  Where was Lila?

  While she could sense Lila's location in the space around her, it didn't help Aira find the shortest way to the needed cell. But she at least was able to locate the staircase promptly and got to the right floor.

  Lila's energy signature was closer and closer. But it didn't make it feel in any way stronger. On the contrary, now it appeared in Aira's magical senses as a light that reached the bottom of the candle. It was flickering erratically, almost extinguishing at moments and barely lighting up again.

  "Where are you?" Aira growled aloud, the sound echoing in the corridor and even spooking herself a little bit. "Where are you, Lila?!?"

  That was a mistake. A guard jumped out from a nook in the wall, brandishing some weapon in his hands. It was too dark to see what exactly it was, but his loud screams were obvious enough.

  "Stop! Don't move!" he shouted. "Who is there?"

  But then, after he noticed Aira's glowing eyes, the guard's tone changed.

  "An undead!" he squeaked. "We are under attack!"

  His voice was getting feeble as he was paralyzed by fear, even without any magical influence from Aira.

  Seeing the human, Aira froze in surprise as well. For a brief moment, as a wave of anger surged through her. She clenched her fists, forcing herself to focus. How could she not notice him? Where did he come from?

  Aira briefly analyzed her last probing. There were people in the cells surrounding her. And in her arcane vision, this nook looked just like another cell.

  All these people in the cells… And one of them was Lila, just a bit further away, behind this guard.

  "I can sense you influencing the humans," Alliot suddenly spoke through the party chat. "Just remember what we agreed upon."

  "I didn't kill anyone… yet," Aira said. "I remember."

  While Aira was distracted by Alliot, the guard shifted his position and now stood on his knees. He was mumbling something under his breath, and a pool of warm liquid was accumulating near his knee. The silent encounter with an undead shattered his resolve completely.

  "Who the hell decided this guy is ready for guard duty?" Aira thought and, finally, breaking her freeze, took a couple of steps toward the guy.

  The guard stumbled back, his weapon trembling with his hand. His wide eyes darted to Aira's glowing pupils, which burned like twin embers in the gloom. 'W-why are you here?' he croaked, his voice breaking as his knees buckled. Aira didn't respond, but her aura of power and determination was unmistakable, even for a human without access to the arcane.

  "Please, don't hurt me," he stammered. "You are here for the undead collaborator, right? I'll take you to her."

  With a nod, Aira confirmed his guess and followed the guard further through the dark corridor until they reached a small, dingy cell. Pretty similar to the one that hosted Aira a few months ago.

  With another growl, Aira prompted the guard to open the door.

  The sight that greeted her made her heart drop.

  "Aira?" a weak voice drifted from the cell. "Is that you?"

  Aira's breath caught as she stepped into the cell. Lila was a broken shadow of her usual self, her body crumpled on a primitive bunk. Her skin was marred with bruises that bloomed like ink stains across her arms. Her hair was matted with dried blood, and her ragged breaths rattled in her chest, each one a painful struggle that left her lips trembling.

  Only a few weeks had passed since they last seen each other. But if Aira hadn't sensed Lila's signature, it would have been hard to recognize her green-haired friend. Aira knelt beside her, her hands hovering above Lila's fragile form, afraid that even the gentlest touch might cause more harm.

  "What did you do to her?!" Aira roared at the guard, forgetting that this type of communication with humans wasn't possible for her anymore.

  The guard's face drained of color even more than before. Aira was even surprised there were any reserves left for that change.

  "Don't hurt me, please!" he squealed, raising his hands even higher than before. "I have kids! I have a family!"

  Aira gestured for him to leave and added a slight energy push to increase his speed as he ran down the corridor away from the cell. Her breath caught in her throat as she knelt beside her friend, gently touching Lila's shoulder.

  "Lila," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Lila, can you hear me?"

  For a moment, there was no response, as if that previous whisper took away the last of Lila's reserves.

  Aira's heart pounded in her chest, fear and rage swirling within her. Then, slowly, Lila's remaining eye fluttered open. "Aira?" she croaked, her voice weak and filled with pain.

  Aira felt a surge of relief. "Yes, Lila, it's me. I'm here. We're going to get you out of here."

  Lila's eye struggled to focus, her breath shallow and labored. She tried to speak, but her voice was barely a whisper.

  "They… they wanted to know more about you," she said. "And the facility. They were so fixated on… on the ancient treasures. I didn't… tell them anything. Didn't betray… the secrets of the Ancient City."

  Aira sat by Lila's bunk, her hand clasped around Lila's frail arm. She could see the strain on Lila's face and how her breaths came in short gasps. Aira reached up and brushed a stray hair away from Lila's forehead, tears filling her eyes as she watched her dear friend's strength slowly fade away.

  "Shh, it's okay, Lila," said Aira. "You did great. You were so brave. Just wait, I'll try to help you."

  Aira pushed with her Energy Manipulation skill, tapping into her reserves and pushing the energy toward Lila. Balancing between speed and being gentle so as not to burn Lila, not to make it even worse.

  For a moment, it looked like Lila relaxed a bit. Her eye fluttered closed, a faint smile playing on her lips. Ahhhh… Elder's breath, that feels… better. You're always… so stubborn… Aira. Promise me… you'll keep charging ahead… roots and all. Find your way… back to where you belong.

  "I promise," Aira choked out, her voice breaking. "I'll keep fighting. For you."

  Aira pushed a bit more energy toward Lila. But it didn't seem to change anything. Humans obviously had at least some analog of base stats, but Aira wasn't able to influence health with her skills. And improving them wasn't enough anymore.

  "Lila…" Aira's voice broke, tears welling up in her eyes. She gently cupped Lila's face, feeling the warmth slowly drain from her skin. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner… I should have protected you."

  Lila's eye fluttered open, focusing on Aira with a weak but determined gaze.

  "Aira… don't carry this weight," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "You've done… more than I could've hoped. You're like… a storm, impossible to stop. This was… never your fault… bark and roots, it's on me… for being reckless."

  Aira swallowed hard, fighting back the sobs threatening to escape her throat.

  "You didn't deserve this, Lila. None of this should have happened."

  Lila's hand weakly reached up, brushing Aira's cheek. "You… you stubborn tree… you listened… even when it made no sense. More than once, you carried me… roots and all. I wouldn't… be here… wouldn't have made it this far… without you…"

  Aira held Lila's hand against her cheek, feeling the tears spill over. "I'm not going to let them get away with this, Lila. I'll make sure they pay. I swear it."

  Lila's body shuddered once, then went still.

  With one last effort, Aira pushed even more energy into Lila. However, simultaneously, she sensed Lila's energy signature finally being extinguished completely.

  Aira cradled Lila's lifeless body, her hands trembling as her tears fell freely onto her friend's bloodied face. A raw and primal guttural growl rose from her throat, echoing off the cold stone walls. She didn't care who heard her—didn't care about stealth or survival anymore.

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