I

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  Arc I Chapter 5

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  11th Anima Lunar VIII AAC 753

  Driven by her instincts, Aurora chose to run, hunted by a chorus of voices.

  “Get her!”

  “Where is she?”

  “Are you blind, you idiots?”

  “She got away!”

  “She is right there!”

  “I see her!”

  “After her!”

  “What the fuck are you waiting for?!”

  “Get your fucking arses moving!”

  Her journey ended the moment the reached a wide clearing, but not the way she expected. Her footwear failed her.

  Life taught Aurora a painful lesson, cute boots with frills were not the best choice for running. Her feet slipped on the mud, and she stumbled, falling. Her pursuers closed in from all sides. Her enemies surrounded her and more of them arrived every second with the sole purpose of killing her.

  The unknown man from before stepped forwards. His blade glimmered in the dark. “You caused us quite some trouble, Lady Aurora. Why are you even running away? Be a good girl, do not make things more complicated than strictly necessary. Just accept your fate and die”

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  “...” In a final act of defiance, Aurora rose. Her hands trembled in fear, but her resolve did not waver. Her entire life, she had been trained for this moment.

  Aurora readied her spell, summoning a purple octagon. Her magic might be weak, but she was still a Schwarz, and fire her primary element. The blood of her ancestors coursed through her veins. She was a brave girl, and she stood her ground. “Do not come any closer! Stay where you are ...”

  “Or what? Your feeble magic does not scare us.” The enemy chuckled. Her antics clearly amused him. Ignoring her warnings, the man stepped closer.

  Aurora activated her spell. Desperation forced her. “Ignis!” Fire heeded her call. Pouring everything into her attack, a fire bolt shot forwards to vanquish her enemy, to banish the darkness with its radiance. Yet her attack failed. The enemy dispatched her feeble attempt with ease. A simple shield spell sufficed, as a black array blocked her fire bolt. Her flames dissipated.

  “...” The strength of her spell evidently surprised her enemy. She might be considered a failure, but she would not go down this easily! Yet her enemy remained unimpressed. The man merely smiled, his lips smirking in amusement. Malicious glee filled his eyes.

  “...” Aurora backed off, but she had nowhere to run. His men had encircled her.

  The man readied his blade. “Was that everything? You disappoint me, Lady Aurora von Schwarz. It is time to end this farce.” Mana strengthened his body and coated his blade in lightning. Sparks of electricity illuminated the air.

  Cornered, Aurora stiffened. “No ... Stay away ...”

  He struck. His strike did not miss. His sword pierced her chest, her lungs. Nothing stopped his blade. His lightning burned a gaping hole through her torso.

  The man leaned closer, whispering in her ears. “It is over. Sleep well, Lady Aurora, sweet dreams.” The man extracted his sword and her dying body collapsed, a body beyond salvation.

  “Huh ... Huh ... Huh ...” Aurora coughed blood as her world turned dark. A shivering cold gripped her limbs, making them lose any remaining force. The world felt cold, so terribly cold. The air, the ground, the forest, turned to ice as reality faded into eternal darkness.

  Was this meant to be her end?

  Tears were running down her cheeks. Sadness, sorrow, loneliness overcame her tender heart. Aurora feared death. She did not want to die. Her whole life she had fought. Her whole life she had struggled to reach the stars in vain.

  Always overshadowed by her elder brother, always looked down upon, always ridiculed, Aurora gave her best to match her brother. Her efforts had ultimately failed. Forever unable to match her brother, she never fulfilled the expectation placed upon her, but it was all over now.

  For one last time, Aurora smiled amidst the pouring rain. Her eyelids closed, and her breath ceased. Her death fitted her disappointing life. If only she was stronger. If only she had the strength to carry the weight of her burdens ... Yet, her wishes were never meant to come true ...

  ...

  ...

  ...

  Do you think so~?

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  “...” Guenther sheathed his sword after witnessing the girl’s last dying moments. Her body had ceased to move. Her breathing had stopped. “Time to leave. Our job here is done.”

  “Ludwig!” Guenther summoned his second in command.

  “Yes, Captain!”

  “Gather the men, Ludwig. We must return to the coach. We must destroy all the evidence. We cannot leave all the corpses behind ...” Guenther froze. His senses sharpened.

  Something was wrong. Something was very wrong. The surrounding aether acted strangely. The elements vibrated, oscillated, trembled. A cold, sinister, tenebrous aura saturated the air. Something powerful disrupted, distorted the aether of the land. “Ludwig, do you feel ... this?”

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