The Calm Before the Storm

ASENA

After the night of the fire, many things changed. A fence had been built around the camp, and only a few squads were leaving the fields at one time. Whenever the squads were mobilized, I knew that they were about to raid another village in Dolorem Valley, and I could barely stand that thought. Innocents were dying while I was forced to sit within the camp because, yes, Kaan made me stay with my “favorite” companion—Dritan.

Since I would have gone insane sitting in the tent, I often went to sit by a stream. I found staring at the water flow soothing. It made my thoughts less hectic. Unfortunately, it couldn't silence my anxieties.

The words I had heard from the spirits occupied my mind. They'd said that my death would restore balance as if I would have to die for everything to flow in its natural course. I didn't think that there was another way to interpret those words. A knot rose in my throat every time I thought about it. It sounded like I lived only to die at the right place