Looking back, the details of how I’d fought through the warriors who tried to slow me down were a blur, but the vivid image of blood-soaked soil remained sharp in my mind, forever etched into my memory. The earth beneath me was damp, slick with the remnants of violence.
Carlo had recovered from his stumble, but the reprieve was fleeting. A faint flicker of flame sparked in his palm, only to extinguish as quickly as it appeared. Then came the blow-a crushing strike to his chest that sent him sprawling backward, landing on his knees with a pained grunt.
I didn’t feel the strain of running. My focus was razor-sharp as I carved through the warriors who dared block my path. The morning sun caught the blade of a sword poised above Carlo’s exposed neck, its pale metal gleaming with lethal intent.
The warrior holding the blade was massive, easily the largest man I had ever seen. He raised the weapon high, the motion deliberate, calculated, as if savoring the moment. Time slowed as he brought the blade down.
But instead of the sickening sound of flesh and bone giving way, there was a flash-blinding, brilliant, and overwhelming. No blood spilled. Instead, Carlo’s form erupted in an explosion of pure light, radiant beams of white and gold that shattered the air.
I threw my arm over my eyes, the searing brightness piercing even through my clenched lids. Heat rolled over me in waves, an all-consuming warmth that felt both foreign and familiar. Seconds stretched into eternity before the light began to fade, leaving a charred ring of warriors collapsed around Carlo’s kneeling figure.
His skin radiated heat, the tan surface shimmering as wisps of smoke curled away from him in the sunlight. His hair, now aflame with vibrant gold, seemed to pulse with life itself. When he stood, his eyes gleamed like fragments of the sky, filled with the raw power of the sun. He wasn’t just Carlo anymore-he was the High Lord of the Day Court, and the forest fell silent in reverence.
The quiet was deafening, spreading across the stunned warriors and into the trees. Even Isotta, who had taken a furious step forward, hesitated for a moment, her expression flickering between rage and disbelief. But the only one who seemed utterly confused by what had just happened was Carlo himself.
“Kill them,” Isotta hissed, her earlier poise unraveling into fury. Her voice, once a lilting command, was now sharp and venomous.
The warriors hesitated, their grips tightening on swords as their gazes darted between one another. Doubt clouded their eyes. They were torn between two impossible fates: defying Isotta or facing the wrath of a newly risen High Lord.
I knew I had to act fast. My voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Leonardo, your true High Lord, is alive!” The weight of dozens of stares fell on me, but I pushed through my own surprise, desperation lending strength to my words. “We’re fighting to save this realm-to save all realms-without destroying humanity in the process. This is not a battle you want to fight.”
Isotta’s laugh rang out, brittle and chilling. Her next words twisted in my stomach like a blade. “You’re too late for that,” she sneered, shaking her head as though the truth was painfully obvious. “The bridge between realms is crumbling. That’s why the portals are appearing everywhere, unstable and chaotic. Soon, the bridge will collapse completely, and the Fae realm will implode-leaving everyone trapped here to perish.”
Fear gripped me, but even as her words sunk in, I noticed shimmering threads of emerald magic weaving through the air. The ground trembled beneath us, sending shockwaves of chaos rippling through the camp.
From the treetops, warriors descended-Earth Court soldiers with skin like bark and soil, their armor gleaming bronze and their clothing rich shades of green. They moved with a natural grace, their presence commanding and fierce.
“Allies!” I shouted to Carlo, who had tensed to attack.
The Earth Court’s arrival brought a mix of reactions. Some warriors, uncertain of where their loyalties lay, dropped their swords and shed their armor, unwilling to continue fighting. But others took their arrival as a betrayal and renewed their assault with savage determination.
The battlefield became a storm of magic and blades. I marveled at the Earth Court warriors as they fought, their movements synchronized, their magic strengthening one another in perfect unity. They turned the tide of the battle, protecting me and Carlo from the onslaught.
I turned just in time to see Isotta disappear into a portal, two warriors flanking her. Fury flared in my chest, but there was no time to pursue her. The fighting slowed as more warriors surrendered, their swords clattering to the ground. One by one, they bent the knee, acknowledging the inevitability of their defeat.
Andrea, the Earth Court’s leader, moved through the crowd, offering quiet words to his soldiers as he passed. His armor, bronze etched with gold that gleamed in the sunlight, marked him as their commander. Dirt streaked his tanned skin, and his red hair was a disheveled mess, but the frustration in his eyes burned brighter than any battle weariness.
When he finally reached me, his usual charming grin was absent, replaced by a grim determination. “Glad to see you’ve survived, Ella,” he said, his voice steady but edged with urgency. “I hope you’ve got a plan-because we’re almost out of time.”