Meanwhile, the sea did not move the same way here. It felt different. Quieter on the surface, but deeper somehow. Like it was hiding something beneath the stillness. The horizon stretched endlessly, blending into a pale sky that gave nothing away. No birds circled above. No ships passed. Just water… and the uneasy sense that beyond it lay something no one had returned from.
Sea Crest, the edge.
Cedric stood near the front, eyes fixed on that endless line where the world seemed to stop. The wind tugged at his cloak, but he barely felt it. His hands rested against the railing, fingers tightening and loosening without rhythm.
Behind him, the remnants of Cliffland gathered in small clusters. Quiet voices. Tired faces. The Madian warriors stood apart, disciplined, watchful, their presence the only thing that still felt solid.
Three days. That was how long they had been here. Three days of waiting. Three days of watching the empty horizon.
Each morning, Cedric had woken with the same thought. She will come today. Each night, he had gone to sleep with the same silence.
Yet no sign, no trace, nothing.
By the fourth day, even the wind seemed to lose patience. "It is clear," Rita said, her voice cutting through the stillness. "She might have died."
No one argued, not out loud. A few heads lowered. Others turned away, staring at the sea as if it might disagree.
But it didn't. It just stayed there. Endless, and indifferent.
Cedric didn't turn. He didn't react immediately. His jaw tightened slowly, like he was holding something back. "No," he said finally. The word came low, but firm. "Let's wait one more day."
A pause followed.
Then Helen stepped forward. Her boots struck the deck with quiet certainty. She didn't hesitate, didn't soften the truth. "She told us herself." Cedric's shoulders tensed.
"She is probably dead." The words landed harder than Rita's. More final, more real.
Helen's gaze shifted briefly to the horizon, then back to him. "We have to keep moving." Her voice dropped slightly. "Before they find out where we are."
That was the part no one wanted to say out loud. They were exposed here. Waiting wasn't just hope. It was a risk.
Cedric turned slowly. His eyes met hers. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, he pressed his hands together. Not in command, not in authority. But in something else. "Please."
The word felt strange coming from him. "Just one more day." His voice cracked at the edges, barely holding together.
Helen exhaled sharply. She looked at him differently now. Not as a leader, not as a commander, but as someone close to breaking.
Her gaze softened just slightly. "Alright," she said after a moment. "We wait till morning.".The words came with weight.
Clear, and final.
"After that, we move."
Cedric nodded quickly like he was afraid she might take it back.
The night came: Slow, and heavy.
The sea darkened, swallowing what little light remained. The horizon disappeared completely, leaving nothing but shadow and the sound of water brushing against wood.
Cedric didn't sleep. He stood where he always did, watching a darkness that gave nothing in return.
Morning came anyway: cold, pale, and unforgiving. Yet there were no sign of Evelyn, or any boat nearby.
Cedric stared for a long time. Longer than anyone else. Then his shoulders dropped.
Just slightly enough.
He turned away from the sea. And something in his face had changed. "She is dead." The words came out flatt. "We must move now."
No one argued.
This time, there was nothing left to argue with. Ropes were loosened. Hands moved quickly, efficiently. The crew didn't waste time. They couldn't afford to. The ships creaked softly as preparations began, sails shifting, lines dropping one by one.
Cedric stepped back, his gaze no longer on the horizon. Not anymore.
Then, Helen froze. It was subtle, just a pause. But it was enough. "A boat is approaching." Her voice cut through everything.
Low, yet sharp.
Cedric turned fast. His eyes scanned the distance.
At first, he saw nothing. Then, he saw a shape. Small, barely there, cutting through the water. Moving toward them.
His breath caught. "That must be her." The words came out before he could stop them.
Hope: it was raw, and dangerous.
He turned to the guards. "Stop the ships!".The command snapped them into motion. Ropes tightened again. Movement reversed. The ships slowed, then steadied, waiting.
The small boat drew closer. Slowly, too slowly. Every second stretched. Every detail sharpened. Tbey began to see the person paddling clearer now
Cedric recognised her, even from a distance. Cedric's chest tightened. Then, elief hit him hard. "Evelyn!"
He didn't wait, he didn't think. He moved forward, calling out to her, his voice breaking through the air.
The figure in the boat lifted her head. Evelyn.
She smiled faintly. She was obviously tired. She raised her hand. A small wave but it was enough.
They waited as the boat closed the final distance. Hands reached down, pulling her up, steadying her as she stepped onto the deck.
Cedric closed the gap between them instantly. And pulled her into him tightly. Like letting go wasn't an option anymore.
For a moment, nothing else mattered. Then Helen spoke. "Move the ships!" Helen's voice rang out again.
Clear, and commanding.
Immediately lines dropped. Sails caught the wind. The ships turned, and slowly, they began to move forward. Into the unknown.
Meanwhile, the army of Ashford moved into the City of Cliffland. The great city did not greet them with resistance. It greeted them with silence.
Felicia Kenwool rode at the front, her armor catching the pale light as her ship slowed at the seashore. No guards. No horns. No desperate last stand. Just the wind slipping through empty streets like it owned the place.
Something felt wrong. She raised a hand. The ships behind her slowly stopped. No one spoke. Then slowly, she scanned the shore.
The first body lay just beyond the shore. Then another closer to the city gate. Face down, and still.
Then another. And another.
By the time they reached the inner streets, it was no longer something they could count. It was everywhere. Soldiers of Ashford. Men who had marched with her. Fought beside her before now.
Now scattered across stone and dirt, their armor dulled by dust, their weapons lying useless beside them. "They killed all Ashford warriors. Someone must have informed them."
Felicia walked slowly. Her boots hit the ground with a dull thud. She walked forward, stepping between bodies, her gaze moving from one face to another. Some she recognized. Others she didn't.
It didn't matter. They were all Ashford warriors. A colossal loss to the Ashford forces. The kind that didn't settle quietly. The kind that burned.
Her hands clenched at her sides. "Find survivors, bring ne every Cliffland warrior alive. Bring me the lords of the city." she ordered.
Her voice was steady, burning with fury. The soldiers moved quickly, spreading through the city, checking corners, kicking open doors, searching for anything that still breathed.
Minutes passed. Then one of them returned. "There are none." The words hung in the air.
Final.
Felicia's eyes darkened. No warriors.
She turned slowly, her gaze sweeping across the city one more time.
Empty, and unanswered. Her jaw tightened. "Burn them."
The command came without hesitation. Without pause. Fire caught quickly.
Dry wood. Abandoned homes. Forgotten banners. The flames spread from one building to the next, climbing walls, devouring everything in their path. Smoke rose thick into the sky, turning day into something darker.
The lords of Cliffland were dragged out, some shouted, raining curses. While others begged for the lives.
Some tried to explain that they weren't involved in the catastrophic decision.
"Where is Cedric and the Maiden warriors?" But none could respond.
"We do not know, my lady."
That got Felicia angry. "Kill them all."
The lords screamed. Some began to explain Felicia didn't listen. One by one, they fell. Steel, blood, then silence.
No mercy, not today. By the time the flames settled into ash, Cliffland was no longer a city. It was a memory.
Felicia stood at the edge of the harbor as the last ship prepared to leave. She didn't look back.
There was nothing left to see. The sea carried them away back to Ashford.
Fabio did not interrupt her when she spoke. He sat in his chamber, hands resting on the arm of his seat, his face unreadable as Felicia delivered the report. Every word. Every loss. Every decision.
When she finished, the room stayed quiet. For a moment too long.
Then, Theon stepped forward. No hesitation. No doubt. Cliffland has been promised to him. "I guess it is time I return to Cliffland with my wife." Fabio nodded once, and that was enough.
By the next morning, they began their sail to Cliffland.