Thank you for reading on ! We provide free access to all our stories, but maintaining this platform requires ongoing costs. To keep the site running and continue offering free content, we display advertisements. You can close the ads anytime, or upgrade to premium membership ($5/month) for an ad-free reading experience while supporting our mission. You can also earn premium for free by completing simple tasks. We truly appreciate your understanding and support!"Look who the true enemy is," Liona muttered as she stood at the edge of the battlefield, her gaze fixed on Cira, who was positioned protectively in front of her dragon. Liona hoped the forest would reveal a path, allowing her to infiltrate the enemy camp and rescue Cira. But just as she prepared to move, a woman with golden eyes and fiery red hair blocked her way. "Is that where you think you're going?" the woman challenged. Liona felt a strange familiarity about the woman, sensing a power that reminded her of Abril.Hesitating, she ordered several monsters to attack, hoping to distract her opponent. But with a single swing of her sword, which glimmered with an intense light, the woman dispatched the monsters effortlessly. "You'll need to do much more than that if you want to escape," she taunted. Liona scanned her surroundings, searching for a monster that could serve as a distraction, knowing she was no match for the woman before her. Enora launched a thrust with her sword, but Liona knew she had to keep the woman occupied. "If you want to get out of this place alive, you need to keep her distracted.Don't leave her alone!" Liona spotted a massive bird-like creature nearby and called to it, along with a few other monsters. "Get it! We'll see what happens." With that command, the enormous bird swooped down, attacking the woman. Enora halted her assault, but in that moment of distraction, the woman vanished among the chaos of monsters. "Damn it! That slippery witch," Enora cursed, realizing she was now surrounded. Dantriel rushed to her side, helping to fend off the creatures. "Don't get upset, my queen," he said, trying to calm her. "I wanted to kill that woman.She seems to be leading the army of monsters, but she escaped like a coward." Dantriel searched for the woman but found no trace of her. He focused instead on protecting their kingdom. Meanwhile, Abril and Alessandro arrived, shocked to see the mountains of Vaizel shrouded in a thick, dark cloud. The roar of battle echoed in their ears. Abril turned to Alessandro, her expression grave. "What should we do?" she asked. Before they left, Alessandro had instructed Cassian, "We will be better served if he leads the army." "I'll do that. Just be careful," she replied.noveldrama"You too," he said, determination in his voice. With that, Alessandro took Abril's hand, and they soared into the sky, flying toward the fray. As they hovered over the camp, Abril caught sight of Cira. She turned to Alessandro, her heart racing. "Where is she?" When they landed, Abril unsheathed her daggers, ready for a fight. "Cira!" she shouted, spotting her sister. Seeing the kings of Cosette attacking Cira, Hans shielded her with his body. "Lower your weapons!" he commanded. "Step aside if you don't want to see her hurt.I won't let her escape." Hans could sense Abril's bloodlust as she focused on Cira, and he knew he had to convince her to lower her weapons. "She is not our enemy! She is not the one we should be aiming at, but the monsters attacking us!" "No, she is our enemy! She opened the doors for them. How can you say she isn't?" "Cira is not being controlled by the darkness," Abril replied, her voice steady. Abril had been so intent on attacking Cira that she hadn't noticed the absence of darkness surrounding her sister. Cira raised her hands high, a sign of surrender. "I am disarmed and powerless.I won't attack you." "You caused all this chaos. Why should I let you live?" Abril demanded. "Because if you attack me now, you would be worse than a heartless assassin, consumed by the very darkness you've fought against." Abril hesitated, her weapons still raised. Alessandro echoed her thoughts, "What are you doing here?" "The story is long, and I don't think this is the best time to tell it," Cira replied, glancing back at the ongoing battle. Abril hated to admit it, but Cira had a point. She felt torn, struggling with her mistrust."If you don't trust me, then you'll only cause more deaths. I may have been dominated by darkness, but right now, I am not a threat. The army of monsters attacking us is the real danger. My magic is sealed, and this camp is the safest place." Abril studied her sister, searching for any sign of deceit. Cira appeared earnest, and after a moment of contemplation, she decided to give her a chance. "Don't run away. If you don't doubt me, I won't attack you." "I won't run. I have nowhere to go," Cira replied, determination in her eyes.Abril joined the battle, her flames consuming everything they touched. Enzo approached her, urgency in his voice. "It's late." "I did a lot in the battle," she replied, her focus unwavering. "No, but I really wish you had arrived earlier. I need you." Abril dispatched a monster that had attacked her from behind, tossing one of her daggers with precision. "I saw Cira at the camp." "Is she attacking?" Enzo asked, moving toward the camp. In that moment of distraction, another monster lunged at Abril, but she quickly released another dagger, destroying it. "Stay focused on the battlefield.Don't get distracted!" she warned. "Is she a threat to Cira?" Enzo pressed. "I haven't done anything to her." "She is not the enemy, Abril." Abril hoped what he said was true. If it wasn't, she would have no choice but to drive a dagger through Cira's heart and end it. "I understand," she replied, steeling herself. As Cosette's army joined the fray, Sirius and the wizards raised a protective barrier around the camp. Hans felt a wave of relief wash over him; the barrier would keep them safe, especially since Cira was unable to fight and defend herself from her pursuers.Liona had retreated, realizing that the enemy army had grown too large, making it impossible to reach Cira.