“No—come here!”

  A woman’s shout shattered the silence. Panic filled her voice.

  “It’s fine, Mom! I’m strong!” a small voice answered.

  ?lyara lifted her head and looked toward the sound.

  A child stood in the middle of the dark street. For a moment she had to narrow her eyes—then she recognized her.

  It was the red-haired girl she had spoken to earlier.

  ?lyara couldn’t understand her mother’s panic.

  What’s the big deal if it’s dark? she thought.

  Just then the innkeeper muttered through clenched teeth.

  “Damn it… that girl will never learn.”

  He hurried toward the door.

  He was about to open it when the waitress and several customers stepped in front of him.

  “No!” the waitress said.

  “You can’t go outside. It’s too dangerous. They must be right nearby by now.”

  Someone else added,

  “We don’t know how long the barrier will hold.”

  “I heard there’s a crack in the barrier,” another whispered.

  In an instant, the atmosphere inside the inn changed.

  Everyone fell silent.

  Fear settled over the room like a heavy fog.

  ?lyara felt herself drawn into it as well.

  Then—

  Boom.

  The inn trembled slightly.

  ?lyara flinched.

  Another impact followed.

  Boom.

  This one was heavier.

  Something… or several things… were striking the barrier.

  After every hit, the sky flashed briefly with blue light.

  The windows rattled.

  Some people inside the inn clung to each other. Others retreated into corners and waited in silence.

  The innkeeper grew even more furious.

  “Move aside!” he shouted, lunging for the door.

  At that moment, the white-haired woman raised her hand.

  A pale glow shimmered between her fingers.

  A thin, translucent barrier formed in front of the door.

  The innkeeper didn’t notice it and touched the door.

  A sudden invisible force hurled him backward.

  He staggered several steps before crashing onto the floor on his back.

  The faint blue light still shimmered in front of the doorway.

  “Sorry,” the white-haired woman said calmly.

  “But I can’t allow you to put everyone in danger.”

  The innkeeper gritted his teeth and got to his feet. He glared at the woman.

  Just then—

  Boom.

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  This strike was far stronger.

  The blue barrier covering the sky trembled from top to bottom.

  Then its light began to fade.

  Everyone inside the inn looked up at the same time.

  The barrier… was fading.

  “No…” someone said hoarsely.

  “What are we supposed to do now?”

  The same person turned to the white-haired woman.

  “Can’t you fix the barrier?”

  The woman slowly shook her head.

  “I’m afraid not,” she said.

  “I can’t protect such a wide area on my own.”

  Her words left a heavy silence hanging in the inn.

  ?lyara turned back toward the window.

  The little girl was still standing in the street.

  A restless unease filled ?lyara.

  Whatever they were waiting for… it had to be something truly dangerous. There could be no other explanation for people with such magical power to be this afraid.

  “Hey! I’m here!” the little girl shouted.

  The flames in her hands grew brighter.

  “You can’t do anything to me! I’m a Fire Alkan!” There was a childish pride in her voice.

  For a moment, everything fell silent.

  Then—

  footsteps.

  Slow.

  Heavy.

  With every step, the sand on the ground trembled slightly.

  “No… it can’t be,” the mother whispered. She tried to rush outside, but a man inside the house held her back.

  Then she suddenly shouted,

  “Come home! Now! Don’t stand there!”

  ?lyara frowned.

  “Why aren’t the grey-armored men going to help?” she muttered.

  Then she added,

  “The armed men who patrol the town during the day …”

  The people inside the inn looked at her with blank expressions.

  Only then did ?lyara realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud.

  The innkeeper shook his head.

  “Ta?kans,” he said.

  “They keep order and protect people during the day. They can’t do anything against yargars.”

  Ta?kans.

  Yargars.

  ?lyara’s throat went dry.

  “It’s forbidden to go outside at night,” someone else said.

  “If you do, you accept the consequences. Everyone knows that.”

  He looked out the window and pointed outside with a trembling hand.

  “One of them is coming…”

  ?lyara looked carefully outside.

  The bushes behind the little girl shifted slightly.

  Something stepped out of the darkness.

  For a moment… it looked human.

  But only for a moment.

  It was nearly two meters tall. Its limbs resembled a human’s, but they were unnaturally long. Its shoulders were narrow, its back slightly hunched. Its skin was pale, a sickly pink—as if it had never seen sunlight.

  Its head was far too large for its body. Not a single hair covered it.

  Its eyes…

  were gone.

  Only a deep darkness.

  But its nose—

  two wide, hollow openings sat in the center of its face. With every breath, they flared and contracted, greedily pulling the air inside like a starving animal.

  When its mouth opened, long teeth appeared. When it closed again, several still remained outside its lips.

  Its claws were even longer—thin fingers ending in curved hooks.

  The creature tilted its head slightly.

  It was listening.

  Then it slowly bent down.

  Its long fingers brushed across the ground.

  It lifted its head.

  Raised its nose into the air.

  It was sniffing.

  Suddenly it appeared right in front of the little girl.

  Everyone inside the inn held their breath.

  A man inside the house across the street grabbed the mother and covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide with terror, silent tears running down her cheeks.

  The creature slowly raised its hand.

  Its long claws looked like dark hooks in the night.

  ?lyara held her breath.

  The hand began to descend toward the little girl.

  The little girl, frightened yet stubborn, hurled the flame in her hand.

  The fire struck the creature’s hand.

  The creature let out a thin shriek and jerked its arm back. Its massive body curled inward for a moment. But almost immediately it lifted its head again and looked at its hand, as if it could see it.

  Then it bared its teeth in fury and raised its arm once more.

  ?lyara froze where she stood.

  She had never seen a creature like this before. Her heart pounded violently in her chest.

  For a brief moment, the little girl lifted her head and looked at ?lyara. It seemed as though she recognized her.

  But this time there was fear in her eyes.

  ?lyara stepped closer to the window and slowly pushed it open.

  “What are you doing? Close it, quickly!” the white-haired woman shouted.

  ?lyara didn’t even hear her.

  All her attention was on the little girl.

  Before she realized it, she found herself out in the street, standing in front of the child.

  The girl’s eyes widened in shock.

  Again? ?lyara thought.

  She slowly turned around.

  The creature was right in front of her.

  Its long claws slashed toward her.

  ?lyara shut her eyes in fear, accepting what was about to happen.

  Then—

  a sharp metallic sound rang out.

  When ?lyara opened her eyes slightly, she saw that the creature’s claws had stopped.

  Steel flashed between them.

  Cold steel held the creature’s claws back.

  The one holding the sword was the uniformed man.

  For a moment, ?lyara looked at his face.

  There was nothing there.

  No fear.

  No anger.

  As if the creature before him was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

  “Morhena!” the little girl said in a trembling voice. “The Morhena came to save us!”

  Behind them, a door suddenly opened.

  ?lyara turned her head and saw the girl’s mother. The little girl quickly grabbed ?lyara’s hand and pulled her inside.

  Still, ?lyara kept looking at the uniformed man and the creature.

  The door slammed shut.

  The mother lifted her daughter into her arms, hugging her tightly and covering her face with frantic kisses.

  ?lyara, however, walked back to the window.

  When she looked outside, she saw that the uniformed man was still standing in the street, facing the creature.

  Then something unexpected happened.

  The creature suddenly stopped.

  Its massive head slowly turned, as if searching for something. Then it raised its nose into the air and sniffed.

  Its nostrils trembled several times.

  Then it lowered its head and stepped back.

  Before leaving, the creature turned its head once more toward the uniformed man.

  It remained still for a moment.

  Then it turned and disappeared into the darkness.

  The uniformed man remained alone in the dark street.

  His sword hung loosely in his right hand.

  For a while, he watched the creature retreat.

  Then he lifted his head and turned toward the window where ?lyara was watching.

  Those same eyes were there again.

  Empty.

  Emotionless.

  But this time…

  it felt as though he truly saw her.