YEARS OF WAITING

PAST:CHAPTER 11

As soon as I turned towards my father, I said "I should leave now," by saying that I turned to go, but my father asked - "Where are you going?"

"I want to stop Qiao "

"Vaniah, please be safe, don't get hurt". Just nodding, I ran to wruya where I understood where Qiao would be. I knew I had to act fast, so I quickened my pace and sprinted towards Wruya, hoping to catch up to Qiao before it was too late.

"Why did the king order Yeon's death and Zorrel's capture?" my father asked the soldier holding the decree.

He replied, "The last time they fought with us, it was because we crossed the border and attempted to take over our kingdom; now Zorrel's general has tried to kill our king."

My father suddenly asked, "So what makes us different from them?"

After that, the soldiers held their heads down and one asked for the decree back since they wanted to give it to him. My father gave it to them. As soon as they got hold of it, they went as fast as they could to give him.

I understand that a fight between Sven and Zorrel can happen quickly. To make matters worse, Qiao and Yeon have a misunderstanding that could easily add fuel to the Sven-Zorrel conflict.

Unfortunately, luck was not on my side once again. I found myself in the midst of a chaotic and intense battle in Wruya. Soldiers were fighting each other with swords, and the clash of metal, the flying arrows, the burning of buildings, and the cries of pain filled the air. There was blood on the ground, soldiers were injured, and some civilians were involved as well. The atmosphere has transformed into a horrifying state, with smoke filling the air. It was a chaotic scene I could have never imagined - a scene of violence, death and destruction in a short period. I could feel the tension from the soldiers, and the fear from the civilians. There was a sense of desperation in the air.

But it was too late to turn back. I had to do whatever I could to defend Yeon and clear up the misunderstandings. Without hesitation, I ran into the fray with a bow and arrows in my hand, ready to face my opponents head on. I exchanged blows with some of them, shooting arrows at them while they attacked me with swords. All the while, I searched desperately for Qiao in the chaos.

While I was in a fight with them, I realized I ran out of arrows. So, I grabbed the sword that was stuck in one of the soldiers who had died and was lying on the ground. As I continued fighting against the soldiers, I saw Qiao and began making my way towards them by defeating anyone who tried to attack me.

When I arrived there, I got Qiao's attention and tried to explain everything to him amidst the chaos. He eventually understood something, but he informed me that we couldn't take any action because it was a royal order. At that moment, I noticed Yeon approaching us. I looked at Yeon with desperate eyes, unaware of an attacker coming from the side. Qiao attempted to protect me, but the attacker's sword cut my hand, causing me to hiss in pain. Qiao then instructed Yeon to take me away from there. Yeon was shocked by Qiao's words, but he complied and led me to hide behind a burnt building. Suddenly Yeon hold my hand with terrified but shining eyes and said -" we will able to experience a moment of peace in the midst of chaos in this life. I will feel the warmth of your smile and the rain will be the only witness. We will be together and nothing will matter."

He said that tears fell from his eyes, and I told Yeon, "Yeon, you once asked me why I decided to become a warrior. It's because I believed I would be able to find you. You left our kingdom without a word, and after you left, Qiao became my only source of happiness. But when he joined the military, I felt very lonely. That's another reason why I decided to join." Yeon looked at me with a sad expression.

"You don't have to be alone anymore," he said, squeezing my hand gently. "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere." He added

Suddenly something fell from the burned building and he quickly pulled me aside. He asked, "Aren't you afraid of dying?" I weakly smiled and replied, "Why should I be afraid? Even if I die, I've spent my last precious moment with the person I love most in the world."

He appeared sad and said, "Vaniah, please wait here. I will return."

"I will be with you too."

"Vaniah, please listen to me just this once. You're hurt, so please stay here." As he said that, he stood up without realizing that arrows were being shot at him from behind by Sven's soldiers who had spotted Yeon.Vaniah quickly grabbed Yeon and dived for cover as the arrows flew. Yeon felt a wave of shock and anger rush over him as he saw the arrows pierce Vaniah's body. His heart ached as he saw Vaniah's weak smile, knowing she sacrificed her life for him. "No," Yeon whispered. He held Vaniah in his arms, tears streaming down his face as he watched her life fade away.