Elsewhere, moans of pain could be heard clearly from an old building standing in the middle of the village. Its walls were dull, its wood rotten, and parts of its roof leaked. This was the village hall, now a temporary home for the survivors.
This was the same village Raven and his group had visited some time ago.
Shortly after Raven left the cave with the two bandits he had taken with him, Theo and several students who were still inside immediately followed him out. They did not wait any longer than necessary. The cave passage, which had been filled with the echoes of clashes, was now silent, leaving behind the smell of metal and rock dust that settled in the air.
As soon as they reached the mouth of the cave and walked a few meters through the trees, they ran into the group that had stayed outside: William, Riana, Erik, Leon, and the three students who had previously managed to escape the ambush. The meeting happened without warning, without a sigh of relief. Only their gazes locked in tense silence.
The condition of Theo and the others explained everything. Their clothes were torn, some holding wounds with makeshift cloths that had turned black with blood. Their steps were no longer steady; some were almost dragged along by bodies too exhausted to continue standing. Meanwhile, the faces of those who had come from outside were just as pale, overcome with anxiety and uncertainty.
Without needing much explanation, a decision was made instinctively. William, Erik, and Theo moved ahead to lead the way back, ensuring the direction and safety as best they could. Leon and Adriana helped support those with the most severe injuries, while the others walked in close formation, as if afraid that even the slightest distance could separate them again by danger.
The journey to the village was silent. The night forest felt longer than usual. Every snap of a twig sounded threatening, every gust of wind seemed to carry the shadow of the worst possible outcome. No one looked back.
Due to the urgency of the situation, they had no choice but to return to the village. Some were seriously injured, others walked in a semi-conscious state, surviving only because of their will to live.
After arriving at the village and learning that their group had been attacked by bandits, the village chief, who had initially been hesitant, finally relented out of pity. He allowed them to stay in the village, in accordance with the previous agreement when Raven and his group first arrived.
Inside the building, the air was thick with the smell of medicine and blood.
Several students lay on the floor with their bodies wrapped in makeshift bandages. Soft moans mixed with the hurried footsteps of several people trying to treat their friends' wounds. The oil lamp in the corner of the room flickered, adding to the gloomy atmosphere in the cold night.
Outside the village hall, the night was too quiet. Only the sound of crickets chirping and the wind rustling the leaves, like whispers that no one wanted to hear. The torches in the yard burned dimly, their light swaying gently in the wind.
On the front steps, William sat hunched over. His shoulders slumped, his gaze empty as he stared at the dark yard. The clock on his wrist had just passed midnight, but time seemed to have stood still since then.
He couldn't even remember how long he had been sitting there.
"Damn it..." he muttered softly. His hand rubbed his face roughly, as if trying to erase something invisible.
"How many more... how many more must die?" His breathing felt heavy. His chest was tight with something he couldn't express.
"I'm their guide... an adult. But why can't I protect a single one of them?"
The words fell softly, but hit him hard. He bowed his head even lower, his fingers clenched tightly until his knuckles turned white. The guilt pressed down on him more painfully than any wound.
A hand suddenly patted his shoulder from behind.
William turned slowly and saw Riana, his fellow mentor.
Riana's face was pale, her eyes were dark, clearly she hadn't slept at all.
There were traces of tears on her cheeks that hadn't completely dried yet. Her eyes were empty, but behind them was fear and trauma that hadn't faded.
"Will..." her voice was hoarse, almost inaudible.
William immediately stood up. "Riana, you... you look terrible. You need to rest first. Your body needs—"
"I'm fine," Riana interrupted with a small smile that seemed more like an attempt to calm herself than a sign of confidence.
But as she stepped forward, her body suddenly swayed. Her legs were weak, and she would have fallen if William hadn't been quick to catch her.
"Hey, be careful!" William exclaimed, holding her body to prevent her from falling.
"Come on, Riana... I told you to rest first. Don't push yourself like this."
Riana paused for a moment in his embrace. Her breathing was ragged, then slowly her voice broke between small sobs.
"William... I... I don't know what to do anymore... Can we really survive this?"
Silence.
William stood before her, his face weary, his eyes puffy from lack of sleep and exhaustion. He stared at Riana for a long time before finally sighing softly and embracing her without saying a word.
The hug was not just to calm her, but also to hold each other back so that neither of them would collapse.
"They're still too young..." whispered Riana against his chest.
"I'm scared... but we're supposed to protect them, not just let them..."
"Enough, Riana... enough." William's voice was soft but firm. His hands gripped Riana's shoulders tightly.
"Don't blame yourself, Riana. We... we did what we could."
Riana shook her head weakly. Her tears fell, soaking her wrinkled jacket.
"But the result is the same, Will... they're dead. So how do we go on, Will? I'm tired... I want to go back to our world... I... I..." Her words were cut off by the tears that finally broke through.
William pulled her back into his embrace, patting her back gently. "Calm down, Riana... please don't talk like that," he said softly, almost whispering in her ear.
"If you give up, what about the others? There's still Theo, Erik, Rahel, and the others. They need us. If we falter... they could also give up."
Riana bit her lip, holding back the sobs that were about to burst out again.
"I know... but it still hurts, Will... we should have returned to the cave sooner. If only we hadn't delayed... maybe they would still be alive..."
William closed his eyes for a moment. A soft sob broke out in his chest, not because he was weak, but because he could no longer hide his despair.
"Believe me, I regret it too, Riana..." His voice was heavy, almost trembling.
"We should have come sooner. I... I'm the one to blame."
Several students passing by could only look down. No one dared to speak. In their hearts, feelings of fear, anger, and loss were mixed together.
From a distance, Hana stared at the scene in silence.
Her face was pale, her eyes puffy. She sat near the window, staring out at the moon.
Hours had passed, and there was still no sign of her return.
"Raven..." she whispered softly.
"Please... come back."