Just as they were about to rush into the ruined house, a tall figure emerged from the shadows, clad in dark armor and a flowing cloak. He carried himself with an arrogant grace, and at his side hung a long, gleaming blade. He was followed by a group of the same heavily armed soldiers and monstrous creatures that had been attacking the village.

  "So…" the figure said, his voice a low, chilling drawl. "You're the one who cast that… impressive spell. To think someone from this little backwater town could wield such power. Who are you, boy?"

  Zeldris turned, his heart pounding in his chest. His breath hitched in his throat. On either side of the figure stood his mother and sister. They were both alive, but barely. Soldiers held them roughly, their faces pale and streaked with blood. Anisa's eyes met his, filled with a mixture of pain and desperate relief.

  "Zeldris… you're alive? I'm so glad… Sophia and I thought you and your father were… were gone. Thank the gods…" Her voice was weak, barely a whisper.

  Sophia, her face contorted in pain, struggled against the soldier's grip. His arm was wrapped tightly around her throat, cutting off her air. Tears streamed down her face, but she managed a weak, trembling smile at Zeldris. "Big brother… I'm sorry… this is all my fault…"

  "No… no, no, no…" Zeldris stumbled forward, falling to his knees in the mud. "You didn't do anything wrong, Sophia. Please… please, just let them go! I beg you! Stop this!"

  "You didn't answer my question, boy," the figure said, his voice hardening. "I said…who are you?"

  A soldier stepped forward, his face contorted with fury. "You dare speak with such disrespect towards His Highness, Prince Xander of Anaxys? You will pay for your insolence with your life!"

  Before the soldier could take another step, his head snapped back, a thin line of red appearing across his throat. His headless body crumpled to the ground with a sickening thud. The figure, Xander, flicked his wrist, sending a droplet of blood flying from the tip of his blade.

  "The people I despise most of all," he said, his voice dangerously soft, "are those who interrupt me."

  He turned back to Zeldris, his eyes cold and devoid of emotion. The gleaming blade in his hand pointed towards Zeldris, a silent threat.

  "Your mother and sister didn't do anything wrong, you say? They existed. Their very existence is an affront to the natural order. People who are weak, who have no affinity for the magics and aether that flow through this world, are nothing but… worms. Stepping stones for those of us who are born with the right to live. We are here to cull the weak, so the strong may thrive. The royals and highborn will survive, everyone else is just… cattle."

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  He gestured to the soldiers holding Anisa and Sophia, their grips tightening cruelly. "Now, watch as I deliver justice to them. Their pathetic souls will be offered to Malus, the Undying God, as a sacrifice. A testament to the weakness of their blood. And then… you will be next."

  He turned slightly, raising his blade. Zeldris's mother and sister, their eyes filled with a mixture of fear and a heartbreaking love, exchanged a final, silent glance. They looked at Zeldris, their lips moving, mouthing silent goodbyes and apologies. Xander's blade flashed downwards.

  But before it could strike, a figure blurred past Zeldris. His father, his face contorted with a desperate fury, charged towards Xander, a rusty pitchfork clutched in his hands. "You will not touch them! Not while I draw breath!"

  A blinding beam of light descended from the sky, striking his father with terrifying force. The light vanished, leaving behind another figure, clad in shining armor and a flowing white cloak. He held a long, ornate lance, its tip stained crimson. Zeldris's father was impaled, his body held aloft by the cruel weapon.

  "Damn you…" his father choked out, his eyes filled with pain and defiance. "... Imperial scum…"

  Xander smirked, a cruel twist of his lips. "Don't worry, old man. I'm sure Aerith would have killed you if you'd gotten any closer. But Leo just had to be quick about it, as always."

  The armored figure, Leo, sighed, his voice laced with boredom. "He's dead already? Was hoping he'd put up more of a fight. Always so disappointing with these lowborns."

  Aerith, a young woman with fiery red hair, landed beside him, her expression annoyed. "Leo! You didn't have to do that! He was fine! I was watching him!"

  While the three figures bantered amongst themselves, Zeldris stared, frozen in horror. His father, impaled on that cruel lance. His life draining away. A tremor ran through him, starting in his heart and spreading outwards, shaking his entire body. What… what went wrong? Why is this happening? Was it my fault? By casting that spell… did it bring this down on us? If I hadn't used my magic… would my family have been safe…?

  "Thank you, Leo," Xander said, his voice regaining its cold composure. He turned back towards Anisa and Sophia, his expression hardening. "Now, to deliver justice." He raised his blade again, the metal gleaming in the fading light. Zeldris's mother and sister, their faces pale but resolute, met his gaze one last time, their lips moving in silent farewells. The blade fell, a swift, merciless slash. Their lives ended in a flash of steel.

  Xander sighed, closing his eyes briefly as he knelt on one knee. "Justice is delivered. Accept these worthless sacrifices, Malus, and bless us with your undying love and power as we deliver your will upon the weak and guide them towards your embrace."

  "Hey, Xander, what about this one?" Leo gestured towards Zeldris with his bloodied lance. "Want me to kill him too, or do you want him alive?"

  Aerith stepped forward, her gaze fixed on Zeldris. A strange expression flickered across her face, a mixture of curiosity and something else… something Zeldris couldn't quite decipher. "Oooohh, he's kind of cute. He looks about my age! Hey there! What's your name?"

  Xander turned to face Zeldris, his eyes narrowing. "It seems he has quite a bit of aether within him. But it doesn't matter. He's still part of the filth. Kill him."

  "That would be my pleasure," Leo said, a cruel smile twisting his lips. He raised his lance, a beam of light gathering at its tip. Then, with a speed that defied the eye, he launched himself into the air, a streak of white against the darkening sky. He aimed the lance downwards, directly at Zeldris. "Sorry about this. But the Prince's word is final." He plummeted towards the ground, towards Zeldris, a living embodiment of death.