As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over LongTu village, the Enforcers descended like a silent storm. Led by Captain Feng, their faces were set in grim determination as they approached the unsuspecting village. Without warning, they unleashed their magic, a devastating assault that shattered the evening tranquillity.

  Explosions rocked the village, as fireballs and lightning bolts tore through homes. The startled cries of villagers pierced the air, quickly replaced by screams of terror and pain.

  "Help! They're attacking!" a villager shouted, his voice lost amidst the chaos.

  "Protect the children!" screamed another, her voice cracking with fear.

  The villagers, caught off guard, scrambled to mount a desperate defence. Men and women summoned their meagre magic, conjuring protective barriers and counterattacks, but they were no match for the trained Enforcers.

  An elderly man, wielding a staff, managed to conjure a wall of earth to shield a group of children. "Stay behind me!" he commanded, his voice trembling. The barrier held for a few moments before shattering under the relentless assault, burying the man and children under a cascade of debris.

  A mother, cradling her infant, tried to flee but was struck down by a bolt of energy. "No! Please, spare my child!" she begged, but her pleas were silenced by a follow-up attack, the child's wails ending abruptly.

  In the central square, Ying Xiong stood defiantly, though he lacked the ability to wield magic. "Get to safety!" he urged a group of villagers, his voice unwavering. He faced the Enforcers with unyielding courage, attempting to shield the villagers with his own body. His bravery was met with ruthless efficiency, as Captain Feng dispatched him with a swift, lethal blow. Ying Xiong crumpled to the ground, lifeless, his noble spirit extinguished.

  The Enforcers moved with brutal precision, leaving no corner of the village untouched. Animals, caught in the chaos, were mercilessly slaughtered. The bleating of sheep and the panicked clucks of chickens were silenced in an instant. The once vibrant village was now a scene of utter devastation, strewn with the lifeless bodies of its inhabitants.

  As the final flames died down, the Enforcers surveyed their work. LongTu was razed, reduced to smouldering ruins. Satisfied with their grim task, they departed, leaving behind a silent, lifeless wasteland.

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  Later that night, OuYang KuiFong, OuYang MeiEr, and Chen Yi returned from their long hunt. The sight that greeted them was one of unimaginable horror. The village they had known and loved was gone, replaced by a charred expanse of death and destruction. They wandered through the ruins, calling out the names of their friends and family, but no answers came.

  “MeiEr, over here!” KuiFong called, his voice breaking as he stumbled upon the lifeless body of Ying Xiong, his face still set in a mask of determination. MeiEr knelt beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “We need to bury them,” Chen Yi said quietly, his voice heavy with grief.

  Heartbroken and terrified, they set to the grim task of burying the dead. Each grave dug was a stab to the heart, each body laid to rest a reminder of their loss.

  "Why? Why did this happen?" MeiEr cried, her voice trembling as she placed a stone on a grave.

  “I don’t understand. What did we do to deserve this?” KuiFong muttered, his face etched with confusion and sorrow.

  “We need answers, but first, we need to survive,” Chen Yi said firmly, though his eyes betrayed his own bewilderment.

  As dawn broke, the three survivors stood by the freshly dug graves, tears streaming down their faces. With heavy hearts, they fled the village, carrying only their memories and their grief. Their minds were plagued with questions, and their hearts ached with the need to understand the reason behind the senseless destruction.

  Unbeknownst to them, Princess Ying XiuLan, Ying Xiong's elder sister, had learned of the Enforcers’ true mission and raced to LongTu to warn her brother and the villagers. Her heart pounded as she pushed her mount to its limits, hoping against hope that she wasn't too late.

  She arrived at the village just as the fugitives had vanished into the forest. Dismounting hastily, she took in the devastation with wide eyes, tears streaming down her face. The once vibrant village was now a charred graveyard, the air thick with the scent of smoke and death. Desperation gripped her heart as she realized she had arrived too late to prevent the massacre.

  “Xiong! Xiong, where are you?” she called frantically, her voice breaking. She stumbled through the ruins, her heart shattering as she found the freshly turned earth of the graves. Falling to her knees, she wept uncontrollably, knowing that her brother was among those buried.

  With a heavy heart, she knew she had to find the survivors if they were still alive. Leaving the graves behind, she turned back towards the forest, determined to warn them of the continued danger.

  Their departure had not gone unnoticed. The Enforcers, having left the village in haste, did not immediately realize the disturbance caused by the survivors' presence. This delay granted OuYang KuiFong, OuYang MeiEr, and Chen Yi a crucial head start. They fled into the forest, moving swiftly and quietly, determined to escape the nightmare that had befallen their home.

  As the Enforcers returned to inspect the village, they noticed the freshly turned earth of the graves and realized that there were survivors. The hunt was far from over, but the fugitives had already gained precious time, increasing their chances of survival as they disappeared into the wilderness, hearts heavy with loss but fuelled by a newfound determination to uncover the truth.