In the middle of the cold forest covered with a fresh layer of snow, a young woman stumbled, wearing blood-spattered blue dress. In her right hand, she tightly held her younger sister, who could barely stand on her feet.
"Sis... Aife, I can't go on anymore."
The girl said in a broken, out-of-breath voice.
Only the heavy sounds of breathing and teeth chattering echoed through the silent forest, while the strong, biting wind caressed their bodies, and in response, the girls trembled uncontrollably.
Their bare feet sank deeper into the thick snow with every step, which absorbed them heavily, and with every step, the freezing cold slowly numbed their senses. The snow's moisture and coldness penetrated their skin, making them feel more and more numb.
Aife looked sorrowfully at her little sister and stopped. Her yellow eyes couldn't even shed a tear.
Why?!... Why us?!... What did we deserve this for?
This question ran through the girl's mind countless times. And only one answer came to her mind – hatred.
In this world, it was natural that people who felt hatred for other races than the human race resorted to great massacres and exterminations.
For many generations, human society had enslaved interspecies beings, considering them to be lower forms of life whose existence was a burden. They claimed that interspecies had no place in the human world, and that cleansing the world of them was the best solution. However, there were also those who protected interspecies, respected them, saw them as equals, and held them in high regard, but they were a minority. Less than 10 out of 100.
Humans believed that hybrids, as they were called, and others like them, had no place in the human world, and although it sounded cruel, to them it was simply the truth.
And this winter morning was what the girls referred to as "purification." It was a day of suffering and despair for them.
The girls, who had lived in a peaceful village full of friendly people and some interspecies races, became victims of a similar massacre.
People who had pretended to be friendly and kind turned into ruthless monsters in an instant. Their smiles disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Only cold, empty gazes remained, without a hint of emotion.
The worst part was that some began to laugh, but their laughter sounded hollow and ominous.
Their slaughter was immense. Streets, houses, and even roads leading supplies to the village were filled with the bodies of interspecies beings, fairies, and many other creatures within minutes.
Although it was rare and daring, a small group of people didn't join the massacre but tried to protect them. It may have seemed that those who saw their kin on the side of interspecies would at least consider exile instead of elimination. However, the opposite was true. Those who tried to protect the interspecies ended up like them.
"Traitors!! Kill them!"
They shouted at them.
Aife looked around, the cold wind harshly whipped against her face as her green hair, covered with snowflakes, fluttered in the wind. A green horn gleamed on her forehead, now half-covered with ice crystals.
She glanced again at her little sister, who returned her a sad, exhausted look.
Aife knew there was no escape, she knew there was no chance to leave this deep forest. The forest was too deep, and anyone could easily get lost in it, as if some strange magic was guiding it. Even adventurers avoided this forest.
Suddenly, Aife felt her knees give way. She tried to fight it, to stay on her feet... But her body was so weak and exhausted that it no longer obeyed her. Her eyelids slowly closed, and the world around her became blurry.
She fell to the ground.
Lara immediately kneeled next to Aife's body and shook her.
Lara felt helpless, terrified she would lose her sister and be alone. She didn't want to be alone. Aife was the only one left to her, and she couldn't lose her. Tears slowly ran down her pale face, as cold as drops of frost. It was as if they reflected the chill in her heart.
She continued shaking Aife.
"Sis! Please... wake up! Aife!"
"Lara...."
Lara heard a faint tone in Aife's voice, so exhausted that each word sounded as though it was on the verge of losing its strength. The voice was barely audible, almost as if it was being spoken against her will.
Aife slowly turned her head toward Lara and smiled sadly.
"I should have protected you better...."
Lara smiled, leaned over, and tightly hugged Aife.
Lara, although only 13 years old, knew very well that there was no chance of them both surviving. For her age, she was smarter than most children, thanks to the upbringing of her parents. They taught her kindness, what was right and wrong, and how to perceive the world around her. Most of all, they taught her to keep an open heart for those she loved, for others.
"You protected me.... sis... and I'm so grateful... I love you..."
At that moment, Lara lay next to Aife, cuddled up to her, and closed her tearful eyes, both waiting for the slow death. Aife resisted, wanting to overcome her weakness and carry her sister to the nearby shed their parents had built in the forest. Her life was taken from her; she only wished for her sister to live, to have a beautiful life, and, most importantly, to never suffer.
In that moment, Lara lay next to Aife, clung to her, and closed her tearful eyes, both waiting for the slow death. Aife, although her body was weak and tired, resisted. She felt her remaining strength slipping away, and yet, she tried to overcome the pain.
She wanted to carry her sister to the nearby shed her parents had built in the forest to give her at least some warmth and shelter before the end came. Her life was taken, and all she wished for was for Lara to survive, to have a beautiful life, and to never know pain and suffering. But she knew, even though she didn't want to admit it, that it was too late. And as her strength faded, she couldn't resist anymore. Slowly, she closed her eyes, aware that the end had come.
But then Aife heard footsteps... as if someone was slowly walking toward them, and then they suddenly stopped.
"P...pl-please."
"[Health] [Magic Warm]."
Suddenly, both girls heard a quiet voice of a woman. Her words were calm but strong.
A green ring immediately appeared beneath their bodies, emitting bright, radiant energy that spread up to two meters above them. As this power penetrated their bodies, they immediately felt relief as frostbite and injuries began to disappear. The cold surrounding them dissipated, and their bodies returned to life.
And then, as if in response to their fear, an enormous red dome, 2.5 meters high, formed above them. This dome radiated warmth, surrounding them, and the girls felt their bodies warming, as if they were in a warm house, far from the hostile winter and death.
Shocked and frightened by this powerful magic, the girls immediately stood up. Their hearts raced, and their minds were confused, trying to understand what was happening... What kind of magic was this? Who saved them?
And then—