The heat came before the vision.
Heavy.
Clinging to her skin like remnants of the fire still stuck to her body.
Consciousness returned.
Fragmented.
The smell of smoke.
Burning stone.
The distant sound of flames.
And the pain.
At the side of her body it felt like something tearing open from the inside the moment Brianna pulled in air.
Her fingers slowly sank into the damp forest soil.
Cold.
Alive.
Her head throbbed hard.
For a second, everything felt out of order.
The shadows of the hall.
The flames.
Whirok's crooked smile disappearing inside the fire.
Brianna opened her eyes slowly.
The light cutting through the trees blurred her vision for an instant.
Leaves moved above her.
The wind passed low through the clearing.
Silent.
Not like the dead silence of the cave.
Different.
Natural.
But still far too wrong after all of that.
She tried to move.
"Hhk—"
The pain came immediately.
Deep.
Her ribs protested at the same instant.
Her right arm failed half a second before managing to support the weight of her body.
Bandages tightened around part of the wounded side beneath the armor.
Firm.
Recent.
Her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
And then she noticed the horse.
White.
Tied near the trees at the edge of the clearing.
No military saddle.
No symbols.
Only bags strapped to the sides and a dark blanket draped across its back.
Brianna remained still for a moment.
Observing.
Analyzing.
The wind crossed the clearing again.
crack.
The dry sound of a branch snapping echoed between the trees.
Brianna moved at the same instant.
Her body still heavy with pain—
but fast.
Precise.
Her fingers closed around a narrow piece of fallen stone near the roots.
Low footsteps crossed through the vegetation.
Without sound.
She appeared behind the figure at the edge of the clearing—
pressed the stone against the woman's neck in one sharp movement.
The figure did not react.
Did not even try to step back.
The wind slowly moved the red cloak draped down her back.
Short black hair shifted lightly between the leaves.
The dark armor reflected small cuts of light piercing through the trees.
Light.
Flexible.
Made for movement.
Not for display.
Brianna's eyes narrowed.
And the woman spoke.
Far too calm.
"Interesting way to thank someone who saved your life."
Brianna did not pull the stone away.
Her white eyes slowly analyzed the details of the armor.
The worn marks.
The structure.
The reinforced dark fabric beneath the light metal.
It was not common equipment.
And it definitely did not belong to someone lost in that region.
"I can't imagine why…"
The voice came out low.
Controlled despite the uneven breathing.
"…someone tied to the Central Kingdom would choose to keep me alive."
A small silence crossed the clearing.
The woman smiled faintly.
Almost subtle.
And that was the moment Brianna noticed the movement.
The elbow coming first.
Fast.
Short.
Straight into the injured side of her body.
Pain exploded instantly through her ribs.
Brianna stepped back on reflex—
but the woman was already turning with it.
Her arm trapped Brianna's wrist.
Brianna stopped the motion before the full fall and turned with the momentum.
Her leg came up low, trying to strike the side of the woman's knee—
she pulled back at the exact instant.
The two separated at the same time.
Same calculation.
Same recovered distance.
And then they advanced again at the exact same instant.
The clash of their arms echoed sharply through the clearing.
Brianna slid her forearm along the figure's strike and entered inside the guard—
the woman's elbow came at the same instant.
Brianna turned her face by centimeters.
The wind of the impact swept past the side of her jaw.
Her fingers had already closed around the woman's wrist.
Her foot advanced from the side trying to break her balance—
except the figure turned together with the trapped arm.
The movement pulled Brianna forward at the same instant.
Her own momentum ended up locking her arm against the woman's shoulder.
Same reading.
Same timing.
The woman's knee came up right after.
Straight into the injured ribs.
"Hhk—"
The air abandoned Brianna's lungs all at once.
She dropped to her knees against the damp earth of the clearing.
Her fingers sank into the ground while the pain rose burning through her entire abdomen.
The woman stepped back once.
Without taking a guard stance.
Brianna raised her eyes.
Now seeing the woman from the front.
Pale skin.
Fine features.
Precise.
Amber eyes held hers without hesitation.
Brianna held her gaze for a few seconds.
Analyzing.
The posture.
The controlled breathing.
The complete absence of hesitation.
Then she spoke.
"I never imagined one of the Flowers of the Hive would be marching alongside the Central Kingdom."
The voice low.
Cold.
"Much less the Black Dahlia herself."
Silence crossed the clearing for an instant.
The woman did not seem surprised at being recognized.
Nor offended.
She only tilted her head slightly.
As if observing something curious.
A small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Elegant.
Dangerous.
"I never imagined I'd find the Lily of the Valley fallen at the edge of a forest."
Brianna let out a short breath through her nose.
"So the Hive still managed to locate me."
The Black Dahlia remained silent for a moment.
The wind passed slowly through the clearing.
Moving the red cloak draped over her shoulders.
"What impresses me is the Lily of the Valley's naivety."
"You really believed you were outside the Hive's sight."
The amber eyes remained fixed on hers.
Precise.
"Your movements. Your wars. Even the traces you tried to erase."
"Nothing went unnoticed."
Brianna let out a short breath.
Almost a humorless laugh.
"So that's it?"
"You came to finish what you normally do with deserters?"
The Black Dahlia watched her in silence for a moment.
The small smile slowly disappeared.
"No."
The voice came out calm.
Far too precise.
"I came because there's been a shift among the Democrats."
Brianna's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
The Black Dahlia continued:
"Ekaterina left the Hive."
Brianna did not look away.
But now there was far too much calculation behind the white eyes.
The Black Dahlia observed that in silence before continuing:
"As long as Ekaterina remained in the Hive…"
"…no one touched you."
The wind passed between the trees again.
Cold.
"Now that's over."
Silence returned.
Brianna held her gaze for a few more seconds.
"And why warn me?"
The Black Dahlia did not answer immediately.
She only slowly turned toward the white horse standing at the edge of the clearing.
Calm footsteps crushed damp leaves along the way.
She looked at Brianna once more.
The small smile appeared sideways.
Tired.
Almost bitter.
"And because, whether she likes it or not…"
"…the Lily of the Valley was the only one who stayed alive after abandoning the Hive."
Silence came right after.
Strange.
Because for the first time since the conversation began—
the Black Dahlia looked away.
The wind slowly crossed the clearing.
Moving the damp leaves beneath her boots.
Her hand slid toward one of the bags strapped to the side of the white horse.
Without hurry.
Her fingers pulled out a small bundle of folded pages.
Old.
Marked with symbols drawn by hand.
Dark stains covered part of the edges like ink spread in haste.
Brianna watched in silence.
White eyes analyzing every detail.
The Black Dahlia tossed the papers toward her.
The pages fell into the damp earth in front of Brianna's knees.
The forest seemed to watch along with them.
"What is this?"
The voice came out low.
Still suspicious.
The Black Dahlia held the horse's reins.
"Fragments of internal reports."
"Names erased."
"Routes altered."
"Movements that officially never existed."
The amber eyes returned to Brianna.
Far too calm.
"Some Democrat factions have been moving outside their own territories for years."
The wind partially lifted one of the fallen pages.
Symbols.
Numbers.
Incomplete notes.
Codes.
Brianna realized almost immediately.
That was not ordinary information.
It was the kind of material people would kill to keep hidden.
"Why give this to me?"
The Black Dahlia remained silent for a moment.
Then answered:
"Because someone needs to survive…"
"…long enough to understand what's happening."
She slowly pulled on the reins.
The animal moved its head lightly.
"And because you're already involved in this far more than you realize."
Brianna looked at the papers on the ground.
Her fingers slowly tightened into the damp soil.
Then she raised her eyes again.
"That doesn't answer my question."
The Black Dahlia released a low breath through her nose.
Almost tired.
"No."
"But maybe it will once you start decoding."
The sound of hooves echoed through the clearing.
Low.
Rhythmic.
Another horse emerged between the trees.
Dark.
The vegetation moved slowly while the figure covered by a cloak advanced to the edge of the clearing, pulling a second animal by the reins.
The face remained partially hidden beneath the hood.
But when the wind crossed the trees—
Brianna saw.
For an instant only.
Long dark strands with silver reflections touched by the light.
And gray eyes.
Cold.
Far too still.
The figure held her gaze in absolute silence.
As if reading something beyond the surface.
The sensation crossed Brianna far too quickly.
Wrong.
Precise.
The man said nothing.
Nor did he dismount.
He only stopped the horse near the edge of the clearing.
Waiting.
The extra horse remained right behind him.
Brianna narrowed her eyes almost imperceptibly.
The Black Dahlia observed the new presence for only a second.
Then spoke:
"It seems my part here has come to an end."
She mounted the horse in one fluid movement.
Far too natural.
Like someone accustomed to leaving without warning.
Brianna watched in silence for a moment.
Then asked:
"What do you intend to do now?"
The Black Dahlia slowly adjusted the reins between her fingers.
Amber eyes returned to her.
"Your curiosity is pointed at the wrong place."
"The army kept advancing while you slept."
The wind crossed the clearing again.
Cold.
Brianna held her gaze for a few seconds.
Briefly glancing toward the papers scattered across the ground.
Then she spoke:
"That creates a debt."
The Black Dahlia remained silent.
A small smile appeared at the corner of her mouth.
Smaller this time.
More tired.
"Sutara…"
A small humorless smile touched the corner of Brianna's mouth.
As if some piece had finally fallen into place.
"Brianna."
Sutara lightly pulled the reins.
"I'm heading toward the Varunara Empire."
Brianna watched her for a few seconds.
Analyzing.
"When the opportunity comes…"
"…I'll repay this debt."
Sutara did not answer immediately.
She only partially turned the horse.
The hooded figure did the same.
Both presences already prepared to disappear between the trees.
Sutara stopped.
For only an instant.
Still with her back turned.
The wind slowly moved the red cloak.
"Be careful with the king of the Central Kingdom."
"Intelligent people tend to believe they can predict his movements…"
She pulled the reins.
The horse advanced between the trees.
"None of them realize they're already playing exactly the game he wanted."
The hooded figure followed right behind without saying a single word.
And little by little—
the two presences disappeared into the middle of the forest.
Silence slowly returned to the clearing.
Brianna remained still for a few seconds.
Watching the emptiness left between the trees.
Her eyes lowered toward the pages scattered across the damp earth.
Her fingers slowly gathered the papers.
Far too much calculation crossing her gaze now.
The pages disappeared inside the damaged armor.
She released a slow breath.
Raised her eyes toward the second horse left near the clearing.
She approached the animal in silence.
Ignoring the pain burning through her ribs.
Mounted slowly.
And soon pulled the reins.
The horse advanced between the trees.
Toward the Marquisate.