A little far from the Veyne house, Lys and Selene moved quickly through the village streets. The warning horn kept sounding in the distance, long and low. People hurried past them in small groups, some carrying bags or holding onto their loved ones so that they don't get separated.
The usual calm of Buena village had disappeared, with doors slamming shut, windows closed tight, and worried voices mixing with the sound of running feet.
Lys kept his hand near his sword as they almost ran to the guild location. His body still felt a little stiff from yesterday, but he pushed the feeling aside. Innocent people were in danger right now. That was all that mattered right now to him.
Selene stayed right beside him, her priestess robes swishing with each step. She held her wand tightly in one hand and did not say much, but her face looked focused. Every few seconds, she glanced at Lys, as if checking that he was still okay.
They reached the guild hall in a few minutes. The big doors stood wide open. Inside, the place buzzed with activity. Runners moved back and forth between tables. Maps lay spread out across the large meeting table at the back. Papers covered with notes and marks fluttered every time someone walked past.
Rhuvia stood at the head of the table, holding a big wand with one hand as she studied one of the maps. Vessa leaned over the same map, pointing at different spots and giving quick orders to two adventurers standing nearby. Though the guild master, Rhuvia, looked calm, her eyes moved fast, taking in every detail Vessa was saying.
Lys stepped inside without slowing down. "What happened?" he asked directly. "Why is the siren going off?"
Vessa looked up first. She glanced at Rhuvia for a short moment, wondering if telling Lys everything might be a good thing in this situation, knowing how he is. Rhuvia gave a small nod, her expression still serious.
The chain of command was clear even in the middle of all this chaos.
Vessa straightened up and turned to them. "Monsters have been sighted by some people just outside the forest's edge. They have come out now. It is only a small group right now, but we are sure more are coming."
"It's really happening now, Lys. The dungeon break has started. We don't know exactly how fast it will spread, but we may have minutes, maybe less, before the evacuation routes from the outer settlement get hit."
Lys's stomach tightened hearing the news. He had expected this when he heard the sudden sirens, but hearing it out loud from Vessa's mouth still hit hard.
Rhuvia tapped one spot on the map with her finger. "The eastern patrol was attacked earlier. We lost contact with part of the squad over there. The monsters are moving faster than we thought during the initial awakening phase."
Before Lys could ask anything else, Vessa continued. "Before you ask, yeah, Sara is already out there. She went to push the evacuation along when she heard the news. The pace of evacuation was too slow, so she went there by herself. It seems people are still dragging their feet, grabbing last-minute things, and arguing about what to bring. They still don't realise that if it keeps going like this, the slow ones will be the first ones to get caught outside when the main wave hits."
The moment Lys heard Sara's name, his feet started moving. He turned toward the door without waiting for more details.
"Lys, wait…." Vessa started, but he was already heading out without looking back.
Selene did not hesitate either. She stepped right after him. "It's okay, Miss Vessa. I'll go with him," she said clearly, looking back at Vessa and Rhuvia for just a second. Her voice left no room for argument.
It was Sara after all. Whatever backup they could provide for her, they would. Vessa understood that without them saying it out loud.
Rhuvia raised an eyebrow, not knowing why they were suddenly hurrying at the mention of Sara, but she still did not stop them, knowing there were so many details about these villagers that she didn't know yet. But she still warned Selene before she stepped out of the guild's massive gate. "Be careful. Don't go beyond the outer settlement road if you can help it. We need information, not more injured people."
Lys barely heard the last part. His mind was already on the road ahead. Sara had gone out there alone to help those people, despite knowing the danger of staying outside the village wall at this moment. So, how can he let her face this without backup?
Selene caught up to him as they left the guild hall. The noise of the busy room faded behind them. Outside, the village felt even more tense than the moment they had entered the guild. More people moved toward the chapel area now. A few adventurers shouted directions, trying to keep order.
"You're not going alone," Selene said as they ran side by side. She adjusted her grip on the wand and looked at him. "I meant what I said back at the house. I'll keep you from doing anything too reckless, and you do the same for me. That's how this works now. Understand? "
Lys glanced at her. Even in the middle of all this, a small part of him felt warm at her words. "Yeah, I know. Just stay close. If things get bad, your healing might be the only thing that keeps us going."
Selene nodded, her dark hair bouncing with her steps. "Yeah, I won't hold back when it matters. Just don't try to send me back. I'm not staying behind just because it gets dangerous."
They turned onto the road that led toward the outer settlement. The path felt longer than usual. Dust kicked up under their boots. In the distance, Lys could see the tree line of Gaiya Forest. It looked the same as always, but now it felt way too much more threatening than it already was. It was like something alive was waking up underneath it.
Literally.