After Cornelia's unforgettable speech, the maids wasted no time ushering everyone toward a line of carriages, escorted by armored soldiers.
"This way." They instructed, motioning firmly.
The carriages were massive, designed to accommodate more than ten passengers comfortably.
They were pulled by mutated horses, creatures far larger and more muscular than any regular steed, their sheer presence radiating strength and menace.
Seraphine shrank back upon seeing them, her face pale. The beasts reminded her too much of the monsters they had narrowly escaped during the last seven days.
Noticing Seraphine's unease, Sabrina, the maid they had previously encountered, spoke softly, "Do not worry. These horses are tamed and will not harm anyone unless provoked."
Ashen shot her a grateful look before gently taking Seraphine by the hand and guiding her into one of the carriages.
Once aboard, others began filing in until the carriage was filled, and soon they were on their way, traveling along a forest-flanked road at a comfortable pace.
Ashen used the moment to survey the people around him.
Braun was already nodding off, head tilting to one side, while Seraphine still clung to his sleeve like a frightened kitten.
The rest of the passengers sat in heavy silence, their faces etched with gloom. None seemed willing to speak or exchange information, the weight of their situation smothering any attempts at connection.
Shrugging, Ashen leaned his head back and closed his eyes, hoping to get some rest.
*
Ashen was jolted awake by a blood-curdling scream, a sound somewhere between a pack of wild dogs being slaughtered and pure terror.
He snapped his eyes open, adrenaline surging. Taking a look at his side, where Seraphine was supposed to be, he found her clutching the windowsill, her face frozen in bewilderment.
"What's going on?" he asked, voice hoarse with lingering sleep.
She didn't respond, simply gesturing for him to look outside. Around them, the other passengers also stared wide-eyed, transfixed.
Ashen turned to the window and froze. What he saw defied belief.
A massive cackle of deformed, hyena-like monsters surged toward the carriages in a frenzied wave. But no matter how many came, they all met the same fate: death.
The soldiers outside moved with machine-like precision, their swords, spears, and arrows cutting down the creatures effortlessly.
Each strike was calculated, synchronized, and brutally effective. The monsters barely breached the outer perimeter before being slaughtered.
Ashen's gaze widened. These warriors weren't just well-equipped; they were also insanely strong.
Swish, swish, swish.
Their movements were so smooth, so practiced, that it was clear this was routine for them—a chore no different from swatting flies.
As the carriages continued down the road, more beasts emerged, only to be culled just as quickly.
Then came a sound that sent shivers down every survivor's spine: the unmistakable clicking of tarantula legs, growing louder with every passing second.
Ashen's blood ran cold. The swarm of spiders that had haunted their nightmares poured from the opposite side of the road, numbering in the thousands.
Yet the soldiers didn't flinch. The horses, too, remained eerily calm.
Sabrina stepped out of formation, her hand raised. Ashen followed her movements, and he wasn't the only one.
Most of the soldiers also looked over, as if they were waiting for something to happen.
Clench.
She clenched her fist.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant. Then the spiders began convulsing violently before bursting apart in an explosion of blood and gore.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
More than ten thousand spiders exploded in an instant.
The forest's edge became a nightmarish canvas of steaming viscera, spider legs, and crimson mist.
The survivors sat in stunned silence, their brains struggling to process the hellish sight.
What they once thought was a nightmare, a terror that haunted them for days, was no more than pitiful insects before this maid.
One clench of her petite fist, and their fate was no different from any regular insect being accidentally stepped on.
"..."
"..."
Seraphine was the first to break the silence in the carriage, her voice quivering. "Maybe… the war won't be so bad with people like this on our side?"
Braun took a shaky breath. "Yeah… If we can gain even a fraction of that power at the academy, we might stand a chance."
Seraphine nudged Ashen, who was deep in thought. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.
Ashen nodded slowly, then said, "I was just wondering how she did that."
Braun gave him a confused look. "You think you can figure it out by staring?"
Seraphine chimed in, her tone light but curious, "Maybe it's magic, like in those fantasy books."
Ashen shook his head. "No, it's not entirely that. Didn't you feel it? The heat."
Both Braun and Seraphine paused, then exchanged glances.
"Now that you mention it… It is hotter," Braun admitted.
Ashen continued. "The spiders exploded from within."
He gestured toward the white smoke above the carnage.
"With the heat and vapor rising, the most likely explanation is that she controlled their blood—boiled it from the inside until the pressure made them burst."
A chill ran through the group as they absorbed his words.
"Scary…" Seraphine whispered.
Braun muttered, "Imagine if she used that on us. We'd be dead in seconds."
Ashen shrugged. "No point in dwelling on what-ifs. Braun's right—we need to focus on the academy and try learning everything we can. Don't forget: despite warriors like her, they still brought us here to fight."
Both nodded, their expressions grim.
As the carriage crested a hill, the landscape changed.
Majestic buildings loomed on the horizon, their grand silhouettes promising both answers and new challenges ahead.