Heart of a demon

with relief as she a

the rugged path she had traversed. Despite the pain from her wounds making each step excru

gh modest, exuded a rustic charm amidst the towering trees that surrounded them. The

ths leading from its edges to the four mightiest kingdoms: the Stone Kingdo

lth, and influence. Towering above them all was the Azure Empire, a supre

fought for control. Whoever held the village could easily inf

The Emperor decreed that the village was to remain a neutral territory, free from the squabb

forgotten place in the heart of the forest. That changed when

efuge for outlaws. Soon, it became a den of criminals, a place where l

kingdoms paid little attention to the village, di

Alexia wondered, her attention dra

. He held a formidable sword and gazed down haughtily at the ground where a young, handsome boy lay. Blood trickled from his mouth,

ured boy. Disregarding her own wounds, she rushed through th

sked, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't be

ore. He said you went to town to sell your body to rich noblemen. I coul

leting his sentence with trembling l

lexia said, her voice tinged with frustration. If it weren't for his in

I'm far from finished teaching that brat a lesson," a burly

me, I'll let the matter with this brat go. You know, as a woman, it's not safe for you to be alone. Unforeseen circumstances might

ou

her skin crawl. She couldn't fathom how this scoundrel even had the audacity to make such

ou suffer ten times the pain my brother endured," Alexia declared, he

oon, he burst out laughing as if she were a joke. Even the surr

I hear you right? You want

orance and foolishness. Don't let your foolishness lead you to an ear

chest. He didn't have a chance to react as he was immediately sent flying into the air before crashing heavily to the ground a fe

't help but suck

the heck

t knock out James

e! I heard he even went toe to toe with a royal knight once

. No wonder she's not afraid to come to this

sn't she just a girl? She doesn't

e and kept gaping at her as though she were some kind of alien. How could a girl be so strong?,The

thought her kick would knock him unconscious; she had simply f

arrogant. Can't even take a kick, and he wants to have me un

dn't expected was for him to be unable to defend himself. Well, he was a man; he probabl

ound at the gawking faces. She knew she had to stay calm and

Luke, who had a wid

beat you," he groaned, his word

Alexia said, ignoring his comment. She bent d

his sister still treated him like a child. How was he

ince their parents' death, Alexia had taken on the rol

exia urged. "What a

legs wrapping tightly around her waist an

ey headed home. She couldn't care less about James's fate. Four Corn

dusty paths of the village, she thoug

e forest surrounding the village. The setting sun cast long, eerie sh

of rough-looking men harassing a lone travel

anded over a small pouch before scurrying aw

ut decided not to act. Now wasn

ept moving. The villagers stared at them, some curious, others unfriendly,

e at the edge of the village. The structure was modest, with walls made of weathe

they moved through the creaky door. The interior was simple but clean, thanks to Alexia

," she said, her voice calm but fir

asing slightly. Alexia moved swiftly to a small shelf where she kept a bundle of

ixing them with a bit of water to create a thick, green paste. The pungent scen

tly, her fingers working gently as

reated a particularly deep cut on his a

were very brave today, but you need to be m

eting with his hands. "I... I'm sorry, Alexia. I ju

ly. She paused, taking a deep breath to steady

m filled with unspoken fears and hopes and their uncertain future that lay ahe

have left. Since Mom and Dad... well,

e with emotion. "I promise I'll be

arm. "And I appreciate it. But we have to be smart about how

wn injuries, grimacing as she applied the paste to her cuts a

nner. The kitchen contained only a few loaves of stale bread and some dried herbs. She fet

adding a handful of dried herbs to make a basic, nourishing soup. The

ries Dad used to tell us?" she

with nostalgia. "About the brave knight

about those places. Somewhere better tha

really exist?" Luke asked,

ise you, we'll find a way to get there.

inst the bowls. The quiet gave them both time to reflect on the day's events. Alexia couldn't stop replaying the m

ould teach him not to mess with women a

tion for his sister. He never would

e made sure he was comfortable, adjusting the thin blanket over him and tucking it around his body.

a tiny wooden chest that held her few belongings. She lay down, staring at the cracked ceil

s determined to find a way out for her and Luke. They couldn't afford to stay in one place forev

im to enjoy all the pleasures of life, but since women were not a

distant sounds of animals in the forest and

tch up to her. She knew tomorrow would bring new problems and challenges,

f a brighter future, Alexia final