The figure tilted his head slightly, as if considering the question. —I''m known as Enigma —he responded in an almost magnanimous tone—. And what I seek... well, that should be obvious.


    With a gesture of his hand, Enigma pointed towards the carriage, where Anastasia was protecting me. —The young prodigy, of course. The genius you''ve been hiding so jealously.


    I felt my heart stop for an instant. The fear I had been keeping at bay overwhelmed me with crushing force. They were here for Anastasia, I realized with horror. All of this was for her.


    —What do you want with Anastasia?!


    —You have no right to know.


    —Don''t you dare touch my children!


    Enigma laughed softly, the sound distorted by the mask.


    —Oh, my dear Adelaide —he said in a condescending tone that made my blood boil—. You have no idea what''s at stake here.


    My father stepped forward, a blue aura roared over his body, visibly intensifying. —Enough! I swear! If you take one more step towards my daughter, one of us will die here!


    Inside the carriage, I couldn''t help but tremble, clinging to my sister. I had never seen my parents like this, so fierce and terrifying.


    —Arceus —whispered Anastasia, without taking her eyes off the confrontation—. Whatever happens, don''t leave my side, understood?


    I nodded, unable to form words. My mind struggled to comprehend the gravity of the situation.


    Outside, the tension reached its peak. Enigma extended his arms, and suddenly, the air filled with an ominous buzzing.


    A dome of red energy rose above us, isolating us from the outside world. Panic threatened to overtake me as I realized we were trapped.


    —I regret that we have to come to this —said Enigma, although his tone suggested he regretted nothing at all—. But you must understand this is for a greater good.


    A greater good? I thought bitterly. It''s always the "greater good" when someone wants to justify something terrible.


    I tried to think of ways to help, but, so far, nothing came to mind. I could only grit my teeth and hold on.


    I saw how my parents exchanged a quick look, a silent conversation passing between them in an instant, and I knew they were willing to give everything to protect us.


    —Anastasia —my mother called, without taking her eyes off Enigma—. Whatever happens, protect your brother.


    Great, just what I needed: feeling like a complete useless in the middle of a crisis.


    Anastasia nodded, biting her lower lip while her shoulders trembled. She took my hand and pulled me closer to her, ready to defend me with her life if necessary.


    Part of me felt grateful for her protection, while another part felt frustrated by my own helplessness.


    —Adelaide —Atlas''s voice was low and urgent—. Protect the children. I''ll handle Enigma.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Mom nodded briefly. Atlas advanced towards Enigma, mom turned towards the carriage, only to find herself face to face with a monstrous creature.


    This is bad, very bad.


    It was a four-armed humanoid monster, its skin black and shiny like tar. The monster was different from ordinary contaminants. It resembled them in appearance, but possessed a more humanoid body. The creature stood on its hind legs, while its front limbs resembled human hands. Its eyes were closed and sewn shut. Something constantly moved behind the eyelids. The powerful abomination towered above its peers, reaching almost five meters in height. A grotesque smile spread across its deformed face, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth.


    —Well, well —said the creature, its voice a guttural growl that made my skin crawl—. What do we have here? A little elf who thinks she can protect her offspring.


    Mom gritted her teeth, while raising an eyebrow. —I am Adelaide, princess of the elves. And you, monster, won''t take another step towards my children.


    The creature chuckled, —Oh, I like it when they have spirit. Makes it more fun to break them.


    Without warning, Adelaide launched herself at the monster with inhuman speed.


    Adelaide''s fist crashed powerfully against the monster''s face.


    BOOM!!


    The monster''s back almost bent backwards, but it stomped and resisted the blow.


    From its trembling eyes and the expression of surprise on Adelaide''s face, I realized she had put all her strength behind that punch.


    However, mom didn''t have time to stay surprised, because the monster''s own fist flew after.


    Whoosh-!!


    SMACK!!


    Adelaide took a hit right in the middle of her face and flew off like a cannonball. The force of the impact was powerful enough to shake the entire forest, as her body destroyed dozens of trees in its path, finally crashing against a particularly thick tree.


    BOOM!


    As if a meteorite had crashed there, the tree sank deeply when she collapsed with her head tilted.


    I opened my eyes wide, not wanting to believe what I was seeing. A knot formed in my throat when I felt everything crumbling before my eyes. My skin bristled with shock and I felt my spirit split in two...


    Anastasia brought her trembling hands to her face, clearly scared. Soon, a voice was heard crying sadly and her breathing was interrupted when she bit her lower lip.


    She was crying and her little shoulders were shaking.


    —Anastasia —mom whispered when we heard her voice even from the distance that separated us, while she shakily rose from the tree, wiping the blood coming from her mouth. Her voice sounded tired and trembling— Take Arceus and run. Don''t look back, understood?


    Anastasia clenched her jaw, while crying with great affliction. She couldn''t or wouldn''t speak. I was seized by an enormous, indescribable courage, more terrible than any I had ever felt in my life.


    —But mom...


    —OBEY ANASTASIA!! —Atlas roared with anguish. It was the first time I had heard his voice like this, the kind of voice one would only use in desperate situations.


    Anastasia pulled my hand, dragging me away from the battle. We ran between the trees, the sound of combat gradually fading behind us. The branches scratched us as we passed, but we didn''t stop. We couldn''t stop.


    —Ana —I panted as we ran—. Where are we going?


    —I don''t know —she replied, her voice trembling while wiping away the tears that kept falling from her clouded eyes—. Just... away. We have to get away.


    We ran until our lungs burned and our legs trembled. Finally, we stopped in a small clearing, gasping for air. The forest around us was silent, but it was an unsettling silence, as if all life had stopped to observe us.


    —Ana —I said between broken breaths—. We have to go back. We can''t leave them.


    It didn''t occur to me to think about maturity. It seemed that at that moment I was acting like the four-year-old I was on the outside, but I didn''t care. I wasn''t going to leave behind my family, whom I had come to love.


    Anastasia, stunned, stiff, looked at the ground. —We can''t, Arceus. Mom and dad told us to run. We have to stay safe.


    Stay safe, but at what cost?


    Suddenly, a rustle in the nearby bushes put us on alert. We turned, expecting to see some magical creature, but instead, a familiar figure emerged from among the trees.


    —Children —said mom, her voice tired but relieved—. Thank heavens you''re safe.


    My face lit up, forming a wide and genuine smile.


    We ran towards her, hugging her tightly. But something wasn''t right. Her body felt... different. Colder, more rigid.


    I looked up and saw that her eyes, normally blue and warm, were now a cold crimson color. A smile that wasn''t hers spread across her face. —Oh, little ones —she said in a voice that wasn''t our mother''s—. You should have run farther.


    Damn it, fear froze my blood. They found us.