Priscilla stood in silence for a brief moment, taking her actions in; she did not know what she should feel. Should she feel sorry for them? Sad? But, truthfully, she did not mourn for them. She turned to the women who also stood in silence; the chains twined around their arms and legs. Some of the women showed signs of fright, but most had reverent gazes.


    "Goddess— can you unshackle us?" The fiery woman who defied the knight spoke out first.


    "Goddess?" Priscilla questioned slowly; as she walked toward the women, she placed her hands on the chains, releasing a chilling mist that dug into the chains and shattered them one after the other. "Why do you keep saying Goddess?" Priscilla asked, turning to the woman.


    "You came from the sky— and brought salvation to us. If that is not a Goddess, then what is?" The woman asked with brightened eyes.


    "Well, I''m not a Goddess. You don''t think I''m a monster like they claimed?" Priscilla asked, an uncertain knot in her heart quivering.


    "Heavens, no! Had you not appeared, we would''ve been goners. Count Blackthorn is a depraved swine that''s been ruining women for months now. Those who survive him have yet to been discovered in the county." The woman said, waving the thought off. If there were a monster present, it would be the count.


    "By the way, I''m Hallie Eckhart! It''s a pleasure, Goddess!" The woman added with a bright smile. The woman radiated a certain charm; her smile matched her tall figure and fiery hair. It was not a stretch to say she seemed more valiant than the knight and soldiers who had entrapped them.


    "I''m Priscilla..." Priscilla responded, pausing at the end to not reveal her family name.


    "Priscilla, what a beautiful name!" Hallie uttered before asking, "Would you be so kind as to help us back to the township, Lady Priscilla?"


    "If we go by ourselves, we might encounter more of Count Blackthorn''s men..." Hallie added.


    Priscilla felt confused by Hallie''s reaction. She had been burned alive for claims of being a witch— when she had no power or magic inside her. But now, when she had powers, it was treated as nothing? "Can the count not find you in the township later, regardless?" Priscilla asked.


    "But, sure... I don''t mind going with you." She added after a momentary pause.


    Hallie beamed, hearing Priscilla''s response, "No, thank you so much, Priscilla! My husband and his friends should be there. He likely hasn''t heard of what happened yet because I was caught while tending to errands on the outskirts of the township. But my husband is a mercenary, so he can help us keep safe."


    "I see. That''s fine, I can help you. But do you not have anything you want to ask me?" Priscilla asked, her head craned slightly against her hand.


    Before Hallie could respond, the forest shook as the rampaging hoofsteps of a dozen horses echoed. Men emerged from the canopy of trees with weapons readied and faces of malice. The leading man was large, wearing leather hide pants and a bare torso that rippled in the subtle glow of dusk. They charged in a violent display that caused Priscilla to pull back, ready to fight, but Hallie jumped up in front of her, "Jens! You''re here!" She yelled with a beaming smile.


    The man tugged on the reins, stopping his horse skillfully where the horse''s front legs lifted in an arrogant display of might. Its black mane fluttering in the soft breeze. "Hall! You''re okay! Thank the Star, I was ready to fight to the death with those count''s dogs if they harmed you!" Jensen uttered, his husky voice thumping against the spacious forest grounds.


    Jensen leaped off his horse and embraced Hallie with a loving bear hug, caressing her cheek as a joyous tear streaked down her face. "Oh, Hall. I was so incredibly worried; you have no idea."


    Priscilla— She was touched by Hallie and her husband''s displays of love. Hallie and her husband were very affectionate, something she could not imagine herself. Maybe Zae-Rin? But that was a platonic love, closer to maternal even. Not something like this. Her eyes glazed over slightly, a translucent film coating them. The girl wiped her eyes with her forearm and turned her body toward the woods. ''They should be fine now.'' Priscilla thought, seeing Jensen and the men''s appearances.


    Priscilla took one step before she felt a tug on her arm. Hallie looked at her with both hands clasped around her hand. "Jens, this is Priscilla. She saved all of us," Hallie said softly; she looked at Priscilla with starry eyes, "Why don''t you come with us, Priscilla? If you don''t have other plans..."


    "You should be fine now that your husband and the rest are here, right?" Priscilla asked, avoidant of the question Hallie asked. "I should go."


    "Please, Priscilla! Even if you don''t fight for us, you can still come and have a meal." Hallie convinced the girl, unwilling to let go.


    Jensen rubbed his bearded chin in confusion, but as his eyes scanned the craterous remains, the bodies strewn across, and his wife''s freedom, he began to piece together a possibility. "Hall, don''t be a pest," Jensen muttered in realization. "If she doesn''t want to come, then so be it. If the count wants to fight us all to the death, it''s our battle to face, not hers."


    "Sorry, Priscilla. My wife means well, so don''t misunderstand. You did all of this, didn''t you? I won''t ask how, but judging by Hall''s excitement, the method you took down these men with was incredible and magical. No wonder she wants you with us when the count retaliates."


    "He will retaliate; he''s a short, petty, vulgar little piglet. But that''s for us to worry about; you''ve done enough already." Jensen stated with crossed arms. "You should collect what''s left of the soldier''s valuables and leave the county''s land for your own sake."


    Hallie''s arms slumped; hearing her husband''s words, she sighed helplessly. "Jens'' words are true, Priscilla. I''m sorry, you should go!"


    "I didn''t mean to deceive you, but the count is a vile man." Hallie stepped back, walking toward Jensen with a dejected air.


    Priscilla''s hand jolted, grabbing Hallie''s wrist. "No, Hallie, it''s okay. I understand why you were acting like that."


    "I''ll go with you," Priscilla said softly, her mind trembling as she took the fact that they needed her in. Hallie and Jensen did not treat her like a monster but as someone who could help them. "I''m not worried about the count or his men, so I may as well see what all the fuss is about, right?" Priscilla smiled, revealing her dazzling grin to Hallie.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    "Really? You mean it?" Hallie questioned as she jumped back and hugged Priscilla. "Thank you so much, Priscilla! You''re a lifesaver!"


    <hr>


    Priscilla walked with the group for a little under an hour before they reached the township''s gates. It was far smaller than most towns Priscilla had ever been in. The gates, made of rough wood, were durable but flimsy for moments of serious conflict. As Priscilla''s eyes scanned the perimeter of it, she figured there may only be a couple thousand people living there. Perhaps there were even fewer due to the count''s insanity.


    The streets were paved with a course stone adequate for a smaller town, something one would never find in the proper towns and cities of the empire. Houses thatched large but evidently hollow. Still, despite the glaring flaws and the looming threat of the count, there was a surprising level of peace among the townsfolk.


    Children frolicked, exuding an air of innocence and naivety, while parents walked behind them casually. Priscilla did not understand it— would the people not be more panicked knowing that the count was capturing their women ceaselessly? Or was it merely how the common folk lived, knowing their lives did not belong to them? "How can everyone be so carefree?" Priscilla asked, turning her gaze toward Hallie.


    "What else can they do? We have enough warriors and mercenaries in the town to prevent the count''s men from coming freely; at worst, they''ll capture a few people on the outskirts. But if they attack with everything they have, then there is nothing we can do but fight. So they may as well enjoy themselves while they can." Hallie stated matter-of-factly, her shoulders shrugging in helplessness.


    "Why don''t they just leave?" Priscilla asked, which raised several eyebrows from the others.


    "And go where? Have you not seen what''s going on throughout the empire?" Jensen uttered in annoyance.


    "Jens, calm down. She doesn''t know." Hallie chided, resting her hand on Jensen''s chest. "Priscilla, I don''t know your circumstances or the life you lived before you came, but— the empire is not a place where one can simply move freely— whenever they wish. The southern seas have been merciless as of late, turning the entire south into a perilous land. The eastern barbarians defend their lands with fury if any approach it. The northern mountains are impassable and most tragic— the emperor himself has gone mad."


    "What?" Priscilla asked hastily, "What happened with the emperor?"


    "We don''t know! It''s been months since he began crusading against the noble families that once supported him. It''s why we have people like the count doing whatever they wish." Hallie responded before adding, "If he were still in control, maybe none of this would have happened, but now it''s too late."


    "But that''s impossible. If something happened to the emperor, should Duke Valentine not intervene?" Priscilla asked in disbelief; her father would be the first to support the emperor. They were brothers, after all. "Everyone knows they would support one another against all odds; how could the emperor face contention from the noble houses that are so far beneath him?"


    "Duke Valentine? He''s been missing for some two years now." Hallie uttered flatly, "It was several months after the duke vanished when the houses began to rebel, and the emperor''s crusade unfolded."


    "WHAT?" Priscilla''s voice cracked. "That''s impossible!" She added unwillingly, her gaze turning unfocused as she slumped into a daze.


    ''Has something happened to father? No, no, is it a part of his plan? What does he have to gain? Is it related to the claims back then? Or is it Nightshade? Is he hiding somewhere?'' Priscilla''s fist unknowingly clenched as a stormy wind blew past the township, shaking the roofing of buildings in their area. Priscilla''s eyes glowed with a subtle chill, but before she could get swept up in her thoughts, Hallie reached out and touched Priscilla''s shoulder.


    "Are you okay, Priscilla? You look a bit unwell." Hallie asked.


    Priscilla trembled slightly from Hallie''s call, her dazed eyes clearing up as she lifted her head. "No... I''m okay, don''t worry." Priscilla smiled weakly, shook her head, and added, "I was just lost in my thoughts for a bit."


    They walked for a few minutes more in awkward silence. Jensen, if he did not fully understand things before, was gathering clues from the strange phenomena. They reached a house that nested off the beaten path; an elderly couple walked out to greet Hallie and Jensen, paired with three young children who rushed at the two with grins plastered across their faces.


    The two had brought Priscilla to their family home, which gave Priscilla a pause. ''Did they trust her to that extent?'' It was a strange, unfamiliar feeling. They sat in a warm lounge room with the dim rays of dawn starlight peering in. Jensen sat with spread legs and crossed arms, quiet but clearly in deep thought. Hallie played with the children while her parents brought tea for the trio.


    Jensen finally could not handle it anymore as he scratched his head and broke the awkward silence, "Hall— are you sure about this?"


    Hallie did not spare him a glance, merely nodding in place, "Mhm!"


    Jensen scratched his head harder, putting his precious mane at risk, "Fine, I''ll trust your instincts. Dammit." The man sighed before turning to Priscilla. "Priscilla, right? You''re not from this world, are you?"


    Priscilla''s eyes widened with a slight curve, "What do you mean?" She asked in genuine confusion.


    "What''s your family name?" Jensen asked bluntly.


    Priscilla froze for a second—the girl did not know if she should give a fake name or if she should admit to being a Valentine, but what if people knew of her execution in this part of the empire? "I cannot say..." She finally muttered.


    "Mhm." Jensen made a noise while rubbing his chin, "Do you know the Temple of Starlight?"


    "Uh— yes, I know of them," Priscilla replied without understanding why the question suddenly came up.


    "It wasn''t long ago when the temple''s men rode out from the Starlight Temple. They took to every corner of the empire chanting out a prophecy," Jensen stood up and walked to a side room before returning with a rolled-up parchment. He unfurled the scroll and recited, "The Dawn of the Millennium comes, and the harbingers of the end roam the empire, rivers of blood and mountains of death become commonplace, as we await the Starlit Dawn when the Starborn of two worlds descends to bring salvation."


    Hallie spoke up at last, "You descended last night, Priscilla. Didn''t you? That''s why the crater was there, and it''s how you took down those men so easily, and the magic— it''s not of this world."


    "The timing is too coincidental for it not to be you."


    "It''s true— the way those soldiers were killed wasn''t something one person could normally do," Jensen added.


    Priscilla sat in silence, and the two did not interrupt her. Thoughts passed through her mind; there was a lot she did not know. It had been years since her execution, and the empire was as familiar as it was foreign. Priscilla did not doubt their words— she had developed more than a sixth sense for lies in her time in purgatory. But knowing that— what did it mean for her and the empire? Was the end genuinely approaching, and she was responsible for saving everyone?


    Did anyone consider asking her first if she wanted to be some savior? Priscilla wanted to live her life, take revenge on her father, and find her purpose while exploring the world. It began to make her angry, the thought that the world''s fate was suddenly thrust upon her shoulders, but Priscilla calmed down. The realization came just as quickly— if the world were nearing the end— maybe she would find a way to save Zae-Rin. If the empire''s problems were going to erupt regardless of what she did, she should get to them first.


    Priscilla sighed and turned to Hallie and Jensen, "I''m Priscilla Valentine." She said flatly, "I don''t know if the prophecy is talking of me, but it wouldn''t be wrong to say that I''m no longer solely from this world."