There is a tale as old as time about a kingdom that has been long since forgotten. It is the tragic story of the rise and the fall of a terrible king, and the tearing apart of a destined family.

Long ago, there was only a vast green valley of land. Four colonies lived harmoniously, each residing in one corner of the great land. War existed not, and no clan was greater than the other. Peace had been long maintained in this small world, far off from any neighbouring lands.

However, this land would soon come to experience fear for the first time. One day, a fifth colony suddenly landed ashore the sands between sea and grass. A great number of ships carrying an even greater army. The people of this mysterious clan marched through the green, and whatever villages the knights would come to meet would be seized via bloodshed. A stampede of horse hooves marched forth towards the four colonies' kingdoms, each one prepared for a fight. But alas, the enemy would prove to be too much for even one of the colonies to handle. The land, the grass, the flowers that glistened in the sunlight were stained with dark crimson. Soon enough, the peaceful world was quickly overtaken by the fifth, marking a new age with a new rule. The leader marked their territory in the very heart of the land, and thus, it would be ruled for years by the dreaded family that struck fear into those who would ever hear the name. The Hendrickson clan.

For years to follow, the ruthless rulers of the Hendrickson family would continue to plague the valley with their poison, amounting to a loss of hope from the ones who came before. Their world was gone, and no one had the power to take it all back.

But the darkness was not destined to remain, for soon after the rulers' eventual fates dawned the crowning of the successor. They would look at the damage their family had caused to this hopeless land and decide that this was not the way. An issue for peace would be restored, returning their subjects to lives they could happily live and repairing the darkened and dead landscape to its former glory. The corners of the land would regain their rule once more, and eventually, the world would come back to its peaceful state, with the four colonies of each corner, and the Hendrickson kingdom laying in the centre of it all.

The past of the Hendrickson's arrival would soon be forgotten as the generations passed, with the new kings and queens maintaining the newborn legacy of their family. All wrongs were resolved. And it benefitted to form a perfect world.

However, no secret can be forgotten forever. Soon, a new darkness would dare arise from the ashes, and they would bring poison to the land once more. It was destiny...

Deep in the forest that surrounded the Hendrickson castle, there was a small village. It wasn't largely populated, and not many knew of its existence. The people that lived there would learn to survive on their own, not needing to rely much on the services that the rest of the kingdom provided. In among the many families that lived in the village, there was one that would eventually see a change that would affect them forever.

Far outside the village and deep into the forest, there was a child that ran from tree to tree. They were like a shadow in the night, a figure that if you blinked, you would miss. This child would eventually come to a stop right by a large and strong tree. By using all of the strength in their arm, they brought up the axe they held and swung at the side of the tree. In an attempt to pull the axe back out, they found that they accidentally got it stuck inside.

"Destiny!" a gruff voice called out from somewhere in the woods. Behind the child, there then appeared a tall, very strong man who looked to be out of breath. "You... gotta stop running away like that, kiddo. I'm not... getting any younger here!"

The child nervously laughed, hiding the tall axe behind their back. "Sorry, Dad." This was Destiny Heartwoven, an agile and surprisingly strong girl barely the age of fourteen, with light violet skin and silky purple hair that shined in the sunlight. Almost every single day, young Destiny would venture out with her father, who worked as a lumberjack for the village, to try and assist him in any way she could. However, despite her toughness, she didn't exactly have the strength needed to cut down a real tree.

Her father held out his hand, issuing Destiny to hand the axe back over to him. The girl resisted at first, but the fierce eyebrow raise from her father would prove to be very effective, causing Destiny to release a loud huff and to give the axe away. The father walked past, lightly moving his daughter out of the way. By the tree once more, it was his turn to raise the sharp tool.

"Here's how you really chop down a tree," he said.

Destiny watched in awe as her father swung the axe hard and fast, penetrating through the tree and causing splinters to fly out in different directions. She was even amazed by how easy he made it look to pull the axe back out. One day, Destiny hoped to be as strong as her dad.

Eventually, the tree began to move over to one side, and along with the sounds of frantic snapping, the towering wood came crashing down on its side.

Her father never failed to amaze her. Despite deeming himself as only just 'the local lumberjack,' the man of the Heartwoven house was a well respected man throughout their village. Destiny felt very lucky to have a man this close to her be her role model.

But now suddenly getting herself out of her daydream, Destiny found that he was already just about finished chopping the tree into smaller logs. He began loading them all onto a wooden cart he had placed nearby. Destiny figured that this was her chance for her 'proving herself worthy' quota for the day. She began to lift one log at a time onto the cart, all while finding it difficult to wrap her arms around the wood. Meanwhile, her father proved how much of a show off he was by carrying not one, but three logs on his right shoulder! Though impressive, Destiny gave him a grumpy glare.

"Hey!" she whined. "How am I supposed to help if you hog all the logs?!"

Her father chuckled. "You snooze, you lose, Destiny. But if you want, I'll let you have a chance to help unloading once we get back, okay?" If it was one thing Destiny didn't appreciate too well, it was her father's snark. But help was help, she supposed.

The two finished loading the wooden cart and began wheeling it back home. It wasn't a large or a very pristine place like the castle grounds, but it was home nonetheless, with various man-made structures of all shapes and sizes. Everyone here was a neighbour to each other, giving a friendly wave as they passed by. With plenty of nice faces to meet, and little intrusion from those the folk did not recognise, it was a peaceful life these people lived. Destiny loved her home, and she would never give up on it.

In the heart of the land stood tall the castle of the Hendrickson family. Sat upon the top of a mountain, overseeing everything that surrounded it. It was here that the current king of the land made his mark, where he made his rule and honoured his family's era of peace. The sovereign of this land was none other than King David Hendrickson.

Currently, the king sat in his dining room, feasting happily after another day of hearing the public's demands and strengthening the bonds between the clans. However, he would not be the only one at the table as, sitting directly across, he was accompanied by the kingdom's prince, his younger brother. The younger man sat in complete silence.

However, the quietness, that allowed for the light patter of a mouse's feet to become prominent, proved to be quite troublesome to the king. He would attempt to break the silence. "A rather pleasant evening we've been blessed with," King David said.

The brother did not respond. Rather, he continued to eat, not glancing away from the platter in front of him. It was clear he was not in the mood for chatting.

The king, however, was persistent. "The people are approaching with more and more wishes over the last few days. It is still over a month until winter, but who is to say it is too early to begin preparations, hmm?" David caused himself to give a light chuckle, but as his sibling remained quiet, the king found himself going silent once more. "Brother, what will it take for you to at least speak to me again?"

"What is there to speak about, your majesty?" the brother finally spoke with a low and snarly voice.

"Oh, enough with the formalities, brother. Are we not allowed to be genuine with one another anymore? Like we used to be when we were young boys?"

It was now that David was able to look into his brother's eyes. All he could see was a cold stare, devoid of all emotion and surrounded by darkness. The younger man sat completely still for a moment, placing his utensils to the side as he seemed to be reading the king with his stare. "We are not children anymore, David. You have moved forth with your life, fulfilling your destiny."

David sighed. "You're not still going on about that, are you? I know you and father didn't always see eye to eye, but he really wanted the best for us both."

"Our 'father' was another link in our family's chain of manipulation. I do not understand how you are able to ignore what I found about our past-"

"That past is not ours anymore. Whatever you found, brother, it is not what our family is now. We have rectified our name for the sins our ancestors committed. We no longer have any need to dwell on darker times."

The prince stood up from his chair. "That is where you are wrong, 'brother.' The Hendrickson name was once bowed down to for the power we held. We were once truly invincible, ready for battle if it ever dared to show its face. And now? I pity how tragically the kingdom will finally fall." The young man began to walk away from the dining table, leaving his elder brother in disbelief. "Thank you for dinner, your highness."

But before he could reach the door, King David shot up from his seat and held a hand out towards his only family. "Wait, brother! I do not want us to be enemies. We could make a beautiful difference if we were both in this together. Please, Goliath."

Goliath stood by the door for a moment before turning back to give his brother that venomous stare again. "We could make a difference. But you are not willing to listen." With that, Goliath left the king to be alone.

No matter the angle the light shines, the other side will always be engulfed in an unrelenting shadow, but it is by this light that the darkness is kept at bay. Without it, the world would no longer be able to see the direction it was heading towards, thus casting order and alignment to the dust. We cannot exist with light alone, that is the world decree. Either we keep the light only to hold the darkness back, or we embrace a world eternally eclipsed.

However, the fued between light and dark is not a war that is decided. The light has a steady grip, but the dark will also have an edge. It is only a matter of time until the light's hold is broken and then destroyed.

At the break of a new dawn upon Destiny Heartwoven's sweet village, it was a beautiful day not to be wasted. Almost the entire village appeared to be out and about, fulfilling their routinely runabouts.

Destiny, on the other hand, took the time to rest herself, sitting upon the roof of her home and observing the village. After a while of smiling and waving to the fellow townsfolk, her eyes were drawn towards the tall trees that surrounded the area. She had never seen the land that laid outside her small home. The forest spread far and wide, and Destiny never journeyed too far in fear of getting herself lost. She knew she wasn't old enough just yet, but perhaps one day, Destiny will have a chance to explore the world outside. Maybe even see the Hendrickson castle in person.

It was then that Destiny heard something coming from the forest. She quickly turned around to investigate, and from the dark woods emerged a group of hooded figures that were very unfamiliar to her. "Strange," she whispered to herself. Destiny took this as the time to jump down from her high ground.

Never in her life has she seen a stranger wander into the village. It was certainly odd to have company in a small and unknown town such as this, especially folk that took a discreet approach when arriving.

Destiny followed the strangers as they blindly walked through her village, keeping herself hidden by hiding behind walls. There was something that rubbed her the wrong way about these people, and she was going to find out what.

Walking through the village's marketplace, the strangers gathered inside the baker's hut. Destiny managed to slip inside as the door closed and took refuge beneath a table without being noticed.

The strange people walked up towards the counter where the owner warmed them with a welcoming smile. "Welcome. Are you looking for any pastries or goods? If so, I just got a fresh new stock of delights!" the owner greeted. It was then that he saw the faces beneath the hoods that he realised. "Say, I'm not sure I recognise you. Are you visiting our village?"

The hooded man standing at the front quickly threw an arm out towards the baker, revealling a dagger that was barely an inch away from his throat. "Scream and you die!" the man threatened. He turned to his peers, blade still raised. "Gather all of the goods." The rest then ran around the store, collecting all baked goods into large sacks.

Destiny gasped. She knew there was something wrong with these people. They were bandits! The poor girl's mind was racing trying to figure out what she should do. If she tried leaving for help, she would most certainly be caught and then they'd both be doomed! But could she even take on this many bandits long enough for help to arrive? Her options were very limited and they were highly likely to end with terrible consequences, but what other choice did she have?

A pair of legs suddenly appeared in front of her, almost scaring her into shouting. Luckily, she hadn't been caught just yet. It appeared that Destiny resided beneath a table of cakes. With this bandit remaining in front of her for a bit, the devious young girl had an idea and reached towards the laces of this person's boots.

The bandit soon enough cleaned the table of its delights, aside from plenty of crumbs, and was ready to move onto another. But suddenly they were sent crashing down onto the floor, noticing that their boots had been tied together.

"Watch yourself!" the front man shouted to his companion. "We must finish quickly and leave before anyone notices!"

However, the dagger-wielding bandit failed to notice the child that snuck from behind, where Destiny jumped upon his back and pulled his hood over his eyes!

"Run!" Destiny shouted to the baker. The baker complied and ran out the store to look for help.

The man now began thrashing his head in every direction in an attempt to shake the clinging miscreant off his back, but Destiny ensured that she held on like a leech. The leading bandit tried swinging his dagger behind him. He continuously missed, however, he did manage to land a small cut on Destiny's left cheek.

Destiny continued to put up a good fight, but a pair of arms from another thug wrapped around her and pulled her off. She flailed around as she was held in the air, but her little arms prevented her from landing anymore throws.

"Hendrickson scum!" the leader growled, pointing the dagger up to Destiny's face.

"What are we going to do with her?" said the bandit who carried the helpless girl.

The leader devilishly snickered. "What are we going to do?" He lightly poked Destiny's stomach with his blade. "I am going to take this dagger, drag it all the way up your small little body and rip your skeleton out of your skin!"

Destiny was trembling with fear. She could feel her fingers getting tingly by her fast, heavy breathing. How could she have been so stupid? Springing into action without a plan and now she was about to die. She closed her eyes tightly, preparing for the worst.

But her eyes opened again at the loud bang of a door opening. Everyone's heads turned towards the entrance. A large man stood at the door, eyes quickly drifting across each of the bandits and suddenly becoming wide at the sight of Destiny.

"Destiny?!" he exclaimed.

"Dad!" Destiny shouted.

The leader bandit gave an annoyed sigh. "The intrusions by you Hendrickson rats never seem to end!" His intentions were then turned towards the newcomer, beginning to charge at him with his dagger held high. He brought his arm down for a strike, but it was immediately stopped by the father catching the thug by the wrist. The thug could no longer move. All he could do now was stare into the eyes of an angry father.

Destiny's father began to crush the thieve's arm in his big hand, causing him to drop the weapon. "Leave our village. Now!" His voice was seething with rage, striking true fear into the bandit.

The father pushed the bandit back, who held onto his almost broken arm. "We must leave!" the thug leader said before making a break for the back door. The one carrying Destiny dropped her to the ground and ran.

Now being safe, Destiny just looked at the ground. She knew that her father had approached her, but she didn't dare to look him in the eye.

"Destiny," her father said quietly. "Look at me."

Destiny tried to fight against the urge, but she hated to ever defy her father. She complied and looked up at him, expecting to see his furious stare. However, all she saw were his eyes welling up with tears. The parent quickly knelt down and tightly embraced his daughter.

"Thank heavens you're safe," he softly said. Destiny remained silent as her father quietly weeped while holding onto her. She was too stunned by everything to react back.

Soon enough, Destiny's father brought her back in front of him. "What were you doing, Destiny? You could have been really hurt. Why didn't you find help?"

"There was no time. The baker was in danger now. I know it was really, really stupid, but I couldn't sit around and do nothing!" Destiny explained, her adrenaline causing her to raise her voice unintentionally.

Her father was in shock. His daughter, immediately acting in the face of danger. He couldn't help but let a smile creep into his face. "Hmm. You remind me of a whole lot of myself when I was your age.

"I know what it's like to want to help and make a change, but you're still a young girl, Destiny. Everyone has a time where they can make a change, but I think you called yours a but early. Maybe wait until you're a bit older, okay?"

"Are you mad at me?" Destiny asked innocently.

Her father shook his head. "No, I'm not mad. In a way, I'm quite proud." He ruffled his daughter's hair with his big hand. "You've really grown into such a strong woman. I can't imagine how great you'll become when you're all grown up."

A tiny smile now grew onto Destiny's face. "Thanks, dad." With that, the father and daughter left the bakery. After crossing with danger and being there for eachother, the two would leave with stronger bonds.

Darkness will always provoke, but not always will it become the day's victor. The light will ward off, only for the time being.

In the throne room of the Hendrickson castle, the royal guard brought forth a group of chained-together prisoners before the king. The knights stood firmly in their ruler's presence.

"Sire! This group of bandits have been caught threatening and stealing from villages spread throughout the colony. We have identified them being of the Burchard clan," one guard explained in a loud voice.

The leader of the thugs looked up towards the king, laughing evilly. "You Hendricksons believe that you are so powerful because you have everyone under your boot. Well, let it be known that we of the Burchard have no respect for you, and we will continue to be against you until this kingdom falls!"

King David looked down upon the prisoners with a cold stare. "You dare invade our peaceful land, ransack our villages and preach that such a fued exists between we and one of our allies?! You sicken me!"

"What do you wish of us to do with these fiends, your highness?" the other guard asked.

"Send them back to their colony. I will let your own leader decide a fitting enough punishment for your crimes," the king decided.

The king's guards complied with his orders, taking the prisoners away to be sent back to their homeland, leaving the king alone. Now, without the need to keep a fierce face in front of his subjects, King David gave a heavy sigh while pinching the bridge of his nose.

There were certainly times where being the king would become a heavy burden. The fate of so many resting in the hands of one man. Did he make the correct decision with those bandits?

But the king would be pulled away from his thought by the sound of a scoff coming from the side of the throne room. David turned and saw his brother slowly walk in front of him with a severely disappointed expression.

"Pathetic," Goliath spat. "By your initial assertiveness, I assumed that you were finally taking the stand you should have since your coronation. Perhaps I should not have gotten my hopes too high."

"It is not my place to judge citizens that are not mine," David argued. "Had I do so and the Burchard clan were to find out, it would create a possibly devastating impact on our relationship."

Goliath smirked. "But that's not what this is about, is it?" He closely analysed his brother's face. David noticeably looked elsewhere as Goliath asked that question. "You were never the greatest at lying, brother. It's father, isn't it?" Now Goliath took notice of his brother's glance towards the floor as he said this. He knew it. "You worry of his disappointment. All his effort to ensure the cycle repeats, wasted on a king who is still second guessing every decision he makes."

King David's face grew hard again as he looked towards his younger brother. "I hardly believe you're in a position to comment in such a way, Goliath. Do not forget, I wear this crown. I suggest you choose your words carefully from now on."

Goliath laughed. "Please. You are only king because you were always so easy to manipulate! Father didn't see hope in you, he only saw a pathetic child that would worship him like a god, following every command he gave. You aren't giving the orders, you're only following them because that is all you know!

"You know you wanted to put away those low-life scoundrels, but you just didn't have the heart! You are not a king. You are weak!"

A silence fell between the brothers, only being taken up by Goliath's deep breaths from his anger.

"You are the spitting image of him," Goliath commented. "I couldn't be more ashamed to have once considered you my friend."

David was silent, his shock having taken him aback. The two brothers just stared at eachother for a moment, only for Goliath to make the next move. He turned around to leave the throne room. David did not try to stop him.

But before he left, Goliath left David with a final message, "You're not fit to wear that crown." And with that, the king was alone once more.

All that Goliath could think of now was how pitiful it was that things had to be this way. He and his brother, there was once a time they always agreed with eachother. David had changed. Goliath hated every minute of having to watch this kingdom fail to evolve.

Because of this, the people who were meant to be their allies were beginning to turn against them. Darkness was drawing near and only Goliath was seeing this future. Something had to be done. Something needed to change.

No one knows what happened that night. The castle stood cold and quiet on a grim, black night. The clouds hid the moon from sight. The castle torches were blown out by the wind.

What happened between the king and prince remained unknown by all present in the castle grounds. All that was known was that Goliath did not arrive to dinner that night. The neglected prince could be found hidden away in his dormitory. King David, however, could not.

His highness could not be found anywhere within his home. Until later that night, one of his subjects happened to stumble across the king. He never left the dining room. He did not even finish his dinner.

A chalice had been knocked onto the floor amongst a spilled purple liquid, uneaten food was left cold on a full platter and a white liquid dripped off the table's edge, coming from the frothing mouth of the king.

Unresponsive, white-eyed and limp. King David Hendrickson was dead.

The kingdom would be placed in a grave state of shock and worry, each and every subject wondering why, who, and what this would mean for the future of their home.

Every colony came together to each mourn the loss of their great ruler. For the short time he was in rule, he was to be forever remembered for holding onto what his ancestors created. However, among the humongous crowd, there was but one person who did not attend the funeral. Instead, he was far too busy planning his next move.

With David having now ascended, the crown would be passed onto the next in line. Within the next few days after David's passing, the Hendrickson colony would welcome their newest ruler: King Goliath Hendrickson.

Eventually, the light's hold will fall, and soon the darkness will take the lead.

From this point onwards, everything would change...

One day, in the small, secluded village once more, the people would receive new visitors. Only this time, there were tens upon tens of them emerging from the trees. Some of which were even riding atop horses, dragging with them large wagons set for carrying people. These new strangers were also dressed all in much more formal, valuable attire, wearing all metal from head to toe. It was obvious who these new visitors were, it was the king's royal guard.

The villagers would watch in awe right by their homes as the knights marched through. Just what were they doing here, of all places?

The soldiers all stopped as they reached the centre of the village. One of which stood on top of a rock where they could be clearly seen. The people assumed that this may be the guard's captain.

The captain removed his helmet and rolled out a parchment he carried, reading the contents loud for all to hear, "Hear ye, peasants! By the royal decree of King Goliath Hendrickson, we have come to collect new recruits for his expanding army of soldiers. We demand you all to hand your greatest and strongest along to the king so ensure that our kingdom maintains a bright future. Refusal of this offer is not an option."

This was a strange request, everyone thought. The new king had only been in power for a short time, and he is already demanding of his subjects?

"And what if we do refuse?" a civilian stepped forward, daring to ask.

Without receiving a answer, a knight stepped forward and swung the wooden handle of their halberd across the head of the civilian, sending him to the ground with a bloody gash.

"Is another example in order?" the captain asked. The silence all others gave was more than enough for him to continue. "This opportunity will prove to be for the greater good! King Goliath sees the future, and if we are unable to act upon it now, the Hendrickson kingdom could see dark days. So, I shall demand once more: lend your greatest for a greater tomorrow!"

The crowd was still as quiet as a dead man's coffin. No one knew how to react. Was this even real? Why would a king need to do this?

Among the crowd was Destiny and her family. They were all just as shocked as those around them.

"Dad? W-What's going on?" Destiny asked.

"I'm... not sure," her father responded. He turned to his wife who had a fearful look in her eyes. She lightly tugged on his arm, trying to get them all to leave. However, what would happen to everyone else if they ran away?

The captain of the guard looked across his audience. By the stillness of all the people, it was clear that his message was not getting through. "There is no choice in this matter. Submit yourselves immediately or we shall be forced to take a harsher approach!" His demands continued to not be followed. It left the captain without a choice. "Very well then. Guards-!"

"Wait!" a voice from the crowd shouted out. All heads turned towards the source of the voice, leading towards the raised hand of Destiny's father.

The people stood out of the way, allowing for the father and the captain to meet eye to eye. Everyone awaited for the man's remark. They feared as to what might happen to him for interrupting the guard captain.

Despite the dreaded silence causing for the father to fear, he finally spoke. "A good leader would never force their subjects to join a cause against their own wills. For what reason should we not have a say?"

The captain scoffed. "That would be due to your lack of understanding. Our home has lately been the target for ridicule and threats by foreigners that have intruded on our land. What we are gathering for is for the preparation if the other leaders have darker intentions. For the sake of our kingdom, it cannot be risked."

This answer did not satisfy the father. "And his solution, rather than peacefully requesting, is to tear families apart?" The anger in his tone became ever more clear the more he spoke.

"If the worst comes to be, you won't have a family any longer. Think other than the king's desires and try realise your own," the captain responded. He then caught sight of the young girl that stood close to him. "Wouldn't you prefer a future where your daughter grows up in a happier, safer world?"

Destiny's father held his breath. That fiend! He would dare turn this towards his own daughter? He was almost outraged that an accomplice of the king would do such a thing, but yet he said nothing.

The anger the father felt slowly became infested with anxiety. His eyes drifted from the captain towards Destiny who stood right by his side. A safer world, he said. There was a furious battle within the father's mind with both sides clashing fiercely, yet they both stood their ground.

Their village had been safe from any amount of danger for generations, but a life or death situation had finally occurred, proving it was possible.

He may not see Destiny grow up much more, but she should still be able to grow up at all.

But how would the village continue to properly function with so many needing to leave? Could everyone adapt? He knew that the people here had the determination to overcome, so he could place his trust in them overcoming this too.

The father just had one more question. He gave a sigh before looking to the royal guard captain once more. "Do we have your word that our families will be safe?"

The captain placed his hand on his heart. "Under the protection of the king, no one could possibly be more safe."

With this answer, the father turned towards his wife. He stood in silence for a moment, trying to look for the correct words, but it was clear that the mother already understood what he wanted to say.

The mother grabbed her husband's large hands and held them close to her, furiously shaking her head.

The father sighed and held his wife's head in his hand, using his thumb to wipe away a falling tear. His own eyes began to glisten, but he managed to give her a soft smile.

Destiny did not know what to make of this. Why was her mother crying? Why did her father stop arguing with the captain? She was putting the pieces together bit by bit and it became more clear.

The father then turned his head towards his daughter and knelt down to her level. Destiny looked anxiously into his eyes. "Dad? What are you-?"

"Destiny," her father interrupted. "I'm going away for a while. While I'm not here, I want you to take good care of your mother. Can you do that?"

Destiny appeared completely stunned by her father's sudden request, with her only shown reaction being tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. The little girl stood completely still for a moment. Her mind was racing with thoughts so fast, she almost completely forgot her father's request. Amidst all of the confusing thoughts, she could only think of one question, "W-Will I ever see you again?"

She noticed her father's failure to immediately answer. His small glance towards the ground but quickly back to her broke her spirit.

He tried to smile again as he eventually answered, "Someday." He planted a final kiss on her forehead. "Keep being strong. I know that one day you'll be able to accomplish amazing things. I love you, Destiny."

Destiny wanted to say it back, but the lump in her throat almost choked her, preventing her to get out another word.

Then, the father took one final look of his family before beginning to disappear into the crowd towards the captain. With the father followed many more citizens of the village, not wanting to test the captain's patience much more. They all said goodbye to their own families before they were pulled apart.

Amongst the crowd leaving, it wasn't long before Destiny lost sight of her father. She wanted to run and pull him back, but she was frozen. All she could do was watch.

Destiny could feel every second as she witnessed the carriages that invaded her home slowly disappeared back into the forest. There was just one thought left in her mind and it was played on an endless loop, 'My father is in there, and he is being taken away.'

She felt her mother tightly cling onto her as she struggled to repress her sobs. But Destiny couldn't hear them. She couldn't hear anything anymore. Her father was gone. Why?

In the months following, preparations were being made within the castle. No word was let loose to the public on what exactly was happening; the king simply kept to himself and his growing forces.

With hundreds of new recruits for his army, they would be placed to do gruelling training. Almost every ounce of life in every person would be drained until they were nothing other than a soldier awaiting the next command.

And yet, despite all of this pain, not one person understood what this was all for. Since their arrival, the king was silent. This continued to last for a very long time.

And when the time finally arrived, no one could have anticipated the storm that was coming. Once Goliath finally had his desired army, he waited not a second longer and set forth towards his destiny. The ground could be felt rumbling as a legion of marches in unison appeared over the horizon.

Today marked the beginning of the Hendrickson clan reclaiming its honour.

The first neighbouring clan was in sight. The home of those disgraceful peasants that would dare taint the Hendrickson soil: the Burchard clan.

Finally, with a deathly glint in his eyes, Goliath gave his declaring shout, and his army charged forth, laying siege to the kingdom. The people of Burchard fought to save their home, but they were quickly overwhelmed by the vastness of Goliath's forces.

The Burchard kingdom was quickly turned to ruins, becoming a distant memory within days of fighting. When pushing the battle back became impossible, the remaining citizens would fall to their knees for the tyrannical victor. However, Goliath refused mercy to any of his enemies. The ones who would blemish Goliath's world were no more. Hell was brought, and the king embraced every moment of it.

The same suffering would soon be brought towards the next clan in sight. The megalomaniacal ruler dared not to rest for longer than needed. However, before King Goliath's forces would reach the walls of the next colony, word was already spread of his attack. The remaining clans would then bring themselves together to hopefully hold against their great new foe.

The clouds above turned dark and blocked out all light. The two armies closed together in a brutal clash. One after the other, soldiers of both sides fell, their mixed blood drowning the grass beneath their greaves. It was a fight that no one wanted, yet their fates decided it to be. The cries of war were not for their homelands' honour, but instead being the acceptance that they would not leave these grounds alive.

The battle waged on with no sign of either side taking victory. Goliath watched from afar. He was afraid to admit, he feared the outcome of this battle. If this fight were to ever see the end, it could mean the difference between gaining his desires and losing them. But was it worth risking at the moment? Perhaps the king underestimated his opponents.

King Goliath called for a retreat for his remaining soldiers. Whoever still stood, they joined eachother in the make for home once more.

It was a devastating beginning for the new age, but in the eyes of the terrible ruler, it was all necessary in the path towards his desired world. This night was not a loss, but instead one of many potential missteps in Goliath's path. But despite everything that may happen soon, he will never wave the white flag. The war was not yet over. He will ensure that this new age becomes destiny.

Word was received across the Hendrickson kingdom that the soldiers would be returning home. After weeks of the king and his army's absence, families would be reunited again.

The people of the hidden village stood in the centre of their home in anticipation, waiting for their loved ones to come home. They would then see the same carriages that took them away emerging from the trees, with other guards and the captain riding on horses that dragged them.

The carriages would come to a stop in front of the citizens, and the door opened to let the soldiers leave. It was at this moment that everyone noticed that something was not right. With the great number of people that were taken away, they realised that just over half seemed to return.

The people began to question, calling out the names of the ones that could not be seen right now. Destiny would be one amongst these people.

She immediately noticed that she wasn't seeing her father within the crowd. She called out, "Dad? Dad, where are you?" But no matter which way she turned, her father could not be seen.

Destiny then turned towards the captain of the guards who stared forward with a blank expression. She reluctantly approached his steed.

But she was not the only one with this idea as many others began pushing past her, crowding the captain and asking similar questions. "Where is my son?" "Shouldn't my father have returned?" "Where is everyone else?"

The captain of the guard slowly moved his head towards the worried crowd. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he climbed to the top of one of the carriages so he could be seen by all. He took a deep breath and began to shout. "The soldiers you've given to us all fought valiantly, and their names shall go down in history for what they have done for the kingdom! However, it is with great sorrow that I must tell you that, as bravely as they fought, not all saw to the end."

A wave of gasps washed through the village. The faces of all citizens turned to grief, most immediately breaking into harsh sobs.

The captain only listened as entire village broke by his news. "My heart goes out to all who could not return today."

Did she hear that correctly? Destiny stared deep into the captain. It couldn't be true. Her father... No. He had to be lying. He promised that they would all be safe. He promised!

Destiny hadn't even noticed how heavy her breathing became. She had never felt so many strong emotions at the same time. She couldn't hold them all back. So then, she exploded.

"You... You PROMISED!" Destiny screamed as her eyes became waterfalls. "You promised that everyone would be safe!" Destiny then fell to her knees as she cried more and more.

The guard captain was taken aback by the girl's rage. Though, he supposed it should have been expected. "Truly, I am sorry, little one."

The citizens, despite their newfound sorrow, continued to bombard the captain with more comments and questions. "Why must we fight our friends?" "There's no reason for anyone to have died like this!" "Why would the king do this?"

The king. That's right. This was all his fault. This new king who took everyone away; who broke the peace between colonies; who let Destiny's father die! This man was no king... he was a monster!

Destiny's sadness turned into something darker. It was now an unrelenting rage! She despised this new king with every inch of her being! Something had to be done.

One month after the tragedy, the Hendrickson kingdom was left in disarray. No one knew what to do next. With the risk of being attacked at an all time high, everyone could only sit patiently in fear. There was no hope. All other colonies were now against them, and their king was the centre of it all. The people had no one.

However, King Goliath had yet to admit defeat. He only saw that failed attack as a setback. He would not underestimate power of all colonies banding as one again. His army was small once more, so it would take time to rebuild, but his dream was yet to be over. No matter what, the world would be his.

As for the hidden village, they continued to move forward, but no one had recovered from their losses. Each citizen gathered together to create a memorial for those who were lost to the war. A large stone carved in the centre of their town, the names of all lost family carved into it. They may all be gone, but their memories would never be forgotten.

Although, there was no other person still hurt more than dear Destiny Heartwoven. Each and every day, she would spend a great amount of time sitting in front of the stone, staring directly at her father's name. It still did not feel real. She still expected to go home and find her father returning with a cart full of wood. But he never did.

She placed her hand upon her father's name, hoping to just feel his soul at the very least. But it was just a name. No matter what she would do, it would not bring him back.

Clouds began to form in the sky. Destiny began to feel the rain hitting against her, but she paid it no mind. Nothing bothered her anymore.

"Destiny," her mother called from behind her. "Let's go home. I'll make us dinner."

Destiny did not respond. At least, not for a while. Her mother didn't push her, however. She understood how badly her child hurt.

Eventually, Destiny gave a heavy breath and pulled herself to her feet. Still staring at the stone, she just gave her mother a low, "Okay." So, she left with her mother, but she did not take her eyes off his name, even when it was too far to see.

In her mind, Destiny constantly reminded herself that he did not die for anything. Her father's life was taken away, not by the opponent, but by the one who led the battle. Their own king.

Destiny did not want to sit around any longer while the king is allowed to get away with it all. Every terrible thing is the fault of that despicable monster who would dare sit on the throne. If only he was gone, everyone would be free again, and the soldiers' lives would be avenged. It was decided...

Destiny was going to kill the king.

Darkness was spread throughout the kingdom. The castle sat upon its hill, dimly lit by torches placed around and inside. Knights roamed around every corner, keeping a watch out for any unwanted company. However, they were all completely unaware of the shadow that silently snuck by them.

Wherever the torches did not shine, a cloaked figure camouflaged into the night. She remained outside of the castle, scaling the rocky walls and peering into every window she passed by. Her hatred filled her with the strength she needed to see this mission through. It was happening tonight.

She ascended to the castle's next floor, but just as she was about to pull her body over the top, she barely noticed the guards that had just passed her. She lightly gasped and ducked her head out of sight.

A light from one of the guards' torches was shone her way. She held her breath, praying she was not discovered.

"What is it?" she heard one of the soldiers ask.

"I thought I heard something," the other replied.

She continued to dangle over the edge as the castle guards walked away. Once there was silence again, she was safe to pull herself up.

The cloaked girl continued to scale the castle, and she found that she was nearing the top. He had to be close now. She looked into one more window, and inside she found a bedroom and a large bed fit only for a king. This was it.

But then, the wind suddenly began to pick up. It caught her off guard, causing her foot to slip off a rock, causing a loud scrape.

Another light shined up towards her. "Hey! Get down from there immediately!" a guard shouted.

She did not wait a second longer and jumped through the window. This was very bad. She was discovered! That meant that she would need to finish her quest quickly.

The cloaked girl turned towards the bed. There he was. The king, sleeping soundly, entirely unaware of what was about to come.

She silently approached the bed, revealling her father's axe from inside her cloak. This was it. She was here. All of the suffering would finally be put to an end.

At the edge of the bed, she let down the hood of her cloak so she could look directly at his disgusting face. She wondered how a human being like this could possibly exist. Killing thousands, and yet feeling not a sense of remorse. This vile demon!

She raised the axe with both hands, not taking her eye off her target, just like he taught her. "You snooze, you lose," Destiny Heartwoven said.

Destiny swung the axe down onto the unsuspecting king's chest. Blood came gushing out of his body, staining Destiny's cloak and face in the process. King Goliath was immediately awoken and in agony. He had barely the breath to shout. All he could do was look at the weapon lodged in his chest and then up to the face of the murderer. Destiny stared him down with her cold blue-eyed glare.

Goliath could do nothing more. He had no strength left in his entire body to move. This couldn't be! Before his eyes, he watched as a peasant ripped everything away from him. His plans, his world, his future! All taken away by this lowlife!

They both continued looking into eachother's eyes as the life finally began to fade from Goliath's own. He fell back onto the pillows of his bed as he drew his final breath.

It was all over. King Goliath Hendrickson was dead.

Destiny would have stayed longer to allow her victory to settle in. However, a number of castle guards came storming into the king's quarters, and at the forefront was the captain. Her attention was too closely put onto her target, she forgot to mind the approaching guards! Her hood was down... they could see her face!

With that, she swung her hood back over her head, raced to the window and began to make her descent, all before the knights could catch her. It was a new dawn for her home, and without the corruption of the king, it could be a better one.

Where light shines, darkness will rise... but where darkness prevails, light will reclaim.

The captain went for the window in attempt to catch that criminal, but upon reaching it, he found that she had already disappeared. He caught a glimpse of her face in the brief moment; it was slightly obscured by the darkness, but he felt it was very familiar.

But with the invader now gone, all worry was placed onto their ruler. The guards surrounded the bed with the captain inspecting the king.

"Your highness! Speak to me!" the captain called, holding Goliath's body up. But it was no use. Feeling his neck for a pulse, he found that his ruler was truly gone. "No... No, no!" he roared. "Who could have done this?!"

The captain then noticed something strange beside his foot: a bloodstained axe. It must have been left behind by the culprit. He picked it up and examined it. There appeared to be an engraving on the bottom of the wooden handle; a name, one that answered his familiarity.

'HEARTWOVEN.'

There was no mourning following the murder of King Goliath. In fact, there was nothing at all. Life continued as it would, with all wondering what was to come next. The fighting has ceased, but it does not negate the damage already brought. Thousands have perished, a colony is history and another is without a monarch. The rest from battling felt very little to celebrate for in the grand scope of it it all.

After returning home, Destiny became far more distant from everyone. No one knew of what she did, and she would like to keep it that way. But with everyone still in belief that she is but a poor, innocent soul, it did not feel right to be around her fellow peers.

Her mother was very worried. Just as soon as she saw her daughter wake up in the morning, Destiny was already out the door before the mother could say a word. Then, Destiny would disappear somewhere without anyone seeing where she went. She would go out to look for her, but finding nothing in doing so. The mother understood why, though, and her child would open up when she was ready.

Destiny would sit far within the woods and do nothing. She wasn't sure of how she could move on now. It was as though she had fulfilled... something, but didn't have another direction to go beyond that. The lost girl gave a heavy sigh. If her father were here, he would tell her where to go.

This was life right now. There was no telling of where it would go, but everyone would come to accept that it was just the way for now, feeling like a grace period for some, but a void for all else.

But despite to all's belief, the suffering was not over. For some, it was barely just beginning.

It was almost a week after the death of Goliath. The announcement of his passing was made then, but never telling how.

The loud marching was returning to the village. The people could feel the ground rumbling as they turned and watched the castle guard emerge once more, this time with a large structure in tow, being wheeled through the trees.

The captain took the lead, with him and other soldiers going straight towards a particular house.

Destiny's mother chose to ignore the sounds of rattling greaves this time, as she learned that the army's arrival was nothing more than a bad omen.

But just as she tried to continue with her daily routine, her door was broken down with a loud slam, scaring the life out of her! Soldiers came running in and they seized the woman by her arms.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" the mother shouted as she tried to pull away. The guard's had too tight a grip, however. She could not escape.

The captain walked up to her and stared her down with an enraged face. "Mrs Heartwoven, you are held accountable for involvement in the murder of King Goliath Hendrickson," he explained.

The mother eyes widened. She almost choked on her own breath in disbelief. "What? I- w-we had nothing to do with it! I swear!" she pleaded.

The captain did not respond. He only gave a scoff as he showed her the axe found at the scene, showing her specifically the insignia with her last name on it.

"No... I-I don't understand. I don't know how that got there! Please!"

The captain threw the axe to the floor, causing the blade to get stuck in the wooden floor. "You have no right to speak anymore!" he spat. "For the murdering of our ruler and betrayal of your own kingdom, you and your family will be appropriately punished. Follow!"

The guards then began making their leave with the mother in their custody. They walked her out of her home, allowing her to see her impending punishment standing tall.

Destiny still resided within the forest, but she was drawn out by the loud ruckus she could hear at the village. Passing through the trees and back into her home, she could see a large crowd had gathered for something. Everyone was shouting. She couldn't recognise what they were saying, but she could read their tones and it seemed to not be for a good reason.

They all gathered around a strange, tall, wooden structure that was not there before. Wanting to find out what was happening, Destiny began pushing past the crowd. She was able to see lower down the tall structure now, but once she figured what was happening, Destiny stopped dead in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat.

There was the royal guard again. But why? There was no need for them to return anymore.

But Destiny's thought was interrupted when she caught glimpse of another person being forcefully held down by the guards. She saw her mother pushed down to her knees with her head held beneath a guillotine!

"Mom?!" Destiny shouted.

The mother then snapped her head upwards, looking directly towards her daughter. "Destiny! Run!" she screamed bloody murder.

The interest of the captain now turned towards the daughter who appeared from nowhere. He could not believe it... it was her! The one from that night. The murderer! "Seize that child!" the captain commanded. A pair of guards then started running towards Destiny, who just stood completely still from shock and fear.

"Mom, w-what-?"

"There's no time, Destiny! Run, and don't look back!"

But she still didn't listen. Her eyes became blurry from her arriving tears. She was almost within grasp of the guards.

However, the girl was suddenly scooped up by another resident of the village, running as fast as he could out of the village.

"No!" Destiny protested, reaching out towards her mother who began to disappear from sight. "Mom!" It was then she saw another guard swing an axe towards a rope that kept the blade suspended so high.

"I love you, Destin-!" The mother was cut off.

The man carrying Destiny stopped for nothing. His sights were set only forward in hope to bring himself and the child out and far from danger. The noise of the chasing soldiers may have gone silent, but that did not mean they had stopped, so he kept going.

However, the girl in his arms continued to fight him, thrashing and crying in attempt to escape. Her throat was becoming very sore and hoarse from her painful cries, and her eyes were stinging and puffy.

All the man could do was listen. This girl had every reason to want to go back, and it hurt him especially to have to stop her from doing so.

Using so much of her energy crying and shouting, it caused Destiny to waste all the breath in her body, so while she was still being quickly taken away, her vision began to fade, and she finally passed out.

Even as the light retakes its place, remnants of the darkness will always remain.

There was nothing but screaming to be heard. No matter where she ran. No matter how hard she pressed her hands against her ears, she could always hear them. They echoed all throughout this black, empty, and seemingly endless space.

She begged for it to stop, but it would come back more ferocious than before. The shrieks of many voices, male and female, they wrapped around her head and became infused with her brain. There were no more thoughts. Only the screams.

She would still try to do anything with the no options she had. It was meaningless, however. Nothing she tried would allow her to be free. No matter what she did she was still haunted, tortured. No matter how hard she tried it would not end!

Why won't the pain ever end?!

Destiny's eyes snapped open. The screams echoed out until it finally grew silent. She lifted her head to find she was in a pool of her own sweat. The pillow under her head and the blanket covering her body, all were soaked.

Holding herself up by her resting elbows, she looked around the room she was in. Destiny seemed to be laying on the bed in a small bedroom. Though, she didn't remember getting here, or even how she got here.

It was then that a door opened on the other side, and in came an old man with ruffled white hair, a broom mustache and glasses with circle lenses. "Ah, you're finally awake," he said with a pleased tone. The man let himself in, taking his place on a wooden stool that sat beside the bed and giving a kind smile. "How are ya feeling?"

Destiny didn't answer. She just stared at the man, confused, a bit scared even. It took a moment, but she finally came to recognise him. He was the same man who took her away from her mother. Her face then formed into an angry glare.

The old man sighed, his face dropping. "I get it, you're mad at me. I don't blame ya at all. I just... I needed to get you out there before them guards got ya." He then pulled a piece of bread out, handing it towards the silent girl. "Here, ya must be starving. You've been out for two days."

Hesitantly, she took the piece of bread out of his hands and scoffed it all almost in an instant. Once she was finished, silence fell between the two again.

Not wanting to provoke the young girl by possibly saying something wrong, the old man stood to take his leave. "If ya need me at all, I'm just out the back."

And with that, Destiny was alone. Truly alone. She did not want to show it while that man was with her, but once he left she could not hold it back any longer. Her chest began to bounce as her breaths became heavy and shaky. Her head was held low, and strands of her hair curtained her face. Crouching into a ball, Destiny began silently crying to herself.

That it should come to this. Everything in her world was gone, taken away to be never seen again. This wasn't how it should have ended. Even when her actions were for the better of all people in mind, why was she the one punished for it?

Her father, her mother, her home, her life...

Now, she was left with nothing, God knows where with God knows who. What was there left to this life, she pondered. What was there left of Destiny Heartwoven?

Later that day, the man came up to Destiny's room door. He lightly knocked with his free hand to no answer. Letting himself in, he found Destiny not there anymore. The man began looking all throughout the small shack with no sign of the girl anywhere.

It was then he caught a glimpse out of the front door, seeing Destiny sitting on the grass, looking deep into the distance.

The man approached from behind, making his presence known by clearing his voice. Destiny didn't respond. He gave a light sigh and decided to come to her side. "Mind if I sit here?"

Destiny slowly shook her head, to the delight of the old man as he took his place. He copied the girl by looking off, nothing much of worth to see rather than grassy fields and a small village just down the hill which their new residence sat on.

There was not anything to interrupt the peacefulness of this moment. A little bit of time where nothing new can go wrong, it was all either of them could ask for now.

The old man occasionally casted a glance towards Destiny, wanting to try and talk to her again but not finding the right words to open up with. Before he could get a word out, though, Destiny would be the one to break the silence.

"That's not our home, is it?" she asked, looking down towards the small, faraway buildings.

The man followed her line of sight. "No, I'm afraid not."

"You took us really far away, didn't you?"

"I did."

There was another brief period of silence.

"Why didn't you let them take me?" Destiny asked.

"How could I have? You've already been through too much, and I couldn't let them take away an entire family that has meant a lot to me," the man explained. Destiny turned towards him in interest. "Your parents and I, we've been good pals for years, since before you were born in fact. Your father especially after he helped build my home for my farm. But when he didn't come back... I almost felt like I'd lost a brother." The man began to tear up. "Then your mother... To get blamed and then..." He turned to Destiny. "I am so sorry."

She had not thought of it like that. They both have lost very important people. It wasn't without reason after all.

Now realising the awkwardness given by the new silence, the man wiped his eyes on his arm. "Heh. Think we're getting a bit ahead of things there." He held out his hand towards the girl. "Name's Harvey Esther, though, you can just call me Harv. And you're Destiny, right?"

There was something that felt strange hearing that. She didn't know what it was, whether it was how he said it or something else. Regardless, she had to give him an answer, so she shook his hand and spoke hesitantly. "Yeah... Yeah, it's Destiny."

In the days turning into months following, both Harv and Destiny would grow more accustomed to their new lives together. Harv would work on his growing vegetable farm, while Destiny would try to live her life just how she used to.

Occasionally, they would both go into the village below to sell their goods to the public. The change in scenery and the new faces felt very uncanny to the girl, but it was not something she couldn't eventually grow more familiar with.

However, they would find themselves with little success selling their fresh goods. Despite how friendly they both came off as, the fact still remained that they were both Hendricksons, and when one knew, everyone knew. It caused the two issues undeserving, with awful glares, harsh words and the occasional ruffian causing a ruckus.

Harv could handle it all, but everyday was a toll on Destiny's happiness. Her face did not show much, but on the inside, the girl was losing hold of her ever-growing anger.

Her old world was abandoned for one that punished her for even existing, and because of that, it hurt not only her, but her only friend who could barely live to feed them both. With the world not on her side, Destiny decided that she may as well help herself.

Another day, another failure. Harv ran his vegetable stand to barely any avail. It was the same as ever with most folk watching him intently as though he was about to do something awful.

For a villager that did buy his produce, they would then walk off only for another person to approach them and whisper, "You may want to be wary of what you buy from that Hendrickson man. That cabbage may very well be poisoned!" The customer would then turn to Harv and back to what they just bought, and he knew, just as they walked off and were out of sight, the cabbage would be abandoned.

It was a hard way to live, and he would only make less and less each day. He pondered if he should take the easy way out and abandon this place for another, but he did not have any idea where else he and Destiny could go and be safe.

Now that he thought about it, Harv hasn't seen Destiny at all today...

That was because she roamed in another part of the village, her face concealed by a brown tattered cloak. They wouldn't recognise her Hendrickson tainted self this way.

The hidden girl would weave between the crowd of villagers completely unnoticed, and in turn the people would be completely unaware of what was about to happen to them. In a swift motion, the girl would slip her hand into the pockets of unsuspecting villagers and pull out handfuls and pouches of coins. It did not occur to her that what she was doing was wrong. To her, it was only trying to live in a world that hated her, and with this she and Harv could last another few weeks.

She returned home late that night, opening the door to a very anxious looking farmer. Harv shot up from his chair and ran over to the girl.

"Destiny! Thank heavens yer safe! Where were you?" he asked.

The thief responded by holding Harv's hand and placing pouch full of money within. Afterwards, she retreated towards her room.

The farmer looked at it curiously. "Where did you get this?"

Stopping in her place, she took a second to quickly think of an answer. "I did some errands for some of the locals," she lied, only to try to get away again.

However, Harv was not convinced by that response. His grip around the sack tensed as his eyebrows furrowed into a stern expression. "Did you steal this money?"

There was then complete silence between the two. Moonlight shined through the open door and onto the farmer, while the girl was out of the light's reach and hid in the darkness beyond it. Harv had seen all he needed to.

"Destiny, you can't do this." He held the pouch high. "This... it's wrong. What if you were caught?"

"Well, I wasn't!" the girl spat. A piece of her anger had slipped out unintentionally. Harv was taken aback by her sudden harshness. "Besides, what other choice was there? Those people down there do nothing but look at us like we're monsters! I did this just so we could live. Something they wouldn't dream of letting us do."

Harv began slowly approaching the angry child. "No, no, yer looking at it all wrong. They're just hesitant is all, and they've a reason to be so. You'll see, in time they'll open up."

"You can't be sure of that. It's already clear, we're nothing to them. They may as well kill us where we stand!"

Harv knelt to her level, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, that's no way to think. Look, I get it, you're frustrated and-"

But he was interrupted by the girl forcefully pushing Harv's hand off her. "Don't say that," she said quietly. Her breathing became angrier, it was beginning to let loose. "You don't get it. You haven't a single idea of what I'm going through! I've worked to protect the people I love, and it all meant nothing! Everything I do gets repaid with only more pain and misery!" Rather than retreating for her room, she passed Harv and went for entrance.

"Wait, Destiny," Harv called out.

But suddenly, there was a deafening snap inside her. That call, it shot through her chest like an arrow. She could not take it any longer. She did not want to hear it any longer! "I..." she began, almost completely silent, but it would not last long as every ounce of pain she held back come out at once. "I have no destiny! I have no home, I have no life, I have no family! Don't you understand?! I have nothing! I am NOTHING!!" Her eyes stared death towards the farmer, running like river rapids with her audible breaths heaving heavily. Her throat burned, but she hadn't a single care for anything left.

There was no emotion to be read on Harv's face. After everything she gave him, she at least expected some kind of reaction. Why wasn't he doing anything?

But then, he started to move towards her, still showing nothing.

"W-What are you doing?" she asked, slowly stepping backwards to keep away. "Don't you have anything to say? Harvey, answer me!"

But before she could do anything else, Harv suddenly wrapped his arms around the broken girl and embraced her. The teenager did not know what to think of this. In fact, she could not think at all, she felt like she was going insane. Why? Why was he doing this?!

"You aren't nothing," Harv began. "Ye never were. I'm sorry I didn't see how badly you were hurting, but I promise that you won't have to face anything alone anymore. I'm here, and I'll always be by your side."

Destiny couldn't move or speak. It felt as though she was no longer in control of her body. As her friend's words settled in, her guard was put down and she went limp, falling deeper into Harv's hold. With her nose buried into his chest, she finally broke and spilled everything she had held back for so long.

Harv said nothing else, rather, he continued to hold the poor girl, gently patting her back as she cried. They both fell to the floor within each other as the moonlight now shined on them both. The night was to be long, and the days ahead were uncertain, but Destiny still had one thing left to smile for.

Even when the darkness has completely overtaken, a small glimmer of light is all it can take to ward it off once more.

It is fought back, but it is never gone...

For the better of herself, Destiny kept as far away from the village as she could. The urge to take did not cease, however, but she fought it. She did not want to displease her friend anymore, despite how poorly they continued to live.

She lived as secluded as her old home, with none of the outside world bringing itself to her to ruin it all yet again. It was as happy as it could be. Just her and Harv. It was all it needed to be.

However, it felt empty. Her days were spent doing nothing more than waiting for her friend to come back. That time alone, it only added more to her wanting to run down and be with him, but to go down there would mean to make herself vulnerable to humility. She would find herself just standing at the front door, her arm held out reaching towards the handle, only for her to freeze before she could grab it.

She had all the reasons to go, but all the reasons to not. It was a losing battle for both sides, where what becomes best is to do nothing at all, leaving the desire crippling. However, the girl could never find satisfaction in this outcome.

But not all ways were impossible to go. Turning her back to the door, the same force could not be felt as she looked at the rear door. So, she took a step, then another, and found herself free out the back. From there, she could not see the village downhill, so the desire slightly faded.

Still facing forward, she walked past the vegetables Harv worked endlessly to grow perfectly and came face to face with a forest. Just peaking inside and seeing seemingly endless rows of trees standing tall, she was filled with a new desire fueled with familiarity. The path at her feet only led one way, so she followed.

When there was nothing more to see than just trees, she finally found a morsel of satisfaction. This forest and her alone. It seemed like there was a single second where she was able to forget everything wrong, and feel that childlike urge to follow her father to chop down trees for a warming fire as she was sat alongside not only him, but her mother too. It felt like home. Here, she felt like Destiny.

She hardly even noticed due to her brief moment of happiness that her eyes were watering. What a world it was. She almost didn't want to leave and abandon this feeling, even if it would only be for a while.

However, as she walked along the path more and more, she would soon discover something. In the distance, she could see a piece of paper nailed onto a tree, fresh as though it was put there not long ago. Upon closer inspection she could see there was a portrait surrounded by words, one of which was written boldly in red. 'WANTED', and the portrait, she found it looked just like her: from her long, dirty purple hair to even the red of her eyes.

Below the portrait was all the proof she needed, 'HEARTWOVEN'.

With a sudden gasp, she tore the poster down and held it closely to her chest as she began hyperventilating. This was bad. If this was here, then that would mean they were still looking for her, and they were getting close!

There was no escape... Soon enough, they'll find her. Even if she ran, she would run out of places to go.

What was she to do?

On the other side of the hill, Harv continued to work his stand. It still was not much, but he found that more of the people would stop by and purchase his products. Not without hesitancy, that much he expected, but it appeared as though they were beginning to learn that he and Destiny were not so bad.

However, his thought was rudely interrupted by a concerning sight. Along the street, his eye caught a pair of armoured fellows walking along and showing strangers a sheet they carried. He immediately recognised them being of the Hendrickson army. If they were here, it could not be for anything good.

The villager that the knights were talking to then pointed towards his vegetable stand.

Harv did not wait any longer and made his leave. He attempted to walk away casually as to not draw more suspicion, but as soon as he was out of sight he made a run for home, carrying his old body back up the hill exhaustedly.

Both Harv and Destiny both entered the house through each side, catching each other in amidst their own shock and tiredness.

"Destiny!" Harv said.

"Harv!" the girl returned, clutching the paper tightly in her embrace.

The guardian grabbed the child by the shoulders, trying to maintain his own composure. "Listen, there's something going on right now in the village. I can't tell for sure, but we can't stay here any longer. We need to go, now!" he explained with frantic breaths.

He then noticed the paper in Destiny's hands, to which she slowly turned it to towards him, revealing her wanted poster. It was just as he feared.

"W-What are we going to do?" the girl asked, shaking like a leaf.

"It's going to be okay, as long as we leave right now-"

Knock, knock. And silence. Someone was at the door, the light from the outside casting a shadow of the figure that peaked through the underside.

Harv remained completely quiet by holding his breath, while Destiny needed to cover her mouth, muffling her loud and uncontrollable breathing. They both did not move an inch, staring directly at the shadow, praying that it would leave.

But then they began to speak, breaking the haunting silence, "We know you are in there. We are giving you a chance to surrender peacefully."

There was no response from either of the two. Harv began moving his feet back. So slow, one may not determine he was moving at all. With careful precision, he placed each foot on whichever floorboard created the least noise, motioning Destiny to move to the same one. It was a minute of slow, silent steps until the back door was in sight, but with the door was another shadow creeping underneath. Both exits were blocked off, preventing any escape. The girl looked up to her friend pleadingly, but he had no solution to give.

"You have until the count of ten to surrender, or we will use force!" the one in front ordered. It was then he slowly began counting.

Harv looked all around, trying to come up with something, anything! Doom was at their doorstep. Escape was impossible. Very, very soon, those guards will break in and seize them both! They both had no chance of avoiding this. But one might.

He suddenly remembered, there was a space just beneath the house, small enough for a child to sit within. He immediately got down and carefully lifted a pair of loose floorboards, then gestured for Destiny to go down. The girl complied and placed herself inside.

It was here that the guard outside was at nine. Time was almost up. While the girl tried encouraging Harv to follow her, he placed the floorboards back down on top, completely concealing her in darkness.

"Harv?" she whispered. "What are you-?"

"Shh!" he harshly returned, staring right at the front door.

"Ten!" the one out front shouted. Both doors were broken through, one soldier emerging from each side, surrounding Harv with little room to go anywhere now. The knight from behind pointed his halberd closely, and the one in front spoke with a deep, menacing tone, "Where is the girl?"

The girl in question listened from below. She could not see well through the gaps in the floor, but she recognised that frightening voice from anywhere. It was the captain of the king's guard.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harv responded, his voice quick and trembling.

The captain turned his sights towards his partner. "Search the place." The other guard nodded and handed his weapon over as he left for another room. It was now only Harv and the captain. "Do not play games with me, peasant. Witnesses all over town tell that your are harbouring this girl in this shack." He showed the farmer the very same poster that Destiny had. "Cooperate, and you may not have to suffer a similar punishment as she."

The venom this man spat, he was confident that this is where his search was leading him to. Harv could tell, he was not leaving without anything gotten.

The other guard returned without a child in tow. He looked towards his leader and shook his head.

"So, you've hidden her," the captain concluded. "Where?!" He pounded the blunt end of the halberd on the ground, right above where she was hiding.

"I'm telling you, I'm but a lone farmer. I've never had a child in my care, nor could I with my work," Harv pleaded.

But the captain's expression did not falter from his threatening gaze. "Hold him." The other guard complied and held Harv up by his arms, preventing him from moving. The captain then held the end of the halberd towards the left side of the farmer's chest. "Last chance. The girl," he threatened.

His hunch was correct, he would not leave this situation. "You'll never find her," Harv said.

The final nail in the coffin. The royal captain had heard enough from this bumpkin and slowly sank the spearhead into his chest. He tried to resist against the soldiers' attack, but he was ultimately powerless, and all he had the strength to do was let out a strained and almost silent shout. The man quivered in the arms of the soldier, his face petrified from the pain. The captain, holding the weapon tightly and pushing it in ever deeper, watched with satisfaction as the farmer began falling within his partner's hold.

Through the crack in the floor, Harv's suffering was all the girl could see. She watched as the spearhead disappeared from sight, his blood spreading a stain on his shirt. She did not move, she did not blink, she did not even dare to look away. She had to help him, to fix the mess she brought. Those guards... That captain! The one just as responsible for taking her family away! This was her chance to make him pay.

The captain finally pulled the halberd out of the farmer's chest, and the assisting guard dropped him to the floor, with Harv barely having the strength to sit upon his elbows anymore.

The two knights looked down upon the scum they ridded the world of one last time before beginning to make their leave. But then, the captain was suddenly pushed to the ground by something with the force of a bull, and his halberd was just as quickly swiped from his hand. Neither of the two were able to process the shadow that seemed to swiftly move around them. While the captain was gathering his bearings, the other soldier looked around for whatever they were facing, but before he could see anything, his helmet was torn off his head and an axe blade was swung through the side of his neck. The knight immediately fell to the floor with a great slam as his blood flooded out of his semi-detached neck.

It was now that the captain was able to bring himself back onto his feet, assessing the situation before him. There was no sign of anyone else in the room. This foe moved far too fast. He was then brought back onto his knees with a painful yell as this person managed to swiftly move behind him and slice the back of his knees through the gaps of his armour. Now forbidden from standing his ground, the attacker stopped in front of him, revealing themself in the light. Hands, rags and face stained with blood of his partner, it was her!

"You!" the captain growled. "You are going to pay for what you've done!" He attempted to lunge towards the sinner, but the pain in his legs barely allowed him within arm's reach. He tried with everything he had to keep himself up, and that was met with one final look of her cold, dead face. There was nothing behind those eyes anymore.

The girl did not hesitate. She drove the halberd deep between the eyes of the captain. This man, the one that only prolonged her grief, was finally gone. She let the weapon fall to the floor, stuck within the skull of the limp sack of nothing.

The girl was brought back to reality as soon as she heard the groans of Harv. She quickly turned around and ran to his aid, letting his back rest on her raised arm. "Harv! Y-You're going to be okay. We'll get some help and you'll be-"

"Destiny," he said weakly. This caused the girl to fall silent. He tried his best to raise his head to look at her stained, distraught face. Tears began forming in his eyes. "I'm sorry. You're... You're gonna have to do the rest on your own."

"Harv. No! Don't say that!" she pleaded, almost choking on her breath.

"You're gonna face with a lot of hard things, but I know yer a tough enough girl to handle it. No matter what, keep on living the way you know how." He lightly patted the girl on the shoulder.

She began to sniffle. "But... h-how can I if I don't even know who I am?" she asked. "Without you, who am I?"

There was a small pause before Harv gave her a soft smile. "You never needed me to figure that out. As long as you keep your head forward and don't look back, you'll find out. I know you will." The weight placed on the girl's arm became heavier as Harv began letting himself fall. "Goodbye..." His eyes closed before he could finish.

The lone girl held his head close to her heart. Her mind could not accept that this was it. She fought back ever so hard, trying to stay strong. But it was meaningless to attempt. The girl broke for good before her fallen friend. Now, there was nothing for her. Nothing at all.

The darkness returns with a vengeance. It always will. Each strike is stronger than the last, and it will grow to where the light has barely the power to fight back anymore. It dissipates like a candle's flame.

For the rest of her days, the lost girl would continue to live alone. No matter what, her feet kept her moving forward, never keeping her in one place for more than a day. She stole, she fought, she did all she could in order to survive. The world was harsh. It was not so willing to allow the girl to keep going, but she persisted, unsure of why. The girl was living for nothing more than to live. And to live was met with eternal hardships that amounted to nothing because it was repaid with more hardships.

Her very existence was the reason why she was here now. The day that army first appeared, it was a continuous downward spiral from then on. The act that was meant to save the young girl's world instead causing it to disappear before her eyes. Her old self was left stuck in the past, all while she today wandered aimlessly.

For a few years, the cycle would repeat for each new place she passed. Sneak, steal, survive. But her luck clinging onto life was wearing thin. The broken girl was unrecognisable, with wide black rings surrounding her soulless eyes, her clothes marked with every trouble faced, and her body as thin as a twig.

By now, the girl was ready to give up, but not without one last stop.

She travelled through the forest that she knew like the back of her hand, passing the old stumps that indicated she was close. Emerging from the trees, she found it. Home. Though, not exactly as she remembered. The village was left desolate, and all paths were covered by knee-high grass. Even the stone memorial, which was surrounded by vines and flowers of all colours.

That it would come to this. She could only picture it, after what she did, her home became a prime target for the king's guard. What happened to the villagers, she only hoped not the worst, but the knights' savagery that she would come to learn, it would not surprise her. Everyone had to suffer, and it was all her fault.

She would then come up to a very familiar house, with the door being broken down ever since that day. She stepped inside. Despite the plants that had moved in, it was just about how she remembered it. But this was not the room where it would end.

The girl walked towards another door, leading into a bedroom with a bed big enough to fit two. She crawled on top and laid right in the centre between the two pillows, much like how she would when she had nightmares as a child.

Her father. Her mother. Harvey Esther. None of them should have passed on. Not like this. The weight she felt in her chest that never went away since it arrived, it was too much to bear. Had she given herself up at the time, things may have been different.

But it did not matter now.

It was the end of the girl's journey, but yet it remained unfulfilled. As she could feel her body letting itself go, the same question that was engraved since she took it alone played one final time. As she watched the light fade from her vision, soon to be overtaken by darkness, she wondered to herself, who was she?

"Wake up," a voice quietly requested.

Barbed Wire groaned as her eyes began to flicker open. She felt awful, but she was unsure why.

"Wake up," the same voice said again, slightly louder than before.

She lifted her head as she could finally see, trying to collect her bearings. Although, she could not recognise where she was right now. She could feel that her feet weren't touching the ground, and her wrists and ankles ached like a bitch.

"Ah, there you are," the snarly voice spoke again.

Barb looked in front of her and immediately jumped backwards by what she saw. However, instead of getting away, her bindings only caught her and pulled her back, and it caused a great amount of pain to her stomach.

"Easy now. You're in no shape to move right now," Goliath informed. The snake demon stood tall in front of the weakened demoness.

But Barb had yet to calm down, as she threw her head in every direction, trying to piece together what was going on. "W-Where am I?" she asked frantically.

The mayor rubbed the underside of his mouth with a long claw. "Well, I suppose a bit of context is owed. After the event that was the night at my tower, I've brought you to one of my chambers just to ensure I could see you alone."

With her panicked breathing, the same surge of pain shot into her stomach again. She looked down to see her body covered in bandages, with her blood causing a wide stain. It was starting to come back to her now. "That night... you could have killed me, but you didn't. Why?" Barb wondered.

"You know why," Goliath answered sinisterly. "One thousand years ago, do you remember?"

Barbed Wire's breath was caught in her throat as her eyes widened. It was not a verbal response, but it gave the tyrant the answer he needed.

"I knew it," he said. "I could never forget the eyes of the one who took it all away from me. It is like fate wanted us to meet again, do you not feel the same way?"

It was then that Barb's anger began to build, being forced to remember all of that pain from so long ago. "I had to. You ruined the peace between us all. You were destroying the world! You took all of our families away and forced them to die for your own sick gain! You deserved to die!"

Goliath hummed upon witnessing his prisoner's breakdown. "Perhaps I did," he responded, causing confusion to Barbed Wire. "As a living soul, I would have never realised that there would be much more for me beyond the mortal realm. In a way, I thank you. Because of you, I have set my sights on something far greater!

"My rule will not end with the borders of this city. With my army, I will expand my rule to every corner of Hell and take it towards the lord himssself! Nothing, not even you will be able to stop me."

An annoyed grunt came from Barb, halting Goliath's speech. "If I'm not a threat to you anymore, why even keep me alive?"

"Because you are going to tell me..." Goliath rushed towards Barb, taking hold of her wrists in his wide, clawed hands. He then spoke with a deep, threatening voice, "Where is Sssunset Shimmer?"

A thousand years later, the war between light and darkness is not yet over...

Author's Note

Next time: What will she do...?