Sylve tilted her head, huffed at Charlotte. "Have you not a shred of trust toward me, young lady? I could have killed you on a whim, but I saved you and brought you here to this castle. I could have turned you into a weird looking bird, but I do not do such thing. Have you not any trust to us the Order?"

Charlotte gasped. "Wha-what?"

Sylve cocked her chin up, her eyes pierced Charlotte."Arran will not be surrendered. Of course not. If he had to die, I would kill him myself. But Evinia would hate me for all eternity. I cannot do that. My grandson will fight alongside me, against Rogh." Sylve paused to examined Charlotte's face closely, and continued,"We will defend this castle. We will not let those demon warriors crawl up to earth. And you, Charlotte. You have strength. Keep immora close to you, it is safe with you. That weapon is weakened now, we should never let it return to Rogh."

Charlotte felt like something warm blossoming in her—Sylve thought she had strength and immora was safe with her. Those words did wonders to her diminishing courage and shuddering soul.

"Charlotte?"

"Y-yes. Yes, Lady Sylve. I will stay here with immora."

Sylve nodded at her. Her eyes grew softer and she patted Charlotte's shoulder before turning around, walking to the front door.

"We will not cower in here like scared rats. We will meet Rogh, our battle. We will do what we have vowed to do!" Sylve jabbed her walking cane on the floor as she spoke. All her twelve followers nodded, and they were ready.

Sylve stared at her followers one more time, then opened the massive front door of the castle, leading her followers outside.

Charlotte stood still with Arran in front of her.

"You come back here. Alive and well. Do you hear, Arran?"

"I will try my very best ... Charlie."

She could not help but smile at Charlie, then she walked closer and planted a kiss on Arran's lips, which he reciprocated with equal passion.

After Arran left, Charlotte stood in front of the window again, holding immora close to her chest. She saw all that was happening outside, those sorceress, the warrior, those immortals who were getting ready to fight the demons, for humanity, for Dad, Ellie, Emily, for her ...

<<<>>>

Sylve stood with Arran next to her and her followers a few steps behind her. The scarlet fence was about ten meters ahead of them.

"Rogh will send his dark energy to weaken us, the dark energy is only one that can pass through the enchanted fence. Watch your thoughts! Dark thoughts, fear, hesitation, those will feed the dark energy and it will turn you demonic. The only thing that could destroy your immortality," Sylve gave instruction.

Then she turned to Arran. "Charlotte loves you. I can see that, Arran. Her love and your necklace will help you in this battle."

Arran nodded. His sun pendant glowed gently, a tiny light in the dark night. His bow and arrows were ready to battle.

A burst of flame appeared right outside the scarlet fence.

The flame shot high to the sky, and when it dissipated, two creatures stood right outside the enchanted fence.

It was Nerra, and standing a few steps ahead of the pretty demon was a male demon. The demon was easily more than two meters tall, his skin was so pale it looked almost luminous, his eyes shone blood-red, his hair was spiky black, he had two curled, metal horns that looked like a ram's horn. A chain necklace made of sharp needles went around his neck. He was shirtless, and his muscular body was covered in blood red tattoos of some strange characters. His mouth was full of knifelike teeth that looked like shark teeth. Drips of red and black liquid wet his mouth.

"Ahh ... Sylve. I have missed our battle. You were a good mother-in-law to me. Too bad we ended up fighting."

Sylve was livid, but she was still quiet.

"Arran, my son! What a handsome and strong young man you are! Come with me, come with this old father of yours. We will rule together! But first thing first, why don't you kill that old scrawny grandmother of yours?" Rogh turned to Arran.

Arran did not give in to Rogh's provocation.

"I heard about that girl. A young lady that has captured your heart, Arran. Ahhh ... we could take her along to the underworld kingdom and let her be our slave!"

"Don't you dare ..." Arran gritted his teeth in anger.

"She must be quite special. Nerra has spied on all of you here. Her name is ... Charlotte, isn't it? She expelled the immora! Amazing!"

"You are daydreaming, Rogh. You are not getting Arran, or Charlotte, or the immora. The fence will not open for you. That is all I have to say," now Sylve spoke.

Rogh snickered and he walked closer to the fence—a clear challenge to Sylve."After all those years I spent healing from the wounds I got from our last battle, I will not take no for an answer, Sylve. I will take what I want today."

Sylve straightened her back. "Try then."

Rogh's eyes glowed in rage, and he nodded his head a few times. Nerra came to stand next to him.

Arran put his bow in battle stance, an arrow was ready to be shot.

Sylve stole a glance at her grandson, and smiled a vague, thin smile."Strengthen your heart, Arran. This is it. Fight for the one you love, for the life you want. Please be careful."

Arran looked at Sylve for a moment, trying to ascertain that the grandmother who never really loved him had just indeed uttered such kind, encouraging words for him. Then he nodded for he did not know what to say.

Suddenly Rogh roared, the demon king lifted up both of his arms to the sky, and Nerra took out her sword, blood-red sword.

From Rogh's outstretched hands, some shadowy columns appeared. The columns then formed black smoke that grew more and more bulbous like the storm clouds cumulonimbus. Nerra snickered at the black bulbous smoke. "They all will learn their lesson as we slaughter them all tonight, Your Majesty," she said to Rogh, her pretty face broke in a devilish grin.

Rogh grunted, and with one swift push of both of his hands, he moved the bulbous black smoke like the wind blowing the clouds. The black smoke floated fast, and Sylve saw it too. The sorceress commanded,"Ready! All your light! Counter the dark energy!"

Sylve and all her followers lifted up their hands and bright light shot out from the hands, forming a kind of a wall of light that tried to counter the dark energy.

But not all the dark energy could be countered, like Sylve had said earlier, the energy was the only one that could breach the enchanted scarlet fence. The wall of light countered some of the dark energy that came in the shape of black smoke. Some of the energy managed to breach the fence and floating closer to Sylve, her followers, and Arran.

"Watch your thoughts! Do not let your heart and mind be tainted by dark thoughts! The dark energy is the one that could end your immortality! You will be dead if the dark energy overpower you and feed on your dark thoughts!" Sylve warned. "Keep your light! We have to counter as much dark energy as we can!"

The wall of light was still there, but more and more dark energy escaped the wall and floated to them.

When the dark energy got to them, it descended upon each and every one of them. Sylve, the followers, and Arran.

The wall of light shook as they all fought to keep light in their heart and mind.

But not all of them were successful.

Ear-splitting screams of pain were heard from three of Sylve's followers. Three younger ones. They howled and howled as their light dimmed and they kneeled on the ground, covering their face with their palms. Their shrilling scream was so tragic when each of them exploded, and out of the ashes of their body, appeared bat-like creatures with sharp fangs that began to shriek and fly around to attack the remaining sorceresses and Sylve and Arran.

"Arran! Kill those wretched creatures!" Sylve yelled.

Arran was ready. The skilled archer started shooting the demonic bats that arose out of the ashes of the fallen sorceresses. His speed and accuracy were magnificent. Bats fell and burst into flames.

<<<>>>

Charlotte saw it all from behind the window in the castle. Tears rolled down her cheek without her being able to stop it. They just kept rolling when she saw the chaos outside. The black smoke, the wall of light that failed to contain all the smoke, the smoke that descended on those outside, and the three sorceresses that died so tragically. She did not know why they died, she could not hear the conversation out there, but she knew they had met a painful end by the sheer sound of their screams.

And the bats, those bats that came from the ashes of the sorceresses.

She shook her head in terror when she saw those bats flying around and Arran started to shoot them one by one in such speed and accuracy that it dawned upon her again and again: Arran was not a normal human like her.

Arran and his arrows were protecting Sylve and her remaining followers who were still fighting to keep their light wall up to ensure that not so much of the dark energy got into the fenced area.

Then Charlotte saw a group of bats managed to escape Arran's sharp eyes and made a dash flight toward the castle, toward her.

"Arran! They are-are coming to me!" she shouted though she was sure Arran could not hear her.

But Arran and his keen sense and masterful archery skill saw those bats.

She saw he took aim and arrows were shot, one after another in rapid succession.

One by one the bats that were flying to her was shot down and burst into flames.

Except one that kept flying to her.

Arran was already busy with shooting down other bats.

That one bat kept getting closer to the castle.

Charlotte could see its glistening sharp fangs. It was smart enough to fly in silence to avoid detection by Arran.

She would be in a deep trouble if that demonic bat hit the window's glass and broke it. It looked sturdy and strong enough to do it. Plus it was demonic, it had arisen out of the ashes of the dead sorceresses!

She held immora closer to her chest.

"No ... no!" she shouted to herself in her panic. Her brain sputtered to calculate where she should run to avoid the bat if it came into the castle.

Arran turned and saw the one rogue bat.

He took aim and shot one arrow.

Charlotte saw the arrow follow behind the bat.

The bat got to the window, it shrieked and opened its wide mouth, its eyes glowing red, its fangs sharp and shiny. It definitely was a large bat.

It flew up then swoop down full speed.

It hit the window's glass with a loud thud.

Charlotte screamed and jumped backwards as the glass shattered, getting ready to bolt away as fast as she could.

But she saw the bat.

Its body slumped right on the broken window, its wings folded in an awkward position. It only managed to fly halfway into the castle from the broken window.

Arran's arrow had stabbed its head.

The demonic bat burst into flames.