The morning air was thick with the scent of pine and dust, sunlight dappled through the leaves like it had some vague plan it never quite followed through on.
Peri was standing beside the wagon, fingers lightly wrapped around the cool hilt of his rapier. He wasn't exactly the brave hero type—more like the brave third wheel who accidentally showed up with a weapon.
Amalia was curled inside the wagon, her breath coming fast and shallow, the panic already setting in like an unwelcome shadow. Jeremy? Nowhere to be seen.
Typical.
Peri glanced down at the handheld mirror clenched loosely in his palm.
It had come from the skies last night. No, really — he swore it dropped like a shooting star right onto his chest while he was trying to fall asleep. Probably a gift from the God of Light or some other cosmic show-off.
The mirror was cracked, edges glowing faintly. And on it, in shimmering letters, was a summary for this very chapter:
"Bandits attack Amalia, Jeremy, and Peri. Peri is brave, holding a rapier as he decides to deal with the bandits while Amalia and Jeremy hide in the wagon."
Peri snorted softly.
"Brave," he muttered, eyeing the tree line where a dozen or so ragged figures appeared like bad decisions in flesh and leather.
"Jeremy hiding with Amalia, huh? Cute. Wish I could see that, but no one asked me."
He tucked the mirror into his coat pocket and drew the rapier fully.
"Alright, shadow crew," Peri whispered to himself with a grin. "Time to pretend I'm important."
The bandits were closing in. Their voices were rough and filled with hunger — not for food, Peri was certain, but for something darker. The same kind of hunger that broke worlds.
Amalia's panicked breaths ticked louder than the creaking wagon wheels.
Peri crouched by the wagon door, speaking softly through the wood.
"Hey, Ama... I'm here. Breathe with me."
Her sobs rattled inside like broken glass.
Panic attacks.
Not exactly in my job description, but hey—free therapy!
Peri didn't know how to calm her, really. He'd been good at pretending he was okay when his own chest locked tight, but talking someone else through it? That was a whole new horror show.
Then came the rustling from the trees.
Bandits.
Peri's grin thinned. Where the hell was Jeremy?
His thoughts flickered, jumping around like hyperactive moths.
"Not in the summary. That's bad. Where is he hiding? Why isn't he with her?"
He gripped the rapier tighter, breathing in the strange mixture of adrenaline and dread.
This isn't just a fight. It's a mess.
A bandit stepped forward, eyes gleaming under a scarred brow.
"Hand over the wagon, pretty ones. No one gets hurt."
Peri chuckled darkly.
"Sure, and I'm the King of the Void."
He lunged forward.