Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

Part 5

Around noon they reached the forest where Evan had encountered the harpy.

In silence they followed the path to the place where Albert and Jakob had been attacked by the beast.

The ground was a wasteland of dust and ash; burnt tree stumps towered like memorials.

Without Leana’s intervention last night, the devastation would have been far greater.

Evan didn’t let even the smallest clue go unnoticed. Every broken branch, every footprint in the black soil, even the faintest smell was immediately obvious to him.

“She grabbed Albert first,” he said in a cold voice. “Then she flew north. Shortly after, she got Jakob… and took him there too.”

Leana looked at him thoughtfully. “Do you think she has a hiding place somewhere there?”

“I assume so,” Evan replied dryly. “Probably a cave or an abandoned building. A place where she takes her victims.”

“A cave?” Nella’s voice trembled slightly, as if she had been startled out of deep thought. “North of here… there is actually a cave. People in the village say that smugglers had their hideout there. We never believed that, but I know which cave they might mean.”

Evan turned to her, his eyes narrowed. “Can you lead us there?”

“I… I think so.” Nella suddenly seemed small and intimidated. “But do you really think we’ll find Emilia there?”

Evan stared at her, confused. “I hope so. That’s why we’re here.”

The young woman hesitated. Her eyes darted from one to the other, and the gaze of her companions rested heavily on her, demanding and waiting.

Nella’s trepidation was clearly visible, and yet she hesitantly put one foot in front of the other and led the group on.

Evan glanced suspiciously to the side, over to Leana. The sorceress avoided his piercing gaze.

After a while they reached a hill. The sun was high and blinded them as they crossed the ridge.

It was quiet. Only the gentle rustling of the leaves in the wind broke the eerie silence.

“We’re here,” Nella whispered with a dry throat.

The group followed her gaze, and indeed, behind a thick curtain of undergrowth, the dark entrance to a cave revealed itself.

Evan walked past Nella without hesitation, but Leana grabbed his arm. “Wait. You don’t know what awaits us in there. We should be careful.”

Evan snorted disparagingly. “Careful? That’s not my style.”

Without another word, he pushed himself away and continued walking.

Leana sighed and cast a quick glance at Leuven, who shrugged his shoulders in embarrassment. “That’s just how he is.”

With a quiet curse, the sorceress followed the half-demon, closely followed by Leuven and Nella, who followed hesitantly.

A cold, damp wind blew towards them from the cave entrance. The sunlight disappeared behind them, swallowed by the darkness.

Leana raised her left hand and the ring on her finger began to glow softly.

A small, bright ball formed above her palm and bathed the surroundings in a soft light.

“Impressive,” Leuven murmured in awe. “Your ring is really practical.”

Leana gave him an annoyed look. “I already explained: the ring is a catalyst for my magic.”

Leuven grinned crookedly. “So your ring does most of the work.”

Leana’s jaw clenched, a series of snarky comments were on the tip of her tongue, but she kept her composure.

“Be quiet,” Evan hissed suddenly, his eyes gleaming even more menacingly in the darkness as he tilted his head into the depths of the cave.

Nella, standing behind them, rigid and frightened, seemed to shrink even smaller. She didn’t move, as if she had been turned to stone.

“What’s going on?” Leuven whispered.

“Quiet!” Evan hissed quietly. “I hear something.”

Everyone listened intently into the darkness. Sure enough, a quiet, distorted moan reached their ears from the depths of the cave.

Leuven nervously swallowed the bitter saliva that had accumulated in his dry mouth. “That… that’s not the harpy, is it?”

“That’s not what a harpy sounds like,” Evan replied harshly and disappeared into the darkness without hesitation.

Leana followed him immediately.

Leuven, on the other hand, hesitated. Unease gnawed at him, but he could not allow his courage to fail him.

With a pounding heart and weak knees, he took the first step into the dark cave. Nella remained behind, motionless and undecided, but eventually she too timidly followed.

The ominous groaning echoed ever louder through the rock walls. Even the half-demon, whose eyes usually cut through every darkness, could barely make out more than shadowy outlines here. This darkness seemed different, as if it were alive, and blocked even his view.

Leana quickly caught up. Her ball of light slid over her hand, gently but powerfully, breaking through the omnipresent darkness.

She handed Evan the light he needed to finally identify the source of the noise.

He recognized a hunched figure on the cold cave wall – the silhouette of Albert.

The man was alive, but his body was badly scarred. There were three deep wounds in his shoulder from which no blood was flowing.

Leana knelt down next to him, her eyes sliding over the injuries. “They’re not bleeding anymore. That’s a good sign.”

“So he’ll survive?” Evan asked, not taking his eyes off the dark shadows in the cave.

“If we get him out of here, then yes,” the sorceress replied calmly.

Albert groaned as Leana continued to examine the wounds. Her gaze was focused and her words were gentle. “It will be fine. I will close the wounds and the pain will soon subside.”

The ball of light gently released itself from her hand and floated deeper into the cave as if it had a will of its own.

Their light revealed the horror that the darkness had hidden until then.

“Damn…” Evan murmured quietly, his voice sounding dangerously calm.

As Leana whispered soft words and her magic wrapped itself around Albert’s wounds like a warming veil, a sight of horror unfolded before the half-demon.

Bones, gnawed skulls, mutilated body parts lying carelessly scattered around the cave – this was without a doubt the harpy’s nest. And also its slaughterhouse.

Something was moving in one corner.

In a flash, Evan placed his hand on the hilt of his sword; his eyes flashed in the darkness, but there was no enemy lurking there.

Between the gnawed bones, half hidden in the shadows, lay Jacob, gasping and close to death.

“What’s wrong?” Leana’s voice was calm but firm as she turned away from Albert, whose wounds were now closed.

The deep scars on his shoulder still bore witness to the harpy’s cruelty, but to his own surprise he felt almost back to full strength.

“It’ll be okay,” said the young sorceress with an encouraging smile, while Albert stared at her with wide eyes.

“Leana?” He said her name as if he could hardly believe what had just happened. “How did you do that?”

“That’s beside the point,” she murmured curtly, grimacing slightly. “Can you get up?”

Albert hesitantly pressed his hands against the cold cave floor. A stabbing pain shot through his battered body, but he managed to struggle to his feet.

“I… I thank you,” he stammered, his face as pale as the bones around him, as if he had seen a ghost.

Suddenly Evans’ voice rang out, cutting and demanding: “Leana, come here.”

With a quick nod, she turned to Jakob, who was lying on the ground, seriously injured. His breathing was shallow, his face pale and smeared with dirt and blood.

An open wound on his leg and abrasions on his arms and face left no doubt about his condition. Leana knelt down next to him, holding her hands over his body as if she were looking deep into his inner being.

“He’ll be fine,” she said finally, taking a deep breath. “The leg looks bad. I can’t heal it completely, but I can speed up the healing process.”

“Do it,” Evan ordered without hesitation. “We have to get her out of here before the beast returns.”

“Emilia!” Albert suddenly cried, his voice shaking with despair. “My daughter! She’s still out there, trapped in that thing!”

Evan looked at him hard. “We know that,” he said coldly. “But there’s not much of her left in this beast.”

“Stop talking about my daughter like that!” Albert’s scream echoed through the cave, but his anger only made his pain more unbearable and he sank to his knees, gasping with exertion.

“She’s still here,” he added tightly. “I recognized her… and she recognized me.”

Evan frowned, his expression betraying deep doubt. “She recognized you?” His voice sounded almost incredulous.

“Yes,” Albert whispered. “She spoke to me… she is not lost yet.”

Evan hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he considered the miller’s words. Leana, however, nodded quietly, her eyes sparkling thoughtfully.

“It makes sense,” she said finally. “The harpy killed all her other victims without hesitation, but both her father and Jakob are still alive. If there is still something of Emilia in her, then we have a chance to break the curse. Especially if Jakob is alive. Together with Nella, he could be the key.”

“Nella?” Albert looked at her confused, but at that moment Nella appeared. Next to her stood Leuven, who was visibly agitated and completely out of breath.

Leuven waved his arms frantically. “We have a little problem.”

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Evan growled impatiently.

Leuven pointed upwards, his voice shaking slightly. “She seems to be coming home. She’s circling above us right now.”

Evan cast a quick glance at Leana. “We’re sitting here like on a silver platter. We should hurry.”

Leana nodded in agreement, her eyes darting nervously from one to the other. “But you have to take Jakob. He can’t walk alone.”

Evan snorted, but after a moment of hesitation he agreed.

With a rough tug, he helped the young man to his feet.

Jacob groaned in pain, but seemed to be in a trance. He was barely conscious, but managed to put one foot in front of the other while Evan supported him.

Nella didn’t say a word. Her face was frozen in shock when she saw him alive.

Albert’s face, however, was marked by dark surprise when he saw Nella.

“What are you doing here?” His voice was sharp as a knife as he fixed the young woman with an angry look.

“I… I was hoping you were still alive,” Nella stammered, her eyes searching in vain for an answer in Albert’s hateful gaze.

“You want me to believe that?” the miller hissed, baring his teeth.

“You can sort that out later,” Evan interrupted as he walked past them with the injured Jakob under his arm. “We have to get out of here.”

The miller stared at Nella for a moment, his eyes full of resentment, before he demonstratively lifted his axe from the dirt and limped after Evan.

As soon as they reached the cave exit, bloodcurdling screams rang out throughout the area.

The harpy circled above them, its angry screech echoing through the forest and shaking the air around it.

“I hope we have another plan in case this goes wrong,” Leuven muttered, his eyes wide with fear.

Leana shook her head, her face determined. “We won’t need that. Nella and Jakob are the key. Thank the gods, Jakob survived. Both of them together can break the ritual.”

“Ritual?” Albert’s eyes widened in surprise. “What kind of ritual?”

Evan replied. “In short, Nella and your dear almost-son-in-law caused this dilemma.”

“What!?” Albert’s face twisted. Despite his pain, he raised his axe threateningly and pointed it at Nella. “You turned my Emilia into this monster?”

Nella took a few steps back, her eyes filled with fear. “I… I…”

“And you!” Albert’s voice cracked with anger as he stared at Jakob, who was still leaning against Evan, dazed. “You loved each other! How could you do something like that to her?”

Leana hastily stepped between the two. “Calm down!” she tried to calm them down. “In short, Nella and Jakob were a couple. Emilia stood in the way of their young love. That explains her actions, but of course you can’t condone them.”

“A couple?” Albert’s voice was full of disbelief as he shook his head. “They were never a couple. Emilia and Jakob have been inseparable since childhood! Nella is just the daughter of the village drunkard. She has achieved nothing in her life.”

Leana’s eyes widened in shock. “What are you talking about?” She turned to Nella, her voice shaking. “Nella was always a sweet girl.”

Albert growled contemptuously. “Maybe, but she hasn’t managed to do anything.” He spat on the floor, his contempt unmistakable. “Just like her father.”

The group’s eyes now rested on Nella, who looked nervously and guiltily into the eyes of the others.

She took another step back, her eyes wide as if she were searching for an escape. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out.

Jacob, on the other hand, raised his head, his lips forming silent words before he finally whispered: “We were… not a couple.”

The air was tense as everyone waited for Nella’s answer.

“What have you done?” Leana’s voice sounded like a sharp knife, peppered with a mixture of shock and doubt.

Nella stammered as she took another step back. “I… I…”

Albert, still driven by anger, bared his teeth. “Spit it out, you bitch!” he barked, pointing his axe threateningly at the young woman again.

But before he could do anything rash, Leana stood between them, her eyes sparkling with determination. “Let the poor girl talk first! Brute force and insults won’t get us anywhere.”

Albert glared at her, his fingers gripping the handle of his axe. “She did something to my daughter and I want to know what it was!”

“Give her a moment to breathe!” Leana did not back down, her determination unbroken.

The two looked at each other darkly, a silent battle of wills breaking out between them, until Leuven nervously intervened. “I don’t want to disturb you, but in case you’ve forgotten: Emilia is still circling above us, and maybe we should… do something?”

Leana took a deep breath and looked away from Albert. “You’re right, we should hurry. But first we have to get Emilia out of the air. Evan, I need your help. You have to distract her and I will try to banish her with my magic while Nella performs the ritual.”

Evan raised an eyebrow, his voice irritated. “I’m supposed to distract them? You’re kidding.”

Leana raised an eyebrow and countered, “You have enough experience with monsters of all kinds. Do you have a better idea?”

Before Evan could answer, Albert spoke up. “I’ll do it. She’s my daughter, after all.”

Leana hesitated, but finally shook her head. “It’s a good sign that she left you alive, but the curse is turning her more and more into a beast. We don’t know how much humanity she has left. It’s better if you hold back.”

Albert glared, but said nothing more.

“Okay, is everyone ready?” asked Leana, looking around. Then she turned to Nella. “It’s not easy, I know that. But it’s up to you now. You have to concentrate and not be afraid.”

But Nella took another step back, her head shaking as if in an uncontrolled reflex. “No, I can’t do this.”

Leana took a step closer, her voice urgent. “Nella, you have to! We can’t do it without you.”

Suddenly Nella stopped, her hands clenched into fists. Her face twisted into an ugly grimace. “No. That bitch got exactly what she deserved.”

They were met with incredulous looks from all sides. The mood changed instantly.

“See!” Albert roared, his teeth grinding in anger and pain. “I told you she was a bitch. Spit it out! What have you done?”

Nella smiled diabolically, her eyes flashing evilly. “You have no idea. I’m not the bitch here. This is Emilia.”

Leana’s face turned chalk white, the disappointment was clearly visible.

She had believed Nella, in her remorse. Now she stood there, horrified and lost.

Evan, on the other hand, now felt his suspicions were confirmed.

“But you said…” Leana began, the disappointment clearly evident in her voice. “You said you and Jakob were a couple. So what is the truth?”

“The truth?” Nella looked at her, gritting her teeth, her eyes full of bitterness. “The truth is that Emilia got what she deserved. She was always ugly inside, now everyone can see it.”

Evan interrupted impatiently: “Get to the point. Otherwise that beast will kill us.”

“She mocked me, she always ridiculed me,” Nella burst out. “She bullied me for years, pulled out my hair, and insulted me and my father deeply.”

Tears ran down her cheeks. “I didn’t do anything to her, but she couldn’t leave me alone!”

“Your father was a good-for-nothing. No wonder your mother left him. She’s better off without him!” Albert interjected sharply, ignoring her tears.

Leana was about to reprimand him, but Nella spoke again, this time sharper: “Oh yeah? I bet you don’t even know he’s dead.”

Albert fell silent, his eyes widening for a moment. He stammered, “He… he’s dead?”

“For weeks,” said Nella bitterly. “And no one in the village cared. To you he was just a drunk. But no one bothered to find out who he really was. No one except me!”

Leana tried to make her voice sound calming. “I’m terribly sorry, Nella. But we have to lift Emilia’s curse, otherwise we and the whole village will be lost.”

“The village has been doomed for a long time!” Nella hissed. “They mocked my father and me, but what about the others? What about you, Albert?” She fixed the miller with an icy gaze.

“What’s wrong with me?” Albert seemed nervous, but tried to hide it.

“Did your wife know when she was on her deathbed that you were having sex with the blacksmith’s wife? Or with the neighbor?”

“You lying little beast!” Albert roared as he charged at Nella with his axe raised in anger. “I’ll shut your filthy mouth!”

But suddenly he stopped, as if he were petrified. It wasn’t a shock that paralyzed him, but something supernatural. His body no longer obeyed him.

A blue light glowed, emanating from Leana’s ring. The magical aura held Albert firmly in its grip.

“None of us are without guilt,” said Leana in a serious and equally disappointed voice. “But we can learn from our mistakes and take responsibility.”

Those present remained silent, spellbound by her words.

“Albert, stop throwing threats around. Think of your daughter. We still have a chance to save her. And you, Nella… I feel your pain. But at this moment you have to overcome your own fears. Only together can we put an end to this horror.”

Leana released the spell around Albert. His muscles relaxed, the axe fell to the ground with a dull clatter. He himself sank to his knees, tears streaming down his face.

“I just want my daughter back!” he sobbed. “Bring me back my Emilia…”

Leana looked at Nella intently. “Please… help us.”

There was a tense silence for a moment. Then Nella sighed and said coldly, “No.”

The surprise was written all over everyone’s faces.

“That bitch got exactly what she deserved. There’s no reason for me to save her. Finally, everyone can see what she’s really like, finally her outside matches her inside.”

Evan stepped forward, his voice calm but tense. “Was it worth it for you?”

During the argument, no one had noticed, but Emilia had fallen silent.

The grotesque screams that had just echoed above them had faded away.

Instead, all they heard was the rustling of the trees and an eerie, repetitive beating of wings.

Evan handed the seriously injured Jakob over to Leuven, who visibly struggled to hold him without stumbling himself.

“What are you planning?” Leana asked worriedly.

“If we want to survive this, we have no choice. You had your chance, now we’ll do it my way,” Evan replied coolly.

“In his own way?” Albert repeated, visibly nervous. “What does that mean?”

Leuven, still struggling against Jakob’s weight, couldn’t help but smile dryly. “Usually nothing good. We should be prepared for him to burn down half the forest. He has a problem with fire.”

Leana followed the half-demon, her steps hasty and determined. “That wasn’t the plan!”

He paused and gave her a piercing look. “I’m certainly not going to let that monster kill me just because we stumbled into a nest full of fools.”

“Fools?” Leana asked, her eyes narrowed. Her tone demanded an answer.

“You know what I mean. Help me or leave me, but the time for discussion is over,” he said, drawing his sword from its sheath with a metallic hiss.

The beating of wings became louder and closer.

Evan could now see exactly where Emilia was.

He saw her outside the cave: calm, floating in the air, her wings beating in the steady rhythm of the wind. For a moment she looked untouchable.

Her eyes met his, both of them looking at each other with threat and yet with a kind of calm determination.

Then Emilia let out a shrill, blood-curdling scream and shot toward Evan like an arrow.

He managed to avoid her just in time, but landed roughly on the forest floor.

“Damn it!” he growled as he pulled himself to his feet.

He had not expected this speed.

Although he remembered her attack the previous night well, she had obviously not used her full strength there.

He didn’t have much time to think because the harpy attacked again.

Her sharp claws were aimed directly at him.

Evan narrowly escaped this with one roll.

He jumped up, his eyes fixed on the beast’s every move, but even his heightened senses could barely keep up with its speed.

A precise flap of the wings caught him and threw him to the ground again.

For a split second he was defenseless.

The harpy’s claws flashed in the sunlight; they approached his face.

That could have been his end if something unexpected hadn’t happened.

Suddenly Emilia seemed trapped; her movements stopped abruptly, as if she were trapped in an invisible cage. Confused, Evan watched the creature thrashing back and forth above him.

He knew who he had to thank for this. His gaze wandered to the cave.

Leana stood there with both arms stretched out in front of her. Her face showed the strain. Sweat was dripping from her forehead.

“Thank you!” Evan called to her as he hastily jumped up.

“I can only hold her for a moment,” she gasped. “Her strength is enormous!”

“That’s enough for me,” Evan answered resolutely.

He was still alive and ready to counterattack.

But Emilia was not so easy to keep in check.

With a powerful beat of her wings she rose into the air; Evans’ sword blow fell into thin air.

Leana tried a spell again.

This time she hurled a gust of wind at the harpy, but the harpy dodged effortlessly.

Nearby, Leuven leaned Jacob gently against the cave wall and turned to Nella, who stood off to the side, full of bitterness.

“Listen,” he began cautiously.

Nella looked at him hurt. “I don’t owe anyone anything.”

“That’s not quite true,” Leuven said calmly. “You owe it to yourself.”

“Me?” she grimaced and looked away defiantly. “What do I owe myself? Look at her. To me she was always a monster. Now everyone can see it. That’s the only thing I owed myself, to show everyone who she really is.”

“I believe you,” Leuven said gently. “But how many innocent people have already died? What is the point of all this? You want to punish Emilia, but you are punishing people who have nothing to do with it.”

For a moment, something like remorse crossed Nella’s face, but she quickly changed it back to the defiant look of a child. “I don’t care. I don’t care if I die today. They all ruined my life; let them see theirs go up in flames.”

“You know the pain,” Leuven continued. “I know what it feels like to be alone. But that’s not why I give up. A few weeks ago I almost lost my life, and then Evan showed up and saved me, out of nowhere.”

“And now you think he can save me too?” she asked mockingly.

“No. Really, no. It was more of a coincidence that we met,” the young businessman thought for a moment. “It was actually a coincidence. But Evan gives everything to people he doesn’t know, even though he acts like he doesn’t care about anyone. And do you know who else is here? Someone who has always seen the good in you?”

Nella looked at him with interested eyes.

“Well, Leana!” he said as if it were obvious. “She stood up for you and now you want to let her die? Look at her. She won’t last much longer if we don’t act quickly.”

Nella’s expression turned to slight concern as she watched the sorceress and the half-demon desperately fighting the harpy.

“Nella,” Albert said in a pained voice as he painfully sat up, “I’m sorry for how we treated you and your father. You know the pain such a loss can cause. Please help us.”

His anger turned into pure despair.

Meanwhile, Evan and Leana fought a fierce battle against the harpy.

“I can’t go on much longer!” groaned the young sorceress. Her ring began to glow as Emilia writhed in the air. She let out a deafening scream.

Evan had to admit that all his attacks were in vain. Every time he struck, the harpy rose into the air again.

His gaze fell on the dagger he wore on his boot shaft.

The obsidian dagger that helped him defeat Hintz at Haren Castle.

He hesitated. This dagger unleashed his full demonic potential, but it also cost him life force.

“Damn it!” Leana cursed and fell to the ground. “I have no strength left.”

Panting, she watched as the spell around Emilia was lifted and the harpy spread her mighty wings.

With a threatening look, her focus was on the sorceress.

Screaming, she threw herself at Leana.

But suddenly a scream of pain pierced the air.

Evan and Leana watched in horror as the harpy fell to the ground and twisted back and forth.

Then they realized what had happened.

Nella slowly approached the harpy, in her hand the bright red feather that pulsed like a blood-red heart.

“Ares la turnas!” she shouted in a booming voice, followed by more words that floated through the air like an ancient spell.

Leana held her breath; her heart racing with relief and amazement.

Nella had decided to help them.

With every step Nella took, the feather glowed with a blinding light, and Emilia writhed on the floor in despair, as if the curse was holding her in place with its last throes.

The screams that had previously gone through his bones became quieter and quieter until they finally stopped.

Emilia, who had just been the feared harpy, began to transform back.

Her body was enveloped in a brilliant light as her sharp claws and massive wings retracted.

The terror faded, and in the silence her humanity blossomed.

Leana jumped up and rushed to Emilia, who returned to her original form.

“By the gods, are you okay?” she asked the young woman with long, blonde hair who was lying trembling on the ground.

Nella fell silent, dropped the pen and stepped back.

Crying and sobbing, Emilia sat up.

Leana hugged her with relief. “Everything is fine. You’re back.”

Albert rushed forward, forgetting his pain and dropping the axe to embrace his daughter. “Emilia, you’re alive!”

Evan could hardly believe it. Leana was actually right – the curse could be broken.

But suddenly a shrill scream pierced the air.

Startled, the group’s eyes turned to Nella, who held both hands to her head and sank to her knees.

“Damn,” Leana cursed, let go of Emilia and sprinted towards the young woman.

She didn’t respond to Evans’ loud “Wait!”

Nella’s limbs twitched uncontrollably, her body twisted in a desperate fight against the terrible pain.

Long, feathered wings sprouted from her arms and her feet turned into sharp claws – all amidst agonized screams.

“No, that can’t be! That just can’t be true,” said Leana, shocked, as she reached Nella.

She looked at Evan in despair. “She did everything right. The curse should be broken!”

“And now he has found a new victim,” the half-demon replied in a dry voice, his emotions hidden behind a mask.

Leana was stunned. She had firmly believed that the reversal spell would work.

Evan sprinted forward, sword firmly in hand.

He wanted to end Nella’s suffering before she could become a deadly danger.

It was too late.

With a shrieking scream, she spread her wings and knocked the half-demon to the ground before rising into the air.

She circled over the group’s heads a few times, then set her sights on her first target.

With her sharp claws leading the way, Nella began to dive.

Frightened, Emilia looked up to the sky, paralyzed by deep fear.

At the last moment, her father pushed her aside with all his strength, a desperate act to save her life – but he himself now became the target of the attack.

“No!” screamed Emilia, her throat tightening in despair as she saw the long, sharp claws digging into Albert’s body like knives.

A short, agonizing scream escaped his lips, but it soon fell silent.

The echo of his pain faded away in the silence of the moment.

Nella dragged the lifeless body along with her for a few meters as if it were nothing more than a doll before letting it fall into the dirt.

The beast rose into the air again, like an eerie shadow in the sky.

“Father!” Emilia screamed, her voice breaking as she ran desperately to him. “What have you done?”

Leana gathered all her remaining strength, aimed her hands at Nella and whispered a spell.

For a short time, she was able to cast an invisible spell on the harpy, but just a blink of an eye later, Nella broke free of the magical grip, circled in the air again and pounced on Emilia again.

The sorceress tried desperately to cast another spell, but the glow of her ring went out when she saw the harpy racing toward the young woman.

She no longer had the strength to defend herself against this powerful curse.

Emilia knelt over her father’s body, crying and broken, unable to respond.

But at the last second, Nella missed her target.

A scream of pain tore from her throat as blood spurted and she landed on the ground with a thud.

Confused looks met the group.

The harpy lay motionless on the forest floor, only its limbs twitching uncontrollably.

Leana looked around, confused, and recognized Evan not far from her, his arm stretched out toward the harpy.

He had followed his words with actions and brought the matter to an end in his own way.

Leana ran desperately to Nella, who was trapped in the grotesque face of the harpy, which only faintly resembled the young woman.

The blade of Albert’s axe was stuck deep in her chest.

Horrified, Leana watched as Evan pulled the axe out of the lifeless body with one quick movement.

Without a word, they looked into each other’s eyes, coldness reflected in Evans’ gaze.

“I know what you’re trying to say, but I had no choice,” he said, as if he could read her mind.

“There is always another choice,” sobbed the sorceress, the pain palpable in her voice.

“That would have been our death.” The half-demon looked at the axe for a moment, then left Leana alone.

Emilia continued to kneel over her father’s body. She only looked briefly at Nella, shocked.

Her whole body was shaking, grief enveloping her like a dark veil.

When she looked up, she saw Leuven trying with all his strength to hold the injured Jacob upright.

A ray of bright relief suddenly ran through Emilia. Her lover was alive!

“I thought I had lost you,” she sobbed, jumping into his arms.

Leuven lost his balance and fell roughly to the ground.

Jakob struggled to hold on, but when he saw that Emilia was with him, his pain seemed to fade away.

“I finally found you,” he stammered, biting his lip as pain shot through his leg.

Leuven watched the two with a jealous look.

“Well, they got their act together quickly,” he complained quietly.

Only afterwards did he notice that Evan was standing behind him. He also did not seem completely satisfied with the outcome of the situation.

He reached out his hand to Leuven and helped him back on his feet.

“What do you expect? After all, the lovers have found each other again,” the half-demon finally said, a hint of sarcasm in his words.

“Well,” he added, “we’ve done everything we can. We should get going again.”

There he was again, the cold half-demon that Leuven had not missed, but had in a way been waiting for.

Leuven looked around.

It was a grotesque picture. On one side, the two lovers, tightly embraced, enjoying their reunion, on the other, the victims, Albert and Nella, whose lives were abruptly ended.

Then there was Leana, who blamed herself for the curse not being broken but only being passed on.

Although Leuven could sense what was going on inside her, he did not want to stay in this forest any longer.

The sorceress was still kneeling in front of Nella, whose disfigured body lay motionless on the ground.

Her hands were shaking, the sweat mixed with the tears running down her cheeks.

The feeling of failure weighed heavily on her chest.

She had thought she had done everything right – but now Nella lay dead in front of her.

The curse had not been broken, it had only found a new host, and the young woman had paid with her life.

Evan stepped quietly behind Leana. “It’s time to go,” he said in a serious voice.

The sorceress raised her head slightly and looked at him with half-closed eyes.

For a moment it seemed as if she wanted to object, but then her gaze turned darkly to Jakob and Emilia, who were lying in each other’s arms, beaming with joy.

Her relief at having found herself again stood in stark contrast to the sadness Leana felt.

“We can’t just leave her here. We have to at least bury her,” Leana whispered, her voice breaking as she looked down at Nella again.

Evan looked at her, his eyes cold and calculating. “And how exactly are you going to do that? Do you have a shovel with you?”

Leana gritted her teeth, her eyes glittering with pent-up anger and sadness. “No.”

An oppressive silence descended upon the two of them. The wind rustled through the trees and the sun cast long shadows over the forest.

Leana thought about it.

Her eyes wandered around, looking for a solution, for a way to pay her last respects to Nella.

Then her eyes fell on the cave nearby, the cave from which they had freed Albert and Jakob.

“There,” she murmured softly, almost to herself. “There she shall find her final resting place.”

Evan followed her gaze toward the cave, but said nothing.

Finally he nodded briefly. “As you wish.”

Evan took a step back and looked towards Leuven.

With a brief gesture of his hand he beckoned him over.

“Leuven, help me,” he said calmly.

Leuven rushed over, his eyes wide with exhaustion, but without hesitation he helped Evan carefully lift the harpy’s lifeless body.

Together they picked up Nella and carried her towards the cave that Leana had chosen as her final resting place.

But suddenly Emilia broke away from her embrace with Jakob.

Her eyes glowed with anger.

“What are you doing?” she screamed, her voice shaking with anger and incomprehension. “Why should this creature deserve a burial? She cursed me, she wanted to destroy my life! Her death is nothing more than the just punishment for what she did to me.”

Evan paused and slowly turned to her.

“It doesn’t matter who she was,” he said coolly. “She will find her final resting place.”

Emilia glared at him, her hands clenched into fists. “And my father? He’s dead too! Doesn’t he deserve a proper burial?” Her voice trembled with accusation as she looked back and forth between Evan and Leana, desperately waiting for a reaction.

Evan raised an eyebrow and looked at her with his typical emotionless expression. “We’re taking you back to the village. I don’t care what you do then.”

Leana stepped forward slowly, her eyes fixed on Emilia. Her face was dark with suppressed anger and deep disappointment.

“Perhaps none of this would have happened,” she began quietly, but each word was like a stab in the back, “if you had not treated Nella the way you did. You are not innocent either. Your cruelty led to this tragedy.”

Emilia blinked in surprise and took a step back, her anger turning to disbelief.

“I was always fair to Nella,” she insisted defiantly. “If she acted so strangely, it was her own fault. She was always a strange girl.”

Leana took a step closer, her eyes flashing with suppressed anger. “Fair?” Her voice was quiet but sharp. “A little humanity would have been enough. Then she wouldn’t have seen the curse as the only way out.”

As the tension between the two women grew, Evan and Leuven seemed undeterred.

They carried Nella’s lifeless body toward the cave, focused and wordless, their steps heavy with the burden they carried – not only physical but emotional.

But Emilia was not so easy to appease. “You have no idea, Leana! You don’t know what the village is really like. You don’t know us and you don’t know our problems!”

Jakob put a hand on Emilia’s shoulder, trying to calm her down. “Emilia, please…” he murmured softly, but she shrugged angrily and took a step away from him.

“And you!” she continued, pointing at Leana. “You yourself have made a secret of your magic! You are ashamed of being a sorceress! Otherwise you would have said so from the beginning! You hide behind your power because you feel different, don’t you?”

The words hung in the air, sharp as blades. Leana’s expression didn’t change, but something flashed in her eyes – a mixture of pain and anger.

She didn’t react to Emilia’s accusations. Instead, she pointed to Albert’s lifeless body with a cold look. “You should think about how you’re going to carry him through the forest,” she said sharply before turning around and walking towards the cave from which Evan and Leuven were just emerging.

“Make way,” she hissed as she passed them.

Leuven raised an eyebrow in irritation and looked at Evan. “What’s gotten into her?” he muttered, but Evan didn’t answer. Instead, he just gave Leana a brief, meaningful look and stepped aside.

Leuven shrugged and followed his example, both of them moving away from the cave.

Leana was left alone, breathing deeply as her hands shook. But she concentrated.

Her ring began to glow softly but powerfully as she pointed her hands toward the cave entrance.

Slowly she felt the magic rising within her again, becoming firmer and stronger.

The ground beneath her feet began to vibrate, small stones rolled down the slope, and with a deep rumble that shattered the silence of the forest, the cave collapsed in front of her.

The entrance was completely blocked off by a massive wall of rock and earth.

Leana lowered her hands as the rumble died down.

Now Nella found her final resting place, shielded from those who once mocked her.

The sorceress didn’t say a word.

Without even looking back, she strode past Evan and Leuven, her face an impenetrable mask. Her steps carried her firmly and purposefully towards the forest.

She paid no attention to Jakob and Emilia, even as she passed by them while they were arguing heatedly.

»How are we going to get my father out of the forest?« Emilia’s angry voice rang out.

Jacob tried to stay calm. “We could go back to the village and get a few men and a cart. We can use that to take him to the village.”

But Emilia was horrified. “By then the wild animals will have torn his body apart! We can’t just leave him here!”

Leuven glanced at the arguing couple and then at Evan. With a broad grin and wide eyes, he whispered, “Man, this looks like a harmonious marriage is on the horizon.”

Evan, who rarely responded to such jokes, looked at him, and a faint, barely perceptible smile crossed his face before it fell back into his usual grim expression.

He passed Jacob and Emilia without saying a word, but when he heard their heated argument, he stopped.

His dark gaze rested on them, and their voices fell silent abruptly.

Without saying a word, he approached Albert’s lifeless body, lifted him onto his back with apparent ease, and continued on his way as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Jakob and Emilia looked after him in astonishment, unable to say anything.

Leuven strolled past them, took a quick look at Evan, and shrugged. “That’s just the way he is,” he muttered casually and followed the half-demon into the forest.

The journey back to the village was tense and silent.

Leana sat in the back of the car with her arms crossed, staring into space and not even looking at Jakob and Emilia.

The two were unusually quiet. Their discomfort was palpable.

Even though the corpse in front of them, on the floor of the cart, was Emilia’s father, they felt uncomfortable being near his dead body.

They feared that he might jump up and return from the dead as a revenant – a thought that seemed insane to them, but not insane enough not to be afraid of it.

Evan occasionally glanced at Leana from the coach box and briefly considered whether he should offer her a seat in the front next to Leuven.

But he decided against it. He wanted to leave her alone and, he had to admit to himself, he had little desire to be in the presence of Emilia and Jakob.

After a while they reached the village.

The villagers flocked to greet Jacob and Emilia joyfully and to rejoice at the news of the successful hunt.

But when they saw Albert’s lifeless body, a dark veil quickly fell over the village.

While some mourned and others celebrated the survival of the young couple, no one said a word about Nella.

No one seemed to remember that she, too, had been a victim of these events, even if she was not innocent.

Leana, who was watching from a distance, felt the anger rising within her again.

It was incomprehensible to her that Nella had no meaning for these people.

Without a single word, she turned and left.

Evan noticed her absence.

His gaze followed her, and after a moment’s hesitation, he rose from the coach box and followed her.

This did not escape Leuven’s notice and, being curious, he also decided to follow them.

When Evan reached Leana’s tailor shop, he watched as she hastily stuffed a few items of clothing into a sack.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy and tense.

He entered cautiously, followed by Leuven, who was behind him, unsure whether to enter or not.

“You’re leaving the village?” Evan asked shortly, his deep voice breaking the silence.

Leana paused for a moment, her back to him. “What’s keeping me here?”

Her voice was sharp, laced with disappointment and anger. “The word will soon get around that I am not a talented seamstress, but a sorceress. Maybe they will even call me a witch or blame me for this curse. I can no longer tolerate these people’s behavior.”

With shaking hands, she hastily stuffed more clothes into the bag, driven by frustration.

Suddenly she turned around and walked determinedly to her bookshelf.

With purposeful movements she grabbed some books and spread them out on the sewing table.

She looked at the pages for a moment, as if she were looking for something specific.

Then she stacked the books neatly and put them with the rest of her belongings.

Evan watched her quietly, his eyes fixed on her back. “I understand you,” he said quietly. “But what is your plan?”

She turned to him slowly, her eyes tired and resigned. “I don’t have a concrete plan. I just want to get out of this village as quickly as possible. Everything here is overwhelming me.”

At that moment Leuven spoke up, his voice discreet but firm. “There’s still enough room in the cart,” he said. “For now, we could travel on as a threesome to the next town. It would be safer than going alone.”

Evan and Leana looked at Leuven in surprise. His words hung in the air for a moment.

Finally, the sorceress shook her head and looked at the two of them determinedly. “It’s best if I go alone. These are my problems.”

She tied her books tightly with a belt and turned back to Evan and Leuven. But as her eyes fell on the door, she noticed another person.

It was the old lady who had sent Evan to Leana the day before.

Her presence made the sorceress look up in surprise.

“Grete?” asked Leana, her voice a mixture of confusion and astonishment.

The old lady entered the tailor shop without a word, her gaze calm and undeterred by the three of them.

She calmly took in the scene around her without immediately saying a word.

»What are you doing here?« asked Leana in surprise as she looked at the old lady.

“I wanted to say goodbye,” Grete answered in a calm voice.

Leana was surprised and asked: “Goodbye, how did you know…?”

Grete smiled gently and held out her hand.

Suddenly a rose began to grow from her hand, its petals slowly opening and giving off a delicate scent.

Leana immediately realized that Grete was also a magician.

The realization made her pay attention, and she watched in fascination as the rose fully unfolded.

“It is important,” Grete began in a calm voice, “to use your powers for good. You should not hide and let your abilities go to waste. Otherwise, your own magic will weaken until it eventually dies out completely.”

The petals closed again.

Leana looked at Grete thoughtfully. “What would you do if you were me?” she finally asked.

Grete thought for a moment and then answered: “If I were your age again, I would seek adventure and use my powers to help others. There are enough people out there who need help.”

Leana cast a quick glance at Evan and Leuven.

A half-demon and a merchant – for them, that didn’t scream adventure, but problems.

“I can’t do this,” Leana finally said to the old lady. “I’ll find another place to settle down.”

Grete shook her head. “That’s not a way. It would just be an escape. You have the potential to do good. You shouldn’t waste it.”

Leuven, who was following the conversation closely, emphasized: “The offer still stands. We have space. Perhaps it would help you if you came with us first, at least until you are clear about what you want to do.”

Evan shrugged and remained silent, but his expression revealed that he had no objections.

Leana thought for a moment and then turned to Grete again. “Is this really the right decision for me?”

Grete smiled gently. “It’s your decision, but I give you this advice: don’t waste your abilities.”

Leana’s thoughts swirled as she considered the old lady’s words.

Finally she nodded and said, “Okay. I’ll travel with you to the next town. Then I’ll see what happens next.”

Leuven laughed and said with a grin: “I’ve heard that before.”

He glanced at Evan, who responded with a grim expression.

Leana turned to Grete. “Thank you for your advice. I don’t know what I’m going to do yet, but I’ll take the time to figure it out.”

Together with Evan and Leuven, Leana left the tailor shop, but not without saying goodbye to the old lady once again with a warm smile.

She only had the bare necessities with her; she left the rest of her possessions behind because they were no longer of any value to her.

Grete watched them carefully as they walked away, but remained standing in the tailor’s shop and let her thoughts wander.

She strolled slowly through the room, her fingers stroking the fabrics hanging on the mannequins in the anteroom.

She looked at the elegant garments with a smile that became increasingly dark.

Eventually the smile turned into a wild grin, which soon turned into loud laughter.

The old lady’s face began to twitch and wobble; her height grew, and her hair became darker.

Grete disappeared and in her place stood a young man with a crazy look in his eyes.

“Oh Rikard, what a mess you’ve made here! You could have let me have a little fun,” he muttered as a window opened a crack and looked at Leana, Evan and Leuven walking back to the village square.

_________________

It was evening and the campfire was crackling gently while a few fish were sizzling over the flames.

A quiet stream trickled nearby, and Ida, Leuven’s mare, had been unhitched from the cart to graze nearby.

Leuven put a piece of fish in his mouth and remarked with a smack: “It was really nice of the villagers to give us provisions, even though they didn’t have much themselves. I was starving.”

Leana nodded briefly, but did not respond to his comment. She stared thoughtfully at her plate, which had a grilled fish on it, while Evan watched her carefully. Finally, he turned to her.

“What are your further plans?” he asked.

Leana looked at him and shook her head slightly. “I don’t know yet.”

Evan thought for a moment. “Many wizards are drawn to Cadeira or Brilonia. Perhaps you’ll find something there that suits you.”

Leana raised an eyebrow. “I don’t care. I want to stay in Brünnen.”

“What keeps you in Brünnen?” Evan asked curiously.

Leana answered succinctly: “That’s only my business.”

Evan nodded in understanding, although he didn’t quite understand the answer. It was obvious that Leana didn’t want to share her reasons for wanting to stay in Brünnen.

With his mouth full, Leuven smacked his lips. “Well, we’re on our way to the coast. Maybe you can find a place to stay there.”

The sorceress looked at him and answered calmly, “Perhaps. It could be a possibility.”

Leuven nodded and added, “But you didn’t come along to hide again. You wanted to help others. You can do that best when you use your powers to the full.”

Then Leuven became silly. “By the way, the ball of light you created in the cave was really impressive. Maybe you could work as a lantern at night!”

Leana gave him an angry look, but Leuven didn’t seem to mind.

“You have to get used to it or just ignore it. That’s what I’m trying to do,” Evan replied with a grin.

Leuven was outraged. “If you hadn’t set fire to Ravensberg Cathedral, we wouldn’t have to flee now!”

The sorceress froze, her eyes widening in horror. “You did what?” she asked, fearing that her journey with the two might make her a target herself.

Evan tried to calm her down. “I didn’t set the cathedral on fire,” he said.

But the sorceress was not convinced, especially when Leuven added with a smack in his lips: “The city guard thinks so, though. Since I helped you escape, we are both criminals now.”

Leana snorted and turned away. The thought of being hunted as a criminal only increased her anxiety. She was unsure if she could cope with the new developments.

Evan looked at Leana with a reassuring look. “Don’t worry, we haven’t seen any guards following us yet.”

Leana, however, could not be appeased. With a deep sigh, she put her plate with the half-eaten fish on the floor and stood up in frustration. “I’m going to sleep now,” she declared and turned resolutely away from the campfire.

Leuven watched her and thought for a moment that her behavior seemed exaggerated. But then he reconsidered his words and decided that they were off-putting, even to himself, after repeating them in his mind.

Suddenly he and Evan heard strange noises.

They listened and noticed that Leana had just thrown her sleeping rolls out of the cart.

She seemed determined to create a small area for herself.

Leuven looked over at the cart and was visibly annoyed. “What’s going on now?” he asked.

Leana, who briefly stuck her head out of the tarpaulin, answered calmly but firmly: “I need my privacy and peace. This is not a guest room, but I must at least have a place where I can feel undisturbed.”

Leuven couldn’t hide his displeasure. “This really isn’t the time for this. We have other problems than dealing with your sleeping habits! We need to hurry, and you’re just making things more complicated.”

Evan, who was used to sleeping in the open air, took the situation rather calmly.

He leaned back and stared at the clear starry sky.

Meanwhile, the dispute between Leana and Leuven continued to flare up.

Leana tried to settle into her sleeping roll and turned her back on the conversation while Leuven grew louder and expressed his frustration.

Evan watched the two with a gentle smile as he focused his thoughts on the journey.

Despite the inconveniences and arguments, he hoped that they would continue their journey and soon reach their destination.

He knew there would be many challenges ahead, but he was determined to see the journey through to the end – even if it meant dealing with occasional conflicts.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5

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