"Soldiers! For Queen Tenebria! Forward!"

  Sindra's voice thundered across the ruins.

  With the Queen’s banner fring in the wind, she charged ahead, her soldiers rallying behind her. They burst from cover, heading straight for the enemy mages as fire bolts lit up the sky in streaks of burning light.

  A sudden bst exploded nearby—Sindra dove behind rubble, cursing as fmes grazed her shoulder.

  “Damn it!” she growled, spping the fire out. “Sergeant Liane! Buy us time—keep fighting! If anyone’s injured, fall back now!”

  “Yes, Lady Sindra!” Liane shouted, darting for cover, then vanishing into the smoke to spread the order.

  *Whatever you’re doing, Melwek... it better be worth it*, Sindra clenched her jaw. *If not, I swear I’ll crush your skull myself.*

  She stood tall, eyes narrowing. A deep breath—and then the shift began.

  Scales crept along her arms, her muscles bulged, and her teeth sharpened into jagged fangs. Her smile was wide and cruel now, barely human.

  “At least I’ll have fun through it all~” she purred, bloodlust shining in her eyes.

  With a snicker, she sprang from the rubble and unched herself into the fray.

  ---

  Within the ruins…

  He followed quietly behind Melwek as she strolled the torchlit corridors, humming like they were on a zy walk rather than in the middle of a siege.

  “You haven’t eaten, have you?” she asked over her shoulder, gncing back with a hint of concern.

  He nodded silently. His stomach answered with a loud growl.

  It’s been a week since I ate anything decent… I tried stealing, but I’m too weak to even do that right.

  Melwek gave a small sigh. “You poor thing. Good thing we’re passing by the camp. We’ll start training right after that.”

  She led him into a makeshift encampment. Abandoned tents, torn cloth, bloodstains—it was the aftermath of something ugly. Smoke curled from a small fire, where a pot still simmered.

  Melwek scooped stew into a bowl and offered it to him with a smile. “Eat. You’ll need your strength.”

  He stared at it, unsure if it was a trap. His hand trembled as he took it.

  “Don’t be shy. Empty stomachs don’t win wars,” she teased. “Besides… you don’t want to disappoint Big Sis Sindra, do you?”

  Her grin triggered a memory—Sindra’s feral eyes boring into him like prey.

  “O-of course. I’ll do my best, um… Miss Melwek.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Just Melwek, dear subject.”

  She leaned in, pinching his cheek. “Didn’t expect my little test case to have such a baby face.”

  He froze—not just from embarrassment now, but from the word: test case.

  Still, he let her do it. She ruffled his hair while he ate, treating him more like a pet project than a person.

  "Ahh... That was the most delicious meal ever had." he burps.

  ...

  “Of course it was. Sister Kazin’s cooking is made with the finest rats in the kingdom!” she beamed proudly. “Though I suppose your foreign pate will need time to adjust.”

  He blinked. “...Rats?”

  “We’re running low on supplies,” she said, still smiling. “But survival conditions are the perfect data point, don’t you think? You’re doing great so far, by the way.”

  He looked down at the empty bowl.

  Perfect data point...?

  Nope. Not asking. Not even a little.

  ---

  They crossed the st few tents and stepped into another hallway as the sun began to set, casting orange light through cracks in the stone walls.

  “Oh, look who we have here!” Melwek’s voice rang out. “Sister Olzik! Shouldn’t you be resting?!”

  He peeked from behind her to see a young woman—bandaged and pale—leaning against the wall, rubbing her injured arm.

  “I still want to fight,” Olzik murmured, looking away. “Sister Pelzia’s still out there. If I’m going to die… I want to be with her.”

  She swayed, nearly colpsing—but Melwek caught her without missing a beat.

  “Suit yourself. I’m in a hurry,” she said ftly. “But is that what Sister Pelzia wanted? For her sacrifice to be wasted so you could die trying to reach her?”

  Olzik stayed silent, lips trembling.

  ...

  “I thought so.” Melwek turned back toward the hall. “Come along, my dear subject. Chop chop—we’ve still got a schedule to maintain.”

  They moved quickly, but he paused mid-step and turned back.

  “Sister Olzik?”

  She looked up slowly, her eyes red and guarded.

  “What?” she snapped.

  He bowed gently. “Forgive my master’s tone. What she meant was… have faith. Trust your partner’s wishes. That’s what will honor her.”

  ...

  Olzik stood still for a moment. Her grip loosened, and finally… she smiled. Just a little.

  "I see... Thank you."

  He gave a small nod and ran to catch up with Melwek. At the end of the hallway, she whispered words he couldn’t make sense of. A hidden passage opened in front of them.

  "After you~" she said, gesturing toward the dark room.

  Of course she wants me to go first. Probably to see if it’s safe. He let out a quiet sigh and stepped into the darkness with his eyes closed. He waited. Nothing happened.

  A snap echoed behind him. Blue torches flickered to life along the walls. In the center of the room, a glowing circle of strange symbols lit up.

  "Stand on the stage, please. We don’t have much time."

  He walked forward, climbing up carefully. The ptform was warm under his feet.

  "Now... close your eyes and let light give you her blessing. If she doesn’t... then maybe this was all for nothing."

  "Can I ask something?"

  "Be quick." She sank into a chair nearby, shoulders slouched.

  "What is this? What are we doing?"

  "An awakening," she said. "It’s how others became useful. You’re next."

  He looked down. "So I’m just a weapon?"

  "If this works... yes."

  The words hung in the air.

  "...Alright. As long as you’re doing this for the right reasons."

  She raised an eyebrow. "For someone who looked like he crawled out of the gutter, you’ve got strong ideals. I like that. But... right or wrong? You’ll see for yourself."

  He opened his mouth to answer, but a low hum filled the room. A bright light surged down from above, and everything went white.