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    Annabelle Leir<hr>


    My parents are the kind of people who make you believe in heroes. When things go wrong, they’re the ones you turn to—not just because they fix problems, but because they make the weight of them feel lighter.


    The town knew it the moment my parents arrived. The people worked tirelessly to convince them to stay, hoping they would become the protectors Crossroads so desperately needed. Whether it was a rampaging beast or bandits causing havoc, my parents were the ones everyone counted on.


    "I''m not like them," I murmured, staring up at the forest canopy as Judge carried me in his arms. "I''m just... me. Average. Not strong like Dad, not skilled like Mom, and definitely not brilliant like June."


    My voice wavered, the words tasting bitter as they left my lips. "I try to live up to them, but I always fall short."


    I let out a shaky breath. "Sorry, I’m rambling."


    "You shouldn''t talk like that," Judge said gruffly. "You''re more like your mom than you think."


    I forced a small, bitter smile. "I''m not special. I had to be saved by you, of all people. June would’ve found a way out without almost dying. Even at thirteen, she would’ve managed."


    My gaze dropped to the empty space where my right arm used to be, the phantom weight of it heavier than ever.


    Judge sighed, his tone softening. "You were outnumbered three to one. The fact that you held your ground as long as you did... that’s no small feat."


    I said nothing, letting his words settle, but they did little to quiet the weight in my chest.


    As we cleared the forest, the town came into view—and my heart sank.


    The once-lively streets were now nothing but ruins, swallowed by eerie silence.


    "What... What happened?" I whispered, my voice trembling as I took in the devastation.


    "Monarchs are immortal, unrelenting calamities," Judge said, his voice flat. "That the forest didn’t burn is a miracle in itself."


    His words sent a chill through me, deeper than the cold air biting at my skin.


    Dad had warned me—told me why the town had to evacuate, why we couldn’t afford to stay behind. I’d thought he was overreacting.


    But now, as I stepped through the wreckage, I understood.


    Panic gripped me, and I squirmed in Judge’s arms. "Put me down. I need to find everyone else!" I demanded, struggling against his hold.


    "Girl." His sharp tone cut through my panic, freezing me in place. "You might not like what you find. Lorde Pride isn’t some common threat, and your father’s abilities aren’t built for combat."


    Something inside me snapped.


    I slapped him with my remaining hand, my voice trembling with fury. "I don’t care that you saved me. Don’t you dare talk like they’re dead! And don’t think I’ve forgotten what you did the last time you showed your face."


    Judge hesitated, his expression unreadable.


    Then, with a sigh, he set me down.


    "Fine," he muttered. "But don’t blame me for what you see."


    I took off, sprinting through the ruins, my breath coming in short, desperate gasps.


    “Mom! June! Anyone?!”


    Silence answered me.


    My chest tightened with dread. The eerie stillness of the town pressed in around me, suffocating.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Then, as I rounded the corner to head to the southern gate, I froze.


    Slumped against a half-collapsed building at the end of town were Mom and June.


    I didn’t think—I just moved, dropping to my knees beside them.


    Mom’s skin was pale, too pale. June’s body was smeared with blood, some of it frozen. Too much of it.


    I grabbed June’s arm, my fingers pressing desperately against her wrist.


    A pulse.


    Faint. Too slow.


    Panic surged through me as I shook her, my voice breaking as I screamed her name. "June! June, wake up!"


    For agonizing seconds, nothing happened.


    Then—finally—to my overwhelming relief, she stirred.


    “Anna? Is that you?” Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, laced with confusion.


    “What? Of course, it’s me!” I stammered, tears streaming down my face.


    June broke into sobs, her body wracking with grief as she reached for me, pulling me into a desperate, crushing hug.


    “They’re gone,” she wailed. “They both died because of me.”


    Her words hit like a punch to the gut, knocking the air from my lungs.


    I tried to speak, to tell her she was wrong, but all that came out was a shaky, “Oh.” My body trembled as the weight of her words sank in.


    I pulled back just enough to grip her shoulders, forcing myself to focus. “June, you’re freezing. We have to get you inside.”


    June attempted to stand but couldn’t even make it past her knees. Her body was covered in bruises, blood, and ice.


    Judge finally caught up to me, and I quickly explained the situation. Without hesitation, he decided to carry June back.


    As we made our way back to the house, the weight of everything pressed down on me. My parents were gone. My sister was broken. And I was left, barely holding myself together, in a world that felt so much emptier than it had just hours ago.


    Once inside, Judge gently laid June on the couch before heading back out to haul in firewood. Each heavy load seemed like a small promise to bring life back to the house, a quiet act of defiance against the stillness that had settled in.


    As he worked, I grabbed a few logs and set about heating the bathtub, the flickering firelight casting shadows on the walls. The rhythmic crackle of the flames was a small comfort, a soft backdrop to the frantic movement of my hands as I worked. I hoped the warmth of the water would somehow wash away the horrors that clung to us both, even if just for a moment.


    Days blurred together as we remained confined to the house, nursing our wounds and avoiding the haunting ruins of the town just beyond the door. The silence hung heavy around us, broken only by the occasional creak of the house or the soft sounds of Judge’s comings and goings—his intentions and errands always shrouded in mystery.


    It took June and I several days to summon the strength, both physical and emotional, to give Mom the farewell she deserved. With Judge’s quiet assistance, we finally laid her to rest, the weight of the world pressing down on us as we said goodbye to the last of what we had.


    Once the weight of burying Mom passed, June finally explained the events in the town to both Judge and me.


    “Then the plan is simple. We’ll save him.” I said, kissing June’s head gently. “For now, we’ll go to Uncle’s cabin deeper in the forest until we figure out what to do.”


    A few more weeks came and went as June’s body healed, and she was finally able to make the trip. On our last day in the house, as we packed up to leave for Uncle’s cabin, Judge and I had our first real conversation since the day our parents died.


    “Judge, do you have a moment?” I asked hesitantly, my voice catching slightly.


    He paused mid-pack, glancing up at me with his usual aloofness. “What is it, girl?”


    I felt irritation bubble up at the dismissive nickname. “Do you have to call me that? I’m trying to get answers I’ve waited far too long for.”


    His expression softened, a rare crack in his stoic exterior. “Apologies, Anna,” he said, his tone gentler, almost careful. “Ask what you need to. After everything, you deserve that much.”


    There was something in his voice—a weight of regret that made me falter for a moment.


    “Why did you save me?” I asked finally, the question hanging in the air between us. “You found me in the middle of the forest. You could’ve just... left me.”


    He exhaled, the sound heavy with unspoken emotions. “You didn’t deserve it. Neither of you deserved any of it. I’d been watching from the start—your desperate attempt to make it through the woods. Honestly, I wasn’t planning on saving you, but... something compelled me. Maybe it was guilt, or honor, or a shred of loyalty to your mom. I don’t know. But after what I did to him, abandoning you didn’t feel right.”


    “Then why the act?” I pressed. “Why pretend to be someone worse than you are? June and I both know you’re not as terrible as you let on.”


    He smirked faintly, a flicker of his usual demeanor returning. “Part of the gig,” he said, his voice tinged with wry humor. “I’m the Coronet of Diligence—it comes with certain expectations. Being a complete ass happens to be one of them.”


    I clenched my fists, dreading my final question. “Why did you lie to my dad?”


    His smirk faded, and something darker replaced it—a haunted look that pierced through his usual bravado. “It’s part of the gig,” he repeated, but the words now carried an ache I hadn’t noticed before. “My fate was sealed the moment I was chosen as a Coronet. Warning him was already risking punishment. Warning him with accurate information? That’s another mark against me, one that might even see me dead. I couldn’t risk that. I have a family to think about too, you know. I can’t just throw myself into harm’s way for someone I once considered a best friend. But sometimes, as Coros... we’re forced to do what we hate—stay silent, watch people get hurt—even when it shreds what little humanity we have left.”


    His words hung in the air like a storm cloud, heavy and suffocating. A realization crept into my mind, bitter and undeniable: the Monarchs were a stain on everything they touched.