The sound of distant horns tore through the night, their mournful wail a harbinger of doom. Reille's dreams dissolved into chaos as she was shaken awake by her mother, Adeline. The older woman's face was pale but resolute, her grip firm as she pulled Reille upright.

"Come on, get up! The ogres are approaching!" Adeline's voice was urgent, but not panicked.

Reille blinked, disoriented. The faint glow of the moon spilled through the window, casting long shadows across her room. "Mother, what—"

"No time for questions! Quickly, quickly!" Adeline urged, dragging her from the bed and toward the door.

Reille's heart raced as the distant roar of the ogres grew louder, mingled with the panicked cries of villagers and the clash of weapons. The air outside her room was thick with tension, the stone corridors of the castle echoing with hurried footsteps and shouted orders.

"Mother, shouldn't we fight?" Reille asked, struggling to keep up as Adeline led her through the twisting halls.

Adeline paused for a fraction of a second, her eyes locking with Reille's. There was pride in her gaze, but also sorrow. "You are very brave, my dear. But there is a time to fight and a time to keep hidden. Sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is survive. If your life is lost, it will cause great despair to your loved ones."

Reille's brows furrowed. "But I can help! I've been training—I can protect you!"

Adeline shook her head, a bittersweet smile on her lips. "It's a different kind of courage, Reille. The courage to live on. It takes more strength to endure than it does to give up. Trust me on this."

Before Reille could argue further, a deafening crash echoed through the halls. The force of the impact shook the stone walls, sending dust raining from the ceiling. Adeline's eyes widened as a guttural roar sounded, impossibly close.

"Under the table, now!" Adeline commanded, pulling her daughter into the nearest room and shoving her beneath a heavy wooden table. She crouched beside her, her arms protectively shielding Reille.

Reille's breath came in short gasps as heavy footsteps thudded closer. The sound of splintering wood and shattering glass filled the air. A hulking shadow appeared in the doorway, its massive frame blocking out the light. The ogre's glowing yellow eyes scanned the room, its tusks glinting in the moonlight.

Adeline's grip on Reille tightened. "Stay quiet. Do not move." Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried an unshakable authority.

The ogre lumbered forward, its claws dragging across the floor as it sniffed the air. Reille's heart pounded in her chest, her body trembling with the effort to remain still. Her mother's words replayed in her mind: The courage to live on… the courage to live on…

Suddenly, the ogre's eyes locked onto the table. With a guttural snarl, it reached down and ripped the table away, flinging it against the wall. Splinters rained down like deadly confetti.

Adeline stood instantly, placing herself between the ogre and Reille. "Run!" she screamed, shoving Reille backward into the arms of a waiting guard who had just entered the room. "Take her to safety!"

"Mother! No!" Reille sobbed, struggling against the guard's grip as he pulled her toward the door.

Adeline turned, her back to Reille, and faced the ogre. Her shoulders were straight, her head held high, though her hands trembled at her sides. The ogre roared, lunging forward, but Adeline did not flinch.

"Mother! Please!" Reille screamed as she was dragged away, her vision blurring with tears.

The last thing she saw before the guard pulled her through the doorway was the ogre raising its massive claws, and her mother standing firm, a defiant light in her eyes.

XXX

Days later, the skies over Azumano wept as the kingdom gathered to honor its fallen. Rain drizzled softly, misting the rolling hills where the ceremony was held. The wind carried the faint scent of wet earth and wilted flowers.

Reille stood at the front of the crowd, dressed in mourning black. Her copper hair was loose, rainwater clinging to the strands and making them shimmer. Her green eyes were red-rimmed but dry as she gazed at the stone marker bearing her mother's name.

The priest spoke softly, his words of comfort lost in the haze of Reille's grief. She barely noticed the crowd around her—knights, villagers, and nobles who had come to pay their respects. All she could see was the grave before her, the fresh soil a painful reminder of what she had lost.

"Mother," Reille whispered, her voice cracking. She reached out, brushing her fingers over the carved stone. "You told me to be brave. To live on. But how can I, when you're not here? How can I be strong without you?"

She closed her eyes, the weight of her mother's final words settling in her heart. "The courage to live on…" The phrase echoed in her mind, a lifeline pulling her back from the abyss of despair.

Reille straightened, her hand falling to her side. The rain continued to fall, but she no longer felt its chill. Her mother had made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her, to give her a chance to survive. To waste that gift would be to dishonor her memory.

"Mother, I will be brave. I will live on," Reille said aloud, her voice steady despite the tears streaming down her face. "I promise, I'll make you proud."

As the rain softened to a mist, Reille turned away from the grave, a new resolve burning in her chest. She wiped her tears and held her head high. Her kingdom was still in peril, and she would not let her mother's sacrifice be in vain.

"I will fight for Azumano," she whispered to herself. "And I will find a way to end this war."

Reille walked away from the funeral with a quiet determination, knowing that the path ahead would be fraught with danger. But she was her mother's daughter, and she would not falter. She would carry on, not just for herself, but for everyone who had ever loved her. For her mother.