This is an original story that I started because of the lack of work. And for God's sake, if I get one more email from students who have just graduated from art schools looking to make money, I'm going to throw myself out of my house.

Enjoy reading.

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Years ago, a group of adventurers vanquished the Demon King, bringing peace to the world. However, as time passed, peace turned into complacency. Nations began to squabble, inventing weapons to conquer one another. In their lust for power, they disturbed ancient forces, unaware of the darkness they were about to unleash.

In the remote forests of Heraka, far from the conflicts of nations, a young woman named Sara lived a quaiet, isolated life in a small house. But her solitude would not last—her fate, intertwined with the remnants of the past, was about to change the course of history.

In that quaiet forest was allsow an old rune that was siling the one of the demon kings generals.

One day while sara was out hunting she heard the sound of armor and marching songs, „Seriously? What now?" Murmured Sara with frustration.

As Sara watched from the shadows, her frustration grew. The young soldiers were careless, laughing loudly and disturbing the natural peace of the forest. Their gleaming armor and banners bearing the sigil of the Kingdom of Goran stood out starkly against the dense greenery. They weren't seasoned warriors—no scars, no discipline—just a group of inexperienced recruits marching through her quiet sanctuary.

"What could they possibly want here?" Sara muttered, her voice barely audible as her sharp eyes followed their movements.

The soldiers stopped at the base of an ancient ruin, wich was part of rumars of dark magic and dangerous relics surrounded the place.

The young soldiers, seemed unconcerned by the ominous aura of the ruin. Their captain, an arrogant-looking man barely older than the rest, barked orders with the confidence of someone who'd never faced a true battle.

"Spread out! Search for the entrance!" he commanded, waving his sword toward the crumbling structure. "The reports say there's a weapon of great power sealed here. If we bring it back to Goran, the war will be ours!"

Sara's stomach sank. "Idiots…" she whispered. She aim an arrow at the most dangeros part of the ruine and let it go. The arrow was flying with the grace of a fly going around the solders and landing centimiters of the hand of one curios solder. "I recomand you leave this place alone." She yeld from the tree.

"Whos there?" yelde the Comander "Asing a defensive formation, protect your flanks." Yeld to his solders.

She cahnge her position and continu aiming arrows. "leave this place and you will not be harm", an arrow fly and remove the helmet of one of the solders, anather remove the sholder peace of one of theme, anather disarmed one of the.This continue thil they run in fear, abandoning any sence of cordonation or order.

She adjusted her bow and shifted to a better vantage point, „Good, now that this is resolved time to go home."

--

Sara, now back in her house, leaned her bow against the wall and stared at her reflection in a small, cracked mirror. Washing her ands and face, her atention was drown by the wooden mucle locating on her forearm, remainding her of the thing she and her friends had fought years ago—the darkness they had sealed at great cost. The ominous energy from the ruins was all too familiar, and the thought of it clawing its way back into the world made her stomach churn.

"Should I be worried?" she muttered to herself, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. Her reflection offered no answers, only the same tired eyes that had seen far too much. „the seals started to leak in the last 20 years."

She paced the small room, glancing at the bow leaning against the wall. Its intricate carvings seemed to glow faintly in the dim light.

"No," she whispered. "I've done my part. Let the kingdoms deal with it this time. They're the ones who keap disturbed the seals. It's their responsibility now."

But even as she said it, a pang of doubt gnawed at her. Deep down, she knew the truth. The kingdoms of humanity, with their greed and infighting, were ill-equipped to handle the threat that was looming. They would fight, yes—but they would fight each other just as much as the enemy.

Her gaze fell to the braclet on her hand, the reson her wounds where haeling as wood and not flash. She clenched her fists, trying to steady herself. "I don't want anything to do with this," she said firmly, as though saying it aloud would make it true.

But the echoes of her past—of battles fought alongside those she once called friends, of sacrifices made to protect the fragile peace—refused to let her rest. The world was different now, fractured and chaotic, but the threat was the same.

Sara sat down heavily on a worn chair, her thoughts a storm of conflicting emotions. She didn't want to fight again. She didn't want to be dragged back into a war she thought was over. But could she really sit by and do nothing?

The night was silent outside, the forest seemingly holding its breath. The shadows seemed deeper, darker, as if the forest itself was aware of the danger creeping closer.

"I'll wait," Sara finally decided, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll see what happens. If they can handle it, good. If not…" She trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Her bow rested against the wall, a silent reminder of the warrior she had once been. And though she told herself she was done, a part of her knew she wouldn't be able to stay away forever.