Chapter 119

Just when Aurora thought their torment would continue, she was dragged back into the wooden hut with everyone else. A charcoal fire had been lit inside, providing some warmth against the drafts. They all crawled toward it, seeking relief from the cold and pain.

Aurora's pants were torn, and the wound on her thigh prevented her from closing her legs. With the warmth, the blood continued to flow slowly, pooling beneath her. Everyone was in such agony that no one noticed. The hut was filled only with pained groans.

Someone entered and forced a bowl of medicine down her throat. The mixture, combined with the lingering stench of urine, nearly made her vomit. She didn't vomit, fearing they would urinate on her again. She felt there was no chance of survival, being in Liam's hands. If they gave her poison, at least it would be a quick death—a fate she would accept.

After she drank the medicine, Edmund entered and began beating her. He kicked and punched, leaving her face and body covered in bruises and cuts. He used a knife only on her face. She didn't know what words they had carved there, but since she was going to die anyway, she didn't care.

Lying on the ground, any movement sent waves of terrible pain through her body. She felt as though her internal organs were shifting. She thought about how Barrett wouldn't come to save her, that she was going to die here. To think that the first female general of Starhaven would die like this—it was utterly frustrating! Thinking of Carissa's soon-to-come glory, Aurora felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction. Didn't Carissa simply have a better birth and a more privileged life? Well, Aurora would have achieved great deeds long ago if she had such a background!

Meanwhile, on Rafael's orders, Carissa led the Mystic Army, following the retreating forces of Westhaven and Sandoria from a distance. Barrett followed closely behind, observing her on horseback. Her upright and graceful silhouette, though slender, exuded impressive energy. For a moment, he was lost in thought.

Violet and others also rode alongside Carissa. After the battle, they had returned for their horses, including Carissa's mount, Lightning. They didn't need to chase their enemies; they simply needed to keep watch from afar to ensure the retreating forces didn't raid nearby villages or slaughter civilians.

Meanwhile, Barrett was searching for Aurora. He was panicked, as she had gone after the enemy and hadn't returned. He feared she had fallen into the hands of the Westhaven troops.

Among the large group of retreating Westhaven troops, neither Aurora nor the other prisoners of war were seen.

As night fell and the last soldiers withdrew from Simonton City, Carissa and the others trailed the retreating forces a while longer. Once they confirmed the enemy troops weren't hiding in the nearby mountains but were truly heading back to Sandoria, she ordered them to stop tracking.

Violet was still worried. "I'm afraid they might turn around and attack us."

Carissa shook her head. "They won't." If that were the case, Rafael wouldn't have allowed her to monitor their retreat with the Mystic Army.

"Why wouldn't they?" Violet asked, pulling on the reins. "We have only twenty thousand men, while they have hundreds of thousands. They could easily overwhelm us if they wanted to."

Carissa merely smiled, offering no answer.

In reality, Carissa was right—there was no need to worry. Sandoria had lost their fighting spirit, and Westhaven was indifferent to their plight. Westhaven had achieved its objective, and Victor wouldn't naively think they would lend a hand if Sandoria retaliated. Since Westhaven had met its goals, they wouldn't risk their own soldiers.

Moreover, this was war. If Liam truly wanted to intervene, he wouldn't be disguising an invasion himself as a Westhaven soldier. Though such disguises might fool no one, their denial meant there was no party with a vested interest to investigate further. To other kingdoms, Westhaven's reputation remained untarnished.

As Carissa and the others watched the last of the Sandoria and Westhaven troops withdraw from Simonton City and head toward Sandoria, she received orders from Rafael to halt their advance and wait in the surrounding field. The temperature was frigid, and piles of campfires blazed to provide warmth. The generals and soldiers huddled around the fires.

Barrett, noticing the group had stopped advancing, approached Carissa. "Aurora's missing! We can't stop here. We must continue forward!"