Chapter 18 FRIENDSHIP OR DUTY

Chapter 18 FRIENDSHIP OR DUTY
ETHAN'S POV
"Wait!" I lunged forward, but invisible hands grabbed me from behind.
Soldiers emerged from the darkness. They surrounded Kiera and the others. Swords gleamed in the moonlight.
"Let them go, Marcus!" I shouted. "Your fight is with me!"
Marcus stopped walking. He turned slowly. "You're right. It is." He gestured to his men. "Release the others. I only want Ethan."
"Sir?" One soldier looked confused.
"You heard me. Let them go. But if they follow us, kill them." Marcus pointed at me. "Bring him."
Two soldiers grabbed my arms. They dragged me away from the clearing. Away from Kiera's desperate shouts. Away from the only people who believed in me.
They took me deep into the forest. Finally, Marcus raised his hand. "Stop here. Leave us."
"But Captain—"
"I said leave us!" Marcus's voice cracked like a whip.
The soldiers retreated into the shadows. Close enough to hear if Marcus called for help. Far enough to give us privacy.
We stood alone in a small moonlit space between the trees.
"Why?" Marcus asked quietly. "Just tell me why you did this."
"I already told you. The war is—"
"I don't want your conspiracy theories!" Marcus slammed his fist against a tree. "I want to know why you abandoned me. We were supposed to be brothers!"
"We are brothers!"
"Brothers don't lie to each other. Brothers don't betray each other." Marcus's voice broke. "Do you know what happened after you left? Commander Vex questioned me for hours. He thought I was helping you. My own father had to beg for my life!"
Guilt crashed over me like a wave. "Marcus, I'm sorry—"
"Sorry doesn't fix this!" He paced like a caged animal. "My family's name is ruined because of you. Other soldiers won't talk to me. They think I'm a traitor too!"
"Then help me prove the truth! Help me expose Lady Seraphina!"
"There is no truth to expose! You fell for enemy tricks!" Marcus whirled to face me. "That orc girl poisoned your mind. She made you think humans are the villains."
"Kiera didn't poison anything. She showed me evidence. Real evidence." I stepped closer. "Please, just look at the documents. Look at what Thorne knows—"
"Thorne is a prisoner who'd say anything to survive. And those documents could be fake." Marcus shook his head. "Why can't you see this? Why can't you see you're wrong?"
"Because I'm not wrong!" Frustration boiled inside me. "I saw burned villages that didn't match orc attack patterns. I heard Commander Vex admit he helped Lady Seraphina start the war. I broke into a prison full of innocent people tortured for asking questions!"
"You broke into a prison full of criminals and traitors!"
"They weren't criminals! They were peace negotiators! Teachers! Farmers who asked the wrong questions!" My hands clenched into fists. "Marcus, the Silver Covenant is real. Lady Seraphina is using this war to grab power. And if we don't stop her, thousands more will die!"
Marcus stared at me. Really looked at me. For a moment, I saw doubt flicker across his face.
Then it vanished.
"Even if some of this is true," he said slowly, "what can we do? We're just soldiers. Lady Seraphina has the entire military behind her. The nobles support her. The king trusts her." He spread his hands helplessly. "Fighting her is suicide."
"So we just give up? Let innocent people die?"
"We survive! We do our duty! We serve the kingdom!" Marcus's voice rose. "Not everything is our responsibility, Ethan!"
"Yes it is!" I shouted back. "When we know the truth and do nothing, we're just as guilty as the people committing evil!"
"That's easy to say when you've already thrown your life away!" Marcus pulled his sword halfway from its sheath. "Some of us still have families. Futures. Things worth protecting!"
"And those things will be destroyed if Lady Seraphina wins!"
We glared at each other. The sword hung between us, half-drawn. A choice waiting to be made.
"I could kill you right now," Marcus whispered. "It would solve everything. You'd be gone. My family would be safe. I'd be a hero for stopping the traitor."
My heart hammered. "Then do it."
"What?"
"If you really think I'm a traitor, kill me." I stepped forward until the blade touched my chest. "But look me in the eyes when you do it. Look at your brother and tell me you believe I deserve to die."
Marcus's hand trembled. The sword shook against my ribs.
Seconds passed like hours.
Then Marcus shoved the sword back into its sheath. He turned away, shoulders shaking.
"I can't," he choked out. "I can't do it."
Relief flooded through me. "Marcus—"
"But I can't help you either." He walked toward the trees where his soldiers waited. "I have to choose my family over you. My duty over our friendship. I'm sorry, but that's my choice."
"Please don't do this."
Marcus stopped. He didn't turn around. "Run, Ethan. Take your friends and run far away. Because the next time I see you, I'll have made my peace with what needs to be done." His voice went flat and cold. "The next time I see you, Ethan, I'll treat you like any other enemy. Our friendship is over."
He walked into the shadows.
"Marcus!" I called after him.
No response. Just the sound of boots on leaves. Then nothing.
One of the soldiers emerged from the darkness. "Captain Brightshield says to let you go. You have one hour head start. Then we hunt you like the animal you are." He spit at my feet. "I hope we catch you. I'll enjoy watching you hang."
He disappeared back into the trees.
I stood alone in the moonlight. My best friend was gone. Really, truly gone this time.
Pain filled my chest. Not from wounds or exhaustion. From my heart breaking into pieces.
I stumbled back toward the clearing. Tears blurred my vision. By the time I reached the others, I was sobbing.
Kiera caught me as I collapsed. "What happened?"
"He's gone," I managed to say. "Marcus chose duty over me. He gave us an hour to run."
"Then we run." Thorne struggled to his feet. "Everyone, pack up. We move now."
The orc warriors scrambled to gather their few belongings. Kiera helped me stand.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Me too."
We fled into the darkness. Moving fast. Moving quiet. Putting distance between us and Marcus's soldiers.
But something felt wrong. The forest was too quiet. No birds. No insects. Just silence.
"Stop," one of the orc warriors hissed. "Something's not right."
That's when the first arrow hit.
It slammed into a tree next to Thorne's head. Then another. And another.
"Ambush!" Kiera shoved me behind a fallen log.
Assassins dropped from the trees. Not soldiers. These wore black masks and moved like shadows. Silver Covenant killers.
"How did they find us?" I shouted over the chaos.
"Marcus!" Thorne yelled back. "He must have told them where we'd be!"
But that didn't make sense. Marcus gave us a head start. Why would he—
An assassin landed right in front of me. His blade swung at my throat. I rolled away just in time.
Kiera appeared like lightning. Her sword clashed with his. They fought in a deadly dance.
All around us, battle erupted. The orc warriors fought desperately. But these weren't regular soldiers. These were trained killers.
One assassin grabbed me from behind. His knife pressed against my neck.
"Lady Seraphina sends her regards," he hissed in my ear. "There's a fortune on your head, boy. Enough gold to make me rich for life."
Before he could cut my throat, an orc warrior tackled him off me.
I scrambled away, searching for Kiera in the chaos.
I found her fighting three assassins at once. She moved beautifully, every strike perfect. But she was tiring. They were wearing her down.
"Kiera!" I ran toward her.
One assassin saw me coming. He turned and threw his knife.
Everything moved in slow motion.
The blade spun through the air.
Kiera saw it. Saw where it was going.
She threw herself in front of me.
The knife buried itself in her side.
Kiera gasped and fell to her knees.
"No!" I caught her before she hit the ground. Blood poured between my fingers. So much blood.
"Get her out of here!" Thorne screamed. "Run!"
I lifted Kiera in my arms. She was heavier than I expected. Or maybe I was just weak from fear.
I ran into the darkness, carrying the woman I loved as she bled out in my arms.
Behind us, the sounds of battle faded. Ahead was only forest and night.
Kiera's eyes fluttered. "Ethan..."
"Don't talk. Save your strength."
"So much blood," she whispered.
She was right. My hands were soaked with it. Her blood.
I ran faster, even though I had no idea where I
was going.
All I knew was that Kiera was dying, and I was the only thing between her and death.