Alina's family stood close to her, her mother still leaning heavily on her father, her brother's arm protectively around them both.
Eric, standing a little apart with Alina, surveyed the crowd of survivors. His own training clothes were now torn and battered; the sleeve of one arm was entirely ripped away from the recent chaos.
He looked at the dense, unfamiliar trees surrounding them, then turned to Alina, a concerned expression clouding his golden eyes.
"Alina," he began, his voice quiet but serious, "now that everyone is out, what do you plan to do next? Where do we go from here?" He paused, then added the most worrying part. "You do realize… we're in another country, right? This is the Roland Kingdom. It's not safe for us here, especially for me, being who I am."
