Warrior Training System-Chapter 276: A hope in ashes.

"It would be a miracle if anyone from the village survived that monster," Cassian muttered as he stepped into the blazing ruins.

"Let's hope for one," Lumine said, slightly breathless, feeling the heat prickle against her skin as the flames raged around them.

The village was eerily silent, aside from their own footsteps echoing through the scorched ground. The only other sounds were the crackling of burning wood, the occasional pop of embers, and the distant crashes of collapsing buildings, carried by the waves of searing hot air.

But in all this chaos, there was no hope—no miracle. That much became clear to Cassian and Lumine after nearly an hour of searching, making countless rounds through the burning village.

"Fuck..." Cassian cursed, breathless and drenched in sweat as he finally came to a stop. Lumine, though not a supernatural warrior like him, was in even worse shape. Yet, despite her exhaustion, her hopeful eyes kept scanning the ruins, desperately searching for any sign of life.

She found none.

Only charred bodies, blackened and lifeless, making her desperation grow as she kept looking—praying—to find something, anything, still moving amidst the soon-to-be ashes.

"Let's stop now, Lumine..." Cassian said, grabbing her hand and pulling her to a halt. He wrapped his domain around her, steadying her trembling form as she panted like she had just finished an ultra-long marathon. "It's going to be dark soon..."

Lumine gazed at him with desperate, exhausted eyes. Her face was pale and dry, her cracked lips on the verge of bleeding. Ash clung to her silver-blonde hair, some strands even singed and burned. "But…" she whispered, her voice trembling, barely holding back a sob.

Cassian didn't let her argue. He pulled out the last recovery potion he had been saving for emergencies and pressed it into her hand. Seeing her hesitation, he gently brought the vial to her lips, tilting it just enough for the liquid to trickle into her mouth. The cool potion soothed her parched lips, bringing a hint of relief to her exhausted expression. "Drink it all… then let's go," he said firmly.

Her expression couldn't have been more desperate and heartbroken as she looked at Cassian with teary eyes. He let out a heavy sigh before speaking, his voice gentle but firm. "Lumine, we've searched the entire village almost a dozen times. If there was anyone alive, we would have found them by now. I even checked inside the houses and the debris… there's no one left."

Lumine's hands clenched into fists, her body trembling as she struggled to accept his words. Her lips parted as if she wanted to argue, but no sound came out. The flickering flames around them cast long shadows, making the desolation feel even more suffocating.

She swallowed hard and looked away, her gaze sweeping over the ruins of the village. Burned corpses, shattered homes, and the lingering scent of blood and smoke filled the air. Cassian watched as her shoulders shook before she finally whispered, "It's not fair…"

Cassian exhaled sharply. "It never is."

Silence hung between them, broken only by the distant crackling of fire and the occasional collapse of charred wood. He let her take a moment before gently tugging on her arm. "We need to move before night falls. This place won't be safe for long."

Lumine wiped her eyes roughly, nodding despite the clear reluctance in her movements. She took a shaky breath and forced herself to stand straighter. "Alright… let's go."

Cassian gave her a small nod and turned away, leading the way out of the ruins. Behind them, the remnants of the village smoldered in the dying light, a silent graveyard of those they couldn't save.

Cassian followed Lumine's gaze, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the pile of smoldering debris. The faint, weak meow came again, barely audible over the crackling fire.

Lumine didn't hesitate—she rushed forward, but Cassian grabbed her wrist before she could get too close. "Wait, you'll burn yourself," he warned, his grip firm.

"But, there—!" she started, her voice desperate.

"I'll handle it," he said, stepping past her. With a deep breath, he activated his domain. A faint red glow enveloped him as he braced himself against the heat, moving carefully over the unstable wreckage. He scanned the debris until he spotted movement—small, trembling, and covered in ash.

A kitten.

Scorched fur clung to its tiny frame, its body curled up as if trying to make itself disappear from the burning world around it.

"Got it," Cassian muttered, reaching down carefully. The kitten let out a weak sound as he scooped it up, cradling it in his arm. It was barely breathing, its tiny chest rising and falling rapidly.

Lumine let out a relieved gasp, immediately reaching for it the moment Cassian stepped back. He placed the fragile creature into her hands, watching as she cradled it close to her chest.

"It's alive…" she whispered, her voice shaking.

Cassian exhaled, running a hand through his soot-covered hair. "Yeah. But we need to get out of here before we end up like everything else in this village."

Lumine nodded, holding the kitten protectively. She glanced down at its frail body, then back up at Cassian, her determination flickering back to life. But as she noticed the kitten's weak, trembling movements, worry clouded her face.

"Do you have any healing potion? It's really injured..." she asked, voice laced with urgency.

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"We're out." Cassian's expression darkened slightly as he shook his head. Lumine's regained hope dimmed, her grip on the kitten tightening.

"If we don't do something soon, it won't make it. Can't you heal it with your ability?" she asked desperately.

"I don't know… I've never tried using it on someone else," he admitted with a shrug, his gaze fixed on the tiny creature as its meows grew fainter.

"Then try," she pleaded, her fluttering eyes filled with desperation. The kitten wasn't just an animal to her—it was hope. Hope she had found in the ashes of a burned and massacred village, and she didn't want to let go of it.

Cassian saw the desperation in her eyes, and he couldn't bring himself to disappoint her—not when he felt the same. Letting out a slow breath, he reached out toward the tiny, wounded creature in her grasp. It was barely the size of her palm, its frail body trembling on the edge of death. His fingers hesitated for a moment before his red-glowing domain flared to life, enveloping the kitten in its warmth. He concentrated, pushing his will into the energy, searching—desperately—for a way to heal it.