The forest was quiet. A few birds tweeted through the late night air. The stream burbled beside the woods, breaking complete silence. The sky was dotted with tiny little stars and a half moon shone down, casting the darkest shadows under the trees. An owl hooted.

Peeking out from behind the thick shrubs, Destan let his eyes travel amongst the trees. He didn't see them anywhere. It was a good sign, but it still made his heart thump nervously. He had no idea whether Julia was safe with her teacher. Miss Huntley was brave, but she was no fighter. If a triber stumbled upon their hiding spot...

He shook his head to get rid of the terrifying thought. He'd just have to trust that Miss Huntley would keep her safe. Destan had other things to focus on.

Through the darkness, Destan spotted a raven gliding over the tips of the trees. He knew exactly where it was going.

After their meeting, Aruna had gone back to the tribe to talk to Remus. She'd warned him about the incoming attack by the Inops and pleaded with him to do something about it. Destan had no doubt that his grandfather would've immediately taken action. Mrs Hoggard, who could talk with animals, would've sent her raven out to scout the 'enemy'. And now it flew back, meaning it had something to report.

The Inops were coming.

For a few long moments, a tense silence filled the air. It was as if the forest had taken a deep breath in anticipation of what was to come.

Over the sound of the loudest silence, Destan heard voices. It started as soft murmurs in the background, barely audible over the whispers of the stream. As the minutes passed, and the voices grew louder, his muscles tensed.

When the noise turned into screams and outcries, Destan pulled his head down between his shoulders, peering through the leaves. From beyond the stream, people flooded out from between the run-down houses. Metal flashed in the moonlight.

From the other side, the tribe made their way through the trees as well. Even from this distance, Destan could tell they were ready for war. The way they shouted and cheered each other on. The way they held their powers in their hands, ready to cast... Ready to kill.

Almost there.

The two groups neared the stream, voices raising exponentially as they spotted each other. Destan's stomach churned. They'll never listen to me.

At the front of the tribe was Lys, his fist in the air and stone gloves covering both his hands. He was clearly ready to fight. Destan squinted to see if he could find his grandfather, but the old Chief was nowhere in sight. He made a mental note to ask Aruna about it, once all of this was over.

Lys stuck out his hand to stop the tribers as they approached the stream. He smirked across the water to the leader of the Inops – which wasn't Nero.

Destan frowned when he spotted the girl, the one who had guarded him, right at the front of the group, a handgun in her hand and her wicked smile on her face. Alicia. She stared straight at Lys, seemingly completely unafraid. But where was Nero?

"Last chance to turn around, little girl," Lys shouted over the water.

She scoffed. "I don't think so, old man. You pigs have hurt too many of us. It's time for revenge."

"Too bad you won't survive it," said Lys, raising his stone fist into the air. "Charge!"

At the same time, the girl let out an equally fierce battlecry – only for nothing to happen.

Both Inops and tribers stared at their feet, confusion etched into their faces. Lys turned around with a furious look on his face, but when he opened his mouth, no more sound came out. His eyes widened and he tried again to no avail.

On the other side of the stream, the girl raised her hand to her throat, eyes bulging as if she suffocated. She turned to her allies, but they found themselves unable to move.

It's happening. My turn.

Destan stood up and stepped out from behind the shrubs. His palms sweaty with nerves, he entered the battleground, coming up in between the two groups of people. A hundred pairs of eyes turned towards him, some wide, some glaring, some, like Lys', downright spiteful. Destan did his best not to let them get to him as he stationed himself on the bridge.

He opened his mouth, then realised he wasn't quite sure how to start. "H-hello," he muttered, a blush creeping up his neck as he felt all those eyes on him.

He cleared his throat and tried again. "What are you all doing here?" His voice echoed over the water. "I mean, seriously, what are you doing here? Look at you." He gestured around him, making sure to point out both tribers and Inops. "Weapons in hand, atraments charged. Ready to kill. For years, decades, centuries even, we've lived beside each other in peace, and now this? What has happened to you?"

Lys shouted, his lips moving and making wild gestures with his arms. The stone had disappeared from them, though, and his voice did not carry further than the inside of his throat. On Destan's other side, the Inops girl did the same thing. She pulled the trigger of her gun, but nothing came out.

"As different as we may be," Destan continued, "we're all people. You may not like each other very much, but does that have to make you into murderers? We're all human; the only difference between you is the lines on your arms. And, apparently, the weapons you use." He threw his hands up in frustration.

"And you know what, I can prove that we're not very different. My sister, Julia, was sent away at birth, because she didn't have powers. She was sent to live with you." He gestured towards the Inops. "And she's not the only one. For centuries we've been sending tribers born without atraments to the Inops. And why? Because deep down we know that they are not so different. Deep down we trust them with our family."

The tribers glanced at each other, discomfort apparent in their eyes. It encouraged Destan to keep going.

"And you," he told the Inops. "You've had tribers living among you for ages. In fact, your closest friends and family might be born with the tribe. Assuming they stayed in Grimsby, many of you likely have tribe ancestors. So don't attack each other. Help each other live in peace."

Destan looked around at the faces staring at him. There were a lot of different responses. Some Inops looked outraged about the news that tribers, who they've come to know as mortal enemies, might've been living in their midst for so long. Some tribers, like Lys, looked ready to kill him for sharing this information. But others lowered their head in shame, some even nodding along as he laid out his message.

"What you're trying to do here today," Destan continued, "isn't solving anything. All you're doing is taking lives. Neither of you is going to come out of this victorious. You'll both suffer so many losses..."

Right on cue, the open space between the forest and the town filled up with dark, shadowy figures, lying lifeless on the ground. Destan's stomach turned. He refused to look down, terrified of the effect it might have on himself. His fingers curled into fists to stop from trembling.

A collective gasp spread across the two groups. Many people turned away from the horrifying scene. One man grasped his chest. A girl with silver hair squeezed her eyes shut and gasped.

Destan froze when he saw who it was. Keara. Despite her brother's protests for peace before his death, she had come to fight. Elias stood next to her, laying a comforting arm over her shoulder.

"I mean, what have we been doing?" he continued with renewed energy. "We're struggling to survive in the forest, so rather than asking our neighbours for help, we start attacking them, " he pointed to the Inops, then turned to the tribe. "You see magic for the first time in your lives, yet rather than finding out how we can help each other, you try to kill what you don't know. Surely there's a better way?"

He let the silence fill the open space in front of the forest, knowing Aruna would maintain it. His voice vibrated through the air, magnifying the silence, until someone stepped forward.

"I think there is a better way," said Miss Huntley. "Some of you may know me from before I left Grimsby all those years ago. When I was seventeen, tribers ruined my life. They took everything I had, everything I held most dear." She paused to let the words sink in. Destan waited patiently for her to continue.

"But in the end, I married a triber. And my husband was the best man I have ever met. His family," she turned to the tribe, "is my family. And my family is his," she said, gesturing towards the Inops. "Destan is right. We are the same. Despite our differences, we're all just people, trying to survive in a chaotic, unpredictable world. We all have flaws. And we all deserve to live in peace." She stuck her hand up and stated, "I am an Inops, and I want this war to end."

Destan followed her example, raising his hand to the tribe. "And I am a triber, and I also want this war to end."

For a few moments, nobody moved. Then a man stumbled forward from the back of the tribe army and stood in front of Destan. He wore overalls with dried dirt at the knees. "I am with you," he said, raising his hand in the same way.

Destan smiled up at the young man. He was a farmer, judging by his clothes. A coworker of Keara's brother, most likely. Despite Ruul's death, Destan had managed to convince him that Ruul had been right all along. Perhaps the others would follow soon. Nothing could ruin this moment. Not even Lys, who soundlessly raged on behind the man's back.

A movement in the corner of his eye made Destan turn around. An Inops stepped forward. The mayor of Grimsby cleared his throat. "Just to be clear, I was never here to fight. But I heard this was happening, and, well... Anyway. I am with you, kid."

Destan smiled gratefully up at the burly man. "Thank you, sir."

Suddenly a sound like a whip cracking made Destan jump out of his skin. Before he could gather his bearings, a gash opened up the sky, as if torn up by an enormous, clawed demon.

What is happening?

The forest bent backwards, as did the houses on the other side of the stream. The background folded in on itself, as if it was nothing but decor on a stage, falling over after the show has ended. The people on each side of the stream muttered and moved, their invisible bindings lifted.

Oh no... Destan thought to himself when it dawned on him. The world Aruna created is collapsing.