The message arrived before dawn.

A courier cloaked in soot and blood staggered through the palace gates, collapsing before the sentries could call his name. Aric was already awake, standing by the window when the door burst open.

The parchment was placed in his hands — sealed with wax bearing the sigil of Byzeth.

Serina, still half-dressed, watched his expression shift as he broke it open.

The words were brief. Cold. Efficient.

The armies of Ogard and BlackIron have begun their march toward Byzeth.

For a moment, the world narrowed to that line. The faint crackle of fire from the brazier filled the silence between them.

Serina stepped closer, eyes narrowing. "Sylas?"

Aric didn't answer. His jaw clenched, the letter curling in his hand until the wax shattered.

He had expected it. He'd known his brother wouldn't sit idle while Aric built alliances beneath his nose. But knowing didn't ease the heat crawling beneath his skin.

"He moved faster than I thought," Aric said finally, voice quiet — too quiet.

Serina folded her arms. "He wants to draw you out."

"He'll get more than that."

Aric turned away from the window, the faint reflection of dawn flickering across his eyes. "If Ogard and BlackIron move, it's not for conquest. It's his ploy to keep me occupied with something other than his destruction."

Serina sighed. "Knowing this, we're still gonna go?"

Aric's gaze hardened. "I can't lose Byzeth. So first I'll slaughter and overthrow his puppet kingdoms, then I'll rip his heart out,"

He strode to the table, drew parchment, and began to write — sharp strokes of ink, swift and final. The letter was short, each word heavy with urgency.

> To His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Adrast Draken —

The world moves faster than politics allow. Ogard and BlackIron have mobilized under Sylas Valerian's command. Their target is Byzeth, and through it, Draken's borderlands.

My presence is required at once. What I warned you of has begun. Delay, and the flames will not stop at my gates.

— Aric Valerian

He folded it, pressed his ring into the wax, and handed it to one of the guards stationed outside.

"Deliver this to the Emperor directly," Aric ordered. "No detours. No witnesses."

The soldier bowed deeply, then vanished down the corridor.

Aric turned to Serina. "Get ready. We leave in an hour."

Her brow furrowed. "You're not waiting for a reply?"

He shook his head. "If he's wise, he'll read it and understand. If not, I can't afford his hesitation."

---

The sky was pale when they stepped into the courtyard.

The palace guards watched silently as Aric and Serina mounted their steeds — sleek, black-scaled drakes gifted by the Draken stables.

The wind tore at Aric's cloak, carrying the faint scent of brimstone and distant thunder.

For a moment, Serina glanced back at the golden palace shrinking behind them. "Do you think he'll join us?"

Aric's voice was grim. "He'll have no choice. Once things get in motion, the whole continent will move."

---

They flew until the mountains rose beneath them — black peaks that cut the clouds apart. Below, the forest waited, vast and ancient, its mist curling like breath from an unseen beast.

The same forest where they had first entered Draken through the buried waygate.

They descended slowly, landing in a clearing that buzzed faintly with old magic.

The ground here still bore the faint scar of the spell they'd used before — the soil darker, carrying residual energy.

Aric dismounted, boots sinking into the damp earth. "It should still resonate."

Serina knelt beside the old stone circle, brushing away fallen leaves. "You really trust this thing to send us back?"

"Lerai built it," he said, reaching into his coat. "I trust him."

From his inner pocket, he drew a mana crystal, faintly glowing blue, veins of energy pulsing through its heart.

Serina watched him, expression tightening, as she reached for her own crystal. "Well, he's earned that trust, but i fear one day messing with space magic might get us killed."

"Maybe," Aric murmured, holding the crystal between his palms. "But not today."

He closed his eyes, let his energy merge with the crystal — the faint hum rising into a low, resonant vibration that made the trees shudder.

He crushed the crystal between his palms.

Serina did the same.

The light erupted — soundless, blinding, weightless.

Then — silence.

---

The world snapped back around them.

The smell of candles. The faint hum of wards. The air — still, warm, familiar.

They stood within the study of his Manor.

Serina blinked, steadying herself. "Gods, I hate that feeling."

Aric exhaled, his gaze sweeping the room — everything exactly as he'd left it.

Then came the footsteps.

A dozen armored men rushed into the study, blades drawn — until they saw him.

"Your Majesty!" Alan, his captain, fell to one knee. "We feared—"

Aric lifted a hand. "Report."

Alan's voice was sharp, precise. "Ogard and BlackIron crossed the southern passes two nights ago. Skirmishes already near the Vale of Glass. Our forces are holding, but they're outnumbered five to one."

Aric's expression didn't change, but his eyes — his eyes burned.

"Has the lotus 14 sent word?"

"None yet. But our scouts say some have begun moving east to intercept."

"Good."

The sound of marching boots echoed from beyond the manor — his soldiers forming ranks in the courtyards, the clang of steel and spell resonating like a heartbeat.

He stood there for a long while, watching the horizon burn.

The game had shifted again. Sylas had struck the first blow.

Now it was Aric's turn.

He reached into his coat, pulled out another mana crystal — smaller, uncut, its glow faint as a dying star.

"Serina," he said quietly. "Send word to Hitoshi. Tell him to begin contingency plans."

She raised a brow. "You're calling them already?"

Aric's gaze hardened. "If Ogard and BlackIron think they're hunting prey, I want them to learn they've walked into a slaughter."

He turned from the window, cloak flaring behind him like a shadow cut from flame.

"War's coming," he said, voice low, cold, resolute. "And this time, it won't be Byzeth that loses a king."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.