A massive shadow took form against the glowing night sky—a beast shaped like a lion, its mane crackling with arcs of lightning, each spark humming with primal energy. The ground trembled beneath its steps, and thunder echoed across the battlefield like a war drum announcing the arrival of a storm.
Behind the creature emerged a slender figure—a boy, no older than fifteen. His golden hair fluttered in the breeze, shimmering like flames under moonlight. His eyes, the color of molten gold, glowed with confidence.
He was young—but his presence carried the weight of royalty.
He was William, the younger prince of Victoria.
A calm yet powerful voice followed the roar of thunder.
"I am come."
A woman with the same golden hair narrowed her eyes and raised an eyebrow. Her expression was a mix of relief and annoyance
"You're late, Will," Emma said, lowering her bow but not her guard. "Very late."
William grinned as he approached, the thunder lion walking calmly beside him.
"Sorry, elder sister," he said with a playful chuckle. "I was… taking care of a few things."
He stretched his arms as if he hadn't just arrived on a battlefield full of blood, tension, and death.
Emma crossed her arms. "Let me guess. You got distracted by food again?"
He laughed. "Close. A stray wyvern decided to challenge Leo. Poor thing didn't stand a chance."
The thunder lion growled proudly at the mention of its name—Leo. Its crackling mane pulsed brighter, reacting to William's energy.
Across the field, the Victoria warriors began whispering among themselves, awe spreading through their ranks.
"Prince William is here…"
"With the Thunder Lion—Leo!"
"Thank the stars… we might survive this!"
But hope was a flame quickly tested.
From the other side of the battlefield, the death mage Lufi raised her arm, her black cloak fluttering like wings in the wind. Her pale, soulless eyes locked onto William.
"You dare challenge me, child?" she spat with venom. "I will paint the ground with your blood!"
Then, with a chilling voice, she screamed:
"Undead! Rise and devour them all!"
Ghostly shrieks echoed across the battlefield. Her undead army surged forward like a tsunami of death, their hollow eyes locked on the Victoria warriors.
But William remained calm. His eyes didn't waver. He raised one hand and pointed toward the sky.
"Leo," he said softly, "Thunder Strike. Show them our fury."
Leo roared, a thunderous cry that shook the very clouds above. The heavens responded with a surge of electricity. In the blink of an eye, storm clouds gathered, swirling and rumbling with divine power.
Then—
CRACK!
A colossal lightning bolt shot down from the heavens, striking the ground with blinding brilliance. The wave of energy rippled through the undead army, vaporizing them in an instant. Dust and scorched bones flew into the air before falling lifelessly as ash.
The battlefield went silent.
Lufi's eyes widened in shock. Her army—her carefully crafted soldiers of death—were gone.
"NO!" she screamed, stumbling back. "You little brat! I'll—I'll—"
But Emma wasn't going to wait.
With deadly precision, she raised her bow, her eyes glowing with wind magic.
"Lufi," she said, "you've caused enough pain."
Wind gathered at the tip of her arrow as she chanted:
"Wind Spear—Pierce the darkness!"
She released.
The arrow tore through the air like a blade of wind itself, aimed straight for Lufi. The moment it hit her mid-air, an explosion of wind energy burst out. Lufi screamed as the force sent her spiraling downwards, crashing into the ground with a thud. Blood trickled from her lips.
Emma exhaled. "Stay down…"
But Lufi wouldn't surrender.
Injured and enraged, she rose to her feet, gathering what little energy she had left. "I won't be beaten by you… not now… not ever!"
She raised her hand, trying to summon one last blast of dark energy.
Emma didn't hesitate.
She pulled out one last arrow, infused with more wind than before.
"Wind Storm!" she cried.
The arrow shimmered with emerald light, and a violent cyclone began forming at its tip.
She fired.
But just as the arrow was about to strike Lufi—
A dark presence entered the battlefield.
The wind stopped. The arrow froze mid-air—caught by a massive hand.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
A giant figure stood there—towering, monstrous. His body was cloaked in shadows, but his glowing crimson eyes pierced through the darkness like two burning coals. His aura was suffocating. Even Leo growled, backing away slightly.
Emma stepped back instinctively. Her hands trembled.
"Who… who is that?"
William narrowed his eyes. "I don't know… but he's not just some warrior."
The mysterious figure looked down at the arrow in his hand, then crushed it like it was made of glass.
"You all talk too much," he said in a voice that rumbled like an earthquake. "I will kill you all."
His red eyes scanned the battlefield.
"…But not today."
With a flick of his wrist, shadows swirled around him and Lufi. In the blink of an eye—they were gone.
Vanished into the night.
Emma lowered her bow, her breathing uneven. "That… thing. He wasn't human."
William clenched his fists. "No… he was something far worse."
Leo let out a low growl.
The storm had passed—but only for now.
The battlefield was drenched in silence—broken only by the soft rustling of the wind.
The moonlight bathed the land in silver hues, revealing a grim sight.
Emma, William, and a few remaining Victoria warriors stood among the aftermath of chaos. Blood stained the earth in every direction. The fallen bodies of both Victoria warriors and Utopia soldiers lay scattered—some with weapons still clutched in cold, lifeless hands.
William stepped forward, his eyes scanning the battlefield with silent grief. His once cheerful face was now marked by sadness. Even Leo, the mighty thunder lion, remained quiet, sensing the weight of loss around them.
Emma tightened her fists, looking up at the moon.
"Tonight…" she whispered, "was only the beginning."
William looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"
She didn't turn to him. "Tomorrow night… will be worse."
There was a heaviness in her voice that made the others uneasy.
They began walking back—toward the Victoria war camp, their silhouettes growing smaller under the pale moon.
Scene Shift: The Lone Warrior
Somewhere far from the camp, beneath the same moonlit sky, a lone figure sat silently atop a large rock, surrounded by blood and death.
Kai.
His white coat fluttered in the cold breeze, and his white hair glowed under the moonlight. The battlefield was quiet now. Not a single Victoria warrior remained in the area—everyone had returned to the war camp. Everyone… except him.
Beside him lay the massive corpse of a giant snake beast, its scales cracked, steam still rising from its wounds.
Kai sat still, his silver mask resting in his hand.
For once, his face was visible—young, stoic, and strangely serene under the moon. His blue eyes looked toward the stars, his thoughts drifting far from the battlefield.
He exhaled deeply.
"So much blood…" he murmured.
His fingers clenched the mask a little tighter.
"I used to fight for the gods. For their wars. For their pride. For their lies," he said quietly, almost to himself. "Back then, I was a weapon. Nothing more."
He looked down at his reflection in the blood pooling below.
"But now… I fight for my own reasons."
His voice trembled slightly—but only for a moment.
"This time," he whispered, "I fight because I choose to."
There was a faint glimmer of peace in his expression—until a name echoed in his memory:
Alen.
The smile on Kai's face vanished.
He lowered his head. "Alen… you believed in me, even when I didn't."
A flash of Alen's final words returned to him—
"I believe in you… You are able to change this fate."
His expression hardened, and a shadow returned to his eyes.
"…But I couldn't save you."
A few seconds of silence passed before he slowly stood up, slipping his silver mask back onto his face.
As he stared at the moon one last time, he whispered:
"Alexa… you don't have much time left."
He turned his back on the moon and the corpse of the beast, his white coat fluttering behind him as he walked into the shadows.
With calm, determined steps, Kai began his journey back to the Victoria war camp—his mind sharpened, his resolve burning brighter than ever.