Chapter-Thirty Nine -The Storm That Crossed Oceans
Year 789 | Dream Calendar | 3rd of the Silver Rain
The morning sky was crimson.
Kael stood on a tall cliff near the Forest of Life, gazing toward the distant sea. There was no wind, yet the birds had stopped singing. Even the beasts in the forest were silent, as though the world itself held its breath.
Beside him, Lira knelt, clutching a scroll just delivered by a wind falcon. Her hands were pale.
"This is real…" she whispered. "The entire Ivory Continent… gone."
Kael's jaw tightened.
They had only heard rumors two days ago. Whispers from traders fleeing the southern ports. A shadow storm. Cities reduced to ash. Ships never returning.
Now, the truth was inked before them — signed by surviving envoys and sealed by the last standing queen of the west.
Andrew had annihilated an entire continent.
And it wasn't war. It was execution.
"He didn't even ask," Kael muttered, fists clenching at his sides. "He just… decided they didn't matter."
Behind them, Cristi stood wide-eyed, his usually confident posture slackened. His cloak fluttered in the still air. He had no words — only questions that twisted inside his chest.
"They said… he formed an army out of their souls," Cristi finally said. "Swordmasters, archmages. All turned into shadows."
Kael's voice dropped. "The Onyx Legion."
Cristi looked at Kael, disturbed. "How do you know that name?"
"…Because I saw it," Kael admitted. "In the dream Mihai gave me. That vision—it wasn't just of the past. It was showing me what might come."
Lira's gaze snapped up.
"You think he'll do it again?" she asked.
"I don't think…" Kael began. "I know."
In the Forest of Life – Later That Day
The trio sat in the shade of the legendary Tree of Liberty, where flames of green danced gently at the roots. A place of ancient magic. One of the few sanctuaries still untouched.
Greenwolf paced near the edge of the clearing. "If what Alex said is true… then we're all one step away from being corpses."
Cristi still looked dazed. "He really wiped out a continent."
"It wasn't just wiped out," Greenwolf said. "It was consumed. Turned into a forge for his legion. We're dealing with something that has no limits anymore."
Cristi shook his head. "I… I don't understand. Why? Why do all this?"
Lira, gently: "He thinks he's saving something. He still sees his sister. He still sees Kael. Maybe he sees all of us as tools to protect… whatever twisted vision he still holds of Dream Land."
Kael stood slowly. "That's the problem."
He looked around.
"We all saw Andrew as either a hero, a tyrant, or a legend. But now—he's none of those. He's a storm. One that's trying to wash the world clean. And he thinks only those strong enough deserve to survive."
Cristi stepped forward. "Then what do we do?"
"We find the others," Kael said. "The bearers. The last generals. The ones who still believe in unity, not domination. And if we can't stop Andrew…"
Kael's eyes flashed.
"…then maybe we remind him who he was—before all this power turned him into something else."
Elsewhere — In a Shadowed Cavern
In the silent caverns beneath the dead capital of the Ivory Continent, Andrew sat alone before a pool of liquid shadow.
Around him, his Onyx Legion trained wordlessly.
He placed a single item at the edge of the pool—a piece of broken glass, cracked with time.
In it, for just a second, a face appeared.
Natalia.
Then it vanished.
His expression didn't change.
But his voice echoed:
"Soon… they will all understand. Even my son. Even her."
Behind him, Mihai approached.
"The Ashren capital prepares its next move," Mihai said. "The puppet king rallies the west."
Andrew's eyes narrowed.
"Then let them come," he said, rising. "I will show them what true power looks like. And what mercy they threw away… long ago."