At this very moment, deep beneath the ruins of the old temple, those who controlled the dark threads of this world gathered.
In the middle of a dimly lit hall, lit only by the faint flicker of magical crystals, stood a half-human girl in a lavish dark gown. Her eyes gleamed with cold intellect, and her voice echoed evenly, devoid of emotion:
— "Report."
The first to step forward was an elf in a dark cloak, his face remaining in shadow.
— "Everything is going according to plan. The king has no idea that the undead are filling every underground passage. Soon, panic will spiral out of control, and his own people will fall in battle, leaving the throne defenseless."
The half-human girl barely smiled.
— "Wonderful."
From behind her, a demon stepped forward, his dark skin glowing red in the light of the crystals.
— "The wyvern has been delivered to the dark mage. The assault on Drachfest has begun. Soon, they will be too preoccupied with their own survival to hinder us."
The girl tilted her head slightly.
— "That's good. But... why, damn it, did the portal between worlds suddenly close near Drachfest? And where the hell is the Manticore, the one we've been raising for so long?"
The demon shrugged, his eyes flashing.
— "We don't know. It simply... vanished."
— "Maybe the higher undead killed it and took it for themselves," he added.
The half-human narrowed her eyes.
— "If that's the case, it will still serve us. But if not... someone will have to take its place and instill fear on the outskirts of the city."
The demon silently nodded.
Next, a dwarf stepped forward—stocky, with a cunning gleam in his eyes. He was one of the king's wealthiest relatives, controlling most of the trade routes between the races.
— "The dwarves won't support either side. They'll wait... and profit from the war."
The half-human sneered.
— "A passage has opened in the kingdom of the dwarves. One of the Reaper's generals is already emerging from it. I think the dwarves will 'profit' more than they could ever imagine."
The dwarf twisted his mouth into a smile.
— "I'll spend their gold."
The girl sighed.
— "You'd better get it first, shorty."
The dwarf shot her a fierce glare but retreated into the shadows.
— "And where is our dear Lokris?" the demon asked, grinning like a cat who'd found a mouse.
The half-human rolled her eyes dismissively.
— "He's playing conqueror. Enjoying his new 'toys.'"
The demon scoffed.
— "He's so foolish he doesn't even realize he's heading straight for his own destruction."
For the first time, the half-human spoke with passion:
— "Through his hands, we'll seize the maximum amount of territory. And then... we'll wipe him off the face of the earth."
She paused, eyeing everyone in the room.
— "He promised the orcs lands, but we—no. We will set him up, and the orcs will tear him apart themselves."
— "The king will die at the hands of his own army. How ironic, don't you think?"
Everyone in the hall smiled.
The half-human raised her hand, giving the final order:
— "Dismissed. All proceed according to plan."
The Shadow Council vanished into the darkness.
Kano took a deep breath, staring at the dark silhouette in the sky.
— "Something's terribly wrong..."
The wyvern hovered in the air. Its rider slowly turned his head in their direction.
He knew they were there.
And he smiled.
But from beyond the horizon, the first rays of the sun emerged, lighting everything in their path. The wyvern roared, rising higher, heading toward the mountains.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the smoke still hanging over the city. The air was thick, heavy with the stench of sweat and the metallic scent of blood. Drachfest had held, but everyone could feel it—this was only the beginning.
Kano sat on a shard of the ruined wall, trying to sort through his thoughts. His body still remembered every strike, every wound, but the worst part wasn't that.
What tormented him was the feeling that they were playing by someone else's rules.
At that moment, Lenor Vilerian entered the guild courtyard. His steps were confident, his face a cold, flawless mask of a commander who never allowed himself weakness. But something in his eyes betrayed him—this was not just another ordinary day.
Behind him, flanked by two guards, came Ragnor Claymore.
Kano knew little about this man, but just his presence made everyone around him tense involuntarily. The supreme ruler of Drachfest, a seasoned general, and a man who never acted impulsively.
Ragnor and Lenor exchanged a brief glance.
— "We need to set up a barrier over the city," Lenor said, his words leaving no room for argument.
It sounded like an order.
Kano raised an eyebrow.
— "And why this honor for us?"
Lenor gave a slight smile.
— "Because the ruler and I are going hunting. And we need the help of loyal people."
Naira crossed her arms.
— "And what kind of hunting is this?"
Ragnor, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was low and powerful, like thunder.
— "This crystal you brought will create a barrier of unprecedented strength. This means not only the protection of the city, but also that we will officially confirm the destruction of one of the most dangerous monsters."
He paused, his eyes carefully scanning everyone in the room.
— "But most importantly—it will confuse our enemies. They will think we're reinforcing the defenses because we're preparing for war. And perhaps this will halt their next strike."
— "And if we also hunt down this wyvern," Lenor added, "we'll completely ruin our enemies' plans."
His voice was steady, but there was an underlying meaning— the wyvern was just a small piece of the game.
— "You'll need to hold the city while we're gone. If there are spies within, they'll try to disable the barrier or carry out sabotage. Your task is to find them and neutralize them."
Lianel carefully gripped her bow in her hands.
— "So, you're leaving the city to us?"
— "Not exactly," Ragnor replied, "but if we're not there, you'll have to act quickly."
Everyone fell silent.
Kano was the first to speak.
— "We'll manage."
Lenor nodded. But at that moment, he stopped as his eyes caught sight of a figure running into the courtyard.
A spy.
His face was covered in sweat and the dust of the road. He was barely catching his breath, but he immediately rushed to Lenor.
— "Urgent news from the Kingdom of Men."
Lenor listened intently.
The silence that followed was deadly.
When Lenor turned to face them again, his face was as white as marble.
His lips tightened, and his gaze darkened.
— "Lokris publicly humiliated and dishonored the queen."
The silence grew almost suffocating.
Kano felt his hands grow cold.
— "How?!"
Lenor took a deep breath.
— "Right in the square of her capital. In front of her people, in front of his soldiers… He glanced into the distance. This was his way of showing his power. Now, he has two kingdoms of men."
The dwarf roared, his eyes blazing with fury.
— "THAT DIRTY RAT! THAT WRETCH! MAY HE BURN IN HELL!"
He cursed so fiercely that even Naira raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Then, he suddenly fell silent and muttered darkly:
— "What are we going to do?"
Lenor didn't seem flustered. He spoke coldly, rationally.
— "Now I understand why the wyvern appeared. So we couldn't help the queen. So she couldn't escape. So exactly what happened would happen."
Kano felt his anger fill him from within.
This world...
He understood that this wasn't just a trial.
It was punishment.
For what?
What had he done in his past life to end up here?
To witness this?
His heart thudded heavily and loudly. He felt something stir within him.
Lenor looked at him.
— "Kano, this is still not the worst thing that could happen."
Kano clenched his fists.
— "But it's bad enough."
Lenor nodded.
— "So now we have two options."
He glanced at everyone present.
— "Either we act fast..."
— "Or the world will change forever."
Kano didn't know what lay ahead.
But he had already made his choice.
The sun rose higher, but its light seemed too weak.
For even amidst the morning that brought a temporary peace, shadows were already creeping in.
And soon, no one would be able to hide.
Lianisa Virenia stood before the large mirror in her chambers—well, her former chambers, now her prison. She gazed at her reflection and didn't recognize herself.
The luxurious gown she was ordered to wear was nothing more than a tool of humiliation. Silk and gold, once symbols of her grandeur, now served as reminders that she was no longer queen.
Her wrists were adorned with golden bracelets, now more shackles than ornaments, and around her neck hung a delicate chain—the mark of ownership, elegant but cruel.
She didn't know how much time had passed.
Days? Weeks?
Every moment in this palace felt like an eternity.
Every command she had to obey erased part of her soul.
She was broken.
But not dead.
Not yet.
She knew: death would be too merciful. Lokris wouldn't allow her to die quickly.
And he knew she wouldn't.
Because she was too strong to just give up.
She heard the sound of the door opening.
Her gaze remained fixed on the mirror, but her reflection showed a different figure.
They brought her in.
The half-human.
The queen remembered hearing of her: Lokris's gift at the coronation.
She slowly turned around.
And...
Her heart froze.
The girl was... stunning.
Her body, though marked by the signs of slavery, radiated strength and defiance.
Long, toned legs, a flexible body that screamed predator. Dark skin, catching the light and gleaming like velvet.
And the breasts…
Lianisa involuntarily lingered on them.
She knew she was beautiful. But this girl...
She was something else.
Her figure was even more voluptuous, her curves even more seductive.
And most importantly—she wasn't broken yet.
Her amber eyes, bright like the sun reflecting in crimson blood, looked at Lianisa with interest, but without fear.
She was still in chains.
But that meant only one thing:
She was still fighting.
Lianisa envied her.
But at the same time, she pitied her.
Because she knew what a monster Lokris was.
And she knew that even the strongest hearts could break.
And here they were.
No guards.
Alone.
For the first time in all this time.
Lianisa sighed and took a step forward.
— "Tell me, girl… What's your name?"
The half-human remained silent.
Her gaze studied Lianisa as though weighing her thoughts.
Finally, after a long pause, she spoke.
— "My name is Siris."
Lianisa blinked.
— "Siris..."
The name sounded beautiful.
A strong name.
— "And who are you?" asked the half-human.
Lianisa lowered her gaze.
— "My name is Lianisa. This was my castle. And now, I am a slave. Just like you."
Siris tensed for a moment, then tilted her head.
— "Then why are you still alive?"
Lianisa smiled bitterly.
— "Because I want to save my people."
Her voice was quiet but certain.
— "I can't just die. Because if I die, they will die with me. They'll just be wiped off the face of the earth."
Siris pondered.
Her amber eyes gleamed.
— "I don't understand."
Her voice was firm.
— "In my life, there was only me."
She paused, as if hesitating.
— "I was captured when I was a child. My tribe was destroyed. Everyone was killed. I was left alone."
Lianisa listened in silence.
— "I became a toy. Unique, desired…"
Siris pressed her lips together.
— "But I want only one thing."
She took a step closer.
— "I want to rip the heart from the chest of that bastard who mocks me every night."
Her eyes flared with rage.
Lianisa caught her breath.
And then she understood.
This girl wouldn't break.
She was still fighting.
And if she fights…
They might survive.
Lianisa took another step forward and placed her hand on Siris's shoulder.
— "You're not alone now."
Siris froze.
— "We're together."
Her voice was soft, but there was strength in it.
— "We will survive."
For the first time, Siris blinked, as if not knowing how to respond.
Lianisa squeezed her shoulder.
— "And one day… We'll watch that bastard perish."
Siris stared into her eyes for a long time.
And finally, she nodded.
Lianisa was no longer alone.
And now she knew for sure that one day, this story would change.
The end of this nightmare would only be the beginning.
Because now, in Lokris's hell, two souls were burning.
And both wanted one thing—revenge.