The air hung thick with tension. Every breath drawn by the people of the empire felt like the calm before an inevitable storm.
The celestial convergence was days away.
The sky, once a deep sapphire, now shimmered faintly with a strange, otherworldly glow. Stars shifted in unfamiliar constellations, and the two moons Lunara and Thalor seemed to edge ever closer in their eternal dance.
For Loyaid Floyen and the Second Circle, the end of the first great battle against the demons was fast approaching. The war they had only begun to fight would decide the fate of not just the empire but the world itself.
....
Loyaid stood on the balcony of the Tower of Vow, staring into the horizon where the land met the blood-red sky.
The weight of command was heavy on his shoulders.
Beside him, Celia's steady presence grounded him like the roots of an ancient tree.
Do you ever feel... like this is bigger than you?he asked, voice low.
She looked at him, her eyes reflecting the dying light. Every day. But you don't carry this alone.
He swallowed hard. The burden of the past, the weight of Max Van's sacrifice, the hopes of millions. it all pressed in like a storm ready to break.
Sometimes I wonder if I'm just a spark doomed to be swallowed by the blaze, Loyaid admitted.
Then let that spark become a flame, Celia whispered. A flame that ignites hope.
.....
Below, the capital was a hive of relentless activity.
Soldiers drilled in the courtyards.
Mages chanted ancient incantations, weaving protective wards across the city's walls.
Artisans hurried to complete enchanted weapons, inscribing runes with fevered hands.
The people's prayers mixed with the clang of hammer on steel, a symphony of determination.
Yet beneath it all, fear pulsed like a hidden heartbeat.
No one truly believed this war would be swift or clean.
The demon king's forces were already moving—shadows creeping closer with each passing hour.
.....
Within the war chamber, the Second Circle gathered around a massive map etched with glowing lines.
Dravion, the empire's tactical genius, pointed to a cluster of glowing sigils.
The demons' main force will strike here,he said grimly.
Near the Hollow Vale,Loyaid murmured.
The perfect place for an ambush,Myrren added, fingers tapping the map.
It's where we'll meet them, Loyaid decided. But this time, we fight with everything.
Plans were made, contingencies laid out.
Celia's voice cut through the tension. We must protect the civilians first. The last thing we need is another massacre like Velnor.
Elira nodded, eyes sharp. Our spirit scouts have reported unusual activity demonic energy flares that suggest the commanders are awakening their full power.
Brant slammed a fist into his palm. Then it's time to break their will.
Reich adjusted the wind beacons. Communication will be our lifeline. We cannot afford surprises.
The air crackled with anticipation.
The first great battle of this new war was about to begin.
....
As night fell, Loyaid made his way to the training grounds.
There, hundreds of warriors, mages, and militia gathered faces lit by the flickering torches.
He raised his voice.....
Tonight, we stand at the edge of darkness. Our enemies come not just to conquer, but to erase our very existence. But we are not afraid.
A roar rose from the crowd...
We fight for our families! Our homes! Our future!
The cheers grew deafening.
And in that moment, Loyaid felt a flicker of what Max Van must have once felt the spark of hope that refuses to die.
...
Dawn broke cold and gray over Hollow Vale.
Mist clung to the earth, swirling around twisted trees like restless spirits.
The Second Circle took their positions, hearts pounding.
From the shadows emerged the demon commanders twelve terrifying figures cloaked in dark energy, each radiating a power that chilled the bone.
The ground trembled as their forces surged forward a tide of snarling demons, their eyes blazing with hatred.
Loyaid stepped forward, light and shadow weaving around his hands.
Hold the line! he commanded.
....
The battle erupted in a storm of fire and steel.
Celia channeled divine energy, shielding their allies and striking down enemies with radiant blasts.
Elira moved like a shadow, her spirit-scouts weaving through the chaos to disrupt demonic reinforcements.
Brant's war-hammer shattered bones and dark armor alike, his runes burning brighter with each strike.
Reich's wind beacons kept their forces coordinated, while Myrren's Tombblade cleaved through demon after demon, a specter of death itself.
Loyaid faced the Twelfth Commander the same who had destroyed his childhood home.
Their clash was fierce, a dance of light and darkness that shook the very earth.
With every strike, Loyaid felt memories of Max Van's battles the pain, the sacrifice, the hope.
He summoned every ounce of his power and unleashed [Holy Light's Judgement] —a spell born of both past and present.
The commander staggered, a scream tearing from his throat before he vanished in a burst of shadows.
.....
The Cost of Victory,,,
As the dust settled, the battlefield lay silent but stained with loss.
Though the demons had been pushed back, the cost was great.
Many friends, many lives, had been lost.
Loyaid knelt beside a fallen soldier, tears stinging his eyes.
We won, he whispered. But at what price?
Celia placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is only the beginning.
.....
Back at the Tower of Vow, Loyaid looked out once more over the empire.
The war was far from over, but a fire now burned within him stronger than ever.
The spark had ignited into a flame.
And this flame would light the way through the darkness ahead.
.....
[End of Arc 1]
......