The battlefield still smoldered.
Crown warforms lay in twisted heaps, their blackened cores pulsing weakly before flickering out. The ground was scorched and soaked in equal measure—fire and blood mingling to mark the land as sacred or cursed. It was too soon to tell which.
Rivan stood in the center, hands still clenched, smoke curling off his skin like embers refusing to die.
[System Report: Battle Aftermath Complete – Commander Unit Neutralized – Crown Movement Suspended: 16 Hours]
He hadn't slept. Couldn't.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the Corebreaker's final scream. Not because of fear—but because of what came with it. A whisper. A name.
Dorian.
Selina approached quietly, her red-lined cloak dragging across scorched stone.
"They won't hit again today," she said.
Rivan nodded. "But they're watching. Testing."
Kael sat nearby, wrapping bandages over his forearms. "We bought time. Not safety."
[Crown's Womb Countdown: 44:13:08]
