The fortress of Lunathran was frozen in the morning light. King Eldric's absence had left a deep void in the palace, as if even the walls were searching for his voice. The silence stirred a restless unease in everyone, like the warning before an unexpected storm. But for the heroes, this was only the beginning.
Among the castle walls, unfamiliar figures were already roaming. General Kaedros from the kingdom of Sovalaya arrived—a tall, silver-haired sorcerer and commander with cold eyes. Silence followed him—not just as a symbol of power and discipline, but also as a harbinger of fear. He sought to use the king's absence to expand his political influence.
Alongside him came another mysterious figure, Duke Theron—a nobleman whose controlled smile and polite speech, veiled in lies, drew the court's attention. He secretly doubted the heroes and looked for chances to neutralize them in the eyes of the people.
---
The heroes themselves struggled against growing tensions among them.
Arion had detected strange energy waves in the fortress with his technological devices. Using a miniature scanner from his world, he roamed the corridors alone at night, feeling the breath of an invisible enemy. One night, his device suddenly emitted a signal in a dark hallway. The lights flickered, and... a shadow vanished without leaving a trace.
Nyx immediately sensed the deception. "Someone is watching our every step," she said to Arion. "And that someone carries a demonic scent."
Kael was skeptical of this news. He was used to fighting tangible enemies; hidden threats unsettled him. "Fighting a shadow is difficult," he murmured. Yet during training, he caught and incapacitated a spy who had suddenly attacked—the first real threat among the heroes.
Before the spy was eliminated, he whispered: "The gates of darkness have already opened... you are only the first pawns of the game."
---
After this event, disagreement erupted among the heroes.
Serafina believed these dangers could be overcome with prayer and unity. In her view, mercy and light must triumph over darkness.
But Lyra thought differently. "Mercy only invites weakness," she said. "If this world is to be saved, sometimes sacrifices must be made."
The tension between them lasted through the night. Yet by morning, everyone gathered in the palace's center. General Kaedros approached them and said:
"If you wish to protect Elarion, you must unlock the secrets of each continent. Every continent, including Sovalaya, hides ancient powers—powers that will either save you or destroy you."
With a gesture, he revealed a large crystal map. Various symbols lit up on the continents: Silverwood, Flame of the Mountains, Undersea Crown, Demonic Tower, and the Lost Sword.
"If these five secrets are not united," Kaedros continued, "the world will tear itself apart from within. King Eldric's disappearance is no accident. He was searching for this secret, too."
---
The heroes were no longer strangers answering a summons. They had become the key figures carrying Elarion's fate. Each had a different past, power, and purpose. But the danger ahead would either unite them or divide them.
That night, Nyx encountered a figure in a dark corner. Standing before a closed window, the being looked at her with eyes blazing like fire.
"You watch well, Nyx," it said. "But remember… demons do not only hide in hell. They can live in human form as well."
In an instant, it blended with the darkness and vanished.
---
Stars shone over Lunathran. The night had not yet fully fallen. But the heroes knew: something was coming.
Something very ancient and very powerful.