It was a gloomy morning at the Belgrath family stronghold.
Once guarded by an army of over ten thousand mighty soldiers, now it barely held a hundred defenders scattered across its walls.
They were the only ones who had chosen to remain at their lord's side until the end.
There were others, of course, but they were responsible for escorting the duke's family to the Rose Empire; a long and dangerous journey.
"Sir, something is approaching..." A worried voice echoed from one of the younger defenders to the captain of the guard, a powerful warrior of the eighth ring.
The captain narrowed his eyes, imbuing mana into his pupils and looking beyond the fog that surrounded the fortress.
He could clearly see hundreds of shadows approaching. These shadows soon turned into thousands, and then tens of thousands.
The time had come. They were surrounded.
