Day 25 After Eralthar | Capital of Vornath – Black Council Hall
The walls of Vornath did not shine at dawn. They darkened. Because inside, sunlight was not allowed. The throne thrived in shadow.Under the towering columns of the Black Council Hall, General Yurein paced furiously. A trembling scroll clutched in his hand. Fareth Pass had been destroyed.
He turned his rage toward Kael.
"So you let him live?"
Kael met his gaze without flinching. "If I had killed Valerian then, his name would've died with him. But now—his name spreads like fire."
"Talk about the pass, not his name!" Yurein roared. "A band of outlaws just crippled Vornath's strongest supply route!
"Another officer stepped forward: "Only the Royal Engineering and Kael's command had access to the pass schematics.
"Yurein turned sharply. "That means we have a mole."
The room fell silent. Then Kael spoke.
"No. This isn't a spy's doing," he said calmly. "This is the work… of a warrior born from vengeance. Valerian is no longer a target. He's an idea."Yurein leaned in close.
"You have a mission: Kill that 'idea'. From the root. Erase his name, his tracks, his sword, his followers. Or one morning we'll wake up, and the throne will be gone.
"At the same hour, in Loryan, Valerian sat with the Oathbound Seven in a cave. The pass victory had drawn new followers. Fifteen more— Refugees, ex-soldiers, sons of fallen lords…But for Valerian, numbers still didn't matter. Only one thing did: The target.A new map was unrolled. Eyes turned north. Vornath's grain depots…And for the first time, Valerian smiled. "We've brought down stone... Now we'll strike with hunger."
Day 26 After Eralthar | Vornath – Iron Barracks / North Road Shadows near Loryan
The Iron Barracks in northern Vornath had been silent for years. It opened only in times of war. Today… its gates creaked open again.
General Yurein stood before forty men, examining each face. Each one had been handpicked— Assassins, mountain fighters, trackers, executioners.
"Valerian is no longer a man," Yurein said. "We can't kill him. But we can drown him in shadow.
"One stepped forward. His name was Morn Velk. Once loyal to the palace, now leader of his own unit: "The Black Hunt."
"Give us direction," Morn said. "And we'll bring justice from the dark."
That same night, Valerian and his group moved north of Loryan. Target: The Daren Silos.
The grain stores feeding Vornath's northern routes— And one of them belonged to a former Eralthar lord who had defected after the king's death.Valerian would lead this operation personally. This was deeply personal.
As mist blanketed the night, the team infiltrated. Guards were neutralized. Doors creaked open silently.Inside—rotting grain. But one crate stood out. An old seal on its side: the symbol of House Thaeron. Valerian reached out and touched it.
"My father's seal… Once a symbol of justice… Now… it seals betrayal.
"Barrels of powder were set. One of his men asked, "Aren't we going to flee?"
Valerian shook his head. "I'll light the first spark."And then— He unsheathed his blade and carved a phrase into the wall:
"Crowns burn." He lit the fuse. And walked out without looking back.The explosion echoed until dawn. The Daren Silos burned, burst, blackened the sky. Thousands of people's rations… gone.
Vornath had lost more than a pass. It had lost its stomach.
When the Black Hunt arrived, they found only ash. Morn Velk knelt before the ruins. He read the scorched words on the wall: "Crowns burn."He smiled."If you burn… you'll be burned."The hunt for Valerian had begun.