In the glade behind the house, Albus stood beneath a tree with massive roots leaves that sparkled with sunlight. Like before, he stepped into the circle of lilies and called for his father, and his father appeared after a little light show. Albus looked down, fingers curled loosely around the bracelet on his wrist, still faintly glowing with residual warmth from the battle they had only recently survived.
"What is it truly capable of?" Albus asked quietly, his voice low and heavy. "The King of Darkness… this coming evil. What does it want? What does it do?"
The King of Light closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the gentle rustle of wind through tree branches. When he opened them again, his gaze was somber.
"It is no longer bound to its realm," he said. "The King of Darkness has bled into the mortal world. He was smart enough to do it without me noticing until too late. Now that it is here, it can use its powers, though they are greatly weakened."
Albus looked up sharply. "So it can still influence things."
"Yes," his father nodded. "It will not reveal itself directly. Not yet. It lacks the strength. Instead, it will do what it always has: spread."
"Spread?"
"Darkness is not simply a presence, it is a sickness of the soul. It thrives on hatred. On guilt. On fear and grief and sorrow. It will spread those emotions among people. Feed on them. Consume them. The more pain that is sown, the more it can drink, and the stronger it becomes."
Albus felt a chill settle into his chest. "Like… emotional infection."
The King of Light nodded gravely. "Exactly. Where it walks, joy fades. Hope dies. Trust is broken. It will twist people's hearts to serve its hunger. It can give them powers in return, terrible powers, but it is likely too weak for that yet."
"But eventually…" Albus murmured.
"Eventually," his father said softly, "it will be strong enough to shape the world in its image."
The glade grew still. Even the wind quieted as the weight of that truth settled.
Albus swallowed hard.
"So what do we do?"
The King of Light turned his eyes to the sky.
"Nothing. Just be ready to fight."
Albus's brow furrowed as he looked up at his father, this beacon of radiance, this ever-calm guardian of light who had always seemed to have an answer for everything.
"But… if you know how dangerous it is going to get here," Albus said, his voice barely above a whisper, "why don't you come? Really come. Leave the Realm of Kings behind and help us in the mortal world."
The King of Light did not answer right away. He turned away, his gaze sweeping across the glade, the leaves of the trees gently glowing in his presence.
"I cannot abandon the Realm of Kings, Albus," he said softly. "It is not merely a home for divine beings it is a realm like yours. It has its own balance, its own dangers. Just as the mortal world needs protection from the creeping dark, so too does mine. If I leave it unguarded… I risk inviting a different kind of destruction."
Albus stepped forward, voice rising.
"But if the darkness consumes this world, it will come for yours. And it will not be weak when it does. It will be fed, strong, unstoppable. If we fall, if I fail, your realm will not be safe."
A long silence stretched between them. A breeze rustled the tall grass, stirring the leaves with a gentle sigh. The King of Light closed his eyes, his expression unreadable.
"You speak with the heart of a leader… and the desperation of one who sees the storm coming before anyone else."
Albus clenched his jaw.
"Because I do see it, and it-it scares me."
His father turned back to him, his features calm again but no longer distant. There was something in his gaze now, uncertainty, perhaps even sorrow.
"I will think on what you have said," he replied. "And see what I can do."
Albus opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the King of Light began to dissolve into warm gold light, his body lifting into the air in a spiral of brilliance. And then he was gone. Albus stood in the stillness of the glade, staring at the empty space where his father had stood, the breeze brushing past him like a breath held and finally released. His hands curled into fists. There was no time to wait for divine decisions. If they were going to survive the darkness, they had to be ready. With renewed purpose, he turned and walked out of the glade, back toward his team, his house, and the war that still loomed on the horizon.
Inside the walls of Albus's house, the scent of toast, eggs, and sizzling meat filled the air. The team sat around the wooden dining table, passing plates, pouring drinks, and laughing softly between bites. Cullen leaned back in his chair with one boot resting lazily on the table's edge, chomping down on a thick slice of meat. Daisy was eating silently beside him. Across from them sat Leo, his bandaged leg propped on a stool. He was trying to peel an orange with a claw-tipped glove, muttering curses under his breath. Blanchette sat near the end, her long hair tied back, her fire-forged sword leaning against the wall beside her. She looked more composed than before. Lillian, hat tipped back, fork in one hand, revolver holstered at her side, was telling a story about a time she chased an outlaw on horseback for two days straight. Adolfo was beside her, staring at her eyes as she talks.
The door creaked open. Albus stepped in. He looked exhausted, his shoulders slumped, eyes distant, as if still standing in the glade rather than here among his friends. His usual golden glow was dimmer, and his movements carried a heavy silence.
"Morning, goldie," Lillian said.
Cullen tossed him an apple, which Albus barely caught.
"You look like you saw a ghost," Leo said.
Albus managed a small smile and dropped into the empty chair. He stared at the table, barely touching the food in front of him. His bracelet sat faintly glowing on his wrist, a constant reminder of the power he carried, and the burden.
"Something wrong?" Blanchette asked, her voice gentler than usual.
The room quieted. Albus looked up at them, his gaze shifting from one face to another.
"I am afraid that something will come. Maybe soon, maybe after a long time, but it will come."
They waited. No one interrupted.
He continued, "The darkness… it is real. It is not just hiding. It-no, he is growing. Feeding. My father said it can give people powers, twist their hearts, corrupt them from within. It wants chaos… fear… despair, just to consume it. It is still weak now, but that will not last."
He paused.
"I am scared," he admitted. "Not for me. For everyone. If we are not ready, this entire world will be…gone."
A long silence.
Then Lillian leaned forward, her voice firm.
"Well, you told us about it before, and we did not stay here just to quit."
Blanchette nodded.
"If the darkness wants a war, it picked the wrong house."
Adolfo smirked.
"We are not perfect, but we are damn stubborn."
"You are not alone in this. None of us are," Cullen added.
Leo leaned forward, his expression serious.
"I may not know all of you well, but I saw you fight. Together. I want to be a part of this. I have been an animal for most of my life, but I never had a… family or friends. So I will fight, and I know you all will. "
Albus blinked, the tension in his face cracking just a little. A genuine smile began to form. They were battered. They were flawed. But they were a team, his team. And for now… that was enough. He took a bite of the apple, swallowed, and nodded.
"Then we better be ready at all times."
As breakfast continued and the plates began to empty, the warmth of good food and companionship settled over the group like a heavy, comfortable blanket. The morning was peaceful, perhaps the first real moment of peace since they all first met. Cullen set down his fork with a loud clink, stretching his arms behind his head before glancing at Leo.
"You know," he began, "back when I used to follow my old man around, he had this lab out in Dead Wood. Bit of a dump, but it was a genius dump. That is where he made my cybernetics and other people's cybernetics too."
"The one that underground? I heard rumors about it." Adolfo asked.
Cullen nodded.
"Yeah. I have not been back since he died… but I have been thinking about it lately. I miss it. The smell of burnt wires, half-finished inventions everywhere. Tools stacked in every corner. I think it is time I paid it a visit."
He turned more fully toward Leo.
"And you… you need a new leg. I know my dad's designs. I can forge you a wheeled leg."
Leo gave a rare, genuine smile.
"Then let's go."
Daisy set down her cup, her ears twitching slightly at the sound of their plan.
"You are not going without me," she said calmly.
Both Cullen and Leo looked at her.
Daisy added, "That is not a request. You two together, you will get distracted by wires and tools and forget to eat or sleep. Someone has to keep you on track. And…" She hesitated, then looked at Cullen. "I want to be with you, bot of you."
Cullen's expression softened.
"Alright. I would like that."
Lillian leaned back, chewing on the last of her toast.
"Dead Wood, huh? That place is creepy."
"Even creepier underground," Cullen added with a crooked smile.
Blanchette rolled her eyes.
"We just fought a vampire queen who could create an army with a thought. I think we are all a little numb to creepy by now."
Everyone chuckled.
"We'll be back before you know it. With a shiny new Leo 2.0," Cullen said.
Leo raised his glass.
"With better wheels."
They clinked cups in quiet celebration, the mood lightened by this brief reprieve.
After Cullen, Daisy, and Leo departed for Dead Wood, the sun rose high and clear over Wayland Woods, casting dappled light across the clearing behind Albus's house. With the immediate threat of Callidora gone, but the looming shadow of the King of Darkness still growing, Albus knew they had to be ready. Ready for anything. He stood at the center of the clearing, arms crossed, his golden bracelet glowing faintly. The remaining three warriors, Adolfo, Lillian, and Blanchette, stood before him, each wearing a different expression: Adolfo looked calm but curious, Lillian serious and focused, and Blanchette… slightly annoyed.
"Training?" she repeated. "We just ended a war. I am still tired."
"We survived a war," Albus corrected, stepping forward. "But something worse is coming. And if we are going to stand a chance, we need to be stronger. Smarter. Faster. No more hesitation. No more holding back."
Adolfo cracked his neck.
"So what do you want us to do?"
"Push your limits," Albus said. "Find out what you're really capable of."
Albus raised his hand and light sparked from his palm. He launched it into the air, where it exploded like a flare.
"First test: Endurance. Speed. Do not stop moving."
Suddenly, magical orbs of light began pelting down from above like rain. The enchanted terrain responded to Albus's bracelet, sprouting golden shifting walls and moving platforms to create an ever-changing battlefield. Lillian leapt onto a rising stone platform, then tumbled into a forward roll as a light-ball whizzed past her head. Blanchette darted between two stone pillars, sword drawn, using it to deflect the smaller balls. Each time she blocked one, it pushed her back with force. Adolfo, still in human form, relied on his instincts, jumping, ducking, and sliding under fiery blasts. His agility was impressive even without his werewolf form.
"Come on!" Albus shouted. "That is not enough! If I were the darkness, you would all be dead by now!"
After that training, Albus summoned three golden clones of himself, each wielding a glowing light blade. They moved in perfect sync, attacking the trio simultaneously. Blanchette met one head-on, her fire sword clashing with the clone's weapon in a burst of sparks. The heat from both blades hissed in the air. She feinted left, rolled right, and slashed across the clone's chest, dispelling it into golden light. Lillian's clone moved unpredictably, ducking her bullets and countering with blade strikes. She was forced to holster her gun and fight hand-to-hand, using her agility and old gunslinger tricks, kicks to the knees, quick dodges, close-range grabs. Meanwhile, Adolfo fought with a mix of raw aggression and precise strikes. He did not transform, yet,but even in human form, he kept up with his clone, blocking hits with his forearms. He then turned into the werewolf and slashed the clone away. Albus watched carefully, nodding.
The final session was a battle between werewolf Adolfo against Lillian and Blanchette.
"Alright, Adolfo," Albus said from the edge of the field. "Begin."
Adolfo lunged first, an explosive blur of fur and fury, covering ten meters in a heartbeat. His claws came down in a savage arc. Blanchette parried the blow with her flaming sword, but the sheer force sent her skidding backward, her boots tearing up the dirt. Lillian fired a shot straight at his shoulder. The bullet slammed into his muscle but barely slowed him. He turned toward her with a growl and pounced. She dodged left, firing three more times, one grazing his side, the other two hitting his ribs, but he just kept moving. He was pure momentum. Blanchette spun in and slashed at his back, her blade leaving a fiery streak across his fur. He howled, more in anger than pain, and backhanded her across the field. She crashed into a tree with a grunt, but rolled to her feet, teeth gritted.
"Gotta hit harder than that," she muttered.
Lillian holstered her revolver and dove for higher ground, leaping onto a rocky ledge nearby. She drew her second gun and fired in rapid succession. The bullets kept Adolfo off balance but could not pierce deeply. He snarled and flung a massive boulder toward her. She dove aside just in time, but the explosion of dust gave him an opening. Blanchette rushed in again, her sword blazing bright orange. She struck with fast, precise jabs, one to the leg, another to the side, a third aimed at his neck. However,Adolfo moved like a whirlwind, twisting, ducking, and slashing. He caught her mid-swing and slammed her into the ground, pinning her with one clawed hand.
"Alright enough!" Albus announces. "Before you seriously injure each other. All of you did well, but this was just the beginning. The darkness will not show mercy. Neither can we."
Adolfo turned back human, and all three of them sat on the ground, breathing hard and sweating. The sun began to lower behind the trees, painting the sky with gold and red.
"If a storm is coming…" Albus said, his eyes burning gold. "Then we become the fire that stands against it."