The attack changed everything.
Not just the pace of training or the stance of the leaders, but the way humans and elves began to look at one another. There was no longer room to pretend this was merely preventive preparation. The Sixth General had tested our defenses and made it clear that he was willing to advance.
The next day, we were summoned to a meeting larger than any before.
The main hall of the human guild was packed. Group leaders, representatives from nearby cities, veteran adventurers. On the other side, the elves occupied an entire wing, organized, silent, attentive to everything.
"The atmosphere is terrible," Vespera murmured beside me.
"And it's going to get worse," I replied.
The human guild master spoke first. An older man, face marked by past battles, but with a tired look in his eyes.
"I won't waste words," he said. "The enemy is moving. This is not speculation. It's fact."
A murmur spread through the hall.
"The recent attack confirmed that," he continued. "And it confirmed something else. Alone, we won't hold."
Eyes turned toward the elves. The elven guild master stepped forward.
"Cooperation is not a concession," he said. "It is a necessity."
A human adventurer raised his voice. "You stood by while human villages fell."
The elf did not look away. "And you ignored warnings for years."
The tension rose quickly.
"Enough," the human master said. "We are not here to measure blame."
Liriel tilted her head slightly. "Interesting to hear that now."
Elara remained silent, observing expressions, reaction patterns, who agreed and who resisted.
"The proposed agreement is simple," the elven master continued. "Unification of information, routes, training, and combat forces."
"Who leads?" someone asked.
Silence fell immediately.
That was the real question.
"Shared command," the elf replied. "Joint strategic decisions."
"That never works," Vespera murmured.
"It works when the alternative is extinction," Elara replied.
The discussion stretched on for hours. Strategies, areas of operation, priorities. Each side trying to concede as little as possible without breaking everything.
At one point, they asked me to speak.
"You put us on the front line," I said, looking at both sides. "And we saw what happens when everyone fights their own way."
The hall fell silent.
"The Sixth General doesn't respect borders, titles, or pride," I continued. "If we keep arguing about leadership while he advances, there won't be a guild left to lead."
One of the elves watched me closely. "You speak like a commander."
"I speak like someone who almost died retreating," I replied.
Elara stepped forward. "The agreement doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to be functional."
Liriel crossed her arms. "And fast."
Vespera gave a crooked smile. "And without illusions."
After more arguments, adjustments, and forced concessions, the agreement was sealed. Not with celebration, but with silent acceptance.
Temporary union.
Shared command.
Immediate preparation for direct confrontation.
When the meeting ended, the hall felt heavier than before.
"This is going to cause problems," Vespera said.
"It will," I replied. "But it will also save lives."
Elara took a deep breath. "Now it's no longer just about us."
Liriel looked up at the high ceiling of the hall. "It never was."
As we left, I realized something important.
Until that moment, the enemy had been a distant threat.
Now, it was a declared war.
And we had just crossed the point where there was no turning back.