The grand hall, once a symbol of strength and elegance, now felt like a shadow of itself, dimly lit, filled with tension, bloodied armor, bandaged wounds, and the weight of collective failure. The survivors stood or sat in worn silence, broken only by the echo of tired footsteps and hushed voices.
Commander Dion stood tall despite a deep gash across his chest, his rashguard torn and face grim. Beside him, Freya, her usually commanding presence dulled by a bruised eye and cracked gauntlet, leaned heavily on a broken spear. The remaining King's Guard, including the two who had fought Neo, stood behind them, silent but alert. Nearby, Miles nursed a sprained arm, his jaw still clenched from frustration. Anya stood pale and trembling, eyes red from crying but fists clenched, rage and helplessness swirling inside her.
Advisor Gray sat at the central war table, frantically scribbling notes, connecting the fragments of intel as they were shared.
Rayne sat alone in the farthest corner of the room, leaned forward slightly, elbows on knees, fingers laced tightly, knuckles white. His dark blue eyes stared blankly ahead, though every word spoken fueled the storm raging behind them.
Miles spoke, voice hoarded. "She called herself Phoenix. Small, but confident…psychotically confident. Wielded both flame and wind magic with terrifying precision. Didn't even take us seriously. She laughed through the whole fight, like we were just warmups. No hesitation. No mercy"
"And this Neo…wasn't just strong, he was effortless. Cold. Calculated. The Princess gave it everything she had, and he barely broke a sweat, even against us two who attacked simultaneously" Shuri added.
"We're trained to fight A-Class mages. Even S-Class if needed. But this…wasn't that" Theo pointed out. "When we engaged him together, even in perfect sync, it wasn't enough. He parried everything. Like he saw it before we even moved"
The hall fell into an uneasy silence as realization began to set in.
"Then…what are they? If they're not A…not even S…" General Iron wondered.
"Z-Class" Commander Dion stated quietly like it was a forbidden word.
Gasps and curses rippled through the room. Even Advisor Gray dropped his pen.
"Z-Class? That's not possible. Isn't it? A tier beyond S…?" Anya asked with furrowed brows.
"Rare…but real. Almost extinct. Kept out of public knowledge because of how dangerous they are. If Phoenix and Neo are Z-Class…this isn't just about war. This is something else" Advisor Gray stated.
"She got a message mid-fight. Smirked. Then vanished into the forest like we didn't matter. Her men, she left them to die. It was a setup… they never came for battle. They came for her" Miles explained.
"And this Neo disappeared moments after defeating the Princess. Same time. Same signal?" Commander Dion asked.
"Yes" Shuri and Theo nodded.
The weight of it hit like a wave.
"It was all a distraction…three borders…three battles…just to capture her" Said, General Iron.
Everyone turned quiet again. Heads lowered. Shame and dread shared the same air. All the while, Rayne remained motionless, seething. His eyes darkened further. Rage warred with guilt, and beneath it all, something deeper. Something older. His breath was steady, but his jaw locked. His back muscles tensed beneath his shirt. Still pretending. Still hiding. But barely. He was waiting.
The tense silence was broken by the sound of boots hitting the marble floor, hurried, firm, echoing through the heavy air. Xander burst into the hall, followed closely by a winded combat mage. Everyone turned at once, eyes narrowing, hope and fear battling in their expressions. He didn't wait for pleasantries, there was none to give.
"We've received a message. A Dark Mage was sent as a messenger" He announced, drawing their attention, even the injured sat upright. "They gave terms. For the Princess's life…they want the location of the Crimson Flower"
Silence slammed down like a hammer. Every gaze turned to stone. Murmurs began to rise. Before anyone could react further—
Out of nowhere, Rayne surged from the shadows like a coiled beast, grabbing Xander by the collar and SLAMMING him against the wall with bone-shaking force."You bastard!" He growled quietly. "She's gone because of YOU!" The force of his words, raw and venom-laced, stunned the room. No one had seen him move. No one had expected that.
Xander snarled, fists balled, shocked at first, but before he could retaliate, Commander Dion yanked Rayne off Xander, restraining him with brutal efficiency, but Rayne didn't resist. His fury was barely held in check as he breathed heavily, jaw clenched. "Stand down" The Commander ordered.
Xander's pride burned hot as his chest rose and fell. He wiped his collar straight with a trembling hand, then, with a glare of pure venom, punched Rayne across the jaw, Commander Dion still holding the restrained man. Rayne barely flinched.
"What could a weak B-Class like you have done if you had been with her, huh? You'd be dead and she'll still be taken" Xander barked, cold and loud. The insult hung in the air like poison. Xander took a deep breath and then continued. "You just assaulted a member of the royal house…the future King Consult. Lock him up"
Silent protest stirred from Anya, from Miles, but no one dared to intervene. Rayne gave no reaction as guards came forward. Commander Dion released him, and two combat mages moved in, taking him.
"Miles. Go with him. Stand guard at his cell" The Commander ordered.
With a frustrated nod, Miles followed the silent procession. Rayne walked without resistance, but the fire in his eyes burned hotter. As the main doors closed behind them, the hall fell into a stunned, fractured quiet.
Xander cleared his throat sharply, cutting through the stillness with a calculated air of regained control. He smoothed down the front of his T-shirt with the back of his palm. Advisor Gray's lips pulled into a sly, proud smile, the kind that curled like smoke from a hidden fire. He gave Xander a nod, silent approval.
"We're out of time" Xander began, his voice sharp and commanding. "The enemy believes we know where the Crimson Flower is. We don't. But that assumption may be our greatest advantage."
"So we lie?" Anya asked from across the room, arms folded tightly across her chest. Her tone held skepticism, but beneath it, a trace of desperation. "We gamble the Princess's life on a bluff?"
Advisor Gray's grin deepened. "We strategize" He corrected smoothly. "Deception in war is not a sin, it's a necessity"
Commander Dion stepped forward, steel in his voice. "We can't wait around for them to move. We need to act. Launch a nationwide search, immediately. Every army sector. Every combat mage. Every scout, mage or not, across every region. I want every border watched, every shadow tracked"
General Iron nodded solemnly. "The Queen is missing" He rumbled. "The world beyond Arcania becomes our battleground until she's returned"
Xander turned to Dion with an affirming nod. "While the search is underway, Commander Dion and I will begin drawing up the terms for a false exchange. We send word of a meeting point. We make it look legitimate, convincing"
"And when they come, hopefully with the Princess in their hands for the exchange, we strike. Hard. A full-force ambush"
"The King's Guard" Xander continued. "Elite combat mages. No mercy"
Anya stepped forward, fire returning to her eyes. "We'll bring her home" She said, voice firm. "No matter the cost"
Their eyes met across the hall, wounded warriors, scarred mages, and leaders born from the crucible of war. The weight of what lay ahead settled over them all like a storm cloud, thick and charged with the threat of lightning. Yet none of them backed down.
Orders were issued. Scouts dispatched. Strategies laid bare. And as the hall filled once more with movement and purpose, the fire that had nearly died began to stir again. Far from the marble walls of the palace, the true storm still brewed. And their Queen, wherever she was, waited.
***
(Unknown Location)
The wind howled outside the decrepit cabin, rattling its broken windows and weather-worn walls. Inside, the air was cold and stale, thick with the scent of damp wood and old ash. The only source of light came from a flickering lantern hanging crookedly from a nail in the ceiling.
At the center of what used to be the living room, Princess Emeney sat, bound tightly to a steel chair. Thick enchanted cords snaked around her wrists, securing her arms behind her back, while her ankles were tied to the chair's legs with the same unyielding force. Her eyes were open, not blindfolded, flicking between the two figures who had taken her.
Neo stood in the corner of the room, his back against the wall, arms crossed. His dark mask remained fixed over his face, but his glowing blue eyes, dead and unblinking, remained trained on her with unnerving stillness. In contrast, Phoenix sat a few paces in front of Emeney, straddling her chair backward with an air of relaxed confidence. Her smile was wide and mocking as she stared directly at the Princess.
"Is this all it takes to break the King's Guard?" Phoenix drawled, her voice dripping with amusement. "I expected more. But instead…you were so easy to capture"
Emeney kept her expression neutral, refusing to show the sting of humiliation. "What do you want from me?" She asked, her voice calm despite the tightness in her chest. "Who are you really?"
Phoenix's grin didn't waver. "You really don't know? Dang! I thought we were popular" She kissed her teeth, leaning forward. "We're not like those little A-Class or even S-Class mages you parade around like they matter. Neo and I…we're Z-Class"
Emeney's heart skipped. The name alone was enough to send chills through even the most seasoned warriors. Z-Class, an existence so rare it was practically myth.
Phoenix watched her reaction with glee. "Didn't think we were real, did you? Well, surprise"
"And what does a Z-Class want with me?" Emeney asked, forcing her voice to remain steady.
Phoenix's smile sharpened. "The Crimson Flower. We want it"
Emeney frowned, shaking her head slowly. "We don't know where it is. That's the truth"
Neo shifted slightly at that, clearly disinterested in the ongoing exchange. Without a word, he turned and exited the cabin, the door creaking shut behind him.
Now alone with Emeney, Phoenix slowly dragged her chair closer, metal legs scraping against the cracked wooden floor. She tilted her head, studying the Princess like a puzzle she hadn't yet solved. "There was someone interesting at the border" Phoenix said casually. "A man. Weak. Handsome…beautiful, even" She smiled slyly. "His aura…it was different"
Emeney blinked, unsure at first. Then Phoenix described him, his eyes, his fighting style, the way he moved. Recognition flickered in Emeney's eyes. "You mean Rayne?" She asked carefully, the name slipping from her lips before she could stop it.
Phoenix repeated the name softly, letting it roll off her tongue. "Rayne…so that's his name"
"What do you want with him?" Emeney asked sharply, her voice laced with protective instinct and unease.
Phoenix gave a nonchalant shrug, but the glint in her eyes betrayed deeper interest. "Let's just say…I'm curious. I want to know what he is" She leaned in closer, her voice lowering. "And I want to meet him again"
Emeney narrowed her eyes, suddenly aware of a flicker of something she hadn't expected, jealousy. But she didn't speak. She wouldn't Phoenix anymore about him.
"Fine" Phoenix said with a dramatic sigh, leaning back. "Be like that. I'll find out on my own" She stood, brushing invisible dust off the sleeve of her off-shoulder top, and gave Emeney a parting smirk. "I'll definitely meet him again, I can feel it" And with that, she turned and walked out, the door swinging shut behind her with a dull thud. Once again, Emeney was left alone, bound, bruised, and surrounded by shadows.
***
The dungeon beneath the palace was cold and dim, its stone walls soaked with silence and time. Only the faint drip of water somewhere in the distance filled the air. In one of the cells, Rayne sat motionless on the narrow bed, his posture nearly identical to how he'd been seated back in the main hall, leaning forward, elbows resting on his knees, fingers interlocked. But now, his head was bowed, his face hidden in shadow.
Outside the cell stood Miles, arms crossed and boots planted firmly on the stone floor. True to his nature, he hadn't stopped talking since they'd arrived. "I mean, seriously, what were you thinking?" Miles rambled. "Grabbing Xander like that? You know he's the future King Consult, right? You basically threw yourself into a cell. What did you expect? A thank you?"
Rayne remained still, unresponsive. Silent.
Miles scoffed, undeterred. "And now you're locked up while Xander and Commander Dion are drafting up the rescue plan for the Queen. They've already sent out scouts beyond the kingdom walls. Everyone's moving, Rayne. Everyone's doing something, except you. Just sitting there like a statue, and me, babysitting"
He continued pacing, still talking, his tone light despite the tension hanging in the air. "And if I'm being honest, you're lucky it was me assigned to stand guard. Anyone else might've already…."
"Miles"
The name was spoken softly, but cold. It cut through the air like a blade. Miles stopped mid-step, blinking. "What?"
He turned toward the cell and froze.
Rayne was lifting his head. His eyes, once calm and unreadable, now blazed with an unnatural blue light, glowing with power that hadn't been there before. The air shifted, humming faintly with magic. Miles' breath caught in his throat. "Rayne?" He said cautiously, his voice edged with surprise, and something close to fear.
Rayne stood slowly, the glow in his eyes steady and piercing. "I need your help" He said, his voice cold, resolute. "I'm going to rescue her"