The room was dimly lit by the soft glow of daylight seeping through the sheer curtains. Princess Emeney and Anya lay side by side atop the silk sheets of Emeney's bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, lost in thought. Neither had spoken since Emeney returned from Rayne's room. The silence was heavy, but not uncomfortable just quiet enough to let their minds wander.
Then, Anya spoke, her voice casual but curious. "I went to the King's Guard ranking trials this yesterday"
Emeney turned her head slightly, acknowledging her with a hum.
"I was honestly disappointed" Anya continued. "I thought Rayne would be more impressive. But he barely held his ground. He was basically target practice"
Emeney sighed and nodded slowly. "Yeah…I thought the same when I first saw him spar. He's a B-Class, sure, but I expected… more"
There was a pause before Anya's voice grew more serious.
"Then why did you pick him?" She asked softly. "Why make him part of the King's Guard, when he didn't meet the qualifications?"
Emeney didn't answer right away.
The silence stretched.
Then, quietly, honestly, she replied.
"I don't know" She turned her head fully now to face Anya. "It just felt right. Like I was supposed to. Like…I was drawn to him, and I couldn't explain it"
Anya studied her friend's face, her brows slightly knit. Then she smirked faintly.
"Have you noticed how similar he is to Leo?"
Emeney's face softened with instant recognition. "Yes. I have" Her voice was barely a whisper. She turned her eyes back to the ceiling. "He's not Leo…but there's something in the way he talks. The sarcasm, the humor. The way he pretends not to care but still manages to say the exact thing you need to hear" She smiled faintly. "Save for the mystery and the…banging body, he's very familiar"
Anya laughed softly. "Maybe that's why you tolerate him so much"
Emeney smiled, her eyes glistening. "Maybe"
They both went quiet again. But the silence was now laced with shared memories, ones that hurt and warmed all at once. "You ever wonder…" Anya began carefully, "What Leo would've been like if he was still alive?"
Emeney blinked, holding back a tear, then let out a small chuckle.
"Insufferable" They both laughed.
"But he would've made everything feel less dark" Anya added. "He always did"
"He'd still be skinny, though" Emeney teased. "Still dodging training and driving Xander crazy"
They both giggled again, the ache of grief still nestled in their laughter.
Before they could speak again, a knock came at the door. It opened swiftly, and Xander stepped in, urgent, serious. His expression was grim.
"We've just received a report from the border" He said sharply. "Arcania is under attack"
The warmth in the room vanished instantly.
Emeney sat up.
"What?"
"A survivor from the patrol made it back. Two enemies attacked the border. They called themselves the Dark Knight and the White Sparrow"
Anya's breath caught. Emeney's jaw tightened.
"Get the council. Mobilize the guard" She said quickly, her voice already switching into leadership. Xander nodded once and turned, leaving without another word.
***
The grand throne room was tense with urgency. Every key figure in the kingdom stood present, Commander Dion, General Iron, Advisor Gray, Xander, Anya, Rayne, and the patrol guard who had survived the attack. The man still trembled as he stood before them, armor scorched, dried blood at the seams. His eyes darted around nervously, avoiding the Princess's intense gaze.
Princess Emeney, already in her combat attire, stood tall before the throne. Despite her youthful features, there was a hard edge to her now, one that silenced even the most seasoned veterans in the room.
"Tell us everything again" She commanded.
The patrol guard gulped and began to recount what happened, how the two attackers appeared out of nowhere, moved faster than his eyes could follow, and how they massacred his fellow soldiers without breaking a sweat. His voice trembled as he said their names."They called themselves the Dark Knight…and the White Sparrow"
The room grew still.
Commander Dion stepped forward. "Two mages that powerful don't just stroll into enemy territory for fun. This was a message"
"A trap" General Iron growled.
Emeney nodded. "Which means we don't fall into it blindly"
Xander took a step toward her. "Exactly why you shouldn't go"
"He's right" Advisor Gray added. "You're the leader of this kingdom now, Princess. Your safety is paramount"
Surprisingly, Rayne spoke up, his voice even. He was the only guard that always dared to speak up amongst them, and it always surprised the other members. "They're right. This doesn't feel like the kind of threat the crown should run toward"
Emeney's eyes narrowed at all three of them. "And I'm not the kind of Queen who cowers behind a wall while others bleed for her. I lead from the front"
A beat of silence followed. Then she turned to the room.
"We split our forces…" She began. "We secure the kingdom and investigate every border"
Commander Dion stepped forward and nodded. "I'll take three of the King's Guard and a team of fighting mages to the south border. We'll sweep every inch
General Iron added, "My unit will secure the palace and the capital, every gate, tower, and alley. If they breach the walls, we'll be ready"
"I'll lead a unit to the back border" Xander continued, nodding toward his second-in-command. "We'll move fast and hunt for tracks or magical residue"
Emeney then looked to her group. "I'll take four of the King's Guard and a group of elite mages to check the main border. If this is where they were spotted, I want to see the ground myself"
As heads nodded in agreement, Rayne suddenly stepped forward.
"I want to be in the Princess's unit"
The room went still again. Several exchanged confused glances.
Even Emeney's eyes widened slightly. "Why?"
Rayne faltered for a moment. He couldn't say what he truly felt, that he needed to protect her, that being apart from her made his skin crawl, and made him very worried.
"I just think I'd be more useful there" He said flatly.
Xander cut in immediately. "Denied"
Rayne looked at him. "With respect, you're not…."
"I am your superior" Xander snapped. "And you're a mere guard. You don't get to pick your assignments"
Rayne's jaw clenched. His eyes burned, not just with frustration but something deeper.
"You'll join Miles' group" Xander continued coldly. He didn't care if he was acting out of emotions. Any opportunity to keep Rayne away from his fiancée, he was going to take it. He would do anything to make sure he doesn't go under Emeney. "They'll head to the northern point and sweep for signs of enemy presence. Miles will lead. Understood?"
Reluctantly, Rayne nodded, his eyes flicking to Emeney for just a moment before stepping back in line. An uncomfortable silence followed.
Then Anya broke it. "Wait. Those names, 'Dark Knight' and 'White Sparrow'…I've heard them before"
Everyone turned toward her.
"When I trained under my godmother, traveling with her for healer missions, we'd hear rumors. Travelers, refugees…They'd whisper those names like curses. They're infamous"
"What did they say?" Emeney asked.
"That no one survives their attacks. Ever. And they were talks that they were both S-Class dark mages"
A grim quiet fell over the room.
Emeney's gaze swept over them all. Then she stepped toward the center, voice unwavering. "Then we don't underestimate them. We move with caution and force. And we remind them, Arcania is not to be trifled with"
Everyone nodded, ready to defend their home against these so called S-Class dark mages. It didn't help that now with the king dead, they had just one S-Class mage in the whole of Arcania, and that was Commander Dion. But still, they weren't one to duck a fade.
"Move out!" Commander Dion ordered. The room scattered into motion, leaders giving orders, guards falling into formation.
***
The main border of Arcania lay under an unsettling silence. The wind stirred the tall grass, brushing along the broken earth where blood had dried hours earlier. The air shimmered with faint traces of dark magic, heavy and cold.
Neo stood still at the edge of the forest line, cloaked in shadows. His sleek black sword rested at his side, faintly pulsing with crimson energy. Beside him stood Phoenix, her silver-white hair dancing lightly in the breeze, eyes sharp and calculating.
They said nothing at first. They didn't need to. Then a flicker of magic shimmered in the air near Phoenix's gloved hand. A faint chittering sound echoed from it, like a whisper crawling from another world. She tilted her head slightly, listening.
It was the voice of Advisor Gray, echoing softly from the magic bug she had secretly attached to the patrol guardbefore when she touched him.
"Tell us everything again…" The Princess' voice spoke out from z Phoenix's glove.
More voices followed. Every word. Every plan. Every deployment. Phoenix grinned slowly. "How predictable"She said as soon as they were done listening.
She turned to Neo, brushing invisible dust from her shoulder with casual grace.
"They still think this is about brute force" She said. "But it's always been about information"
Neo didn't respond, only stared ahead in silence, his mask reflecting the bleak sky.
From behind them, the forest rustled. One by one, dark mages stepped forward, dozens of them, their auras dark and pulsing. They formed clean, silent ranks behind Neo and Phoenix, like wolves awaiting a signal.
Phoenix glanced toward them, then back at Neo. "I'll take the northern border. Stir up just enough chaos to keep them distracted"
Neo finally spoke, his voice low, warped and almost metallic behind the mask. "The girl is mine. Focus on the goal and nothing else. Get her and get out"
"I know" Phoenix said with a chuckle. She stepped closer to him, just enough to touch his arm lightly with her fingers. "Don't kill her? We need her. He needs her"
Neo gave no reply.
Phoenix turned, her long cloak sweeping the earth behind her, and raised a hand. With a motion, half of the dark army followed her, vanishing into the forest like phantoms.
Neo stood unmoving, alone now except for half the army of dark mages who remained. Their eyes glowed faintly their hoods, ready for a fight. He stared out toward the distant path where Princess Emeney and her group would soon arrive. He tightened his grip on his sword. The game had begun.