In the heart of the Golden Palace, where banners of victory hang tall, and the guards never close their eyes...
A strange messenger arrived at dawn, riding a black horse dripping with sweat and blood.
He carried a small iron box, sealed with the emblem of the Kingdom of Wei:
A twisted dragon, as if breathing poison, not fire.
The messenger was brought inside the palace but said nothing.
He handed the box directly to Van, saying only:
"If you don't read it yourself… they both will die."
Then he drew a dagger... and stabbed himself in the throat.
---
The guards froze. Seth rushed to the corpse, but Van, without a word, took the box and retreated to his chamber, closing the door behind him.
He sat on the floor... opened the box.
Inside, there was only one letter, written in red ink on rough human skin:
---
*"To Emperor Van Raigor, King of the West, and our coming enemy...
We know about Niren.
We know what she carries.
Your illegitimate heir, from your former captive... lives now in her womb, under our control.
You have only thirty days to officially surrender, sign a document handing over your empire... and withdraw completely from the south.
Or else...
When the child is born,
we will send him to you... in a coffin,
with the head of your queen.
Our priests know the exact time.
Think wisely, King of the Burning Throne.*
Kingdom of Wei"**
---
Van's breath caught for a moment.
He read the letter once... then again... biting his lip until it bled.
Slowly, he stood, tore the letter to pieces, and hid every trace.
He opened the window, gazed at the rising morning sun, and whispered:
"Thirty days?...
That's enough... to burn half your world."
---
Van kept the news from everyone.
He did not tell Leila, so she would not fear for her son's safety.
He did not tell Seth, so he would not be stopped from madness.
He did not tell Kaiden, so the fire would not be set ablaze early.
But he immediately began crafting a plan.
A plan with no name, saved in a black folder on his desk,
marked with a single line:
"The Resurrection Plan."
---
In secret, he began sending spies east...
and started assembling the "Black Squad."
He raised a new banner:
Two crossed swords... beneath them a child wrapped in iron.
Then he whispered hoarsely to himself:
"I will not be a king on a throne… if I die as a defeated father."