The atmosphere in the room had shifted from tense to suffocating.
The weight of reality pressed down on us, and for the first time since this conversation began, I felt a distinct sense of impending disaster.
Orion let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his temples before finally speaking.
"Within the North Gate, a little further ahead, there are small villages—settlements filled with farmers, merchants, and civilians who have lived peacefully for generations. Or at least, they did."
He paused, jaw tightening before continuing.
"Monsters have overtaken them."
The words hit like a thunderclap.
"Apparently, the evacuation was barely in time. The villages are abandoned now, swallowed by the encroaching threat, but that isn't the worst of it."
"More are coming."
The silence that followed was thick, heavy, dangerous.
I saw Diana stiffen beside me, her hands clenching into fists.
"What?" she finally breathed, her voice sharp, laced with something close to disbelief. "How is this even happening? It doesn't make sense."
Her brows furrowed, the strategist in her already trying to piece things together.
"Monsters don't just mindlessly swarm toward human territory like this—not without reason."
She turned her piercing gaze toward Orion and my father.
"There has to be something attracting them, something pulling them toward the North Gate. This isn't normal."
The fact that our fathers exchanged another glance without denying it made my stomach twist.
"That's what we suspect as well," Duke admitted, his expression dark. "But we may not have enough time to figure out what it is before they reach the gate."
"Which means," Eleanor finally spoke, her voice level yet unyielding, "there is no other option but to fight."
The finality in her tone sent a shiver down my spine.
They were preparing for war.
"When are you leaving?" My voice sounded far away, like it didn't even belong to me. I was staring at the polished wood of the dining table, as if the answer was hidden somewhere in the carved grain.
"Today. Tomorrow." My father's voice was calm—too calm. It was the kind of calm a person carried when they had already resigned themselves to the worst.
"By the time you return to the academy, I'll most likely be heading to the North Gate."
A pit formed in my stomach.
"Will you guarantee you'll survive?" I finally asked, gripping my hands together beneath the table.
Silence.
A horrible, deafening silence.
I looked up, and my father—Duke Vandren, a man who never hesitated, never faltered—was hesitating.
That was all the answer I needed.
What would the original Sera Vandren feel right now? What was I supposed to feel?
"Sera…" My father's voice softened in a way that made my chest tighten. "These monsters… they're different."
I looked at him sharply. "What do you mean?"
"They're not like the creatures we've faced before. They have intelligence."
Diana inhaled sharply beside me. Even Orion's expression turned graver than before.
"Intelligence?" she echoed. "How intelligent?"
Duke exhaled, leaning back in his chair. "They're strategizing. Coordinating their movements. When we faced them in earlier skirmishes, they set traps. Lured soldiers into ambushes. Monsters—" he shook his head "—they shouldn't be able to do that."
My breath caught in my throat.
They were… evolving?
Or—worse—being led.
"We don't know what's causing it," Orion admitted, rubbing his chin in thought. "But we suspect there's something… or someone behind this. We just don't have enough time to find out before they reach the gates."
"So you're walking into battle without knowing what you're actually fighting?" I said, my voice rising in frustration.
Duke looked at me, serious but firm. "If we don't fight now, we lose the North Gate. And if the North Gate falls… we lose Fiore."
The weight of his words hit me all at once.
This wasn't just an attack.
This was an invasion.
And if we weren't careful, it could be the end of Fiore as we knew it.
Eleanor let out a shaky sigh, her composed demeanor wavering for the first time that night. "Let's prepare for the worst," she said, fingers gently tracing the rim of her glass. "Hypothetically speaking… something goes wrong. Something always does. The North Gate falls. What happens then?"
A heavy silence filled the room, pressing down on us like a suffocating weight.
"Fiore should already have an evacuation plan," Diana said, though her tone lacked its usual certainty.
"Or a countermeasure," Orion added, his expression unreadable. "But that all depends on whether we can hold the line long enough to implement them."
"If the North Gate falls," Duke said grimly, "we will have no choice but to fight back with everything we have. And I mean everything."
His words sent a cold chill down my spine.
"But…" I hesitated, my thoughts spinning. "Are the invasions really only happening at the North Gate?" I looked between them, my pulse quickening. "How can we be so sure they're not also happening at the South, West, and East Gates?"
Because logically—it didn't make sense.
If monsters were truly invading Fiore, why would they focus all their attacks on one entrance? Was it truly the only vulnerable point, or were we just not looking in the right places?
Duke exhaled, his fingers steepled together as he considered my words. "The scouts that were sent out reported no unusual activity in the other regions," he admitted. "The villages in the South, West, and East are still intact. People are still there. Trade is still ongoing. There's been no sign of movement from the monsters in those directions."
"But," Orion interjected, his gaze sharp, "if the North Gate falls, that will change."
Eleanor nodded. "It won't just be an invasion anymore—it'll be a massacre."
A deep, unsettling feeling churned in my stomach.
"Then…" I swallowed hard. "What if the North Gate is just a diversion?"
That thought alone was terrifying. Because if we were wrong—if we only focused on the North—then we were leaving the rest of Fiore completely undefended.
"That is a possibility," Orion admitted, his voice carrying the weight of experience, "but for now, we have to trust the scouts that are relaying their reports back to us. If anything changes, we'll adjust our approach accordingly."
I sighed, leaning back against my chair, the heaviness of the conversation settling deep in my bones. Is this really what the novel has come to? A war? A monster invasion? These weren't the stakes I had signed up for when I found myself in this world.
But whether I wanted it or not, I was in it.
"Well, at least when the time comes, I'll know whether my training has paid off or not."
Eleanor gave me a small smile, though there was something behind it—pride, maybe? Or worry? "Speaking of which, why don't you and Diana train each other? There are only two days left before you both return to the academy. You two could push each other to become even stronger."
"That's a great idea," Orion agreed, nodding. "Diana could use the extra practice, and I trust Sera to be a good challenge for her."
Oh, great.
"I have to take my leave," Orion continued, standing as he adjusted his cloak. "The king has summoned me—preparations need to be finalized before we march. Is it alright if I leave Diana here until then?"
Eleanor smiled warmly. "No worries at all. She's always welcome here."
Hey, mother, what about my opinion?
Before I could even think of protesting, Diana turned to me, flashing that cunning, all-knowing smirk of hers. "Looks like we'll be spending a lot more time together, Sera. Isn't that exciting?"
I sighed. Absolutely doomed.
"Well, now that the situation has been addressed, let's take what little time we have to rest," Duke said, leaning back slightly. "We'll need to be prepared for when the time comes. Hopefully, things will stabilize now that Orion is involved."
I glanced at my father, curiosity flickering in my mind. "Is Diana's father really that amazing?"
Obviously, I already knew of some of his achievements from reading the novel, but hearing it firsthand—seeing the way everyone seemed to place so much trust in him—made me wonder if there was more to Orion Hayes than what was written in the story.
Duke grinned, the expression carrying a mix of admiration and respect. "That man always has a strategy, always thinks five steps ahead. There's no situation he can't turn in his favor. His mind is as sharp as a blade, and he's been at the king's side for years because of it."
"He's the backbone of our war council," Eleanor added, resting her chin in her palm. "If there's a way to stop this invasion, Orion will find it. He's never lost a battle, not once."
I felt Diana shift beside me, her usual playful expression softening just a bit. I glanced at her, and for a moment, I saw something different in her eyes. It wasn't arrogance or mischief, but something heavier.
Expectation? Duty?
Duke chuckled, his gaze flickering to Diana. "And from what I can see, it looks like he's passed down some of those traits to his daughter."
Diana smirked at that, crossing her arms. "Well, of course. It'd be a shame if I didn't live up to the family reputation."
I huffed, rolling my eyes. "Sounds exhausting, honestly."
"You have no idea," Diana said, but there was something in her tone—something almost unreadable.
I studied her for a second longer before shaking my head. "Well, for now, I suppose we should do as my father says and get some rest while we still can."
Diana's smirk returned, but this time, it carried an edge of amusement. "You say that like I'm going to let you rest."
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.
"Why do I feel like I've just made a mistake?" I muttered.
Duke laughed, shaking his head. "You two have fun. Just don't destroy the estate."
Eleanor sighed dramatically. "And no sneaking off in the middle of the night for duels or random training."
"That was one time," I mumbled.
Diana just grinned. "Can't make any promises."
Oh, I was so doomed.