The battlefield lay still, but the echoes of combat still reverberated through the war facility. The air was thick with the scent of scorched metal and residual mana discharge, the broken bodies of the Academy strike team scattered across the rocky terrain. The enemy had been swift, brutal, and highly trained—but they had fallen, every last one of them. And now the world would know the truth. The Obsidian Vanguard had returned.
Elias stood near the edge of the facility's ramparts, his visor scanning the vast landscape beyond. The night stretched out before him, dark and endless, but something in his gut told him this was only a moment of calm before the real storm arrived. The Academy had made its first move. They wouldn't wait long before making another.
Behind him, the others regrouped. Reinhardt ran a hand through his hair, his massive frame still humming with post-battle energy. "Not bad. I was hoping for a longer fight, but I'll take it."
Lira scoffed. "You say that now, but give it a day or two. The next wave is going to be worse."
Ivy had already stowed her bow, her gaze locked on the still-glowing war facility behind them. "That strike team was too small. It felt like a test—not an execution."
Marco was seated at the facility's command console, fingers moving across the ancient interface. His glasses reflected the golden glow of the screens, his face tense. "That's because it was. The Academy doesn't send kill squads just to lose them. They're gathering data on us—on how we fight, how we counter their magic, how well Elias is handling the Core's integration." He exhaled, running a hand through his hair. "We just gave them more information than we should have."
Cecilia perched herself on the console's edge, smirking. "Yeah, well, that goes both ways. We know they weren't prepared for us either."
Elias turned, his suit still radiating a faint hum of stored energy. He had felt it during the battle—that sense of connection, the way his armor had responded before he could even think. The Core was evolving, adapting to his movements, making him something faster, stronger, and more precise than ever before. It wasn't just power. It was knowledge.
But that also meant the Academy now knew.
Kierian studied the war machines lining the facility walls, their dormant forms waiting for activation. "The real question is, what happens now? We have the resources, we have the weapons, and now we have the world's attention. Do we dig in, or do we strike first?"
Elias didn't hesitate. "We move. If we sit here and wait for the next attack, we'll always be reacting. We need to stay ahead of them." He turned to Marco. "What's our best target?"
Marco sighed, scrolling through the facility's tactical database. "There are three possible locations. First, an old Vanguard supply station—if the reports are right, it still holds advanced materials that could reinforce your suit and our weapons." He swiped the screen, bringing up another location. "Second, a hidden outpost that once held strategic war plans and encrypted communications. If we can access its archives, we might find Academy weaknesses they don't even remember exist."
Elias crossed his arms. "And the third?"
Marco's face darkened slightly. "The ruins of the Vanguard's last city. It was wiped off the map during the final war, but the records show it was never completely destroyed. If there's anything left, it could tell us what really happened during the fall."
Lira let out a low whistle. "That sounds like a suicidal trip."
Kierian nodded. "That place is cursed ground. Even if there's anything left, it's probably been claimed by something else by now."
Elias considered the options. They needed strength, they needed information, and they needed a clear advantage. The Academy was already aware of their existence. If they were going to war, they had to make their next move count.
Cecilia tilted her head. "So, fearless leader, where do we go?"
Elias exhaled. "We hit the supply station first. Reinforce our gear, upgrade our weapons. Then we go for the outpost. We need intel before we step into the ruins of a dead empire."
Ivy nodded. "Smart. But we need to move fast. The Academy won't wait for us to prepare."
Elias turned back toward the open night, watching as the distant horizon stretched beyond the cliffs of Solmara. This war was just beginning, but they weren't running anymore. They weren't hiding.
The world thought the Vanguard was a forgotten legend.
They were about to prove everyone wrong.