"By tomorrow, we should get started documenting this place and doing another sweep. There might be something we missed," Ethan said, looking over the layout of the fortress.
"I must admit, even if there wasn't a plague threatening to wipe us all out, this place could still serve as a military base. Which, to be fair, is what it was meant for—not some twisted science experiment lab," Lucian mused aloud.
Ethan shot him an amused look. "Is this you admitting that the visions Annalise has might actually be true?"
Lucian, forgetting his initial reluctance, got caught in his own thoughts. "Your Grace, you should know I'm a realist. I only conceded to this because I wanted to see the place and understand how it might benefit us—not because of the visions. But I must say, how did the previous patriarchs not show any interest in this place? It's rather puzzling."
"Can't believe I'm actually agreeing with this idiot," Seraphine muttered with a grimace, as if the mere thought disgusted her. "He's right. Apart from the whole hideous experiment situation, why didn't they just revert it to what it was before? Why shut it down entirely?"
Ethan sat for a while, contemplating. There might have been more to the story than they were told.
"Now that you mention it, it is rather suspicious," he admitted.
"Well, I suppose we'll just have to find out ourselves, won't we?" Garrick said in his usual gruff tone.
BOOM!
"What was that?" Lucian asked, standing up from the table where the rest of the group sat adjacent to each other.
"Sounded like a crash," Garrick responded, frowning.
Moments later, Aldric's voice rang out in a panic: "Your Grace!"
Ethan's heart skipped a beat. Before anyone could react, he was already moving, sprinting toward the source of the voice as if on autopilot. Dread pooled in his stomach. He couldn't think—he could only move.
When he arrived at the scene, Aldric was locked in battle with a monstrous Vyrulf, and Annalise lay unconscious on the ground, blood pooling around her head.
Fear.
Gut-wrenching, paralyzing fear.
Ethan froze, his emotions crashing over him like waves. His face twisted in disbelief, pain, and horror.
No. No. No.
He staggered toward her.
The others, who had followed him, stopped dead in their tracks—not because of the monster, but because of Ethan. They'd never seen him like this.
Aldric noticed them. His gaze flicked to Ethan, who was still staring at Annalise in despair.
"She's alive, you dumbass!" Aldric shouted, but Ethan couldn't hear him—he'd gone too deep.
Trading blows with the Vyrulf, Aldric yelled again, louder: "ETHAN, YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT! She's alive! Snap out of it!"
Ethan blinked. His fogged-over eyes suddenly cleared, and he rushed to Annalise's side.
"She might actually die if you don't stop the bleeding! And the rest of you, don't just stand there—do something, you morons!"
The group snapped out of it. Swords were unsheathed, and the battle began.
Seraphine vanished into a mist of gray smoke and reappeared above the Vyrulf's head. Using gravity and a burst of magical energy, she sliced the beast's head clean off.
"You psycho! You just had to show off!" Lucian yelled, glaring.
Seraphine smirked. "Too slow," she replied with a wink.
Lucian looked ready to throw hands.
"Was I even needed here? With these ultra-competitive idiots, it's overkill," Garrick muttered.
"That's not the only one! More are coming! Be ready. I think this is their territory, and we just invaded it," Aldric said flatly.
"What? I thought it was just this one!" Seraphine exclaimed.
Aldric shot her a look. "What are you talking about? I already killed two. More just keep coming," he said, pointing to the corpses.
Ethan managed to stop the bleeding from Annalise's head. She seemed stable now. The breath he hadn't even realized he was holding escaped him, leaving him weak.
I never want to feel that kind of fear again.
He looked at Annalise's bloodstained face.
She looks like she's just asleep. I doubt she'll wake up anytime soon.
He needed to get her somewhere safe. Scanning the area, he spotted a building that still looked intact. He gathered her into his arms, carrying her bridal style. At the door, he found it locked.
With patience wearing thin, he broke the hinges and slammed it open. Inside was moldy and damp, but it would have to do. He placed her on an elevated surface and stepped back out.
"How many are there?!" Lucian shouted, slicing down another Vyrulf with lightning speed, electricity crackling with every slice.
"I counted fifty!" Seraphine yelled back.
"Why the hell are there so many?!"
"They must have been breeding a lot since no one has come here!" Aldric called out, eyes scanning the dark sky.
"Where is Ethan?!" Lucian asked, breathing heavily.
"Here," Ethan growled as he launched off the ground, intercepting a Vyrulf mid-dive. He landed square on its back, gripping both wings. With a roar, he tore one off. The creature shrieked and spiraled before crashing violently into the earth.
The battle raged on. Vyrulfs dive-bombed from the skies like dark missiles. Garrick cleaved through one with a massive overhead strike, its glowing blood sizzling on the ground.
Lucian danced through the battlefield, blades flashing in a blur of electricity. He moved like a phantom, slipping past teeth and claws to strike vital points with ruthless precision, the air around him alive with static.
Seraphine, high above on a broken tower, vanished and reappeared in gusts of smoke. Each time, she struck with deadly aim—severing wings, tearing through spines, sending beasts tumbling.
Aldric fought near Ethan, shielding his flank and barking sharp orders to keep the group tight.
Ethan had fire in his eyes. He moved like a storm, cutting down one creature after another with feral force.
Then it came.
The alpha.
It stepped from the shadows—larger than the rest, its black horns jagged and wild. Bioluminescent lines pulsed across its obsidian body like molten veins.
"The alpha," Ethan muttered.
The creature lunged.
Ethan rolled aside, claws ripping through where he'd stood. He slashed its flank, but it was fast—unnaturally fast. They clashed violently. Sparks and blood flew. Frosty breath steamed in the air.
It pinned him.
Ethan slammed his head into its snout, forcing its maw upward. With a guttural yell, he drove his blade deep into its throat.
The alpha shrieked, convulsed, and crumpled.
Panting, the team stood surrounded by silence. The remaining Vyrulfs fled into the darkness.
Annalise's eyes fluttered open.
The first thing she felt was a splitting headache. Then the aching in her limbs. Then—warmth.
She stirred and realized strong arms were wrapped tightly around her. She turned. Ethan lay beside her, fast asleep, his hold on her unrelenting.
Tsk. Why is he holding onto me like this?
She sighed and gave up trying to pry free. Instead, she studied him—the scarred half of his face buried in the bed, the other peaceful.
Her hand rose involuntarily to brush his cheek.
His eyes opened.
"You're awake," he said softly.
Annalise froze, then quickly withdrew her hand, her cheeks flushing.
"What happened? And how did I get here? Where is here?"
"We're on the Nightshade. After the fight, I brought you here."
"Fight? What happened?"
"Monsters—Vyrulfs. They'd infested the fortress we fought most of them off I killed the alpha. The rest scattered. Everyone's okay you were the only one who got hurt."
"I'm sorry," Ethan whispered, guilt flashing in his eyes.
She understood immediately.
"It's not your fault It was unexpected It couldn't be helped."
"Does it hurt?"
She touched her temple, feeling the long, roughly treated gash.
"It's not bad. Did you treat it?"
"Yeah... at the very least, I tried."
She laughed. "Well, I guess it's as good as it gets."
Ethan said nothing. He just stared at her, captivated.
"What about the others?"
"They're mapping out Leandria. Documenting everything. Making sure no more monsters are lurking around."
She nodded. "You look tired."
"You scared me half to death."
A moment of silence passed, only the hum of the ship between them.
The Nightshade soared through the midnight sky, its dark silhouette blending into the abyss. Ethan stood near the railing, watching the outline of Leandria fade beneath a veil of mist.
They'd done what they came to do—secured the fortress, taken inventory, and uncovered its secrets.
But this was only the beginning.
Mana lanterns glowed softly across the deck. Garrick sharpened his greatsword. Aldric examined notes. Seraphine and Lucian bickered nearby. Annalise stood beside Ethan, her platinum hair glinting in the starlight.
"Penny for your thoughts," she murmured.
Ethan exhaled. "Restoring Leandria is going to be far harder than exploring it."
Annalise smiled. "I don't think that should be a problem, considering how deep your pockets go."
Ethan flashed her a faint smile—so quick it almost didn't happen.
It left her stunned. She hadn't seen him smile. Not even once. Until now. Annalise felt a tiny bit of satisfaction.
Is he opening up to me? She thought, and smiled to herself.
Ethan wasn't worried about money—he had enough. But secrecy... secrecy couldn't be bought. Not with nobles eager to tear him down.
The Return to the Capital
By sunrise, the Nightshade descended over Eldoria. The city bustled below, streets already alive. The ship touched down at Vornhart Manor's private courtyard.
Ethan stepped off first, the weight of leadership settling on him again. Servants rushed out, eyes wide.
"Gather in the study," he said.
The group followed. The study was warm, books lining the walls, fire crackling. Ethan stood at the center.
"We did it. Leandria is intact but in ruins. We rebuild it—but no one can know."
Lucian smirked. "That'll be tricky. Nobles love to snoop."
"And they'll use it to undermine you," Aldric added.
"We move carefully," Annalise said. "Steady progress. Quiet."
Ethan nodded. "We need workers. But not from the capital. Too risky."
"Small villages," Seraphine suggested. "Good pay. Quiet loyalty."
"Cedric, find us the right people."
"Consider it done."
Deploying the Knights
"The knights are a bigger issue," Lucian noted. "You can't move an army unnoticed."
"Then we won't," Ethan replied. "We send them in waves. Training rotations. Survival drills."
"It could work," Aldric agreed. "Lucian, you handle the rotations."
"Stealth is my thing," Lucian grinned.
Acquiring Materials
"Big shipments will raise eyebrows," Aldric pointed out.
"We spread them out. Different regions. Small batches. No supplier sees the whole picture."
"I've got merchants who owe me favors," Garrick said. "I'll handle it."
Political Cover and Noble Interference
A heavy silence settled.
"They'll figure it out eventually," Annalise warned.
"Then we feed them a false trail," Ethan said. "We frame it as historical preservation. Not military."
"You'd make a decent politician," Aldric teased.
"I'd rather fight an army," Ethan muttered.
The Road Ahead
A plan had formed.
Cedric would find workers. Lucian would manage knight rotations. Garrick handled logistics. Aldric maintained political cover.
I think that's about it, Ethan thought. Though it was done hastily, we'll have to improvise along the way.
It had been unexpected. Rushed. But Ethan felt strangely satisfied with the plans they'd made in such a short time.
With this much thought and care?
What could possibly go wrong?