The room was quiet and tense. The air felt heavy, like something big was coming. King Arthur sat up straight in his chair. His eyes were steady, but they carried a heavy load because of what he was about to say. Torches flickered, throwing long shadows that moved across the walls of the meeting room like ghosts.
"The prophet had a vision this morning," Arthur said. His voice was quiet and careful. "She saw something bad coming. Something that could ruin everything we've fought to keep safe." Hiyori sat near the table's edge. She leaned closer. "What kind of bad thing?" she asked. Her voice was calm, but worry hid underneath.
Arthur looked at the general, then back at the heroes. "The vision wasn't clear," he said. "It came in pieces, like always. But we know this: there's a child with a strange magic core. The prophet says this core has a lot of power. Enough power to bring… HIM back."
The heroes went stiff. They didn't need the name. They knew "him" meant the old tyrant. Long ago, he ruled with darkness and threw the world into chaos. "That can't be," Valer said. He was a swordsman, and his hand rested on his sword, the Blade of Eternity. "The Martial King beat him ages ago. How could he come back?"
General Renford spoke up. His voice was rough, like rocks rubbing together. "The prophet thinks his followers are getting stronger. They're after this child. If they get the child's power, they could bring HIM back."
The room felt uneasy, like a wave of fear rolled over it. Kaguya, the Seer, broke the quiet. "Where's the child now?" she asked. Her voice was sharp. Arthur paused, then said, "We think the child's in one of the empire's allied lands. We don't know exactly where."
Valer spoke again. "How will we find this child in such big allied kingdoms? And what do we do?" Arthur leaned forward. His voice was strong. "I'll handle finding them. Your job is to get to the child first. Keep them safe, no matter what." His words felt heavy on the heroes.
Kaguya let out a deep breath. "If the enemy already knows about this child, we're running out of time," she said. Hiyori nodded. "We need a plan, friends, and news," she said. Arthur dipped his head. "You'll head to Antonia at dawn. I'll send scouts to find out more. They'll meet you on the road."
The room went quiet again. The heroes thought about how big this job was. The danger felt huge, and the idea of facing something tied to HIM made them cold inside.
Arthur stood up. His voice was full of strength. "You're the hope of Atlas. Save the child, stop their plans, and make sure HE stays gone."