The fighting was over.
The last wisps of smoke ascended into the air, Blackthorn's ruin.
The haughty Reaver banners were trodden into the mire, crimson-stained. Dead soldiers, Reaver and Dominion both, were being gathered—some for burial, others to be consumed by fire.
Regis stood upon the broken battlements, watching the sun rise over the ruins of Blackthorn Keep. His expression was unreadable, his scarlet cloak blowing in the morning breeze.
The war was far from over.
Vael lived. And he would not be easily defeated.
A World Forever Changed
Inside the keep's grand hall, his commanders gathered.
The room still bore signs of battle—cracked stone, scorch marks, blood staining the once-grand banners. But now, it was a war council chamber, its long table covered in maps, reports, and scattered weapons.
Varian adjusted his spectacles, eyes scanning a report. "We've begun consolidating the territory. Most of the Reaver vassals have surrendered. The rest… are being dealt with."
Kaelen, sitting back in his chair, smiled. "They folded faster than I thought. Guess they knew they supported the losing side."
Elyndra, her face keen, drummed a finger on the table. "Some will still fight. We must assume there are spies already working against us."
Regis nodded. "That is why we proceed cautiously. The Reavers are defeated, but Vael remains a threat. We must be ready for his last play."
He addressed Varian.
"What of the lands around us? How is the world reacting to our push?"
Varian placed a map on the table. "Noble families are getting restless. Some talk of alliances. Others balance playing neutrality, hoping we'll ignore them. There is even talk that distant kingdoms have begun to take notice."
Kaelen laughed. "Let them take notice. They'll see soon enough—" He grinned. "—There is no stopping the Ashen Dominion.".
Regis spoke not a word.
He could feel it—the strength of his triumph was weighing the balance of the world.
And soon, they would not be able to go back.
The Fallen and the Living
In the courtyard outside the keep, the funeral pyres burned.
Regis stood in silence, watching as the fallen men were burned.
The bitter smell of burning wood and flesh lingered in the air, combined with the bite of morning wind. Hundreds had died in his name.
For some, it was only the price of winning.
A voice broke into the silence.
"Did you think it would trouble you?"
Regis spun around. Elyndra stood beside him, purple eyes watching the fire.
"The weight of kingship. The number of people dying for your aims."
Regis considered her words.
Then he slowly exhaled.
"I have no regrets. But I do not forget. Every death—ally or enemy—builds the empire I will create."
Elyndra looked at him for a moment before she nodded. "Then you truly are fit to rule."
Regis stood before the flames once more.
The Ashen Dominion would rise.
And the world would remember the cost.
The Final Stand Approaches
Days passed, and the Dominion prepared for the final battle.
Vael's final stronghold, Ironclad Fortress, was a monument of defiance.
His strongest and most well-defended fortress, set behind high walls and deep trenches, filled with veteran warriors and siege engines.
If Vael were to fall, this would be where it happened.
Varian scanned the dispatches. "A frontal charge would cost too many lives. A siege could take months. We need something else."
Kaelen grinned. "Let me and a few hundred men go through and I'll carve a trail right through their gates."
Elyndra shook her head. "Brute strength won't take this one. Vael will be looking for us to charge head-on. We need to be unpredictable."
Regis pored over the map, running his fingers over the hidden paths that ringed Ironclad Fortress.
Then his expression toughened.
"There's another way."
The room fell silent.
Regis's tone was deliberate, resolute.
"We will not besiege. We will not linger in long siege. We will creep in. We will attack the fortress at its core before they have any notion we are approaching."
Kaelen blinked. Then his grin expanded. "Now that… is bold."
Varian hesitated. "If we fall short—"
Regis's eyes grew intense.
"We won't."
Preparations in the Dark
The following days were spent in secrecy.
Elyndra's spies gathered information on the fortress.
Varian managed the logistics, keeping the army ready.
Kaelen trained his men, preparing for the assault.
And Regis…
Regis trained.
His strength honed each day, his mastery over his powers increasing.
He refined his own limits, pushing out his strength, his speed, his strategic brain.
For when the time came—
He would not merely command this war.
He would finish it.
The Calm Before the Storm
The night before the battle, the campfires burned brightly beneath the darkening horizon.
The Dominion troops slept, knowing the decision of tomorrow.
In his tent, Regis sat in thought.
A single candle flickered beside him, its wavering flame casting long, deep shadows.
Then, a voice.
Elyndra stood before him, her steps silent.
"Tomorrow, it ends."
Regis nodded.
She observed him. "Are you ready?"
His crimson eyes glowed dimly in the poor light.
I was ready the moment this war started."
Elyndra smiled, ever so briefly.
And then she disappeared into the darkness.
Regis closed his eyes, alone.
Tomorrow, the Reavers would die.
And the world would never be the same again.