THE KINGDOM OF STYRKEIS was once the strongest land in Desmos which later on became the foundation of the Sovereign State of Nadia. Their weapons and armors were indestructible, their land grew vast each year, and they emerge victorious in countless wars. King Viktor Invictus studied the large rectangular map sprawled on the council’s table. The red marks stand as the Styrkean camps and fortresses while the few blue ones are marked as the Phoebeans' territory according to their intel. It wouldn’t be difficult to understand which side was winning, the king made sure of that. Soon, the land will be purified and be rid of the Moon’s curse. His people will live freely and securely again. “This will do.” He moved two red pieces towards the bridge to their enemy’s territory. “It is time for us to strike and take Minfrost Bridge. Ready the trebuchets and capture Fort Liemdahl. Make sure our soldiers have enough rations to survive the travel and assault. Pass these orders to General Corvinu

THE KING WAS DREAMING. His ears rang deafeningly as darkness covered his vision. He felt his knees submerged under a lake of black goo; its putrid smell reeked everywhere. Then, the wind blew, causing leaves to rustle around him. The king stood in the middle of a forest deprived of all light. He blindly ventured into the area, trusting the mental map within his mind created by his limited senses. On his right hand, he held his spear firmly when he felt a lot of eyes watching him. The creatures broke the silence in the once quiet forest; they hissed and growl as though carnivores waiting to eat their meal.A soft hand touched his forehead, its warmth spreading on his skin. It eased the pain caused by the soldiers’ blows. His vision was still blurry but he could barely make out an image of a blonde girl behind the iron bars. She was nursing his wounds. Or rather, she was healing him. With magic.Viktor slapped her hand and immediately sat up with his back against the wall. “Lay a hand o

THE SUN ROSE FROM THE EAST. Its rays announced the beginning of another day. Three months ago, Viktor would wake up in his chambers, go straight to the Conference Hall after breakfast, and listen to his men’s reports. For some reason, five hundred years in the future, the king woke up in a room of the alchemist’s tower.“You up?” A certain short redhead peeked at the door’s opening. She kicked it open with a sigh after confirming he was already awake, letting herself in. “I expect you to clean this up before the day ends.”Books and journals were scattered on the floor beside his bed. It’s been three weeks since Viktor’s stay in Mercurius and he still couldn’t mentally grasp what happened within the past months. His kingdom fell five centuries ago; everyone he knew and cared about was gone. Every day he hoped to wake up on his bed in the Styrkean palace, only to meet the same off-white ceiling of the alchemist’s guest room. To make matters worse, he also frequently dreamed about the d

LILLA KNEELED ON THE DAIS, showing respect to the most powerful woman in Mercurius. She could feel her regal aura even from this distance alone — what more if she stood beside her.Empress Katarina Amaris sat on her throne with her legs crossed. Her long red gown reached the floor as she stood up, scanning the three of them. The empress spoke to the princess with a strict tone, “I heard you snuck out of the palace again without my permission, Kristen. Would you mind explaining yourself?”Kristen’s gaze remained directed to the floor, refusing to meet her mother’s. Lilla noticed how tense the atmosphere was between them; she assumed it had something to do with the princess’ visit to Ahlea. “I believe there were no rules stating that princesses are forbidden to sneak out whenever they please too, Your Majesty.”The empress simply stared at her daughter as if to observe her expression with her usual emotionless hazel eyes. Thankfully, she let the topic go and began to explain the reason

DIMITRY BREATHED OUT. Black liquid was scattered all over the bridge and sullied everyone’s clothes; the dwarf and Viktor were covered by the creatures’ blood the most. “You! The Alchemist’s Apprentice! What do you think you’re doing?!” The captain stomped towards Viktor in a seemingly furious manner. “You’re supposed to just stand back and wait till we clear the way!” Viktor handed the spear back to the lieutenant as he responded to the captain, “Would you have made it in time? Those soldiers, if I followed your orders, will they be alive?” The soldier gritted his teeth. He was aware that Viktor did save his men and it appeared to have annoyed him. “I appreciate your actions, Sir Unfrid. However, you should be more sensible of your position as the assistant of our Royal Alchemist.” Dimitry gazed at Viktor curiously. The man did not give off the impression of someone who studied the arts of alchemy. He appeared more of a warrior than a scholar, judging by the way he fought beside h