Meanwhile, in my territory, I stood atop the scaffold of our newest watchtower—a sleek hybrid of stone and steel that reached thirty metres into the sky—overlooking the valley beyond the outer wall. The sky was bruised with dusk, and the lake mirrored the last orange sliver of sunlight. Below, workers hammered in the final mana-inscribed reinforcements into the tower's base while enchantment engineers traced the last of the runes along the walls.The air was still.Too still. Then, it hit me. A pulse—not of sound or wind, but magic. Ancient. Coarse. Watching. It didn't come from Flare, who lay curled in his massive stone nest beside the manor’s central hearth, snoring faint plumes of warm smoke into the air. This was different. Wrong.Goosebumps crawled across my neck. What the hell was that?Elvie, beside me in her leather work coat, suddenly stiffened. Her hand rose to her neck, clutching the crystal wardstone she always wore. It pulsed once—dim, then silent. “Did you feel that, my

The demons marched with the confidence of scavengers that smelt a weakened town.Except they had no idea. This wasn't a town of farmers anymore. This was a fortress. And this valley... was a grave. The moment the front line of goblins stepped into the kill zone, the ground erupted.BOOM!A fire rune detonated under their feet, followed by a deafening burst of flashbangs. The demons screeched, disoriented—then the hillside came alive."FIRE!!" I shouted into the comms.Dozens of muzzle flashes lit up the valley walls like strobe lights. Gunfire poured down from all sides. Felix was manning a mounted M249 machine gun, mowing down imps in swathes. The beastkin rangers, lying prone on the ridge, calmly picked off targets with their rifles—each shot enchanted to punch through demon flesh.Magic flared beside the bullets—Kael stood in the middle of Bravo Squad, summoning walls of stone to funnel the enemy into narrower paths. Above him, dwarven mages dropped fireballs from reinforced spell-

It started with a single step. Elsie’s pale hand rested lightly on my arm, her other fingers gently gripping the cane Kael had carved for her—smooth as river stone, enchanted with a subtle mana pulse to help her navigate uneven terrain. She wore a soft white cloak stitched by Aunt Marla and her daughters and new boots from the leatherworker’s stall.“I can hear everything,” she whispered as we passed through the open gate of the manor garden. “Birds, water... so many people.”I smiled. “Welcome to Robinson Town.”The streets buzzed with activity—carts rolled past, kids darted between stalls, and the scent of grilled meats, sweet pastries, and dried herbs hung thick in the air. Townsfolk bustled about, but the moment they saw us, a slow ripple passed through the crowd.“Elvie told me you were quiet,” Elsie said softly. “You didn’t mention people would stare.”“I didn’t say they wouldn’t,” I muttered under my breath.A moment later—“Well, well, what do we have here?” piped a familiar v

Flare—who had been curled lazily beside the manor’s hearth—let out a sharp, warning roar and launched into the sky.I dropped everything and sprinted. By the time I reached the lake, the clearing was a mess of smoke and torn earth. Trees burnt. The water churned violently. Felix and Karl were already there, weapons drawn, but no sign of Silvarya.Only a mark scorched into the grass: a sigil of the Demon Duke. A teleportation brand.Silvarya was gone. My lungs burnt. My hands trembled. “No,” I growled. “Not again.”Ella stepped beside me, her voice trembling. “Dirk, the seal on her memory—it must’ve broken more than we thought. They were waiting for it. Planning for it.”I clenched my fists. “She trusted me. She told me she didn’t want to be anyone else but herself.”Flare landed nearby, his golden eyes burning with fury and worry. He let out a low snarl that echoed through the woods.“We’re going after her,” I said. “I don’t care if I have to burn through ten thousand demons. They mes

Our blades collided in mid-air, the clash sending sparks high into the dark clouds above. I twisted under his guard and struck—cutting through a gap in his armour and drawing black blood. He screamed and retaliated, slamming a burning fist into my chest. Pain lanced through me, but I held firm."She remembers, doesn't she?" he hissed. "She remembers the flame. The gods. The truth.""Maybe she does," I said, circling him. "But the truth is, she's safer here than she ever was in your world of chains."The Duke roared and charged for the kill, his sword raised high.But I was faster. I slid under his blade and plunged deep into his gut. The magic surged—pure Guardian energy flooding the corrupted heart of the demon duke.He screamed. His armour cracked. Flames burst from his mouth. I pulled the sword free and slashed upward, splitting his chest open. He staggered back, falling to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth. "This... isn't over...""I know," I said, raising my blade to his th