The battlefield was quiet in a way that felt unnatural—too still, too expectant, as if the universe itself were holding its breath. Smoke still curled from the fractured metal skeletons of drones scattered across the ruined terrain. Shattered plating glinted dully beneath the gray morning light. The acrid scent of scorched circuitry, oil, and ionized air lingered heavy in the atmosphere.But all of that—every ruin, every collapsed tower, every broken remnant of war—faded into insignificance compared to the sight at the center of the clearing.Leon Vale stood unmoving.His posture was steady. His spine straight. His shoulders level. His breathing measured. He didn’t pace. He didn’t speak. He didn’t even flinch as Ashur’s warfront phased into existence before him, shimmering like a mirage solidifying into reality.Six massive constructs—sentient warframes—took position in a half-circle. Behind them, Ashur himself stepped forward, a tall silhouette of burnished alloy, living metal shifti

The transport moved like a silent blade through the night sky, its engines softened to a low hum as it cut across the scarred horizon. Inside the main cabin, dim lights flickered over exhausted soldiers, scattered tech equipment, and the shattered remains of Ashur’s fallen constructs—collected for study, evidence, or perhaps warning.Leon Vale sat alone near the observation glass.The stars reflected against his profile—sharp, unreadable, composed. The world below stretched in a tapestry of ruined sectors and glowing grid-lines, each marking a zone clamoring for leadership, stability… or dominance.Tonight would determine which one he offered.Behind him, Keal paced, muttering under his breath as if preparing arguments for a council that might try to challenge them. Lira stayed seated beside Leon, her presence steady and quiet. From the way she watched him, it was obvious: she wasn’t guarding him.She was guarding the world from what might happen if he lost control.Leon exhaled, slow

Leon remained seated long after the chamber emptied. The doors had shut behind the last of the council members, their hushed whispers trailing off like fading echoes, but their fear stayed behind—thick, sour, almost tangible. He could feel it lingering in the corners of the room, clinging to the walls, crawling across the polished floor like smoke. For a long minute he simply breathed, steady and quiet, letting the silence settle around him. His body felt strangely light, as though the energy inside him was rearranging itself into something sharper, cleaner. The migration of that energy wasn’t violent—it was methodical, like gears aligning with new precision.He lifted his hand and turned it slowly, watching the faint shimmer pass beneath his skin. Not visible to the naked eye, but he felt it—a soft hum, like the vibration of a tuning fork deep inside his bones. His mind sharpened in response, vision narrowing and expanding all at once. When he closed his eyes, he could almost sense t

Leon barely felt the cold wind tearing across the ruined plateau as he stood facing the horizon, hands clasped behind his back, posture unshakably straight. The remnants of smoke from the collapsed citadel drifted upward like dark ribbons, dissolving into a storm-brewing sky. Behind him, the survivors of the clash—his forces, hybrid enclaves, liberated techborn cadres, and sworn Monarchists—waited in complete silence. No one dared step closer. No one dared interrupt the terrifying calm radiating off him.He wasn’t raging. He wasn’t wounded. He wasn’t trembling.He was calculating.His mind replayed the flash of betrayal, the stolen codes, the traitor who slipped away in the chaos. Every variable of the battlefield rearranged itself inside his skull like shifting celestial bodies. He could hear the echo of energy discharge, the screams, the moment the strike had split the earth. Reality itself trembled at what he might do next.His inner voice—usually a silent observer—stirred like a b

The storm eased by dawn, leaving the plateau drowned in silence and the metallic scent of rain-soaked steel. The sky burned with pale orange light, cutting through the last remnants of night, revealing soldiers moving with the strained tension of people who had not truly slept. Leon stood at the edge of the plateau, staring over the scattered encampments as though he could see beyond the horizon—beyond the Dominion—into the shadows where the Accord waited.He felt none of the exhaustion that gripped the others. If anything, he felt quieter inside. Sharper. As if the discovery of Rhys had carved clarity into him.Kael approached from behind, boots crunching through the wet gravel. “The traitor’s secured. Triple-layer hold field. No one’s getting to him.”Leon nodded. “Good.”Kael lingered. Not a man who hesitated often, but something weighed on him now. “I’ve seen a lot of enemies, Leon. Human, hybrid, machine. But Rhys…” His jaw tightened. “He believed what he said.”“Belief is easy t