The storm had finally passed.The air above the citadel was still charged with the echo of battle, yet the night sky stretched wide and clear—painted in calm shades of violet and blue. The golden-blue squares that covered the terrace were glowing faintly, their rhythmic pulses syncing with the heartbeat of the entire fortress.It was the quietest the city had been in days. The silence felt heavy—not peaceful, but watchful, like the calm between two waves.Ryu lay in the center of the terrace, unconscious, his glove dim and motionless. The faint silver lines that usually danced around his wrist were barely visible now. His chest rose and fell slowly, each breath deep and controlled, as though even in rest, his body refused to yield.Lyra stood near him, watching the horizon. The faint wind brushed through her hair, and the daggers at her side glimmered under the moonlight. Her eyes were sharp but distant, searching the skyline for something that wasn’t there.Kael was kneeling near the

The wind howled through the half-broken windows of the eastern wing, carrying with it fragments of ash and faint golden motes of energy that floated like fireflies in a dark storm. The castle—once alive with banners and light—now flickered between reality and glitching distortion. The aftermath of the last confrontation had left the entire structure trembling.Ryu was still recovering. He had been moved from the terrace to the inner sanctum, where the blue luminescent seal under his body pulsed rhythmically, keeping his system stable. His calm face still carried the mark of exhaustion, yet that faint peaceful smile didn’t fade. Even unconscious, it was as though he was aware of his team still holding their line.Lyra leaned against the doorframe, one dagger resting loosely in her hand, the blade humming faintly. Her eyes were fixed on the fading horizon visible through the fractured glass. Beside her, Kael sat silently, his shield resting against his leg, its golden surface dimmed but

The night had deepened over the merged world, but the air above the central city was far from quiet. The terraces, towers, and reconstructed streets glowed faintly with threads of golden-blue light—Ryu’s system still breathing, still pulsing. Yet somewhere beyond that light, in the corners of the sky, dark patches were silently expanding like cracks in glass.Lyra stood at the highest terrace, daggers twirling between her fingers. Her eyes traced those cracks as if reading a coded message written across the stars. “Kael,” she called out, her tone half teasing but edged with unease, “the sky’s starting to look like a bad omen again.”Kael, standing beside the parapet with his shield resting against his shoulder, replied in a steady tone. “It’s not just the sky. The energy fields are unstable. Elira says the healing network’s pulse is slowing. Something’s draining the squares.”Elira, who was kneeling beside a glowing console at the center of the terrace, raised her gaze. Her usually ge

The ground of the terrace was shaking. Golden-blue threads were pulsing aggressively now, and around the cloaked figure, a black glitching aura had turned into a dense storm.Ryu stood fully in an active stance, his glove blazing with light that reflected his authority and determination.Lyra spun her daggers, ready to strike, Kael raised his shield in a tense stance, and Elira, standing in the healer zone, gave updates in a tense but focused tone.Ryu’s breathing was steady and powerful, filled with a calm resolve.“The clash of rules begins… on the definition of trust.”The cloaked figure tilted his head slowly, his voice cold yet amused.“It won’t just be a clash of rules. This is a new system test—your trust system versus my control framework.”Lyra grinned, daggers gleaming.“The King taught us how to move. Now we’ll write our own rules.”---From the terrace floor, a series of black glitching pulses shot upward—each forming invisible barriers that blocked the golden squares.Ryu

The first light of morning began to fall across the terrace. After the intense clash of the night before, the golden-blue squares were now glowing in a calm, stable light, and there was a new sense of determination in the air. Ryu stood calmly at the center of the terrace, his glove glowing faintly but steadily, as if his trust system was ready to write a new strategy.Lyra stood at the parapet, spinning her daggers, her grin still confident.“King, your trust wave healed the entire city in one night. People are chanting your name. You’re impossible.”Kael rested his shield near the terrace edge, speaking in a serious but calm tone.“Ryu, this is a temporary victory. After the cloaked figure’s warning, the next board will be far more dangerous.”Elira walked onto the terrace from the healer tents, her soft, warm tone gently worried.“Ryu… your trust is our shield, but we will need new pieces. Your board is going to grow larger.”Ryu looked toward the bright squares on the terrace, his