The tribunal Army lead headquarters was calm, but it was the kind of calm that came from discipline, not peace.Inside the main command floor, officers moved between glowing screens, carrying reports from different bases across Verdanis. Maps covered the walls, showing supply routes, active battle zones, medical stations, and civilian shelters under Tribunal protection. Ethan Xavier stood near the central table, reading through a file with a silent frown on his face.“How many wounded men were moved out of the northern camp?” Ethan asked.A logistics officer straightened. “Three hundred and twelve, Master Ethan. They have been transferred to the medical wing in Avalora.”“What about their families, are they being taken care of?”“Compensation has started sir.”The officer sounded nervous while giving the answer.Tribunal soldiers had become fiercely loyal to Ethan because unlike most wartime leaders, he actually followed up on promises made to injured men and their families.That loya

“What the hell!”Ethan’s voice cut through the office, sharp and low. He stared at the tablet on his desk as if the information on it had insulted reason itself. For a moment, the completed oil deal, the business files, and the quiet satisfaction from his victory over Dale Truman all disappeared from his mind.Brigadier General Lorne stood before him, breathing hard. “Master Ethan, I know how it sounds.”“No,” Ethan said, lifting his eyes. “This is not supposed to be possible. Darius Herold knows the risks. His commanders know the risks. Even his engineers should know the risks of involving nuclear weapons in this civil war.”“They may know, sir,” Lorne replied. “That does not mean he is listening.”Ethan leaned back slowly, then stood. His chair moved against the floor with a soft scrape. “If Darius launches even one nuclear warhead, this civil war stops being Verdanis’s problem alone. Foreign powers will interfere. Neighboring states will panic. Markets will collapse. Refugees will

Marcus Herold’s fingers remained tight around the cover of Empire of Ashes and Kings.“What exactly has my son done?” he asked.Ethan did not answer immediately. He watched Marcus carefully, studying the old commander’s face. The man still carried pride, even in prison clothing. His body was locked inside the Tribunal Correctional Centre, but his mind had not surrendered.“Your son has activated a nuclear project codenamed project Thunderfall,” Ethan said.Marcus stared at him.The confidence on Marcus's face weakened slightly.Not because he believed Ethan immediately.But because Ethan was not a man known for inventing stories.If he had walked into a high-security prison to discuss Darius, then something serious had already happened.Marcus felt the first unpleasant stirrings of doubt.Lorne remained near the door, silent but tense.Ethan continued, “He intends to use nuclear weapons against Tribunal positions because he is losing the civil war.”Marcus blinked once, then leaned ba

Darius Herold stared at his personal assistant as if the man had brought a ghost into the room.“Your father, Marcus Herold,” the assistant repeated carefully.The command office became painfully quiet. The screens on the wall still showed crowded highways, foreign warnings, refugee movement, and news anchors discussing Project Thunderfall with fear in their eyes. Yet none of that held Darius’s attention now.He placed the secure telephone down slowly.“Put him on,” Darius said.The assistant nodded quickly. “Yes, General.”He set the communication tablet on the table before Darius and entered the access code. A loading symbol appeared on the screen. Around the room, officers lowered their voices and stepped back. Nobody wanted to seem too interested, but everyone wanted to hear.The screen flickered once.Then Marcus Herold appeared.He sat inside a controlled chamber, dressed in prison clothing, but his posture was still straight. His grey hair was neat. His face looked older than D

Marcus Herold looked like a man who had just been buried while still breathing.The dark tablet remained in his hand, but his fingers had lost their strength. The screen showed nothing now. No image. No signal. No son. Only his own faint reflection staring back at him from the glass.Ethan Xavier stood a few steps away, silent.For some time, Marcus said nothing. His chest rose and fell slowly. The prison chamber was cold, but sweat had gathered around his forehead.“He was ready to kill me,” Marcus said at last.Ethan did not answer.Marcus turned slightly, his eyes still fixed on the tablet. “My own son. The boy I protected from every enemy I had. The boy I raised like my last hope.”Ethan’s face remained calm, but his eyes carried disappointment. “He has stopped seeing people, Marcus. He only sees targets.”Marcus swallowed hard. “No. He only sees himself.”The words came out weak, but they hurt him more than any weapon could. He lowered the tablet slowly and placed it on the metal