Kaelthas raised his hands, and the darkness around him coalesced into form.It happened in an instant—faster than any summoning Lex had seen before. The shadows twisted, stretched, and solidified into a massive skeleton warrior. It stood twice as tall as a man, its bones gleaming with an unnatural sheen, empty eye sockets burning with violet fire. In its hands, it held a sword as large as the one the younger man in red had carried, but this one was made of darkness given form.It wasn't fast. That was immediately clear. The skeleton moved with the deliberate, unstoppable pace of a glacier. But it was powerful, impossibly powerful. When it swung its sword, the ground where it struck didn't just crack; it dissolved, turning to dust on contact.And it had a purpose.It ignored Lex and Vex completely. Instead, it turned toward the other knights—Cedric and the six remaining Aurelians. Its massive blade swung in a slow arc, forcing them to scatter."Now we can fight properly," Kaelthas said

Before they could even think about heading home, there was work to do.The surviving knights moved through the compound like ghosts, gathering their fallen comrades. They found cloth—torn curtains from ruined buildings, abandoned cloaks, anything they could use—and wrapped each body with care. No one spoke. No one had to. They worked in silence, side by side, honoring men who had been laughing around a fire just days ago.Thirteen bodies.They built stretchers from branches and rope, laying their wrapped comrades side by side. Eight survivors carried thirteen dead. The math was brutal, but no one complained. They took turns, switching when arms gave out, always moving forward.The journey back was lifeless.No one spoke. No one celebrated that some of them had survived. What was there to celebrate? They had won, technically. The smiling man was ash. But thirteen families would never see their sons again. Thirteen sets of parents would receive the worst news of their lives. Some childr

Lex turned to the princess, genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be up there with your father and the other royals?"Lyra shrugged, pulling her knees up and wrapping her arms around them. "Not really my thing. Sad events, crying people, long speeches about honor and sacrifice." She made a face. "I don't like sad things. Never have."Lex nodded slowly. He understood that better than she knew. In his old world, he'd avoided anything remotely unpleasant—sad movies, charity events, funerals. He'd paid people to handle emotions so he wouldn't have to feel them."So," Lyra continued, her tone shifting to something more curious, "I heard you joined the hunting team. What actually happened out there? And what's this about the Heartland warriors leaving early?"Lex kept his eyes on the distant ceremony. "The fallen knights did all the fighting. The survivors too. I just... watched from the sidelines mostly."Lyra studied him. He could feel her gaze on his face, searchin

Lex stormed into the inn like a man on a mission, his face still flushed with irritation. He was pissed. He was famished. And he was still muttering under his breath about being called a "stupid commoner" by some pretty boy with too many bodyguards."Borin! Food! Now!" He slammed himself onto his usual chair like he owned the place.Borin, long accustomed to Lex's moods, didn't even blink. He just nodded toward the kitchen, and moments later Yorn emerged with a steaming plate of stew and bread. She set it in front of Lex with a knowing smile."Rough day?" she asked.Lex grunted, already shoveling food into his mouth.The door to the kitchen swung open, and Lysandra emerged. She paused, sniffed the air dramatically, and wrinkled her nose."Something smells disgusting in here," she announced to no one in particular. "That's why I came out. The kitchen odor is better than whatever that is."Lex ignored her, focusing on his food. The stew was good. The bread was fresh. He wasn't going to

Lex burst through the inn door like a man possessed, his chest heaving from the sprint across town. Borin looked up from wiping a mug, his eyebrow rising at the urgency."Where is she?" Lex demanded.Borin pointed toward the stairs. "Your room. Been up there all afternoon. What's got into—"Lex didn't wait to hear the rest. He took the stairs three at a time and slammed open his door.Lysandra was at the window, peeking through the curtain at the street below. She spun around, her face shifting from surprise to irritation in record time."Do you mind?! In some places, people actually knock before—"Lex grabbed her wrist and pulled. She stumbled, yelped, and found herself thrown onto the bed, bouncing once before scrambling backward against the headboard like a cornered animal."What the hell is wrong with you?!" she shrieked.Lex didn't answer. He reached into his pocket, pulled out his pen, and clicked it. Light swirled, and suddenly there was a sword in his hand—gleaming, sharp, and