Silence filled the council chamber; no one knew what to do.
Later — not in the village, but at the northern gates — the soldiers made a terrifying discovery.
They found footprints, but not of any ordinary animal. The tracks were massive, accompanied by claw marks, and signs of a violent battle near the collapse site. Yet, strangely, there was no blood — only strange scattered substances: one black, one white. Both had a bizarre texture, and when touched, they caused a burning, acidic reaction.
Tension rippled through the soldiers.
Captain Dwayne Sparkos stood silently, feeling as though unseen eyes were watching him.
Then his aide approached — Celestia Bank, a knight of the Emperor's Order of Honor Guards.
Despite her young age and high rank, she had never left Dwayne's side.
> Celestia: "What are these marks, sir? Things are getting stranger by the hour. We can't advance any deeper into the Forest of Blackness."
Dwayne: "Celestia, I'm losing my mind with every moment we stand here. We're on the border now — and the Empire of Town Dark won't stay silent about this collapse. They'll use it as a pretext to accuse us at the Palace of Unity."
Celestia: "We're facing more than one problem at once — the Palace of Unity, the border, and the Empire of Town Dark itself."
(Town Dark is the largest empire in the Northern Continent — its army is formidable, and it controls twelve subordinate villages. Its emperor, Flick Dweistorf, is the greatest rival and sworn enemy of Emperor Gristov Ford.)
Dwayne gave a bitter, mocking smile.
> Dwayne: "Don't forget this substance… by the honor of the Royal Guard, I swear — this is no coincidence."
He continued grimly,
"The Security Council won't believe what's happening here, because they don't see what we endure on the front lines."
Just then, a soldier rushed toward them, breathless, carrying a sealed message.
The letter stated:
> "The Empire of Town Dark considers the collapse of the northern border an insult and a violation. They will not remain silent — a squad of scouts and soldiers has already been dispatched to investigate and will report directly to the Palace of Unity."
(Note: The Palace of Unity is the meeting place of the three great empires of the Northern Continent.)
> Celestia (with visible fear and anxiety): "What shall we do, sir?"
The dread in her voice revealed that this was not merely about war — something far darker was looming on the horizon.
Dwayne held the message tightly, his eyes fixed on the dark forest ahead, unable to shake the feeling that something — or someone — was watching him.
–––
Meanwhile, in the Emperor's Palace, Emperor Gristov Ford stood on his balcony overlooking the capital.
It was late afternoon. The breeze was cold — yet it carried an unsettling stillness, as though whispering of unseen things.
He wondered to himself:
> "Is this the worst yet… or is something even darker still to come?"
He had no idea that a scouting party from Town Dark was already en route to the Palace of Unity.
Such actions meant only one thing — that the Empire was in turmoil, and that the Emperor's competence was being questioned.
He whispered aloud:
> "Freya… if you were here, what would you do? I dreamed of a world of light — but reality… is monstrous."
In his chamber, beside his bed, stood a black flower — but its darkness was unnatural, as if it fed without water, alive with some forbidden essence.
At that moment, a mysterious figure appeared — wearing a tattered cloak, looking like a beggar.
He carried a lantern glowing green, and descended the stairs beneath the palace.
He entered a hidden chamber, its door carved with symbols and runes — words that belonged to a world not of men.