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Chapter 15: Dawn and Dissent
The kingdom's capital trembled under the weight of spectacle once again.
The King had summoned the empire's greatest knights and mages to the training coliseum, not for celebration — but for judgment. His command was clear: test Fiona. Measure her strength. Remind the world that the royal line still ruled unchallenged.
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Fiona — The Dawn Unleashed
The first challenger, a fourth-order knight, charged at her with blade raised high, aura blazing. Fiona met him with a single step, her strike swift as sunrise. His armor shattered, his body slammed against the far wall, unconscious before he touched the ground.
Gasps rippled through the stands.
The second challenger, a fifth-order mage, rained fire from above. Fiona raised her hand, and golden light erupted around her. The flames bent, broke, and dispersed like smoke. With one precise thrust of her blade, the mage collapsed in defeat.
The third, the fourth, the fifth — all fell. None lasted longer than three moves.
By the tenth, silence replaced cheers. By the twentieth, even the boldest knights refused to step forward.
The King rose from his throne, pride burning in his eyes.
"Behold my daughter. Fiona, the Knight of Dawn — heir to the future. Let the world remember that the blood of kings cannot be defied."
Fiona knelt before him, her voice unwavering.
"As long as I breathe, Father, the throne shall never falter."
The court erupted into loyal cheers. None dared whisper of Dick's fall now. Fiona had erased all doubt.
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Malik — The Storm Sharpens
Far from the coliseum, Malik trained in the depths of the academy grounds. Lightning split the earth around him, the virus twisting his form in brutal, efficient bursts of power.
Crimson Terror's voice barked from the shadows.
"Faster! If you hesitate, you die. If you fear, you break. AGAIN!"
Malik blurred forward, body vibrating with unnatural speed, every strike carving trenches into the stone. His body screamed, his lungs burned — but the Speed Force hummed louder, clearer.
He collapsed, panting, his vision flickering between the present and flashes of futures untold.
The Principal's calm voice cut through the haze.
"You are beginning to hear its rhythm. Do not drown in it. Guide it. Master it. Or it will consume you."
Malik's lips curled into a grim smile.
"…Then I'll consume it first."
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Nabila — The Silent Struggle
That night, in her chambers, Nabila met with Nyx in secret.
Nyx's crimson eyes studied her calmly. "You've grown stronger. But strength without conviction will break against the King's will."
Nabila clenched her fists. "I can't fight him. Not yet. But I won't be his pawn. Not like Fiona. Not like Dick."
Nyx tilted her head, a faint smirk touching her lips. "Good. Then grip your fate, girl. Because one day soon, you'll need to choose — sister, lover, or kingdom. And you can't save them all."
Nabila's heart trembled. She thought of Najima's broken eyes, of Malik's storm, of Fiona's radiant blade.
She whispered, more to herself than to Nyx.
"…I will not be chained."
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The King — The Dawn Crowned
In the palace, the King stood upon his balcony, watching the torches of the capital below.
His fury at Dick's fall had not lessened, but Fiona's return dulled the wound. She was not merely loyal — she was absolute. Unlike Najima's shadow or Nabila's quiet defiance, Fiona was his creation perfected.
"The Dawn will erase the Chaos," he murmured, his voice heavy with certainty.
And for the first time in weeks, the King allowed himself to smile.
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