Point of View: Lysera
I am alone in my castle.
The Kingdom of Nightmares never sleeps, yet at the highest peak of my fortress, there is only silence. Torches cast twisted shadows across the black stone walls, as though the very structure breathes.
I sit upon my throne.
A glass of dark wine rests in my hand.
The Guardian's words echo endlessly in my mind.
Three days.
Three days, and I still cannot calm myself.
My race is cruel.
We are arrogant.
We rule through power and crush the weak without remorse.
It has always been that way.
We even rejected the common titles of Ascension. Share ranks with other races? Unacceptable.
We forged our own.
Servant — Mortal.
Voracious — Ascended Level 1.
Baron — Level 2.
Viscount — Level 3.
Count — Level 4.
Marquis — Level 5.
Duke — Level 6.
Archduke — Level 7.
Prince — Level 8.
King — Level 9.
And above them all…
The Emperor.
The strongest King.
Our absolute sovereign.
I tightened my grip on the glass.
"I thought I would be the next Empress…"
I was the first to ascend to Baroness.
The first to gain true intelligence.
The first to dominate.
I was always ahead.
Always superior.
But now…
The Guardian tells me I will be replaced.
That new Barons will emerge.
That one of them will surpass me.
The glass shattered against the floor.
Dark wine spread like blood across the stone.
"You're telling me I will be ruled by others?"
Unacceptable.
Our kingdom is vast.
As vast as the planet Genesis.
Abominations can naturally cross the veil between worlds. They can hide. Grow in the shadows. Wait.
I cannot kill them all.
One will survive.
One will ascend.
One will come for my head.
I clenched my teeth.
"Guardian… you know this."
You know I will never refuse your offer.
You know I will never accept subordination.
And yet you make me wait a week.
Cruel.
You enjoy this.
A crooked smile curved across my lips.
"There can only be one Empress."
My eyes gleamed with absolute coldness.
"And that is me."
If I must shatter limits…
If I must defy the order imposed by the universe…
I will.
I was not born to kneel.
Point of View: Sylvanas
Tomorrow is the day.
I have not been able to sleep.
My thoughts return again and again to the Guardian's offer.
Ascend.
Break limits.
Live longer.
Watch the others die.
I shook my head and entered Eldrin's office.
He welcomed me with a calm smile.
"Hello, Sylvanas. Come in."
I closed the door behind me.
"Do you need something?"
"Not me," he replied. "You do."
I froze.
"How…?"
He stood and walked toward the window.
"Come."
I stepped beside him. From there, Arcadia stretched peacefully below us—warm lights, orderly streets, life.
"Sylvanas," he said gently, "I know something is troubling you, and you cannot speak about it."
"How do you know?"
He smiled faintly.
"I am a politician. My profession enhances my intelligence and makes me sensitive to the emotions of others."
I remained silent.
"I'll tell you my hypothesis," he continued. "On the day of the festival, the Guardian called you."
I did not react.
"We always believed Ascension was natural," he said. "But what if it isn't?"
My hands tightened.
"If what we consider normal isn't normal… then we are in a complicated situation."
He looked directly at me.
"I believe the Guardian is trying to manipulate us."
"Manipulate us?"
He nodded.
"Two years ago, at that meeting, he invited the leader of every race… but also two Primordials."
"I was the strongest," I replied. "And you were our leader."
"So I thought," he said quietly. "But I noticed something. The other leaders did not look at me. Only you… and the Guardian."
He gestured slightly toward me.
"The other races recognize only combat power. They do not consider me worthy of attention."
I frowned.
"Do not give them importance."
He shook his head calmly.
"It isn't pride. It's a pattern. The Guardian wanted me to notice."
I said nothing.
"He could have contacted you anywhere during the festival," Eldrin continued. "But he chose a place where I could see you."
My heart skipped.
He was right.
"He wants me to feel vulnerable," he said. "To believe we need someone stronger to protect us."
His words were sharp and clear.
"And the worst part," he added, "is that he is probably correct."
Silence weighed heavily between us.
"But there is something he does not understand," Eldrin said at last.
I looked at him.
"For us, power is not ambition. It is protection. If you continue ascending… you will live longer. And you will watch those you love die."
That was what I feared most.
Eldrin's gaze hardened with resolve.
"You are my best friend. I will not allow you to be manipulated into carrying that burden alone."
A knot tightened in my chest.
After a long moment of silence—
"I have to accept," I finally said. "If we become weak, other races may invade Arcadia."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"If that is your decision… then you will not walk that path alone."
He stepped away from the window.
"I will create a new department. I will call it Pillars."
"Pillars?"
"Yes. I will remove you from the council and place you in command. You will gather others willing to walk that path with you. Arcadia will invest all its resources into you."
I stared at him in surprise.
"We will use the Guardian just as he attempts to use us."
His eyes shone with determination.
"Never forget this, Sylvanas… Primordials never fight alone."
A small smile formed on my lips.
"Do I have a choice?"
"It's an order," he replied with feigned severity.
He raised his fist.
"All for one…"
I bumped mine against his.
"And one for all."
Together, we said:
"Primordials never fight alone."
We laughed.
But when I left his office and the door closed behind me…
My smile faded.
Tomorrow I will take a step from which there is no return.
And even if I will not be alone…
The path that begins tomorrow…