The caravan crossed the final hills before the imperial capital without announcing their arrival.
The banners of the Kingdom and the Empire flew in tatters, covered in frost. The six Heroes marched at the front in silence, while the few soldiers who remained could barely keep pace. The walls emerged before them like gray giants, covered in glowing runes that pulsed beneath the overwhelming saturation of mana.
There was no music.
No welcoming fanfare.
Only the sound of boots sinking into the snow.
When they passed through the gates, the entire city seemed to come to a standstill.
The citizens watched them from suspended balconies and streets illuminated by arcane filaments, their faces filled with questions none of the Heroes could answer.
Kara walked with her head lowered.
Emily held a fractured amulet between her hands, the last possession of a fallen soldier.
Leonardo carried the shattered shield of an imperial legion.
Cael and Miriel, the two Heroes of the Empire, walked tensely, their hands slightly open by instinct, prepared for an attack that would never come.
Alejandro, on the other hand, seemed to be burning from within.
His breathing was heavy, and his clothes were covered in snow and dried blood.
But what drew the most attention was the Sword of Solaris.
It hung from his waist without emitting the slightest glimmer.
The sword was exhausted.
Asleep.
A murmur began to spread through the crowd.
"Where are the legions?"
"Why did so few return?"
"And the creature…?"
No one dared finish the question.
The four Heroes of the Kingdom were unknown to most of the capital's inhabitants, and precisely because of that, they were even more unsettling.
They had left accompanying an army.
Now they were returning with only a fraction of those men…
And they had failed.
The six were taken directly to the Grand Temple of Kaenria instead of the palace.
The white structure rose in several levels suspended in the air, with fractured columns held together by currents of mana and platforms floating like leaves upon an invisible river.
And there they were.
The Heralds.
Three figures stood at the far end of the temple.
Their mere presence seemed to distort the air. Mana rippled around their bodies in barely visible halos, yet the sensation was almost unbearable for anyone who had not received a divine blessing.
The pressure was immediate as they entered.
Breathing became heavier.
The air seemed to thicken.
Cael and Miriel immediately dropped to their knees.
"Herald Aster," Cael greeted him. "We have returned with information about the Frostblight."
The white-robed Herald inclined his head slightly.
His sunken eyes glowed with an unnatural light.
"And with fewer soldiers than you left with."
His voice sounded strange—human, yet carrying a distant echo.
"A considerable loss."
Alejandro stepped forward.
"The creature was more intelligent than expected. And much stronger. But it isn't invincible."
The blue-robed Herald turned his attention toward him.
He studied him for several seconds, as though trying to examine something the others could not see.
"Are you Alejandro?"
"Yes."
"I can sense a divine blessing within you."
His eyes traveled over the young man's body.
"I expected more."
Alejandro raised an eyebrow slightly.
The comment did not seem to bother him. In fact, a faint smile appeared on his face, though it vanished almost as quickly as it had appeared.
Leonardo remained motionless.
Emily felt a chill run down her spine.
There was something different about these men.
The Herald of Light had always been kind to them.
But these three showed no such consideration.
Then the golden Herald, the most imposing of them all, spoke.
"These are the four Heroes of the Kingdom."
Cael and Miriel remained silent as the report began.
They spoke of the creature.
The pursuit.
The attacks.
The beast's unexpected resistance.
And, finally, the retreat.
They had failed to kill it.
When they finished, the Heralds exchanged a glance and led them toward the throne room.
Naira was waiting for them.
Seated upon her throne, she kept her back straight and her expression composed.
At first glance, nothing about the Empress appeared to have changed.
But her eyes revealed that she had heard every word of the report.
The golden Herald spoke without bowing.
"The threat remains active."
Naira rested one hand on the arm of her throne.
"I know."
"We need to reinforce the affected areas."
"And how many men do you intend to send?"
"Enough."
"That was not my question," Naira replied softly.
The Herald remained silent for a moment.
"The available forces will be mobilized."
Naira narrowed her eyes slightly.
She already knew this game.
They did not want to discuss numbers.
They wanted her to place more soldiers at the temples' disposal.
Herald Aster stepped forward.
"The priority is containing the Frostblight."
"The priority," Naira replied with calm firmness, "is preventing another legion from disappearing."
No one answered.
Naira lowered her gaze toward the Heroes.
Their ruined clothing.
Their wounds.
The broken shield Leonardo still carried.
Alejandro's extinguished sword.
They had returned alive.
But they had left too many men behind.
Aster spoke again.
"The Heroes have been blessed to face threats like this. They must continue. Creatures beyond the capabilities of conventional forces must be confronted by those who possess divine blessings."
The message was clear.
The Heralds wanted the Heroes to keep fighting while imperial soldiers held the front lines as cannon fodder.
Naira watched them from her throne.
When her eyes met Alejandro's, it lasted only an instant.
But something changed inside the young man.
He felt a slight tremor in his chest.
And a thought entered his mind without permission.
"The Empress should not be beyond my reach… After all, I am one of the chosen too."
The thought felt strange.
Dangerous.
He tried to push it away, but he couldn't.
Something inside him was twisting.
"Your Majesty," Aster insisted. "The situation is urgent."
Alejandro opened his mouth, probably about to demand greater support or intervention.
Emily gently squeezed his hand.
"No," she whispered.
Alejandro looked at her.
He closed his mouth.
And for the first time, he obeyed without arguing.
Naira raised a hand, silencing the room.
"Failure is not a crime."
Her gaze swept over the six young people.
"But losing my men like this is."
A pause.
"Tomorrow, I will speak with my generals. For now, you are dismissed."
The Heralds remained motionless for several seconds before turning away.
The Heroes followed them.
As they crossed the doors of the hall, General Valmont was waiting.
His gaze swept over the torn banners, the unlit sword, and the shattered shield.
"Those bastards…" he muttered through clenched teeth. "We lost an entire legion. The other can barely keep fighting."
Naira stepped out of the hall.
Valmont bowed.
"Your Majesty…"
"The Heroes inspire hope," Naira murmured, watching the young people disappear down the corridor. "But every time we send them against something our troops cannot face, someone has to hold the line."
She paused.
"And it is our soldiers who pay the price."
Valmont remained silent.
Naira turned her gaze toward him.
"Princess Elizabeth has settled in already, hasn't she?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Then we will speak with her tomorrow."
Her eyes hardened slightly.
"I need the Kingdom to march with us."
Naira did not want another imperial legion destroyed.
But neither did she intend to ask the Kingdom to surrender its troops without getting something in return.
The real game had only just begun.