Helios sat tensely in his office, the weight of grim news bearing heavily upon him. His once bright complexion darkened with concern and worry as the council prepared for yet another meeting on the looming war.
"Your Majesty, we must act swiftly!" Rudolf urged, his voice edged with urgency. "What if they strike before we're ready? We can't afford to be caught off guard."
Helios remained silent for a long moment, his gaze distant. Finally, he spoke. "We cannot act rashly."
The Grand Alchemist nodded in agreement. "Our children are in that land. Any attack could put their lives at risk."
Rudolf, desperate for a solution, pressed further. "Then why don't we open a portal to bring them back?"
The room fell silent, the suggestion met with disbelief. The others exchanged glances, their disapproval clear.
Helios broke the silence, his voice firm. "We cannot endanger the lives of our people just to save our own kin."
"But my king!" Rudolf's frustration boiled over. "What if it's already too late? What if our children are held hostage? Will you bear the consequences if they're killed?"
"RUDOLF!" Helios roared, slamming his fist on the desk, his anger palpable.
Rudolf fell silent, his face burning with humiliation.
Helios, still fuming, took a deep breath. "Let them reach the safe zone. Once we receive word from the Alchemists, we will act. This discussion is over."
Dismissed, Rudolf left the chamber, his mind racing. He made his way to the forbidden forest behind the palace, ensuring no one followed him as he navigated the dense woods.
At last, he reached the clearing—the very place where Helios had once struck a deal with Cornelius to secure Luciana's safety. Rudolf muttered to himself bitterly, "He made a pact with that alchemist and sent Octavius into their den without consulting me."
His eyes found the peculiar pair of trees standing parallel to one another. "There it is." Pulling out a piece of parchment, he began reciting an incantation.
The portal responded immediately, glowing a bluish-white as his voice echoed through the trees. But just as he neared the final words, the portal began to crackle violently.
"Sparks? No!" Rudolf's heart raced as the portal shifted to an ominous red, tendrils of lightning lashing out. He quickly checked the parchment. "I misspoke!"
Before he could react, a massive second-category demonic beast burst from the portal, its fangs gleaming, fur bristling like needles as it inhaled the pure energy of Amanécer. Rudolf drew his gladius and, with a swift strike, felled the creature before it could reach him. Its dying screech was deafening.
But it wasn't alone.
More creatures surged through the portal, a relentless tide of demonic beasts. Panic flooded Rudolf as he realized the gravity of his mistake. "Helios... will never forgive me," he whispered in despair. "Aurora... Odette... what have I done?"
The creatures poured forth in an unstoppable wave, spreading chaos through the forest. Rudolf cut through several, but there was no end in sight. He had no means to seal the portal.
"The Alchemists!" he gasped, turning toward the palace. "I have to warn Helios!"
As he fought his way through the woods, a third-category beast attacked, its claws tearing into his back. He cried out in agony but managed to summon holy flames, incinerating the creature and those around it. Despite his injuries, he pressed on, stumbling through the forest as more beasts emerged.
At the edge of the woods, he finally reached the guards. "Deploy forces! Prepare to fight!" he shouted.
One guard took flight with the message, but before Rudolf could draw breath, a demonic beast leaped from the shadows, clawing the man from the sky. The guard's screams were cut short as the beasts devoured him, leaving the remaining soldiers frozen in terror.
The battle had already begun.
"Send forh another messenger. Hurry!" He cried out in desperation.
This time two soldiers were sent to deliver his message to Helios.
Far off in the distance the Grandmaster along with Canute felt something following them.
They turned twice to confirm.
But found nothing.
A dark presence caught up with them and shot them with a fireball.
The Grandmaster swiftly counterattacked with his lightning wasps. Their clash exploded in fierce burst, scattering them through the air. Below, darkness swallowed any trace of of his father.
"Father!" Canute called, but his voice echoed unanswered.
Determined, he descended, only to be ambushed by a demonic creature that seized him in its claws.
Struggling against his grip he managed a desperate stab to its eyes, freeing himself.
Panting, he took in his surroundings.
"Too close." He breathed, steadying himself realizing the urgency, he prioritized informing the Alchemist tower of the relentless wave of demons before resuming his search.
Meanwhile, in the imperial palace, Aria's maids were helping her bathe.
A faint tremor sent ripples through the water and rattled the glass windows.
"What's going on outside?" Aria asked concerned.
One of her maids approached the window to look outside, her face paling. She gasped, and in a blur, a massive bat-like demon shattered through the glass, gripping her in its claws. The creature tore into her mercilessly, devouring her in a gruesome display as the others screamed and fled in terror. Aria horrified, crept out of the bath, trembling.
The demon as large as an adult, shrieked in a high pitched squeal slicing through the air, deafening the ears.
It lunged at another wailing maid dragging her down to the same grisly fate.
Paralysed, Aria watched in shock, the beast turned its gaze towards her, sniffing the air crawling towards her. She curled in fear, and soon the beast turned around and darted away.
A chilling realization sank in, though she was too shalen to understand why it had spared just her. She scrambled to dress up before she got attacked again, her hands still shaking.
"What's happening?" She whispered to herself, her voice audible to herself.
"Did the barrier break?"
She suddenly worried about her family.
"Avlynn... Melody....father!" She gasped.
" They're in danger."