Night! Late at night!
On a terrace in Stormwind Keep, King Llane Wrynn gazes up at the stars.
In the depths of space, several stars that usually shine brilliantly are intermingling with the light of a rising crimson demon star, as if engaged in a fierce battle.
Suddenly, the shadow of the demon star easily covers the other stars, rendering them dim and lifeless.
One, two, six shooting stars streak across Llane's field of vision, then disappear forever into the infinite darkness.
Even the bright star that has guarded the world of Azeroth for thousands of years has grown dim.
This has made Llane feel incredibly depressed.
Anduin Lothar appears next to Llane at some point.
"Llane, what are you thinking about?" When they're alone, Anduin is not Llane's subject, but rather his friend of thirty years.
"Anduin, I'm wondering whether our decades-long friendship with Medivh was just an illusion? Why did he do what he did? If he really wanted this kingdom, I would have considered giving it to him. Why? Why? Why!?"
Lothar always remembers his duty.
Before being Medivh's friend, he is Llane's most loyal subject. So when Medivh acted strangely, Lothar was the first to be on guard.
But now that Medivh has openly rebelled and everything is confirmed, Lothar feels a bit relieved. This allows him to console Llane as a friend.
"Either our eyes were blind, or Medivh deceived the whole world for decades, or..." At this point, Anduin intentionally stops.
"Or what?" Llane anxiously asks.
"Or our old friend's soul has been replaced by another." Anduin spreads his hands and expLlanes, "I'm very sensitive to people's feelings. As you know, this world is never short of corporeal ghosts. Over in Duskwood, I receive reports of sightings every day, so maybe..."
Llane heaves a sigh of relief and pats Anduin's shoulder. "Old friend, whether you're trying to console me or make a hypothesis, at least I feel much better now."
Yes, recent events have made Llane feel like the world is about to collapse.
The orc invasion is raging like a wildfire, and half of Stormwind's territory has already fallen. The only areas that the Kingdom of Stormwind can still control are half of Elwynn Forest and half of Duskwood, plus the Western Wilderness and the mountains are almost cut off from communication.
Now that the Guardian of the world, Medivh, has also turned traitor, as the strongest mage in the world, who knows who can still deal with him.
The stars seem dim. Is the world coming to an end?" murmured Llane.
Anduin pointed to the sky and said with a bold voice, "Look, Llane. The stars in the sky are shining brightly. However, some stars in the constellation will become brighter while others will become dimmer and eventually fall. Don't you think it's like the light of our mortal world? Night will always come, but it will also pass. Look, isn't there a new star rising on the horizon?"
Llane also noticed a dazzling new star in the western sky that he had never seen before, emitting a brilliant light.
"Ah! Indeed," Llane suddenly felt much better.
"That's right, Llane! We may have lost an old friend, but we still have the hope of stars like Duke, don't we? We must look ahead in life."
"You're right," Llane paused and said to Anduin, "Let's call Markus to Stormwind Keep tomorrow. I think we should hear his and his teacher's opinions."
Lothar pondered for a moment and nodded.
Not just Duke, but his 'teacher' is also exceptionally mysterious. After saving the remnants of the Gryphon Legion and winning the Battle of the Riverbank, Lothar returned only to find that the 'Hundred-Handed Death God' had disappeared. He left a cryptic message for several injured soldiers, saying, "When you need me, go find Duke. I will come if I have the time," and then ran away.
The next day, Llane summoned Duke.
This was a very private meeting room, with only Llane, Anduin, and Duke present.
There were no luxurious decorations, no excessive decorations, not even a throne. There were only a few simple pieces of furniture and furnishings, as well as a cup of rich red tea. Llane sat in a chair identical to the one Duke was sitting on.
After a few months, Duke had grown taller, but he did not keep a beard like the others in Stormwind. He still shaved regularly.
"Hello, Your Majesty. May I ask if you are summoning me or my master?" Duke got straight to the point.
"Is there a difference?" Llane tilted her head curiously.
Sure, if you're looking for my master, then I can go back because I can't find him either. He said he had to deal with something that could affect the survival of all of Azeroth, but I don't know what it is." Duke cut off the conversation before it could go any further.
It's okay to pretend to be an old man once in a while, but if you overdo it, you'll get caught and be seen as a fool.
Layne laughed, "Can you truly tell me that you Duke Marcus and your mysterious teacher are the kingdom's ally, not a threat in disguise?"
"Your Highness, you can understand it that way," Duke said calmly, taking a sip of his strong, fragrant tea. After traveling through space and time, Duke has adapted to drinking tea as his preferred beverage.
"So, how much can I trust you? Anduin always says that you may know a lot, but you won't tell anyone," Layne asked, not interrogating. He stretched his body lightly, observing Duke's behavior to determine how much trust he should place in him.
Anduin interjected, "Since the day Medivh offered the Black Hourglass, I've had a feeling that you knew a lot. Sorry, it's just an unfounded intuition. But I hope you understand that many leaders have to rely on their instincts when they can't find concrete evidence."
Duke knew that Layne and Anduin were pressing him to come clean.
This was a turning point. Of course, he could continue to be mysterious, but in the face of Medivh's betrayal, they would find it harder to trust outsiders. If that happened, history could repeat itself.
Duke decided to be partially honest.
"Because no one would believe me when I spoke the truth. The only time I told the truth, everyone thought I was crazy, even you, Your Highness, would treat me coldly even though you're wise." Duke was decisive and made Layne blush.
"What exactly did you see?"
"To be honest, I saw something before the Black Hourglass. The first time I saw Medivh, I sensed a strong demonic presence in him, it's a talent I have, I'm very sensitive to demons."