the war approaches(1)

The luxurious chamber was dimly lit, illuminated only by the flickering flames of enchanted lanterns. The scent of rare incense filled the air, blending with the faint metallic tang of blood from a freshly executed servant lying lifeless in the corner. Lisa sat in a velvet chair, her fingers lazily twirling a strand of her golden hair.

Everything was perfect.

She had won.

Dakota was nothing more than a lingering nuisance, a remnant of a past she had already crushed beneath her heel. The world was moving according to her family's design. Soon, the war would begin, and she would claim victory once again.

And yet—

Something was wrong.

Lisa's eyes snapped open. A sharp, twisting sensation ran through her chest, an unnatural pulse of energy that made her stomach churn.

No. This wasn't normal. This wasn't supposed to happen.

She bolted up from her seat, startling the two guards stationed near the doors. Her parents had to know. She had to tell them—immediately.

Without hesitation, she stormed down the marble corridors, her footsteps echoing like the tolling of a funeral bell.

Lisa burst into the grand hall, her chest heaving.

Blazer, Fiona, and her parents—Lord Darius and Lady Vivian—were seated around an intricate war table, studying the strategies for the upcoming battle. At her sudden arrival, they turned to her, their expressions puzzled.

Darius (raising an eyebrow):

"Lisa, what are you doing? Why are you acting so strange?"

Vivian (frowning):

"Have you lost your composure? That's unlike you."

Blazer leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his piercing eyes observing Lisa with mild curiosity. Fianna, on the other hand, barely looked up, her fingers drumming against the table in boredom.

Lisa clenched her fists. Her entire body was trembling—not out of fear, but out of the sheer weight of the revelation she had just realized.

Lisa (voice sharp, urgent):

"Look, I had a feeling. A terrible feeling."

Blazer scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Blazer (mocking):

"Oh, a feeling? How enlightening. Do share, Lisa, since apparently, the great tactician is now relying on instinct rather than logic."

Lisa ignored the sarcasm, her voice growing even more intense.

Lisa:

"Lucas. Ava. Liam. Mia."

The room tensed.

Lisa:

"They got their memories back."

Silence.

The tension in the air thickened like a noose tightening around their throats.

Darius' eyes widened slightly—an expression he rarely showed. Vivian's lips parted in shock.

Vivian (shaken):

"What? They got their memories back? But how? They couldn't have—there's no way!"

Even Fianna, who had looked disinterested before, snapped her head toward Lisa, eyes narrowing.

Fianna (gritting her teeth):

"Are you sure? Do not waste my time with baseless assumptions, girl."

Lisa nodded sharply.

Lisa (firmly):

"I am sure. It's a connection—a link between past and present. I don't know how, but I felt it. As if something in the world shifted."

Blazer let out a low chuckle.

Blazer (smirking):

"And who else could be responsible for such a grand event but our dear creator?"

Lisa nodded grimly.

Lisa:

"It was Dakota. He must have shown them his memories, or at least triggered something that allowed them to regain theirs. He's more dangerous than we anticipated."

Blazer leaned forward, his smirk widening.

Blazer:

"Dakota, our creator. The creator of this entire damn world. Of course he would do something like this. As expected of the creator. He's not just a warrior—he's a strategist."

Fianna slammed her fist against the table.

Fianna (growling):

"Damn it! I should have killed him when I had the chance! Why did I leave him alive?!"

Blazer chuckled, waving a hand dismissively.

Blazer:

"Oh, come on, Fianna. Calm down. In fact, it's good that you left him alive."

Fianna shot him a furious glare.

Fianna:

"Explain."

Blazer's smirk turned into something darker—something hungry.

Blazer:

"Now we can have a final battle. In this war, me and Dakota will face each other. The creator versus his creation. The ultimate duel."

His eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Blazer (grinning):

"Well, I suppose he'd pair up with Henry, too. It would be more accurate to say Dakota and Henry versus me."

He shrugged nonchalantly.

Blazer (confidently):

"But even if it's both of them against me—the main character and the creator—I will still not lose."

He laughed, a deep, dark laugh that echoed throughout the grand hall.

Darius stroked his beard in thought.

Darius:

"Now that Dakota's friends have regained their memories, they will have an entire week before the war begins."

Vivian nodded.

Vivian:

"They will use that time to grow stronger. And with their memories restored, they will be fueled by revenge."

Lisa tilted her head, a wicked smirk playing on her lips.

Lisa:

"Yes. And if I'm not wrong, Dakota will make me face against Lucas."

The thought sent a thrilling shiver down her spine.

Fianna raised an eyebrow.

Fianna:

"And what's so amusing about that?"

Lisa let out a small, eerie chuckle.

Lisa:

"Lucas… Oh, Lucas. You know how satisfying it would be if I could kill him again? Just like I did in our past life?"

She sighed dreamily.

Lisa:

"Oh, the pleasure would be unimaginable."

Her parents laughed darkly.

Darius (grinning):

"Ah, yes. We, too, want to see Dakota's little friends suffer again."

Vivian (smirking):

"It was so entertaining last time. We should make it even worse this time."

Lisa's eyes glowed with malice.

Lisa:

"Yes. I can't wait."

The room filled with sinister laughter.

Lisa could already picture it—the battlefield drenched in blood, the echoes of screams filling the sky, the look of despair in Dakota's eyes as he lost everything again.

And this time—this time, she would make sure it was permanent.

Lisa's smirk widened as she whispered under her breath—

"Dakota… you thought you could rewrite fate?"

"Fool."

"You will never escape my grasp."

Outside, the winds howled. The skies darkened, the air thick with the weight of something inevitable.

The war was coming.

And this time—there would be no mercy.

Lisa: I will make sure that you will feel despair again, Dakota.