Chapter 93: The Counterstrike

Chapter 93: The Counterstrike

Silvia's POV

The dawn light streamed through the war room's stained-glass windows, casting a warm glow that did little to dispel the grim tension inside. The city was stirring, yet its people were unaware of the growing storm looming beyond their walls. Silvia had barely slept, her mind replaying the eerie encounter with the creatures and the weight of their message.

"They're not attacking outright, but they're watching," Silvia said, her voice steady despite the exhaustion creeping through her bones. "We need to strike first, before they decide we're not worth keeping alive."

Dragon leaned against the table, arms crossed. "Agreed. But if we're going on the offensive, we need to do it smart. We don't know what else they're hiding."

Garrik grunted. "We go in full force. Burn those things to ash before they get the chance to overwhelm us."

"That would be a mistake," Tarren interjected. "We barely made it out last time. Charging in with brute force will only make us easier targets. We need to think. Use their own tactics against them."

Silvia nodded, her gaze shifting to the map spread out across the table. "We set an ambush. Draw them out and test their weaknesses."

"And if they don't fall for it?" Garrik raised a brow. "They're learning. They might see through it."

"Then we adapt," Silvia countered. "We don't give them time to react. We control the battlefield."

A smirk tugged at the corner of Dragon's lips. "Now that, I like."

Preparing for Battle

The city bustled with activity as the chosen warriors armed themselves for the counterstrike. Weapons were sharpened, spells memorized, and strategy reinforced. Silvia watched as her people prepared, the weight of leadership pressing against her shoulders.

Dragon approached, watching her carefully. "You're thinking too hard again."

Silvia shot him a look. "I don't have time to think less."

"Then at least think about staying alive," he murmured, stepping closer. "I prefer my future queen in one piece."

Silvia's heart stuttered for half a second, but she masked it with a smirk. "Oh? Getting ahead of yourself again?"

He chuckled, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. "I like to plan ahead."

Before she could retort, Tarren strode toward them. "Everyone's ready. It's time."

Springing the Trap

The ruins beyond the city stretched like a graveyard, silent and filled with the echoes of a forgotten world. Silvia and her warriors moved in calculated silence, taking position among the shadows.

The plan was simple: Lure the creatures out with the illusion of vulnerability and strike when they least expected it.

Dragon remained close to Silvia, his presence both a comfort and a silent promise that if anything went wrong, he wouldn't let her fall alone.

Then, the first sign of movement.

A ripple in the air, a flicker of shifting shadows. The creatures had taken the bait.

Tarren whispered, "Steady."

Silvia gripped the hilt of her sword, feeling the heat of her magic building within her veins. The creatures emerged, just as unnatural and fluid as before, but this time, there were more.

They're not afraid.

Silvia raised her hand. "Now!"

Fire and steel erupted into the night as warriors launched their attack. Arrows infused with light struck their targets, flames roared through the ruins, consuming the shifting creatures in a blaze of destruction.

Dragon leapt into the fray, shifting mid-air, his claws tearing through their ranks. Silvia followed, her sword slicing through shadow and void, magic burning through the air around her.

For the first time, the creatures reacted in alarm.

But something was wrong.

They weren't retreating.

They were calling for reinforcements.

From the darkness beyond the ruins, more figures emerged—larger, faster, more defined. And leading them was a figure unlike the others. Taller, more humanoid, yet its presence radiated an overwhelming sense of dread.

Its hollow gaze locked onto Silvia, and a voice whispered through her mind once more.

You should not have come.

The battlefield fell into an unnatural silence. The air became heavy, thick with the suffocating presence of the larger creature. Its aura pulsed with dark energy, tendrils of shadow writhing around its form. Silvia took a step back, gripping her sword tighter as it lifted a single elongated hand.

Dragon snarled, stepping protectively in front of her. "Stay close."

The creature moved with disturbing grace, flowing rather than walking. Then, with a sharp motion of its hand, the shadows on the battlefield surged forward like living tendrils, wrapping around Silvia's forces and dragging them back.

Silvia reacted instantly, channeling her magic into a brilliant surge of fire, cutting through the dark tendrils. Dragon lunged at the leader, but before he could land a hit, the entity vanished into mist and reappeared behind him, striking out with a shadowed blade.

Dragon barely had time to shift and block with his claws, but the impact sent him skidding back. Silvia launched herself forward, her blade igniting as she struck at the figure's core. It twisted unnaturally, dodging her attack with an almost lazy fluidity.

"What… are you?" Silvia demanded, her breath heavy.

The figure tilted its head, its hollow eyes piercing into her soul. Then, in a voice like a whisper carried through time, it answered.

We are the first. The forgotten. And now, we rise.

The words sent a shiver down Silvia's spine. She didn't know what that meant, but she knew one thing—this was no ordinary enemy.

The creature raised both hands, and suddenly, the battlefield shifted. The ruined structures around them began to distort, their very reality bending as if caught in a nightmare. Silvia could feel the air tighten, her own magic dimming under the oppressive force.

"We need to go!" Tarren shouted, loosing arrows that did little more than flicker against the creature's unnatural form.

Silvia gritted her teeth. Retreating wasn't something she did easily, but this enemy wasn't one they could defeat—not yet.

She grabbed Dragon's arm, pulling him back. "Fall back! Now!"

The warriors scrambled away, Silvia keeping her blade ignited as she covered their retreat. The shadows hissed but didn't pursue—almost as if they had made their point.

As they reached the city gates, Garrik slammed them shut behind them, panting. "What in all the hells was that thing?"

Silvia shook her head, her hands trembling from the sheer pressure of the encounter. "A declaration."

Dragon exhaled, watching the ruins where the creature still stood, unmoving, watching. "Then we declare war."

Silvia met his gaze, determination burning in her chest. "Yes. But this time, we do it on our terms."

The battle hadn't just begun.

It had escalated into something far greater than they had ever imagined.