The message

The festival had ended.

The village of Flowerfield was now quiet, the remnants of celebration still lingering in the air—lanterns dimly flickering, the scent of festival food still present, the echoes of laughter fading into the night.

Eclipse Zero, having spent the night celebrating their hard-earned victory, now found themselves back at their temporary inn, resting after the long battle with Xander.

For the first time in a long time, it felt like they could breathe.

Until—

Iris' phone buzzed.

She frowned, fishing it out of her coat. She rarely received direct calls. Very few people even had her contact.

And the moment she saw the name on the screen, her silver eyes sharpened.

"…It's him."

The room immediately fell silent.

Eclipse Zero turned to look at her, the air shifting instantly.

Without another word, Iris answered the call.

A familiar voice—calm, steady, but carrying the weight of something heavy—spoke from the other end.

It was the Chancellor.

Her father.

"Iris. Eclipse Zero. Listen carefully."

His voice was firm, cold, but there was an urgency to it that had never been there before.

"The war is about to begin."

Iris' grip on the phone tightened.

Lena and Ethan exchanged sharp glances.

Nathan, for once, said nothing, his fists clenched.

Darius' easy-going nature vanished, his posture straightening as he listened.

Stella inhaled quietly, her golden eyes darkening.

And Hugo—

Hugo's expression did not change.

But his white eyes glowed ever so slightly.

The Chancellor's voice continued.

"We've received intelligence that confirms our worst fears. The Dominion is mobilizing their full forces. They will strike in one week."

A week.

That was all the time they had.

"Where?" Iris asked, her voice steady.

A slight pause.

Then—

"Everywhere."

Lena exhaled sharply. "Damn it…"

The Chancellor pressed on.

"Eclipse Zero, you must return to Requiem Prime immediately. There's no more time. The final battle is approaching."

Iris closed her eyes for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."

The Chancellor's voice softened slightly. "You know what's at stake."

"I do," she answered.

Then, the call ended.

Silence hung over the room.

Then—

Nathan let out a breath. "So… this is it."

Lena ran a hand through her hair. "One week… One week. That's all the time we have left."

Ethan folded his arms. "That's barely any time to prepare."

Darius exhaled, shaking his head. "Guess the festival break is over, huh?"

Iris pocketed her phone, her eyes sharp. "We leave at dawn."

Hugo—

Hugo was silent.

But his grip on Cosmos tightened.

He knew.

He had always known.

This war was inevitable.

And now, it was finally here.

The next morning, Eclipse Zero gathered at the village outskirts, ready to move at first light.

The air was tense—not from fear, but from the weight of what was coming.

The festival's joy was already a distant memory.

Now, war was on the horizon.

Hugo, standing at the front of the group, adjusted Cosmos on his back, his white eyes sharp with focus.

"We're heading to New Dawn Citadel."

The team glanced at each other, recognizing the name instantly.

Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Wait—you mean the New Dawn Citadel? The massive fortress city?"

Hugo nodded. "That's the one."

Lena exhaled, already processing the decision. "Makes sense. If the war is about to start, they'll be preparing for it."

Ethan folded his arms. "It's one of the largest military strongholds in the world. State-of-the-art weapons, Arcana technology, and some of the best warriors alive."

Darius smirked. "Sounds like my kind of place."

Stella, standing beside Hugo, narrowed her golden eyes. "Why now? Why go there first?"

Hugo turned toward her, his voice steady.

"Because there's a Veilgate there. It's only one day away on foot."

The group paused.

A Veilgate.

Iris tilted her head. "Fast travel? Not a bad idea."

people across vast distances instantly.

If they could use it—they'd reach Requiem Prime far faster.

Nathan, grinning, crossed his arms. "Alright! One day away on foot? That's not bad at all."

Lena adjusted her gear. "Let's not get overconfident. If the Dominion knows the war is coming, they might already be there."

Ethan nodded in agreement. "We need to stay sharp."

Hugo turned back toward the road.

"We move now. No more delays."

Eclipse Zero tightened their gear, checking their weapons one last time.

And then—

They set off toward New Dawn Citadel.

One day's journey.

One step closer to the war.

As Eclipse Zero left Flowerfield Village, the festival was now just a fading memory behind them.

The road ahead stretched far, leading them toward New Dawn Citadel, where they would take the Veilgate to Requiem Prime.

Their mission was clear.

The war was coming.

But what kind of war would it be?

As they walked, Nathan glanced at Hugo and Stella, who were leading the group.

Something had shifted between them after last night.

He couldn't quite place it, but there was a quiet understanding between the two—like something had finally settled.

Nathan smirked and leaned toward Darius. "Hey, you seeing this?"

Darius, walking beside him, raised an eyebrow. "Seeing what?"

Nathan tilted his head toward Hugo and Stella.

Darius followed his gaze, then smirked. "Hah. Yeah, I see it."

Nathan nodded to himself, grinning. "I'm calling it now—something happened last night."

Darius chuckled. "You planning to ask?"

Nathan scoffed. "Hell no, I'm not suicidal."

Lena, overhearing them, sighed. "You two are the worst."

Nathan shrugged. "I'm just saying—it's kinda obvious."

Iris, walking ahead of them, smirked without looking back. "I noticed it before you idiots did."

Nathan threw up his hands. "WELL, CONGRATULATIONS, IRIS."

The group chuckled, their lighthearted banter making the heavy journey ahead feel just a little easier.

Then—

Ethan, who had been quiet, finally spoke.

"…So what do we call this war?"

The group paused slightly, the mood shifting.

Lena glanced at him. "What do you mean?"

Ethan adjusted his gloves. "This is going to be the second great war in history, right? The first was the Eclipse War."

A silence fell over them.

Nathan crossed his arms. "Yeah. So what's this one gonna be called?"

No one answered at first.

Because the truth was—this war didn't have a name yet.

The Eclipse War had been named because of Hugo.

Because of what had happened between him, Xander, and Mina.

But now—

Now, this was something else.

This wasn't just about Hugo anymore.

This was a war against the Dominion. A war for the fate of the world.

A war with no name.

For a while, no one spoke.

Then—Hugo finally answered.

"…It doesn't matter what they call it."

Everyone turned toward him.

Hugo kept his gaze forward, his white eyes sharp and focused.

"All that matters is that we win."

The group absorbed his words.

No dramatics. No long speeches.

Just a simple truth.

And in that moment—

Eclipse Zero walked forward.

Toward New Dawn Citadel.

Toward the Veilgate.

Toward the war to come.

Because no matter what name it would be given—

This was a war they could not afford to lose.