RAISING TENSION

The Council chamber of Lumisgrave, once a place of peace, echoed with unease.

Chancellor Rivers stood with arms crossed, his white brows furrowed. Julious leaned forward, reading the reports again and again—his hands trembling. Camero stood silently, grief sharp in his usually calm eyes.

A large table glowed in the center, listing names in red:

Alpha Knights lost: 2

Dormants: Several confirmed dead

Injured civilians: Many

Unknown reason for enemy retreat: Unexplained

Julious finally spoke, breaking the heavy silence. "Why did they stop? Why did the devils retreat when they had momentum?"

No one answered. Because no one knew.

Arslan sat silently in the dimly lit room, the bluish energy barrier still glowing faintly outside the window. He hadn't even changed his battle-dust-stained clothes. His hands trembled slightly as he wiped them over his face.

Then a whisper broke the silence.

> "We succeeded," Kar'Thæl murmured from the shadows of the room. "First phase is done. We handed them the fake stones. Now it's their move."

Arslan didn't look up. "We lost people today."

Kar'Thæl's smile faded. He walked into the faint light, arms crossed.

> "That's the weight of strategy, Arslan. We cannot save all."

Arslan stood. "Then why say we're saving the world?"

Kar'Thæl narrowed his glowing eyes.

> "Because, you idiot," he said, half a growl. "The devils were going to keep attacking until they found the real stones. Every day, every battle would cost more lives than this. By forcing them to use Mid-level demons, we contain their aggression. We make them think they're making progress—when they're not. This is how we slow their advance."

Arslan looked at the ground. "And if we fail against them?"

Kar'Thæl stepped closer, voice firm. "You really think we'll lose?"

"I'm just a Mythic," Arslan said. "You said it yourself—Mid-level demons are stronger than Zeniths. I'm not like them."

Kar'Thæl stared into his eyes and then chuckled darkly.

> "You're Mythic because you're undefined. Because council put you and your teammates because you all are more than Zenith.Your powers are undefineable yet. You are bound with me. You hold more than power—you hold purpose. If you're afraid now, then let the fight decide who you really are."

Arslan looked up, meeting Kar'Thæl's eyes. There was silence.

No more doubt in his own.

_______________

IN DEMON WORLD______

The air in the demon realm was thick with heat and smoke. Flames danced unnaturally, licking the cavern walls around the Vault of Sundusk—an ancient altar bound by six stone sockets glowing faintly red.

The three demon lords stood cloaked in shadows—tall, monstrous, their bodies jagged with magic scars and molten cracks.

Behind them, Shadow Stripes emerged—faceless, silent. One held out the three recovered stones, identical to the ones stored in the Demon Palace.

The demons grinned. "At last," one of them growled.

With a unified motion, the lords stepped forward and placed the three stones into the altar beside the existing ones.

The room pulsed.

Silence.

Then… nothing.

No surge of energy.

No activation of the gate.

No response from the Vault.

"What…?" muttered the largest of the lords.

The stones remained still—dull, without power.

One of the Shadow Stripes tilted its head.

"They are fake." hissed the second demon lord. "We've been deceived!"

The Vault rejected the stones. Magic symbols shattered across the floor. The power source sputtered, then died.

The third lord stepped back, eyes burning red with rage.

> "Kar'Thæl… you snake."

"He is the one who thought like that, making fake stones like that"

One slammed his fist against the stone pedestal, cracking the altar.

"They tricked us… to make us believe they were retreating."

> "Kar'thael want to push us back to save human world… Before we're ready… Before we can find Kar'Thæl's vessel…"

The largest of them growled, horns glowing with fury. "We send a message. Let them know we are coming. Then we unleash the Mid-levels. And this time… there will be no mercy."

In the dim candlelight of Arslan's room, Kar'Thæl's head snapped slightly.

He grinned.

> "They found the truth. They're pissed. Good."

Arslan sat against the wall, arms crossed, staring up at the ceiling. "They'll come soon, won't they?"

> "Yes," Kar'Thæl said. "But now… we've bought time. Time to train. Time to prepare. Time to craft the new technique."

Arslan exhaled sharply. "Then let's make that time worth it."