Chapter 1

The Last Stand of Stellaris

The third dawn after Councillor Theron's warning arrived with a blood-red sky. Arthur Stellaris stood atop his palace's highest wall, gazing at a horizon filled with the war banners of the four great kingdoms. Innumerable forces moved like a black tide flowing towards the heart of his realm.

Behind him, ten thousand of the Stellaris Kingdom's finest warriors had assembled in defensive formation. They comprised various races who had lived harmoniously under Arthur's rule for two decades: Elves with their crystal bows, Dwarves with gleaming steel shields, and even a few Vampires who had chosen loyalty to the Stellaris crown over joining the Drakmoor Kingdom.

"Your Majesty," General Marcus, a veteran human with scars etched on his face, approached Arthur with a steady stride. "The enemy forces have encircled us on three sides. They outnumber us ten to one."

Arthur nodded without taking his eyes off the battlefield, which would soon become a grave for thousands of souls. "How long until the last civilians are evacuated?"

"Two more hours, Your Majesty. The final carriages will be leaving the rear gate, carrying the children and the elderly."

"Good." Arthur finally turned, his sapphire-blue eyes now gleaming with intense magical light. The air around him began to hum with immense mana pressure. "Ensure they reach safety. After that, we shall show the world the might of a Sage."

The sound of enemy war horns began to echo from afar, followed by the thunderous tread of thousands of feet moving in unison. The Drakmoor Kingdom's forces on the left flank, with their shadow-like Vampire formations. On the right flank, the Fenris Kingdom's Werewolf forces howled in a terrifying harmony. In the centre, the Ironhold Kingdom's Dwarf warriors advanced with perfect military discipline, while the Elven mages of the Aethermoor Kingdom began preparing massive magical rituals.

Arthur raised his hand, and instantly, the entire Stellaris army fell silent. His calm yet authoritative voice resonated across the battlefield, amplified by magic.

"Warriors of Stellaris," he called out. "Today we face an enemy ten times our number. They come with hatred and fear in their hearts. They believe that by destroying us, they will find peace."

Arthur paused for a moment, letting his words sink in. "But they are mistaken. Peace does not come from destruction. Peace comes from understanding, from the courage to look past our differences and find the commonalities that bind us as living beings in the same world."

The mana glow around Arthur intensified. His forces felt the power flowing from their king, imbuing them with courage they had never felt before.

"Today, we fight not just for the Stellaris Kingdom. We fight for a vision of a world where our children can grow without hatred, where different races can work together for mutual advancement. If we must die for that vision, then we shall die with honour!"

A roar of cheers erupted from the entire Stellaris army. Even in the face of almost certain death, their spirits had never been higher.

The first attack came from the air. Hundreds of Drakmoor Kingdom Vampires soared like giant ravens, their eyes glowing red in the pre-dawn gloom. But Arthur was ready. He raised both hands to the sky, and instantly, golden lightning struck from the clear sky, hitting the Vampire formations with astonishing precision.

Dozens of Vampires fell, consumed by fire, yet the others continued their assault. A fierce aerial battle began as the Stellaris Elves, with their magical wings, rose to confront the threat.

On the ground, the Ironhold Dwarf formations began to advance with giant shields locked together, forming an almost impenetrable wall of steel. Yet Arthur stepped forward, emerging from behind his palace's defensive walls. His calm stride contrasted sharply with the chaos unfolding around him.

"Retreat, Arthur Stellaris!" shouted General Thorek of the Ironhold Kingdom, his voice echoing through magical speakers. "Surrender yourself, and we shall spare your forces!"

Arthur smiled bitterly. He knew the offer wouldn't be honoured. With a simple movement, he drew the royal sword from its scabbard. The blade immediately glowed with a blinding silver light, enveloped by the magical aura of a Sage.

"If you desire my head," Arthur replied with a voice that carried the force of a hurricane, "then come and take it!"

Arthur surged forward with almost imperceptible speed, yet he was not alone. Beside him, Captain Gareth of the Stellaris Knights moved in perfect formation, his gleaming shield blocking counter-attacks from the enemy Dwarves. Arthur's sword moved in perfect arcs, piercing the Dwarf defences, while Gareth and his five best knights protected the king's flanks with coordination honed over many years.

"For Stellaris!" General Marcus shouted from behind, leading a cavalry charge that struck the enemy's left flank. The lances of the Stellaris horsemen gleamed with magical enchantments, penetrating the previously impervious Vampire armour.

In another sector, Commander Lyra, an Elf with a long crystal bow, led an archer squadron in a counter-attack against the flying Vampire formations. "Release the light arrows!" she commanded. Hundreds of arrows imbued with holy energy streaked into the air, causing the enemy Vampires to burn and fall like a dark meteor shower.

Meanwhile, General Magnus, a veteran Dwarf who had chosen loyalty to Stellaris, led a unit of Dwarf warriors in a traditional duel against his brethren from Ironhold. "Show them the true meaning of Dwarf honour!" he roared, swinging his war hammer engraved with ancient runes.

However, the enemy's numbers were overwhelming. Although every Stellaris warrior fought with extraordinary courage, for every ten enemies they defeated, twenty more appeared to replace them. The Aethermoor Elven mages began launching coordinated magical attacks, countless fire meteors and ice lances raining down on the Stellaris positions.

"Your Majesty, allow us!" cried Archmage Eldon, the kingdom's senior mage, along with his five best mages. They formed a circle around Arthur, combining their magical power to create a protective barrier. But Arthur shook his head, realising that protecting the entire army required power only he, as a Sage, possessed.

Arthur was forced to divert some of his concentration to protect his troops. He created a giant energy dome that covered half the battlefield, blocking enemy magical attacks. Under this protection, his forces could fight more effectively, but this effort rapidly drained Arthur's mana.

The battle raged for three hours without pause. General Marcus shouted tactical commands to his cavalry, while Commander Lyra coordinated long-range attacks with stunning precision. Archmage Eldon and his mage unit worked tirelessly, sending magical counter-attacks against the enemy Elven mages. Even General Magnus and his loyal Dwarves managed to create a breakthrough in the central sector, temporarily forcing back the Ironhold formation.

Yet, despite every Stellaris commander and warrior fighting with incredible bravery, they were slowly pushed back by the vastly superior enemy numbers. Arthur, though still standing tall on the front line with his knights, began to show signs of exhaustion. His breath grew heavier, and the magical glow around him started to wane.

"Your Majesty, retreat and let us hold them!" shouted Captain Gareth as he fended off a group of Vampires attempting to attack the king from behind.

At a critical moment, a group of Werewolves from the Fenris Kingdom managed to break through the right flank's defences despite fierce resistance from Commander Lyra's unit. They moved with terrifying speed and ferocity, tearing through the archer formation that was unprepared for such a sudden melee assault.

Arthur watched his forces begin to crumble. General Marcus cried out in pain as a Vampire spear pierced his armour. Commander Lyra fell as three Werewolves attacked her simultaneously, though her bow continued to loose arrows until her last breath. Archmage Eldon and two of his mages tried to maintain the magical barrier, but their strength was no match for the combined assault of hundreds of enemy Elven mages.

"Gareth, withdraw all who are still alive into the palace!" Arthur commanded his knight captain, who still stood by his side despite blood flowing from several wounds on his body.

"But Your Majesty, what about you?" Gareth asked, panting.

Arthur looked at the remnants of his forces, still fighting desperately. General Magnus was still battling despite his left arm being broken. Several young knights still tried to protect wounded soldiers. With a heavy heart, he realised there was only one way to save the last remnants of his kingdom and buy time for those still alive to escape. He had to sacrifice everything.

"This is my last command as your king," Arthur said, his voice trembling but firm. "Save as many lives as you can. Get them out of here."

"Forgive me, Carsel..." Arthur whispered, looking at the palace tower where his newborn child was.

Arthur raised his sword high to the sky. His entire body began to shine with a blinding white light. This was a forbidden technique that could only be performed by a Sage, a technique that would consume the user's entire life as its price.

"FINAL SANCTUM!" he roared, his voice shaking the entire battlefield.

An explosion of white light encompassed the entire battle area. When the light faded, thousands of enemy warriors had vanished without a trace. But Arthur Stellaris, the last King of the Stellaris Kingdom, fell to his knees with a shattered sword in his hand.

Blood trickled from the corner of his lips, and the light in his eyes slowly faded. With his last vestiges of strength, he looked at his palace once more.

"Live... and make a better world..." he whispered before his body collapsed onto the ground, now drenched in the blood of heroes.

The Stellaris Kingdom had fallen, but Arthur Stellaris's sacrifice had ensured that the heir to the throne and the hope for the future were still alive, protected within the palace that now served as a tomb for a once-great kingdom.