POV: Corporal Eren Zava, Darnova Army, 4th Battalion
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He had been a soldier for eight years.
Seen drills, parades, even foreign dignitaries from the Union.
But nothing—absolutely nothing—came close to this.
The airfield was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with soldiers, officers, guards, and the highest-ranking military heads in Darnova. Every single man stood upright, eyes to the clouds.
And then…
The sky rumbled.
Eren's mouth went dry as he looked up.
It wasn't thunder.
It was Blackwood One — the Empire's private aircraft. Sleek. Dead silent until it wanted to be heard. Then it roared like a god descending to Earth.
Around the jet, twelve B.A.M. air sentinels glided in coordinated formation — unmanned but aware, like sharks with wings. Each carried the emblem of the Blackwood Empire: a black rose blooming from a blade.
And beneath them…
The world watched.
Giant plasma screens had been erected in every corner of Darnova.
Blackwood Broadcast Network (BBN) streamed it live across the Blackwood Union.
Cities in other nations slowed to a halt.
The world shut down… because B.A.M. just showed up.
The jet touched down in perfect silence. No screech. No smoke.
Just presence.
When the boarding ramp lowered, not one sound came from the soldiers. Not even Eren could breathe.
First came General Soren, clad in the deepest shade of battle black, his metal cloak rattling with authority. Behind him marched ten elite B.A.M. operatives, each worth a thousand men.
Then she appeared—
Amara Blackwood. The Empire's Queen.
Her steps were grace mixed with power. No crown, no need. The way her eyes swept across the rows of soldiers made grown men freeze.
And finally—
Chris Blackwood stepped out.
No escort.
No warning.
Just him.
Black jacket. Crimson gloves. Eyes like the calm before a storm. And when he looked across the field…
Every Darnovan soldier saluted without command.
Eren's knees nearly buckled.
"Welcome, Blackwood One!" roared General Dorn from the Darnovan command line.
Chris simply nodded. Once. Enough.
Eren whispered under his breath:
"This isn't just an arrival. This is… an announcement."
And he was right.
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