The decision to join the scouting mission wasn't one Hiroshi had made lightly. He knew it was dangerous. He knew he was probably the least qualified person to do anything useful in the field. But the alternative—sitting in the palace, guarded and sheltered like a fragile artifact—didn't sit well with him. If he was going to be the so-called *Chosen Sovereign,* he needed to understand what was happening firsthand.
Which was how he found himself standing outside the palace gates before dawn, dressed in borrowed elven travel gear and feeling entirely unprepared for the reality of what lay ahead.
"I still think this is a terrible idea," Altheria said coolly, adjusting the elegant silver bracer on her forearm. She stood beside him, her posture perfect, her expression unreadable. "You will slow us down."
Hiroshi forced a grin. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
Brunhilda snorted from where she was fastening her gauntlets. "I like the lad's spirit. If he gets himself killed, at least he'll do it *trying.*"
Hiroshi made a face. "That's not exactly reassuring."
Lila stood on his other side, rolling up the sleeves of her lightweight cloak. Her fox-like ears twitched as she scanned their surroundings, her amber eyes sharp. "The scouts are ready," she murmured. "We should move quickly."
The scouting party consisted of a mix of elves, dwarfs, and beastfolk—all skilled trackers accustomed to navigating dangerous terrain. Their mission was simple: locate the masked attackers, identify their movements, and report back. No direct engagement unless absolutely necessary.
Altheria turned toward the group, her voice crisp. "Stay close to your assigned positions. We do not know what we're dealing with. Do not underestimate them."
The scouts nodded, and with that, the mission began.
---
**Into the Unknown**
The forest beyond the city was dense, ancient, and eerily quiet. Unlike the enchanted beauty of Elandrial, this terrain was wilder, less controlled. The towering trees stretched upward like sentinels, their roots twisting across the ground like grasping fingers.
Hiroshi walked beside Lila, his borrowed boots crunching against the forest floor. He tried to appear alert, but his nerves buzzed under his skin. He had never been trained for anything like this—his survival skills consisted of navigating college exams and dodging angry store managers after accidental shelf collapses.
Lila, on the other hand, moved with silent precision. Every step was intentional, every glance calculated. If Hiroshi hadn't known her better, he'd think she had been born for moments like these.
"We're close," she murmured, eyes scanning the terrain.
"How do you know?" Hiroshi whispered back.
She pointed to the barely disturbed foliage, the faint indentations in the soil. "Tracks. But they're careful—whoever we're following knows how to hide their movements."
Hiroshi swallowed hard. "Perfect. So, not only are they professional kidnappers, but they're *stealthy* ones."
Lila's ears twitched, but she didn't respond. Instead, she signaled to the others to spread out slightly.
Altheria moved ahead, one hand resting lightly on her bow. Brunhilda followed a few paces behind, her hammer balanced against her shoulder. The tension in the air thickened as they ventured deeper, every sound magnified by the surrounding silence.
Then, suddenly, the quiet shattered.
An explosion erupted ahead, blasting the forest floor into a cloud of dirt and debris. Hiroshi barely had time to react before Lila yanked him to the ground, shielding him from the shockwave. The scouting party scattered, drawing weapons and falling into defensive positions.
From the smoke, figures emerged—cloaked, masked, moving fast.
"They knew we were coming," Altheria hissed, nocking an arrow and releasing it in one fluid motion. The projectile flew through the air, striking the shoulder of one attacker and sending them reeling.
Brunhilda was already charging, her hammer crashing into the ground and forcing several enemies back. The masked figures moved in coordinated waves, but the scouting team wasn't unprepared.
Hiroshi scrambled to his feet, heart hammering. He wasn't a fighter, but he refused to be useless. He grabbed a fallen branch—about the closest thing to a weapon he could find—and swung it wildly at an approaching attacker.
It connected. Barely.
The attacker stumbled back, surprised rather than harmed. Hiroshi didn't wait for them to recover—he turned and bolted toward the others.
Lila was engaged in a rapid exchange of strikes with another figure, her movements swift and calculated. She ducked under a blade, countering with a sharp kick that sent her opponent sprawling.
"They're testing us," she growled.
Hiroshi barely had time to process her words before another explosion rocked the ground nearby.
---
**An Unexpected Discovery**
Amidst the chaos, Hiroshi caught sight of something—something the attackers were moving toward. A hidden structure, partially obscured by the trees. It looked ancient, covered in moss and glowing runes that pulsed faintly in the smoke-filled air.
Hiroshi grabbed Lila's arm. "That—look!"
She turned, her sharp gaze locking onto the structure. "That's not elven."
"Then what is it?"
Altheria was already moving toward them, arrows flying from her bow. "Move! Whatever they're guarding, it's important."
Brunhilda barreled through the fight, knocking enemies aside as she made a path toward the structure. The masked figures faltered as the scouting party closed in, and Hiroshi realized—the attackers weren't just trying to fight.
They were trying to stop anyone from reaching whatever lay beyond that hidden doorway.
He exchanged a look with Lila. "We need to see what's inside."
She nodded. "Stay close."
Together, they sprinted toward the ancient doorway, pushing through the last of the enemy resistance. The moment Hiroshi stepped into the entrance, he felt something shift—like stepping through an unseen barrier.
The chamber inside was vast, lined with glowing crystals and walls covered in unreadable script. The air hummed with energy, thick and heavy.
And at the center of it all, resting on an ornate pedestal, was an artifact.
A blade, sleek and unnatural, pulsing with faint blue light.
Lila inhaled sharply. "That's…"
Hiroshi stepped forward, feeling something stir inside him—a recognition he shouldn't have had.
Before he could reach for the blade, the chamber walls suddenly pulsed.
The attackers outside regrouped, their movements growing more frantic. And then, from behind them, a figure stepped forward—one unlike the masked ones.
Their cloak was darker, lined with silver, their mask more elaborate. They radiated authority.
And when they spoke, their voice was smooth, deliberate.
"You were never meant to see this."
Hiroshi froze, his breath caught in his throat.
The leader's gaze locked onto him. "The prophecy is real, Hiroshi Takeda. But you do not yet understand what it means."
The chamber pulsed again. The artifact hummed louder.