Vanyrion — Day 1 of Final Training Countdown
The sun had not yet risen.
But in the secluded Sovereign Courtyard,
steel clashed, qi flared, and will sharpened like tempered blades.
Kaelen stood in the center, shirtless and glowing with molten energy,
sparring three at once — Mira, Lyra, and Aria.
No one held back.
There was no time left for caution.
Only war.
System Notification: Countdown Timer Active
[Global Sect Duel Commences: 12 Days]
[Enemy Forces Estimated: 93 High-Level Combatants]
[Warning: Coordinated Assault Expected]
[Note: Bloodline Suppression Arts Confirmed in Opposition]
[Tip: Sovereign Unity Will Override Lineage Pressure if Synchronization Reaches 100%]
Kaelen's Focus
He ducked under Mira's blade, turned Lyra's punch, and met Aria's sword with a palm strike.
Flawless.
But his mind wasn't just on the training.
It was… reaching outward.
Toward home.
Toward Aetherion.
Has it really been two years?
POV: Aetherion — Sovereign Throne Hall
The throne was empty.
But the fires around it still burned.
A familiar figure stood at the steps.
Darian Drayce, Kaelen's father.
At his side: Elena, his mother, cloaked in Sovereign flame.
The hall trembled slightly as a projection crystal flickered.
Mira's voice came through faintly:
"…they're preparing to kill him. We're all marked. We need time — or reinforcements."
Silence.
Then Darian's voice, deep and iron-hard:
"Prepare the army."
Elsewhere in Aetherion — Allies Reforged
General Tira of the Azure Blades
Drilled her elite troops twice as hard.
"We'll march through flames if that's what it takes."
Old Master Fen — Kaelen's first teacher
Breathed slowly over an ancient scroll.
"The boy… has become the dragon."
"But even dragons need the sky behind them."
Drayce Family Siblings — Seris, Auriana, Aerin, Liora
All now leading their own divisions.
Seris sharpened her spear until the metal wept.
Auriana activated ancient flame constructs around her.
Aerin stood before a gate of folded time, unlocking a power none had touched.
Liora stared at a void mirror.
"Big brother… we're coming."
Back in Vanyrion — Nightfall
Kaelen stood before a spirit mirror.
He watched as Valessia and Lyanna sparred.
Behind him, Aria stepped forward.
"You've been staring off a lot lately."
"Thinking about them?"
Kaelen nodded.
"They'll come."
"They've always come."
She didn't ask who they were.
She already knew.
Final Line
And across two realms, two skies, and one destiny—
a single thought echoed from hundreds of hearts:
He will not face this alone.