The cold night air was thick with the scent of smoke and blood. Scattered debris from the destroyed train lay twisted and broken, and the only sounds that filled the silence were the occasional crackling of fires still burning from the wreckage. The battle had ended, but its scars remained.
Commander Henn sat hunched in the corner of what remained of a train car, his mind racing. His hands, calloused from years of war, gripped his knees tightly as he replayed the horrifying events of the last few minutes.
Captain Touri…
A man he had fought beside for years. A man who had never wavered in the face of danger. And yet, with just one utterance of a forbidden name—CrownKing—he had been reduced to something unrecognizable.
A monster.
Henn clenched his jaw, staring blankly at the ground. It all made sense now. No one dared to mention his name. Not because they chose to be silent… but because they had to.
He looked up at the soldiers around him. They were still, their faces pale, their eyes distant. They had all witnessed the terrifying power of CrownKing. They had seen what happened to Touri. And now, they too were bound by the same unspoken fear.
A shiver ran down Henn's spine as his gaze shifted toward the lifeless body of his fallen comrade. A torn blanket had been draped over Touri, a pitiful attempt to grant him some dignity in death. The weight in Henn's chest grew heavier.
Touri's laughter. His confidence. His unwavering loyalty. It all flashed before Henn's eyes.
And now, he was gone.
Henn's fists trembled as he turned away, unable to look any longer. He had lost many soldiers before, but this… this was different.
Meanwhile, a group of rescuers cautiously approached the soldiers, their faces etched with concern. They had been sent to retrieve survivors and assess the situation, but what they found instead was silence.
A female rescuer with short brown hair stepped forward.
"What happened here?" she asked gently.
The soldiers did not answer.
She exchanged a glance with her fellow rescuers before trying again.
"We need to understand what we're dealing with. Can someone tell us anything?"
Still, silence.
Another rescuer, a middle-aged man with a tired expression, furrowed his brow.
"Listen, we're here to help. We're not your enemies. But we can't do our job if you don't talk to us."
The younger soldiers looked at each other uneasily. One of them opened his mouth, but no words came out.
A younger rescuer, growing impatient, stepped forward.
"We know you saw something. We can see it on your faces. Just tell us what happened!"
One soldier finally spoke, his voice hoarse.
"We can't…"
The rescuers exchanged confused glances.
"What do you mean you can't?" the middle-aged man asked.
The soldier lowered his gaze.
"Just… don't ask."
Frustration flickered in the rescuers' eyes, but before they could press further—
Henn moved.
His body stiffened. His breath caught in his throat.
Something—someone—was standing in the woods.
Just beyond the wreckage, behind the shadows of the trees, a hooded figure lingered. Watching.
Henn's instincts kicked in. He shot up to his feet, his muscles tensed, his heart pounding. Without hesitation, he pulled out his gun.
The rescuers turned in surprise as Henn rushed forward, his boots crunching against the debris.
"Commander?!" one of the soldiers called out.
But Henn didn't stop.
The figure remained still for a moment before turning away and walking deeper into the woods.
Henn's grip tightened on his weapon as he quickened his pace.
"Commander Henn! Where are you going?!" one of the rescuers shouted.
The soldiers hesitated, unsure whether to follow.
Henn didn't answer. His focus was locked on the mysterious figure.
He pushed through the dense foliage, his boots sinking into the damp earth. The figure remained ahead, moving at a calm, deliberate pace.
Then—
It vanished.
Henn skidded to a stop, his gun raised. His breath was heavy, his mind racing.
And then, a voice.
"The prophecy is now fulfilled."
It was a woman's voice, soft yet powerful.
Henn spun around, his eyes scanning the darkness.
"Who are you?" he demanded. "Why are you here? Do you know him? And what do you mean the prophecy is now fulfilled? You mean us?"
The woman exhaled, as if a weight had been lifted from her chest.
"It was the vast explosion that brought me here," she continued, "Yet, the source was not your conflict—this was something else entirely, something foretold. The prophecy spoke of a great upheaval in the wildwood, heralding a child destined to deliver justice. And that foretold moment… is now, this very morning."
Henn's pulse quickened.
"We all know what this means," she went on.
"At last, after centuries of waiting, the sun will rise upon the darkness."
There was a new quality in her voice—more than conviction. Relief.
"For so long, we waited. And now, finally... the time has come."
Henn stood frozen.
A storm of emotions churned within him.
Anger.
Rage at the idea that this was destiny. That all of the suffering, all of the pain, had been preordained. That Touri's death… was meant to happen.
But beneath the fury, something else flickered.
Hope.
A child. A new force of justice.
If what this woman said was true, then finally—finally—there was a chance. A chance to strike back. A chance to put an end to CrownKing's reign.
Henn knew what he had to do.
He turned and stormed back toward his soldiers.
When he arrived, the soldiers looked up at him in confusion.
"We're taking every child born this incoming morning," Henn announced.
The soldiers exchanged uncertain glances.
One of them hesitated.
"Commander… with all due respect, that's beyond our orders. We need to inform our superiors before making a decision like this."
Henn's patience snapped.
"Do as I say!" he barked, his voice thundering through the night.
The soldiers flinched.
"I don't care about orders!" he continued.
"For years, we've been waiting for justice—this is it! That woman wasn't speaking in riddles. She knew. The one she spoke of must have the power to change everything. We need to find that child."
The soldiers hesitated. It was a radical command, one that strayed far beyond their mission.
But Henn's desperation was unmistakable.
This wasn't just about duty anymore.
It was about vengeance.
About hope.
One by one, the soldiers nodded.
Henn exhaled sharply, turning his gaze back toward the dark woods.
Somewhere out there, beyond the wreckage, beyond the suffering—
A child was about to be born.
And with him, the fate of the world would change forever.
End of Chapter.