The plains of Solvaran stretched beneath a bruised twilight sky, silver grass whispering secrets to the wind. Every step I took alongside Lirae sent ripples through the world — subtle yet undeniable. Wolves halted mid-stride, birds froze mid-flight, and even the distant rivers seemed to hesitate in acknowledgment of our presence. Lirae's crimson eyes glowed faintly, Master-level resonance now steady, her power harmonizing with mine.
We emerged from the ruins of the Solvaran cathedral, leaving shattered marble and silenced bells behind. Below, the city stirred with confusion — priests missing, the spires of the church toppled, and rumors of shadows moving on their own. Commoners stared in awe from the distant streets, trembling as whispers of a darkness beyond comprehension spread like wildfire.
Our first stop was a small inn on the forested highlands. The wooden structure smelled of smoke and stew; horses stamped outside, and villagers eyed us warily. Lirae's aura, delicate yet commanding, drew attention despite our attempt at discretion.
A young innkeeper approached cautiously."Strangers… travelers?"
"Merely travelers," I said, voice low and smooth. "We rest before continuing."
Murmurs filled the room — some stole glances, others quickly averted their eyes. Lirae smiled faintly, her beauty magnetic and unsettling, nodding politely as she passed. By evening, the inn buzzed with whispered rumors: a pale elven noble wandering with a companion whose blood glowed faintly red beneath her skin. Children hid beneath tables, sensing power older than their world.
We rested little. My presence drew the land's attention — every gust of wind, every tremor beneath the earth, every flicker of shadow singing of power beyond comprehension. By midnight, we were back on the road, leaving the cautious village behind, traversing mist-veiled mountains toward the hidden fortress of Ashen Vale.
The journey stretched long. Forests bent subtly as we passed, rivers rippled unnaturally, and wild animals fled in fear. Travelers on distant roads reported visions of a pale man with snow-white hair and eyes of fresh blood, accompanied by a woman whose aura burned crimson. When the fortress finally emerged, carved into cliffs like a wound in the mountains, the night thickened — the land itself seemed to hold its breath.
From the ramparts, he waited. Ashen Vale, Duke and master of his hidden domain, radiated Legendary power. His presence alone twisted the clouds, and jagged peaks trembled faintly in recognition.
"Kaelthar Voidreign," he called, voice like molten iron. "I have heard whispers… destruction, blood, and the rise of your Scarlet Court. You dare approach Ashen Vale uninvited?"
I smiled faintly. "I come to recognize power… and invite loyalty. Let us see if your will matches your strength."
He laughed, a sound that shook cliffs and forests alike. "Then fight! If you survive, perhaps your court is worthy."
The air thickened, charged with energy bending the distant mountains. Skies darkened as if the heavens themselves recoiled. A single gesture sent shockwaves across forests below. Trees bent, rivers twisted, and the earth quivered beneath our combined might. Villagers miles away fell to the ground instinctively, livestock screamed, and distant towns reported tremors, whispering: "Giants clash in the mountains… shadows devour the sky."
We collided.
The ground fractured under Ashen Vale's first strike, a wave of energy capable of leveling a city. My shadows wrapped around him effortlessly, aura flaring to Mythical intensity. Mountains shuddered, jagged peaks cracked, rivers boiled, and clouds screamed with the wind of our blows.
Lirae watched from a ridge, crimson eyes gleaming as her own power hummed in resonance with mine. "Even the mountains fear him…" she murmured.
Ashen Vale summoned runes of fire and steel, each strike a calculated force honed over centuries. I redirected, absorbed, and amplified the destructive energy, turning his assault into a blade of obsidian shadow, striking with the force of hundreds of mountains.
The clash echoed for leagues — night alive with thunder, fire, and blood. Peaks bent, rivers roared backward, forests splintered. Villages trembled: buildings cracked, church bells rang on their own, humans fled into the night. Even distant castles quaked under the unseen tempest.
Lirae's scarlet veil flared beside me, Master-level aura now precise. She shattered waves of energy, leaving scorched earth and shattered stone in her wake. Each pulse of her power harmonized with mine, weaving through the devastation.
The Duke's Legendary aura burned brightly, mountains bending under the sheer weight of his strikes. Yet even he could not withstand the raw progenitor force of my blood. With a pulse of Mythical-level energy, I flung him against the shattered cliffside. Dust, rock, and fire erupted for miles; stars flickered as though gasping at the power unleashed.
Silence fell.
Ashen Vale rose slowly, battered but alive. Recognition, respect, and defiance danced in his eyes. "You… are the apex. I swear my fortress, my army, and my life to you."
I extended my hand. "Rise, Duke of Ashen Vale. Your strength is now part of the Scarlet Court — your loyalty sealed."
Mountains groaned, forests bowed, rivers shifted in acknowledgment. Lirae stepped forward, her crimson aura coiling around us, binding our combined presence into one terrifying force.
"Where to next?" the Duke asked.
"Every corner of Aurelia," I replied. "The Scarlet Court rises, and nothing shall resist it."
The plains and villages below still trembled; roofs cracked, livestock scattered, and rumors spread like wildfire. Travelers whispered of titans fighting in the mountains, shadows and fire against the heavens.
As we departed, awe, fear, and legend followed. The pulse of destiny throbbed beneath our feet, the heartbeat of a continent bowing before the true progenitor. The journey continued, the Scarlet Court's first Duke bound to our cause, and the night… belonged entirely to us.