At the moment everyone had been waiting for…
The walls were tightly guarded,
the towers at the highest alert,
and the entire city held its breath.
This was the day.
This was the moment Chimera would appear.
The eyes of the leaders were fixed beyond the walls,
their full attention on the distant horizon…
on the ground from which danger always emerged.
Seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Nothing.
Anxiety began to creep in.
And suddenly—
A sound thundered behind the fortress.
Not an explosion…
but a deep tremor, as if the earth itself had gasped.
Followed by a silent wave of pressure,
shattering distant windows,
snuffing out torches,
disorienting anyone nearby.
Everyone froze.
Then came the voice no one expected:
"…behind us."
The guards spun around violently.
There…
behind the inner fortress of the city,
in a zone considered safe for decades—
Chimera had appeared.
It hadn't come through the gate.
It hadn't breached a wall.
It was simply there.
Its massive body rose slowly,
limbs uncoordinated,
its movement calm… too calm.
As if its mere presence was a message:
> You miscalculated.
Confusion spread instantly.
Orders overlapped.
Guards ran without direction.
Leaders tried to reorganize.
"How did it get here?!" "The defenses weren't breached!" "This is impossible!"
But the chaos had already begun.
And in the midst of it—
Lyrin stood still.
She didn't move.
She showed no shock.
She simply closed her eyes…
and breathed slowly.
Lyrin (thinking): "Just as I expected."
She knew.
She knew the real moment wasn't the trick…
but the appearance itself.
Chimera hadn't come to attack immediately.
It came to confuse.
To distract.
To force them to reveal their reactions.
And that was exactly why she hadn't told anyone.
Not because she didn't trust the leaders.
But because a clear instruction had been given to her before:
> "If you learn something before everyone else… tell no one."
She knew that revealing this information
would change their movements…
and give Chimera exactly what it wanted:
advance knowledge of their plans.
Lyrin lifted her head,
her eyes fixed on the entity standing behind the fortress.
It wasn't looking at the soldiers.
It wasn't looking at the leaders.
It was looking directly at her.
She felt it without turning.
That old sensation returned.
The feeling of being watched.
Lyrin (thinking): "So… you've begun to play."
Chimera moved just one step.
A calm step.
But the ground trembled beneath it.
And in that moment,
Lyrin realized something dangerous:
> This wasn't an attack.
This was a test.
A test of the city's reactions…
and of her, personally.
She tightened her fist slowly.
Not out of anger.
But out of readiness.
Lyrin (whispering, low, unheard by anyone): "Don't rush…
I won't give you what you want."
Above,
the dark clouds swirled slower…
Announcing that
the real game had now begun.
Amid the chaos,
amid the screams and overlapping orders,
amid Chimera's looming shadow over the city—
Lyrin felt a gentle touch.
It wasn't a wave of energy.
It wasn't a threat.
It was… a small hand.
Her breath caught.
She slowly looked down.
Thin, trembling fingers,
grasping the edge of her disguised royal cloak.
And a voice she knew well…
a voice she had tried to protect from this day.
"Neenee…?"
Lyrin's eyes widened for a moment,
just one—enough.
She spun around quickly,
bent over immediately before Freila,
placing her hands on the girl's shoulders, trying to hide her trembling.
Lyrin (whispering sharply, mixed with concern): "What are you doing here?! I told you not to come out!"
Freila was pale,
her eyes wide,
but she wasn't crying.
She was staring at the sky…
and at the distant shadow behind the fortress.
Freila: "The fear… is still here. It's grown. I couldn't stay."
Lyrin gritted her teeth.
At that very moment,
she felt Chimera's gaze shift.
It no longer stared at her alone.
Something new had entered the scene.
Lyrin pulled Freila close to her,
hugging her fully against her chest.
Lyrin (thinking): "That bastard… he's the type who likes to watch people say goodbye to those they love, only to kill them and crush their hope."
She slowly lifted her head,
her gaze sharp, direct.
As if to say, without words:
> She's not part of your game.
The air moved again.
Chimera took another step.
But this time… not forward.
Half a step back.
Rare.
Worrisome.
Lyrin noticed immediately.
Lyrin (thinking): "Did he sense her…? Or what she represents?"
She clutched Freila tighter.
Then whispered into her ear, steady despite the storm:
Lyrin: "Listen carefully. Go back immediately. To the lower corridor. To the place I taught you. Don't look back. Don't turn around."
Freila slowly lifted her eyes.
Freila: "You… will stay?"
Lyrin gave a faint smile.
But it wasn't warm this time.
It was a smile of promise.
Lyrin: "Yes. Because this place… doesn't allow me to leave."
But before she left, I want to show you something.
Freila: "What is it?"
Lyrin lifted part of her mask,
revealing her true face to Freila.
Lyrin: "Shhh… it's a secret between us. Now go."
Freila hesitated,
then nodded,
hugging Lyrin's cloak briefly before letting go.
Freila: "Come back… please."
Once gone,
Lyrin adjusted her mask to stand straight.
Her gaze returned cold, focused.
Chimera did not move.
But it was watching.
And within it—
if it had a "within"—
something new was stirring.
Not knowledge.
But curiosity.
For the first time since its appearance…
Lyrin was certain:
> The equation has changed.
She closed her eyes…
And in that moment, the noise around her vanished.
No more shouting soldiers,
no clashing armor,
not even Chimera's distant roar.
Only her breath remained.
One inhale.
One exhale.
Once…
she allowed her heart to tremble.
Then—
She opened her eyes.
And Lyrin returned, the Lyrin few knew.
She planted her feet firmly,
relaxed her shoulders,
something in her stance changed.
She was no longer the disguised princess.
Nor the obedient guard.
But the one who chose to stand here,
despite knowing the price.
She raised her hand slowly,
making a single signal.
A brief gesture,
yet enough.
The guards stopped running.
Orders halted.
And order began to return, slowly.
The first commander shouted:
"Rear ranks, to point two!"
"Archers, hold fire!"
"Wait for the signal!"
The guard beside her, hesitant, asked:
"Your Highness… do we attack?"
She didn't look at him.
Her eyes remained fixed on Chimera.
Lyrin (calm, sharp): "No."
A heavy silence fell.
Even Chimera seemed to wait.
She continued:
"This entity doesn't want to fight now.
It wants a reaction.
It wants us to make a mistake."
She clenched her fist.
Her voice remained steady.
"Let's not give it that."
Chimera finally moved.
Not to attack.
Nor to retreat.
Just a slight bow of the head.
A simple move… more unsettling than any roar.
Then—
a sound emerged.
Not words.
A deep vibration,
as if attempting to mimic a language not its own.
Lyrin felt a sting in her head.
Old memories stirred.
A familiar… unwelcome feeling.
Lyrin (thinking): "Is it trying to communicate…
or to measure?"
It took one step,
then stopped.
As if an invisible line
was drawn between them.
She understood.
This place…
this timing…
this role—
Was no coincidence.
Lyrin (thinking): "It didn't come for the city.
Nor for the kingdom.
But for me."
Anger rose within her.
Not chaotic anger,
but quiet, dangerous.
She lifted her head higher,
her gaze no longer avoiding.
As if saying:
I see you.
The clouds moved slowly,
and Chimera took another step back.
Then—
its body began to vanish.
Not a sudden disappearance,
but a calculated withdrawal.
As if the experiment was over.
As if the result had been recorded.
And after moments—
The silence didn't last long.
From the shadows left by Chimera's fading,
movement resumed.
Multiple steps.
Irregular.
Heavy… but numerous.
Silhouettes appeared first,
then details became clearer.
Soldiers of monsters.
Bodies of different sizes,
some tall and thin,
others broad-shouldered,
eyes glowing faintly under the dim sky.
They didn't attack immediately.
They lined up.
Irregular rows,
yet with an internal terrifying order.
Tension swept through the city like wildfire.
Fists clenched.
Bows raised.
Breaths held.
A commander shouted:
"They're testing us again!"
"Get ready!"
But amid the mounting tension—
Lyrin alone remained steady.
Her expression unchanged.
Her breathing calm.
As if this scene… was expected.
Lyrin (thinking): "Just as I thought.
The withdrawal wasn't the end.
It's a transition to the next stage."
She raised her hand again,
but this time not to signal.
She stopped.
A subtle gesture,
cutting an invisible rush of energy.
The commanders hesitated.
But they obeyed.
No arrow fired.
Not a single strike heard.
The monsters stepped forward.
Then stopped.
As if waiting.
One tilted its head,
another pressed its foot into the ground,
a third lifted its weapon slightly…
Every movement calculated.
Every detail deliberate.
Lyrin (thinking): "It's watching through them.
It doesn't care about battle.
It wants to see:
who rushes,
who fears,
and who thinks."
A commander turned to her, voice low:
"If we stay like this… they'll think we're weak."
She didn't look immediately.
Then calmly said:
"Being weak is acting as they wish."
Her gaze returned to the rows of monsters.
Then, loud enough for all to hear:
"No one attacks.
No one advances.
Record every move.
Every second."
Her words seemed to reach—
One monster stepped back slightly.
Another lowered its weapon.
Not fear.
But adjustment.
And in that moment,
Lyrin felt something familiar return.
That sensation…
of a distant eye,
smiling unseen.
Lyrin (thinking): "You're not studying the city…
you're studying me."
She clenched her fist slowly,
but inside, no disturbance.
Only clarity.
Whatever comes next,
she knew one thing for certain:
This isn't a war of destruction.
It's a war of minds.
And whoever errs first…
will be erased.
Lyrin lifted her brow slowly,
her gaze firm, weighing every word before answering.
Lyrin (calm, sharp, thinking): "I won't move as you want… and I won't make a mistake."
A short silence engulfed the place, even the wind seemed to pause and listen.
??? (voice more serious):
"I know you know I'm watching everything… every breath, every hesitation… every decision. But do you think ignoring my movements is enough?"
Lyrin smiled faintly.
Not joy, but challenge.
Lyrin: "It's not just ignoring… this… is my strategy.
Whoever rushes and loses composure… is the one who loses."
A subtle movement of her hand, as if brushing the air between soldiers and monsters, calmed everything further.
??? (voice like a whisper, yet full of power):
"Oh… I see. So this game… is no longer a test. It's… a clash of wills."
Lyrin: "Exactly… and whoever tries to impose their will… will find me standing, no matter what."
The air froze.
Not metaphorically this time… a real sensation, as if the distance between breaths suddenly shrank.
The hand on her shoulder
wasn't heavy
but it was more present than it should be.
Lyrin didn't move.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't pull away.
Breathing steady.
But one thing changed.
Her gaze.
Eyelids lowered slightly,
not in fear…
but sharper focus.
The voice came very close,
unexpectedly warm,
whispering in her ear:
Disguised as the northern princess—Chimera:
"I know you're not the princess."
Guard: "Princess, be careful."
Lyrin: "Do not draw your sword… that's exactly what it wants, to cut my neck by mistake."
The guard hesitated another moment.
His mind screamed obedience,
but his body understood the truth.
His eyes slipped—unintentionally—toward the emptiness behind Lyrin.
Only then… did he sense it.
Not a full presence,
but intent.
Clear, cold intent to kill—aimed directly at him.
Lyrin (low, without looking at him): "Now."
It wasn't a command.
It was a final rescue.
The guard swallowed,
stepped back… then another.
Guard (broken whisper): "Forgive me…"
He turned and retreated,
every step a small victory over death.
The silence returned.
But it wasn't empty.
It was the silence after proving strength.
Chimera: "The loyalty of this guard impresses me…
but does he know the real princess is still alive?"
Lyrin: "…"
She didn't answer.
Not even with a glance.
Chimera:
"For a moment I thought you were the princess."
"But when you removed your mask… I realized I was wrong."
"I couldn't see your face clearly, but it doesn't matter anyway."
He tilted his head slightly,
his hand still on her shoulder.
Lyrin (coldly): "Do you intend to keep holding my shoulder…
as if we were close friends?"
A brief silence.
Then—
Chimera: "Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha."
A long, unnatural laugh,
echoing among the broken walls.
Lyrin: "For the record…
laughing isn't an answer."
The laughter stopped immediately.
Chimera: "I know."
"But your words…
show an interesting confidence."
He withdrew his hand finally,
stepped half a pace forward.
Chimera: "Anyway… tell me."
"What's your plan?"
"To stand still?"
"I'm not the type to wait for my opponent to err."
Lyrin finally lifted her eyes to him.
Calm… too calm.
Lyrin: "I know."
"And I also know you are the type who loves to talk…"
"So much that you forget your surroundings."
Chimera blinked once.
Chimera: "Huh?"
At that moment—
Something unexpected happened.
Not a direct attack.
No sword strike.
No spell.
But a muffled internal explosion.
The air shook suddenly.
The space around Chimera's neck warped,
as if pressure had turned inward.
It wasn't blood.
Nor physical tearing.
But a fracture in the energetic structure.
Chimera stepped back half a pace.
His hand still on his neck,
not to protect himself…
but as if to ensure what he felt was real.
Then—
laughter.
But this time not mocking.
It was the laughter of acknowledgment.
Chimera (hoarse, prolonged): "Hahaha… your shoulder was poisoned, wasn't it?"
Lyrin didn't move.
Didn't deny.
Didn't confirm.
Only a single, cold, calculated look.
Lyrin: "As expected… your endurance is above normal."
Chimera slowly raised his head.
The void around his neck still distorted,
as if the poison hadn't vanished…
but lingered.
Chimera: "I swear…"
"If I were any other living creature—"
"not a giant—"
"I'd have died a gruesome death."
A short, sharp laugh.
Chimera: "But unfortunately…"
"I'm no ordinary being."
He lowered his voice,
as if reading a judgment written long ago:
"I can endure this poison…
for two hundred and thirty days."
A heavy silence prevailed.
Even the monsters in the back—
tensed.
Some clenched fists,
others stepped back unconsciously.
Lyrin didn't smile.
But the corner of her mouth lifted slightly.
Lyrin: "Then… don't laugh too much."
"This was just the beginning."
For a moment—
**Lyrin:**
"So… don't laugh too much."
"This was just the beginning."
For a moment—
Chimera said nothing.
Then it bowed slightly.
Not in respect…
but in preparation.
**Chimera:**
"Hehehe…"
"Then let's begin… the slope."
At that moment—
The ground exploded.
Not beneath Lyrin's feet—
but across the entire arena.
Black cracks spread like veins,
the earth emitted a deep, grating screech,
as if something was being forcibly pulled from nothingness.
The air thickened.
The sky seemed to descend.
The monsters in the back rows moved instinctively,
their bodies twisted,
bones stretched,
new orders implanted deep within them.
The commanders shouted.
The guards raised their weapons.
But before anyone could move—
Lyrin raised her hand.
Not a signal to stop.
But…
a signal to stand firm.
**Lyrin** *(audible, firm, unyielding):*
"No one moves."
"Whoever moves now… dies."
Everyone froze.
Even Chimera…
turned to her.
Something in her tone—
was not a challenge.
It was a promise.
**Chimera** *(with genuine interest):*
"Interesting…"
"So far, you're the only one who hasn't made a mistake."
Lyrin raised her chin slightly.
Her eyes did not waver.
Nor hesitate.
**Lyrin:**
"This is the moment I prove my dominance."
"And I will not… make a mistake… ever."
And in the next moment—
Chimera vanished.
Not a retreat.
Nor a slow transition.
But a full-on dash.
The air erupted behind it,
the ground shattered under its speed.
A lethal strike.
Direct.
Without warning.
But—
Lyrin moved.
Just one step.
A calculated angle.
Her body solid, as if part of the earth itself.
The strike collided with an invisible shield—
the very void rebounded.
**BOOM—!**
Chimera staggered half a meter back,
its eyes widening for the first time.
Not from pain.
But from astonishment.
**Chimera:**
"…You blocked it."
Lyrin did not pursue.
Did not attack.
She simply stood.
Firm.
**Chimera** *(with a feral grin):*
"From now on…"
"This battle is for the strongest… and the smartest."
It lowered its voice,
continuing with terrifying clarity:
"The moment either of us miscalculates…"
…is death."
Lyrin answered immediately,
without hesitation,
without fear:
**Lyrin:**
"So… this will be extremely fun."
The arena fell silent.
The whole world seemed to hold its breath,
awaiting the next move.
Just one step—
Could topple a city…
Or forge a legend.
**TO BE CONTINUED…**
Welcome, dear readers of "Darkness of Fantasy,"
I sincerely apologize for the delay in publishing the new chapter. The past four weeks have been extremely difficult due to my final exams, and I haven't been able to dedicate enough time to writing the new chapter.
Thank you so much for your patience and understanding. I truly appreciate your support, and I promise to publish the next chapters as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
[Ahmed Saad]