4 days till the Coronation
Roselight Brothel, Red House District
In a room on the third floor, Groza lay on the bed, eyes closed, his breathing shallow. The door suddenly flew open as Julie hurried in, carrying a hand towel and a bowl of cold water. She crossed the room quickly and set the bowl on the table beside the bed.
Groza sighed as Julie soaked the towel and placed it gently on his forehead.
'Ugh… what's going on… I can't move.'
Knock… Knock…
"Julie, you're still tending to Groza?" Thea Roselight asked, standing in the doorway behind her.
"He still hasn't woken up," Julie replied quietly, sitting down on the chair beside the table. Her brows furrowed. "It's my fault. If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have been exposed to such dense elemental energy in the Lesomagiya Forest while already exhausted."
'I can't open my eyes… I can't breathe… is there a cloth on my face… it's suffocating…'
"You can't blame yourself for Groza's foolish decisions," Thea said, her eyes studying Julie carefully.
"Foolish?" Julie looked up at her.
'I need to get up… ugh—damn it… my body… MOVE…'
Thea nodded and took a seat beside Julie. "Yes, foolish. If the situation back then hadn't been so desperate, he would've remembered to find Jagger bugs in the forest. Those little critters feed on elemental energy. Putting a few on your skin would have made a big difference."
Groza's fingers twitched.
'Just a bit more… UGH!'
Julie frowned. "How was anyone supposed to know there would be bugs like that in the forest?"
"Not researching the area of operation is another foolish mistake," Thea replied. "Jagger bugs are native to Lesomagiya Forest. You won't find them in many other places."
She sighed and removed the towel from Groza's forehead, resting her palm there instead. " Brat… who taught you to be so reckless?"
Suddenly, Groza's hand jerked upward.
"HAAAH!" Groza gasped, shooting upright in bed.
"Mr. Groza is awake!" Julie sprang to her feet, grabbing a glass of water and rubbing his back.
"What's going on?" Thea asked, eyes wide as she moved closer and took Groza's hand. "Did you have a nightmare?"
"Ha… ha…" Groza struggled to breathe. "It… it was sleep paralysis—induced by the influence of dense elemental energy."
Windelfen
Outskirts of Windelfen City
Windelfen City was surrounded for miles by Pine Lake—a body of water that never froze. Its crisp, clear water was prized across the region, used in countless dishes and beverages.
A blond man stood on a small boat as the waves carried it toward the city docks. His expression was tense, distant. He wore the uniform of the Knights of Eurus: a black long-sleeved shirt and fitted riding pants beneath white plate armor. The poleyns, greaves, and sabatons were black, and the crest of Eurus was emblazoned across his breastplate.
"Does it even matter anymore…" His eyes wavered. He blinked slowly, and a single tear slid down his cheek.
"I have to… no matter how meaningless this is."
He took a deep breath as the boat reached the docks.
Windelfen Docks
A bulky, black-haired man strained as he lifted a crate at the end of the dock.
"Ugh… just need to get this onto the boat. Last one. Come on—don't give out on me now."
He shuffled forward, watching the wooden planks carefully beneath his feet.
"Hey, Paul," another man laughed, hoisting a small crate filled with fish. "Getting tired of lifting empty wooden crates already?"
"Don't you have a marriage to fail?" Paul shot back. "Why are you trying to piss me off, Wyratt?"
"Hey, my marriage isn't failing!" Wyratt protested, clicking his tongue as he walked away.
That's what you said about the last three, Paul thought, shaking his head as he continued toward the deck.
"Uncle Paul! Uncle Paul!" A group of children suddenly swarmed him. "Tim's being a baby again—he doesn't want to play Knights with us!"
"Hey, hey," Paul chuckled. "Let me finish my work first before you pile on more."
As he reached the boat, his eyes caught sight of a lone knight stepping off a simple vessel.
"Bruce?" Paul's face brightened. He dropped the crate and hurried forward. "Hey! Long time no—"
"Paul," Bruce cut in sharply. "There's no time. Take Victoria and flee. Now."
Bruce kicked his boat away from the dock and leapt onto the planks.
Paul's smile vanished. "What's so urgent you can't even dock properly? Where are the other knights from the expedition?"
Bruce didn't slow. Paul grabbed his shoulder.
"Wait. You have to explain. What's going on? Where is the Knight of Lionheart?"
Bruce exhaled shakily. "I can't explain it in a few words. The situation is… complicated. I have a duty to report this to the Sungentle Knight first."
He turned back, eyes dark.
"Run with Victoria. Somewhere far. Somewhere safe."
Paul froze.
"Calamity is coming."
Bruce tore free and ran toward the Knights of Eurus headquarters.
Paul stood there, staring after him.
"He isn't lying…" he whispered.
Then he turned sharply and sprinted toward the children playing knights at the docks.
Main Market — Windelfen City
Located at the lower end of Windelfen, the main market was packed with two-story buildings of tan stone and red-tiled roofs. A blacksmith's shop rang with metal, a grocery and general store bustled with customers, and a small flower shop spilled color into the street.
Life moved on, unaware.
Margaret hummed softly as she walked down the road. The elven woman was of average height and build, with hazelnut hair tied into a high ponytail and crimson eyes. She wore a vintage knee-length maid's outfit in white, black, and brown.
Her steps slowed.
Huh… isn't that Bruce?
I thought the expedition wouldn't return for another month…
Bruce staggered through the street, breathing hard.
"Margaret—" he said, already moving past her. "Please, move aside. I need to deliver a message to the Grandmaster of the Eurus Knights."
She stepped directly in front of him.
"Not until you tell me why you're back so soon," she said firmly. "Has my husband returned with you? Has Miles come back?"
"Please…" Bruce's voice trembled. "We are running out of time. Move."
His eyes flicked past her.
A dark mass was forming on the horizon — a thick cloud that hadn't been there moments before, swelling as it rolled toward the city.
"First tell me what happened to Miles," Margaret demanded.
People nearby had begun to notice.
"Is that Bruce?"
"The expedition's over?"
"Where's the Knight of Lionheart?"
"Did he come back alone?"
Bruce clenched his fists. His gaze snapped to the sky again.
"No… I can't delay this any longer."
He shoved past Margaret and broke into a run toward the Knights' headquarters.
"HEY—!" Margaret cried out as she stumbled and fell to the ground.
Eurus Knights' Headquarters
The headquarters rose like a stone bastion against the sky — crenelated battlements, a slender watchtower capped with green copper, and red ceremonial banners hanging from its symmetrical masonry façade.
Bruce sprinted up the front steps.
Two armored knights snapped to attention.
"Bruce? You're back? Thank Ventis—"
"Not now, Wood." Bruce shoved past him. "I have an urgent report for the Sungentle Knight. Escort me to her. Immediately."
Wood froze for only a heartbeat, then nodded and rushed ahead.
Grandmaster's Office
The office was refined and austere — towering bookcases lining the walls, warm wood paneling, and a long Gothic-styled table beneath a coffered ceiling.
Frieda Gunnihdr sat behind her desk, eyes scanning a stack of reports.
The doors burst open.
"Grandmaster," Wood said breathlessly, "it's Code Void. Bruce has returned with urgent intelligence."
"Code Void?" Frieda's head snapped up.
Bruce rushed forward. "Code Void. The Knight of Lionheart has ordered the Sungentle Knight to invoke military law immediately."
He grabbed her shoulders, his hands shaking.
"There is no time left."
Outside the Headquarters
The sky darkened as if a lid were being slammed shut over the world. Clouds poured in from every horizon, swallowing the blue in a matter of seconds.
Then something cut through them.
A vast crescent of pale bone tore across the sky, carving a glowing scar through the storm as it passed overhead. The air screamed.
A violent wind followed — not a gust, but a roaring wall. Market stalls were ripped apart. Roof tiles tore free. Weaker buildings shuddered, cracked, and were wrenched screaming into the air as if the city itself were being peeled apart.
Windelfen had been found.