A few days later, duty called her away from the temple.
The great hall of the royal palace held the silence of a cathedral before prayer.
Nobles watched from the balconies.Generals stood at attention.King Philip Erkhan, his gaze weary after weeks of crisis, rested upon his throne.
Then the doors opened.
Four figures advanced across the crimson carpet.
Emily — a faint halo of light surrounding her.Alejandro — fire vibrating in every breath he took.Leonardo — electric, restless.Kara — solid as a fortress.
Behind them came the Heralds.
They did not walk.They advanced as if the air itself carried them.
Their armor did not reflect the light. It devoured it.
The Herald of Light stepped forward. He did not bow, but there was solemnity in his presence.
"Your Majesty," he said.
His voice did not echo through the hall.It resonated inside those who heard it.
"The gods have heard the cry of mortals.And in their mercy… they have answered."
A restrained exhale rippled through the chamber.
"But heroes are not gods," the Herald continued."They are the gods' will made flesh.And so… they require the support of all humanity."
From the back of the hall, the priests echoed in chorus:
"Without faith, there is no miracle.Without unity, there is no salvation."
The king nodded with respect.
"Then let this kingdom stand behind them.Let fire, light, strength, and lightning find a home here."
It seemed like a perfect ceremony.
Until Alejandro stepped forward.
"Your Majesty…" his voice was hard."Will that support also extend… to those who have committed atrocities against humanity?"
The tension dropped like an anchor.
His eyes turned openly toward Lusian Douglas, who stood at the side beside several dukes. Though his hands trembled slightly, he remained firm.
Some nobles murmured. Others simply waited.
Leonardo stepped forward as well.
"There is blood that still cries out for justice."
Before anyone else could react, Emily spoke.
"The heroes…" she turned toward them with a calm that surprised even the priests,"were not brought here to judge the past…but to protect us from what is coming."
Alejandro clenched his fists.
"To defend even those who destroyed your lands?"
Emily did not look away.
"I will defend anyone who can still fight for tomorrow."
The Herald of Light watched without intervening, but deep within his expression… something tightened.
Then Kara stepped forward.
"If you seek the guilty, start with the monsters," she said coldly."On the battlefield I saw no nobles and no peasants… I saw soldiers dying together."
Leonardo looked at her with contempt.
"You didn't lose your family to the Douglas."
"No," she replied without blinking."But I don't believe hatred protects anyone."
A murmur spread through the hall. The nobles breathed easier. Some of the priests shifted uncomfortably.
The Herald of Lightning leaned slightly toward Alejandro.
He did not look at him.He simply let his voice — soft as the prelude to a storm — brush against his ear.
"Hero… justice is not demanded.It reveals itself when the world is ready to accept it."
A pause. A silence that crackled through their thoughts.
"Impatience belongs to mortals.But you no longer belong only to them."
And then, almost imperceptibly, the final lesson:
"Wait.He who acts too soon… wins a battle and loses a war."
Alejandro lowered his eyes.
Not in submission.
But because he understood he was being taught how to destroy… without yet raising his sword.
The fire in Alejandro's eyes dimmed for a brief instant.
Leonardo nodded… but his gaze remained fixed on Lusian.
The hall returned to its solemnity.
The Herald of Light raised his hand slightly, bringing the ceremony to its close.
"Today, the heroes are presented before the crown.Tomorrow… before the world."
The four heroes bowed in perfect unison.
The ceremony seemed like a triumph.
But while the nobles applauded…
two heroes had already cast a shadow.
And two… had opened a crack in destiny.