Deep within the shifting shadows of the Vadrant Forest, a completely different catastrophe was unfolding. Inside the inner sanctuary of the elven kingdom, the Great World Tree—the literal life source of their entire civilization—sat in a state of absolute decay. For centuries, the tree had been drying up from the roots. What was left of its massive, towering branch network were nothing more than blackening embers and brittle bark.
Because the tree was dying, the elven kingdom had not received a single spiritual revelation, prophecy, or blessing for hundreds of years. Their population was stagnating; without the tree's vital essence, elven females had completely lost the ability to conceive.
But on this specific afternoon, the air inside the sanctuary shattered.
The high elven priestess suddenly collapsed onto the roots, her entire body convulsing violently as a massive surge of ancient spiritual energy forced its way into her mind. The sudden occurrence was instantly revered by the surrounding guards. Her eyes rolled back, glowing with a cold, piercing silver light as she spoke in an overlapping, dual voice that echoed off the hollow bark.
It was a divine revelation. And the spiritual realm revealed that the half-blood exile their Queen had systematically wanted dead for years was about to become the most important person in their entire world.
"When the divine vessel returns, the forest shall bloom again," the priestess chanted through her convulsions, tears of pure mana streaming down her cheeks. "When a child is born, the flowers will bloom again, the sacred springs will return to the valleys, and the ancient spirits of the earth will fully awaken!"
The convulsions stopped, and the priestess gasped for air, dragging herself to her knees before the High Queen of the Elves, who was standing perfectly still in her white silk robes.
"But Priestess," one of the elder counselors argued, his voice shaking with logical doubt. "Our people have not borne children for centuries. We require the absolute power and blessings of the World Tree for our females to successfully conceive, but the tree has been actively dying for generations. How can a child be born?"
"That is exactly why we need to find the prophesied vessel immediately, my Queen!" the priestess cried out, grabbing the hem of the Queen's robe.
"She... he... the vessel must be placed under the World Tree's absolute protection to bring life back to our dying kingdom!"
The Queen looked down at the priestess, her expression turning incredibly sharp and calculating. "Do you know the exact coordinates of where this vessel is located right now, Priestess?"
"Yes, my Queen," the priestess nodded frantically, her visions stabilizing. "In exactly one week, our tracking units will be able to reach her destination by standard carriage."
"No," the Queen interrupted coldly, her royal aura flaring with immense pressure. "Bring our high mages to open a mass teleportation gate immediately. We need to stabilize our kingdom's lifelines right now. We do not have a week to waste."
*****
Meanwhile, back at the Edrath tournament grounds, the white light of the dungeon's portal completely vanished.
"Sora... hey, Sora, are you awake?"
Sora scoffed lightly, shaking his head as his eyes slowly blinked open. His vision was slightly blurry, but as he gathered his physical senses, he realized he was lying on the grass at the edge of the arena. He was completely surrounded by a dense defensive wall of Vadrant elven students. Their bows were drawn, and their spears were leveled directly at a massive squad of imperial guards charging across the field toward them.
"What is going on here?" Sora muttered, his voice raspy as he looked up. "Lyra?"
"I knew you smelled familiar, it turns out that you are an elf as well." Lyra smiled leaning closer to Sora, "But unfortunately you have been completely found out, Sora," Lyra replied without looking back, her green eyes locked onto the advancing imperial soldiers.
"You suddenly popped out from the dungeon portal, completely unconscious. And your female glamour had been entirely undone, to think that you were actually a man. Now everyone in the stands was wondering where this random elf came from... until they recognized the specific uniform you are wearing. An unknown elf wearing a Crimson Vanguard uniform, right when Sora Curzon the human student goes missing? The math is pretty obvious. Everyone thinks you systematically deceived the empire—including the prince you stuck close to—and now they want your head on a spike."
Sora let out a dry, breathy chuckle, sitting up with some effort. "So they think I am an active spy?"
"Yes," Lyra deadpanned, her eyes flicking down for a brief second. "A pregnant spy at that."
Sora followed her gaze. Without his glamour, his uniform was pulled incredibly tight over his midsection. His baby bump was sticking out visibly, completely exposed to the entire stadium.
"But why are you all protecting me?" Sora questioned, his dark eyes narrowing. "I am sure you all recognize my traits by now. I am a Moonborn. A descendant of the very bloodline your kingdom considers an impure enemy."
"Even so, you still carry the Elven blood," Lyra countered, her jaw tightening as she notched an arrow into her bow string. "And we will not allow these Edrath human scums to lay a single hand on our kind again. If you are deemed to receive an official execution or punishment, then our High Queen is the only being who holds that right. Besides... our bodies just instinctively moved to protect you the moment you landed. It was like an invisible force pulled us toward you. And frankly, we find your pregnancy absolutely fascinating as well, especially during the time that Elves could not conceive. We have only ever heard of male elven conceptions in ancient stories and old folklore."
Sora looked past the elven wall, surveying the arena. Indeed, the imperial guards carried hostility and scrutiny like physical weapons. He looked toward the dugout where the Crimson Vanguard stood; most looked thoroughly surprised, but the majority looked deeply disappointed. In their eyes, Sora was nothing more than a treacherous spy who had deceived their unit and manipulated their prince. Up in the stands, the crowd was already screaming for his execution like a synchronized song of praise.
Sora slowly lifted his eyes toward the royal box where Cassian was sitting. The prince was looking down at the field with a completely unbothered, frozen expression. Sora knew there was absolutely nothing Cassian could do right now without destroying his own political baseline. They had warned him of these exact consequences before he entered the dungeon, and he had fully accepted the risk.
"I was well prepared for this specific outcome," Sora whispered, his voice settling into a calm frequency. "Lyra... can you take me away from the public's eyes before a full riot breaks out?"
"Come with us," Lyra ordered. She quickly grabbed Sora by the arm, pulling him up from the grass.
Using their diplomatic immunity, the elven students formed a tight perimeter around Sora, moving him swiftly across the field and away from the furious imperial guards. They led him directly into the private quarters of the Vadrant delegation, holding him captive inside a heavily reinforced room, with Lyra herself standing guard at the threshold.
The captivity was mostly driven by her sheer curiosity. Sora didn't hold back any informational as he sat comfortably in a wooden chair, resting his hands over his stomach.
"So... the Crown Prince made you like this?" Lyra asked, her eyes wide as she looked at his stomach.
"Yes," Sora replied plainly. "But he didn't know of my true identity when it started. I was merely a courtesan he hired through a third-party. But after the pregnancy was confirmed, he worked truly hard to protect me."
"Then shouldn't he be taking immediate responsibility right now?" Lyra hissed, crossing her arms. "He is leaving you to the guards!"
"He warned me that this would happen," Sora stated, his expression completely waverless. "He explicitly told me he would have me executed himself if my identity was found out by the public. I brought this situation entirely on myself. But even in this severe position... I still yearn to be on his side. Let him execute me himself if it clears his path; that would still make me perfectly happy."
Lyra looked at him in absolute disbelief, shaking her head at his psychological state. "You are completely insane." She let out a heavy sigh, resting her back against the wooden doorframe. "But your timing is incredibly strange, Sora. The High Queen and the chief priestess arrived at the stadium plaza just a moment ago, along with an elite army of elven guards."
Sora's ears twitched. "The Queen is here?"
"Yes," Lyra noted, her expression turning deeply serious. "It is a whole diplomatic delegation of elves, and it cannot be a simple coincidence, right? For the Queen to personally move her coordinates to a human empire... something massive is happening."
Sora leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes reflecting the faint starlight coming through the window. "I wonder."
*****