The Gate No One Can See
Wars do not always begin with gunfire.
Sometimes they begin with a hammer.
Deep beneath Arcadia's northern island, a massive tunnel stretched from the mountain's heart toward the sea—pillars of stone, glowing runes, and logistical veins connecting mines to the ocean.
Dorgrin struck the colossal gate.
Stone moved.
The dwarven harbor was born.
A Hidden State
Lee Soo-yeon understood Arcadia now existed on two layers:
The surface state seen by the world
The subterranean state unseen by anyone
And unseen power meant time.
The First Test
A cargo vessel approached the island under darkness.
A hidden maritime gate opened within the cliff.
The mountain swallowed the ship.
Inside, crystalline lights revealed the dwarven harbor—loading operations executed with flawless precision.
"The mountain now owns the sea," Dorgrin said.
Political Echo
Meanwhile, ministers sensed inconsistencies.
Production increased.
Yet official shipping numbers did not.
Suspicion grew without evidence.
And suspicion without proof is politics' most dangerous poison.
Ending
Minor seismic irregularities were recorded globally near the island.
Not an earthquake.
Not volcanic activity.
A geological anomaly.
A file was opened.
And a question was born.
End of Chapter 13