Chapter 28 - ??????? ?? ??????

  ╭━ ??? ━━?━━ ??? ━╮?? ??? ?????? ?? ??????????, ?????? ??? ???????. ?????? ??? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????; ???? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??????. ???? ????? ??? ???? ?? ? ?????? ????? ???? ? ???????? ?? ????, ??????? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ?????? ????????. ?? ??? ???? ??? ????, ??? ??? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ?????. ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ?? ? ?????, ??? ???? ????? ??????? ???? ???? ???????. ??? ??????????? ??? ?????, ??? ?????? ???? ????? ? ????? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ?????. ???? ???? ???????: ????? ?????? ?????? ?? ? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ????. ??? ???? ??? ???????, ??? ?????? ??? ????? ???????. ????? ??? ??? ???????; ?? ?? ?????? ? ???? ???? ??? ????? ???????. ???? ??? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?????????, ????? ?? ?? ??????? ????. ?????? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ?? ???, ??? ?? ???? ?????, ????? ?????????? ?? ? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??????.                           ╰━ ??? ━━?━━ ??? ━╯                     ───── ??☆?? ─────               "???????? ??????? ???? ??? ????????? ?? ????"                     ───── ??☆?? ─────                     ┏━━━━??????━━━━┓?? ??? ??????? ?? ?????, ???????? ??????: '????? ??? ????, ??????? ?? ????.' ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??????? ???? ??????????, ??? ???? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ? ??????. ??????? ?? ??? ? ??????? ?????????, ?????? ????????? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ?????????. ????? ??? ??? ???????; ????? ?????? ???? ??? ????? ????? ????????? ?????? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ????????? ????? ???? ?????????.                     ┗━━━??????━━━┛ -M in Domino; Helia Pace; The Royal Assembly Room- In the grand Royal Assembly Room of Helia Pace, the m sun streamed through t stained gss windows, casting vibrant hues across the marble floor. The air was thick with tension, a palpable energy crag as thirty-five cilors filled the ornate chamber, their voices rising in a chaotic symphony of dissent. At the head of the long, polished table sat the King of Domino, Hades Limonizer Vernoke Domino, his regal presence barely taining the turmoil that swirled around him. The walls were adorned with rich tapestries depig the kingdom’s storied past, yet today they bore wito a different kind of history in the making. The cilors were divided into three fas, each group animatedly gesturing as they made their case for the fate of Princess Luxana. Group 1 - cmored for immediate a to retrieve the princess, insisting that her absence would plunge Domino into turmoil. Group 2 - argued for her return without capituting to the Empire's demands. Group 3 - shogly proposed to offer her as a token of allegiao the Empire. “PRINCESS LUXANA MUST BE BROUGHT BACK IMMEDIATELY!” shouted a member from Group 1, rising abruptly from his chair. His voice echoed off the stone walls, urgeched into every line of his face. “HER ABSEN DOMINO WILL CAUSE AN UPROAR IN THE KINGDOM!” “DO YOU THINK SUBMITTING TO THE EMPIRE IS A PIECE OF CAKE?” tered a member from Group 2, her voice ced with fury as she stood defiantly. She smmed her palm oable, causing goblets to rattle and eyes to widen. “YOU’D TRADE OUR SNTY FOR A MERE PROMISE?” “DOES IT MATTER?” another voice from Group 1 interjected, desperation creeping into his tone as he leaned forward, hands gripping the edge of the table. “IF HER POWERS ARE KNOWN TO THE EMPIRE, WE’LL BE BROUGHT DOWN LIKE AN AVALANCHE!” “HER HIGHNESS’S POWERS HAVE STILL NOT FULLY DEVELOPED!” shouted a member from Group 2, shaking his head vehemently. He paced bad forth behind his chair, his agitation palpable. “WE DON’T O SUBMIT! RATHER, WE SHOULD FOCUS ON WHO EXACTLY FED THAT FAKE ACCORD!” “THE FAKE ACCORD? WITH WHAT AUDACITY DO YOU CLAIM IT TO BE FAKE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING?” barked a member from Group 3, her eyes fshing with indignation as she rose to her full height. “THE PREVIOUS KING MUST HAVE DEFINITELY SIG!” “ROOF DO YOU EVEN HAVE TO BELIEVE THE ACCORD WAS FAKE?” another member from Group 3 chimed in, arms crossed defiantly as he gred at his oppos. “WHAT? DO YOU LACK BRAIN CELLS? THAT’S IMPOSSIBLE! OUR ENMITY WITH THE EMPIRE IS SO LONG-STANDING THAT SU ALLIANCE IS UNTHINKABLE!” shouted a member from Group 2, his voice rising above the din. “ALLIAO THE EMPIRE MIGHT END UP BEING A GOOD THING! WHAT SORT OF DISFORT CUDDLES YOU?” another voice from Group 3 piped up, trying to sinions with fervor. “AND WHAT SORT OF FORT SNUGGLES YOU?” mocked a member from Group 2, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she leaned ba her chair, arms crossed defiantly."ENOUGH". The King’s voice sliced through the chaos like a bde through silk. For a moment, silenveloped the room; all eyes turoward him. His calm demeanor was uling against the backdrop of rising tempers. He leaned forward slightly, hands csped under his as he surveyed his cilors with an iy that dematention. “Is arguing like five-year-olds what brought you to your current positions?” he asked, his tone smooth yet firm. The cilors shifted unfortably in their seats; they could sehat beh his posed exterior y a storm brewing—a storm that could ge everything. “We must act wisely,” he tinued, his gaze sweeping over each fa as they held their breath. “This is not merely about Princess Luxana; it is about our kingdom's future.”-Indoor Training Grounds; Moonlit Edifice; Elmir- In the heart of the Moonlit Edifice, the Indoor Training Grounds resonated with the sharp, metallig of swords meeting in fierbat. The air was thick with the st of sweat aermination, mingling with the faint aroma of oil from the well-maintained bdes. Flickering torches cast dang shadows oone walls, illuminating the intense expressions of those engaged in their practibsp;Cillian stood at the ter of the arena, poised and fident. Cillian, slender yet deceptively strong, moved with a fluid grace that belied his thin frame. His white shirt, ruffled at the front and adorned with intricate gold patterns, trasted sharply against the ander’s dark armor. The wide cuffs of his shirt fred slightly as he swung his sword, catg the light with eaent. He danced around the arena, his feet barely making a sound on the polished stone floor as he evaded a powerful overhead strike. As he faced his oppo, the ander of the Imperial Knight's Fa, ander Oswin Grimtide.Oswin Grimtide was a legendary ander in the annals of Elmir's history. Rising from humble beginnings, his father was a bcksmith known for f ons for the very knights Oswin would one day lead. From a young age, he dispyed exceptional bat skills and an unwavering loyalty to his kingdom. His agility, strategic prowess, and unique fighting style propelled him through the ranks of the Imperial Knights. As ander, Oswin remained grounded, often visiting his father's fe a young knights. Despite his success, the weight of loss from battles fought for Elmir left physical aional scars, shaping him into a thoughtful leader. Norotector aor within the Royal Guard, Oswin's presenanded respect. His dedication to training the geion, like Cillian, embodied his itment to the kingdom's future. Oswin Grimtide was more than just a ander; he was a guardian of Elmir's legacy—a legacy fed in fire and tempered by honor.Cillian’s movements were fluid and precise. He shifted his weight effortlessly from one foot to the other, a practiced grace evident in every step. He executed a series of rapid strikes, eae punctuated by the sharp etal against metal. With a deft twist of his wrist, he parried an ining blow, then tered with a swift upward ssh that sent his oppo reeling babsp;The training grounds were vast, with high ceilings that seemed to stretto infinity, adorned with bahat fluttered like restless spirits in the cool night air. The stone floor, polished to a sheen, reflected the dim light, creating an almost ethereal glow around Cillian as he moved. His feet danced gracefully, shifting with precision as he parried a blow aimed at his midse. “YOU’RE QUICK,” the ander grunted, sweat glistening on his brow as he lunged forward. Cillian sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the bde that sliced through the air where he had just stood. “AND YOU’RE SLOW!” Cillian shot back, his voice ringing with fidence. He pivoted on his heel aaliated with a swift thrust aimed at the ander’s side. The older man parried expertly, their swords g again in a shower of sparks. Around them, fellow trainees watched ihe iy of their duel alpable; every movement was a calcuted risk, every strike a testament to their skill aermination. Cillian’s agility was mesmerizing; he ducked low and rolled to the side, springing back to his feet in one fluid motion that left onlookers breathless. “IS THAT ALL YOU’VE GOT?” Cillian taunted as he executed a series of rapid strikes, eaet with equal force from the ahe two men were locked in a fierce dance of bdes, their movements weaving together like an intricate tapestry of bat. “YOU’LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT!” he shouted, his voice ringing with fidence as he sidestepped a thrust aimed at his midse. He ducked low, narrowly avoiding arike, then sprang back up with agility that belied his slender frame. Cillian’s footwork was impeccable; he moved like water—fluid yet unyielding—closing the distaween them with each calcuted step. His oppo lunged fain, a fierce determinatioched across their face. The sound of metal scraping against metal filled the air as they exged blows, eaent fluid and calcuted. Cillian ducked low, narrowly avoiding a strike that could have sent him sprawling. He felt the rush of adrenaline c through him, igniting every nerve ending as he tered with a swift upward swing. “DON'T WORRY, YOU'LL STILL BE LEFT BEHIHER WAY.” came the retort from his oppo, breathless yet defiant as he lunged fain. The iy of their duel escated; Cilliahe adrenaline c through him, sharpening his senses as he deflected another blow and riposted with a swift thrust aimed at his oppo’s shoulder. The g of their swords echoed like thunder in the enclosed space, each csh reverberating off the stone walls and filling the air with arision. Around them, fellow trainees watched in rapt attention, their eyes wide with admiration for Cillian’s skill. The gs of their swords filled the air like thundercps as Cillian danced around his oppo, exeg a perfect Oberhau—a downward cut that struck true. Suddenly, Cillian heard the door creak open behind him as someoered the training grounds. He didn’t turn to look; distras had no p this moment. He focused solely on the duel, every fiber of his being attuo the rhythm of bat. With renewed focus, Cillian unched into a series of rapid strikes that forced his oppo back. Eaent was deliberate and precise; he felt every muscle w in harmony as he executed his teiques fwlessly. The gs grew louder and more frantitil finally— “EN GARDE!” he shouted triumphantly as he disarmed his oppo with a swift twist of his wrist and stepped back to catch his breath. The sword cttered to the ground, eg through the training grounds like a bell tolling victory. Panting slightly but exhirated. “You know, ander,” Cillian said with a teasing smirk as he stepped back, sword still poised in hand, “if you keep swinging that sword like it’s a broomstick, I might just have to start charging you for ing up the training grounds!” Oswin raised an eyebrow, momentarily taken aback by the audacity of the younger knight. He opened his mouth to respond but found himself at a loss for words, the pyful jab leaving him momentarily speechless. The other trainees burst into ughter, the tension of their duel dissipating into the air like mist in the m sun. As he extended a hand to help his oppo up, the room erupted into appuse. The sound echoed off the stone walls like a triumphant chorus—men g and howling for him in admiration. Among them stood Princess Luxana, her bright smile illuminating her face as she joined in the appuse. As the appuse began to fade, Cillia a strange mix of emotions swirling within him. He slightly lowered his head, his expressioral yet his eyes remained locked on Luxana’s. He sought firmation in her gaze, a silent plea for assurahat her cheers were gehere was something cold in his demeanor, a shield he wore to protect himself from vulnerability. In response, Luxana smiled wider, her face radiating warmth as she tilted her head slightly and shut her eyes. It was a gesture that spoke volumes—a silent affirmation that cut through the tension surrounding them. Her siy enveloped him like a soft b, momentarily easing the weight on his shoulders. The energy iraining grounds shifted as the appuse transformed into a murmur of versation. Trainees gathered in small clusters, animatedly discussing teiques and sharing tales of their own battles. Cillian’s victory had ignited a spark among them, lifting spirits and f camaraderie.To be tinued...