A discovery in the Adler Empire soon made Salaz even richer than before. Tens of thousands of people had been wounded in the war, some of them recovering much faster than others. It wasn't long before it was discovered that this was due to the Lightstone.

  The Lightstone had a tremendous healing effect. Small wounds took a few seconds to heal, larger wounds took a few days at most. The more Lightstones used, the shorter the process. This tremendous property had increased the value of Lightstones again. Countries across the continent were at war with each other, and victory in war belonged to those who wielded the greatest hoard of Lightstones.

  Fate smiled upon Salaz once more, his coffers swelling with the blood-stained gold of war. And it looked like he was going to start making more and more of it, because the Lightstones used to heal the wounded darkened and rotted over time, losing their power. The smaller the size of the Lightstone, the faster it rotted. This ensured the continuity of supply.

  Soldiers who healed quickly made the wars longer and more bloody. Years passed as the wars continued. For ten years the continent had been in flames and the Adler Empire was about to fall apart. This was not only because Octavius had turned the entire continent against him, but also because the army of the Empire's greatest enemy, the Sizat Empire, had become strangely strong.

  The soldiers of the Sizat Empire had been stronger than usual since the beginning of the war, but in recent years their strength had increased. Sizat soldiers had grown beyond human limits, and no one knew why. Most of the soldiers had the strength of several men, and some were even stronger. There were even soldiers who could fight alone against hundreds of soldiers.

  When the capital of the Adler Empire was under siege by the Sizat army, Emperor Octavius learned why his enemy was so powerful. Octavius slammed his fist onto the war table, the candlelight flickering under his fury. “Impossible!” Octavius roared, striking the war table so hard that goblets toppled over.

  “This is no power granted by the gods—it is theft from the heavens themselves!”

  His advisors exchanged uneasy glances before one spoke up hesitantly.

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  “Your Majesty… the Sizatans do not adorn themselves with the stone—they feast upon it.”

  Silence gripped the war chamber. Octavius’ eyes darkened.

  “Then let them know fear. We shall drink from the same chalice and rise anew—stronger, deadlier. If the gods will not favor us, then we shall forge our own divinity.”

  The Sizat alchemists crushed the Lightstone into fine dust, mixing it into potions consumed by their soldiers. Muscles swelled, reflexes sharpened—mortals transformed into something greater, something unnatural. But power had a price. In large doses, the stone did not merely enhance. It consumed.

  Octavius learned this information too late. The reason for this was that the Sizat Empire ran its supply of Lightstone in a clandestine manner. The owners of the mines that supplied Lightstone were normal merchants, and the stones from their mines were usually turned into jewelry and sold. That's why no one had guessed that the Sizats were behind it. But the reports in front of Octavius said that since the early days of the war, many kingdoms had been supplying the Sizat Empire with Lightstone, both in the form of jewelry and in its raw form.

  The Sizatans had already laid siege to the capital of the Adler Empire with the power of the stone. To counter this, Octavius had all the Lightstones collected from the capital, pulverized and given to his best soldiers. Unfortunately, it took time for the stone to take effect and he was too late.

  Soon Octavius surrendered to the Sizat army. But with the fall of the Adler Empire, the whole continent became aware of the new uses and effects of the Lightstone. Soon every kingdom on the continent began to fortify its soldiers with the Lightstone. This led to a renewed stalemate in the wars because no one could dominate anyone. Only those kingdoms that had more Lightstones than their opponents were able to achieve anything.

  Soon all Lightstone reserves on the continent were exhausted. Now the kingdoms had to be more careful with the Lightstones in their reserves. But there was also good news. Even if the Lightstone ran out, its effects were hereditary. The children of those who possessed the powers of the Lightstone were born with that power.

  The Sizat Empire called children born with extraordinary abilities without using the Lightstone 'Blessed'. By specially training these children, they aimed to create a loyal and powerful army. Over the years, The Sizat war machine did not march—it consumed. Kingdoms burned before their Blessed warriors, their movements blurs of death and steel. They were not men; they were storm and shadow, the wrath of an empire made flesh. What could mortals do against the inevitable? Kingdom after kingdom fell, their rulers forced to kneel before the crimson banners of Sizat. But the Sizat Emperor did not seek dominion. He sought the end of kings. He would not rest until every throne was dust beneath his boots, until the Lightstone was his alone to wield.

  And that’s another chapter done! If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much. The world of “The Fall of Everything!” is vast and full of details, so if there's something you're curious about, I'd love to explain it in more depth. Your thoughts can also influence the story—whether it’s something you’d like to see more of or a question you want answered, feel free to share it in the comments! Your feedback is incredibly important to me and helps shape the story. The next chapter is coming soon, so stay tuned!

  [EDITED]