The Crisis of Forestia

  The moon shone dimly over Greenwood, the eternal capital of the Elven Empire. Queen Era von Forestia, draped in flowing silver robes, stood at the highest balcony of the Imperial Pace, gazing at the massive statue of Goddess Luna in the heart of the city.

  The empire was vast, beautiful, and ancient—but it was also dying.

  Royal and High Elf birth rates had been plummeting for centuries. Their long lifespans had become their greatest weakness. While Common Elves still numbered 400 million, their lower status meant they could never rule. The nobility, made up of High Elves, numbered only in the millions. The Royal Elves—the divine lineage closest to Luna—were now just tens of thousands.

  The Queen clenched her fists.

  The empire needed new blood, new nd, new resources. And through the guidance of Goddess Luna, they had discovered Earth. A world brimming with short-lived, primitive, and magicless creatures. It was perfect.

  A council of High Elven Lords and Priestesses had debated strategies for years. But the Queen had already decided.

  They would invade.

  A Burden of Birthright

  The great Lunar Pace stood at the heart of Greenwood, its silver spires piercing the twilight sky. Inside, where moonlight reflected off crystalline walls, Prince Dyug von Forestia knelt before the throne of his mother—Queen Era von Forestia.

  Her violet eyes, cold and unreadable, bore into him. The gathered Royal Elves and High Elven nobles remained silent, their expressions barely concealing their contempt.

  Dyug had long grown accustomed to this.

  A male. A prince in name only—56th in line to the throne, 387th in the imperial succession. His silver hair and noble blood meant little. His very existence was an afterthought in a society ruled by women.

  His earliest memories were filled with whispers.

  "A prince? A waste of royal blood."

  "If only he had been born a princess, he might have had a future."

  "Males are useful for war and breeding, nothing more."

  The Royal Matrons, the Queen’s advisors, often spoke of him as if he weren’t in the room. Their daughters—his sisters and cousins—excelled in magic, in command, in governance. Meanwhile, Dyug had to fight for even the smallest scraps of recognition.

  Yet, he never gave in.

  He trained harder than any of his sisters. He mastered combat, strategy, and magic, even though he knew he would never be allowed to rule. He refused to fade into obscurity.

  And then he met Mary.

  ---

  A Forbidden Love

  She was not a Royal. Not even a High Elf.

  Mary was a Common Elf—a Sun Knight, sworn to serve the High Elves. With golden hair that shimmered in the sunlight, she was strong, fearless, and unbreakable in spirit.

  Dyug had first seen her during a training exercise at the High Elven citadel. While the High Elves were being groomed for command, the Common Elves were taught to fight, to die, and to serve.

  Mary stood apart from the rest. She fought without hesitation, matching even High Elven warriors in swordpy. She held no fear in the presence of nobles.

  When Dyug had spoken to her for the first time, she did not bow.

  "You are a prince?" she had asked, tilting her head. "Then prove it."

  She had challenged him to a duel. He had won. Barely.

  And that was when he realized—Mary did not see him as lesser. She did not care for his rank, nor his birth.

  She saw him.

  But Royal Elves did not marry Common Elves. It was forbidden.

  Only the Goddess Luna’s priestesses—blessed by divine fate—could marry into royalty. For Dyug, there was only one way to break the rules of tradition.

  He had to become a hero of the empire.

  And now, an opportunity had finally come.

  ---

  The Queen’s Command

  "Prince Dyug."

  The Queen’s voice echoed through the throne room, drawing Dyug back to the present. He raised his head, meeting his mother’s gaze.

  "A portal has been opened."

  The assembled nobles stirred. Even Dyug’s heart skipped a beat.

  "Beyond it lies a world of magicless creatures. A world of untapped power, with fertile bloodlines that may yet ensure the survival of our people."

  A hush fell over the chamber. Dyug clenched his fists. A new world?

  "The first expedition must establish a foothold for our forces." The Queen’s voice was emotionless. "A reconnaissance fleet will cross into this world. A single ship, enchanted by the Goddess herself, will carry our warriors to survey the nd and report back."

  Dyug’s breath caught. This was it.

  "You shall command this mission, Dyug von Forestia."

  A ripple of disbelief spread through the assembled nobles. A male? A prince so low in succession leading such an important mission?

  The Queen’s next words made her reasoning clear.

  "You are expendable."

  The weight of her statement smmed into Dyug like a physical blow.

  "If you succeed, you will return in glory. If you fall, your loss will be insignificant."

  The court murmured in agreement. Dyug gritted his teeth. He could hear the unspoken words.

  "Better him than a true heir."

  He bowed his head, suppressing his anger. This was his only chance. If he returned victorious, even the Queen could not deny his worth.

  He would cim his right to marry Mary.

  And so, without another word, Prince Dyug von Forestia accepted his mission.

  ---

  Arrival Over Earth

  The portal opened with a thunderous pulse, tearing through space and time. A colossal Elven Magic Ship, cloaked by divine enchantments, passed through the rift, emerging into the skies above a vast ocean.

  Beneath them stretched an unfamiliar world. Earth.

  Dyug stood at the helm, his eyes narrowing as he took in the view. Blue oceans. Scattered isnds. Distant ndmasses. A world without magic, yet filled with millions—no, billions—of life forms.

  "Fascinating," he murmured.

  The ship drifted, hidden from sight by the blessing of Goddess Luna. Their presence was undetectable.

  Or so he believed.

  ---

  Human Eyes in the Sky

  Far above, beyond even the Elven ship’s reach, human satellites locked onto an anomaly.

  In a darkened military command center, screens flickered with data.

  "Sir, we have an unidentified aerial object over the South China Sea."

  "Shape?"

  "Unknown. No heat signature, no radar return, but—"

  The officer hesitated.

  "It’s blocking the stars."

  A shadow where there should have been nothing. A void in the sky.

  The information was reyed up the chain. Within minutes, multiple nations were alerted.

  Orders were given.

  Warpnes were scrambled.

  ---

  ALARMS BLARED.

  The cloaking spells faltered. Something was tracking them.

  On Earth, satellites from multiple world powers had already locked onto the anomaly in the sky. Within minutes, two squadrons of fighter jets had been deployed.

  Six F-22 Raptors from the U.S. Air Force.

  Six J-20 Mighty Dragons from the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.

  As Dyug watched in shock, twelve massive metal birds shot toward them, moving faster than anything he had seen before.

  His heart pounded.

  "What are those? Some kind of… war golems?"

  The Battle Over the South China Sea

  "Barrier! NOW!" Dyug ordered.

  A shimmering Lunar Barrier enveloped the ship. Too te.

  Missiles streaked through the sky.

  Explosions rocked the ship. The hull trembled, damaged before the barrier could fully activate. The ship lurched, losing altitude.

  Dyug clenched his fists.

  "I won’t be defeated by primitives!"

  He turned to his elite Elven Sky Warriors—trained in aerial combat, armed with enchanted spears and wind magic.

  "Lower the barrier! COUNTERATTACK!"

  The shield flickered—and Elven warriors shot out like streaks of light.

  The F-22s and J-20s immediately switched to dogfighting tactics, engaging the Elves in the sky.

  Bullets whizzed past the Elves, who used magic to dodge and weave. One warrior threw a lightning-infused spear—striking an F-22, sending it spiraling into the ocean.

  But the humans adapted quickly.

  Missiles locked onto Elven warriors, exploding in midair, tearing through their magical defenses. Some Elves conjured wind barriers, deflecting bullets, but the jets moved too fast.

  A J-20 pilot weaved through an Elven formation, then pulled up sharply—letting his wingman fire a missile that tore through an entire squad of Elves.

  Dyug growled.

  "How are these creatures countering us so quickly?!"

  ---

  The Trap Below

  Then, the real disaster struck.

  Unbeknownst to Dyug, lurking deep beneath the battle, INS Arihant, India’s nuclear submarine, had already positioned itself.

  It watched the battle silently. Patiently.

  Then—

  TWO TORPEDOES FIRED.

  Dyug didn’t see them until the st second.

  The first torpedo smashed into the ship’s hull—shattering the Lunar Barrier completely.

  The second torpedo detonated inside, ripping the ship apart from within.

  The sky erupted in fmes as the Elven ship crashed into the ocean.

  As the wreckage burned, Dyug, barely conscious, sank into the dark waters.

  Pain surged through his body.

  He should have been dead.

  But the Divine Lunar Magic within him refused to let him die. Even direct missile strikes had failed to kill him.

  His vision faded.

  The st thing he saw was a dark shape moving toward him—

  The INS Arihant was already recovering his unconscious body from the wreckage.

  The only elven survivor of the invasion.

  –––

  Meanwhile, in Greenwood

  News reached Queen Era within hours.

  She sat frozen on her throne.

  Her son was dead.

  For a moment, her mask of control cracked.

  A single tear fell.

  Then—her golden eyes hardened.

  She rose, her voice cold as death itself.

  "Prepare the full invasion force."

  She turned toward the massive statue of Goddess Luna, kneeling before it.

  "Mother of all Elves… I swear to you, I will avenge him. I will burn Earth to the ground."

  And thus, the real war began.

  Respro