The Fire of Pride and the Shadow of Destruction – Armin and the Fate of Arcatra

  The Grand Nexarium Palace, Night

  Shadows danced on the walls of the royal hall. The flames of the torches flickered in the wind, as if they themselves were afraid of what was happening. Amidst this darkness, two figures, two generations of the Turgan family, stood facing each other.

  Selena Turgan, a queen who was once the wife of the great king, now stood before her son, Armin Turgan, her face filled with anger and sorrow.

  "You foolish boy, do you know what you're doing? If your father were here, he would throw you into the dungeon!"

  Armin, wearing the long royal robe, turned to his mother. His gaze was cold and emotionless.

  "Mother, stop. These people are used to betrayal. They have never understood a true king. They must understand that we are at war and we are defending them."

  "What war? The war you started?"

  Selena moved closer. Her eyes shone like a flame that had not yet been extinguished.

  "Armin, Izehard violated your kingdom, but should thousands die because of it? You killed my uncle, but at what cost?!"

  Armin, with an icy voice, took a step forward:

  "He betrayed us. I ordered him imprisoned, but they killed your uncle. So I killed Izehard. Now we're even. If they had only knelt, so much blood would not have been shed."

  "My son, please, don't risk your life. There is still a way to peace. Let them be independent. They only want their freedom."

  Armin shook his head with a bitter laugh:

  "No, this entire continent and its families must remain loyal to me. This kingdom must be united, not fragmented and broken!"

  Shadows of the Past – A Memory of a Bloody Night

  Selena, in a soft but trembling voice, said:

  "You weren't there that night, the night your father and all the families united against the Valerians and drove them out of the kingdom. Right here, where you now rule, Orian was also there, but look what happened... he's been dead for decades."

  Armin, whose face had been emotionless until that moment, suddenly changed his gaze. A face caught between anger and pain.

  "I am not like the Valerians!"

  "The Valerians?" Selena smirked. "Do you know what they're rumored to be doing? They say the Valerians have brought an army from the sea to take revenge on us!"

  Stolen story; please report.

  "That's just a rumor! A rumor that the Valdrin family and their allies have spread to weaken our morale."

  Selena sighed and said:

  "And what if it's true?"

  Armin smiled coldly and said:

  "Then we must prepare for another war."

  "My son, never forget... pride has led many kings to their downfall."

  But Armin was no longer listening to his mother's words. He had made his decision.

  Escape from Blasteria – Return to the Ancestral Land

  The Valerian Palace, Capital of Blasteria – Midnight

  The moon, like an emotionless eye, shone in the dark sky. The cold wind passed through the stone windows of the palace, but inside a room that was once built for rest, a storm was brewing.

  Lorandis Valeria, the warrior princess, was imprisoned in her bedroom. Her brother, Asterius, the exiled king, had confined her for disobeying his command. But she could no longer wait. She had to escape. She had to return to Arcatra, the land she had once left.

  A plan formed in her mind. She had to exploit the guards' hesitation...

  The Escape Plan

  Dawn was approaching. Two guards, standing outside her room, spoke softly to each other.

  "Do you hear anything? There's no sound in the room."

  "Maybe she's asleep... or maybe..."

  Suddenly, a sound came from inside the room. A sound that resembled a faint moan.

  "We should check. Maybe something happened."

  The guards hesitated. They were ordered not to open the door. But if the princess was dead, Asterius would be furious?

  Finally, they decided to enter.

  They opened the door... and what they saw was just a bed with a blanket pulled over it.

  "Princess?"

  One of the guards approached the bed and reached out to pull the blanket aside. But suddenly...

  ? "Whoosh!" A knife flew out of the darkness and plunged into the first guard's thigh.

  He screamed in pain and fell back. The second guard, who had drawn his sword in terror, could only brace himself for a moment before Lorandis leapt out of the shadows.

  A quick and precise strike, and the second guard's hands were severed from behind.

  Blood splattered on the stone walls, and the man's screams echoed in the hallway. But it was too late.

  Lorandis, with cold and merciless eyes, picked up the guard's sword and ran into the darkness.

  Confrontation with Sir Arthur

  Everything was going well. She had escaped her prison, knew the way to the dock, and no one had noticed her escape yet. But just as she was passing through the palace corridors...

  A firm and familiar step echoed at the end of the corridor.

  "Lorandis..."

  Sir Arthur.

  The old knight, the man who had once saved her as a child, stood in her path. His armor was still shining, but the wrinkles on his face were a sign of years of war and heavy fates.

  "What are you doing? Why are you running away?"

  Lorandis was silent for a moment. Her gaze was fixed on the man who had treated her like his own child for years. But she was no longer a child.

  "Arthur... I have to go back."

  Sir Arthur took a step forward.

  "You shouldn't do this. Your brother has ordered you to stay here. If you return to Arcatra, you will put yourself in danger."

  Lorandis took a deep breath.

  "I am not afraid of danger."

  Arthur drew his sword.

  "Then I have to stop you."

  But Lorandis was faster.

  With a sudden movement, she threw her cloak at Arthur.

  The old knight lost his sight for a moment, and at that very moment, Lorandis struck him quickly on the neck with the back of her sword.

  Arthur groaned, his eyes went black, and before he could react, he fell unconscious to the ground.

  "I'm sorry... but I have to go."

  Escape to Destiny

  Lorandis, breathing heavily, ran towards the secret dock.

  A small boat was ready at the end of the pier. She untied the ropes, grabbed the oars, and saw the sea before her.

  Hours passed.

  She was still rowing as the sun slowly rose from the horizon.

  Suddenly, in the distance, the flames of torches shining in the darkness appeared.

  Sir Arthur had come to the dock with several soldiers!

  "Come back, Lorandis!"

  But it was too late. The waves were carrying her away from the shore.

  She was returning... to Arcatra.

  "Home... I'm coming back."

  To be continued...