Last night

  "But unfortunately... this is your end," the axe-wielder shouted in a gruff voice.

  A sudden, brutal scream followed.

  "What is this?!" the cane-wielder yelled, horrified.

  A massive monster attacked the sword-wielder, charging with all its strength.

  "Arrrghhh!" The sword-wielder howled in pain from the deep wound.

  "You bastard!" the cane-wielder shouted, his eyes widening with rage, preparing a spell.

  But the hybrid monster, despite its strength, attacked the other monster, though it was less experienced. The large beast turned around, sinking its claws deeply into its back.

  "Arrrrgh!" the hybrid beast screamed in terror and pain.

  Without hesitation, the large beast bit down on the hybrid's neck and ripped it away from its body, as if it were a prey caught effortlessly.

  "Bastard!!" The cane-wielder screamed in anger, launching a fire spell at the beast, which failed to dodge the attack.

  Boom! A deep explosion filled the place.

  "Damn!! Did I burn?!" the axe-wielder asked, worried.

  "I... I think so," the cane-wielder replied hesitantly, watching the fire.

  Suddenly, a glowing fireball shot out from the smoke and flames, striking the cane-wielder's body, igniting him in flames.

  "Ahhh!!!" The cane-wielder screamed, burning, the fire shimmering around his body.

  "What... what is this?!" the axe-wielder screamed, terrified. "What do you want from us?!"

  The axe-wielder rushed at the beast with all his might, trying to defeat it, but in an instant, a red point shot from the ground, like a spear, piercing the axe-wielder's body in half, drowning him in blood.

  The mysterious woman Alden had been searching for appeared. She stepped confidently toward Alden, accompanied by the heavy-breathing beast.

  She knelt gracefully, then spoke softly and calmly, "It seems you’ve sustained serious injuries." There was tenderness in her voice. "Don't worry, you'll be fine."

  She extended her palm toward Alden and murmured a hidden spell.

  "Now... do you feel better?"

  "It seems luck is on your side today... boy," the mangled corpse of Adam said, its voice hoarse.

  "Now, let’s get rid of this annoying curse."

  "Hmm?! What are you talking about?! Do you mean me?!" the corpse asked, confused.

  "Yes... you," the woman answered calmly.

  "Wait! Can you see me?!" the corpse asked, his confusion evident on his face.

  The woman pulled out a necklace with a crimson crystal, gleaming under the firelight. "Yes... but not anymore."

  She placed the necklace around Alden's neck, and at that moment, Adam's mangled corpse screamed in pain. Black smoke began rising from its body in a terrifying scene.

  "I know this is painful to see... but it's not your father," the woman said in a soothing tone.

  The corpse suddenly exploded, as if it had evaporated into nothingness, leaving behind only a trace of smoke.

  The woman gracefully stood up, dusted off her clothes, then the beast approached Alden, sniffing him warily, then gently licked him, as if bidding him farewell.

  "Alright... it’s time to leave. But don’t worry, we’ll meet again," the woman said with a mysterious smile, before adding, "Don't take off this necklace, it will help you a lot... and also, keep the dragon. It's a gift for you."

  The woman smiled enigmatically, making Alden feel a sense of nostalgia for the past, though he couldn’t understand why.

  She opened a magical portal before her and slowly passed through it. As she entered, the portal disappeared suddenly, as if it had never been there.

  The next day

  "[What is this?! Something... is licking my face?!]" Alden awoke to find a brown striped cat licking his face.

  "What? Where did you come from?!" The cat began rubbing its head against Alden's chest.

  "What's wrong? Do you want me to pet you? Alright... alright," Alden began petting the cat, seemingly enjoying it.

  One of the servants entered to clean the room, and when she saw that Alden was awake, she dropped the bucket. Alden was surprised, as he hadn't noticed her entrance. The cat immediately jumped to the ground, and a strong light emitted from it. When the light cleared, a majestic dragon appeared, in an attack-ready stance.

  "M...monster?!" Alden suddenly screamed. "Dragon!!!"

  The dragon looked at Alden, who was stunned, so it transformed back into the form of the cat and jumped into his lap.

  "What... is going on?!!" Alden whispered in fear.

  "Alden!!" Christina called out. The cat jumped again, transforming into the dragon, ready for an attack stance.

  "Mom!!" Alden shouted. "There's a dragon in my room!!"

  "Sit," Christina ordered the dragon. It obeyed her command.

  "What... is going on?!!" Alden whispered in fear. Christina ran to Alden and hugged him. He was astonished, still trying to process the events.

  "I was so worried about you," tears welled in Christina's eyes. Alden hugged her back.

  "I'm still trying to piece things together... but I’m sorry for making you worry again."

  Kaya and Alrik entered, and the dragon growled at them.

  "Ah... Mom, could you ask him to let us in?" Kaya said.

  Christina wiped her tears. "This is strange?! He didn’t growl at you just now, Kaya. What’s wrong with him all of a sudden?!"

  "I think he's growling at me then," Alrik said.

  "Well... that's enough!" Christina shouted at the dragon. The dragon snorted smoke as if angry, then went to a corner of the room.

  "Doesn’t anyone intend to explain this to me?!" Alden yelled. "How is there a dragon in my room?!!"

  Christina pinched Alden's ear. "Don’t shout like that!"

  "Ouch! Weren’t you just worried about me a moment ago?!"

  The dragon turned and saw Alden in pain. It growled angrily, but when Christina looked at it with her angry eyes, it pretended not to notice and went back to sleep.

  "I don’t know which is more terrifying?! My mom? Or the dragon?" kaya said.

  "Isn’t the answer obvious?" Alrik said. "So Alden, how do you feel now?"

  "Fine... just no one has answered me about why there's a dragon in my room!"

  "We should be asking you that question!" Kaya said.

  Christina said, "Yes... you disappeared at the party last night. When we found you, there were bodies around you, and that dragon was protecting you."

  "Wait! The party last night?! Was I unconscious since last night?!!"

  "Yes... my son, are you sure you're okay? As I told you yesterday, Chief Heimdall and King Lyones said there was a dark aura around you..."

  "It’s a curse," Alden whispered.

  "What?!"

  "It’s a curse! That's what the strange woman said. And she gave me this necklace." Alden held the crimson crystal.

  "Wait!! Don’t touch it?!" Kaya looked confused.

  "Hmm?! Why not?!"

  "This is strange?!" Alrik said.

  "What’s wrong with you two?!"

  "Alden... don’t you feel a burning in your hand?!" Christina asked.

  "No. Why do you ask?"

  "When you were unconscious, I called in an expert healer to check on you, to confirm the dark aura. There was something wrong indeed, as he found traces of it in your body, but it was removed. When he saw the necklace, he said it had a massive amount of energy. Apparently, it was the reason the dark aura vanished, but when he tried to touch it, a spark shot out from the necklace and burned his hand. It wasn’t a severe burn, but when he tried again using magic, his entire hand burned!"

  "The woman told me not to take off the necklace, because it would help me a lot. And apparently, she got rid of that dark aura."

  "Who exactly is this woman?! And did she kill all those guards?!"

  "Actually, I don’t know who she is. She appeared suddenly at the party... and no one else noticed her presence except me. As for the guards in the hallway, it wasn’t her, but the Dark Cult."

  "Dark Cult?!" Alrik repeated.

  "Impossible!!" Kaya said. "But how did they get into the palace?! Did they escape or what?!"

  "No, actually, she killed them... or at least one of them. The dragon killed the other three."

  "Are you talking about the four guard corpses in the yard?!" Christina asked.

  "Yes! Apparently, they disguised themselves as one of the guards. They said their mission was to kill me. I managed to dodge their first attack thanks to one of the guards, but... he died. I was able to provoke one of them to fight me alone, but of course, I wasn’t a match for him, so... I just dodged his attacks. But then the hybrid struck me from behind. I didn’t have a chance to dodge the attack, so I just blocked it, but it was a powerful strike that broke my hand, maybe other bones too. But the woman healed me, it was a strong spell because I felt all the pain vanish immediately."

  "Seems like she’s a high-level healer!" Alrik said.

  "I’m not sure about that! She also performed an offensive spell."

  "The red spike?!" Kaya asked.

  "Yes... then she opened a strange portal. As soon as she passed through it, she disappeared instantly."

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  "And... did she leave you the dragon?!"

  "Oh! Yes! She said it was a gift."

  "Of course! Why wouldn't I give the boy I saved a dragon as a gift?" Alrik mocked.

  "There must be a reason. Even the dragon was protecting you when you were unconscious. It wouldn't let me approach you until it smelled my scent. As if it was making sure I wasn't a threat to you."

  "In fact... there's something strange about the woman and the dragon. I feel like I've known them for a long time."

  "Are you referring to when you were a baby? Or when you were in mother's womb?" Kaya teased.

  "I know this sounds weird. But... Gofel!" The dragon immediately turned. It approached Alden as if it had responded to his call.

  "What did you just say?!"

  "I think that's its name. Isn't it, boy?"

  The next day...

  Magical Forest: The Academy of Magic

  In the heart of the Magical Forest, where ancient trees intertwine to form a natural canopy that blocks the sunlight, the Academy of Magic stood tall amidst an ethereal mist, giving it an aura of mystery and majesty. The hall that hosted the meeting of the kings was spacious, with a high ceiling adorned with intricate carvings sparkling with ancient magic, telling tales of long-gone eras.

  In the center stood a round table carved from black alder wood, its surface etched with the Academy's emblem, glowing with a mysterious blue light every now and then. Around the table were five seats, each decorated with the symbol of the kingdom it represented. On the walls, flags of the five kingdoms—Shumer, Elovatar, Erum, Atlantis, and the Kingdom of Dwarves—fluttered, each reflecting the identity and grandeur of its kingdom.

  The first to arrive at the hall was the Dwarf Chief, Heimdall, a short man but with an imposing presence beyond his size. A thick brown beard with hints of yellow hung down to his chest, and narrow eyes sparkled with wisdom and cunning. He was followed by King Leonus, with his regal and majestic appearance, his long orange hair sharpening his strong features. Next came King Kaldor, a tall man with sharp eyes and a slight smile that hinted at intelligence and cunning. After him entered King Rolz, walking with confident strides and eyes full of a mix of anticipation and suspicion. Finally, Queen Kaya entered, wearing her deep red royal cloak, her brown hair flowing over her shoulders, her eyes showing a blend of determination and youthful vigor.

  Accompanying each king were their advisors and personal guards. Each took a seat beside the flag of their kingdom, while the advisors and guards stood behind them with grim expressions, their serious silence underscoring the importance of the meeting.

  "I wanted to hold this meeting back when we were in the Kingdom of Shumer, but the Queen Mother insisted that we wait until Prince Alden's coronation. But who could have predicted this change in leadership?!" said King Rolz, placing his hand on the table, his voice tinged with slight disdain.

  "Hmm! Yes, please allow me, Your Royal Majesty Kaya, to be the first to congratulate you on your new position," said Chief Heimdall in his hoarse voice, smiling as he raised a cup made of stone. The other kings followed suit in offering their congratulations.

  "Thank you, gentlemen," Kaya replied with a slight nod, her tone measured but with an underlying firmness.

  "And now, noble kings... let's begin our meeting!" said Heimdall enthusiastically, placing his hand on the table as if ready to unveil an ancient mystery.

  "Then... where shall we start?" asked Rolz, reclining slightly.

  "From where all these events began," said Kaldor seriously, "The death of King Adam!!"

  A moment of silence followed before Heimdall spoke, his tone now more serious: "Yes, so please, Your Royal Majesty Kaya, would you kindly provide us with the details?"

  Kaya sighed quietly, then spoke in a steady voice: "Of course. All we know is that three individuals broke into the palace, revealing themselves to my father and Alrik when they were in the back courtyard. Apparently, my father sensed their strength from the very first moment, because he asked Alrik to flee immediately. Alrik managed to alert the guards, who rushed to support my father, while the remaining guards escorted my mother, Alden, and me to a safe room, where Alrik was later brought. But on my way, I encountered my mother, and while we were talking..."

  Kaya paused for a moment as though the memory struck her hard before continuing in a low but clear voice: "... something pierced the wall... and it was my father's body."

  A heavy silence fell in the hall, with everyone's eyes on her, some in shock, others in restrained anger.

  "It’s alright, Queen Kaya. If you don't want to continue," said Leonus quietly, but he knew she wouldn't stop.

  "Thank you, King Leonus. But I must continue." Kaya took a deep breath before continuing: "His body was covered in wounds, as though... he had been tortured by a demon. Unfortunately, his injuries were beyond healing; the healer said he was struck by a cursed weapon. There was no way to save him. As for the back courtyard, it was filled with the bodies of the guards, and none of those who confronted the intruders survived."

  Heimdall growled with agitation, his fist clenched on the table: "I still can't believe it! I mean, how did they manage to inflict all this damage on King Adam?! Even if there were three enemies, he was still elite level!"

  "Hmph, isn’t it obvious?" said Leonus angrily, looking at everyone. "He must have been betrayed! And whoever did this used a cursed weapon to weaken him!"

  Kaldor nodded slowly, his expression grim: "Yes, King Leonus' analysis makes sense. But if we say he was betrayed, it must have been by someone... from inside the palace!"

  Kaya's eyes gleamed with deep thought before she said firmly: "That’s possible. There must have been someone who helped them get into the palace. This supports how they disguised themselves as guards, but we haven't reached that point yet. So... let's continue this discussion first."

  Heimdall smiled strangely, as though enjoying the complexity of the situation: "Hmm?! Looks like this meeting is going to take a long time, noble kings!"

  "I think that’s everything regarding King Adam's incident. Unless there's something else?" said Rolz, looking at the others. No one replied, so he continued: "Well then, let's talk about the sudden rampage of magical beasts."

  A moment of silence passed before Leonus broke it with a deep voice filled with a mix of concern and certainty: "As for this point... I think I know the cause."

  "Please, King Leonus," said Kaldor, focusing his eyes on the King of lions, knowing that what he would say would be important.

  Leonus exchanged a look with Heimdall before speaking: "What happened to the magical beasts is exactly like what happened to the people of the Kingdom of Shumer during the speech. They were affected by black magic!"

  Rolz didn’t hide his surprise, tapping his fingers on the table: "That explains a lot... but it also raises even darker questions. I've never seen black magic of this scale!" He then turned to Heimdall, who nodded and said:

  "Hmm... I agree with you, King Leonus. I too saw that dark aura... it wasn’t natural at all."

  Rolz looked at him suspiciously: "Wait, are you saying that all this chaos was caused by one single spell?! And if that’s the case, how was its effect removed from the people of Shumer?!"

  Before anyone could answer, Heimdall interrupted with a loud slap on the table, making the cups tremble: "Ayp! Ayp! Ayp! One thing at a time, noble kings! We don’t want to be hopping around like rabbits from hole to hole!"

  A moment of silence followed, then everyone exchanged confused glances, while Kaldor muttered quietly: "What do rabbits have to do with this?"

  Leonus sighed and then explained: "What Chief Heimdall means is that we need to focus on one point before moving to another."

  Heimdall nodded eagerly, saying proudly: "Hmm?! Isn’t that what I said?!"

  "Of course, my friend." Leonus smiled lightly, then looked at Kaya: "I think we’ve gotten the answer about the dark aura’s effect... but can we confirm how it was removed?"

  Kaya hesitated for a moment before answering: "If you’re referring to my speech... I didn’t know it had such an effect."

  Leonus smiled confidently: "If the black magic was weak, it can be broken easily. And apparently, the spell cast on the people of Shumer wasn’t strong enough; it was just an attempt to plant negative emotions in their hearts... but your speech was strong enough to completely destroy it."

  Heimdall laughed as he slapped the table with his fist: "Ha! I was about to cry then! It was definitely a moving speech!"

  Kaya merely nodded lightly, but her eyes held a hidden spark of pride before she quickly regained her composure.

  At that point, Kaldor raised an eyebrow and asked curiously: "By the way, Queen Kaya, didn’t you find any trace of the intruders?"

  "Yes." Kaya replied firmly, "Captain William followed them and cornered them in the back courtyard. There were ten intruders, and the captain managed to capture three of them alive."

  Heimdall sat up excitedly, his eyes glowing with interest: "Oh! Did you bring them with you?"

  A cold smile appeared on Kaya’s lips as she replied in a calm voice, "Of course. I handed them over to the Adventurer's Guild under strict supervision. They will be at your disposal from today, Chief Heimdall."

  Heimdall's smile widened as he eagerly slammed his fist on the table, "Oh, yes! It seems like I’m in for some fun today!"

  Rolls looked at him with a stern expression before muttering, "Damn you, I swear I pity whoever falls into your hands."

  "What about the woman who was speaking?!"

  Anger flashed across Queen Kaya's face as she clenched her fist, replying sharply, "Unfortunately... we found no trace of her."

  King Rolls sighed and shook his head, "This is what I feared... But did she speak the truth? Is she really the one who... killed King Adam?!"

  "Yes!" Kaya said firmly, before adding, "Alrik confirmed to us that her voice matches the one of the woman who appeared that day in the back courtyard."

  A tense silence hung in the air before Caldor spoke softly, as if weighing his words carefully, "So, what she said is true... she killed King Adam. But why did they target Prince Alden as well?"

  The kings exchanged glances before Rolls replied thoughtfully, "She said to finish her work... Could their real target have been Prince Alden?!"

  Lioness nodded slowly, "Perhaps... maybe they thought Prince Alrik was Prince Alden, but when they noticed the mistake, they didn’t target him."

  Heimdall added, slamming his fist on the table, "Or maybe they were targeting both the virtuous King Adam... and the virtuous Prince Alden together!"

  Kaya sighed slowly and said, "Unfortunately, we won't know if my father was a target as well... But when it comes to Alden, they really want him dead. I don't know why, but it seems there's something special about him, which is why they are trying to eliminate him."

  Lioness looked at her seriously and spoke quietly, "Of course, there’s something special about him... I noticed it, and so did Chief Heimdall."

  Heimdall raised an eyebrow and added quietly, "Yes... there was a dark aura surrounding the virtuous Prince Alden! And it was much stronger than the one surrounding the people during the speech!"

  Caldor furrowed his brow and said, "That could be the reason they targeted him..." Then he turned to Kaya and asked curiously, "But Your Majesty, you seem very certain that Prince Alden was their target... why?"

  "Because they tried to assassinate him during the banquet!"

  Rolls slammed his fist on the table, saying, "Such persistence! Did you figure out the reason?"

  Kaya answered deliberately, "At first, Alden was with my mother, but he said he saw a woman wearing a black hood and holding a magical staff. He felt a strange attraction toward her..."

  Heimdall chuckled and teased, "Hmm? Maybe the virtuous prince has grown up? Isn't it normal for him to be attracted to women? Perhaps he likes women who—"

  "Chief Heimdall," Lioness interrupted sharply, before smirking at him and saying, "My friend, maybe you should stop hopping around like rabbits from hole to hole?"

  Heimdall laughed lightly and said, "Hmm, you're right! I was like that! Those damn rabbits!" He gestured for Kaya to continue.

  Kaya sighed and continued, "Anyway... Alden chased after her, and apparently, he was the only one able to see her. Because when he asked the guards if they had seen her, they denied it completely! It was as if she had never existed..."

  Caldor muttered with concern, "That's suspicious..."

  Kaya continued, "Alden kept chasing her around the palace until he reached the back courtyard... but she suddenly disappeared. Then, some guards appeared to ask him what was happening, but he discovered they were just disguises! They were there to kill him!"

  The expressions of the kings changed at this point, and Kaya continued in a tense tone, "Unfortunately, Alden was no match for them, as they were so strong that just two of them killed seventeen guards! And when they were about to kill him... a strange monster appeared."

  Rolls raised an eyebrow and asked, "A monster?! What do you mean?"

  Kaya nodded and added, "It killed them all effortlessly. After that, the woman Alden had been chasing appeared... and she healed his injuries immediately, without any effort. She also gave him a magical pendant, asking him never to remove it, saying it would be useful to him."

  Lioness glanced at Heimdall before speaking sharply, "Does this pendant have special powers?"

  "Yes!" Kaya replied. "When we brought an expert healer to examine Alden’s condition and the dark aura, he said Alden was perfectly fine... but the strange thing was that when he touched the pendant, his fingers burned immediately! And when he tried to touch it again using magic, his whole hand was burned! But the amazing thing... it didn’t harm Alden at all!"

  Everyone fell silent for a moment, before Heimdall whispered with a faint smile, "It seems like a protective spell for the virtuous prince..."

  Rolls then asked seriously, "What about the sorceress? And the strange monster?"

  Kaya replied, "Regarding the sorceress, she displayed strange magic... At first, we thought she used a red nail, but it wasn’t that... it wasn’t even something that could be touched. We tried to keep a sample of it, but it evaporated instantly!"

  Caldor furrowed his brow and said, "Magic no one has seen before? That's concerning."

  Kaya nodded slowly. "Not only that, but she also used a magical portal to disappear, but before leaving, she told Alden they would meet again. And the strangest thing, Alden said he felt a strange connection with her!"

  Heimdall laughed and slapped the table with his hand, shouting, "Ha! I knew it!"

  Lioness raised his hand with a frustrated expression, saying, "No... not as you think!"

  Heimdall laughed and said innocently, "How do you know, my friend? Do you have special insight on these matters?"

  Lioness closed his eyes and sighed, "Let’s focus on the main topic, please!"

  As for the monster..." Kaya paused for a moment, as if trying to process the matter again before speaking the following words, "The sorceress told Alden it... was a gift for you."

  Lioness' eyebrows knitted together, and he said sharply, "A gift? What do you mean by—"

  Kaya continued, looking seriously at everyone, "As for its faction..."

  Everyone in the room held their breath, and the hall seemed to freeze for a moment, everyone waiting for the next word.

  Kaya looked directly at Lioness and said firmly, "It’s... a dragon."

  A deadly silence followed.

  Then, suddenly...

  "What?!" Lioness jumped from his seat, his eyes wide with shock. Even his hand, which had been resting on the table, caused the cup in front of him to fall and crash to the ground, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  "A dragon?!" Heimdall yelled, before bursting into laughter, slamming his fist on the table. "The virtuous prince has a dragon! This is a huge deal!"

  Rolls raised his eyebrows, whispering in shock, "Unbelievable... dragons have been extinct for centuries."

  Caldor, who rarely showed strong emotions, exhaled slowly and said in a deep voice, "This changes everything."

  Even Kaya, who was the one revealing the truth, felt a strange awe as she saw everyone’s reactions.

  As for Lioness, he returned to his seat but couldn’t hide the astonishment on his face. He placed his hand on his chin and began thinking aloud, "A dragon... why would the sorceress give a dragon to Prince Alden?"

  At that moment, no one in the hall could deny the truth...

  What began as a hidden conspiracy had now turned into something beyond expectations. Prince Alden, King Adam's heir, was now the owner of a dragon!

  ---

  The winds of destiny never rest.

  The world believed its battles had been fought, its demons silenced, its heroes crowned. But history does not end with the swing of a sword or the rise of a new ruler. In the spaces between stories, fate lingers, waiting for the next name to be written in its book.

  Beyond the veil of mortal sight, beneath the ever-watchful stars, something stirs—neither light nor shadow, neither salvation nor ruin. She is a whisper carried by the wind, a secret etched in silver. Unknown, unseen… but not for long.

  For soon, the moon shall call her name.

  And when it does, the night itself will bow.

  Stay tuned for the next chapter in the saga…

  The Eternal War – The Princess of the Moon.