Re:Birth: A Slow Burn LitRPG Mage Regressor-Chapter 48. The Promised Day - Final Part

Footsteps crunched in the snow outside Xerkes' walls. Back and forth, back and forth, leaving messy tracks in the pristine white.

"What do I do what do I do what do I DO?!"

Sam's voice cracked on the last word. He kept pacing, hands buried in his hair, completely ignoring the fact that it was way past curfew and that standing outside in the snow wearing only his academy uniform was probably not the smartest idea he'd had today.

Not that this day had seen many smart ideas to begin with.

"Sam." Eren's voice came from where he sat on a fallen log, somehow managing to look both concerned and done with this shit. "You need to calm-"

"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!" Sam spun toward his friend, arms flailing. "How am I supposed to calm down?! There are soldiers about to get their faces kicked in by Commander Arthur! ARTHUR SYLLA! You know, Adom's dad? The guy leading the freaking Iron wolves?!"

"That's a bi-"

"And Adom's probably in trouble right now and it's all my fault and what if he dies and then his dad kills everyone and then kills me and then brings me back to kill me again and-" Sam's voice rose with each word until it was practically a squeak.

A chunk of snow fell from a nearby tree. Sam jumped about three feet in the air.

"You're being dramatic," Eren said, in the tone of someone who knew perfectly well that pointing this out wouldn't help but felt compelled to try anyway.

"I'm being REALISTIC!" Sam resumed his pacing, leaving even messier tracks in the snow. "This is bad. This is so bad. This is the worst thing that's ever happened in the history of bad things happening."

Another chunk of snow fell. This time Sam didn't even flinch, too busy having his breakdown to notice.

"Okay, but consider this," Eren said, brushing snow off his coat. "Standing out here freezing our asses off isn't helping anyone."

Sam sighed, shoulders slumping. "I know. I know, but I just- I can't calm down. I tried everything to get to Merris. Everything. But with all this chaos..." He gestured vaguely at nothing. "I couldn't even get near him. And now? When Adom needs us the most? It might be too late."

"Where's Aunty Maria? She was supposed to be here an hour ago," Sam said, checking his pocket watch again.

"Maybe something delayed her?" Eren suggested.

"That's what I'm afraid of." Sam shook his head. "She promised she'd come as soon as she got my message. If something's keeping her away..." He trailed off, kicking at the snow. "We can't just sit here doing nothing."

"So what do we do? Create some chaos? Get the council's attention?"

Sam's head snapped up. "No. We need to go to the meeting itself." He started pacing again, but slower now, thinking. "I couldn't reach Merris because I had no idea where he was these past few days. But now? Now I know exactly where he is. In the council."

"Wait." Eren's voice went up an octave. "You want to disrupt the council?"

Sam let out a laugh that sounded a bit unhinged even to his own ears. Then, "Fuck. Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Eren's eyes went wide.

"I know it's crazy, but-"

"Oh no, I'm not surprised by your idea. I mean, I am - it's completely insane. The highest graded mages in the empire are there. The Archmage himself is there. But..." Eren shook his head. "I'm more surprised you just swore. I've never heard you curse before."

Sam blinked. "I... right." He ran a hand through his snow-dusted hair. "Only that idiot Adom gets me like this. All the crazy stuff he gets himself into..."

"Like what?"

"Did I tell you some people tried to abduct us? In broad daylight? In the middle of the city, with everyone around?" Sam's voice rose again. "They were ready to kill us too!"

"Well, he did kind of start a war between two prominent factions in the Undertow." Eren scratched his head. "Which then escalated into an all-out war with multiple factions, from what I heard."

"Of fucking course he did." Sam threw his hands up. "What the fuck is wrong with this guy?"

"Look, I'm not a student here. Maybe I could-" Eren started.

"We're all going." Sam's voice had that tone. The one that meant his mind was made up, consequences be damned.

"All?"

Sam pulled out his pocket watch, checking the time. "I told the club members everything. They're helping us." He snapped the watch shut. "They'll be here in about twenty minutes. Then we're getting to the council, guards or no guards, and telling Merris what's happening."

"And if Merris can't do anything?" Eren shifted on the log. "I mean, yeah, he's the headmaster, but there are way more powerful mages in there. The council isn't exactly known for listening to-"

"Adom told me something the last time we talked." Sam stopped pacing, looking at the academy's towers rising against the night sky. "He said if anyone would listen about a student of this academy being in danger, it would be Merris." He shoved his hands in his pockets, shoulders set. "We have to try. That's all we can do."

Thirty minutes later, the wind had picked up. Snow whirled through the air, obscuring the academy's towers. Sam hadn't stopped pacing.

"THE IRON WOLVES ARE AT THE GATES!"

The shout cut through the howling wind. A man ran past, repeating the warning to anyone who'd listen. Sam's breath caught in his throat. His hands were shaking - from cold or fear, he couldn't tell anymore. Everything felt wrong. The snow. The wind. The screaming. His heart beating too fast.

Adom could be dying right now.

The thought hit him like a physical blow. His friend could be dying, and here he was, standing in the snow, doing nothing. What if they were too late? What if they couldn't reach Merris? What if they did reach him and he couldn't help? What if-

"Psst!"

Sam spun around. Through the swirling snow, he made out several figures at the gates. The barrier flickered, partially disabled. Phil's grinning face emerged from the darkness, followed by Petra, Clyde, Diana and the others.

"You guys!" Sam ran toward them, snow crunching under his feet. "You're late!"

"Sorry!" Phil rubbed the back of his head. "The wards were trickier than we thought. Petra had to-"

"Thank you." Sam cut him off, looking at each of them in turn. "Really, I... thank you for-"

His eyes met Damus'.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Sam looked away. "I just..."

Damus scoffed. "We should move. Before it's too late."

"Hey-" Phil squinted through the snow at Eren. "You're Adom's friend, right? From that time at the-"

"Hi," Eren replied quietly.

"Oh yeah!" Diana perked up, adjusting her scarf. "I remember you!"

"You should come too!" Petra said, already moving to include him in their huddle against the wind.

"Guys," Clyde cut in, breath fogging in the cold, "maybe we save the introductions for when we're not about to freeze solid?"

"He's right," Jenny said, but she was smiling. "We've got a council to crash."

Despite everything - the blizzard, the danger, the fear clawing at his chest - Sam felt something warm in his chest. These people had come. They'd actually come.

"Let's go save that idiot," Damus muttered, already moving toward the academy proper.

They fell in behind him, a strange group of kids about to do something incredibly stupid. But they were together. Maybe that would be enough.

It had to be enough.

****

It wasn't enough.

Sam's face pressed against the cold stone floor, his arm twisted behind his back by someone who knew exactly how much pressure to apply to keep him there without breaking anything. What had they been thinking? A bunch of students against battle-hardened mages of the Magisterium?

The plan had seemed so simple. Get in through the service corridors Petra knew about. Use Jenny's disruption spells to confuse the wards. Have Clyde and Diana create a distraction while the others made for the council chambers. It had worked, at first. They'd moved like they actually knew what they were doing.

Until they didn't.

"Let go!" Phil's voice cracked as two guards finally brought him down - the last one standing. "Please, you don't understand!"

Around them, students who had left their dormitories to investigate the commotion gathered at the far end of the corridor, whispering and pointing.

Some had clearly rushed across the academy grounds despite the snow, their nightclothes barely covered by hastily thrown on cloaks. Sam caught fragments of their whispers: "Combat Athletics Club" ... "gone mad" ... "trying to break into the council chambers all the way over here."

"Back to your rooms!" A guard shouted. "All of you!"

Through tears he couldn't stop, Sam watched his friends struggle. Damus thrashing against magical bindings, his usual composure shattered. Diana trying to reach her chalk to draw runes, fingers scraping uselessly against the floor. Petra screaming something about Adom, about danger, about please just listen. Clyde still attempting to cast despite the suppression field around him. Eren being pushed face-first into a wall, still trying to argue.

They had lasted exactly six minutes against trained battle mages.

Six minutes before their amateur disruption spells were countered.

Six minutes before their practiced combat moves were brushed aside like children's games.

Six minutes before they learned exactly why these men and women were graduated mages of the Empire.

"Please," Sam choked out. "Please, our friend- he's in danger, we just need to-"

The pressure on his arm increased slightly. A warning.

He had failed. Failed Adom. Failed everyone who had trusted him enough to come. And now they were all going to be expelled, and Adom was still out there, and nobody would know, nobody would help, and-

A guard's sudden scream pierced the air.

Then Sam felt it - a crushing weight that made his lungs forget how to work. The mana around them thickened, became almost liquid, pressing down on reality itself. Blinding light erupted from where Eren stood, so bright it turned the night corridor into harsh daylight. Shockwaves pulsed outward, each one making Sam's teeth rattle.

The guard holding him let go. Sam rolled onto his side, fighting to breathe, to see.

Where Eren had been standing, there was now just... light. A human-shaped sun, throwing off waves of raw power.

Two circle mage level.

Sam's eyes widened. He'd thought Adom was joking about that.

The pressure increased. Stone cracked. Windows shattered. Several students who'd been watching collapsed where they stood. Some literally lost control of their bladder.

Sam had felt this before - not this strong, never this strong - but he knew what was happening.

Loss of control.

The same thing that happened to those who learned mana manipulation, but were still not good enough to not let their emotions take over.

The same thing that had put his mother in that hospital bed. The same thing that had made his sister flinch away from him for months. The same thing he'd seen reflected in his father's careful, wary eyes.

Battle mages moved in formation, their shields interlocking, their counterspells precise and professional. It didn't matter. The raw mana swept them aside like leaves in a storm. They weren't fighting spells - they were fighting pure, uncontrolled power.

"Contain him!" someone shouted.

"I can't- the pressure-"

Another wave pulsed outward. More people dropped unconscious. The light was getting brighter, the pressure heavier. Sam could barely move, could barely think. If this continued-

A shadow flashed past him, fast as thought. Bell chimes rang out, clear and sweet despite the chaos. Green light flickered.

There was a sound like a soft tap.

The pressure immediately lifted like a physical weight being removed from his chest. Sam gasped, drawing in deep breaths of sweet, normal air. His limbs felt like lead, his head spinning. He tried to push himself up - failed. Tried again - his arms gave out.

On the third attempt, hands caught him before he could fall. Gentle, but strong.

"I got you."

That voice. Sam looked up into Maria's face, her familiar smile somehow both worried and reassuring.

"You came!" The words came out weaker than he intended.

"Sorry it took so long." She helped him sit up properly. "Imperial soldiers surrounded the Veyshar camp. We had trouble getting out without raising alarms."

"Aye, nearly had to turn three of the bastards into toadstools before they backed off," Bob added, adjusting his grip on Eren.

Sam's head snapped toward the second voice - that distinctive accent, the slight jingle of bells. "Bob!"

"Me name's not fecking Bo- oh, hello laddie." The leprechaun stood there, unconscious Eren cradled in his arms like he weighed nothing at all. Green light still sparkled around his fingers - whatever he'd done to stop Eren's mana overflow.

Maria's eyes swept the corridor, taking in the scattered forms of guards and students. Some were starting to stir, groaning. "We'll address... this... later," she said, giving Eren's unconscious form a pointed look.

"Wha... what happened?" Phil's voice came out slurred as he pushed himself to his hands and knees, blinking hard like he was trying to remember how his eyes worked.

"Can you stand?" Maria asked Sam, already shifting to support more of his weight.

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He nodded, though his legs felt like jelly. "Yeah, I think so."

"Good." Her voice turned sharp, urgent. "We need to move before those guards wake up properly." She gestured toward the massive doors at the end of the corridor - the entrance to the council chambers. "Now."

"I'll take this one outside," Bob said, adjusting his grip on Eren's unconscious form. "Poor lad's mana is still all twisted up. Best get him far from here before he wakes - wouldn't want another light show, would we?"

Sam nodded, remembering the crushing pressure, the blinding light. "Will he be okay?"

"Aye, nothing a bit of rest won't fix. But trust me, laddie - you don't want him anywhere near these wards when he comes to. Now go on, sort out whatever mess your friend's got himself into. I'll handle this one."

"Thank you, Bob." Maria said.

Sam found his feet, wobbling only slightly. Behind them, more of the club members were starting to stir.

They ran. Or something close to running, anyway. Sam's legs weren't quite working right yet.

Maria's hand glowed soft blue against Sam's shoulder as they ran, healing magic seeping into his muscles. The exhaustion melted away, replaced by renewed strength. His legs steadied, his mind cleared.

"Phil!" Sam called back to his friend, who was still struggling to rise. "We'll go ahead!"

Phil managed a shaky thumbs up before collapsing back down with a groan.

The council doors soon towered before them - wood bound in steel, covered in intricate ward patterns that pulsed with quiet power. The magical barriers were probably why no one inside had reacted to the chaos in the corridor. Two guards stood at attention, snapping to alertness at their approach.

"Halt!" Both guards raised their staffs.

"I need to speak with Headmaster Merris about my son." Maria's word was polite but brook no argument. "Please step aside."

The guards exchanged glances.

"Ma'am, the council is in session and cannot be-"

"My family," Maria's voice remained perfectly level, but the wards on the door flickered, "is in danger. Please. Step. Aside."

"Ma'am, step back or we'll be forced to-" One guard began weaving a spell.

"Sam, dear," Maria's voice was gentle, like she was about to serve him cookies, "would you cover your ears for me? Just for a moment."

Something in her tone made Sam comply instantly. He pressed his palms against his ears.

It wasn't enough to completely block what happened next.

Maria made a single, elegant gesture - the kind you might see from a music conductor. Both guards' eyes went wide. Their spells fizzled out. They dropped like puppets with cut strings, faces peaceful as if they'd just drifted off to sleep.

Sam slowly lowered his hands, staring at the unconscious guards, then at Maria, who was already moving to catch one guard before they hit their head on the stone floor.

"A healer," she said casually, laying the guard down carefully, "knows exactly how the body works. Sometimes that's more useful than knowing how to break it."

Sam gulped, watching the guards breathe peacefully on the floor. He'd never realized healing could be... well, terrifying.

Maria stood, her hands moving in intricate patterns as the wards on the door began to fade one by one. "Sam, dear, you've gotten into enough trouble tonight. Let me handle this. I'll speak to Merris, explain everything-"

Sam's heart was thundering in his chest. His hands were trembling, slick with cold sweat. His throat felt tight, like someone had stuffed cotton in it. Every instinct screamed at him to take the out she was offering. He'd never spoken in front of crowds, never challenged authority, never-

SLAP!

"Sam!" Maria grabbed his hand before he could hit himself again.

"No," he said, his voice shaking but determined. "I- I need to change. If I want to be better, I can't keep hiding." He swallowed hard. "I'm coming. Whatever happens... I need to be there."

Maria's smile was bright enough to light the corridor. "Adom is lucky to have such a friend." Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Though I'll be twisting his ears later for getting you into so much trouble."

"Please do," Sam managed, trying to calm his racing heart. It felt like it might burst right through his chest.

The massive doors swung open with a groan. Sam squinted against the brightness within. Dozens of faces turned toward them - council members, teachers, important figures he'd only seen from afar. All staring. All wondering.

"Don't be afraid," Maria whispered beside him. "It'll be alright."

They stepped into the chamber together. Maria's voice rang out, clear and strong:

"Honored Council, I apologize for this interruption, but I bring grave news and a conspiracy that threatens not just this school, but everything we hold dear."

The bad guys are gonna be in sooo much trouble. was the only thing Sam wanted to think.

*****

"Damn. You guys are putting me in sooo much trouble." Gale clutched his broken arm, wincing as he tried to straighten. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and the shattered remains of his artifact still hung from his chest. Despite his injuries, he maintained that infuriating smirk, though it looked more like a grimace now. "And I really liked this shirt too."

Adom's right eye was swollen completely shut, and his head throbbed with every heartbeat. Blood from his nose had dried on his upper lip, making it feel stiff when he tried to speak. Through his one good eye, the world seemed dimmer, his depth perception thrown off.

He had to turn his head awkwardly to see everyone properly.

"Get the professor out of here," Noss said, eyes fixed on Gale. "Hugo, Kaius - go with him."

The mountain of a man moved, crossing to where Vex lay unconscious. He knelt beside her, lifting the huge blocks of walls and ceiling away and digging into a pocket of his vest to pull out a small vial of something that gave off a pungent smell even from where Adom stood.

"This the professor?" Noss jerked his chin toward Kim while waving the vial under Vex's nose.

"Yes," Adom confirmed, relief washing through him. Noss was here.

"We can help-" Hugo started.

"You'll be in the way." Noss' voice left no room for argument. His eyes never left Gale as he continued tending to Vex. "More people will be coming. We need that escape route clear."

"Ah!" Vex's eyes shot open suddenly. She bolted upright, daggers already in hand, then winced and pressed a palm to her temple. "What the hell hit me?" she demanded, blinking rapidly to clear her vision.

"A building, apparently," Noss replied dryly, helping her to her feet. "Or part of one, anyway."

Vex swayed slightly, then steadied herself. Her gaze sharpened when she spotted Gale, his broken arm and the blood staining his clothes. "How'd you manage that?" she asked Noss, gesturing toward the injured mercenary. "We threw everything at him without putting him down permanently."

Noss jerked his thumb toward Adom. "The kid did it. It was so brutal the sound attracted us here.."

Vex's eyebrows shot up as she looked at Adom then back at Gale. "Well, well," she said, a savage smile spreading across her face. "You're not looking so untouchable anymore, are you?"

"Still touched enough to finish this," Gale replied, adjusting his grip on the sword.

Vex ignored him, scanning the area until her eyes landed on Professor Kim. Her expression immediately softened as she made her way over to him, wincing visibly with each step. "Are you alright, handsome?" she asked.

Seriously? Now of all time?

"I'm fine," Kim replied, his cheeks coloring slightly. "But are you? That looked like a terrible fall."

"Aww, you're going to make me blush," she said, brushing dust from her armor.

Noss rolled his eyes. "This is the most disgusting thing I've seen today, and I've seen a lot."

"That's why you have no wife, Noss," Vex shot back, still struggling to fully regain her balance. "No romance in your soul."

Kaius grabbed Hugo's shoulder. "Noss is right. Come on."

Gale's hand moved to his sword hilt, awkwardly drawing it with his uninjured arm.

"Don't even think about it, you little shit," Noss warned, second war hammer appearing in his free hand. Both pointed straight at Gale's chest.

Adom tried to summon the golem again, reaching out to the crystal to establish the connection.

Nothing happened.

He concentrated harder, feeling the strain behind his good eye as he pushed his will through the dampening field. Still nothing.

Another boom echoed from above, making dust rain from the ceiling. The network of mana dampening crystals Gale had installed throughout the area hadn't been disrupted enough to allow for teleportation magic.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

He shifted his consciousness, trying to see through the golem's eyes instead. The connection was weak but functional enough to give him glimpses of what was happening aboveground.

The Iron Wolves were engaged in combat with soldiers Adom didn't recognize. They wore black cloaks with no insignia, no markings to identify their allegiance. Despite being clearly outclassed by the Iron Wolves' superior training and equipment, they were putting up a surprisingly effective resistance.

Dirk was in trouble.

Blood soaked his sleeve where his arm had been injured, and his movements were growing sluggish. The other knights were forming a protective perimeter around him, but the black-cloaked attackers kept pressing the advantage.

Adom snapped back to his own body as Hugo approached the professor.

"Professor Kim," Hugo said, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright? Can you walk?"

Kim's face brightened at the sight of his student. "Hugo! What are you doing here?" Relief quickly transformed into stern disapproval. "You shouldn't be here. None of you should! This is far too dangerous for students!"

"With all due respect, Professor, we're the ones rescuing you," Hugo replied, helping Kim to his feet.

"That doesn't make it right," Kim insisted, brushing debris from his clothes. "You're still students, and this is... this is war! I never intended for any of you to be caught up in this."

"Too late for that," Kaius muttered, keeping his eyes on Gale while edging toward the exit. "Let's go while we still can."

The group began moving toward the corridor, Hugo supporting Kim while Kaius took point. Adom followed. His vision still limited by his swollen eye but he could already open it slightly. [Healing Factor] was doing its work..

"Not so fast."

Despite his broken arm and battered body, Gale, that bastard, made a move. His sword swept in a wide arc, trailing green energy that coalesced into a crescent-shaped wave hurtling directly toward Adom and the others.

Adom tried to summon a barrier spell, but the ambient mana felt thin, unresponsive. The dampening field was affecting all magic, not just teleportation. He managed to gather enough for a weak shield, but it wouldn't be enough.

"Get down!" Hugo shouted, raising his own hands. His barrier flickered weakly as he tried to intercept the attack.

Kaius added his magic, reinforcing Hugo's spell. The two barriers merged, creating a shimmering wall of protection, but Gale's attack was too powerful, too concentrated.

The energy crescent tore through their combined defense like paper, bearing down on them—

Then came Noss.

His war hammers crossed in front of the group, catching the brunt of the attack. The impact sent him skidding backward, boots digging furrows in the stone floor. His arms strained against the force as the energy crescent deflected upward.

The redirected attack slammed into the wall beside them, disintegrating stone and metal in an explosion that shook the entire tunnel. Chunks of ceiling crashed down, forcing everyone to scatter.

Through the dust and debris, Vex launched herself at Gale. Her movement was a blur as she tackled him to the ground, daggers pressing against his throat. The mercenary screamed in agony as his broken arm twisted beneath him.

"Try that again," Vex hissed, her face inches from his, "and I'll cut your throat before you finish the spell."

"Get off me, you crazy woman!" Gale struggled beneath her, face contorted with pain.

Vex pressed her knee into his broken arm, eliciting another howl of pain. "What was that? I didn't quite hear you."

The tunnel groaned ominously above them, more debris raining down from the damaged ceiling.

"We need to move," Noss said urgently. "Now. This whole place is coming down."

They began moving toward the exit, Noss leading the way with Vex covering their retreat. The professor leaned heavily on Hugo's shoulder, still weak from his ordeal.

Adom's [Flow Prediction] suddenly flared to life, sending warning signals down his spine. Without thinking, he lunged forward, tackling the professor and Hugo to the ground just as a fireball screamed through the space where they'd been standing. The heat seared his back as it passed, crashing into the tunnel wall with a deafening explosion.

"What the—" Hugo began, then fell silent as shadows moved at the far end of the corridor.

They emerged from the darkness like wraiths—six figures, then ten, then twelve, and more, and more in black cloaks, their faces hidden beneath hoods and helmets.

"Let the professor go," Gale called out from where Vex still had him pinned, "and no one else needs to get hurt. Just leave him here with me, and you all walk away."

There was no time to think further. The first warrior attacked without warning, moving so fast he seemed to blur. No battle cry, no hesitation—just deadly, efficient movement.

Noss met the charge head-on.

His war hammers became extensions of his body, intercepting the warrior's blade with a clash that sent sparks flying. The impact should have shattered bone, but the attacker simply flowed around it, adjusting his stance.

"Get them out of here!" Noss roared, already engaging two more warriors who had flanked him.

One hammer caught a warrior in the chest, caving in the ribcage with a wet crunch. The body flew backward, slamming into the wall with enough force to leave a crater in the stone.

But there was no scream, no cry of pain—just the sound of broken bone and torn flesh.

Another fireball streaked toward them. Adom ducked, pulling the professor down with him. The heat washed over them as it passed, close enough to singe his hair.

"They're using artifacts!" Kaius shouted, throwing up a hasty barrier that barely deflected a blast of energy from another warrior.

Noss's hammers connected with another attacker's skull, pulverizing it in a spray of blood and brain matter. The headless body collapsed—only to be immediately replaced by another warrior stepping over the corpse.

Adom stared in stupefied horror. These warriors were dying, their bodies being broken and destroyed before his eyes, yet they kept coming without hesitation, without fear.

Vex had abandoned Gale to join the fight, her daggers finding gaps in the warriors' armor. She drove one blade through a warrior's eye socket, twisting it with a vicious flick of her wrist. Blood fountained from the wound, but the warrior merely grabbed her arm, trying to drag her closer even as life drained from his body.

"There's too many!" she shouted, wrenching her dagger free and dancing away from another attack.

A warrior broke through their line, heading straight for the professor. Adom moved to intercept, but his injured body was too slow. The warrior's blade descended—

Only to be caught by Hugo's barrier spell. The student's face was pale with strain, blood trickling from his nose as he fought to maintain the magic against the dampening field.

Noss crushed another warrior's chest with a hammer blow that should have killed instantly, yet the dying man still tried to drive his blade into the knight's side.

"Vex!" Noss bellowed over the chaos, blood spraying from his mouth as he spoke. "Find a way up! Rally with the others! Get the professor, Gale, and the kids out of here!"

Vex headbutted Gale with a sickening crack, his nose flattening against his face. She followed with two precise strikes to his temple. The mercenary's eyes rolled back, consciousness faltering as blood trickled down his chin.

"Come on!" she shouted, hefting Gale's limp form over her shoulder. "Move it!"

Adom stumbled after her, his swollen eye throbbing with each heartbeat. He could barely make out shapes through the narrow slit of swollen flesh. Hugo and Kaius supported Professor Kim between them as they ran.

"Can you teleport that golem of yours yet?" Vex called back to Adom, never breaking stride. "I don't think we'll make it in time before the commander starts fighting otherwise."

"Not while those dampening crystals are active," Adom replied, breath coming in ragged gasps. "We need to take them out first."

Behind them, the corridor erupted with purple light as Noss' Fluid blazed to life. The thunderous impacts of his war hammers echoed through the tunnels, punctuated by the wet sounds of breaking bodies. One man against an army of shadows.

"Where's the exit?" Hugo shouted, his face pale with exertion.

Vex skidded to a halt at a junction, head swiveling as she oriented herself. "Up there!" She pointed to a maintenance ladder bolted to the wall. "That should lead to the surface."

They scrambled up the ladder, Vex somehow managing to climb one-handed while keeping Gale secured against her shoulder. Adom followed, wincing as his injured arm protested each movement. The sounds of battle faded below them, replaced by new noises from above—shouting, the clash of metal, the distinctive hum of Fluid-enhanced weapons.

Vex kicked open the hatch, light pouring in. She hauled Gale up first, then reached back to help the others.

They emerged into chaos.

Dirk and Anders were back-to-back, surrounded by six black-cloaked warriors. Dirk's sword dripped red, Fluid pulsing through the metal in orange waves. His injured arm hung at his side, useless, but his sword arm still worked just fine. As Adom watched, Dirk thrust his blade through a warrior's eye socket, the steel punching through bone like it was butter. He twisted, yanked free, and pivoted without pause, slicing through another attacker's hamstring in the same motion.

Anders now fought with twin axes, each swing trailing purple energy that lingered in the air. A warrior lunged at him—Anders sidestepped, buried one axe in the man's spine, then spun to face the next threat without bothering to retrieve his weapon.

Across the battlefield, Bram was alone against three attackers. The massive knight's war hammer swept a horizontal arc, catching one warrior in the ribs. The impact lifted the man off his feet, chest caving inward as he sailed through the air. Before he even hit the ground, Bram had pivoted, driving the spiked end of his hammer through another attacker's throat. Blood fountained over his armor as he wrenched the weapon free.

"There!" Vex pointed across the battlefield. "Our men are getting overwhelmed."

She was right. For every warrior that fell, two more seemed to emerge from the shadows.

"Where are those damn crystals?" Vex demanded, dragging them behind a broken wall for momentary cover. "We need your golem!"

Adom activated [Riddler's Bane], his good eye scanning the battlefield methodically. The spell enhanced his perception, allowing him to spot patterns that others would miss. There—a faint shimmer in the air near a collapsed fountain. And there—another, mounted on the side of a building.

"Five points forming a pentagram! Each crystal reinforces the others!"

"How do we take it down?" Kaius asked, hands already glowing with what little magic he could gather.

"Break any one of them, and the whole system falls apart!" Adom pointed to the nearest crystal, partially hidden behind debris. "That one's closest!"

"Cover me!" Vex dumped Gale unceremoniously behind their shelter and drew her daggers. The blades immediately hummed as Fluid energized the metal. "I'll make a run for it!"

A warrior appeared suddenly above their position, dropping from the broken second story of a building. His blade descended in a killing arc aimed at Adom's head. He had no time to react, no chance to dodge—

Metal clashed against metal.

The golem materialized between them, its Flamebrand sword intercepting the attack. The fiery blade continued its arc, passing clean through the warrior's neck. No resistance, no struggle—just a perfect, cauterized cut.

The head tumbled free, eyes still blinking in confusion as it hit the snow. The body remained standing for a heartbeat before collapsing like a puppet with cut strings.

"It's working already?" Hugo stared in confusion.

"No," Adom's heart raced as he realized what had happened. "It's not teleporting—it was close enough to reach us on foot!"

The golem stood protectively over them, its metal body showing dents and scorches from previous fights. Its glowing eyes swept the battlefield, calculating threats and trajectories.

"Perfect timing!" Vex grinned fiercely. "Metal man, with me! We're taking out that crystal!"

The golem did not obey her because it needed Adom's will to act.

And Adom was too busy looking at the severed head that came out of the helmet before him.

The face was a roadmap of mutilation—scars in runic patterns covering every inch of skin. Tattoos crawled up from beneath the high collar of his uniform, disappearing into sliced flesh. His mouth had been sewn shut at some point, leaving permanent holes at the corners where thread had once passed through.

But it was the eyes that made Adom's stomach turn. The irises were normal, human—but the whites weren't white at all. Black as pitch, like pools of ink surrounding ordinary pupils.

"Specters," he whispered.

Kaius glanced down at the head, then back at Adom. "What did you say?"

"They're Specters." Adom's voice was hollow. "That's why they don't stop. That's why they fight like machines."

Hugo grabbed Adom's arm. "Specters? Here? That's not possible."

"No... he's right." added Kaius.

Specters were what happened when you took male children—usually stolen as infants or purchased from desperately poor families—and systematically destroyed everything that made them human. The White Temples of the Outer Kingdoms subjected them to rituals that stripped away their identity, their will, even basic instincts of self-preservation.

They were physically and magically altered, parts of their anatomy, of what made them male, totally removed. The black sclera was the most visible sign, a result of alchemical treatments that rewired their brains to feel no pain, no fear, and no hesitation.

They were then sold to their masters, to do their bidding.

These weren't soldiers. They were weapons wrapped in human skin.

The practice had been outlawed in the Sundar Empire for centuries. Even most of the Outer Kingdoms had abandoned it—the few holdouts were universally reviled, denied trade agreements and diplomatic recognition.

And yet here they were. In Arkhos.

Vex spat on the ground as she stared at the severed head. A glob of red-tinged saliva landed next to the black eyes that still blinked occasionally. "Specters. Fucking Specters."

It was the common reaction. Everyone who knew what Specters were reacted the same way—with disgust, with revulsion, with a primal fear that went beyond rational thought.

Adom stared at the head in silence, a chill running through him. In his timeline, Specters had eventually disappeared—one of the only good things about that future.

"Well, they're here now," Vex growled, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "And they won't stop until they're all dead or we are."

"Five crystals," Adom reminded them, pushing aside his horror. "We need to break them all."

Hugo pointed toward a half-collapsed building across the square. "There's one. I can see it from here."

Kaius spotted another. "And there—on top of that fountain."

"We split up," Vex decided. "Cover more ground."

"Bad idea," Kaius countered. "These aren't normal fighters. We need to stick together."

Another explosion rocked the battlefield as Bram's war hammer connected with an artifact one of the Specters was using. The blast threw three warriors into the air.

"No time to argue," Adom said, drawing the twin daggers he'd acquired in the dungeon. The curved blades felt lighter than they looked, perfectly balanced in his hands. "Hugo, Kaius, with me. We'll take the one at the fountain. Vex—"

"I'll get the one in the building," she finished. "Your metal friend with me."

Adom nodded, directing the golem to follow her with a thought. "Professor, stay here."

"The hell I will," Kim snarled, surprising them all.

His normally gentle face had hardened. "My research. My responsibility. These... abominations..." He spat the word. "I worked with people who made this."

"Fine," Adom conceded. "With us then."

They moved as one, bursting from cover toward the fountain. Immediately, three Specters broke away from their engagement with Dirk and converged on them.

"Left!" Adom shouted, his [Flow Prediction] activating just in time to see a blade arcing toward Hugo's neck.

The big student ducked, the sword whistling over his head. Kaius slid forward on his knees, his own mana-made blade slashing across the Specter's hamstring. Dark blood spurted, but the warrior didn't falter. He pivoted on his wounded leg as if it felt nothing, bringing his sword down in a vicious arc.

Adom intercepted the blow with his crossed daggers, the impact numbing his arms to the shoulder. The Specter's strength was inhuman. His bones wouldn't hold.

"Hugo, now!" Adom shouted.

Hugo's fist connected with the Specter's temple—an ordinary punch that would have dropped a normal man. The Specter's head snapped sideways, but he immediately began to right himself.

"Together!" Adom shifted his weight, giving Hugo an opening.

This time, Hugo's attack carried a flicker of Fluid—faint yellow lines tracing his knuckles as they connected with the Specter's jaw. Bone cracked audibly. The warrior staggered.

"Kaius!" Adom called.

A thin blade of wind, barely visible in the chaos, sliced across the Specter's throat. Blood fountained outward, spraying across the snow. The black-eyed warrior dropped to his knees, still trying to raise his sword as his life drained away.

It had taken all three of them to bring down one. And there were dozens more.

"The crystal!" Professor Kim shouted, already limping toward the fountain. "We don't have time for every fight!"

He was right. Across the battlefield, Vex and the golem had reached the building. The tracker moved like smoke between the Specters, never engaging directly, just slipping past their guard while the golem drew their attention with its flaming sword.

"Cover the professor!" Adom shouted, following Kim as he hobbled toward the fountain.

Two more Specters appeared, moving to intercept. Adom's daggers flashed, catching the first one across the forearm. The blade bit deep, severing tendons, but the warrior didn't drop his weapon. These things didn't feel pain.

Kaius threw up a hasty wind barrier as the second Specter attacked, buying them seconds. Hugo charged forward, shoulder lowered, and slammed into the first Specter like a battering ram. The impact sent the black-eyed warrior crashing into a pile of debris.

"Go!" Hugo shouted, already turning to face the second attacker.

Adom grabbed Kim's arm, pulling the professor toward the fountain as Hugo and Kaius engaged the Specters. The sound of battle surrounded them—metal on metal, screams of the wounded, the hiss of Fluid-enhanced weapons cutting through the air.

The crystal sat in the center of the frozen fountain basin, a perfectly cut gem the size of Adom's fist, pulsing with sickly green light. Runes had been carved into the stone around it, forming a complex pattern that made Adom's head hurt to look at.

"How do we destroy it?" Kim asked, breathing heavily from the exertion.

"Not with magic," Adom replied, scanning the area for something useful. "The dampening field is strongest right around the crystals."

His eyes fell on a broken piece of masonry—heavy enough to serve as a makeshift hammer. He lifted it, testing its weight.

Behind them, Hugo roared in pain. Adom turned to see his friend clutching his side, blood seeping between his fingers. Kaius stood over him protectively, wind blades spinning around them both like a deadly cyclone, keeping the Specters at bay—but only just.

"Hurry!" Kaius shouted, his face pale with strain.

Adom raised the masonry high and brought it down on the crystal with all his strength. The impact jarred his arms, but the crystal merely flickered. Not enough.

Across the square, an explosion of light told him Vex had reached her target. One down, four to go.

"Again!" Kim urged, grabbing another piece of debris.

Together, they hammered at the crystal.

Once.

Twice.

Three times—with each blow, the runes around it flickered weaker.

"One more," Adom gasped, his arms burning with fatigue.

They brought their makeshift hammers down simultaneously. The crystal shattered with a sound like breaking glass, the green light extinguishing in an instant. A wave of energy rippled outward, washing over the battlefield.

"Two down!" Adom called to the others.

He could immediately feel the difference. The ambient mana was thicker now, more responsive. He reached for it, forming a simple barrier spell that would have been impossible minutes ago.

Kaius felt it too. His wind blades grew stronger, sharper, slicing through a Specter's armor where before they had merely dented it.

"The third crystal!" Kim pointed toward a partially collapsed building on the far side of the square. "I see it from here!"

But reaching it wouldn't be easy. The space between them and the building was filled with Specters, their black eyes fixed on the professor with singular focus. Whatever orders they'd been given, capturing or killing Kim seemed to be the priority.

"Dirk needs help!" Hugo shouted, pointing across the battlefield.

The knight was on one knee, his sword arm still moving but his face ashen with blood loss. Three Specters circled him, looking for an opening.

"Go!" Adom told Hugo. "Help Dirk! Kaius and I will get the next crystal!"

Hugo hesitated only a moment before nodding and charging toward Dirk, gathering what little Fluid he could control around his fists.

"Can you still run?" Adom asked Kim.

The professor's face was drawn with exhaustion, but he nodded grimly. "Just get me to that crystal."

Across the battlefield, Vex and the golem had engaged a fresh group of Specters. The tracker's daggers were black with blood, but she was slowing, her movements becoming less fluid, more desperate. The golem stood beside her, its flaming sword cutting swaths through the attackers, but even its metal body showed damage—dents and gashes where blades had found gaps in its armor.

"Now!" Adom grabbed Kim's arm and they sprinted for the third crystal, weaving between smaller skirmishes.

A Specter appeared in their path, sword raised. Adom didn't break stride. He ducked under the swing, his daggers finding the gap between armor plates at the warrior's waist. The blades sank deep into flesh, but the Specter barely reacted, twisting to bring his sword down again.

Kaius's wind blades caught the warrior across the eyes, temporarily blinding him. It was enough. They slipped past, leaving the Specter clawing at his ruined face.

The third crystal sat atop a fallen pillar, its green light casting eerie shadows across the rubble. No time for caution now. Adom scrambled up the debris, his daggers forgotten as he used both hands to climb. A sharp edge caught his palm, slicing it open, but he barely noticed.

He reached the crystal just as another explosion rocked the battlefield. Vex had found the fourth crystal. Only two left.

Adom raised his fist, now slick with his own blood, and brought it down on the crystal. The impact sent shards flying as the gem cracked but didn't break. He hit it again, harder, ignoring the pain shooting up his arm.

On the third blow, the crystal shattered. Another wave of energy pulsed outward.

The effect was immediate. His connection to the golem strengthened, the distance between them no longer a barrier. He could see through its eyes, direct its movements with precision.

"The fourth crystal's gone!" Kim shouted from below, pointing to where Vex stood triumphantly atop a pile of rubble, holding up the shattered remains of another gem.

"One left!" Adom called back.

With the dampening field weakened by four broken crystals, magic was returning to the battlefield. Hugo's fists now glowed with purple Fluid as he fought alongside Dirk, the two of them holding their own against the Specters. Kaius had created a swirling vortex of wind blades that kept attackers at bay while Kim worked to free the fifth crystal from where it had been embedded in a wall.

But the Specters hadn't slowed. If anything, they fought with greater intensity, perhaps sensing that their advantage was slipping away. There seemed to be no end to them, pouring from alleyways and buildings like a black tide.

Adom jumped down from the pillar, retrieving his daggers from where he'd dropped them. Through the golem's eyes, he saw Vex stumble, a Specter's blade catching her across the shoulder. Blood bloomed across her armor, but she kept moving, kept fighting.

"The last crystal!" Kim called, struggling to free the gem from its housing in the wall. "It's stuck!"

Adom ran to him, sliding the last few feet through the snow. The crystal was wedged into a socket, surrounded by intricate rune work that seemed to pulse with each attempt to remove it.

"Stand back," Adom ordered, raising his dagger.

He brought the pommel down on the wall next to the crystal, chipping away at the stone. Again and again he struck, ignoring the battle raging around them, focused solely on freeing the gem. Sweat dripped into his eyes, stinging, but he didn't stop.

The wall began to crumble, small pieces at first, then larger chunks falling away. The crystal's housing loosened.

"Almost—" Adom grunted, delivering another blow.

Something slammed into him from behind, sending him sprawling. A Specter loomed over him, sword raised for a killing stroke. Adom rolled, barely avoiding the blade as it bit into the stone where his head had been.

The golem was too far away, engaged with three Specters of its own. Hugo and Kaius were back-to-back, surrounded. Vex was nowhere to be seen.

Adom had no time to cast, no space to maneuver. The Specter advanced, black eyes emotionless as he prepared to strike again.

A rock smashed into the warrior's temple. Not enough to hurt, but enough to draw his attention. The Specter turned.

Professor Kim stood there, another rock in hand, defiance written across his exhausted face. "Over here, you abomination!" he shouted, throwing the second rock.

The Specter changed targets, moving toward Kim. It was exactly what Adom needed. He lunged forward, driving both daggers into the back of the Specter's knees. The warrior collapsed, legs suddenly unable to support his weight.

Adom didn't wait to see if he'd stay down. He scrambled back to the crystal, now loose in its housing. With a final wrench, he pulled it free.

Kim screamed.

[Flow Prediction] activated instantly. Adom whirled around, his one good eye focusing just in time to see Gale lurching toward the professor, sword raised for a killing blow.

Why?

If Kim died now, it would be harder to have a witness against the prince. Was he trying to bury the leads?

The mercenary had somehow regained consciousness, dragging himself up from where Vex had dumped him. Blood streaked his face, his broken nose twisted at an unnatural angle, one eye swollen completely shut. But his sword arm moved as he closed in on Kim.

Across the battlefield, another explosion signaled the destruction of the fourth crystal. The dampening field weakened further, mana rushing back into the area like water through a broken dam.

Adom didn't think. He pushed off the ground, channeling Fluid into his legs. Blue energy crackled around his muscles as he launched himself forward with inhuman speed. The world blurred around him, his focus narrowing to the gap between Gale's armor plates where neck met shoulder.

Gale sensed the attack at the last second. His eyes widened in surprise as he tried to pivot, to bring his sword around to defend himself.

Too late.

Adom's dagger slid between the plates with a sickening ease, burying itself to the hilt in Gale's stomach. The mercenary's momentum carried him forward another step before the pain registered. His sword clattered to the ground, fingers suddenly unable to maintain their grip.

"Knew you'd... be trouble... kid," Gale gasped, blood bubbling at the corners of his mouth. His good eye fixed on Adom with something between respect and hatred. "Should've... killed you... when I had... the chance."

Adom stared at his hand still gripping the dagger's hilt, embedded in Gale's gut. He hadn't expected it to work. The mercenary had always seemed untouchable, always one step ahead. Yet here he was, blood soaking his tunic, face contorted in pain that even his training couldn't fully mask.

Gale coughed, spraying blood across Adom's face. "Next time... don't hesitate."

His knees buckled. Adom stepped back, letting the mercenary collapse to the ground in a heap of armor and blood.

The Fluid surge that had propelled him forward faded, leaving Adom's muscles burning with fatigue. He'd pushed too hard, channeled too much power through a body still learning to handle it. Black spots danced at the edges of his vision as he struggled to stay upright.

"Adom!" Kim shouted, his voice sounding distant despite only being a few feet away. "Behind you!"

Adom tried to turn, his movements sluggish as exhaustion claimed him. His [Flow Prediction] flared weakly, showing him what was coming but offering no solution, no escape.

Two Specters, converging on his position. One with a curved blade aimed at his spine, the other with a war axe raised high for a killing blow. He couldn't dodge both. Could barely stand, let alone fight.

His fingers fumbled for his remaining dagger. Too slow. Much too slow.

The world seemed to slow down as the Specters closed in. Adom could see the exact trajectory of their weapons, could calculate precisely how many seconds he had left to live.

Not many.

The crystal still clutched in his other hand pulsed once with green light before going dark. The final dampener deactivated somewhere across the battlefield.

The Specters were three steps away. Two. One.

BOOM.

The wall behind them exploded inward. Stone and metal went flying as something massive broke through. The pressure wave knocked everyone off their feet.

Through the dust and debris, Adom caught glimpses of movement.

"Adom!"

That voice. He'd know it anywhere.

Through the settling dust and debris, Maria appeared, mana already blazing around her hands. Behind her, Bob's bells chimed as he stepped through the ruined wall, followed by Professor Crowley, Merris, and several mages wearing Magisterium robes.

They moved like a coordinated unit, spreading out across the corridor. The remaining attackers immediately shifted stance, their blades coming up-

Too late.

Crowley's spell hit the first one like a freight train, slamming him into the wall hard enough to crack stone.

Two Magisterium mages caught the others in binding spells that lit up the corridor with harsh blue light. The attackers thrashed against it, movements still precise even as the magic crushed inward.

"Hold that one!" Crowley barked, striding forward. He grabbed the pinned attacker's helmet, yanked it off.

The gasps echoed through the corridor.

"Specters." Merris' voice dripped contempt. "The ghost-warriors of the Southern lands."

"Ah, that's too bad..." Gale choked out, blood still running from where the dagger had punched through him. "I gues we lost, huh..." More blood spilled between his fingers.

"Don't move." Noss appeared out of nowhere, wounded from head to toe, and he kneeled, keeping pressure on Gale's wound. "Maria! Need you over here - we need him alive!"

But Maria was already at Adom's side, her hands gentle on his swollen face. "Look at you," she muttered, healing magic flowing into him.

"I'm okay, Mother." The words came out slurred - partly from his busted lip, partly from relief. "Really, I'm-"

She tilted his head, examining the damage. "This eye... what did they hit you with?"

"Maria." Noss' voice was urgent now. "Please. Gale first - he knows things. Important things."

"Hang on just a moment, son," Maria told Adom, squeezing his hand before rushing to Gale's side.

She knelt beside him, hands hovering over the wound. Gale's eyes had rolled back, consciousness finally slipping away. Blood still seeped between Noss' fingers where he kept pressure on the injury.

"Can you save him?" Noss asked, voice tight. "His testimony is important to not get us and Arthur executed for rebellion."

Maria's face was grim as her magic probed the damage. "There's still a chance, yes. But I need to work quickly." Her hands began to glow with healing energy, and she set to work.

Professor Kim had backed himself into a corner, looking green. Every time his eyes landed on one of the Specters' exposed faces, he made a small choking sound.

Merris knelt beside Hugo, Kaius and Adom, handing them potion to help close their wounds. "You boys did well," he said quietly. "Better than anyone could have expected."

Through the hole in the wall, Adom caught the first light of dawn breaking over the city. His eye widened. His father would be there already, the Iron Wolves facing down the Imperial Army. Once the first blood was spilled, there'd be no turning back - proof or no proof.

"We need to move," he tried to stand, legs shaking. "Now. Before the bells. Before they start fighting."

"The boy's right," Merris nodded, helping Adom up. "Madam Sylla, can that young fellow be moved?"

"Carefully." She maintained the healing flow. "Very carefully."

"Kid," Bram called to Adom. "Can you get us to the gates faster? We're running out of time."

Adom reached into his pocket, fingers searching for the familiar shape of the crystal. His heart sank when he felt it. When he pulled it out, the once-perfect gem was webbed with cracks, hairline fractures spreading across its surface like a spiderweb.

"It's damaged," he said, turning the crystal in his hand. "Must have happened during the fighting."

Bram's expression darkened. "Then we do this the hard way. Everyone who can still walk, move out now!"

The first bell rang in the distance. Eleven more to go.

They moved as fast as they could through the streets, Merris' magic augmenting their speed. Snow from last night's blizzard crunched under their feet. Adom's blood left a trail of red droplets behind them.

Second bell.

His leg was giving out. Each step sent pain shooting through his body. But they couldn't stop.

Third bell.

The streets were empty - everyone had been ordered inside. Their footsteps echoed off the walls, mixing with their heavy breathing.

Fourth bell.

Through a gap between buildings, Adom caught glimpses of the Imperial soldiers - a thousand and half, forming up along the city walls. Many looked terrified. They knew who they were about to face.

Fifth bell.

"Faster," Merris pushed more magic into them. Adom's muscles burned, but his feet kept moving.

Sixth bell.

The main gate came into view. Beyond it, through the falling snow, Adom saw them - the Iron Wolves. Four hundred of them, their armor catching the dawn light.

Seventh bell.

His father stood at their head, that massive sword planted in the snow beside him. Even at this distance, Adom could feel the man's presence.

Eighth bell.

They were running out of time. The Imperial soldiers were taking their positions, weapons drawn. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on.

Ninth bell.

Almost there. Adom's lungs burned with each breath. Blood from his wounds had frozen to his clothes.

Tenth bell.

The gates loomed ahead. Just a little further.

Eleventh bell.

"STOP!" Adom's voice cracked as he screamed. "DON'T FIGHT!"

The Imperial soldiers turned as one, startled by the shout from behind. Through the falling snow, beyond their ranks, Adom saw his father's head snap up, eyes widening in recognition.

The twelfth bell began to toll.

"NOW!" A young Imperial soldier screamed, fear and tension finally breaking. That idiot. That absolute moron. His sword came up-

BOOM.

Something massive crashed into the snow between the armies, sending up a white cloud that momentarily blocked all vision. As it settled, Adom saw what had landed - a staff, buried halfway into the frozen ground.

Dozens of Magisterium mages descended in their distinctive robes, floating down between the armies. Their magic made the air thick, heavy. The snow itself paused in its fall around them.

A throat cleared. The sound echoed unnaturally, reaching every ear despite the howling wind.

"Ahem." Another clearing of the throat, almost awkward in its normalcy. Then the voice came again, projected from everywhere and nowhere at once:

"By Imperial Decree 235, Section 12, Paragraph 4: 'The Magisterium holds authority to intercede in any military conflict, regardless of initial involvement, when individuals under its direct protection become central to said conflict.'"

The voice paused, as if checking notes.

"Professor Amadeus Kim and student Adom Sylla of the Xerkes Celestial Academy of Mystical Arts, both under Magisterium authority, have been found to be key figures in this dispute. Therefore..."

Another pause. Someone coughed.

"By the authority granted to me by His Imperial Majesty, I, Sir Gaius Emrees, 235th Archmage of the Sundarian Empire, demand that all hostile actions cease immediately."

Adom was still panting, trying to catch his breath, when movement caught his eye. A figure walked past him, heading toward the space between the armies. Sir Gaius. The man had appeared without a sound, like he'd simply materialized from the falling snow.

"We hear and obey!" The sound thundered across the field as hundreds of Imperial soldiers dropped to one knee, weapons falling into the snow. The clatter of steel became a wave, rippling through their ranks.

From beyond the gates, the Iron Wolves followed - not kneeling, but performing their own salute, fists crossed over their hearts. His father among them, that familiar smile breaking through his stern facade as he looked at Adom.

The sun finally broke over the city walls, painting the snow in shades of gold. Its light caught on armor and weapons now lying harmless in the snow, on the Magisterium robes still settling from their descent, on the frost crystals hanging in the air.

Adom smiled back at his father, even though his split lip made it hurt. Snow had definitely gotten into his boots, his wounds were starting to sting again in the cold, and he was pretty sure he'd lost feeling in his toes. But standing there, watching the sunrise paint the battlefield that wasn't going to be a battlefield after all, he felt the weight lift from his shoulders.

The promised day had come.

And for once, things had actually worked out exactly as they were supposed to.