**Sebastian's Log, Supplemental**
**Roth's Defiance, Western Sea**
**Rothgard Fall plus 26 days (estimated)**
The crystal speaks of fire.
Shadows move across the sea.
Mercy is a forgotten word.
The dragon stirs in the west.
Sebastian crouched in the dimly lit engineering bay deep within the ironclad Roth's Defiance, his hands stained with grease and glowing mana residue. The large crystalline core hummed softly before him, its intricate rune lattice pulsing with a steady blue light that cast shifting shadows across the reinforced bulkheads. He was fine-tuning the flow regulators, ensuring the mana circulation remained stable after the long, punishing voyage. The core was the heart of the ship — the source of power that allowed the heavy ironclad to slice through waves and storms with unnatural speed and strength. Every adjustment required absolute focus; one misaligned rune could cause a catastrophic cascade that would leave them adrift and vulnerable in these unknown waters.
The communication crystal clipped to his belt suddenly buzzed with an urgent vibration, the sound cutting sharply through the low hum of the engines. Sebastian straightened, wiping his hands on a rag as he unclipped the crystal and held it to his ear. The voice that came through was his mentor's — old Master Elandor, the chief arcane engineer who had stayed behind to coordinate the rear guard during the desperate evacuation from Rothgard.
"Sebastian… my boy…" The voice was heavy and ragged, each breath labored and panicked, as if the man was running for his life or already wounded. Fear bled through every word, raw and unfiltered. "Listen carefully. There's no time. They're coming." Sebastian's grip tightened on the crystal, his heart suddenly pounding against his ribs. "Master? What happened? Are you safe? Talk to me!"
A harsh, choking cough came through the crystal, followed by more labored breathing, the old man's voice cracking with terror. "Draco Imperias… his fleet is moving west. They have begun conquering the first of the Antlania Islands. Black ships and black sails, hundreds of them, like a plague sweeping across the sea. Conquering… pillaging… burning everything in their path. They don't negotiate. They show no mercy. Anyone who tries to talk peace is cut down as cowards. They want the entire world under their banner."
Sebastian felt ice form in his veins. Draco Imperias — the self-proclaimed Emperor of the Eastern Dominion — had always been a looming threat, but the speed of his expansion was terrifying. The Antlania Islands were the first domino, and now the black fleet was turning west like a devouring plague. "Master, how bad is it? How many ships? Are you still in the islands?" Sebastian's voice rose with urgency, his free hand clenching into a fist as he paced the narrow bay.
Another ragged gasp broke Elandor's reply, his panic palpable even through the crystal. "Too many… too many. His armada is massive. Dragon-prowed galleons reinforced with dark mana. They swept through the first islands like locusts. The free cities fell in days. The survivors are fleeing west… but there's nowhere safe. He means to conquer everything. The entire known world. You must warn Jasmine. Tell the Count… tell him the dragon is coming. They don't stop. They don't bargain. They only conquer."
The crystal went silent for a moment, then Elandor's voice returned, softer but still trembling with fear. "Stay alive, Sebastian. Protect the princess. The future of our people may rest on your shoulders now. I… I don't know if I'll make it out. Go. Go now!" The connection cut off with a final, faint crackle. Sebastian stared at the crystal in his hand, the weight of the warning settling over him like a physical shroud. His mentor's panic had been unmistakable — the ragged breaths, the trembling voice, the raw terror of a man who had seen the black sails on the horizon and knew what they meant. He stood slowly, wiping his hands one final time, and headed toward the bridge. The mana core could wait. The fleet needed to know what was coming — a plague of black ships and sails, devouring everything in its path, heading straight toward them.
The sea stretched endlessly before them.
The shadow from the east grew longer.
And the dragon stirred.