Night in the depths of the Underworld Kingdom was never silent.
Molten rivers crawled through the black mountains like veins of burning blood.
Ash drifted slowly through the air, carried by winds that smelled of iron and war.
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And in the center of the volcanic plains stood the war camp of ACHERON.
Abaddon • Catastrophe • Heresy • Entropy • Reckoning • Oblivion • Nihil
Thousands of soldiers.
Thousands of weapons.
An army preparing for something far greater than a battle.
A war.
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At the highest ridge overlooking the campfire lights stood a single woman.
Leinca.
War Chief Commander of the Underworld Kingdom.
*Silver-white hair flowed behind her like moonlight across a stormy sea.*
*Her crimson eyes reflected the fire of the battlefield below.*
In her right hand rested a blade that burned like living flame.
The crimson katana.
*Every movement of the sword left a faint trail of fiery sparks across the darkness.*
In her other hand, she carried the long black weapon—silent and unreadable like the void itself.
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The soldiers below whispered her name like a legend.
But Leinca heard none of it.
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Because suddenly...
Her vision blurred.
For a brief moment…
She saw a man's face.
Dark wings.
Golden stars.
*A voice.*
"Run."
*Leinca's eyes narrowed.*
*The memory vanished like smoke.*
"…again."
She hated that vision.
Hated the strange sensation that followed it.
*Her hand tightened around the hilt of her blade.*
"Who are you…"
*Her voice was low.*
"…and why does my heart recognize you?"
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She remembered only fragments.
The battlefield.
The screams.
And the ancient structure known as the Pathway Bridge.
A place where Heaven itself gazed down upon the universe.
A place no mortal was meant to reach.
Yet the armies of the Underworld had tried to destroy it.
That was the war.
The war Heaven won.
Leinca remembered the archangels descending like divine storms.
She remembered their light.
She remembered the gates closing.
And she remembered herself running.
Running away from the battlefield.
But she never knew why.
Only one voice echoed inside that broken memory.
"Run."
*Her jaw tightened.*
"I hate that memory."
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Behind her,
*a calm voice answered.*
"Memories rarely ask for permission before returning."
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*Leinca turned.*
Six figures sat around a massive war campfire.
The elite of the Underworld Kingdom Military.
The 12th Squadron of ACHERON.
The legendary Phoenix Guard.
The most terrifying warriors of ACHERON.
*The man leaning lazily against a rock smiled slightly.*
Alucard Wallace.
The Crimson Blade.
"Bad dream again, Commander?"
*His voice carried the elegance of a noble knight…
and the danger of a predator.*
*Leinca ignored the question.*
*Instead she walked toward the fire.*
Across from Alucard,
*sat a woman swirling dark magic between her fingers.*
Tamia.
The Abyssal Enchantress.
*She smirked.*
"Your aura is unstable tonight, Commander."
"I can feel it from here."
*Leinca sat down beside the fire.*
*The massive lion warrior nearby snorted.*
Eon.
The Mountain Breaker.
"If the Commander is troubled…"
"…someone will die tomorrow."
Beside him stood a towering living tree.
Urugant.
*Roots shifting slowly across the ground like living serpents.*
There are two seats were empty.
*Leinca noticed it.*
"Still no sign from the Twins?"
Before anyone answered,
*Tamia slowly lifted two fingers to her temple.*
*Dark abyssal energy spiraled around her hand like liquid shadow.*
"They're speaking."
The fire dimmed slightly as the telepathic channel opened.
Far away…
Inside the sacred halls of Holy Church of Mournvale…
Two silent figures stood behind the throne of Great Pope Lucas III.
Hidden among the Pope's elite guards.
Vormitar spoke first.
His voice echoed directly inside Tamia's mind.
"Status report."
*Another voice followed.*
*Calm.*
*Calculated.*
Valmallach.
"The Commander has already left the Dark Elven Forest."
*A faint smile appeared on Tamia's lips.*
The voice continued.
"You all can safely enter."
Valmallach added quietly:
"We are monitoring every movement within the Kingdom of Mournvale Kingdom."
"All military plans… all political movements…"
"Nothing escapes our sight."
Around the campfire,
*the Phoenix Guard members slowly smiled.*
*Even Alucard Wallace chuckled softly.*
"Impressive."
*Leinca's crimson eyes reflected the flames.*
"So the Nightbringer has moved…"
*She stood slowly.*
*Her crimson blade ignited with fiery light.*
"Then it is time."
*She turned toward the distant horizon.*
Toward the forest.
Toward the battlefield.
*Alucard leaned forward.*
"To Dark Elven Forest?"
*Leinca nodded.*
"Our target."
*Tamia's eyes sparkled.*
"Finally."
*Eon cracked his knuckles.*
"Ambush?"
*Leinca's crimson gaze reflected the firelight.*
"Yes."
She pointed her burning blade toward the distant horizon.
"Tomorrow night…"
"…the Phoenix Guard moves."
*The flames between them rose violently.*
*As if the fire itself feared what those words meant.*
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Far above the Underworld skies...
Somewhere beyond the worlds...
A legend waited.
The undefeated warrior.
The man Leinca dreamed of killing.
The man known across realms as:
The Nightbringer.
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*Leinca smiled faintly.*
"One day…"
"…I will climb that mountain."
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Inside the Pope's chamber.
*Lucas suddenly says without turning around,*
"You two move like forest shadows… not like men of the Church."
The room becomes silent.
Then he calmly adds:
"Elves have always been excellent observers."
Vormitar and Valmallach say nothing.
Lucas smiles faintly.
"Which is exactly why I keep you close."
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Eventide.
Night had fallen over the towers of Eventide Castle.
Cold wind moved slowly across the stone balconies.
Below the cliffs, the vast Ebonreach Ocean stretched endlessly into darkness.
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From above, the black waters formed a haunting shape.
A massive eclipse upon the sea.
Standing alone at the edge of the balcony was Lucifell.
The Nightbringer.
His cloak swayed quietly in the wind as his Blue eyes watched the ocean far below.
The shape of the waters reminded him of something he knew too well.
The Eclipse.
A symbol that followed him like a shadow since the day he fell from Heaven.
For a long moment…
There was only silence.
No guards.
No advisors.
No war councils.
Just the wind and the dark sea.
Then...
clink.
A faint metallic sound echoed against the stone wall.
*Lucifell's eyes shifted slightly.*
Another sound followed.
scrrrk.
Something sharp dragged against the edge of the balcony.
Without panic…
Without even turning his head…
*Lucifell spoke calmly.*
"Breaking into a War Chief Commander fortress," he said quietly.
"A dangerous hobby."
A rope suddenly tightened against the stone railing.
Attached to it was a grappling claw dug deep into the balcony edge.
A moment later—
A figure pulled themselves upward from the darkness.
Landing silently on the stone floor.
Light boots.
A hooded silhouette.
A familiar presence.
*Lucifell finally turned his head.*
Standing behind him now was Kestrel.
Balanced like a shadow between moonlight and darkness.
*Lucifell sighed faintly.*
"You know," he said,
"There are doors."
Kestrel brushed dust from their cloak casually.
"your personal room don't have it."
A pause.
*Then a small grin appeared beneath the hood.*
"Nice balconies."
*Lucifell crossed his arms slowly.*
"You climbed the entire outer wall of Eventide Castle just to make a dramatic entrance?"
*Kestrel tilted their head slightly.*
"Dramatic?"
*Another grin.*
"I thought you'd call it impressive."
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The wind blew harder across the balcony.
Below them, the dark ocean continued to move like a living eclipse beneath the night sky.
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*Lucifell studied Kestrel carefully.*
"You wouldn't come here without a reason."
Kestrel's expression changed.
*The grin faded.*
Something serious replaced it.
"You're right."
A brief silence followed.
Then Kestrel spoke.
"There's movement in the shadows."
*Lucifell's eyes narrowed slightly.*
*Kestrel stepped closer to the balcony edge.*
*Looking toward the dark horizon.*
"The Underworld Kingdom isn't the only thing moving."
A pause.
Then quietly...
"Something else is waking up."
The wind howled across the cliffs of Mournvale Kingdom.
And far below…
The dark ocean continued to resemble an eclipse.
Watching.
Waiting.