The Firstborn army charged.
Thousands of armored soldiers moved across the open field with terrifying discipline. Their footsteps struck the earth together, creating a steady rhythm that seemed to shake the entire settlement. Black banners snapped violently in the wind, each carrying the distorted symbol of the World Tree. Behind the soldiers, enormous mechanical beasts dragged weapons across the ground, while dozens of mages walked between the formations with their hands already surrounded by glowing magic.
Kael stood outside the western gate with his sword drawn.
The settlement's warriors filled the walls behind him. They were frightened, but they had not abandoned their homes. Some held spears. Others carried bows or crude axes. Their equipment couldn't compare to the Firstborn's armor, yet they remained in place.
Kael looked over his shoulder.
"Don't leave the walls."
The settlement's chief warrior, Varek's equivalent in this town, stepped forward.
His name was Rovan.
He was older, broad-shouldered, and carried a large stone axe.
"We can fight."
Kael shook his head.
"This isn't your battle."
Rovan frowned.
"It became our battle when they came here."
Kael looked at him for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"Then protect your people."
Rovan smiled.
"That was the plan."
A horn sounded from the Firstborn army.
The front line raised their weapons.
Kael lifted his sword.
"Everyone."
Aren stepped beside him.
"Ready."
Lyra raised her staff.
"Ready."
Seraphine's eyes were filled with floating calculations.
"Ready."
Selene held her book against her chest.
"Ready."
Mira stood behind the front line.
"Ready."
Rowan planted his feet.
"Ready."
Caelum closed his eyes.
"Not ready."
Aren looked at him.
"That's encouraging."
Caelum opened his eyes.
"I saw the next ten seconds."
"And?"
"We lose."
The others became silent.
Kael looked at him.
"Everyone?"
"No."
Caelum pointed toward the eastern side of the battlefield.
"We lose if they break through there."
Kael looked toward the settlement.
The eastern wall was poorly defended.
He immediately understood.
"Seraphine."
She turned.
"Take Lyra."
Lyra looked confused.
"Why?"
"East wall."
Seraphine nodded.
"Understood."
"Don't fight the entire army."
"Then what?"
"Control the battlefield."
Seraphine smiled.
"Finally."
Lyra grinned.
"Let's go."
The two sprinted toward the eastern wall.
Kael turned toward Aren.
"Take the center."
Aren smiled.
"My favorite."
"Don't chase them."
Aren's smile disappeared.
"You always ruin the fun."
"Hold the line."
"Fine."
Rowan stepped forward.
"What about me?"
"With Aren."
Rowan nodded.
Kael looked toward Selene and Mira.
"Keep the wounded alive."
Selene opened her book.
"We will."
Mira nodded.
Caelum stepped closer.
"Kael."
"What?"
"I can see several possible outcomes."
"How many?"
"Thousands."
"Can we win?"
Caelum stared toward the approaching army.
"Some futures."
Kael smiled.
"That's enough."
The Firstborn army reached the settlement.
The first wave of arrows flew.
Kael raised his sword.
A silver barrier appeared.
The arrows struck it and shattered.
The Firstborn mages immediately responded.
Hundreds of magical projectiles formed above them.
Kael's expression changed.
"Move!"
The projectiles descended.
Explosions ripped through the ground.
Kael rolled between them.
Aren jumped over a blast and landed directly among the enemy soldiers.
His sword flashed.
One soldier fell.
Another attacked.
Aren blocked.
His blade struck the man's armor.
The armor absorbed most of the impact.
Aren frowned.
"That's annoying."
The soldier swung.
Aren ducked.
He drove his shoulder into the soldier's chest.
The armor cracked.
Aren twisted and struck again.
The soldier fell.
Three more surrounded him.
Aren smiled.
"Now we're talking."
He spun.
His sword swept through the first.
He blocked the second.
He kicked the third backward.
Then his blade struck the ground.
A shockwave spread across the field.
The three soldiers were thrown away.
Rowan entered beside him.
"You missed one."
Aren looked behind him.
A soldier was already attacking.
Rowan's weapon slammed into the man's chest.
The armor shattered.
Aren laughed.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
They continued fighting.
The western gate became a battlefield.
Firstborn soldiers climbed the walls.
The defenders pushed them back.
Some soldiers fell.
Some defenders fell.
Blood stained the ground.
Kael moved through the chaos.
He wasn't trying to kill everyone.
He was looking for the command structure.
The Firstborn army was too organized.
Someone was directing every movement.
Kael finally saw him.
Lucian stood behind the front line.
He wasn't fighting.
He was watching.
Kael charged toward him.
Several soldiers immediately intercepted.
Kael's sword flashed.
The first lost his weapon.
The second was knocked backward.
The third attacked from above.
Kael blocked.
The impact forced him to one knee.
The soldier smiled beneath his mask.
Then Kael kicked his leg.
The soldier fell.
Kael rose.
He continued forward.
Lucian watched.
"Interesting."
A Firstborn captain approached him.
"Your Majesty, should we stop him?"
Lucian shook his head.
"No."
"Why?"
"I want to see what he can do."
Kael reached the center.
A massive armored warrior stepped before him.
Unlike the others, this soldier had no mask.
His face was covered in scars.
He carried a massive sword.
"You are Kael."
Kael nodded.
"Who are you?"
"General Arctus."
The man raised his weapon.
"I was ordered to test you."
Kael looked at the sword.
"You'll need more than that."
Arctus smiled.
"Good."
He attacked.
His sword came down with enough force to crack the ground.
Kael moved aside.
The blade struck the earth.
Kael counterattacked.
Arctus blocked.
Their weapons collided.
The impact sent sparks across the field.
Arctus pushed forward.
Kael stepped back.
The general attacked again.
Left.
Right.
Down.
Kael blocked each strike.
Arctus was powerful.
Much stronger than the ordinary Firstborn.
But his movements were predictable.
Kael waited.
Then saw the opening.
He stepped inside Arctus's reach.
His elbow struck the man's jaw.
Arctus stumbled.
Kael twisted.
His sword struck the general's armor.
The armor cracked.
Arctus roared.
He swung wildly.
Kael ducked.
The sword passed over him.
Kael kicked the general's knee.
Arctus dropped.
Kael placed his sword against his throat.
"Yield."
Arctus laughed.
"Never."
Kael frowned.
"You'll die."
"I know."
Arctus reached for a device on his belt.
Kael immediately knocked it away.
The device landed several meters away.
Arctus smiled.
"You don't understand."
Kael stepped backward.
"What?"
"You've already lost."
The device activated.
A pulse spread across the battlefield.
Kael felt his mark react.
The silver point in his palm suddenly became painful.
He grabbed his wrist.
The world around him distorted.
The Firstborn soldiers began moving faster.
The settlement walls seemed farther away.
Aren's voice sounded distant.
Kael looked toward the carriage.
The silver light inside it had become brighter.
"The seed."
Arctus smiled.
"It recognizes you."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Why?"
"Because you're part of its memory."
Kael looked toward Elara.
She had heard it too.
Her expression became pale.
The carriage began opening.
Black metal plates moved aside.
Inside was a glass container.
And inside the container...
was the seed.
It was small.
No larger than Kael's fist.
Its surface was silver and gold.
Roots floated around it without touching the glass.
Every few seconds, it released a pulse.
Each pulse made Kael's mark burn.
Elara stepped forward.
The seed immediately reacted.
It began glowing.
Lucian smiled.
"Exactly."
Kael looked toward him.
"You brought it here because of her."
"Yes."
"What do you want?"
Lucian stepped forward.
"The seed recognizes Elara as its creator."
Elara shook her head.
"I don't remember creating it."
Lucian smiled.
"Memory isn't required."
He raised his hand.
The glass container opened.
The seed floated upward.
Elara's expression changed.
"Stop."
The seed moved toward her.
Kael stepped between them.
The seed stopped.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the seed began shaking.
Kael felt something enter his mind.
A vision.
A forest.
A newborn world.
Elara standing beneath a tree.
She was holding a small seed.
Beside her stood Kael.
But he wasn't Kael.
He was Elion.
Elara placed the seed into his hand.
"Don't plant it yet."
Elion looked confused.
"Why?"
"Because the world isn't ready."
"What is it?"
"The first life."
"Then why give it to me?"
"Because one day..."
Elara looked toward the horizon.
"...you'll need to choose whether the world should have a destiny."
The vision disappeared.
Kael returned to reality.
The seed was still floating between him and Elara.
Kael whispered,
"You gave me the seed."
Elara looked confused.
"I don't remember."
Lucian laughed.
"Of course you don't."
Kael looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because the memories were removed when the cycle ended."
"Then how do you know?"
Lucian pointed toward the seed.
"It remembers."
Kael's expression hardened.
Lucian continued.
"The Firstborn discovered the seed beneath the western continent."
"It showed us the memories of the old world."
"It showed us you."
"It showed us Elara."
"And it showed us the truth."
Kael raised his sword.
"What truth?"
Lucian smiled.
"This world was never meant to be free."
The words spread across the battlefield.
Kael's expression became cold.
"You're wrong."
"Are you?"
Lucian pointed toward the sky.
"You ended the cycle."
"You destroyed the system that controlled existence."
"You created a world without rules."
"And now?"
He spread his arms.
"Look around."
The battlefield was filled with blood.
Villagers were wounded.
Firstborn soldiers were dying.
Buildings were burning.
"Is this freedom?"
Kael looked around.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Lucian continued.
"Freedom created chaos."
"Freedom created monsters."
"Freedom created war."
"The seed can end that."
"It can give this world direction."
Kael looked at him.
"You want to decide what that direction is."
Lucian's smile disappeared.
"Someone must."
"No."
Kael raised his sword.
"That's where you're wrong."
Lucian's eyes narrowed.
"Then prove it."
He raised his hand.
The seed suddenly exploded with energy.
A wave of silver light spread across the battlefield.
Every Firstborn soldier stopped.
Their armor began glowing.
The distorted World Tree symbols on their chests turned silver.
Then their weapons changed.
Their blades became enormous.
Their armor expanded.
The Firstborn army transformed.
Kael's expression became serious.
Lucian spoke.
"The seed has chosen."
Aren looked toward Kael.
"That's bad, right?"
Kael nodded.
"Very."
Lyra's voice came through the communication spell Seraphine had created.
"Kael!"
"What?"
"We have a problem."
"What kind?"
"The eastern wall."
Kael turned.
A massive Firstborn machine was approaching it.
Seraphine's voice followed.
"I can't stop it."
Kael looked at the battlefield.
They were being surrounded.
The Firstborn had deliberately drawn their strongest forces toward the center.
The eastern wall was almost undefended.
Caelum suddenly appeared beside Kael.
His face was pale.
"I saw this."
Kael looked at him.
"What happens next?"
Caelum looked toward the eastern wall.
"If that machine reaches the gate..."
Kael waited.
"The settlement falls."
Kael immediately moved.
Elara followed.
Aren shouted.
"Where are you going?"
"East!"
Aren nodded.
"I'll hold here!"
Kael ran.
Elara beside him.
The machine fired.
A massive beam of energy tore toward the wall.
Kael raised his hand.
The silver point on his palm flashed.
A barrier appeared.
The beam struck.
Kael's feet dug into the ground.
The barrier cracked.
Elara joined him.
Her magic spread through the barrier.
The two powers combined.
The beam finally stopped.
The explosion sent smoke across the battlefield.
Kael fell to one knee.
Elara caught him.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes."
The machine moved closer.
Kael stood.
"Then let's destroy it."
The machine opened.
Dozens of smaller weapons emerged.
Lyra arrived from the eastern wall.
"I thought you needed help."
Kael smiled.
"I did."
Seraphine followed.
"Then let's finish this."
Lyra raised her staff.
Seraphine began constructing a complex magical formation.
Kael stepped forward.
The machine fired.
Lyra created a barrier.
Seraphine redirected the energy.
Kael charged through the opening.
He jumped.
His sword struck the machine's central core.
The armor cracked.
He struck again.
The core shattered.
The machine collapsed.
The eastern wall survived.
Lyra smiled.
"Nice."
Kael landed.
"Thanks."
Seraphine looked toward the center of the battlefield.
"Kael."
He followed her gaze.
The seed was no longer in the carriage.
It floated above Lucian.
And behind him...
something was forming.
A tree.
Not a natural tree.
A massive structure of silver roots and black branches.
A new World Tree.
Kael's expression changed.
"He's already using it."
Seraphine nodded.
"He's creating the system."
Kael looked toward the battlefield.
Aren and Rowan were still fighting.
Selene and Mira were protecting the wounded.
Caelum was watching the future.
Nera was fighting beside the town's warriors.
Elara stood beside Kael.
Kael tightened his grip.
"We stop him."
Elara nodded.
"Together."
The new tree grew larger.
Its roots spread across the battlefield.
Wherever they touched the ground, the Firstborn became stronger.
Their armor changed.
Their wounds healed.
Their movements became faster.
Lucian raised both hands.
The entire army shouted.
"The Firstborn will shape the future!"
Kael looked at the growing tree.
"No."
He raised his sword.
"We will."
And across the battlefield, every member of Kael's group began moving toward the same target.
The new World Tree.
The stolen seed.
And the beginning of a battle that would decide whether the new world remained free...
or gained a new master.