Chapter 67
Eight months had passed since the palace last heard anything about Kael and his mate. At first, there had been hope. Small reports. Rumors from scouts. Whispers that the seventh prince might still be alive somewhere beyond the known territories. But as time stretched on, those whispers began to fade, replaced slowly by silence, and silence in a royal palace was never peaceful. It was dangerous.
The palace had changed completely. It no longer carried the softness of tradition and ceremony. Instead, it carried the weight of war preparation. Guards moved in tighter formations, training grounds were always active, and the war council had become the most frequently used chamber in the entire kingdom.
Zack stood in the lower laboratory chambers, where the air was heavy with chemical scent and something far more disturbing. On a reinforced table lay a captured creature. It was not fully vampire, not fully wolf, but something altered in between. Its body twitched occasionally, restrained by iron bindings designed to hold even supernatural strength.
Zack observed it closely, his expression calm and focused. He had no disgust in his face, no hesitation. Only calculation.
"Again," he said calmly.
One of the assistants hesitated before stepping forward. "My lord, its regeneration rate is unstable. Pushing it further could cause complete cellular collapse."
Zack did not look at him. "That is the point. We need to understand the limit before we face them on the battlefield."
The assistant swallowed but obeyed.
Zack leaned slightly closer to the creature as it stirred weakly. Its eyes opened suddenly, filled with a wild, unnatural aggression. It struggled against the restraints, its body jerking violently.
"Interesting," Zack murmured quietly. "Even restrained, the aggression remains intact."
He reached forward and applied pressure near a previously wounded area. The creature reacted instantly, a sharp distorted sound escaping it, but what interested Zack was not the pain response. It was the delay in healing.
"It is slower here," he said thoughtfully. "The upper spine region disrupts regeneration. That is the weakness."
He stepped back slowly, removing his gloves with precision. "Document everything. We will adjust battlefield strategy accordingly."
The assistants quickly wrote down his observations while Zack's gaze remained distant for a moment, as though his mind was already somewhere else entirely.
Above the laboratory, the palace was no longer quiet. It had become a center of preparation. War maps covered entire chambers, patrol schedules were updated hourly, and messengers moved constantly between departments.
In the main war council chamber, senior commanders stood around a large table where territories were marked in detail. Red markings indicated known enemy movement zones. Blue marked their controlled regions. A newly marked section had appeared recently deep within the eastern forest.
One of the commanders spoke. "Scouts confirm a concentrated settlement in this region. Hidden but active. This is where the werewolves have been gathering."
Another nodded. "If we strike here, we end their coordination entirely."
A third added cautiously. "Or we walk into a trap."
The room grew silent as Zack entered.
Every presence in the room shifted slightly toward him. Not because he demanded attention, but because he naturally controlled it.
"What have you confirmed?" one commander asked.
Zack stepped closer to the table, eyes scanning the map. "They are not disorganized anymore. They are adapting. Their structure is evolving."
"And the settlement?" the commander pressed.
"It is real," Zack said. "But it is not just a settlement. It is a convergence point. Something is gathering them there."
Murmurs spread through the room.
"Can we break it?" another asked.
Zack replied without hesitation. "Yes. But only if we strike before the structure stabilizes further."
The head commander exhaled slowly. "Then we prepare the full assault."
Zack nodded once. "That is the only logical outcome."
At the edge of the chamber stood Alvira, Kael's mother. Her hands were clasped tightly, though she tried to maintain her composure. Beside her stood Zack, Kael's father. He had not spoken much since the disappearance of his son, but his silence had become heavier than words.
Alvira finally spoke, her voice softer than the rest of the room. "If this is where they are gathering… then what happens if he is there?"
The question changed the atmosphere instantly.
Everyone understood who she meant without her saying the name.
Zack did not turn to her immediately. When he did, his expression remained steady.
"He is not," he said simply.
Alvira shook her head slightly. "You cannot know that."
"I can," Zack replied.
Her voice tightened slightly. "He is your son."
That sentence lingered longer than expected.
Zack's expression did not shift. "That does not change probability."
Alvira looked away for a moment, her voice quieter now. "It changes everything else."
The Queen, who had been listening silently, finally spoke. "We cannot base war decisions on sentiment. We move forward based on intelligence."
Alvira said nothing after that, but her silence carried disagreement.
Zack turned back toward the map. "If the settlement is eliminated, their structure collapses. That is the priority."
"And casualties?" one commander asked.
Zack's answer was immediate. "Expected."
No hesitation. No emotion.
Only strategy.
The Queen rose from her throne-like seat. "Then it is decided. At first light tomorrow, we move."
The chamber began to disperse slowly, voices low, steps heavy.
Alvira remained still for a moment longer, watching the map as if it might reveal something no one else could see. Something about her son. Something about hope.
Zack stood beside her, unmoving.
After a moment, she spoke quietly. "If you are wrong…"
Zack interrupted without looking at her. "I am not."
But for the first time, there was a slight pause in his voice before he said it.
Not doubt.
Not emotion.
Just something unspoken.
And in that silence, war quietly took its final shape.
Because both sides were now moving.
And neither of them knew what they were about to find.