The sky above Tiara City burned with an eerie glow, choked with smoke from distant fires. Screams echoed through the cobbled streets.
Castle gate is shattered in rubles. The capital of the Valor Duchy, once a city of gleaming towers and grand plazas, now stood on the edge of collapse. Its walls were breached. Houndreds of monsters still swarming inside the city.
Thousands of corrupted beasts, most of them are sea monsters with ground features. Normal people are stunned beyond fear. They are not ordinary monsters.
But as the dance of destruction continues, an army of hope appears. And at the front of that divine army was a man with dark hair and black eyes, with a grim expression. His sheer aura radiated a horror to his enemy. Then a cold voice that chilled everyone's spine echoed:
"Valor Knights, Advance", a pause after slashing an eight-legged monster. Blue mist power erupted from his sword. Then the man roared:
"3rd knight order secure citizens. 1st knight order, follow me."
Duke Edger Valor rode at the front of his army, his cloak billowing behind him, his face grim beneath his silver helm. Beside him, the 1st and 3rd Knight Orders—his most trusted forces—marched in tight formation. Their armor was dulled by travel, but their spirits were unbroken.
Though they are tired for their long journey, they will risk their lives to protect their capital.
From the crest of a nearby hill, Edger surveyed the city. The gates were shattered. Plumes of black smoke coiled into the sky, and monsters stalked the streets below—twisted beasts with grotesque limbs and glowing eyes, remnants of some dark corruption that had spread like wildfire across the land. The very air seemed to shudder with their presence.
Inside the city, a few remaining soldiers still fought. They formed pockets of resistance, retreating behind broken walls and barricades. Some wielded swords and spears. Others fought with whatever they could find—kitchen knives, farming tools, even broken pieces of stone. The courage of these men and women burned bright, but they were exhausted, disorganized, and overwhelmed.
Edger didn't hesitate. "Rally to me!" he called, raising his sword high. His voice carried across the chaos like a war drum. "Knights of Valor! Advance and crush these abominations!"
With a unified cry, the knights charged. The 1st Order, renowned for their discipline, advanced like a steel tide, shields locked and spears leveled. The 3rd Order, more agile and aggressive, flanked the beasts from the side, carving through their ranks with terrifying precision.
The battle to reclaim Tiara had begun.
Edger led from the front. His blade, Justicefang, gleamed with every strike, slicing through monster hide and bone. He fought like a man possessed, driven by more than duty.
"Where is Raen? We need to reach the castle fast.", the duke said to Han, Captain of the 1st Knight Order.
They cleared the path in the middle of the city. They are rushing desperately to reach the castle. However, monsters have decreased significantly. Only the strongest monsters are alive now.
"Your Highness!" a voice cried.
Surviving soldiers staggered from the shadows, bloodied but alive. Their eyes widened with awe and relief.
"You've arrived!"
"The Duchess?" Han asked quickly. "Is she safe?"
The soldier nodded, but hesitated.
"Vice-Captain Maikal is guarding the castle. He's with the Duchess. But… we don't know her current condition. Communication has been lost."
Elenora…
His mind clung to her name like a lifeline in the storm.
His wife. His duchess. The heart of Valor.
She had remained in Tiara during the crisis, against his desperate protests. She had refused to abandon the people, had insisted that the duchess must stand with her citizens until the end. Even more—she had refused to leave because of her pregnancy. She believed their child must be born here, in the ancient cradle of the Valor bloodline.
And now…
That decision may have cost them everything.
******
The tremors had not stopped.
Every few minutes, the stone beneath Elenora Valor's feet quaked, the ancient bones of Tiara Castle groaning in protest as the siege tore through the city outside. The cries of monsters echoed faintly through the thick walls, and each blast of distant thunder sent dust raining from the ceiling. Yet inside the castle's inner sanctum, all was still, tense, quiet, and heavy with waiting.
Elenora sat upright on a velvet-cushioned bench, she is adoring her newborn child.
"Baby, do you know your name?" she asked solemnly of the clueless child.
How can I not know my own name? I am the great superstar Adrian Skre. Meanwhile, Adrian mumbled in a proud tone. Of course, no one heard that. Only those words-
"Mmmh..MMHHHnn....."
She exhaled slowly, composing herself once again.
"Your father and I already decided on your name."
"My sweetheart, LORIAN"
Lorian!!. That mysterious name. The baby become dead silent after hearing this.
"Oh, baby, did you not like it?"
Ahh. I think there is no problem in this name. Lorian-Adrian pretty similar, I guess. Adrian is trying hard to show her his approval.
"YYememmem.....LllLLLLL..."
There was no room for fear—not now, not while others drew courage from her presence. Even here, even surrounded by guards and thick stone walls, she could feel the weight of her people's hopes pressing on her shoulders.
The grand chamber that once hosted nobles and feasts now served as a refuge. Dozens of wounded civilians and castle staff huddled in the corners. Mothers cradled children. An old man clutched a bloodied cloth to his shoulder. A priest whispered prayers in a shaking voice. The fires in the hearths had been reduced to embers. The air was cold.
A young girl, no more than ten, tugged at Elenora's cloak. "Your Grace," she asked timidly, "Are you okey?"
Elenora smiled gently, though it took effort. "Yes" she said. "As long as my little prince is okey"
A heavy door creaked open. Maikal, the vice-captain of the 3rd Knight Order, stepped inside, his face covered in grime and blood. His armor was cracked. His breathing labored.
"Status?" Elenora asked immediately, rising to her feet.
"My lady," he bowed, struggling to keep his voice steady. "The outer city has fallen. Only the castle remains. Monsters are gathering at the western gate. We've sealed it for now, but they'll break through eventually."
Elenora nodded, her expression calm.
"Your Grace, you should evacuate through the underpass. We've cleared a route to the forest. We can have you outside the city before they breach the keep."
Elenora's voice was soft but firm. "No."
Maikal's eyes widened. "Forgive me, Duchess, but this place will fall."
She walked to the window, pulling back the curtain slightly.
The city burned.
What had once been home to parades, music, and laughter now flickered with hellfire and shadow. The towers were crumbling, the bridges snapped, and the banners of Valor charred by ash.
"I gave my word," she said quietly. "That I would not leave Tiara. Not while even a single citizen remains. Not while our blood still runs in these streets."
"My lady—"
"I am not leaving," she said again, sharper now. "Edger is on his way. Hold a bit longer."
She hesitate because he cannot leave his son in danger. The words echoed in the chamber.
A hush fell across the wounded, the frightened, the broken. Slowly, heads lifted. Eyes met hers.
She wasn't armored in steel or armed with a sword, but in that moment, Elenora stood taller than any knight. A duchess of unshakable grace, holding an empire of hope within her womb.
Maikal knelt.
"Then I will guard you with my life."
She turned to him. "No. You will guard them. If I fall, let it be so. But ensure they live. That the future lives."
Another tremor shook the castle. A muffled roar echoed through the stone.
Then came a cry from the watchtower above:
"Blue mist! On the eastern road! It's the Duke—he's here!"
Elenora froze. Her breath caught in her throat.
"Edger…"
She moved toward the window once more. Far in the distance, barely visible through the smoke, she saw a burst of blue light arc through the sky—mist energy slicing the heavens apart like a star falling.
He was coming.
The impossible weight on her chest lifted, just slightly. But with it came a new dread.
"Send word to the gates. Let them know the Duke approaches. Open the path."
"Yes, my lady!"
"And Maikal," she said, resting a hand again on her belly, "he cannot afford hesitation. Whatever happens… he must reach us. And I must be standing when he does."