Days had gone by since Asmond came back—burned, broken, and barely alive. After he warned us about the coming war, everything in RavenCrow changed.
The guild's usual calm and freedom vanished. The gates were shut. Magic barriers were raised. No one could enter or leave unless they were given special permission. It felt like the whole castle had turned into a fortress overnight.
I hadn't seen Edith or Roland since Asmond's return. They were leading now, holding meetings day and night. Every choice they made seemed like it could decide the fate of the guild. They were planning for every possible outcome—some of them worse than others.
Frey, on the other hand, stuck close to me like a shadow. She barely gave me time to breathe. She doubled the intensity of our training. Early mornings. Late nights. Sword drills. Mana control. Combat lessons that left me aching in places I didn't even know could ache. Some nights, I would collapse into my bed and fall asleep without even taking off my boots. Still… I could feel the difference. I was getting stronger. My body moved faster, my mana responded more easily, and my instincts sharpened.
And I wasn't the only one. Everyone in the guild was training. Veterans were returning from long missions. I saw old faces, new faces, and some who had left long ago but were now back. They came without being asked. That told me everything I needed to know.
Tension hung in the air like a storm about to break. No one had to say it aloud—we all knew. War was coming. And after what happened to Asmond, no one even thought of backing down.
"Watch your left!" Frey's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
Her sword slammed against my gauntlets, sparks flying into the air.
Before I could recover, she swung again—this time low, aiming for my legs.
I jumped back, just avoiding the hit. As soon as I landed, I pushed off the ground and dashed forward, pulling wind with me as I threw a punch straight at her.
"Crap!" she shouted.
She twisted away, barely avoiding my fist. But the wind behind the punch still hit her, throwing her off balance and sending her spinning through the air.
She landed cleanly, digging her sword into the stone courtyard to slow herself down.
I stood there, breathing hard. Sweat rolled down my face, and my legs felt like they might give out any second. Every part of me ached from the past few days of nonstop training—but I didn't want to stop. Something inside me burned hotter than the pain.
I dropped low into a stance I'd never used before. My feet planted firmly into the ground. Slowly, I channeled mana to my soles. It wasn't something I had practiced, it just… happened.
Frey noticed immediately. Her eyes narrowed, her grip on her sword tightening. She stepped into a defensive stance.
Then—
Boom!
The ground beneath me cracked as I blasted off with a thunderous force. The shockwave echoed across the courtyard. I didn't even understand what I was doing—my body moved on instinct.
In a flash, I was right in front of Frey. She had no time to react. Neither did I.
We collided hard. Both of us hit the ground with a thud that made a few nearby guild members turn their heads.
Frey groaned, reaching for her shoulder. I rushed to her side, not even winded. No pain. No soreness. Just that same raw energy still racing through my veins.
"You okay?" I asked, holding out a hand.
She slapped it away and sat up slowly.
"What the hell was that?" she asked, brushing dirt off her pants.
"I… I don't know," I said. "It just happened. Like something inside me snapped loose."
She stared at me, lips tight, eyes sharp with thought. Then she sighed and shrugged.
Before she could say anything else, a voice called out from above.
"Frey. Helios."
We both looked up.
Edith stood at the top of the steps, her hand raised, motioning for us to come.
Frey and I shared a look, then started up the stone stairs.
As we climbed, I could feel eyes on us from every direction. Guild members watched us in silence. Some with curiosity. Some with doubt. They all knew that Asmond had put RavenCrow's future in our hands. Whether we were ready or not.
Honestly, I wasn't sure I was.
At the top, we approached a massive metal door covered in glowing blue runes. It let out a low hum as we neared. Then, with a slow, deep groan, it began to open.
Mana poured out from the room beyond like heat from a furnace. It washed over us, thick and powerful. For a moment, I froze, stunned by its weight.
Inside stood Roland and Edith. Beside them were two people I had never seen before.
I glanced at Frey.
She wasn't staring at Edith or Roland.
She was staring at one of the strangers.
A tall, dark-skinned man with broad shoulders and a body marked by countless scars. He wore little armor, but mana radiated from him in heavy waves. He stood calm, like a blade drawn but not yet swung.
Frey smiled—softly. A real smile. The kind I didn't think she knew how to make.
Edith motioned us forward without looking up from the large map spread out before her.
We stepped into the room. The doors shut behind us with a deep thud, echoing through the chamber.
No one spoke to us at first. Edith, Roland, and the two strangers were deep in discussion. Their voices were low, but firm. Tense.
"I say we work with the Imperial Knights," Roland said. "They're organized. With their structure, we can divide our forces better."
"No way," the man in the white robes said, shaking his head.
He wore beads around his neck—prayer beads—but they glowed with ancient runes. Each one pulsed with mana like a heartbeat. He looked nothing like a fighter, but his voice carried the weight of a thousand battles.
"I will not stand beside people who let children die to protect their borders," he said coldly.
The scarred man nodded in agreement, his eyes hard.
Edith finally looked up at us.
"What do you two think?" She asked.
All of a sudden the air felt thick. I couldn't breathe well. Why were they asking us?
"I think we should fight independently and support the knights if needed." Frey said.
The scarred man let off a soft smile, nodding in agreement. There was something between them but that was not my concern now.
Edith glanced at me. Quiet, still.
"I want to hear what he thinks." Her gaze fixed on me.
The room went silent, every eye falling on me.
"I…i don't know." I admitted.
"You do." Edith said. "You know what to do."
For some reason her faith in me stirred up my mind. An idea came.
"What if we divided ourselves into two units. One supporting the Knights. Acting as a supplementary force. While the other acts independently, working on helping the kingdom in the worst cases." I said. Now a lot more confident.
"Roland could lead the unit supporting the knights and Edith you could take the independent force." I continued.
Frey's brows lifted slightly, surprised at how naturally I laid out a strategy. I wasn't used to this either. My voice wasn't trembling. My hands weren't shaking. I didn't stutter. For once, I didn't feel like some kid tagging along—I felt like someone who belonged.
There was a pause. A long one. Then the man in robes chuckled under his breath, folding his arms.
"Well," he said, "he speaks like someone who's seen war. You sure he's as green as he looks?"
Frey rolled her eyes. "He's greener. But he learns fast."
The scarred man gave me a long look. It wasn't hostile. More like… measuring. Like he was sizing up a blade, not a person.
Edith leaned forward over the table, fingers steepled.
"I like it," she said. "We'll refine the details. But the bones are solid."
"RavenCrow has never been known to side with a kingdom in war but this time we will." She said. "Asmond has requested that from us. Get yourselves ready."
Then.
The metal door groaned again.
Everyone turned, surprised…..
"Crap.."