The smoke still clung to the air when the southern wall fell silent.
The Starless Legion had withdrawn as abruptly as it arrived, leaving soldiers shaken and scorched—not by fire, but by emptiness.
Bao Bao stood at the broken parapet, breathing hard, Sunblade dimming.
Below him, the torches struggled to stay lit.
Above him, the sky was moonless.
Behind him, Queen Naelith and Commander Veylara stood several paces apart—one exhausted, one furious, both staring at him.
The tension was hotter than any battlefield flame.
"Report," Naelith commanded, her tone clipped but steady.
Veylara answered immediately.
"The enemy's retreat was deliberate. They tested our defenses. They can extinguish Sunfire at the source."
Naelith's eyes narrowed. "Then the threat is worse than we feared."
Bao Bao finally spoke. His voice was low, shaken.
"They were hunting something. Or someone."
Both women looked at him.
"You," Naelith said quietly.
Veylara's jaw tightened.
Bao Bao turned toward the cracked battlements.
"They knew when I arrived," he murmured. "The shadows shifted. They were reacting to me."
Naelith stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder—not intimate, but grounding.
"You saved the wall. That is all that matters."
Veylara watched that hand, her expression unreadable.
"Your Majesty," she said carefully, "with respect—His Grace should not have been sent out alone. He is the center of every attack now."
Naelith's eyes sharpened.
"You presume to lecture the Sun Queen on strategy?"
"I speak as his commander," Veylara answered. "And as someone who—"
She stopped herself.
Naelith finished the sentence for her.
"As someone who cares for him."
The silence hit harder than any blast.
Bao Bao turned sharply.
"Enough. This is neither the time nor the place."
Both women looked at him—but neither backed down.
The fracture between them had cracked fully open.
-ll
A breathless messenger ran onto the wall.
"Your Majesty—the Council demands an emergency meeting. Elder Sorell says Firelonia must prepare for full lockdown."
Naelith exhaled sharply.
"Of course he does. He's waiting to exploit this."
Bao Bao glanced at Veylara.
He almost said something—an apology, a reassurance, a confession.
But he didn't.
He only said:
"Meet me after the Council session. Both of you. We need clarity."
Naelith stiffened.
Veylara looked away.
The messenger bowed again.
"They're gathering in the War Hall, Your Majesty."
Naelith nodded reluctantly.
"Bao Bao, stay here with the wounded. Help stabilize the flames. Veylara—you'll accompany me."
Veylara blinked. "Me?"
"Elder Sorell fears you," Naelith said. "Let him."
And just like that, the two women left together—side by side, but worlds apart.
Bao Bao watched them go, feeling the weight of two very different flames pulling at him.
After the wall was cleared of casualties, Bao Bao inspected the scorch marks left by the Starless Legion.
He crouched, brushing the stone with his palm.
No ash.
No residue.
Just a perfect circular burn—like a brand.
Inside that ring was something faint.
Almost invisible.
He summoned a small spark of Sunfire, letting it glow softly.
A hidden pattern appeared under the light.
A mark.
A sigil.
It resembled a star—
But cracked.
Broken.
Incomplete.
And beneath it… writing in a language older than Firelonia.
Bao Bao whispered the word aloud.
"Umbren…"
His heart dropped.
The Starless Legion wasn't just an enemy.
It was connected to Firelonia's oldest secret.
To the vanished line.
To the prophecy he had hoped was wrong.
Meanwhile, Naelith entered the chamber with Veylara at her side.
The Council went silent.
Elder Sorell rose immediately.
"Your Majesty, the attack proves Firelonia is no longer safe under your leadership."
Naelith's expression stayed calm, but Veylara saw her hands clench.
"And what do you propose?" Naelith asked.
Sorell smiled thinly.
"A new chain of command. One that limits the King and Queen."
Gasps echoed.
Veylara stepped forward.
"You will not touch the Sun King's authority."
Naelith didn't stop her.
The room shook—not from fear, but from the truth:
Firelonia was now divided into three powers—
Naelith
Bao Bao
The Council
—and the Starless Legion had chosen that moment to strike.
---
Ending Beat: The Beginning of the Internal Rebellion
Elder Yura remained seated at the far end of the chamber.
Quiet.
Neutral.
Watching.
But for the first time, she whispered aloud:
"The prophecy is beginning…"