The flickering light of gas lamps cast elongated shadows against the walls of Ethan's study. He sat in his high-backed chair, hands steepled beneath his chin, golden eyes fixed on the dancing flames, yet his mind was far from the warmth of the hearth. His thoughts were a storm, each wave of doubt crashing against the shore of reason.
It had been days since Annalise had spoken of the plague, the disappearances, and the horrors lurking in the dark. Days since she uttered a name that should have been long buried in history—Leandria Fortress.
He had dismissed it at first. How could she, of all people, know of something erased from records and purged from existence? How could she speak of things even he had never been privy to?
And yet, there was conviction in her voice. A certainty that gnawed at him in the quiet hours of the night.
If she was telling the truth, then the danger was far greater than he had imagined. If she was lying… then how did she know things no commoner should?
Either way, he needed answers.
He exhaled sharply, then reached for the cord beside him and gave it a firm pull. Moments later, there was a soft knock at the door.
"Enter."
Humphrey, his ever-diligent butler, stepped inside, his posture rigid with unwavering loyalty. "Your Grace?"
"Gather Sir Aldric, Sir Lucian, and Sir Cedric. I want them here within the hour. Tell them it is urgent."
Humphrey bowed without question. "As you command, Your Grace."
As the door closed behind him, Ethan leaned back, fingers drumming against the polished wood of his desk. This was not a matter to be discussed with just anyone.
Leandria Fortress…
The name alone sent a chill through him.
It was a relic of a time long past, spoken of only in hushed whispers among the Vornhart bloodline. A fortress built five thousand years ago, before the Empire united the Five Kingdoms. During the Hundred Years' War, it was the last bastion against an enemy that sought to eradicate them. But its purpose changed as the world entered a new era—the Age of Mana Crystals.
The fourth Vornhart patriarch had been among the first to discover the power of mana crystals, unlocking knowledge that would forever alter the course of history. The Emperor, fearing rebellion, sought to create an army beyond human limitations. Thus, he and the Vornharts turned Leandria into a clandestine research facility. There, knights were subjected to gruesome experiments, their bodies enhanced beyond mortal bounds.
But power always came with a price.
The second war erupted, a bloodier conflict that raged for five centuries. The enhanced soldiers—their prized creations—became their greatest curse. Many were driven mad, their bodies twisted by the very mana that had strengthened them.
The tenth Vornhart Duke, horrified by the atrocities, sealed the fortress. Every researcher, every knight who knew of its existence, was silenced.
Leandria faded into myth. Forgotten by all.
And yet Annalise had known.
How?
That was the question he intended to answer.
The War Room
The underground war room was buried deep within the Vornhart estate, its walls reinforced with thick stone and iron-lined doors. Few ever stepped foot within these chambers, and fewer still left with knowledge of what was discussed here.
Ethan stood at the head of the round table, watching as his three most trusted men took their seats.
Sir Aldric, the seasoned war veteran, had seen more battles than most men could fathom. His presence alone commanded respect, his grizzled face carved with the scars of wars past.
Sir Lucian, the strategist, was a man of cold logic, his piercing blue eyes always seeking deception where others saw truth.
Sir Cedric, Ethan's childhood friend and most steadfast ally, was the heart of the group—a warrior of unwavering loyalty, built like a fortress himself.
The air was thick with unspoken tension.
Ethan wasted no time.
"You all remember Annalise's… unusual proposal before our marriage," he began.
Aldric let out a low hum, rubbing his beard. "Hard to forget, Your Grace. It was rather unprecedented, to say the least."
Lucian leaned back, arms folded. "Unprecedented is a polite way of putting it. Suspicious is the word I'd use."
Cedric shot him a glare. "Watch your tongue, Lucian. She is our lady now."
Lucian's lips curved into a mirthless smirk. "And that makes her trustworthy?"
"Enough," Ethan cut in. "This is not about my marriage. It is about what she told me."
That silenced them.
He exhaled slowly, his fingers pressing into the table.
"Annalise spoke of things she should have no way of knowing. She warned of a plague. A sickness that turns men into monsters."
Aldric stiffened.
Lucian scoffed. "You can't be serious—"
"I am." Ethan's voice was sharp, leaving no room for argument. "She spoke of Leandria Fortress."
Silence.
Aldric's grip tightened on his armrest. Lucian paled. Cedric frowned deeply.
"That's not possible," Lucian finally said, his voice quieter than before.
"Yet she knew," Ethan countered.
Aldric was the first to break the silence. "There are only two possibilities. Either she was told by someone with forbidden knowledge… or—" He hesitated.
"Or she knew before she came here," Ethan finished grimly.
Lucian's eyes darkened. "Then she's a spy."
Cedric slammed his fist on the table. "That's absurd!"
"Is it?" Lucian shot back. "How else could she know?"
Aldric exhaled. "If she were a spy, why would she warn Ethan at all? If her goal was deception, she would have kept silent."
Lucian hesitated.
Ethan's gaze swept over them. "The question of how she knows is secondary. What matters is whether she is telling the truth."
Cedric nodded. "And if she is?"
Ethan leaned forward. "Then we are on the brink of something far worse than a war."
Lucian still looked skeptical, but he did not argue.
Aldric spoke gravely. " Leandria is a far away place. If we are to investigate, we must do so in secret."
Lucian frowned. "You're suggesting we restore a place that has been abandoned for centuries? We don't even know its condition."
"Then we find out," Ethan said. "We prepare. We fortify. If Annalise is right, then we may be the last line of defense against something we do not yet understand."
A heavy silence settled over the room.
Cedric was the first to nod. "I stand with you."
Aldric followed. "As do I."
Lucian hesitated… then sighed. "Madness," he muttered. "But if we are to prepare, I suppose we have no choice."
Ethan exhaled. "Then it's decided."
A storm was coming.
And they would be ready.
_________________________________________________
The War Room
Ethan stood over the massive war table, his fingers tracing the rough edges of the ancient map spread before him. The dim glow of lanterns cast flickering shadows against the stone walls of the underground war room, creating an almost eerie atmosphere. His gray eyes narrowed as he studied the paths leading to Leandria Fortress, each one marked with potential dangers—patrolling noble forces, treacherous terrain, and the ever-present risk of spies.
Beside him, Sir Aldric stood with arms crossed, his golden eyes scanning the map with the practiced gaze of a veteran commander. "A land route would take too long," he stated firmly. "Too many checkpoints, too many eyes. The moment we set foot outside the estate, the wrong people will notice."
Lucian, leaning lazily against a stone pillar, smirked. "And I assume marching an army through nobles territory is also out of the question?" His gray eyes gleamed with amusement, but Ethan ignored the sarcasm.
"A direct march would be declaration war and I'd like to aviod that," Ethan said. "We need speed and secrecy. Which means…" He tapped a specific point on the map—the Vornhart estate's private airship docks.
"The Nightshade," Seraphine murmured, stepping out from the shadows.
Ethan had called for the rest of them to join. Garrick and Seraphine. They have been told what was going on.
Ethan nodded. "It's our best option. It's small enough to go unnoticed but large enough to carry a full unit if necessary."
Sir Garrick grinned, cracking his knuckles. "And I assume we're bringing a proper force with us?"
Ethan shook his head. "No. This isn't a full-scale assault. It's an expedition—to scout, investigate, and assess the situation. The fewer people, the easier it'll be to stay hidden."
Aldric gave a small nod of approval. "Then who do you plan to bring?"
Ethan straightened, his voice steady as he listed the names.
"Myself. Annalise. Aldric. Seraphine. Garrick. Lucian."
Silence filled the room for a moment.
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "No additional knights? No backup?"
"No," Ethan confirmed. "The more people we take, the greater the risk of being discovered."
Aldric's gaze flickered to Ethan. "And what of the men? They'll notice our absence."
"One will stay behind," Ethan said. "Sir Cedric. He will ensure no suspicions arise and feed the knights just enough information to keep them from asking too many questions."
Garrick let out a low chuckle. "Cedric, playing the quiet manipulator? That should be interesting."
Ethan rolled the map closed, the weight of their decision pressing down on him. "We leave in two days."
---
The Decision Is Made
Later that night, Ethan found Annalise in the estate's grand library, standing by the towering bookshelves with a heavy tome in her hands. The glow of the fireplace bathed her in golden light, her platinum hair catching the flickering flames.
She didn't look up when he entered, but he knew she had sensed him.
Though Ethan failed to see her hands shaking with nerves.
"You've made your decision," she said simply.
Ethan walked toward her, his voice measured. "Yes. We leave in two days. You should prepare."
Annalise blew a breath she hadn't realised she was holding she finally turned, her sapphire-blue eyes locking onto his. Her expression was a mix of emotions but one more evident than the rest—relief, it was as if a wieght had lifted of her shoulders, she had been carrying this weight for so long yes she had told Emmett but he didn't believe her. Telling Ethan was different for annalise she felt like Ethan was the only one sne could rely on and he actually believed her. Walking towards Ethan she suddenly Had the urge to hug him and she didn't waste anytime and rushed to him and gave him a hug.
Ethan surprised but not unwelcoming hugged her.
"Thank you." She said mumbling
"Thank You for what?" He asked.
"For believing me, I've Been feeling so suffocating carrying this wieght with me."
Ethan understanding what she meant quietly conforted her as silent tears streame from her eyes.
He hadn't realised what it actually meant to her him believing in her it was shocking to say the least. But Ethan liked it. That surprised him even more, He liked the fact that she cared about him believing her, he liked the fact that she found comfort in his arms, he liked the fact that she can be vulnerable with him alone.
This had awakened a different kind of emotion in him one he had never experienced before. Ehtan didn't know whether to hate or welcome it he wasn't sure.
But if there is one thing he Is sure is that he will protect her at any cost.
---
Preparations Begin
Over the next two days, the estate bustled with hidden activity. Supplies were discreetly moved to the Vornhart family's private airship docks, hidden beneath layers of illusion magic. The Nightshade, a sleek black vessel crafted from a rare element that absorbed light and shadow alike, was prepped for flight.
Lucian inspected the weapons cache, ensuring their blades, Aura guns, Aura bombs and armor were in optimal condition. Garrick oversaw the rations, grumbling about the lack of good ale. Aldric ran last-minute battle simulations in his mind, ever the tactician. Seraphine vanished, only to reappear now and then like a ghost, her presence a silent promise of death to any who stood in their way.
On the eve of their departure, Ethan stood at the window of his private study, staring at the darkened sky. His mind was restless.
A knock at his door.
He didn't need to turn to know who it was.
Aldric stepped forward, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the moonlight. "You're thinking too much."
Ethan exhaled sharply. "I need to be prepared."
"You are prepared," Aldric said. "But you also know that nothing ever goes according to plan."
Ethan let out a quiet chuckle. "That's what I'm afraid of."
Aldric placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "Then we do what we always do."
Ethan turned to him, raising an eyebrow. "Which is?"
Aldric smirked. "We adapt. And we survive."
Ethan gave a slow nod.
Tomorrow, they would take to the skies.
And whatever awaited them at Leandria Fortress—they would face it together.