The eastern horizon bled crimson as morning gave way to chaos.
The once-peaceful Blackroot Village, just hours before scented with rosemary and hope, now trembled beneath the boots of invading Gradnetian soldiers. Timber homes stood defiant, but the villagers inside shivered, clutching tools turned weapons, hearts pounding louder than the ringing bell.
Lito's fingers flexed over the fire ring, its ember glow dancing across his knuckles. "No more warnings," he muttered.
Beside him, Luminos' obsidian robes billowed as wind surged around him, his pale face unreadable. "The last time I saw that expression," he said, "you burned down an entire bandit fort."
Lito didn't reply—he was already moving.
Arrows whistled overhead, Yune weaving through branches like wind incarnate. Each shaft she loosed found its mark—knees, shoulders, wrists. Non-lethal. Precise. "Let's herd them, not slaughter them," she called.
"They're not here to play nice!" Luminos snarled. One of his Radiant Lances hissed through the air, pinning a Gradnetian soldier to a tree by his armor—not a drop of blood spilled.
In the center of the fray, the red Oni Guardian, Gark, roared as he swung his club in wide arcs. Earth shook where he walked, and soldiers scattered like frightened vermin. "COME FACE REAL STRENGTH!" he bellowed, voice echoing through the forest canopy.
Despite their fury, the Gradnetians were well-trained. Formations reformed. Shield walls advanced. Horsemen circled wide to flank the village.
"They're trying to surround us," Yune warned, breath sharp. "We need to hold until Eden's banners arrive!"
Lito's hand went to the magic barrier necklace. A pulse of gold rippled outward, forming a dome around the villagers and children, deflecting incoming arrows. "No one dies today," he vowed.
He turned to Yune. "Boost me."
She nodded. Wind spiraled around his fire ring. He raised his hand high, channeling the wind and flame together. "Great Penetrating Fire Arrow!"
With a burst of force, the arrow blazed like a comet, carving a hole through enemy lines and scattering the horsemen.
"Nice shot, Majesty," Luminos smirked. "But I think I'll raise you one."
He whispered an incantation, his voice cold and melodic. Light magic surged outward, forming a dozen Dawnfire Whips. They lashed at swords and spears, melting steel but sparing flesh. Enemies fell back, eyes wide with terror at the vampire who healed children yet fought like a wrathful god.
Still, the enemy pressed on.
Then—drums.
From the west, horns sounded.
Eden's banners crested the hill, green and silver fluttering like a promise. Knights in shining armor descended with war cries, shields raised high, lances leveled.
The border was no longer alone.
Relief flooded Lito's chest as Eden's forces clashed with Gradnetia's in the village square, steel ringing on steel, cries rising with smoke.
Luminos caught Lito's eye as they fought back-to-back. "Do you always plan to cut things this close?"
"Where's the fun otherwise?" Lito grinned, parrying a blow with his safety-enhanced barrier earings.
Gark roared again, his club knocking over three at once. Yune, balanced atop a rooftop, fired a signal arrow that exploded into a flare of green light—marking victory.
But new Gradnetian reinforcements appeared from the forest shadows, marching under a darker banner.
The clash of steel echoed louder. Blackroot's defense began to falter.
Suddenly, the air changed.
A sudden stillness swept over the battlefield, like breath held by the earth itself. A hush fell across friend and foe alike.
The clouds above parted in a spiral, revealing a full silver moon gleaming in daylight. From its light, snowflakes began to fall—impossibly cold, shimmering with mana.
A single note of song, high and clear as chimes over a frozen lake, rang out from the hills.
From the ridge beyond Blackroot, cloaked in a gown of silver and midnight blue, Luna, Guardian of the Moon Elves, stepped into view. Her long white hair flowed like a waterfall under moonlight, her icy eyes glowing softly.
Behind her, the second Eden banner rose high—adorned with a silver crescent and snow-crystal crest.
With a sweep of her staff, a wave of ice petals burst forth, arcing across the field in a graceful spiral. Where the petals touched Gradnetian troops, armor froze, weapons shattered, and boots skidded helplessly over slick frost.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, but it carried like a spell across the battlefield:
"You've tread too far into Eden's dream. Let winter remember your trespass."
She raised both arms—a wall of ice erupted behind the village to block reinforcements, while a rain of frozen spears fell gently from the sky, curving with perfect precision between Eden's defenders.
"Luna!" Lito gasped, his breath misting.
Luminos gave a low chuckle, clearly impressed. "She does know how to make an entrance."
Gark grinned through blood and bruises. "About time the icicle showed up."
Yune, now breathing easier under Luna's magic-enhanced cover, nocked another arrow. "I owe her a bottle of moonberry wine after this."
Luna descended the ridge like a falling snowflake, her feet barely touching the ground. She halted beside Lito and bowed. "Your Majesty, shall we end this winter tale together?"
"Together," Lito nodded.
Luna stepped forward, summoning a blizzard that moved only where she directed—isolating clusters of Gradnetians and freezing their weapons to the ground.
With their forces encased in frost and confusion sowed by the storm, Eden's army pushed forward.
Gark barreled through a weakened shield wall, Yune dropped enemies one by one with uncanny precision, and Luminos moved like a living eclipse, dancing between sword strikes with radiant blades.
Then Luna raised her staff high and called her final spell:
"Moon's Reflection: Glacial Requiem!"
A shimmering silver circle expanded beneath her, and from it rose dozens of mirror-like ice golems shaped like elven warriors. They marched silently, unbreakable and unyielding.
Faced with such overwhelming power, the remaining Gradnetian forces broke ranks and fled into the forest.
By dusk, the battlefield fell silent save for the crackle of ice melting and the sighs of the wounded.
Blackroot Village still stood—battered, but unbowed.
Lito surveyed the scene. Survivors helped each other to their feet. Eden's knights stood tall. The villagers emerged from shelters, eyes wide with awe.
Luminos leaned on his staff, fangs retracted, blood splattered on his robes. "Well... that was invigorating."
Gark slammed his club into the ground. "Victory!"
Yune stretched, flexing her bow hand. "Let's not make this a habit."
Luna approached Lito, her breath visible in the evening chill. "The border held, but this is no end. It is only a prelude. Gradnetia will return."
Lito nodded, expression grim. "Then let them. Eden is no longer a fractured dream. It's a home worth bleeding for."
Together, the king and his guardians stood in the moonlit ruin of battle, knowing this was only the first page in a darker chapter yet to come.
To Be Continued...