The war room in Elarion's castle was like a stone dome mixed with a churning fire; the room was wide, low-ceilinged, and filled with maps spread across a table in its center. The room felt alive with the tension of everyone there, illuminated by hanging lanterns filled with fire as their bulbs, casting shadows that stretched like spiderwebs over the tactical models planned with various connected and scattered strings on the large table. King Aetheryn Velaros stood at the far end, his hands on the back of his chair, his gaze fixed on a geographical map on the table showing the kingdom's borders, from hills and forests to rivers and open plains in the south.

  Around the table stood the four of them: Sora, Kaelith, Vael, and Namien, joined by several experienced military personnel of Elarion, including the Commander of the royal forces, as well as some old soldiers with iron pauldrons and scars on various parts of their bodies. "This is no longer a siege; it is a process of consumption. We are not facing creatures other than humans who desire conquest. We are facing creatures that move like a tidal wave, driven by something more than hunger and the thirst for battle," one of the commanders of Elarion's royal army said in a flat tone.

  King Aetheryn began the discussion, his voice firm. "However, we will choose to stand our ground here to defend what is within." Vael, observing the situation, stepped forward to the table, his fingers tapping the edge of the carved map. "What is the geography of the southern pass? Where are they estimated to enter the kingdom's territory? And where is the best place to stop their advance before they reach the main gate of this kingdom?" The commander nodded and pointed with his hand. "There is a narrow pass here." He tapped on a steep valley to the south, which was the only way into Elarion's territory. "Valecrest Ridge. A forest on one side with a cliff on the other. If we collapse the stone bridge and draw them into a funnel, we can separate their cavalry from their infantry. Ideal for ambush tactics, but it would take a very long time to destroy the bridge with the war so near." Vael's eyes narrowed. "Very well, that is where I will be. Just give me two divisions of spearmen and shield-bearers. I will create a defense that can make them bleed before it is broken."

  Kaelith crossed her arms and studied the geographical map of Elarion, from the outer walls to a prominent marking. "How many archers do you currently have?" "Four hundred trained, but that can be supplemented with another two hundred recruited from the hunters within this kingdom," the commander replied. Kaelith's eyebrows raised as she gave her assessment. "That is not enough for a final line of defense and to support attacks from behind the walls and on the battlefield. What siege equipment do you have for your defense at the front gate wall?" "Three Ballista. Two are ready for use, but the other one needs repairs," the commander answered. Kaelith nodded once, understanding the situation. "I will lead the archer ranks from the walls. I want range on every blind corner, and for the Ballista at the front gate wall, face them west and towards the southern ridge. And perhaps, I will train the hunters myself."

  Namien tapped the edge of the map with his hand. "You still haven't told us how many troops you have in total. I want to know the exact overall number so I can organize everything and think about defensive strategies and tactics to be used for it all!" The commander couldn't evade Namien's request and put on a grim expression. "Forgive me, but our records estimate we have five battalions or possibly more, with a total number of infantry, cavalry, and archers of only 10,000, including the hunters who will be made archers. We have no siege towers, but traces of magic have been detected along the western riverbed. Something dark, and possibly a corrupted conduit from our enemy, according to our informant who spied on it."

  Namien's tone lowered slowly. "In that case, we can't wait any longer. We must prepare before they form their ranks, as we don't know their exact numbers. Use the landscape and all the knowledge you have. I need access to the Tactical Hall now, and the Flamebound Archive. Whatever records you have from previous wars near the Hollow Expanse or in other areas while this kingdom has stood, use them as a lesson and for research." Aetheryn nodded. "Very well, grant Namien Solis's request and do as he says." The commander then turned his attention to the four of them with amazement. "Your knowledge is the experience we want more than just advice at this moment." The commander walked slowly around the table, observing each of them. "We want you to lead our forces in each division, and for Lord Namien Solis, we want you as the keeper of our tactics on the battlefield." The commander then turned to Sora and Vael. "You two will lead the frontline battalions with the infantry and cavalry units. Your mission is to disrupt, scatter, stop the enemy cavalry's charge, and choke their movement through this hill pass to conduct an ambush." Then the commander turned to Kaelith, "And I want you to lead the archer ranks at the rear as the last line of defense and as support for the front line. Defend the walls using the Ballista and the archers and hunters placed in that position will follow your orders." And to Namien, "Tactics and troop placement are your responsibility. We will follow your direction on the battlefield. Fire or not, your mind remains one of the sharpest this kingdom has ever had."

  A long silence filled the room after King Aetheryn's decision and the commander's statement. No one objected. Sora, receiving his mandate, nodded slowly, steadily, and confidently. Vael, who had not participated in a large-scale war since the fall of Borreal, clenched his fist as a sign of accepting his duty. Kaelith let out a long breath and nodded slowly. "I'll make sure their arrows hit their targets, at least." Namien shrugged with a smile playing on his lips. "Well... it seems I'm back to square one as the concocter of tactics and strategies. Don't make me regret this."

  King Aetheryn stepped forward, his voice clear. "You have two months. Use that time well to forge, train, and plan. When the time comes, the people of Elarion will rely on you as their protectors." The king's gaze fell on Sora, and something in his tone softened. "Let them see what you can do in your silence. Let your quietude stand tall and silence those who seek bloodshed in the peace we desire, silent one." Outside the room, the capital's bell chimed once, its loud sound marking midday. The city would soon begin its preparations, but in the hearts of the chosen four, the rhythm of war had already begun.

  The sun began to set behind Elarion's towers as they returned to the lodge, the golden light of the sky turning the streets to gold, the tension still hanging on their shoulders like a heavy responsibility. They entered the lodge in silence, not from exhaustion, but from focus on what they were about to face. As the front door closed, Namien was the first to speak. "We need to talk. Now." The others gathered around the table in the main room. A replica map, similar to the one in the war room, was opened by Namien, covered in black ink spots and various markings. "We've only been given two months to prepare, and that's not enough to forge full resonance between the royal soldiers and the untrained hunters. It's not enough to fortify every point, and not enough to simulate the formations for when the real battle begins. It's impossible for me to calculate every possible strategy with these limitations."

  Vael leaned forward, his hands pressing on the table. "You've seen worse odds before, haven't you? And you survived worse." Namien nodded slowly, his expression serious. "Yes. But every time, I had more time than this to smooth things out." Kaelith crossed her arms, her eyes narrowed at the map. "So, we do what we can, is that it? Train the archers, rebuild the morale of the weakest fighters, and focus on the terrain's advantages. Is that what you want from us, Namien?" Namien was silent for a moment, then nodded slowly. His finger then moved across the map, tracing the Valecrest Ridge. He looked up at the three of them, a sharp glint in his eyes as if a good idea had just struck him. "We don't need to win the whole war in one attack or hold out as long as we can. We just need to cripple their initial assault by creating chaos in their ranks and breaking their momentum." he said, his characteristic cunning tone returning.

  Namien tapped the map on the ridge. "We draw them to this point, a stretch of land with barren soil, dry bushes, and cracked earth, narrow enough to funnel their forces." Kaelith frowned, beginning to understand. "You want to trap them all there, is that it?" Namien nodded slowly, his signature smirk appearing. "Not all of them, but a large part of them, with a little fire to cripple their morale." He paced around them slowly. "They come as one mass of beasts, the long dead, savages, and whatever else. But such a large force cannot see what will pierce it if we trigger a controlled fire on both sides of the funnel, controlling their vision as they enter the smoke. Once they are in the open area that we've soaked with tar and oil, we ignite it and make them all scream from the heat." Vael raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. But what about the survivors?" "We burn them in the open from within. Once they're in the middle, we close in from the sides. No retreat for them, and no place to regroup for those who have been consumed by the flames," like ants trapped in a burning circle of gasoline.

  Kaelith's eyes sharpened, finding Namien's plan beyond reason. "That's brutal and completely unforgivable." Namien looked at her seriously. "This is war. It's better to burn dry bushes and use the situation to our advantage than to let them burn our homes and slaughter our people while we try to defend everything. Think about it and remember it when you're in that situation." Sora could only nod slowly, understanding Namien's plan. He understood the concept of war behind Namien's reasoning: precision in planning and execution, with consideration for the risks that weigh on the morale of both sides.

  Vael folded his arms. "Wouldn't that require precise timing, with someone executing the plan needing a signal, like smoke? And our archers would have to understand the meaning of that signal." Kaelith added, "The Ballista on the defensive walls can also shoot fire bolts to break the enemy's lines and throw them off balance. Leave the archer forces to me; I will train them to shoot with the precision you desire and push them to the trap you've planned." Namien looked at each of them with confidence, then sighed as they supported his plan. "It's still a rough draft. It may not be honorable, but it's the only way we can buy time to break their momentum in an instant and turn the tide on a battlefield we can't control."

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  As the sun fully set, they remained around the table, thinking about other variables in Namien's plan. In the midst of their silence, Sora suddenly stood up, looking as if he had found something to complete the strategy. Without a word, he walked out of the lodge and returned a few moments later with his hands full of stones and small pebbles. Sora walked to the map and carefully moved one of Namien's formation markers, then calmly began to place the stones. He placed one stone at several points along the southern edge of the designated trap zone. Two clustered stones pointed to the middle of the field where Namien had marked the trap. Then, Sora made a gesture, drawing his finger from the outer edge of the field in a curving motion towards a bait path he had formed. The bait trail, he indicated with a quick hand gesture for a smoke signal, and pointed to the defensive walls where Kaelith's archers would be the trigger for Namien's fire trap. Then, Sora pointed to himself and Vael, his hand moving decisively. When the smoke signal billowed, the archers from the ridge would rain down fire arrows. Then two figures would emerge from the forest himself and Vael leading a flanking attack into the side of the burning, disorganized enemy.

  Namien slowly began to understand Sora's proposed addition. "You're using a decoy unit not to draw them to the front line, but to pull them directly into the trap before they realize they're off course," Namien murmured in amazement. Kaelith leaned closer to the table. "They'll think the front line is breaking or fleeing, and when they pursue in large numbers, that's when they'll see the line of fire we've made—" "—And they'll already be trapped inside the blaze," Vael finished, his eyes narrowed in admiration. "Brilliant. Their formation will stretch and collapse without them even realizing it." Namien chuckled at Sora, who had silently but perfectly completed his plan. "You may not speak, but somehow you are louder than most tacticians I've ever met in my life." Sora only smiled faintly at the compliment. Kaelith, not knowing what else to say, just smirked with her arms crossed. "So we just need to lure them, trap them, confuse them, and then destroy them from within by burning them to ash." "Clean enough for me to save what we're defending," Vael said enthusiastically. They had only 2 months, but that night, their strategy had become the key to the battlefield that awaited them.

  The next morning, the bell from Elarion's castle tower echoed throughout the city, a call for the war council. King Aetheryn sat at the head of the room, flanked by his best generals and commanders. All attention was on the four figures now standing before the map: Namien, Kaelith, Vael, and Sora. For the first time, Namien's expression was serious, without his usual humor. He stepped forward and began his explanation. "Okay, first we draw them to Valecrest Ridge to hold them and reduce their numbers. We'll place archers and some infantry units here to conduct a siege along its outer bends and thin the enemy's ranks before they break through the edge of this ridge." Kaelith nodded and continued, "When we see their main force advance, we light the firing lines here and here." She pointed to the right and left sides of Elarion's defensive wall. "Controlled fire arrows, with their tips soaked in oil, guided by the wind. We blind them, isolate their forces, and herd them into the middle of the prepared trap." Then Sora stepped forward and carefully placed several white stones on the map.

  Namien explained Sora's action. "This is the bait route. We will lure their vanguard with a Fake Decoy unit that will feign a retreat to entice them into the trap. Once inside the middle line, a smoke signal will be released to execute the plan, and at that moment our archers, led by Kaelith, will launch fire-tipped shots directly into the prepared trap." Vael added, "And that's when Sora and I lead the attack from the side as an ambush force. Our infantry and cavalry will strike at their blind spot, where the enemy is confused and surrounded by a blaze that obscures their vision, and destroy what's left of them." A long silence followed. One of the commanders, a man with gray hair and a curved scar under his eye, finally spoke up. "And how can you be sure this will win the battle? We see your plan has a 95% chance of success at the start, but what about the final outcome? What about the other 5%?" The man looked directly at Namien. "That is the part we cannot prepare for and predict the final outcome of," Namien said softly. "Explain that, Lord Solis!" King Aetheryn said, leaning forward. Namien crossed his arms. "Every enemy force we have ever faced follows a pattern, like ambition or revenge. But this one... we can't say they move as if someone is controlling them. It's like something is dragging them forward to unleash something we can't imagine with our own human senses." "You believe they have a trump card, do you not? You mean, a hidden power?" the king asked. "Exactly. Something that breaks the pattern of our plan, or perhaps a commander with an unnatural talent who can control a monster army we have never seen in this world, especially since you said we are not fighting humans but something from The Deep Beyond." Namien answered firmly. "I won't say it will happen, but if we don't prepare for the impossible situation... then we have already lost before the battle begins, Your Majesty."

  The silence in the room was bone-chilling. Then King Aetheryn slowly stood up. "We accept your proposed strategy." He turned to his commander. "Begin the preparations! Adjust the positions, assign the engineers for the construction of the firing lines and the placement of the Ballista. We are sticking to the proposed plan, from the bait, the trap, and the training." King Aetheryn looked at Namien. "And if that 5% comes...?" Namien just smiled faintly, but there was no humor in it. "Then we improvise. Just like gambling with fate, whether fortune favors us or loss befalls us, Your Majesty." And with that, the meeting was concluded.

  The next morning, Elarion awoke with a new urgency. Across the courtyards and along the outer walls, the rhythm of blacksmiths' hammers, officers' drills, and commanders' shouts filled the city like a war drum. In the southern training field, Kaelith stood with a sharp gaze under the blazing sun before a line of archers, both veterans and hunters. She moved among them like a ghost, correcting their angles, tightening their bowstring pulls, and shouting commands. "Breathe and release your arrows at the target, you idiots!"

  Not far from there, Vael led the infantry and cavalry formations, his voice that of an experienced but calm general as he showed them how to tighten their shield lines and anchor their spears. "Hold until I say otherwise, and if you give up too soon, the trap will be destroyed along with you!" he shouted loudly. From a watchtower, Namien observed the drills with a watchful eye. He then turned to the silent figure beside him. "Sora, you don't need this kind of training. You are the deciding factor in all of this," he said casually, his signature smirk returning. Namien smiled faintly at his confused reaction. "I just want you to come with me. There's someone you need to meet, and I also want to see him after a long time." Namien paused. "I'm going to see my old mentor, and now he is a friend to me." Sora nodded slowly, agreeing to go with Namien. That day, they gathered their supplies and rode out from Elarion's east gate under the hot midday sun.

  As they traveled through the forest, Namien spoke of his mentor. "He was the one who taught me how to channel fire. Not with spells, not with scrolls, but with what we feel around us and by gaining control over the flow of Mana in our bodies." Namien turned to Sora. "And you remind me of him, with your silence and focus. He also rarely speaks, but at least he's not as silent as you." When they went deeper into the green forest, into the shadows, where the birds chirped and the trees whispered, Namien's mentor was sitting on the porch of his house. The path to his house was not paved with neat stones like in Elarion, but was a natural, winding dirt path through the wilds. Namien stopped for a moment and looked over his shoulder. "Still think the world ends at the kingdom's gate?" he asked gently to Sora.

  They crossed a hill covered in windflowers and tall wild grass, where their only companions were swift-running deer and the sound of an eagle overhead. On the third day of their journey, they finally reached the edge of the forest Namien had spoken of, but this forest was unlike any other. As they stepped into the embrace of the canopy, the air around them changed, becoming silent yet still alive. Ancient trees towered above them, their roots intertwined into natural arches, their trunks thick with moss and time. Golden sunlight pierced the canopy, dancing on the fertile ground rich with ferns and flowers that only bloomed in peaceful places. The animals in the forest watched them a fox sat quietly, a rabbit stopped beside Sora's boot without fear. Even the birds above seemed to sing in harmony, moving from branch to branch in front of them as if guiding their way. Namien walked more slowly now, his voice lowered with respect. "Those in this forest do not fear him because he gives them nothing to fear. That is the difference between a mage and someone who teaches a mage." Sora knelt for a moment and let a small sparrow land on his shoulder before it flew up to lead the way.

  As they followed the bird deeper, the trees grew denser until they reached a natural clearing. There, a stone cottage stood between two towering oak trees. Its roof was overgrown with moss, and its door was carved with an old spiral fire, not of power, but of protection. Smoke curled gently from the cottage chimney, and the scent of dried herbs hung in the air. Namien stopped a few steps from the door. "We've arrived." The cottage door creaked open before they could knock. There he stood, tall with white hair tied back, wearing a soft, bark-brown and ember-red robe, and his eyes were like storm clouds that had seen too much and chosen to remain calm. He looked at Namien and then at Sora beside him. A gentle smile touched the corner of his lips. "It's been quite a while since you've visited," he said softly, his voice like the wind through green leaves. Namien grinned. "Still using the birds to greet your guests, I see?" The man laughed softly at Namien's words and stepped aside. "Well, you've brought me a silence forged in a very special vessel. Come in, both of you, and make yourselves comfortable," he said, his eyes now looking at Sora. "There is much to talk about... even if one of you does not speak at all." Sora and Namien entered the cottage, not yet knowing that this meeting would shape more than just the war strategy for Elarion; it would shape the fire that Sora carried within him.