The camp had already begun to stir by the time Leo reached his post, the rising din of distant horns setting the air on edge.
Boots pounded against packed dirt as squads hustled into formation with practiced urgency. Across the field, Mages activated pylons of light, establishing stable waypoints for teleportation teams. Crates snapped open, weapons gleamed under rising mana-lanterns, and the sharp tang of enchantment powder hung thick in the air.
Leo didn't slow.
His squad was already assembled.
Ripper stood at the front, her feline legs braced in a stance that blended ease and bloodlust in equal measure. Her sharp eyes caught his from across the field, and she tilted her head slightly in greeting.
"…What's going on?" she asked as he approached, unintentionally flashing her fangs. "The entire camp is in an uproar."
Leo shook his head. "I don't know, but we're gonna find out soon."
He looked over the squad. Twelve pairs of eyes met his—half-human, half-beast, all hardened by a life most wouldn't survive. Some bore scars where their old masters had broken them. Others had none that were visible, but they wore the same iron resolve in their posture.
Zeke had given them a second chance, and the furnace of war had turned them into something more: soldiers. These twelve were the ones who had survived the horrors of the battlefield, stronger for it, though not without cost.
"Armed and prepped?"
Ripper nodded. "We're ready. No one here needs a second check."
He grunted in approval. "Good. We're moving."
"Moving where?"
Leo glanced at her, then toward the command tents on the horizon. "We'll find out in a moment. We're going to see Mordred."
Ripper stiffened. "The Bloodsword camp?"
Leo understood her hesitation. The Bloodsword Mages could be... intense. They didn't hold much respect for what they called hobby warriors, a label that fit him and the Chimeroi in the Bloodsword's eyes.
Even so, there was no better place to learn what was really going on.
"His father's practically sitting at the top of the Allied Command," Leo explained. "If anyone knows what's coming, it's him."
He set out at a steady jog, the Chimeroi falling in behind him without a word.
The central camp pulsed with tension. Runners darted between tents, officers barked orders, and communication crystals glowed brighter than usual, pulsing hot with information. Rumors followed them down every path, talk of an attack away from the front lines, whispers about tunnels.
Leo found Mordred near the strategy pavilion, still in his battle leathers, a scowl etched deep across his face as he hovered over a detailed map of the continent.
He glanced up as Leo approached. "I thought you might come."
"What's going on?" Leo asked, stepping beside him.
Mordred gave him a measuring look. "I'm not supposed to say, but I guess it's fine if it's you."
Leo said nothing. What sounded like a compliment at first was anything but. Mordred didn't consider it a risk to speak because Leo held no position of influence, had no faction breathing down his neck. He simply wasn't important enough to be a threat.
The slight didn't bother him. The only person worth telling was Zeke, and if Leo knew anything, it was that his brother would already have this information—if he hadn't orchestrated it in the first place.
Mordred tapped the southern quadrant of the map, far west, well beyond the expected theaters of war.
"…Rukia," he said.
"They hit the half-elves?" Leo asked, stunned.
His eyes found the country on the map. It bordered the Elven forests but wasn't actually part of the Matriarchy. Still, their ties were strong, which was one reason Rukia had never bothered much with fortifications. Few would dare provoke the elves so blatantly.
Mordred nodded. "The Empire didn't just strike. They burrowed. They tunneled under the damned continent. Popped up right under their feet."
He swept his finger across one of the regions.
"They hit them hard. Caught the half-bloods completely off guard. Crops burning, border towns overrun. They're calling them the Ehrenlegion. Never seen anything like it. Fast. Silent. Too well-coordinated for a typical surprise unit."
Leo's fists clenched. He wasn't a master strategist, nor did he have much insight into the broader political game, but even he understood the implications. Rukia wasn't just strategically important—it was the continent's pantry. If it burned, half the war's supply lines would dry out.
"What does your father say?" Leo asked.
Mordred grinned. "What else? He's pushing for full mobilization of the majority of our forces. We can't allow the Empire to occupy our rear."
Leo nodded. It was a sound strategy. But his instincts were screaming that it wouldn't be so simple. This didn't feel like the kind of move made on impulse. It felt like a plan long in the making, something the Empire had been preparing for a very long time.
The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The hairs on his neck stood on end. His senses flared, like a beast had fixed its gaze on him, cutting off every path of escape.
Leo steadied his trembling fingers. This... wasn't good.
Over the years, he had learned to trust his instincts implicitly. More often than not, they were sharper than reason. And right now, those instincts were telling him one thing with absolute clarity:
Tristan Bloodsword's plan would not go smoothly.
The call of the horn rang out once more, drawing both Mordred and Leo's attention toward the central tent.
"That was quick," Mordred said, a slight smile tugging at his lips. "Seems like the leaders are in agreement…"
Leo's brow furrowed. This was... too quick. The leadership never decided anything this fast, not even something as trivial as breakfast. Was it really possible that such a major decision had been made in mere minutes?
He kept his doubts to himself, falling in step behind Mordred as they made their way toward the command tent. The Chimeroi followed without a word, moving as a disciplined unit. Mordred's own two dozen elites did the same, forming a second line beside them.
Soon, they reached the gathering point.
Most of the leadership was already assembled, along with the other young prodigies, each accompanied by a small retinue. Celine Thorsten and Kal Sonnenstrahl were already there, their expressions grim. It didn't bode well.
At their arrival, the two turned and gave them a brief nod.
"What's going on?" Mordred asked, noting their expressions.
"The Dawnfort was attacked," Kal said. "Hard."
"…Same for the Twins," Celine added.
Leo exhaled. Here it was.
Mordred's mouth fell open, eyes widening. "But… Rukia was invaded… How could… They don't… How?!"
Celine nodded, for once not mocking his loss of composure. "They had more in reserve than anyone imagined. Apparently, they hadn't even taken us seriously until now."
Kal scoffed. "I still don't believe the Alliance can't push them back."
Celine shook her head. "Even if we can, it would require everything we've got."
"…Meaning we can't send anyone to support Rukia," Mordred said, regaining his composure.
Celine nodded again. "Which is likely exactly what the Empire wanted. We're gathered at their strongest point, and now our feet are bound."
That silenced everyone.
Leo tried to envision what this would mean for their future, with little success.
As sharp as his instincts were, his ability to predict the cascade of political and military events was far more limited. He lacked too much information. Still, if his understanding of the current situation was even close to accurate, things were looking grim for the Alliance.
Their string of victories had drawn a significant portion of their forces forward, driven by hunger for glory and achievement. They had pushed the Empire all the way to its borders—and now, they were stuck. Withdrawing would leave their nations vulnerable to a full-scale counterattack.
The Dawnfort and the Twins were Invocatia and Equinox's most critical strongholds. Losing them was not an option if they wanted to maintain any semblance of future security. Worse, those fortresses were also where the bulk of their troops were currently stationed.
Leo's eyes drifted toward the command tent.
He couldn't hear or see what was happening inside, but he could imagine. Chaos. Panic. Quiet fury. The Alliance had been backed into a corner by a deft, unseen strategist and now had to scrape together a plan to escape a trap of their own making.
He didn't envy them.
Leadership was a burden he was glad didn't rest on his shoulders. It was already hard enough to bear the weight of the few men and women who followed him. How much harder would it be to carry the weight of an entire nation?
There was a moment of pause where none of them quite knew what to say.
The situation had escalated far beyond anything they were prepared to handle. Prodigies or not, this was outside the scope of their wildest imaginations.
"You seem calm," Celine said from the side, her eyes fixed on him.
Leo shrugged. "I guess."
"…Know something we don't?" Kal asked, almost hopeful.
Leo shook his head.
"Then what's your secret?" Mordred asked, now watching him closely.
Leo frowned, trying to find the right words. "I know my limits," he said at last.
His answer earned three confused looks. Feeling he hadn't quite explained himself, he continued.
"I'm just one man. There's only so much I can do. I focus on that, not on the parts I can't control."
That eased some of the tension. Kal even gave a small nod of acknowledgment.
"Besides…" Leo added with a faint smile. "It's not like the continent is resting on my shoulders. When the sky falls, I've got someone taller to catch it for me."
Mordred smiled wryly. "My father is one of the most accomplished warriors and commanders on the continent, but I often feel like he's barely scraping by himself. I wish I had the kind of faith in him that you have in your brother."
That drew nods from both Celine and Kal.
"You do realize he's just a kid our age, right?" Celine asked, not with her usual scorn, but with genuine confusion. "What makes you think he can succeed where even our parents fail?"
Leo had no answer. At least, not one he could put into words. He wasn't an orator, nor a poet, unable to explain the source of his certainty in a way they'd understand. But still, he believed.
Zeke would find a way, if there was one. And if there wasn't? Then he would create it.
That much, his instincts told him without doubt.
"You'll see," he said instead, effectively ending that line of questioning.
"Where do you think we'll go from here?" Mordred asked after a moment.
"My people will likely be ordered to help with the defense of Dawnfort," Kal said, clearly having thought it through. "Celine's are probably heading to the Twins. As for us? I wouldn't be surprised if we were called back."
Celine's lips pressed into a firm line, showing she didn't like the idea but clearly agreed.
"…Called back?" Mordred asked, confused. "Now? When they need us the most?"
Celine sighed. "This was meant to be a chance to gain real battlefield experience, but now that the situation has escalated, I'm pretty sure my family won't want to risk me anymore."
Mordred frowned. "Are you saying we were just playing at war?"
Celine shrugged. "If that's how you want to see it, then yes."
Kal didn't argue with her, for once, which only seemed to frustrate Mordred further.
"I don't care what you two do, but I have no intention of slinking back home now, no matter what my father thinks," he said, then turned to Leo. "What about you? Is your brother calling you back, too?"
Leo shook his head. "I haven't heard anything. Knowing Zeke, that likely means he's leaving it up to me."
"…And?" Mordred prompted.
Leo hesitated, his gaze drifting once more toward the command tent. Still no sign of a decision. But he knew he shouldn't wait any longer. His gut told him that time was critical now. As a free agent, he wasn't bound to their command—he could move independently.
"I'm going to Rukia," he said.
Mordred lit up at that, smacking him on the back hard enough to make his spine crack. "Good man!" he shouted. "I knew you had a spine! We're going to make our name over there."
"…We?" Leo asked, eyeing the young Bloodsword.
"Of course," Mordred said, slamming a fist against his chest. "Or did you think I'd let you take all the glory?"
"Your father will never allow this," Celine said flatly.
Mordred scoffed. "I'm a man, not a slave. I go where I please," he declared. Then his gaze swept over the elite soldiers who formed his retinue. "And if my father decides to relieve me of my escort, then that's his choice."
Kal cast an envious glance, eyeing his own retinue for a moment as if considering a similar proclamation. But after a brief pause, he sighed and said nothing.
"Then this is where we part ways, gentlemen," Celine said. She gave them each a nod before leading her small band toward the Invocatia section of the camp.
Kal followed shortly after, heading in the opposite direction toward the forces of Equinox. "It's been a pleasure, fellas. I look forward to hearing tales of your glorious exploits."
That left only Mordred and Leo from their original group.
"Shall we?" Mordred asked, more excited than apprehensive.
Leo nodded and began to walk, but his thoughts were already miles away.
The guard rails had just come off, and now he would face the true horror of war. He could only hope that he had made the right choice today.