Chapter 129: The Forgotten Enemy
The Grand Hall of Sylvethien had never felt heavier.
The light of floating mana crystals cast a serene glow, but the weight of the moment pressed down on every soul in the room.
Demons.
A race not spoken of in centuries.
A race that had once waged a war so devastating that entire kingdoms had fallen overnight.
A race that had vanished into the abyss—until now.
Queen Sylvaine Vaelora sat upon her throne, her silver gaze piercing the assembly. "The recent disturbances along the boundaries of our world have confirmed it."
Her voice was calm. Too calm.
"They have returned."
Veydrion leaned forward, his massive frame draped in robes of obsidian and gold. His golden slit-pupil eyes flickered.
"So," he rumbled, his voice deep as distant thunder, "the creatures we once drove back crawl from their hole once more."
He exhaled sharply, a hint of flame escaping his breath.
"I had hoped they would stay buried. It seems I hoped too much."
His words carried no fear.
Only anticipation.
Emperor Adrian Eldoria leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping idly against the table. His golden eyes gleamed with something unreadable.
"Demons, hm?" he mused. "I assume we don't have the luxury of ignoring them?"
Queen Sylvaine's voice was sharp. "No."
Adrian sighed. "Shame."
Beside him, Grand Duke Alistair Veyrin was silent.
His crimson eyes remained cold, his mind already working through strategies, calculating what this meant for Eldoria.
Duke Ragnor Grimthorne, however, scoffed.
"If they want a war, we'll give them one." He cracked his knuckles. "It's been too damn quiet since Xelthar fell anyway."
Veyrin shot him a look. "Not everything is solved with brute force."
Grimthorne smirked. "That's where you and I differ."
Adrian sighed dramatically. "Oh gods, not again."
Cassian whispered to Kael, grinning. "The last time they argued like this, a training field collapsed."
Kael groaned. "We don't talk about that."
King Borgrim Stonefury, the Iron Lord of the Dwarves, let out a deep, gravelly laugh.
"So they return, do they?" His thick beard trembled as he exhaled. "Hmph. Thought we'd killed enough of the bastards to make 'em rethink coming back."
He slammed a massive, rune-carved gauntlet against the table.
"But if they're here for war, they'll find us ready."
His eyes narrowed.
"We've reforged our weapons since the last time."
Valerian Noctis, the Matriarch of the Vampiric Clans, was silent.
Her red eyes gleamed, her expression one of calculating amusement.
"Demons," she murmured, "were once the only creatures that could match our hunger."
She ran a finger along the rim of her goblet.
"And now, they rise again."
Her lips curled.
"Fascinating."
Cassian, watching her, whispered. "Why does that sound like she's excited?"
Mira elbowed him. "Because she is."
The towering beastkin warrior stood, his golden mane braided with tribal sigils.
His name was Zareth Bloodfang, and he was every bit the warlord his title suggested.
"The demons think we are weak," he growled.
His clawed hands flexed.
"Let them come. Let them try."
His feline eyes gleamed.
"They will find that our fangs have only grown sharper."
The Merfolk Princess, Naida of the Abyssal Depths, sat with an eerily serene expression.
Her dark blue hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her silver eyes shimmered with ancient knowledge.
"The oceans remember," she murmured.
Her voice was like the tide—calm, yet unfathomably deep.
"The demons did not only plague the lands. They reached for the abyss as well."
A low hum of magic resonated around her as she exhaled.
"They were beaten back before."
Her gaze lifted.
"But this time… I wonder if they have learned."
Kael exhaled. "How were they stopped before?"
Queen Sylvaine glanced at him.
"It took every realm united," she said. "We fought for decades. We drove them back—but never destroyed them."
Lucian crossed his arms. "And they just… disappeared?"
Veydrion's expression darkened. "No."
"They were sealed."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "By who?"
A pause.
Then, Queen Sylvaine sighed.
"By the Forsaken."
The room stilled once more.
Kael felt something cold settle in his gut.
"Life and Death…" he murmured.
Queen Sylvaine nodded. "And Order."
Selene's voice was quiet. "But Order was corrupted."
A silence stretched.
Mira whispered, "Does that mean the seal is breaking?"
Valerian Noctis smiled. "Not breaking."
His eyes gleamed.
"It is already broken."
A chill ran through the room.
No one spoke.
And then—
Adrian sighed dramatically.
"Well." He clapped his hands together. "Looks like we have another war on our hands."
Veydrion smirked. "Seems that way."
Borgrim grinned. "Heh. Time to forge some bigger weapons."
Zareth cracked his knuckles. "Time to sharpen my claws."
Valerian chuckled. "Time to feast."
Princess Naida simply smiled. "Time to listen."
And Kael?
He exhaled, rolling his shoulders.
"We really don't get a break, do we?"
Cassian patted his shoulder.
"Nope," he grinned. "Welcome to heroism."
Kael groaned.