Chapter 1404: Premonition
Hours passed as the Dragonborn continued their relentless campaign across all five kingdoms.
Erend moved through Drakenmere like a red and blue storm while Eccar crossed Leonora and departed for another kingdom the moment the final portal there collapsed.
Aesa swept across battlefields as a streak of blue light that froze the entire land she passed before shattering the gateways hidden within them.
Sylven acts using his forests of roots and vines that rose from the earth and swallowed both creatures and portals.
None of them stopped to rest or slowed down because every moment was important, because they understood that each kingdom stood on the edge of collapse.
Again and again the same scenes unfolded throughout the area of the kingdoms. Whenever a portal opened and defenders found themselves overwhelmed, a Dragonborn arrived. Whenever exhausted soldiers believed they had reached the end of their strength, a Dragonborn appeared and turned the battle around.
The endless waves of disturbing creatures that had once seemed impossible to stop gradually began thinning. The skies that had been scarred by dark gateways slowly cleared.
One portal after another shattered beneath overwhelming Dragon Magic until finally the invasion lost its momentum.
Eventually the final portals across the five kingdoms collapsed. The gateways that had connected the world to the Void Architect’s forces disappeared one after another until none of it remained.
The surviving creatures were hunted down and destroyed by the combined efforts of the Dragonborn, knights, mages, and defenders.
The skies no longer carried the sight of those dark wounds. The immediate threat had finally been pushed back.
The cost, however, had been terrible. Entire districts lay in ruins. Dozens of people had died defending their homes.
Fires still burned across many cities and grieving families mourned those who would never return. But despite everything, the kingdoms still stood, even though barely.
They had survived. And that survival existed only because so many people had refused to surrender and because the Dragonborn had arrived before everything was truly lost.
Now Erend stood inside the damaged royal palace of Drakenmere. The palace no longer reflected the grandeur it had before. Several walls had collapsed, large cracks stretched across pillars and sections of the ceiling had fallen during the invasion.
Signs of battle covered nearly every corridor and chamber.
Standing across from him was King Valor.
The ruler of Drakenmere looked far different from the proud king Erend had met in the past. His crown was nowhere to be seen. A dried blood stained part of his face and several cuts were visible despite healing treatment. His armor has dents, scorch marks, and cracks that revealed how heavily he had participated in the fighting himself.
The exhaustion in his eyes told Erend that the king had likely spent hours on the battlefield alongside his people.
King Valor released a long breath before speaking. "You arrived at exactly the right time."
His gaze drifted toward the shattered windows overlooking the city.
"Another few hours and I think Drakenmere would have suffered a complete collapse. We were losing ground everywhere. More portals kept opening. More creatures kept appearing. I honestly wasn’t sure how much longer we could hold," he continued.
Erend listened quietly before shaking his head. "I’m the one who should apologize. I arrived too late."
King Valor immediately dismissed the thought with a tired wave of his hand. "No. It couldn’t be helped."
The king’s expression softened slightly as he continued. "You were leading the expedition. You were searching for the fragments. We all knew that mission was just as important as defending our kingdoms. If anyone understands that, it’s us."
For a moment silence settled between them before the king asked the question that had undoubtedly remained on his mind throughout the invasion.
"How did the expedition go?"
"It succeeded," Erend replied. A faint sense of relief appeared on his face.
King Valor immediately straightened. "All of it?"
Erend nodded.
"All five fragments have been recovered. The expeditions returned successfully and the fragments are currently secured together inside a protected chamber."
The tension in the king’s shoulders visibly eased. "That is Good."
Genuine relief crossed his face. Yet it lasted only briefly before another concern replaced it.
"Our Archmage..."
Erend already understood where the conversation was heading.
King Valor folded his arms and frowned. "I’m worried he still hasn’t finished the formula."
The concern was understandable. Every Archmage across the five kingdoms had spent the invasion fighting for survival while simultaneously trying to complete one of the most important Magical formulas ever created. The attacks had disrupted everything.
Erend nodded slowly. "I understand. It can’t be helped."
Neither of them spoke for several seconds.
"At this point," Erend said, "all we can do is trust them. The attacks have stopped and the portals are gone now. The Archmages can finally focus entirely on their work again."
King Valor looked toward the distant city beyond the palace walls.
"Hopefully that’s enough."
"It has to be," Erend replied.
The king slowly nodded.
"Yes. Hopefully we still have enough time."
The moment those words left his mouth, Erend suddenly froze.
A strange sensation passed through his mind.
It wasn’t pain. It wasn’t a telepathic message. It wasn’t even an attack.
The feeling resembled instinct. Like a warning sent directly to his head.
An ominous chill crawled through the back of his thoughts before settling deep inside his chest. Every instinct he possessed reacted immediately.
His body became tense. His senses sharpened. The feeling reminded him of standing before a coming storm while knowing that something far worse hid behind the clouds.
King Valor immediately noticed the change. "What is it?"
Erend did not answer. His eyes slowly narrowed toward the distant horizon.
Something felt wrong.
The portals were gone. The invasion had been stopped. The kingdoms were stabilizing. Everything should have been improving.
But the feeling only grew stronger.
A terrible premonition settled inside him and refused to leave.
It felt as though the battles they had just survived had never been the true threat. As though everything that had happened so far had merely been the beginning.
He had a thought thst somewhere beyond the world, hidden within the impossible darkness where the Void Architect waited, something was changing.
Something was coming to this world.
"I have to go now," Erend said to the king, and opened a portal.
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