Five years had passed since the day the blue pillar pierced the heavens.
Five years since the fall of Manan's Manor.
Five years since Henry Tecka vanished.
The kingdom had changed beyond recognition.
The peaceful era that King Dan had fought so hard to build was gone.
War had become part of everyday life.
The fields near the southern regions no longer echoed with the laughter of farmers. Instead, they rang with the sounds of marching soldiers and the clanging of blacksmiths forging weapons. Every city carried scars left behind by the demonic invasion.
The collapse of the Wall of Ismal had created a wound that the kingdom had yet to heal.
Entire territories had been abandoned.
Countless villages had vanished beneath demonic corruption.
The dark forests continued to spread.
And worst of all—
The appearance of true Demons had shattered the confidence of the people.
For generations, demons had existed only in stories and warnings told to children.
Now they were real.
Now they walked the world.
Fear spread faster than any army.
Even victories on the battlefield could not erase the dread growing inside people's hearts.
The kingdom needed hope.
And hope finally emerged from a forgotten prince.
The Return of Lucian
The royal family had hidden Prince Lucian's existence from the public for many years.
Only a handful of trusted individuals knew of the curse that had nearly consumed him.
The child once praised as a miracle had spent years fighting a battle within his own body.
Now, however, the situation had changed.
The purification technologies developed by Henry before his disappearance had greatly reduced the demonic corruption within Lucian.
Though traces still remained, he was no longer bedridden.
The prince who had once been isolated from the world stepped into the light.
And the people embraced him.
Stories spread quickly.
The Miracle Prince.
The Child of the Red and Green Sky.
The Prince Blessed by Fate.
The Son of Princess Irwin.
The Hero of the New Age.
Every victory he achieved further strengthened those stories.
At first, Lucian merely trained.
Then he fought.
Then he excelled.
His power grew at a frightening pace.
Even the kingdom's veteran soldiers struggled to keep up with him.
The strange energy that once threatened his life had instead become a source of incredible strength.
When demonic beasts crossed the newly established frontier, Lucian personally led the counterattack.
Entire beast packs were wiped out beneath his sword.
People who witnessed him fight claimed that sunlight itself followed him into battle.
Whether true or not, the stories spread.
And with every story, the kingdom's hope grew stronger.
The Kingdom at War
King Mark had no choice but to prepare for a prolonged conflict.
The losses suffered during the collapse of Ismal were too great.
Military recruitment began throughout the kingdom.
Every territory contributed soldiers.
Weapons.
Food.
Materials.
The nation transformed into a war machine.
The First Prince, Max Dan, became the supreme commander of the kingdom's military forces.
The near-fatal injuries he suffered years ago had healed, though numerous scars remained across his body.
If anything, the experience had only strengthened his resolve.
He spent most of his days at the frontlines.
His name became a symbol of determination among the soldiers.
Prince Mike remained within the capital.
While others fought on battlefields, he fought within courtrooms and ministries.
Together with King Mark, he managed the kingdom's internal affairs.
Taxes.
Food supplies.
Trade agreements.
Refugee settlements.
Every problem eventually reached his desk.
And there were many problems.
Far too many.
Princess Irwin followed a different path.
She cared little for titles or praise.
Instead, she devoted herself to hunting the remnants of the Group of Dark.
The organization created by the late minister had survived his death.
Like weeds, they continued to emerge throughout the kingdom.
Their members infiltrated cities.
Corrupted civilians.
Spread forbidden experiments.
And recruited desperate people into their cause.
Irwin hunted them relentlessly.
Every captured cell led to another.
Every destroyed hideout revealed another hidden network.
It was a war fought entirely within the shadows.
The Lady of Tecka
While the kingdom marched toward war, Tecka remained strong.
Its mines continued producing vast amounts of Melarium.
Its industries expanded.
Its inventions spread across the continent.
But the people of Tecka never forgot who built it.
Henry Tecka's absence could be felt everywhere.
The empty workshop.
The untouched blueprints.
The inventions left unfinished.
Even five years later, his name remained alive in every corner of the territory.
Following Henry's disappearance, governance had fallen into capable hands.
Nabu and Stella managed administrative affairs.
Henry's father expanded trade operations across the continent.
The wealth generated by Tecka became one of the kingdom's primary sources of military funding.
Countless soldiers were equipped using resources originating from Tecka.
And then there was Irene.
The Lady of Tecka.
The Princess of Dan.
The wife of Henry Tecka.
Shortly after Henry's disappearance, she gave birth to a son.
William Tecka.
Named after one of Henry's favorite childhood stories.
At least that was the explanation she gave everyone.
The truth was that the name simply felt right.
For a brief period she remained in Tecka.
Then she returned to the battlefield.
Many objected.
A mother should stay with her child.
A princess should remain safe.
A widow should rest.
Irene ignored every one of those arguments.
She picked up her sword once more.
And marched to war.