Chapter 237 – The War

  Nikous Wolves:

  “It ’t be the heir,” said Baron Franklin as we walked side by side. My mind was rag with disbelief and chaotic thoughts.

  “If it is the heir, all we o do is capture him, and the war is over. With him as a hostage, the Evenharts will do whatever we demand. We could even insist they bring Chloe Evenhart to us and sign an agreement ensuring she bears your child, granting you trol of the duchy,” added t Laurence.

  I could barely believe what my subordinates had just reported. Nathan Evenhart, the heir to the duchy himself, had appeared alone before my army. The news was so absurd that my mind refused to process it immediately. Yet, the details were clear: one of my anders reized him on sight and escorted him closer to the fortress.

  Disbelief clouded my thoughts as I paced, trying to prehend the situation.

  Nathan Evenhart. Alone. Here.

  It was inprehensible. My first instinct was suspi—this had to be some kind of strategy or trap. Yet, the possibility of capturing him, of using him as a bargaining chip, made my mind race with schemes. My men had firmed there was only one person—there was no way a single individual could spring a trap. I had to see this for myself.

  If it was true—if he was truly here—I had won this war before it even began. Nathan’s presence, alone and vulnerable, was a gift I never expected to receive.

  “This feels too good to be true. If it really is Nathan Evenhart, he’ll be our prisoner, and the war will end. The Duchess Margaery and I will iate peace terms. I’ll even promise not to kill the boy or her once I bee duke,” I said, a mix of ay and anticipation creeping into my voice.

  I stopped, trying to analyze the situation. Something wasn’t adding up.

  “It ’t be the boy. I doubt it,” I decred, skeptical. “I o see this with my own eyes!”

  “Are you sure you want to go, sir?” a servant asked me.

  “I’m surrounded by an army. What a brat do?” I retorted.

  What if it's a powerful mage pretending to be him? My men firmed it's the boy, but I 't my head around the logic of him ing here, himself up like a mb to the sughter. It's so absurd, I hardly believe it.

  Beside me, the Ten Fingers—our most powerful mages—walked in silence.

  “He’s demanding a duel with me…” I murmured, still struggling to process the absurdity of the situation.

  “One of our men sidered capturing or attag him, but we firmed his identity with the photo you provided. It’s him. We let him pass, and now he’s sitting on the ground, surrounded by our entire army in front of the gates,” a soldier expined.

  As I approached the main gate of the wall, a wave of ay nearly overwhelmed me. The imposing structure loomed ahead, its intimidating presenhanced by its meticulous defensive design. The massive gate, reinforced with yers of ented metal, seemed imperable—a testament to the military and strategic might of this fortress.

  Atop the walls, hundreds of mages and archers held their positions, as alert as hungry predators. Shes, stationed on strategically pced ptforms, gripped their staffs tightly, their eyes locked onto every movement.

  Every detail of the fortress screamed readiness. The tension in the air was nearly tangible, and my heart pounded as I walked toward my objective. Even from a distance, I could feel the eyes watg me, scrutinizing my every move, ready to act at the slightest hint of danger.

  “Only the Ten Fingers and I will go,” I decred. “The rest of you stay here!” I added, turning to the nobles apanying us.

  The Ten Fingers are your men as well. If we all go, their attention will be split

  The massive gate groaned loudly, its deep metallic sound eg across the camp. Dozens of men stood he meism, their hands gripping rge levers and cogwheels, straining in synized effort. Sweat ran down their faces, each coordinated motion ing the gigantic gate open.

  Mages appeared amidst the activity, their wands and staffs glowing faintly with mana. They lihe newly revealed opening, f an unyielding defensive wall, their gazes fixed beyond the fortress. Even with an army stationed outside, the golden rule of this structure’s defense remained: caution above all else.

  The gate finally opened fully, revealing the vast world beyond, framed by the t walls. The tension in the air was stifling, as if the very ground was brag itself.

  We marched forward, stepping beyond the threshold that divided the fortress's safety from the uainty outside.

  I have an army at my side and the most powerful mages I know serving as my guards. Even if that boy wields the power of thunder, I'm protected by all these soldiers. Every one of my men is ready to raise aal barrier at the slightest hint of danger, and I have my owh magic as a defense.

  As I moved through the camp, muted footsteps and hushed murmurs filled the atmosphere. Soldiers sat ients, focused on sharpening their bdes, while others huddled around steaming pots of soup that seemed as bnd as the heavy mood. Farther ahead, men trudged with quivers and shields slung over their shoulders, appearing burdened not only by their equipment but also by the growing tension.

  My eyes sed every detail, but my thoughts were elsewhere, restless. Some soldiers greeted me with formal nods or quick salutes, but I didn’t respond—not out of disdain, but because of the relentless ay gnawing at me.

  I tinued walking, weaving through tents and campfires, until I finally saw him.

  There he was. Sitting calmly, exuding an aura of fidend resolve. For a moment, time seemed to freeze. As he noticed us, he rose slowly, deliberately, as if pletely ued by the palpable tension around him. His presence was both magid threatening.

  Immediately, my meheir swords, the sharp sound of steel ringing through the air. Mages instinctively began eling mana into their hands, their faces tightening with focus and unease. Every move felt like a spark teetering on the edge of igniting an explosion. The air grew heavier, den with anticipation and fear.

  "Nathan Evenhart?" I asked, still struggling to believe what I was seeing.

  It’s really him! Damn it! The same boy from the photo I’d been given. Even though he was just 10 in that image, this face is unmistakable.

  "That’s me," he replied coldly, his voice devoid of aion. "And you must be Nikous Wolves."

  "I am," I firmed, casting a cautious g my men while weighing my options.

  Should I order them to kill him? If my mages and I attack simultaneously, he’ll be obliterated before he has the ce to react.

  The thought crossed my mind.

  Behihe gate remained open. Even if, by some miracle, he mao cause damage, I could easily retreat ahe gate, leaving my men to deal with him.

  But… he’s my trump card.

  I needed him alive.

  "You chased me and my mother when I was just five years old," he began, his tone calm yet razor-sharp. "I didn’t fet. I showed mercy—I chose not to hold a grudge. But then you came bad tried again. You tried to kill me and tear me away from my family. And then, because of your inpetence, an assassin came after my cousin. You’ve mao bee the first person in this world I hold a gered for."

  As if in respoo his words, a bolt of lightning split the sky, followed by a torrential downpour that grew fiercer with each passing sed.

  I stared at him, mulling over his words.

  "So, from what I’ve heard, you’re challengio a duel?" I asked, a mix of surprise and disdain c my tone.

  "Yes. I promise that if it’s just you, many lives will be spared. I’m holding back a fury inside me that you ’t begin to fathom. But if it’s just the two of us, fighting as warriors to the end, that rage will subside," he replied, his voice steady and unnervingly calm.

  I snapped my fingers, signaling to my men. Instantly, swords and ons were poi him, while the mages began charging their mana, ready to strike.

  "Seize the boy!" I ordered.

  The soldiers advaheir ons drawn.

  "If you try anything, you’ll die," one of the Ten Fingers said, pressing a bde against Nathan’s neck.

  Nathan Evenhart didn’t resist. He simply looked at me with a ess that was more uling than any threat he could have made.

  "I thought you would accept my challenge," he said.

  I ughed, mog him. "Take him away! This idiot is just a fool pying the hero."

  As he was dragged toward the gate, he muttered, "What about the duel?"

  "I’ll duel you... after you get through this entire army," I retorted, my voice dripping with irony, satisfied with my own provocation.

  "Then you’ve made your choice..." he whispered, almost to himself.

  "You’re ing with us, Nathan Evenhart," I decred as my men dragged him along. He remained silent but wore that same look—the ohat uled me more than any threat he could voice.

  I 't believe this! I've won! It must be the world spiring in my favor. Now the Evenharts won't be able to attack me.

  We marched quickly through the camp, the muffled sound of boots and tense murmurs filling the air around us. Dozens of soldiers surrounded us, f a barrier of steel and shields. At the ter of it all was the boy—Nathan Evenhart.

  Mages and warriors enclosed him pletely, holding him as if he were an animal beio sughter. He seemed small and defenseless in that moment, but I khat even the slightest mistake could ge everything.

  Inside me, a tingling sense of victrew, almost like restrained euphoria. The thought of having the heir to the Evenhart family in my grasp was a stroke of luck beyond belief. Still, I knew better than to lower my guard.

  "Move faster!" I barked, my voice cutting through the tension.

  The men obeyed immediately, quiing their pace toward the fortress. Each step closer to the grand gate brought a mix of ay and anticipation. I gnced back occasionally, ensuring he remained restrained, dragged along by the soldiers gripping his arms. Beside me, several mages maintained active wind barriers, f ara yer of prote around me. I wasn’t about to take any unnecessary risks.

  When we finally reached the fortress entrance, I exhaled, allowing myself a fleeting moment of relief. The sight of the massive gate, its magical seals faintly glowing, filled me with a sense of triumph.

  "Close the gate!" I anded as the men took their positions around the meism. The seals began to glhter as mana flowed into them. Slowly, the heavy gate creaked into motion, its gears groaning uhe strain.

  "Close it faster!" I shouted. "Seal the fortress gate!"

  The iron gate shut with a resounding g, the sound reverberating like a final procmation—there was no way out. The barrier formed by the gate reinforced the sense of security, a wall between us and aernal threats. For a brief moment, I felt tangible relief.

  Nathan Evenhart was encircled by soldiers and mages, every one of them on high alert, ready to crush any sign of resistance.

  He entered without a word, his eyes meticulously analyzing every detail around him. His gaze lingered on the massive wall, adorned with glowing runes and seals emitting a faint, pulsating light. The magical devices embedded withiructure—artifacts capable of geing barriers—were impossible to ignore. He also took in the sight of the towers, where armed mages stood poised, their staffs brimming with trated mana, ready to unleash devastating spells at a moment's notice.

  Nathan Evenhart appeared to take in the gravity of his situation. Surrounded by an army within the fortress walls, his expression remained unshaken, though it was clear he grasped the severity of the moment. Nearby, hundreds of soldiers stood at the ready, ons drawn, their eyes fixed on him. The tension in the air thied as the mages began to el spells, their hands glowing with magic.

  The power and dominance of the fortress were undeniable, and the silehat followed was nearly deafening. He was, uionably, engulfed by a sea of hostility.

  “If you even think about using magic, we’ll break your hands a,” one of the soldiers threatehe bde of his sword pressed firmly against the boy’s neck.

  Everything seemed under trol until a soldier murmured, almost to himself, “Weird... it’s snowing…” He caught a delicate fke, watg it melt in his palm with a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

  My fleeting sense of relief was quickly interrupted by the unnerving shift imosphere. The locked gate no longer felt like a barrier of safety but a threshold to something ominous. I turo Nathan Evenhart, determio crush whatever resolve he had left.

  “After I beat the living hell out of you for all the trouble you’ve caused me these past years, I’ll sit down with your aunt aiate exactly how I’ll screw your cousin,” I spat venomously.

  And then the heavens responded.

  A deafening crack of thunder roared through the sky as a massive bolt of lightning split the clouds. The wind howled with ferocity, sending trees and leaves into a chaotic frenzy.

  Nathan Evenhart locked eyes with me, and his voice cut through the storm like a bde through silence.

  “I accept your challenge, Nikous. After I’ve dealt with this army, I’ll e for you, and you won’t like what’s ing.”

  I let out a mog ugh, the sound cutting through the tense silence around us, quickly echoed by the men at my side. We all ughed as if his words were nothing more than the absurd bravado of a foolish boy.

  “You’re just one man. What a single soldier possibly do against an army?” I taunted, a sneer pstered ay face.

  “The real question is: what you do?” he replied, his voice calm and icy, carrying a weight that sent an unseen but oppressive forto the air. It was as if the world around us had suddenly tracted, being suffog.

  I gnced around and immediately noticed something was off. The men near him looked... different. Their faces reddened, veins bulging, and their expressions twisted with pain and fusion. It was as though something had struck them all at ohe soldiers holding the boy instinctively released him, staggering back with disordered steps.

  “What the hell are you doing, idiots?” I barked, irritated by their appareation.

  But there was no response. Not a word, not a sound. Only the echo of an oppressive silehat seemed to choke the battlefield. Then, a singur and sinister sound broke through—it was the synized, audible gulp of every man standihe boy. Their ons trembled in their hands, some slipping and cttering to the ground.

  “I’m not just a man,” Nathan Evenhart said, his voice sharp and cutting like a bde. In that moment, something awful stirred i of my stomach. A chill ran down my spine, and the air seemed to vanish from my lungs. Against my will, the sneer fell from my face.

  He stepped forward, and as if moved by an unseen force, every soldier around him recoiled in unison.

  “I’m not a soldier either,” he tinued, advang aep. Again, the group around him shuffled back, their retreat dictated by sheer terror. The ctter of more ons hitting the ground echoed like a funeral bell.

  “I am something far beyond what you prehend,” he decred. His voice, heavy with an otherworldly authority, reverberated through the air.

  I sed the faces of the soldiers around me. Pale as ghosts, their expressions bore only oion—urained fear.

  “I am my own army. I am a General! You wanted war? It’s here. I AM WAR!” His voice roared through the battlefield, shaking the heavens themselves. Thuore across the sky, illuminating the se in blinding fshes of light.

  KABOOM!

  A deafening explosion of white light split the sky. In an instant, everything was gohe world was swallowed by a blinding brilliahere were no shadows, no colors—only an all-ing radiahat obliterated reality itself. The explosion unleashed a devastating force, a wave of energy that struck us like a hurrie. We were hurled into the air, scattered like leaves in a storm, utterly powerless. The impact was catastrophid the deafening roar drowned out everything, tearing apart the very fabric of the world.

  As my body was hurled through the chaos, the cttering of debris around me was drowned out by something far more profound—something not of this world. A presence, vast and primal, reached into the core of my being.

  It wasn’t just fear. It was sheer, uing terror.

  I felt as though I were trapped in a cage, but I wasn’t alone. Something enormous, unsee oppressively real, shared the space with me. Its presence was suffog, its alpable. A primal force of destru radiated from it, and I knew, with chilling crity, that it would not stop until every st trace of life was obliterated.

  I couldn’t see it, but I felt its weight, its fury. It was aability—a force beyond trol or prehension. And in that moment, I realized with horrifyiainty that we were powerless against it.

  The fear that gripped me wasn’t just for myself—it was for the fortress, the army, and the very existence of everything around us.

  We were nothing but specks of dust before the storm.