Light like the morning sun dawned over the battered village, empty of its people, and bright with the clashing power of my allies and our enemy.

I found the strength to stand before Lote and look into his eyes as the army, at my command, lambasted his shield with an onslaught of powerful attacks. As his warriors fought to defend him, I didn't even glance to them as my people felled one after the next. I watched the stubbornness and arrogance born of the lust for power wilt in Lote's eyes, as the realization tore through his determination.

He would die today.

Was this how a battle between leaders needed to be waged? My people fighting against his people. Our power lent to them. I wanted to kill him with my own hands, to submerge my gunky, bloody arm deep in his body like I'd done with his warrior.

I'd given every drop of strength I had for this village, though. And there was a satisfaction in standing here, watching his demise unfold slowly and decisively.

While I wanted to feel nothing except for detest, I was impressed by how he managed to hold his shield strong against these attacks. Elias worked fervently as well to hack into his shield and render it inert, something he'd failed to do earlier in the battle, but hadn't given up on. Lote's shoulders slumped as the golden hue of his power began to grow pale.

I lowered to the ground in front of him. His shield shrank, close to his body now. My breath wafted against it.

"You won't surrender," I said.

"Never." He growled, his previously unflappable demeanor utterly shattered.

"Not even to save your warriors?"

The defiance in his glare answered for him. Sad.

"I can hold up for days," Lote said. "My machines strengthen me. What about your warriors? Don't be so certain of yourself."

I didn't need to respond because I could see the once bright gold barely shimmer now as the attacks on his shield continued.

I was looking into his eyes when Elias clapped his hands and the shield vanished.

Lote's head slowly fell.

"Bind his power," I said. Rising to my feet, I turned in a full circle. "Your battle is finished. Stand down."

Lote's warriors lowered their weapons. They knew and at this point defying me would only stoke my anger.

Piercey and his graduates gathered in a semicircle around Lote with their hands extended. The vine tattoos dimmed until the glow ceased entirely.

Ashton walked forward and stopped beside me, staring at Lote.

"Ashton…" Lote lifted his bloody hand with the exposed metal and looked at her with pleading eyes.

"You won't kill anyone else ever again," Ashton said. "You're done. There's no excuse for the life you've chosen to lead."

"Do you understand what will happen to our guild?" He turned his palm up, as though she might actually take his hand. "This feud will only deepen until one guild comes out on top. It should be us. They need me to come home and help them survive."

"I'm done hearing you talk," she said. "This world has shown me what happens when you kill your overlords with no one prepared to clean up the mess. We're going to catch our valley when it falls."

At least our mistakes here could help us in another world.

Ashton raised her voice. "This is for Elias's parents and everyone in our guild you hurt. For deceiving me."

She gripped Lote's hair, her expression unflinching and unapologetic, as she looked into his eyes, set the sharp blade against his throat, and cut deeply into the flesh. His throat opened in a bloody smile, the life spilling out of him.

Lote was shocked. Terrified. Not believing that Ash, who he had conditioned to follow him, would do this to him, even after seeing her fight against him.

"You should never have assumed that your power over me would be so great that I'd stop thinking for myself." She glanced down the blood pooling at the nape of his head and washing over his collarbone. "I'm ashamed that it took me as long as it did, but you overestimate yourself."

His lips moved wordlessly, opening like a fish stranded on the beach, searching for water. He couldn't say a word.

"It should be Elias killing you now for his parents." She dropped him and turned around before he'd taken his last breath. I stepped aside to let her walk past.

Ashton left Lote bleeding out on the ground without even stopping to see him die. Her attention went to Elias, who had struggled in the battle with his grief over the death of his parents. I watched as Lote's body gave the final twitches and his vacant eyes lost their life.

I felt no pity for this man.

His remaining warriors stared down at his corpse.

"I've learned the cost of taking prisoners," I said. "Your world has a place for you. If Elias is willing to take you back, you can go with him straight to your prison."

They said nothing.

"Flinch wrong and we will kill you."

I felt faint as I surveyed the warriors, taking stock of the injuries and searching out casualties. Nash moved behind me with an arm around me, supporting me. Part of me wondered if I shouldn't let myself look weak, but I didn't push him away. I needed him and I wouldn't hide that from my kingdom. I did not rule alone and at the expense of my people like Lote.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Eclipse," Gael said. "We'll search the town and ensure there's no villagers remaining or injured."

"Thank you."

From the sound of respect in his voice, I didn't think anyone looked down on me for struggling to stand. They'd fought against Lote's people and knew how difficult they were to kill. Seeing my power wash over the streets and slaughter his forces would surely have left their mark. His men began to disperse, when I felt a strange sensation.

It reminded me of the day I'd first seen Flare, locking eyes on me through the crowd.

I froze at the chills prickling my skin.

A tall man and a shorter woman walked toward us from the far side of the village. Everyone halted as I took a single step forward.

What now?

"Prophet Eclipse," the man said in a low, strangely soothing voice. "I was not sure we would ever formally meet."

"Introduce yourself," I said.

"My name is not important." Large, gray eyes set beneath a thick, defined brow stared back at me. He carried no weapons while the young woman beside him wore full armor with a sword, a spear, and a bow and arrow.

"Are you the one who's been attacking my people this year?" I didn't have enough power to muster an energy sword, so I ripped my steel blade from my side. Nash did the same and moved to my side.

"No." He watched me impassively. "I've simply been an observer. If you want to ask questions about the attacks, you'll have to speak with her."

He looked down at the young woman at his side. As calm as he looked, the girl beside him appeared terrified in opposite measure. "I need to go," she said. "I don't think we should talk."

"You're not going anywhere." I scowled. "I want to know who you people are."

Wait. I recognized this girl. A demon. I'd fought her before and released her back to the cabin.

I gripped my weapon tighter. "I remember you. How long have you been here?"

Her face looked ashen. "Long enough. We never stood a chance, did we?"

"Who is we? Are you with the Flatlander Prophet?"

"No." She looked around at the haggard warriors. "We've fought alongside him, but we're not one of him."

The cult. "Who's your leader then?"

She shook her head. "Please, Eclipse. Understand that I cannot say."

"I don't want to hurt people," I said. "That's why I sent you to the cabin in the first place. If you leave my kingdom alone, I won't fight you. You don't have to be scared."

"I do," she said. "They won't give up, even if you think they have. When I tell them, they may retreat, but they'll be back. Either I fight with them and die against you, or I betray them and they kill me."

"We can protect you," Piercey said.

She laughed loudly. "You can't. You should let me go, though. If I tell them what I saw today, they'll know that we aren't strong enough to win right now."

"How are we supposed to know that you aren't going to bring them back to fight while Eclipse is weak?" Gael asked.

"Because you don't need her to beat us," the girl said. "Look at yourselves. Look at all these people you have now. I didn't have to tell you I was here. I did it as a favor to you, so you can know."

"Know what, exactly?" I asked.

"Know that there's the chance for a season of peace. Know that it won't last forever. Know that today's hope is tomorrow's demise."

"I'm not listening to whatever weird shit that's supposed to be." I pointed my sword aimed at her face. It quivered from my exhaustion, but that didn't stop the fear from tightening her expression. "Say it plainly."

She breathed out slowly and met my eyes. "I've watched you sacrifice for these people for a year and I know you'll die to save them. I've said too much already. I just wanted to extend the grace I could, because you deserve peace after all I've seen. After you spared my life."

I managed to take one shaky step forward. "If you care, then ally with us. You can return to your people but report back to me. I'll offer you my protection. You see what it's worth."

She smiled sadly and took a single step back. "Don't tell them I talked to you like this. Just remember me, if you're willing. When the time comes, maybe you can send me back to the cabin. It would be a nice place to die, at least."

What was this girl saying? "If you're this afraid of us and know that your group cannot win right now, then why don't you trust us to protect you? We could defeat them before they get stronger."

"Because you're the kind of person who lets their enemies live and they aren't. Your strength cannot protect me against their savagery. You just don't think the way they do."

"What do they want?"

"They want to defeat Eclipse, the most powerful demon in the world. The killer of gods. They'll be even more eager to beat the Prophet Eclipse. They do not want scraps of the gods' power. They want it all. They want to consume your soul."

A cold feeling gripped my chest.

"Maybe we should take her back to the school," Gael said.

"No," I said. "Let her tell them what she saw." Every ounce of anger and exhausted I'd felt over this past year, the desperation of missing Elsie's performance, filled me now. "Let her tell them that this is my valley and I will slaughter anyone who comes against my people." I spoke the words so loudly now that it vibrated in my bones. "Let them hear their fate." I glowered. "No matter what you may think, I will win. You should tell them that."

The girl stumbled back, looking around at everyone who watched her, and then began to sprint away.

I let her go.

"Track her," I said, casting a glance to Piercey. "I want someone watching her at all times until I say otherwise."

"I don't like this at all," Nash said.

"I think we should have killed her." Leif rubbed his shoulder, close now. "Or taken her captive."

"She's afraid," I said. "They should see the fear."

I walked forward, feeling a little stronger, and stared at the man who had quietly watched the encounter with the girl. "What about you?" I asked. "Will you report back as well?"

"I told you I've been with them as an observer. I wanted to see."

"See what?"

His eyes scanned the crowd of warriors carefully and methodically, then his gaze settled on the row of Lote's surviving lackeys. "Seven remaining from the other world."

He flicked his finger.

Blood erupted from the chest of one man at the end of the line. It happened so quickly, that the man hadn't seemed to register the wound. He looked down at the blood that began to dribble down, his face twisting with surprise. And then, he dropped to the ground like a rock.

Blood burst from the chests of the enemy forces in the same exact spot on each of them, hitting them one after the other in rapid succession, their bodies jerking in a steady rhythm, collapsing to the ground with a steady percussion.

Only one remained standing. A scream tore from her lips as she jumped away from her dead comrades.

A cold hand of terror strangled my throat.

These were incredibly powerful warriors who had survived battling against our small army. He'd killed them all with a flick of his finger.

"I only ever give one warning." The stranger spoke calmly above the woman's screaming. "This is the warning for your kingdom." Then his cold stare shifted to me. "I suppose it would not be fair for this to count as yours considering it was your world that was invaded."

I struggled to find my voice. Nash clasped my hand and ripped me against his side, shielding my body with his. Like it would do any good against this man.

"Follow the laws of nature. The order the gods gave to these worlds is final." The stranger lifted his finger in the flicking motion and the woman fell onto the ground, covering her face. He looked to Ashton now. "Or die." The fine muscles in his face looked rigid and as unmoving as stone. "I hope to not meet with any of you again, in this world, or any other. Farewell."

He vanished.

Instinctively, I tried to trace his power to pursue if possible, but I felt nothing. He was truly gone.

And that might have been for the best, because I knew with certainty that I could not beat him, not at this moment.

Elias stared at the place where the stranger had once stood. "It's like he doesn't exist. I can find him in the code. He's a ghost."

Piercey looked at me with the same mask of horror as the day in the white room when he'd realized that we were living in a simulation. "Max." He gasped my name.

I had no idea what was happening here, but I knew it was far worse than the Flatlander Prophet attacking my Valley, or the cult wanting to consume my power, or invaders from another world attacking my people.

"It's him. Isn't it?" The feeling drained from me as I spoke. Drained from my voice. "He's the reason the gods synchronized time."

The gods had done this.

"He's the one who walks between worlds."