Celestrian Palace, Celestria, Naurus

I open my eyes and look around the room, my heart racing as my surroundings come into focus. I'm lying in my bed back in the palace guest quarters. How did I end up here? The last thing I remember is stepping through the portal in Amerei... with Alyse. My breath catches. Alyse—where is she? Is she safe? I've only just gotten her back; I can't lose her again.

I leap from the bed and rush to the door, throwing it open and sprinting down the hall. My pulse thunders as I dash to the gardens, my mind filled with images of Amerei, of Udis, of Alyse's face as we left.

As I round the corner, Domnik's gaze finds mine, his expression one of relief mixed with concern.

"Where is she? How did I get here?" I demand, my voice hoarse.

He steps forward, gripping my arm to steady me. "She's safe, Red. She's with Brenelor, getting ready for the celebration tonight."

"Celebration?"

He smiles, a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "For you. You killed Udis, freed the land from his madness. The empire owes you a debt, and Brenelor wants to honor you. They found you both on the plains outside the city—Alyse carried you back herself. You collapsed the moment you stepped through the portal. She told us... that you made fire, fire like mine."

I swallow, remembering the surge of energy, the power that felt like it was burning through me from somewhere deep within. "It was fire, yes, but not like yours. Yours feels... daemonic. Mine... it felt almost holy, like it came from a different place."

Domnik nods slowly, as if a suspicion has been confirmed. "So it's true. You really are the son of Draco." He gives me a soft pat on the shoulder. "Come on, Red. You can tell me the whole story later. Right now, we need to get you ready for the ceremony. Brenelor wants to present you with an award for your service to the Empire."

I hesitate, the weight of everything that's happened pressing down on me. But the thought of Alyse—safe and here—fills me with determination. "Alright, let's go."

Domnik grins, leading me through the halls and up to my room to get ready. I wash the dust and blood from my face, change into the ceremonial robes laid out for me, and let the reality of what I've done settle over me. I never imagined myself in this position—being honored for slaying a Daem, for defending an empire.

The evening falls, and the gardens of the palace are filled with nobles, soldiers, and citizens of the Empire, all gathered to celebrate. The grand chamber hums with excitement as I wait with Domnik. We exit into the gardens now and, every eye turns to me. Alyse is there, smiling, her eyes shining with relief and pride. Brenelor stands at the front, regal and powerful as ever, holding a golden medallion.

She steps forward as I approach, her gaze warm. "Red, on behalf of the Celestria Empire, and in honor of your courage and sacrifice, I bestow upon you the Emblem of Valor." She places the medallion around my neck, her voice carrying through the garden. "Your bravery has brought peace to our lands. You, The Scarlet Phoenix, risen from the ashes of gods and Draco himself, take your place as the protector of these lands!"

The crowd erupts into applause, cheers rising around me. I glance back at Alyse, and she nods, a faint smile playing on her lips.

As the ceremony concludes and the crowd disperses into a party. Bards and entertainers play songs and gather crowds filled with laughter. The people drink ale and dance about under the moonlight.

Domnik finds me in the crowd, a proud grin on his face. "Not bad, 'The Scarlet Phoenix.'"

I roll my eyes, but I can't help the smile that forms. "Guess I'll have to get used to that title now, huh?"

He chuckles. "Better get used to more than that. You've made some powerful allies, Red. And maybe a few enemies."

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His words linger in my mind, a reminder that the peace we've won tonight might only be temporary. But for now, I'm content, surrounded by friends, with Alyse by my side.

And tomorrow? Well, tomorrow we'll be ready for whatever comes next.

"Come, let's get drunk!" Domnik laughs, grabbing a tankard from a nearby table and lifting it high.

I grin, reaching for a tankard myself, and Alyse does the same, her smile widening as the energy of the celebration flows around us. We're swept into the crowd of people—soldiers, nobles, townsfolk—all dancing and laughing, a rare unity that only comes in the wake of victory.

Domnik takes a long swig and then leans over, clapping me on the shoulder. "You know, I never pictured you as the type to take down a Daem and then go dancing."

I laugh, the weight of the past few days loosening from my shoulders. "Neither did I, but here we are."

Alyse laughs along with us, the sound light and free in a way I haven't heard in years. She takes my hand, pulling me further into the crowd, and for a moment, it's just the two of us spinning and laughing beneath the glowing lights of the palace garden. All the terror and darkness of Malice feels like a distant memory, replaced by this moment—this night of joy and relief.

As the night wears on, Domnik leads the charge in a series of toasts, each one grander and more exaggerated than the last. He raises his tankard once again, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "To Red! Slayer of Daem, son of Draco, the unlikeliest of heroes!"

The crowd cheers, and I feel my cheeks flush, but Alyse just nudges me with a grin. "Well, you did earn it."

"Fine, I'll drink to that," I say, lifting my tankard and taking a hearty swig.

At some point, Brenelor herself joins us, a rare, genuine smile softening her stern features. She raises her goblet in a toast to Alyse and me, her gaze proud. "To the bravery that restored peace and to the courage that binds us together."

———Hail———

I watch the party unfold around me, hidden in the shadows at the edge of the crowd. My gaze never leaves Domnik. How can that daem act so casually beside a celestial-born, toying with a god's bloodline like it's some game? Whatever Domnik's plan is, whatever scheme his mother has sent him to enact, I won't let it slip past me. I'll end it—and him—before he can do any more harm.

Domnik's eyes flick over the crowd and land on me. For a moment, our stares lock. He nods to me, a sign of acknowledgement and tilts his tankard in a mock toast, raising it to me as if we're allies. I lift my drink, keeping my expression cold. I see through him. One day, when the time is right, he'll be dead.

But for now, I sit and wait, blending into the shadows as laughter and music surround me.

Shores of Mailce

———Ogre———

"You've done well, Ogre," Muthos says, taking a long sip from his tankard, thick with blood. "Leading him to Brenelor, setting him on the path to kill my brother—commendable work."

"I only gave him the answers he was looking for, Muthos," I reply, my voice even. "Udis's defeat was his own doing. Though, I won't deny, his death brings me satisfaction. Udis was... unhinged. Reckless."

Muthos chuckles. "Indeed. And Galagon—don't get me started on that insufferable, glory-seeking fool. With him gone too, the spotlight is ours now. Vermidia's eyes are on us."

"Of course, Muthos," I nod, the weight of his words sinking in.

But before another word can pass between us, a crack splits the air, echoing through the throne room. There, as if conjured by his very words, stands Vermidia herself.

"You insolent fools!" she hisses, her voice like poisoned silk. "You let that boy—a mere child—bring down not one, but two of our kind. Do you even grasp the severity of this? He would be most disappointed!"

"Lord Vermidia..." Muthos stammers, bowing with a trembling reverence.

"And you," she snarls, her eyes narrowing on me, "handing over vital information to that boy as if it were your place? How could you not see Udis for what he was—a rabid beast that could barely hold his own?"

"It was never my design to aid him," I answer, refusing to bow. "I couldn't have known that Udis would fail against a mere child from Valoria."

"It cost me the girl," she snaps, fury lighting her gaze.

"You lost the boy from Zenot all on your own, Vermidia," I say, carefully meeting her glare. "Who's to say you wouldn't have failed in this as well?"

Her eyes blaze with contempt. "You dare question me? Have you both forgotten who is in command here?"

Muthos quickly steps forward, attempting to smooth the tension. "No, my Lord. We remember our place. We have a plan in motion, I assure you."

"Oh, do you?" Her voice drips with skepticism. "Then I expect this plan to be flawless. The boy will die, and that girl will be brought to me, at any cost. The blood of your siblings stains your hands—see that you redeem it."

"And what will you do?" I ask, tone unwavering.

She turns to me, her face twisted in disgust. "I'll be hunting down the location of that blasted Court. Their interference is... becoming an issue."

With a sharp slice through the air, she opens a dark rift. "And find that damn sword!" She steps into the void without another word, leaving us in silence as the rift snaps shut behind her.

Muthos lets out a slow, ragged breath, then looks at me with a grim smile. "Time to prove our worth."

I nod, though I feel a slow dread coiling within me. "And if this plan of yours fails?"

He laughs, low and hollow. "Then, Ogre, we'll both find ourselves joining Udis in the shadows."