The rain lashed against the cracked pavement, thunder rolling overhead like the sounds of artillery.
Auschwitz-Birkenau stood, the walls preserved to commemorate the tragedy that had transpired within.The shadowed ruins of Auschwitz-Birkenau whispering of over half a million stolen lives.
Leila Arcanna emerged from the building, her steps slow, her expression a mish-mash of confusion and weariness. For once, she didn’t summon her powers to shield her from the rain like she had done for many times. The rainwater soaking through her clothes felt right, as if the universe itself demanded she endure every drop. She was too drained to care.
She paused, her wings twitching at her back. She was going to fly back to her castle, retreating to the solace of stone walls and venting her frustration to her close friend; it seemed like the only option. But before she could act, a force collided with her, slamming her into the wet ground.
Looking up, she saw the angry and worried face of Bruno
“Leila, do you know how damn worried we were?!” Bruno’s voice cut through the storm as he pinned her down.
Before she could even retort, a shadow loomed above them. Ice King stood there, even more silent than he usually is while an umbrella was held tight in his taloned grasp. His eyes scanned her face, his frown deepening at the exhaustion etched into her features.
“S-sorry,” Leila murmured, struggling to sit up. Her voice barely carried over the rain. “I… I just needed some air.”
Bruno’s glare didn’t soften. “Air? Air?! You disappeared without a word, and we’ve been tearing the city apart looking for you!” His hands tightened on her shoulders. “You saved my life once, Leila. I owe you everything. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let you self-destruct!”
A cold talon rested on his shoulder. Ice King gestured toward the nearby bus station with a silent command. Reluctantly, Bruno stood, hauling Leila up with him.
He walked her toward the shelter, the rain splattering noisily around them onto the pavement and roof of the bus station. When they finally stopped under the cover, Bruno turned to her, his tone sharper than a blade. “All right, spill it. What were you doing in that place?”
Leila bit her lip, her gaze falling to the ground. Guilt churned in her eyes, her voice barely audible; “I-I just wanted to know…”
The rain kept pouring, a relentless melody against the concrete. Water clung to her hair and ran down her face, not mixed in with tears yet. Ice King waved a hand, forming an Ice barrier that deflected the relentless downpour.
Bruno shrugged off his jacket, draping it over her trembling shoulders; “Leila,” he said, his voice softening but not losing its edge; “what the hell were you looking for? You already know how terrifying these places were. I told you everything.”
That was when the dam broke. Tears spilled freely, mingling with the rain still clinging to her cheeks. Her voice cracked; “I don’t know, okay?! I thought–after all this time, I thought everyone has some good in them! I-I thought—”
She broke down entirely, stammering incoherently as sobs shook her frame. Bruno let out a heavy sigh, placing a hand on her back and rubbing it gently; “You thought there was still good in Vrystk. That you could… save her.”
Her faint nod was enough as an answer.
Bruno’s voice turned grim. “Listen, Leila. People change. It doesn’t matter if they’re human or not. After what you both went through, it doesn’t surprise me that she’s gone down this path. It’s not fair, but that’s life. Sometimes, change is for the better. Other times…”
Leila buried her face in her hands, her talons pressing into her temples. Her sobs were ragged, her words raw; “I just… I just can’t believe she did this, Bruno! Vrystk! Of all people! She was my friend! The kindest person I knew, and now she’s—she’s-”
“A dictator,” Bruno finished grimly.
Ice King, silent until now, lowered himself to sit beside her. His cold gaze fixed on the horizon, voice steady and deliberate; “I can’t pretend to understand the bond between you two. But this is what I do know: you must confront her. Demand the answers you deserve, Your Majesty. No matter how many good memories you share with her, her actions are unforgivable. She orchestrated a massacre on your land. That cannot be ignored.”
Leila’s breath hitched, her chest tightening. “I-I don’t even know if I can. Vrystk has spent years building her army on Earth. How are we supposed to fight that? I can’t even hold my country together!”
Ice King’s grin cut through the tension, sharp as ice cracking under pressure. “Oh, Leila. Do you honestly believe the other nations will let this go unanswered? This—this is the excuse we’ve been waiting for. Vrystk’s Domain has poked the hive for too long. The world is hungry, and the Domain of Light is the dinner. You’re not as alone as you think.”
As the rain continued pouring down onto the front gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau, Ice King stood back up and spread his wings out; “I best get going now. I have not checked up on my country for quite a while and I would like to know how many were injured during the skirmish.”
Ice King quickly whistled out a simple spell, deflecting any raindrop away from him. Right as he was about to take off, he suddenly paused; “Ah, Your Majesty. The funeral for the deceased is soon correct?,” Right after Ice King asked this question, Leila nodded slightly; “You know, grief can be weaponized. With enough charisma and righteous fury, grief can be used to rally people towards a cause. Use that information wisely.”
As soon as he finished talking, Ice King sprinted before taking off, creating a small crater in the drenched street from the force of him taking off.
Not long after that, 4 Shadow Tendrils sprouted from Leila's back, helping her stand back up all while resolve filled every pore of her body; “I-Icy’s right. She might have been my friend but she caused so many deaths! I will get those answers from her one way or another!”
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Bruno,” she said, her voice steady now, commanding; “Call off Parliament. Gather everyone in front of the Reichstag. I’m making an announcement.”
=====
The grassy space in front of the historical building was filled with citizens of the Dunkeles Reich and even some of its vassals. The field was loud, caused by the many chatters of both Daemons and Vampires wondering what this sudden event was about. One thing most would agree on is that it was directly caused by the incident that occured in Italy which left thousands dead and even more grieving.
Then, as it seemed like the Queen herself was going to be late as per usual, she finally arrived on stage. Clad with a more formal outfit, Leila was also accompanied by none other than Bruno himself who was wearing a hybrid between a Knight's armor and a formal suit.
As soon as she stepped in front of the microphone, a flurry of reporters suddenly rushed to try and interview her. Microphones were thrusted forwards, cameras flashed and questions overlapped each other.
The guards stationed in front of the makeshift stage set in front of the Reichstag tried to stop the reporters but we're getting overwhelmed by the sheer number of them, coming from all over the world.
The entire crowd fell silent as a loud ‘BANG’ was heard. Behind Leila was Bruno who held up his fingers like a gun. There was a bloody hole visible on his index finger as a similarly sized hole appeared on the ceiling of the Reichstag.
Hearing the crowd slowly shutting up, Leila finally started her speech; “Thank you. As you all know, an attack was launched into Rome. Our lands. Our dignity. OUR PEOPLE! All gone! All because of greed! All because of power! Lives were lost! And who is to blame? The Domain of Light! They not only have killed our people but they have also stomped on our honor! Our dignity!”
Following this, Leila took a deep breath; “AND ARE WE GOING TO SIT STILL?! WATCH WHILE THEY TREAT US LIKE VERMIN?! This land was once home to 3 devastating wars! Wars that redefined history! And for the Daemons! I may have not been my mother during the Grand War but we were the victors of it! We defeated Volkovich himself! The tyrant who killed his own men! What Empress Vrystk has done is no less than telling us that she is stronger than us.”
Then, she closed her eyes tightly, while clenching her talons. Shortly after this, she slammed her talons onto the podium; “The Dunkeles Reich is now officially at war!” This single announcement caused the silent crowd to finally become loud again but this time, even Bruno couldn't keep the reporters from bursting right through the guards to get an interview from her.
Leila however ignored all these reporters and instead looked towards the mass of cameras pointed towards her; “And we hope we are not alone in this war. The Domain has acted like it is untouchable, like it is invincible. But in reality, it is weak.”
Leila then turned around, about to walk away before remembering something; “Oh. And as for you, Vrystk.” A few drops of tears fell onto the floor along with Leila’s talons rapidly clenching and unclenching.Not a single person noticed or even if they did, they did not comment on it; “Please. I only want answers. What happened to you?”
As soon as she finished her final words, she immediately walked off stage, followed by Bruno.
In the quiet backstage, Bruno glanced at her, his expression a mix of awe and concern; “Leila, that was… intense. Did you plan all that?”
Leila blinked, her cheeks flushing; “I-uh-kind of… made it up as I went?”
Bruno sighed, running a hand through his hair; “You realize you just declared war without consulting the generals, right?”
Leila’s awkward smile did little to ease his exasperation; “I’ll… take care of it. Eventually.”
The two were going to converse further. That was until they saw a guard falling to the ground behind them before getting encompassed by news reporters.
Leila in return let out a squawk, materializing a shadow tendrill to carry Bruno before flying off back to her castle.
=====
Crystal Palace;
The Crystal Palace, a truly amazing feat of architecture. One that combined Tibetan and Japanese architecture along with hints of Aegis culture. The castle itself is fortified to the teeth with thousands of guards patrolling the walls alone. It was both a fortress and a palace.
On each of the 12 towers embedded into the walls of the palace were Anti-aircraft guns along with landing zones for the many Aegis’s that usually enter the castle to meet with the Grand Empress herself, Vrystk.
The throne room housing Vrystk was brimming with activity, mostly from the high ranking military officers of the Domain itself. Vrystk was sitting in her gigantic crystalline throne, a giant banner of the Domain of Light behind her; “General Hirohiko, what is your current plan for this war?”
General Hirohiko, an 8 winged Aegis who was discussing battle plans with his subordinates immediately abandoned whatever he was doing and bowed down to Vrystk; “My Empress. The best plan of action currently is to not launch a direct assault but in my opinion, go on the defensive until…they-” He spat out the word they as if it was an insult; “-deplete their resources. Then, the Army shall secure whatever point they are teleporting to. This will effectively end their assault dead in their tracks and let us launch counter offensives “
The General looked proud of himself, apparent by the satisfied smile on his face. That was before Vrystk stood up, walked to where the map was and looked at their battle plan all while the other military officers fled the table to stand near the general.
Her eyes scanned the map, admitting to herself that this was a pretty good battle plan. The General idea is to completely abandon the rural area of XinJiang and Tibet, an area the Domain didn't really bother to modernize that much which left that area without any anti portal technology. In return however, the area is a no man's land. It is filled to the brim with Beasts and Mines.
Vrystk then took a look everywhere else and had an expression of anger behind her mask. She brandished her Sky Piercer, a light spear and deployed all 10 of her wings which made hendice bulbs floating around her head also light up; “General. Do you mind telling me why you only fortified the fallback line?” Vrystk's tone was even colder than usual, making everyone in the room very nervous; “Uhm, you see my Empress-”
Hirohiko was unable to even have the honor to finish his sentence before a light spear grazed his cheeks and flew straight into the column behind him, causing the extremely well engineered column to collapse.
Looking up with fear, he saw Vrystk's right eye glowing yellow and right below her chest and cloak was the Light Singularity, a star-like object that both glowed impossibly bright and at the same time, caused the area around it to darken. Behind Vrystk was a literal swarm of light spears, swords and the such.
To make the situation even worse for the poor man, she was now wearing her armor, made of light. Something she usually saves when she's quite angry; “Did I stutter when I gave out that order? Make sure all enemies are dealt with. Even if they aren't at war with us right now, do you think that will continue? The Dunkeles Reich’s Queen has urged other nations to help her in this war.Now, tell me General. Why are there no troops on our Northern and Southern borders?! Do you want a public execution? I don't think so. Fix it. Or I will fix your entire existence.”
Not paying the trembling Aegis on the floor, she spun around and dismissed the Light Singularity; “I want the fixed plan to be on my desk by tomorrow morning at the latest. Do not disappoint me.”
Then, without a word, she disappeared into light particles, leaving all the staff in the throne room, including the janitor and two other eight winged Aegis scrambled in panic.
====
Vrystk's room;
Multiple particles of lights suddenly merged together, forming Vrystk from the feet up, wearing a night gown before flopping down onto her bed; “Ughh, why do these guys have to be so idiotic! Of course they're gonna go to war with us! We've been doing shit to them for year!”
Vrystk shook her head before grabbing her scroll from under her pillow, logged into her YouTube and put a soothing song. Right after this, she went to her bookcase and picked out a novel and laid down on her bed. After three pages, she sighed; “Hopefully, this all goes well,”
She then looked at a framed picture, a picture of her hand her parents back before their death; “I know you are probably not proud of me for this. Turning Acadia into a dystopian hellscape but…I'm doing all of this for you two,”
She then looked towards a picture of her and Leila back in their teen years; “Leila, please just for once, trust. I-You one of the last remnants of my old life…,”
====
5 hours later, with Leila;
“Soo…Why aren't we directly teleporting into XinJiang or Tibet? And uh, why is everything kinda…all over the place?” Leila asked, standing near a giant circular table with a map of the Chinese regions. The room was also quite messy with furniture thrown around, physical maps torn and even discarded food wrappings
The General of the Dunkeles Reich, a Daemon from the first empire spoke up; “Pardon me my queen but we…didn't exactly have much time to plan this war out. If you had informed us about this war or at least waited a week more, we would probably have a better war plan than…this,”
The General then straightened up before casting a spell, causing the miniature pieces on the table to disappear and the miniature soldier pieces to appear in XinJiang and Tibet; “You see my queen, if we send our entire army to these regions, I doubt they would have any military presence in these regions. The reason? Simple. Because it is not important to them,”
He then swept his hand over the map and revealed another set of miniature figures in defensive positions right outside both regions; “I suspect that they have defenses set everywhere but these regions instead. Furthermore, surprise is the key to victory so I suggest we do this instead,”
He reset the map again before about an eighth of the army was in XinJiang, digging defensive positions. A quarter of it sat at the southern coast while the rest sat in the Domain's Lower Mongolia puppet. All the arrows protruding from the strike teams, suggesting that they would employ a swift technique that relies heavily on coordination with the Eurasian Socialist Commonwealth’s air force to cause as much chaos as they can.
The General quickly dismissed all the illusion spells before talking to Leila; “My strategy is simple. We use an old human technique employee during their second world war called-”
“Blitzkrieg. Of course.” Came another voice, Bruno who looked like he just ran a marathon
Leila had a big grin across her face, clearly happy to see Bruno; “Bruno! So what did Icy say?”
Bruno held up his thumb after slamming down onto the chair, sweat running down his forehead; “He…said yes. Now let me get some rest, I just flew from Berlin to Moscow back to Berlin in less than 6 hours!”
Right before he fell asleep, Bruno perked up again; “Oh yeah, Frosty’s coming by the way. Don't know what he wants but he said he has an idea or something, I don't know.”