[ Present Time. 5 Minutes after Richard's warning ]

Dune paced the streets of Fein, his thoughts swirling like a storm. Richard's warning echoed in his mind.

What should I do? Leave Fein? Run away? He knows I can't just leave. He must know that. But if that's what he meant… how could I possibly escape? They'd never let me go.

He clenched his fists, his heart heavy with indecision. Maybe… maybe Daniel. My brother might understand. He could speak to Lord Cadogan. He's the only one, other than Derchi, with enough authority to make something like that happen.

Dune shook his head, his chest tightening. He didn't know what to do. The uncertainty gnawed at him as he walked back to his home on the edge of the city.

The path was quiet, lined with cracked cobblestones and a fading sense of safety. Beyond his home stretched a long, open field that led to the forest surrounding Fein.

Beyond that loomed the towering 100-meter wall, an unyielding fortress that shielded the city. Outside the wall was the invisible barrier, the ultimate defense that encased all of Fein.

When he reached his house, dread prickled his skin. The door was ajar.

Something's wrong.

Dune rushed inside, his pulse quickening. The small, familiar space felt suffocating. Standing in the middle of the room was his younger brother, Ned, blood dripping from his split lip and bruised nose.

"Ned! What happened?" Dune asked, his voice sharp with worry.

Ned looked up at him, trembling. "He took them," he said, his voice breaking. "I couldn't stop him, Dune."

Dune froze. "Who? Who took who?"

Ned gritted his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides. "Father. He took Mom and Sis… and he left the city."

Dune's stomach twisted. That bastard. Sam.

"I… I tried, Dune. I really did," Ned said, his voice shaking. "But he left me here. You know why."

Dune's hands balled into fists as he processed Ned's words. Sam. That man was a curse on their family. A drunkard. A coward. A violent shadow that had loomed over Dune's childhood, leaving scars, some that could be seen, and others that couldn't.

But what infuriated Dune most wasn't his father's cruelty. It was his mother's endless defense of him. No matter what Sam did, she shielded him, as though he wasn't the one tearing their family apart.

Dune took a shaky breath. "Ned… what are you talking about? Where did they go?"

Ned sighed, his shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had fallen on him. "They're going to Rendely. So is Daniel.

While you weren't here, Daniel came in like a man possessed. He told me to run, run as fast as I could. He said something was coming, something terrible, and if we didn't leave Fein, we'd all die."

Dune's blood ran cold.

"And when I was about to leave with Dad and the others… this happened." Ned pointed at his bruised face. "I even tried to use it, Dune."

He gestured at his chest, pulling his shirt slightly to reveal the red, cross-shaped Zeten mark glowing faintly against his skin.

"I tried to use Zeten… but I couldn't. I'm too weak. I'm useless," Ned said, his voice cracking as tears welled in his eyes. He fell to his knees, covering his face with shaking hands.

Dune knelt down beside him, placing a steady hand on his shoulder. "Hey. Don't say that. Don't ever say that." His voice was soft but firm, grounding his brother in the moment.

"You did what you could, and it's better this way. At least they're out of Fein. If chaos is coming, they'll be safe. I'll protect you, Ned. Just like I always have."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Ned looked up, his tear-filled eyes locking onto the jagged scar running across Dune's face, a reminder of his brother's unyielding strength.

A tear slipped down Ned's cheek as he leaned forward and hugged his brother tightly. "Thanks, brother. I… I trust you."

Dune closed his eyes, resting his chin on Ned's head. His mind was racing, fear and determination tangled together, but in that moment, he held his brother close, a promise binding them together. And for now, that was enough.

Ned's Zeten wasn't ordinary. In fact, it was unlike anything most people would ever see in their lifetime. Not only was he born with a Zeten, a miracle in itself, as the odds were one in a million, but he also carried a Neba animal core within him. And it wasn't just any core. It was a red core.

To have both was a rarity beyond comprehension. A gift some might call divine. But it was a curse. A constant battle between the power he carried and the fear of what it might do to him if he ever lost control.

There had been moments when the curse nearly overwhelmed him, when the core threatened to take over entirely. If it hadn't been for our mother and her concealing Neba, things might have been different.

Her ability to hide the mark of the Zeten was the only thing that kept Ned safe. But her spell was fragile. Every time Ned used his Neba or Zeten, the red cross-shaped mark on his chest would reappear, glowing with dangerous energy. And every time it did, the risk grew.

"Ned," Dune whispered, breaking the heavy silence. "Let's find Atlas as fast as we can and get the hell out of here."

Ned wiped his face and stood up. "Alright. Let's go, Dune." And with that,. We left the house.

[ Other side of the Fein city: south wall ]

Cadogan stood atop the city walls, his eyes scanning the horizon. Dense forests and distant mountains stretched out before him. Around him, knights and soldiers stood ready, their eyes alert for any sign of danger.

A messenger ran up to Cadogan, breathless. "Lord Cadogan, Knight Sir Derchi has captured the Zeten wielder and wants to execute him publicly."

Cadogan sighed, worry creasing his brow. "Tell Sir Derchi to delay the execution," he ordered. "We have bigger problems right now. Have him join me on the wall immediately."

The messenger nodded and hurried off. Cadogan remained lost in thought, the weight of their situation pressing down on him.

An anonymous person reported that the city would get destroyed soon. From the start i had a feeling something was wrong. If we're in danger, why hasn't the capital, Rendely, warned us? Even noble families are leaving the city. This situation seems very troubling.

Cadogan's monologue was interrupted when something moved in the tall grass below. A deer stepped out, its movements slow and graceful. At first glance, it seemed harmless.

But when its eyes locked onto Cadogan and his soldiers, an eerie silence fell. A chill spread through their ranks, an inexplicable fear taking hold.

Cadogan quickly called five soldiers. "Investigate," he ordered. The massive iron gates creaked open, revealing the bridge to the outside world.

The soldiers moved cautiously toward the deer, tension thick in the air.

As they approached, the deer remained still, its gaze fixed ahead like it was in a trance. The air around them felt heavy, charged with an otherworldly energy.

One soldier stepped closer, his hand gripping his sword tightly. The deer slowly turned its head, revealing a grotesque sight. Its right side was torn away, exposing bone and insides. Sharp teeth glinted in its gaping mouth, drool dripping down.

The soldier's fear overwhelmed him. His sword slipped from his trembling hand, clattering to the ground.

Panic spread among the soldiers. But Cadogan stayed calm, studying the deformed deer. Memories of a similar encounter with a wolf came flooding back, raising concerns about the city's safety.

The deer's mouth opened wider, revealing rows of sharp teeth. It let out an otherworldly human like scream, piercing the air. Soldiers clutched their ears in agony.

The deer's neck elongated, and it lunged forward, biting off a soldier's head.

Horrified screams filled the air as the soldiers tried to fight back.

The deer transformed into a towering black creature with a deer-like face, hundreds of shifting tentacle hands, and enveloped in the red Zeten.

It grabbed soldiers with its tentacles, crushing them until they exploded into sprays of flesh.

Watching from the wall, Cadogan met the creature's gaze. He leaped down, as he formed blue icy sword in his hand .

As the creature charged, Cadogan calmly raised his sword and brought it down in a decisive strike.

A massive shockwave of blue Neba surged from Cadogan's blade, cutting the creature into countless fragments. The soldiers watched in awe as the creature was destroyed.

Despite the victory, Cadogan felt uneasy. "This was too easy," he thought. Before he could think more, Derchi called out urgently from the wall. Cadogan jumped back up to meet him.

"Lord Cadogan, we have a problem," Derchi said gravely. "At the second entrance, many deformed animals are attacking. Some have breached the barrier. We need to act fast."

Cadogan's heart sank. The threat was far from over. He quickly issued commands for evacuation and to set up a direct link to their allies using Neba magic portals.

Cadogan jumped down from the wall and hurried through the streets towards the second entrance. He saw Amanda, her face full of concern.

"Amanda?" Cadogan called out, running to her. Amanda, with her black hair and eyes, had the yellow Neba power to activate the city's portal machine. But her news was grim.

"Lord Cadogan, none of the portals are working. They've all been destroyed, and those who knew how to activate them are also gone," she said. I'm the only one left."

Cadogan's heart sank further. "Someone inside the walls planned this," he realized. "They want us gone."

Cadogan's jaw tightened. "we fight," he declared. "We have no other choice. We'll face whatever foe seeks our demise."

Cadogan ran as fast as he could and quickly reached the second entrance, where chaos reigned.

Thousands of soldiers fought monstrous beings, their forms twisted and grotesque. Some creatures were enormous, casting long shadows, while others were smaller but just as deadly.

Cadogan glanced down and saw monsters. So that's the case? He thought, his mind racing.

*This is something new…It seemed that evolved creatures had somehow learned to hide within animals that possessed a green core. That way, they could pass through the barrier unnoticed. But how could an animal even think of such a thing?*

*There had to be someone leading them toward the city. I don't know their motives, but one thing i know is that, my biggest priority now is to protect the people of Fein. None of the innocents should die as long as I'm alive.*

With that, his eyes glowed green, and he jumped down from the wall. He landed gracefully on the ground below, his movements fluid and precise. As his feet touched the earth, he spoke calmly, as though this were just another day.

"Green Neba Core, Cheetah Steps."

In an instant, his body blurred, and he dashed toward the battlefield. Within milliseconds, he had appeared in front of his soldiers, who looked on in awe. His form was a streak of green, moving faster than the eye could track. But that was only the beginning.

Without missing a beat, Cadogan's eyes shifted to a brilliant yellow. He spoke again, his voice steady.

"Yellow Neba, the Armour of Wild Bear."

A golden, glowing armor enveloped him and soldiers around him, radiating power and strength. For a moment, the armor shimmered brightly, then, as if by magic, it became invisible, blending into the air around him.

The soldiers watched, mesmerized, as the aura around Cadogan shifted and flowed like a living thing.

He glanced back at them, his eyes now glowing blue.

Then, without another word, he charged toward the monstrous army before him. His movements were unstoppable, and the battlefield became his to command. The fight had only just begun.

With a thunderous crash, Cadogan cut through huge amount of monsters, his icy sword glowing.

The battle was fierce. Cadogan fought with unmatched skill, his blade cutting through enemies. Beside him, warriors unleashed lightning and fire. As long as he breathed, he would never falter in his druty.