The Black Knights settled in their seats after their introductions. General Richard stood behind Queen Sofie as a sign of service. The latter then stood at the head of the table, her gaze steady and commanding.
"These are the people I've spoken to you about, General," Sofie began, nodding toward the assembled leaders. "My family now, forged in fire and battle."
She gestured toward those nearest.
"This is Slacovich, the Head of the Demonfire clan and the blade that strikes when words fail."
Slacovich gave a brief nod, his presence already filling the room.
"Li," Sofie continued, looking to the composed woman beside her. "She's the brain behind all the modern technology we're using."
Li offered a respectful nod to General Richard.
"Diego," Sofie said, casting a glance to the relaxed, confident man leaning against the wall. "Our field brawler. Reckless, but fiercely loyal."
Diego returned a casual salute with a grin.
"Tyler," Sofie added. "His the brain behind our missions, and Ara's other half."
The leaders exchanged brief, measured looks, absorbing the introductions.
Li and Diego exchanged glances, the weight of the gathering settling in.
Sofie continued after a brief silence. "Ara, she was cheerful and kind. But we lost her at the Battle in India. We won't let her sacrifice be left in vain. That's why I called you all out here. It's time for us to strike back."
General Richard nodded, his voice calm but resolute. "Then let's begin. Side by side, we face what's ahead."
A subtle click echoed as the double doors sealed behind them, ensuring no interruptions. The lights dimmed slightly, casting a soft hue over the long, polished table at the center of the conference hall. Screens on the walls began to glow, each loaded with classified files and encrypted maps showing Reaper movements and suspected Volton hideouts.
Slacovich leaned forward slightly, elbows on the table. "We've confirmed recent sightings of Volton's subordinates. Small cells. Testing boundaries."
One of the infantry leaders, a scarred man with a dark braid trailing down his back, clicked a datapad and brought up a satellite image. "We intercepted a few of them near the Serbian border. They've been recruiting, turning civilians into scouts. Mind-controlled, possibly drugged. We captured two. Only one survived transport. The other… self-destructed."
Diego cursed under his breath. "Volton's getting sloppy. Or desperate."
"No," said Vera, speaking for the first time. Her voice was cool and calculated. "He's not sloppy. He's testing our patience."
All eyes turned toward her. Slacovich gave her a sidelong glance, and for a split second, something flickered in his eyes. Recognition. Memory. India.
But he didn't speak of it yet.
General Richard stepped forward, arms crossed behind his back. "Then we strike hard. Not all at once. Target the scouts. Disrupt the channels. Let them think we're fractured while we're sharpening the blade."
Tyler leaned over the digital table, pulling up three highlighted regions. "These are the most active hubs. Reapers have been seen moving between them, mostly during nightfall. They're guarding something, or preparing for something. Either way, we need to clean it out before we set the main assault."
Li added, "I've got drones ready for recon. We can run silent ops in and out before they even notice."
General Richard gave a sharp nod. "Good. Quiet pressure. Once we get results, we pull tighter. Make them feel the noose."
Sofie watched each exchange closely, pride quietly blooming in her chest. This wasn't just alliance, it was family meeting soldiers of legend. A bridge forged under fire, now reinforced with blood and strategy.
"I want the first sweep ready as soon as we can," she said, her voice ringing final. "We move in phases. We expose the Reaper veins and bleed them dry. But we do not show mercy. Not this time."
The room stirred with silent agreement.
No more defense.
This was war.
Sofie remained standing at the head of the table, her palm resting lightly against the glass surface as the planning continued. One by one, the infantry leaders were assigned their designated properties, each an old Demonfire facility once used for storage, research, or regional control. These weren't just buildings, they were footholds in the war to come.
"Each of you will secure and reinforce the grounds," Sofie instructed. "Some of these sites haven't been touched in years, but the bones are strong. Use them."
Tyler worked through the holographic map projected over the table, marking each location with precision. "Every post is close enough for rapid support. You won't move alone. We strike as a unit. We move like fire."
The infantry leaders acknowledged their assignments with subtle nods and serious expressions. These weren't rookies. They listened, learned, and prepared with quiet resolve.
Then, Sofie shifted slightly and turned her hand palm-up. She didn't raise her voice, didn't make a gesture. She just whispered:
"Come."
No shimmer. No hum. Just silence.
And then, six shadowy figures bled into existence from the edges of the room. They flowed from the floor, the walls, the very air, without a single sound. They weren't armored. They weren't cloaked.
They were shadows.
Living silhouettes, tall and still. Their outlines shimmered faintly, more like a presence than a figure. Each one stepped forward and dropped to a single knee before Queen Sofie, heads bowed.
Diego unfolded his arms, standing straighter with a low whistle. "Every damn time. They just… know."
Vera crossed her arms, voice hushed. "They always do. They're bound to her soul."
Richard hadn't moved. He stood behind Sofie, eyes fixed, not on the shadows, but on her hand.
The Ring of Seal.
Its glow had changed. Where once it flickered like distant, sleeping power, now it glowed clearer, fuller, almost… aware. There was no surge of force. No warning. Just a shift, like something had stirred from slumber.
His gaze sharpened. Quietly, almost like a passing thought, he asked,
"Something ancient, perhaps?"
Sofie blinked, briefly glancing at her hand, then turned her head slightly toward him. Her expression wasn't alarmed, just… thoughtful. Curious.
"Ancient?" she echoed softly. "I guess… I have."
Her eyes returned to the kneeling shadows, their presence steady, unwavering.
"And that's also one thing I need your help with, General."
With the Shadow Guards stationed quietly around the room, the final strategy took shape.
Tyler rotated the holographic map, each point pulsing faint blue as he assigned teams to their sectors.
"We hit the dormant facilities first," he said, voice crisp. "Recon, fortify, install surveillance. Don't engage unless provoked, this is about control, not chaos."
Slacovich nodded. "Let Volton's forces come looking. We'll draw them in slowly, then break them wide."
Li added, "We'll embed communication grids in each post. No blackout will go unnoticed this time."
Diego smirked, arms crossed. "Give me one flare of trouble, I'll make a crater big enough they'll feel it on the other side of the map."
General Richard kept his silence, absorbing every detail. Then he finally spoke, gaze steady.
"Every step you take echoes farther than the battlefield. Your enemy isn't just brute strength, it's deception. Move sharp. Strike cleaner."
Queen Sofie gave a single nod, the room settling under the weight of finality.
"Prepare your units. We strike in three days."
Just as the meeting neared adjournment, a soft chime echoed in the room, an incoming secure call.
Tyler raised a brow. "It's Nicholson."
Sofie motioned for the feed to open. Nicholson's face appeared on the screen, tense, shadows cast across his office.
"Thank God I'm avle to connect," he lets out a sigh if relief, eyes sharp behind his glasses. "I wouldn't call now unless it was urgent."
Sofie stepped forward, concern flickering across her features. "What's happened?"
Nicholson glanced off-screen, then back. "Ania's been burning with fever for hours. She's restless, violent in her sleep. We've tried everything. She keeps murmuring names… names we don't recognize."
The room fell still.
Nicholson continued, voice dropping lower, "And Yureiv… he's agitated. More than ever. It's like something's clawing at his mind from the inside. He keeps demanding to be let out of the painting."
Sofie's lips parted, tension rising behind her eyes.
Nicholson added one final note, his voice heavy:
"I think whatever was dormant… isn't anymore."
The screen faded.
No one moved.
Sofie's voice came low and even. "Meeting adjourned. Everyone, prepare. We move sooner if we must."
The glow of the Ring pulsed once more, quiet, but no longer asleep.