THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

[Before the attack]

The grand hall of the castle buzzed with chatter and laughter, but one corner of the room was decidedly louder. Yue sat cross-legged on the bench beside the long table, her plate piled high with roasted meats, seasoned vegetables, and golden-brown bread. She stuffed her mouth with abandon, crumbs and grease smearing her fingers as she licked them clean.

Across from her, Litty buried her face in her hands, groaning audibly. "Mother, please! You're embarrassing me! People are staring."

Yue, without missing a beat, grabbed another leg of mutton and tore into it with vigor. She grinned at her daughter, her sharp fangs gleaming. "Let them stare! You know how long it's been since we've had a feast like this? Months, Litty. Months!" She patted her stomach contentedly. "Besides, you should eat too. Come here, little cub."

Litty sighed, tugging at her braid in frustration. "I'm not a child anymore, Mother."

"Nonsense." Yue picked up a forkful of honey-glazed potatoes and extended it toward her daughter. "Now, bend down so I can feed you."

"Absolutely not!" Litty hissed, her cheeks turning crimson.

Yue chuckled but then paused, her pointed ears twitching. She froze mid-bite, her playful expression vanishing as her features hardened. Her emerald eyes scanned the hall, sharp and calculating.

"Mother?" Litty asked, frowning. "What's wrong? You look... serious."

"Shh." Yue's ears twitched again as she rose from her seat, her movements uncharacteristically cautious. Her sharp gaze darted toward the high ceilings above them. A strange stillness had settled in the air, the lively hum of the hall replaced by an oppressive silence.

"Do you feel that?" Yue asked, her voice low and tense.

Litty tilted her head, confusion written on her face. "Feel what? Are you okay?"

Yue didn't answer immediately. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing on the energy around her. Her connection to the unseen world made her acutely sensitive to shifts in the air. And now, something dark—something vile—seemed to crawl over the castle like a smothering shroud. Her eyes snapped open, wide with alarm.

"Get down!" Yue barked, her tone commanding.

Before Litty could react, Yue reached into the small pouch tied to her waist and pulled out a green vial. Without hesitation, she smashed it to the ground. The vial shattered, releasing a glowing emerald mist that quickly enveloped them both.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The room shuddered violently as the ceiling above groaned and splintered. Cracks spread like jagged lightning across the ornate beams, and moments later, the entire structure gave way. Stone and debris rained down in a thunderous cacophony.

Litty screamed, her hands shielding her head, but the emerald mist cocooned them, deflecting the falling rubble. Yue's sharp instincts had saved them yet again.

Amid the chaos, Yue's voice cut through the din, steady and firm. "Stay close, Litty. This isn't over."

The dust settled, revealing a gaping hole in the ceiling. Yue's gaze remained fixed upward, her pointed ears still twitching. She could feel it—a heavy, ominous presence lingering in the air. Something was coming.

And it wasn't friendly.

The masked figure landed with a resounding thud, cracks forming in the marble beneath his boots. His frame radiated menace, his jagged armour gleaming under the faint, flickering light. He raised a blade, its edges humming with raw energy.

The air around him shimmered and tore as if reality itself was being unraveled. Two more masked intruders emerged from the void, their steps synchronized and purposeful. They exuded a chilling presence, their masks adorned with glowing, alien symbols that pulsed faintly like living hearts.

Yue pulled Litty into the shadows of the wreckage, her emerald eyes sharp and calculating. "Stay low," she commanded in a whisper, her voice steady despite the chaos.

"But, Mother," Litty began, her voice trembling, "what should we do? We can't just—"

"Quiet," Yue interrupted, her gaze never leaving the scene before them. Her pointed ears twitched as she focused on the masked intruders, trying to assess their power.

Sir Fredrick, the Archon's stalwart defender, charged toward the broad intruder, sword raised high. With a fluid motion, the intruder swung his blade, a single devastating arc that cleaved Fredrick in half. Blood sprayed across the shattered hall as the knight's body fell lifelessly to the ground.

Litty flinched, a hand flying to her mouth to stifle a gasp. "Mother," she whispered, tears pooling in her eyes, "should we let them die?"

"This isn't our fight," Yue replied, her voice low but firm. Yet, there was a flicker of doubt in her tone. Her senses tingled with unease as she observed the masked intruders. Something about their energy—or lack thereof—disturbed her. They weren't using any of the six known pillars of energy that governed their world. Their power was foreign, sinister, and oddly intriguing.

As Litty's grip tightened around her mother's arm, Yue added, "We can help in other ways." She pointed toward a group of survivors trapped beneath the rubble. "Go. Help them."

Reluctantly, Litty nodded, dashing toward the debris. She began pulling at the heavy stones, freeing a man groaning in pain. Yue moved alongside her, aiding others, though her mind remained preoccupied.

Suddenly, a voice resonated in Yue's mind, clear and urgent. "We don't have much time. David needs your help."

Yue froze, recognizing Luna's voice. Her lips parted in surprise, and she wondered what skill Luna was using to communicate telepathically. "What do you want me to do?" she asked inwardly, her thoughts directed toward the voice.

"David will separate the intruders. When he does, you must take the Archon and get her out of the palace."

Find more to read at empire

Yue exhaled loudly, weighing the risk. "Should I really involve myself and my daughter in this madness?" she muttered under her breath.

A sudden crash shattered her thoughts. Yue turned to see Luna standing defiantly in a standoff with one of the masked intruders, her aura flaring.

Sighing deeply, Yue called out to her daughter, "Litty! We're getting the Archon out of here."

Litty, still dragging the injured man to safety, looked up in confusion. "What? But—"

"No arguments," Yue snapped as she sprinted toward the Archon's position.

Litty hesitated, then drew her sword and followed, her resolve hardening.

"I hope this works," Yue murmured to herself, taking out a pair of small vials—one red, the other green—her fingers gripping them tightly as she prepared for what was to come.