On Sokovia's western side, nestled in jagged cliffs, a massive castle loomed under pale moonlight. Time and war had beaten it down—cracked walls, broken towers, entire sections reduced to rubble—but it still stood proud. A monument to an age long gone. And despite the damage, it was still heavily guarded.
At the front gate, two soldiers stood lazily, rifles slung over their shoulders. The night air was thick with cheap tobacco smoke as they puffed on cigars under the harsh security lights.
"Hey, Fel," one said through a mouthful of smoke. "You think that Elistia girl's actually gonna show up to rescue her brother?"
The other guard clicked his tongue. "Tch. I don't know, and I don't care. Hell with her. I'm getting paid to stand here, not daydream. Just shut up and do your job."
"Damn this guy..." the first one muttered, taking another drag.
Then something caught his eye.
A flicker. A flash.
A strange glowing light at the edge of his vision. He turned toward it, squinting at the night sky.
At first, it looked like an orange dot. Impossibly far away. Harmless.
Then it grew.
The orange dot expanded with terrifying speed, swelling and consuming the darkness until it became a blinding sphere of fire. Like a second sun blooming in the dead of night.
"What the hell—?!"
Even from over a hundred meters away, the heat was unbearable. An oppressive wave that vaporized moisture from the air. The guard's clothes burst into flame with a sickening whoosh. He didn't even have time to scream.
BOOM.
The fireball engulfed the entire front gate and surged inward—a ravenous tide of pure energy. It tore through ancient stone walls, devouring rock, consuming wood, melting steel. The 200-year-old castle stood no chance. In moments, it was reduced to smoking rubble, ash, and a glowing, superheated crater.
Watching From Above
High above the devastation, two figures stood on a nearby mountain peak, silhouettes illuminated by the burning ruins below.
One of them was trembling violently. Anastasia Elistia's face was a mask of pure shock.
"Mr. Elric... is this... really okay?" Her voice quivered—not just with anxiety, but genuine, profound fear. Her eyes stayed fixed on the massive glowing crater, nearly a hundred meters across, where her ancestral home had stood just minutes ago.
Her hands shook uncontrollably. She felt numb, detached, like this was a nightmare.
And when she finally looked at the young man beside her—the one who'd done this—her breath caught.
Elric's expression was disturbingly calm. But one of his brilliant blue eyes had turned ghostly white, glowing faintly with otherworldly light.
He spoke without looking at her, his voice perfectly level.
"Don't worry. Like I said, your brother is safe. He's in the underground dungeon. We'll go retrieve him now."
Later, back at the dilapidated house that served as Elric's base in the city for now, far from the searing heat and drifting ashes, Anastasia turned toward him with a furrowed brow.
"Boss... before we go," she began hesitantly, "there's something I need to ask."
Elric raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? What is it?"
Taking a deep breath, she asked, "What do you plan to do with the outsiders? The Americans... the Russians... are you really planning to fight them directly?"
Her voice trembled slightly as she continued.
"I—I just don't think it's a good idea. Even if you defeat them now, they might come back with greater force. Global repercussions. And when that happens... the world will start paying attention. Other nations might join in too, turning Sokovia into an even bigger battleground."
She looked him directly in the eyes, worry all over her face.
Elric remained calm.
"You say 'maybe'..." he replied steadily, zero doubt in his voice. "But I say 'definitely'. They will come. That much is certain."
Anastasia clenched her fists, knuckles white.
"This land... it's already suffered too much," she whispered, anguish in her voice. "I don't want an even bigger war here..."
But Elric just smiled slightly and turned to face her fully, his glowing eye still stark white.
"You don't need to worry about any of that," he said dismissively. "Just be ready to take control of Sokovia. Re-establish the monarchy. As fast as possible."
He paused, then added with a light chuckle, "I hope that won't be too difficult for you."
Anastasia nodded, determination returning to her face.
"Don't worry, Boss. Ever since democracy took over, this country's only fallen further into chaos. If we can bring back order, I don't think anyone will oppose the monarchy returning."
"Good," Elric said simply, his gaze drifting upward like he was contemplating something far beyond this room.
"And as for the Americans and Russians..." he glanced back at her with a knowing look. "They'll pull out on their own within a month or so. Soon, they'll have much bigger problems to worry about. This war-torn country will be far down their list of priorities."
"I hope so," Anastasia whispered, clinging to his words like a lifeline.
Elric smiled faintly.
"Just enjoy the time with your brother while you can," he said, already turning to leave. "You'll be very busy in the future. But don't worry about your safety. From now on... I'll take care of that."
Without waiting for a reply, he vanished—his figure slipping into the air like smoke.
A moment later, deep within his hidden surveillance facility, Elric appeared in a dark, cold chamber. The sterile environment was filled with the hum of machinery.
He raised his hand.
"Aline," he said into the silence. "Are preparations complete?"
A mechanical voice responded from hidden speakers.
"Affirmative. All systems ready."
"Good," Elric said quietly, his voice carrying the weight of impending action.
"Then begin the plan."
Before you snap out of existence, at least leave a few Power Stones and a review, from your truly, (ಠ_ಠ)🫰.
You guys can check out my patreon with 15 advance chapter, and want to support this story.
patreon.com/LMStar666