🔥 Chapter 44 — The King's Counteroffensive
The King stood in his eastern fortress, eyes blazing as magical maps floated around him. Reports had arrived: the corridor ambush, the destruction of the first hub, and now the loss of the second. His eastern network was in chaos.
A general spoke cautiously, "My King, the enemy—Kael and Rhyne—has crippled our eastern forces. We can attempt to regroup, but the hubs are vulnerable."
The King's voice was low, sharp, and commanding. "Vulnerable? No. They've been careless. They underestimated us, and they will pay." His fingers clenched, sending a surge of energy through the map, highlighting the fallen hubs. "Mobilize the eastern army. Reinforcements from the central regions. We will strike them where they hide."
Rhyne and Kael, far to the east, felt the subtle shift in magical energy as the King unleashed his command. Kael's eyes narrowed. "He's reacting. Reinforcements will move along multiple paths. If we don't anticipate them, the chaos we caused could be reversed."
Rhyne adjusted his sigil blade. "Then we prepare. We've fractured his forces, but he's clever. We can't just wait for him to make mistakes—we need to control the battlefield now."
Kael coiled the Ember around his arms, flames flickering in concentrated intensity. "Exactly. The King will send multiple waves—some to recover the hubs, others to cut off escape routes. We need traps, diversions, and intelligence. We force him into reactive moves, never allowing him to dictate terms."
In the distance, faint arcs of energy signaled troop movements—magical scouts and supply caravans. Kael traced them with Ember threads. "He's splitting his army. Part moves toward the fallen hubs, part toward the forests. If we anticipate correctly, we can strike at the weak points first, crippling him before the full force arrives."
Rhyne grinned, eyes glinting in the firelight. "Then we turn the counteroffensive into another ambush. Hit him where he thinks we're weakest."
Kael's flames pulsed like a heartbeat. "Exactly. The eastern front will remain under our control, but only if we stay one step ahead. The King's wrath is coming—but we'll be ready."
The forest around them seemed to hold its breath, the tension thick. Far away, the King's forces began to stir, preparing a retaliation that could decide the fate of the eastern territories. Kael and Rhyne were already moving, planning the next strike.