Arius stood on the head of the massive Gylinn, the dragon that filled the horizon and pierced the sky with his majestic size. Suddenly, the system window appeared before him, glowing with a cold blue light, reminding him of Gylinn's true power:
— Power Level: 93 Septillion.
Arius trembled with astonishment, unable to believe his eyes. Gylinn, one of his soldiers, was slightly stronger than him this time. For the first time in the history of his forces, a subordinate surpassed his master in raw power. Arius's heart raced, and an admiring smile formed on his face:
— No… this… is unbelievable…
Gylinn wasted no time and began flying at an incredible speed, cutting through the vast space and crossing universes in the blink of an eye. His massive size and speed made the universe look like a mere tiny backdrop to his majesty. Arius stood on his head, contemplating every movement and fluid motion of his flight, his admiration for his new servant growing more and more.
The system window appeared again, displaying a familiar color, announcing:
— Gylinn's Title: King of the Abyss Dragons.
— Automatically ranked among your highest soldiers immediately.
— Assigned Rank: General.
Arius smiled, surprised but logical in his conclusion:
— This means he immediately surpassed Dark and Rhinos… well… it makes sense given your immense power.
Gylinn replied, his voice deep and full of majesty, yet carrying pure respect:
— It is an honor, my lord.
After some time, Arius landed with Gylinn on a small asteroid in the heart of space. A strange calm surrounded the scene after the energy storm caused by their flight. Arius looked at the dragon and asked him:
— Will you stay like this?
Gylinn smiled, and the transformation began before Arius's eyes. His massive body started to shrink, turning into a well-proportioned, majestic human form, slightly smaller but reflecting his overwhelming power. He bowed respectfully before Arius and said in a steady voice:
— I am ready for anything, my lord.
Arius stood for a moment, watching his new servant—a scene of humility blended with power—realizing that his army had gained unprecedented strength, and that Gylinn was not just a soldier, but a sword, a shield, and a presence that would change all equations in the upcoming battle.
Arius nodded his head, then said in a calm yet authoritative voice:
— Enter within me, Gylinn.
In the blink of an eye, Gylinn disappeared into Arius's body, as if they became one unit, one body, one power. Then Arius leaped from the surface of the asteroid, flying at an extreme speed toward planet Nahira, as if riding a beam of light, crossing the boundaries of sky and space at an unbelievable velocity.
In a distant and unknown place, someone sat in front of a giant screen, eyes gleaming with malice, a sinister smile forming on his face as he said in a mocking voice:
— Oh… things are developing further… it seems you are truly starting to understand your abilities… and I will possess you, O Essence… Hahaha!
While that conversation was taking place, Arius arrived at planet Nahira and descended in front of the spacious palace courtyard. There, he found Ramin, who had entered the courtyard before him, waiting to receive him.
Arius smiled and said:
— Hey man, how are you?
Ramin replied with a humble smile:
— Good… but where have you been, man?
Arius laughed lightly and said:
— On a quick mission… come on, let's go inside.
The two entered the palace together, walking with confident steps toward the throne room, where Nahira sat on her royal throne. She raised her eyes toward them and said in a tone mixing anger and interest:
— You are late, Arius… you took far too much time.
Arius replied as he walked toward the hall:
— Actually… I was exploring space a little, and time slipped away from me… I forgot to return early. My apologies, my lady.
Nahira smiled, her eyes examining Ramin:
— Anyway… is this the advisor I heard about?
Arius replied confidently:
— Yes, this is him… my dearest friend, Ramin. In fact, he is much more capable than me and was managing things whenever I was busy.
Nahira looked at him and said:
— Good… and where were you before you became a royal advisor?
Suddenly, Gelius shouted, his voice full of anger and sarcasm:
— My lady… that person was just a low-ranking soldier in our army, and suddenly he becomes a royal advisor… what is this absurdity?
Nahira replied calmly but firmly:
— Well… I partially agree with you.
Gelius stopped talking, in disbelief, and said:
— Really?
Nahira smiled a hidden smile and said:
— Yes… but Arius is the one who chose him, and it doesn't matter what he used to be, as long as he is his choice. Clearly, this young man's achievements are greater than yours, Gelius.
Gelius became flustered, his eyes wandering without a word. Then Nahira added in a stern voice:
— I do not want servants fooling around here and there. Everyone here has a sole purpose: to serve me and my interests. Anyone who falls short in their duty… their fate is immediate death. Is my wording clear?
Everyone bowed, saying in one voice:
— Clear, my lady.
Then Nahira looked directly at Ramin and said:
— Young man… continue your work, and do not care about the words of fools. Keep only one thing in your heart: to always please me.
Ramin bowed humbly and said:
— As you command, my lady.
After the meeting in the throne room ended, Arius felt a heavy exhaustion gnawing at his body from within. Fatigue crept slowly into his bones, like the specter of an endless, hidden war. He looked briefly toward Nahira and said in a tired but steady voice:
— My lady, if you permit me… I need some rest, so please grant me permission to leave now.
Nahira nodded without raising her eyes from what was before her, saying with her usual coldness:
— You have permission, Arius.
He bowed slightly and left the hall, while Ramin followed him before heading off to check on routine matters. At the entrance of the long corridor, the two parted ways. Arius said with a faint smile:
— Don't overwork yourself, Ramin.
Ramin replied with a side smile:
— And you, don't drown in sleep like a corpse, as usual.
A light laugh was exchanged between them before they went their separate ways.
Arius entered his dark room, threw his cloak onto the chair, and then flung his body onto the bed with a heavy sigh. The darkness was gentle, and the silence felt like a long embrace. He didn't need more than a minute before succumbing to sleep, completely drowning in it.
Hours passed, perhaps five or six, before a sharp scream piercing through the silence filled the palace grounds. Arius opened his eyes slowly, his senses still heavy with sleep, before suddenly sitting up, fully alert.
— What is happening?
Not long after, his room door was violently burst open, and a young girl wearing a maid's dress entered. Her face was pale, her breath fragmented, and her eyes were filled with dread. She froze the moment she saw Arius, as if shocked by his appearance, then stepped half a pace back and said in a trembling voice:
— Please… please don't tell them about me… don't hand me over… please!
Arius blinked slowly, trying to comprehend what was going on, but the sound of footsteps in the corridor interrupted him. He said quickly while pointing toward the large wardrobe:
— Hide in there, quickly.
The girl hid behind the thick curtains, and as soon as she enclosed herself, a violent knocking echoed on the door. Arius opened the door calmly, revealing three palace guards behind it, their features tense and their hands on the hilts of their swords.
— Lord Arius, apologies for the disturbance.
He replied with mild coldness:
— What is the matter?
One of them said:
— There is a maid who has turned out to be a spy belonging to the rebel army opposing the Queen's rule. We believe she passed through this corridor… did you see her pass by here?
Arius paused for a moment, looked at one of the guards, then at the corridor behind them, as if counting their breaths. Then he said with absolute coldness:
— No, I haven't seen anyone.
The guards exchanged brief looks, then bowed, saying:
— Forgive us for the disturbance, my lord.
He closed the door slowly until the palace grew quiet again. He stood still for a few moments, then turned his head toward the wardrobe and said with an icy calm:
— You can come out now.
His voice was quiet, but it carried no clear intention. No kindness… and no threat. Just mystery. The girl stepped out of the wardrobe trembling, her eyes widening like openings in the face of the night. Before she could utter a word, Arius placed his hand firmly on the ground and said with stern calmness:
— Do not worry. No one will find you here.
Then he whispered in a low voice, as if the phrase itself was a shadow of energy:
— The Empty Domain… Field of Nothingness.
As the meaning of the phrase unfolded in the air, the girl felt as though the air itself became thicker—a transparent veil separating the room from the rest of the palace, from footsteps, from whispers. The sounds outside the room vanished as if sprayed with water, and no one could hear or see what was happening inside this space anymore. Her gaze mixed wonder with fear; not a word escaped her mouth except in a shiver:
— Really? Don't you want to hand me over to Queen Nahira?
Arius smiled a brief smile, the kind that does not serve to comfort. He said coldly:
— And why would I do that?
The girl stammered, then let out the truth in a broken voice:
— Because… I am from the rebel army. The Army of the Eternal Dawn.
Arius laughed a short laugh, gentle and bitter at the same time:
— Ah… the Army of the Eternal Dawn. I have heard of it in the whispers of the nights; I thought it was just a rumor exchanged by flatterers for entertainment. I never imagined it had a physical body… or that it had spies inside Nahira's palace.
The girl looked at him, barely distinguishing between fear and relief. His voice was cold, lacking any warmth:
— Do not worry. I will not harm you, nor will I sell you to whoever is searching for you. Whoever seeks refuge with me, I do not leave them as prey to anyone. But now, speak. Tell me everything: from the day you came here, who are those who passed by, who sent you here, and where they are hiding—I want the names of the other spies inside this palace. I know they are more than one; I know of their presence, lurking in every time and place.
Time stood still for a minute in her eyes. She was expecting kindness or an outright threat, but she did not expect this precise categorization, this mind that gathers pieces without turning to emotions. Her astonishment grew: she had thought Arius was just a proud, powerful young man, but she did not think his intelligence would pierce her so simply. She whispered with a breath on the verge of breaking:
— I didn't know you were this astute... I thought you were just a master drowned in his own power.
Arius cast a brief glance at her, sharp as a blade, then said in a tone less warm than any human would expect:
— It doesn't matter what you thought of me, miss. Please start from the very first moment you entered the palace. Do not omit any details—give me the names, the places, and the codes they use. Now.
Silence hung in the room, and only the girl's breathing could be heard inside that isolated domain. She began to whisper, and despite her fear, it seemed her words were starting to form a thread that would open a much larger web before them than Arius had imagined. Inside her, the girl was struggling; her mind whispered to flee, and her heart whispered of survival. *Damn it—I will give him fake names, then escape when the opportunity arises.* She raised her head, sighed with a trembling voice, and uttered improvised names in a voice like a torn tape: names here and there, elders, soldiers, and dignitaries who had no existence in reality.
At that exact moment, Dark stepped out of the shadows, his voice charged with suspicion:
— My lord… she is lying.
The girl froze; redness rushed into her cheeks, and her heart almost stopped in her throat. Arius stood up with complete composure, then said in a cold voice that carried no violence:
— It seems I was too lenient.
He raised his hand for a moment, and the girl flinched, believing a blow was coming. But she was not slapped, nor was she whipped; instead, Arius placed his palm gently on her head—a hand both warm and heavy at the same time. He whispered in a less sharp but stern voice:
— Listen… forgive me if my voice sounded loud at first. Remember one thing: whoever seeks refuge with me, I will not hand them over. This is a promise.
Under this promise, Arius's words bore a strange echo inside the girl; she had not expected this shift—the second man in the country, the holder of influence, lowering the sword of his authority as if throwing his scabbard aside.
Arius continued in a calm tone that was almost an admission:
— I will not expose you to any harm. But I will need the truth. The names of the spies, the communication codes between you… everything you know. I do not want to expose them; rather, I want to help you as much as I can.
The girl raised her eyes, demanding proof; doubt was still consuming her. She said with a frankness protected by terror:
— I won't believe you unless you give me proof.
Arius smiled a short smile, deeper than a mere verbal promise. His next words spoke like someone opening a window to a larger plan:
— I will release you now. Not only that—I will reveal to you the locations of the storehouses and resources that your army needs.
The girl hesitated when she heard the name uttered by Arius: "The Army of the Free." Her whisper shook the corners of her chest:
— The Army of the Free?
Arius answered her without stammering, in a stern but non-hostile voice:
— Yes. Whoever possesses the intention to liberate the world from corruption is not considered a rebel or a traitor just because the regime fears their dreams. Whoever carries a free will deserves respect and support. I will support you—if your goal is truly noble.
The room stood still for a moment on a single breath; the girl felt numb, confused, and afraid, but something else began to grow inside her: a glimmer of hope, very small but real. Dark retreated into the shadow, his eyes hiding a anxiety he could not conceal.
Arius finally withdrew his hand from her head and looked at the girl with a gaze that was not just full of pity, but laden with a calm determination:
— Now begin, from the first day you entered the palace. Do not abbreviate. And do not lie.
The girl began to speak, her voice stumbling then stabilizing, weaving before them a thread of names, places, and shadows that might lead to a network wider than Arius had expected. And inside his chest, there was a strange feeling—a responsibility or an opportunity? Perhaps both. The girl looked at Arius with static eyes, her voice choking between fear and curiosity:
— And what is your interest in all of this? What will you gain if you help us? You must be hiding something.
Arius smiled a calm smile, containing less mercy than raw honesty:
— The matter is very simple. I hate this place. I hate Nahira's rule… I hate her cruelty and sadism. I know her better than anyone here—she is a monster in human form, devoid of emotions. I once took a vow upon myself to seek revenge against her no matter how long it takes, because she turned my life into a living hell one day. That is all there is to it.
The girl interrupted him sharply:
— Then why don't you kill her?
Arius blinked, as if the question struck him at the core of truth:
— I wish for that with all the desire I possess. But the matter is more complex than being settled with a single blow. Her status and power are on a completely different level from me and you. If it were up to me, I would kill her today before tomorrow, but I cannot right now. And staying near her won't increase my strength—rather, it will make her fear me and restrict me more. I am like a chained tiger; I need to go outside, to grow, to seize my power away from her sight.
The girl hesitated a little, thinking about the words and the tone of the man standing before her—he was neither kind in the conventional sense nor a direct killer. Then she surrendered to the need and declared in a softer voice:
— Fine… I will tell you the names.
Satisfaction appeared on Arius's face as a fleeting smile. He pointed to Dark:
— Open a portal—transfer her wherever she wishes.
Dark executed without a word; the portal hummed like a wind between thresholds, opening a glowing aperture leading to a shaded alley where the girl could disappear without a trace. Before vanishing through the light, the girl stopped, looked at Arius, and said in a clipped voice:
— I will tell my commander about you.
Arius replied with a smile that seemed charming in its simplicity:
— Good luck.
She tilted her head and said nonchalantly:
— By the way… my name is Rouge.
Arius replied with unexpected speed:
— Rouge… a beautiful name.
The portal snapped shut, and the light swallowed the girl until she disappeared completely. Arius remained standing in the room, his face still wearing a faint smile—a smile that revealed only a small part of larger calculations and plans yet to be disclosed. Arius left his room with calm steps, like someone leaving the shadow of his bedroom to stand on the edge of a grand stage, waiting for the right moment to appear. He entered the throne room, and it was buzzing with commanders and officials; faces were both motivated and terrified at the same time. In their midst was Nahira, her voice sharp as a bullet, mocking, shouting, and distributing her orders like an angry judge:
— Is there a group of spies in my house? Am I facing herds of rats without knowing anything about them? Find them! Find them one by one, or else your gallows will be hung by my own hands!
Arius took a step forward, scanning the vast hall, and a sly smile formed on his lips. They were all there—the spies Rouge had implied moments ago—gathered in the middle of the hall, their faces hiding behind expressions of fear and humiliation. Arius slowly raised his palm like someone turning the scene over to himself, and said to himself in a fragmented whisper, more for the pleasure of clever doubt than anything else:
— I expected it… from everyone, except you, you deceptive manipulator.
He advanced further until he stood before the throne. Nahira turned to him with glowing eyes, showing no signs of reassurance. Arius displayed features of deliberate innocence, as if what was happening was a complete surprise to him, then said in a voice mimicking confusion:
— My lady… I have just received the news. Is what the guards are saying true? Do we have traitors in the palace and we didn't know?
Nahira looked at him with volatile anger, as if reading his chest before his words:
— Yes, Arius. All this time they were surrounding us while we were oblivious.
Arius replied with a masterly calmness, the kind of composure that inflames nerves:
— My lady… I will capture them for you soon. As for these people, they are of no use right now.
A brief silence followed, then Nahira returned with a harsher voice:
— Arius, I know your countless capabilities. I am certain you will capture them and place them before me here.
Arius bowed slightly, and delivered a calm, decisive tone:
— As you wish. I will set out now to find them.
Then he descended from the throne platform, his steps calm, but every step carried the weight of the plan. The hall filled with anticipating faces and hearts that feared the end of the play that had just begun. Arius did not rush nor did he linger; his smile remained on his lips, a smirk of malice and a deadly countdown.
Inside his own mind, other words were revolving: *This is not just a hunt for spies, but the beginning of an operation that will rearrange the rules of the entire game.* .