Chapter 98: into the fire
The morning sky bled crimson. It wasn't the sunrise. It was the omen.
The army was already on the move — banners raised high, armor glinting beneath the hazy light, weapons humming with magic and might. The brothers stood at the front of the march, silent, steady, with Cain in the center. Selene stood beside him, her hand lightly brushing against his as if to say, I'm still here.
The castle gates opened with a groan that echoed across the valley, the final barrier between peace and the battlefield now behind them.
"I never thought I'd fight like this again," their mother said, standing tall in her royal armor. Her silver hair, once soft and flowing, was now braided tightly, a crown of thorns circling her head.
Their father stood just a step behind her, wearing the black and gold armor of the Old Kings. His eyes scanned the horizon, filled with something between guilt and grim determination.
"They're waiting," Leo murmured, looking at the far-off cliff line. There, standing like wraiths against the sky, was the new threat—the Order of Ash. Cloaked in dark flame, their general stood at the front, face hidden, holding Eira's sword.
Cain's jaw tightened. "They're using her memory to break us."
"She wouldn't want that," Eren said, gripping his weapon. "She died to protect us. Let's not waste it."
A horn sounded from the enemy's side.
The earth shuddered. Creatures burst from the cracks—horrid, half-formed beasts from the underworld. The sky blackened as cursed arrows rained down.
Cain shouted, "Shields!"