Not the Hero, Not the Villain — Just the One Who Wins

Dawn never truly reached the depths of the Obsidian Forest. Even when the sun rose, its golden rays only kissed the treetops—never the soil where war brewed.

Today, the war would tilt. Not with swords. Not with monsters.

But with brilliance.

"We’re abandoning the fortress."

The war room fell into stunned silence.

Layla’s violet eyes narrowed. "Explain."

I tapped a sequence on the glowing terrain map. The fortress, our well-defended stronghold, flickered before vanishing. In its place, a series of subterranean tunnels and echo chambers materialized—an ancient structure beneath the forest known as the Crimson Labyrinth.

Liora Nowa whistled softly. "This was sealed decades ago."

"Exactly," I said. "No one would expect us to hide there. Not when it’s a known death trap."

Lucielle folded her arms. "So your grand plan is to retreat into a tomb?"

"No," I corrected. "My plan is to turn that tomb into a battlefield. One where every hallway is a funnel, every chamber a trap, every shadow our ally."