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The dead world of Qward no longer felt dead.
Entire city blocks were being born in minutes then torn down just as fast, replaced by something better. Or at least, something the shadows soldiers thought would please their Monarch.
Arthur hovered above it all at first, arms crossed, violet eyes calm… until the noise began.
Conflicting designs collided mid-construction. Towers grew too tall, were immediately outdone by taller ones beside them. Streets rearranged themselves in defiance of earlier plans. Spires twisted into impossible geometries simply because another legion had made theirs slightly more intimidating.
A group of shadow soldiers stood around a half-finished structure arguing furiously.
"No, no, no! Monarch prefers symmetry. This angle is offensive."
"Offensive? Monarch values efficiency. This structure channels shadow-energy flow thirty percent better! And it's connected to the Central battery as well!"
"And yet it looks boring. Would you rule from something boring?"
The first soldier scoffed. "Do not project your insecurities onto the Monarch."
Arthur pinched the bridge of his nose.
"So much for letting the generals and marshals organize them…"
Below him, the competition escalated.
One legion erected a massive citadel with hovering rings of shadow rotating around its peak. Before it could settle, another legion responded by building an entire floating district, streets, towers, and platforms purely to outshine them.
From a distance, Arthur noticed something worse.
His generals and marshals were doing it too.
Beru's forces carved sharp, aggressive architecture, blade-like towers meant to look lethal. Galatea who didn't want to be like Beru ended up countering him with a sleek, terrifyingly elegant castle.
'she was just calling him an idiot moments ago...' Arthur muttered.
And then there was Bellion.
Arthur's gaze shifted.
Bellion and his legion of Heavenly Soldiers worked in disciplined silence, their movements synchronized, precise. Where others competed through excess, Bellion built with intent. Massive, majestic towers rose, structures that felt practical.
Lightless arches. Fortress-halls large enough to house Lantern Corps assemblies.
They weren't shouting for attention.
They were building something that expected to be chosen.
Arthur exhaled slowly. "At least someone remembers what this is about…"
A sudden tremor shook the ground.
Arthur turned.
In the distance, with the help of Shadow Lex and Tusk, a mix of science and magic, Surtr had claimed an entire continental plate.
The giant stood knee-deep, his massive squad of giants working around him. What they were building wasn't a tower, not exactly.
It was a monument.
A colossal structure shaped like a broken ring half-embedded in the planet's crust, its inner edge forming a city-sized sanctum. The symbol of the Shadow Lanterns burned along its surface, not decorative but functional, stabilizing shadow-energy at a planetary scale.
Surtr slammed his hammer down once, and the structure locked into place with a thunderous pulse.
One of his giants looked at another. "Think the Monarch will like it?"
The other shrugged. "If not, we will simply build another. Bigger."
Arthur actually let out a quiet breath of amusement.
At his side, Igris materialized silently, cape settling behind him. He watched the chaos unfold, the arguments, the escalating constructions, the silent rivalry.
"…My Monarch," Igris said carefully, "every soldier is experiencing creative freedom for the first time. I fear this may lead to chaos."
Arthur's violet eyes gleamed as another spire tried to outdo Bellion's work only to be subtly corrected mid-formation by Arthur's will.
"And I'm afraid," Arthur replied after a moment, "that I can't stop it."
Igris turned to him.
"This is what happens when beings forged for battle are allowed to build something for once," Arthur continued calmly. "They'll get it done."
Igris had no answer to that.
Arthur descended slowly and landed atop the Shadow Central Power Battery, sitting casually on its massive surface like a king watching a city grow beneath him. One leg crossed over the other, elbow resting on his knee, chin propped against his knuckles.
From there, he guided them.
Not with commands, but with corrections.
A tower leaned too far toward intimidation, he adjusted its flow. A district became inefficient he refined it. A monument lacked purpose he rewrote its foundation.
The shadows responded instantly.
With terrifying precision and absolute speed.
Entire districts finalized themselves in time. Roads aligned. Power conduits stabilized. Defensive structures embedded themselves beneath the surface.
A world was being born.
But through rivalry.
Arthur watched it all, violet eyes reflecting a city that would soon house Lanterns of Death, Order, and Judgment.
****
Time passed.
A single day, is all it took.
The last echo of construction faded, and Qward stood… reborn.
Where once there had been a hollow world, scarred and abandoned, and echoing with the remnants of fear there now rose a great city, vast enough to rival Oa itself. It sprawled across the planet like a living organism, structured yet organic, disciplined and ominously beautiful.
At its heart stood the Shadow Lantern Central Power Battery no longer a lonely structure, now it's a throne of energy. Violet-black light pulsed outward from it in rhythmic waves, feeding the city, the planet, and every Shadow Lantern bound to it.
Radiating from the Battery were districts crafted with purpose in mind.
The Hall of Binding Oaths, a colossal circular structure where new Shadow Lanterns would swear their allegiance, not in blind loyalty, but in principle and resolve. Its ceiling was open to the void, constellations visible even in daylight, reminding all who entered how small they were… and how vast their duty is.
The Citadel of Judgment, a fortified spire near the planet's equator, served as both command center and tribunal. It is where transgressions will be weighed, and where justice will be decided.
The Vaults of Silent Knowledge lay partially beneath the surface, housing records of the universe, worlds, extinct civilizations, and enemies, all the knowledge that exists here will be in the shadow rings as well.
Massive transit rings hovered above the city, allowing instant passage between districts. Training grounds stretched across it, where Shadow Lanterns would hone control over fearless will and death-bound power.
And guarding the outer reaches of the planet were monumental bastions some elegant, some brutal, each a testament to the Shadow legion that built it.
Arthur stood above it all, hovering in silence.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then, quietly he spoke.
"…I couldn't be more impressed than this."
The shadows stilled instantly.
"You outdid yourselves. As usual."
That was all it took.
The reaction was immediate, and chaotic.
Several shadow soldiers dropped to one knee as if struck.
"We do not deserve such praise, Monarch.." one said, voice trembling.
Another turned sharply. "We should find more worlds. Build them better. Stronger."
A third nodded furiously. "Yes! refine, improve, and perfect them."
Arthur raised a hand, but it was already too late.
Beru stepped forward, wings flaring dramatically, tears streaking down his face.
"It was worth it," he said, voice breaking. "To hear such words from my liege… I would build the universe itself if you commanded it!"
Arthur blinked.
Then raised both hands quickly. "Whoa, no.. let's slow down."
That stopped them.
"Let's not get carried away," he added, exhaling. "One city is enough for now."
A ripple of embarrassed but proud energy passed through the legion.
Arthur looked back at the city, thoughtful now.
"…So," he said, "what should we name this place?"
The question lingered.
Then footsteps echoed.
Zeus stepped forward.
Not as a king of gods, but as a shadow, dignified, composed, and humbled by service.
"May I suggest a name, Monarch?"
Arthur turned, one eyebrow lifting slightly.
"Zeus?" A faint smile touched his lips. "Of course. Go on."
Zeus faced the city, lightning faintly crackling beneath his shadowed form.
"This world was born from chaos," he began, voice steady but reverent. "A place once ruled by fear, now reshaped into order, not through light, but through night."
He gestured toward the vast skyline.
"In ancient times, there was a goddess who dwelled at the edges of existence. She was a child of Chaos, Nyx. She was not evil, nor benevolent but even I feared her once. There was... something about her, I never could tell."
Arthur listened without interrupting.
"Nyx birthed forces older than the gods, death, fate. And this city… is also born from chaos." Zeus turned back toward Arthur. "It stands the same. At the edge of the universe. Feared, misunderstood, yet necessary."
His voice softened.
"This place will surely birth Lanterns not driven by hope or rage but by principle. By judgment. By resolve unshaken by fear."
He inclined his head.
"I believe Nyx is a fitting name."
Silence followed. No one objected.
No one even considered it.
Arthur studied the city one last time.
Then he nodded once.
"So be it," he said. "Nyx it is."
The shadows bowed as one.
"Home of the Shadow Lanterns."
Zeus lowered himself into a respectful bow.
"It brings me great joy that you accepted my suggestion, Monarch."
Arthur glanced at him, a faint, genuine smile crossing his face.
"It was a great suggestion after all."
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want