The room remained silent after I told them about the dream.
No one seemed willing to go back to sleep.
The heavy feeling that had taken over the room was still there.
Even without the First General's presence, I could still feel the pressure of him in my mind.
As if that vision had left a mark.
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the dark sky through the window while the girls gradually woke up completely.
Scarlett was the first to stand.
She walked over to the window and crossed her arms.
"Dawn is still a while away."
Her voice was quieter than usual.
I nodded slowly.
Rai'kanna got up shortly afterward as well.
She looked directly at me.
"The dream felt different this time."
"Yes."
"Different how?"
I took a deep breath before answering.
"More real."
Liriel quietly took my hand beside me.
"Were you able to feel his mana again?"
"I was."
Just remembering that presence was enough to make my body tense.
The First General didn't just seem strong.
He seemed like something completely beyond any enemy I had faced until now.
Lyannis slowly walked over to the table where the maps were spread out.
She studied one of them for a few seconds before speaking.
"If they've really started accelerating their march... then they may attack sooner than expected."
Scarlett turned away from the window.
"How much sooner?"
"Two days."
Vespera let out a small sigh.
"Great. So we're basically waiting for the world to end."
Elara calmly walked toward the balcony.
The cold wind slowly passed through the curtains.
"The mana in the air is getting worse."
I looked outside as well.
She was right.
Even from inside the mansion, it was possible to feel it.
The demonic energy in the atmosphere seemed to be increasing little by little.
It wasn't something visible.
But it was suffocating.
Like a storm slowly approaching.
Then the golden sword began to emit a faint glow again.
Everyone noticed immediately.
I grabbed the sword's hilt and closed my eyes.
Her voice echoed inside my mind.
"The troops are still advancing."
"Distance?"
"Closer than before."
My expression turned serious.
Scarlett noticed immediately.
"So?"
"They're still marching."
Rai'kanna slowly clenched her fists.
"So it wasn't just psychological pressure."
I shook my head.
"No."
Lyannis took a deep breath.
"If they keep advancing at this pace... then the scouting forces will probably send another report today."
The room fell silent once again.
No one needed to say out loud what everyone was thinking.
The war was approaching far too quickly.
After a few minutes, Liriel broke the silence.
"You should all eat something."
Vespera looked at her.
"At a time like this?"
"We need to keep our minds working."
Scarlett let out a small sigh.
"She's right."
We headed downstairs to the mansion's main hall shortly afterward.
The place was quiet.
The magical lights still partially illuminated the corridors while the sky outside remained dark.
Liriel began preparing something simple for everyone.
Even in a situation like this, she still tried to preserve some sense of normalcy.
That helped more than it seemed.
I sat near the large window in the hall, watching the mansion's silent gardens.
A few guards were still patrolling the grounds.
Farther away, lights could be seen throughout the city.
Vailor no longer slept normally.
Blacksmiths worked through the night.
Soldiers reinforced the walls.
Messengers constantly rode through the streets.
The entire city was trapped in a silent tension.
Scarlett approached carrying a cup.
She placed it in front of me.
"Here."
"Thanks."
She sat beside me.
For a few seconds, she simply looked out at the garden.
Then she spoke.
"Do you really believe you can defeat him?"
The question was direct.
As always.
I looked at the warm drink for a few seconds before answering.
"I don't know."
Scarlett let out a humorless chuckle.
"At least you're still honest."
"It would be stupid to lie in a situation like this."
She rested her face on her hand as she looked out the window.
"When I faced ancient dragons for the first time... I felt something similar."
I looked at her.
Scarlett rarely talked about her past.
"Fear?"
"No."
She closed her eyes for a moment.
"The feeling that I could die at any second."
The wind slowly drifted through the hall.
"But I kept fighting anyway."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"So I guess you'll keep fighting too."
I ended up smiling faintly.
"Probably."
A little later, Rai'kanna appeared carrying several training weapons.
She placed them against the wall.
Vespera looked over immediately.
"Have you gone crazy?"
"I can't just stand still."
Rai'kanna replied calmly.
"So you're going to train now?"
"Better than thinking too much."
Lyannis nodded quietly.
"I agree."
Elara also picked up one of the weapons.
Scarlett looked at me.
"Looks like no one's going to rest after all."
I stood up.
"Then let's make the most of it."
We headed to the training field behind the mansion while the sky was still dark.
The cold wind swept across the empty grounds.
The nearby magical lights partially illuminated the area.
Rai'kanna was the first to attack.
She charged straight at me with overwhelming physical strength while I dodged and blocked her training strikes.
Even without intending to hurt me... she continued applying heavy pressure.
"Faster."
She attacked again.
I blocked another strike and slid backward.
Vespera seized the opening and immediately fired magical arrows.
The arrows cut through the air at incredible speed.
I used mana to repel the attacks while Scarlett appeared from the side, wielding lightning.
Explosions lit up part of the training field.
Elara controlled currents of wind around us to hinder movement.
Lyannis analyzed everything while giving quick commands.
"Liriel, side barrier."
The barrier appeared instantly, protecting Vespera while Rai'kanna charged once more.
Even though it was only training... their coordination had improved tremendously.
Far more than before.
I dodged another strike and used magical propulsion to create some distance.
Then I partially activated the armor.
Golden energy immediately covered part of my arm.
Scarlett smiled faintly.
"Now it begins."
She unleashed several bolts of lightning at once.
Explosions echoed across the training field.
Rai'kanna charged through the smoke while Elara increased her speed with the wind.
I blocked the attack at the last instant.
The impact made the ground crack slightly.
Vespera fired another volley of arrows.
Lyannis cast a binding spell immediately afterward.
Their movements were flowing better.
Faster.
More coordinated.
And that was important.
Because facing the First General alone would probably be impossible.
The training continued for quite a while.
Even exhausted, none of them seemed willing to stop.
The fear of war was turning into determination.
When we finally stopped training, the sky was beginning to brighten very slowly.
Faint shades of blue appeared on the distant horizon.
I took a deep breath, trying to catch my breath.
Scarlett ran a hand through her hair, damp with sweat.
"You've all improved."
Vespera crossed her arms.
"Obviously."
Rai'kanna looked directly at me.
"And you're still holding back."
"I'm not."
Lyannis answered before I could.
"You are."
I looked at her.
"How do you notice these things so quickly?"
"Because I watch you fight."
She answered calmly.
"You still can't use all of your mana without overloading your body."
She was right.
Even after all the training... I could still clearly feel my limits.
Especially whenever I tried to maintain both the armor and the blessing at the same time.
Liriel then approached, carrying dry towels.
"You're all going to collapse before the war starts if you keep this up."
Rai'kanna took one of the towels.
"It's worth it."
The atmosphere became a little lighter after that.
For the first time since the dream... I felt the tension ease a little.
Even knowing what was coming.
Then...
A sound echoed in the distance.
Everyone immediately turned toward the city.
The deep sound cut through the silent dawn.
A bell.
Then another.
And another.
Lyannis' expression changed instantly.
"Military alert."
Scarlett became serious.
"Already?"
The bells continued echoing throughout all of Vailor.
Long.
Heavy.
Urgent.
I could immediately feel the sword's mana react.
I gripped its hilt.
Her voice instantly echoed inside my mind.
"They're closer."
My entire body tensed.
Rai'kanna slowly clenched her fists.
"So it begins."
In the distance, guards began running through the city's streets.
Communication magic glowed near the castle.
Dawn was finally breaking on the horizon.
But there was no sense of peace.
Only tension.
Only war.
I looked at all of them.
None of them seemed ready to back down.
Even though they were frightened.
Even though they were exhausted.
They all remained resolute.
Then I took a deep breath.
"The castle is probably going to summon everyone now."
Scarlett nodded.
"Then let's get ready."
I looked once more toward the distant north.
The sky seemed darker in that direction.
Heavy.
As if something monstrous were slowly approaching.
And deep down...
I knew.
The next time I stepped onto a battlefield...
It would be to face the most dangerous enemy of my life.