The chamber was quiet after the meeting ended, the air heavy with command and formality. A long obsidian table stretched across the room, surrounded by the Empire's highest-ranking officers. They had just concluded a discussion that would shape the future of the capital — troop movements, supply chains, border control, the usual monotony of control.
As the last of them filed out, the sound of boots faded, leaving only two figures behind.
One sat at the head of the table — his presence sharp, his tone colder than the metal walls themselves.
"Long time," the seated figure said, leaning back slightly.
"Same to you," Frostbyte replied without emotion, arms crossed, his silver-etched coat faintly reflecting the light from the holo-table.
"So," the man said, his voice low, "you must have a reason for wanting to see me."
"Yeah." Frostbyte reached into his coat and slid a thin black folder across the table. "You'll want to take a look at this."
The man frowned. "And this is?"
"A report from the Void Mission."
At the mention of that word, the other's tone hardened. "The Void? You actually sent a squad there?"
"Read it," Frostbyte said, his tone clipped.
The man — Commander Vortex — opened the folder. Blue light rippled over his face as lines of text and images scrolled across the holographic surface: corrupted data, dark fog, a single still frame of something huge moving within it.
"'Anomaly detected.'" He looked up. "What's this supposed to mean?"
"Our unit encountered a creature," Frostbyte said. "It appeared during a surveillance operation near the outer code field."
"Surveillance," Vortex repeated, his smirk faint. "You don't send armed units into the Void for 'surveillance.'"
Frostbyte didn't answer. He didn't have to.
"So?" Vortex asked again, closing the folder halfway. "What else did you find?"
"A few survivors."
That made Vortex pause. "Survivors? From the Void?"
"Read the rest."
He did. His eyes narrowed as he skimmed the highlighted lines.
"SK the Reaper... a resistance soldier... and a SkyRealm veteran?"
"Correct," Frostbyte said. "The veteran's name is Blaze. I've checked every database. He doesn't exist."
"And the anomaly?" Vortex asked. "What about the Crimson Warden?"
"He barely made it out. Armor destroyed, no critical injuries. Whatever that thing was, it wasn't supposed to be there. Even the Warden retreated."
Vortex leaned back, processing the information. "Interesting. I'll review it myself."
"Do that," Frostbyte said. He straightened, turned toward the door.
"Take care, Commander," Vortex said as the doors began to close.
"Yeah. You too."
When the room fell silent again, Vortex's voice lingered softly in the echo.
"Still the same as ever... never change, Frostbyte."
He looked down at the paused holo-screen, where the name BLAZE glowed faintly. His fingers hovered above the data field for a moment before he deactivated it.
Frostbyte walked through the golden hall of the capital's central command. Every wall shimmered faintly with digital texture — the Empire's blend of code and reality. Soldiers snapped to attention as he passed.
A younger officer hurried up. "Sir!"
"Report."
"Sir, Blaze and SK have entered the capital."
"And the Resistance sniper?"
"She's with them."
"Good." Frostbyte's voice was calm. "Keep an eye on them. Quietly."
"Yes, Commander." The soldier saluted and left.
Frostbyte stopped before a massive statue that dominated the corridor — three golden figures frozen mid-battle.
At the center stood a hooded swordsman, blade raised high. To his side, a sorceress cloaked in light. To the other, an archer, bow drawn.
The Three Heroes of the Great War.
Frostbyte stared up at the swordsman's gleaming visor. The reflection of his own face shimmered over it, faint and distorted.
"Legends, huh," he muttered, then turned away.
— Empire Capital
The first thing that hit me was the light.
Neon, gold, and white — the Empire's city was brighter than any place I'd ever seen. The buildings stretched into the clouds like towers of glass and steel, every street packed with life. Soldiers in pristine armor patrolled the avenues while floating transports buzzed overhead.
I couldn't stop staring. "Never thought I'd actually see this," I muttered under my breath.
Back in the Resistance, stories about the Empire were always half horror, half legend — massive cities built over the old servers, ruled by people who believed they were gods. And now here I was, standing in one.
It felt unreal.
Beside me, Blaze walked with his usual calm, hands in his pockets, hood pulled low. Behind him, SK followed — white armor gleaming like polished ice. Her posture was rigid, her expression unreadable as always.
Meanwhile, I was… tied up.
Literally.
"Hey!" I snapped, jerking against the cuffs that shimmered around my wrists. "Why am I still tied up?!"
"Because," Blaze said without even looking at me, "you're technically still in custody."
I glared at him. "Custody?!"
SK's tone was calm but firm. "Sir Blaze is right. You're still a Resistance soldier. Letting you walk around freely could attract unwanted attention."
"Unwanted attention?!" I hissed. "That's exactly what this does! Everyone's staring at me like I'm some zoo exhibit!"
"Then perhaps," SK said dryly, "you should stop struggling."
I shot her a glare. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
Blaze's smirk appeared beneath his hood. "A little."
I groaned. "You two are the worst."
We walked down the main boulevard, surrounded by a crowd of civilians. The city was beautiful, I couldn't deny that — massive white towers, holographic signs floating between buildings, and the distant sound of an orchestra playing somewhere near the plaza.
Then Blaze slowed down, eyes fixed on something ahead.
At the heart of the city stood a massive golden statue — the same trio Frostbyte had seen.
The Three Heroes.
SK stopped beside him, her tone almost reverent. "The legendary heroes who ended the Great War. They united the players and defeated the final boss. Every citizen knows their story."
Blaze said nothing. His eyes lingered on the statue of the hooded swordsman.
I watched his face — or at least what little I could see under the hood. For a second, something flickered there. Recognition? Pain? I couldn't tell.
"Sir Blaze," SK said, "you fought in the Great War, didn't you?"
He hesitated. "Maybe. But if I did... I don't remember."
That silence said more than words ever could.
I turned my gaze back to the crowd — and that's when I felt it.
A prickling sensation on my neck. Like eyes.
I leaned closer to Blaze. "You feel that?"
"Yeah," he muttered. "Since we left."
Great. So I wasn't paranoid.
Whoever was watching us knew what they were doing. I could spot movement — two figures in dark armor, pretending to browse at a street vendor, but their helmets kept turning just slightly toward us. Imperial recon, most likely.
Still, Blaze didn't react. He just walked. SK followed calmly, her hand resting casually near her weapon.
We ducked into a side street, the noise of the city fading behind us, and stepped into a small food shop tucked between two neon pillars. The scent of hot oil and spice filled the air, and the sound of sizzling pans echoed faintly.
"Smells... actually good," I muttered as we found a seat. For a moment, I let myself breathe.
The waiter handed us menus, and Blaze lowered his hood just slightly. I caught a glimpse of his eyes — calm, sharp, the kind that always seemed to be calculating something.
Then the door opened.
The bell above it chimed once.
I turned — and froze.
A man stepped inside, his black coat still wet from the rain outside, his gaze locking onto us immediately.
The air shifted.
Blaze looked up at the same time SK did.
My breath caught.
It was the captain — the one who had led the expedition into the Void.
He smiled faintly, recognition flashing in his eyes.
"Well," he said, his voice steady, almost casual. "Didn't expect to see you three here."
The sound of rain against the window filled the silence.
And just like that—
everything went still.
— End of Chapter 40 —