It had been days since we arrived in the Empire.
Blaze's injuries were healed, SK was back in her crisp white Empire uniform, and both of them were living comfortably — the perks of being an Empire officer and a SkyRealm veteran.Private rooms. Good food. Warm beds.
And me? I was still stuck in a cell.
The walls were cold, the air stale, and the only window I had was a narrow slit with bars. I couldn't complain too much — at least I was alive — but every night I stared through that window and thought about escape. The Resistance was out there somewhere. My people. My home.
But Blaze and SK…The thought of leaving them behind twisted something inside me. We had survived the Void together. Fought side by side. Shared pain and fear. That kind of bond didn't fade easily.
As I stared at the light filtering through the window, a familiar voice broke my thoughts.
"Wow," someone said casually. "Can't believe you actually spent a night in here."
I turned, blinking. "Blaze?!"
He leaned against the bars, arms crossed, that faint teasing smile on his face. "You look comfortable."
"What are you even doing here?" I asked, half annoyed, half relieved.
"Well," he said, shrugging, "I came to find you, obviously. The guards told me where you were."
I frowned. "What do you want?"
"Captain Counter wanted us to visit the barracks," Blaze said. "SK's busy, so I figured — why not bring you along?"
I stared at him. "The Empire's barracks? Do you even remember what you told them about me being in custody?"
He grinned. "So you'd rather stay in here forever?"
I sighed, defeated. "Fine. I'm coming."
"Good choice."
He drew his sword — the blue blade humming faintly — and with one clean strike, the cell door fell open.
I jumped back. "What the—are you even allowed to do that?!"
"Of course I am," he said confidently, sliding the sword back into its sheath like nothing happened.
We walked down the corridor, my footsteps echoing against the metal. When we turned a corner, a guard spotted us immediately.
"Sir!" the guard barked. "What are you doing? And why is she out without restraints?"
"Don't worry," Blaze said calmly. "She's with me."
"I need authorization from a higher officer before I can—" The guard reached for Blaze's shoulder.
Big mistake.
The air shifted. A faint pressure, like static before a lightning strike, rippled down my spine. The guard froze, his hand still halfway raised.
The second guard's voice trembled. "Hey… I think that's him. The one who came through the portal. The SkyRealm veteran."
The first guard paled instantly, retracting his hand. "My apologies, sir! I didn't know! It's an honor."
"Don't worry about it," Blaze said casually, though his voice carried an edge — colder than usual. "Ryze, let's go."
"Y-yes," I stammered, following close behind.
I had almost forgotten how powerful he really was. Blaze wasn't just strong — his presence radiated something heavy, something that made even soldiers trained in fear bow their heads.If someone like him joined the Resistance, the war could shift overnight.But players like Blaze rarely did. The Empire always got the best.
We walked through the busy streets of the capital. Civilians passed by, soldiers marched, neon lights shimmered on the walls. We didn't talk for a while — until Blaze finally broke the silence.
"So," he said with a smirk, "how's it feel to walk around without being tied up?"
"Ha. Funny." I shot back. "You ever try being tied up? Maybe then you'd appreciate it more."
He laughed softly. "Good thing SK's not with us. She'd have tied you up again the moment we stepped outside."
"Yeah," I admitted with a smile. "You're probably right."
"So why are we going to the soldiers' barracks again?" I asked, realizing he never actually explained.
"Counter mentioned it before — said we could visit," Blaze said.
"To do what?"
He grinned. "Training."
"Training?!" I nearly choked. "We're in the Empire, Blaze! There are no monsters here!"
"Not Void monsters, no," he said. "But the Empire's got plenty of their own kind. You'll see."
I groaned. "You call that fun?"
"For me, yeah," he said.
I just rolled my eyes, but deep down, part of me was curious.
When we finally reached the barracks, I had to admit — it was impressive.
Massive training grounds stretched under a domed ceiling, soldiers sparring with swords, others firing rifles at holographic targets. The air smelled of metal and ozone. Magic bursts flared against shield barriers, filling the space with light.
As we entered, dozens of soldiers turned their heads.
For a second, I thought they were staring at me — the Resistance sniper walking freely beside an Empire officer. But then I realized their eyes weren't on me at all.
They were on Blaze.
His presence filled the room like a quiet storm. Even without his hood down, everyone felt it — the aura of someone who had seen more battles than they could imagine.
After a few minutes, Captain Counter arrived, looking slightly out of breath.
"Ah, Sir Blaze," he said, saluting. "Apologies for the delay. The command center's been busy — the situation with the Void has everyone on edge."
"It's fine," Blaze said simply.
Then Counter's gaze fell on me. "Ah, you're here too."
I blinked. "Is that… a problem?"
He smirked faintly. "No. Just unexpected."
He turned to the gathered soldiers and raised his voice. "Everyone, gather up!"
In seconds, the training ground fell silent. Dozens of Empire soldiers — players from different divisions — assembled in neat rows.
And then came the whispers.
"Hey, is that a Resistance soldier?""What's she doing here?""Shouldn't we take her in?"
I tightened my grip on my rifle, ready to defend myself if I had to.
But the whispers shifted.
"Wait, is that him?""The one from SkyRealm?""A Great War veteran?!"
I followed their gazes. Every eye was on Blaze now.
Counter raised his hand for silence. "Let me introduce you to Sir Blaze, SkyRealm veteran and survivor of the Void."
In an instant, the tension turned into awe.
Soldiers crowded around Blaze, reaching to shake his hand, asking questions all at once.
"Sir, you really lived through the Void?""What was it like fighting in the Great War?""Is it true the legends were real?"
Blaze looked caught off guard, half overwhelmed by the attention. For once, he didn't have that smug smirk — just quiet confusion.
Meanwhile, I got pushed aside in the rush.
"Hey! Watch it!" I snapped as I was shoved against the wall. They didn't even hear me.
Someone chuckled beside me. I turned — it was Counter, watching the scene with a calm smile.
"You didn't expect this, did you?" he said.
"Not really," I admitted. "Are SkyRealm veterans always treated like celebrities?"
He nodded. "Pretty much."
"Why?"
He folded his arms, eyes on Blaze. "You know the stories of the Great War, right?"
"Yeah. Everyone does."
"Well, most people only know the myth — that the three legendary players united everyone and ended the chaos. But the truth?" He sighed. "Only a handful of players actually fought beside them. Most didn't survive. The ones who did… the ones who came back… they became heroes. Symbols of Hope."
I exhaled sharply. "Hope, huh…? Funny. Because from where I stand, those 'heroes' also laid the foundation of the Empire. And look what it's become."
Counter raised a brow. "Meaning?"
"Meaning," I said, crossing my arms, "that the Empire used their legacy as an excuse to expand. To conquer other games. To force order on worlds that never asked for it. You say heroes built this place — but the same foundation is what gave the Empire the power to crush everything around it."
I glanced at the soldiers worshipping Blaze, my voice tightening."Heroes or veterans… it doesn't matter. Their legacy became a weapon."
Counter stayed silent for a moment, then sighed.
"You still don't know much, do you?" he said quietly.
I shot him a glare. "I know enough."
"No," he replied, tone firm but not unkind. "You know what the Resistance teaches you. What the reports say. What the myths say." He looked back toward Blaze. "But the Empire… is complicated. And wide. Far wider than any faction wants to admit."
He shifted his stance. "Not all SkyRealm players joined the Empire. Most didn't, actually. Many went neutral. Some vanished. A handful chose to rebuild something. And the Empire that formed after the Great War… recruited whoever wanted stability. Not just SkyRealm veterans."
I frowned. "So you're saying everything I know is wrong?"
"I'm saying," Counter replied, "that myths make good stories. But the truth? The truth is messy. And the Empire… it didn't rise because a few legends demanded it. It rose because millions were scared — lost — desperate after the Collapse. People wanted order, even if it cost freedom."
He looked at me again, softer this time.
"You hate the Empire. I get that. But don't mistake the whole for the few who abuse their power."
He looked at Blaze, now surrounded by admiring soldiers. "That's why veterans like him are treated the way they are. They represent hope — sacrifice — the idea that someone won the unwinnable."
I followed his gaze, watching Blaze laugh awkwardly as more soldiers crowded him. The glow of admiration around him was almost blinding.
He doesn't even remember half of it, I thought. And still, they worship him.
Counter leaned slightly closer. "You're lucky to know him, you know. Not many do."
I smiled faintly. "Yeah. Lucky."
But as I watched Blaze surrounded by cheering soldiers — an Empire hero, a name etched into their history — that old ache returned.
Because part of me already knew what came next.
He belonged here.
And someday soon, he'd have to choose — between the world that worshipped him, and the one that needed him.
— End of Chapter 43 —