The following morning, sunlight spilled through the training grounds of the First Battalion Barracks, glinting off armor and polished steel. Soldiers stood in formation, the crisp sound of boots echoing through the courtyard as the ceremony began.
Before the assembled ranks, Lieutenant Alex Vardar stood tall, the gleaming silver insignia newly pinned to his chest by Colonel Zhang himself.
"From this day forward," Zhang announced, voice carrying through the parade ground, "Lieutenant Vardar commands not twenty-eight, but a full unit of one hundred men. His leadership in the Jin campaign has set a standard for the entire Northern Division. Learn from him."
The soldiers saluted in unison, fists striking their chests.
Alex responded with quiet dignity, but inwardly, his thoughts flickered to the future. A hundred men under his command… it was no longer just a squad. It was a responsibility that could change wars.
Among the ranks stood his original twenty-eight — Yue Rong, Liang Chen, Audrey, Griffin, Liang Hao, Gao Wei, and Trent at the forefront — proud but tempered by the weight of what they'd survived. Around them, seventy-two new faces stood ready, the next generation of soldiers bound to the name Vardar.
When the ceremony concluded, Zhang clasped Alex's shoulder once more. "Your journey's just beginning, Lieutenant. Lead them well."
Alex bowed slightly. "I'll make sure they honor the Empire's name, sir."
---
That evening, Jade City was alive again.
The taverns glowed with warm lanternlight, laughter spilled into the streets, and the air buzzed with the energy of victory. The soldiers drank, sang, and told exaggerated tales of their battle against the Jin Clan — how Alex froze entire courtyards, how Alaric's flames turned the night sky crimson.
Yet amid the celebration, Alaric sat apart.
He leaned against the balcony railing of the upper floor of their headquarters, staring at the distant lights of the capital. The faint hum of the soldiers below was a background murmur to his thoughts — thoughts that refused to quiet.
Moments later, Alex joined him. He said nothing at first, merely standing beside his brother and looking out over the horizon.
"You've been quiet," Alex finally said, his tone calm but knowing.
Alaric's gaze didn't shift. His voice was low, rough around the edges. "I'm weak… way too weak."
Alex glanced at him, but Alaric continued, his words deliberate, cutting through the cool night air.
"With the way things are going, I'll be nothing but a bystander — a side character watching from the sidelines. Just like back then… powerless to stop what's coming."
Alex didn't respond. He knew nothing he said now would matter. Some truths had to burn their way through before they could forge resolve.
For a long while, they stood in silence, the stars wheeling slowly above them. Finally, Alex asked softly, "When are you leaving?"
Alaric exhaled, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Before dawn. I already cleared leave with command. Tonight, I'll celebrate with the men. But when the city sleeps…" His gaze lifted to the moon. "…I'll be gone."
Alex turned, pulling a small spatial ring from his sleeve and handing it over.
Alaric raised an eyebrow. "What's this?"
"A quarter of the Jin Clan's treasury," Alex replied simply. "You'll need it for your training."
For a moment, Alaric just stared at the ring — the weight of it more symbolic than material. Then he chuckled softly, shaking his head before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around his brother in a firm, wordless embrace.
"Try not to destroy too many cities while I'm gone," he murmured with a faint grin.
"No promises," Alex replied with a smirk.
Together, they returned to the hall below, the sound of their men cheering as they raised cups in celebration. The laughter was loud, the music wild — but beneath it all was a quiet understanding that something was ending.
When the revelry finally faded and the first light of dawn touched the horizon, Alaric stood at the gates of Jade City, armor packed away, his cloak fluttering in the early breeze.
He looked back once — at the city, at his brother, at the Qin Empire that had become both home and battlefield. His eyes hardened with resolve.
Then, without another word, he turned south, toward the untamed lands beyond the Empire's borders.
The road ahead was long, unknown, and dangerous — but in his chest burned a fire stronger than ever before.
> And so began the journey of Alaric Vardar — the path that would one day shake the heavens.