🔥 Chapter 59 — The King's Retaliation
The eastern front lay calm under a pale morning sun, but Kael and Rhyne knew the peace was deceptive. From the ridge, Kael's Ember threads flickered with subtle vibrations, sensing distant magical surges from the central plains.
Rhyne's eyes narrowed. "The King isn't finished. He's gathering forces—probably a massive retaliation. He's not going to let the eastern front slip away quietly."
Kael extended his Ember threads, probing further. "Yes. He's consolidating mages, cavalry, and infantry. But he's reacting, not acting. He has to move through terrain we control. Every step he takes, we can anticipate."
Below, scouts reported the first signs of movement: dust clouds on the horizon, signals exchanged between units, faint magical pulses indicating concentrated energy. The King was preparing a large-scale attack, hoping to crush Kael and Rhyne's control before it fully stabilized.
Rhyne smirked, sheathing his blade. "Let him come. Every route he chooses, every formation he sets—our traps and wards will turn it against him. He's about to walk into a battlefield already designed to favor us."
Kael's flames pulsed with intensity. "We need to fortify further. Observation posts, additional illusions, and pre-set chokepoints. If he commits fully, we can isolate his forces and dismantle them systematically. Patience will win this war more than raw strength ever could."
As they moved to reinforce the eastern hubs, scouts returned with more precise intel: the King's elite units were advancing ahead of the main army, probing defenses. Ember threads extended subtly to detect and manipulate their paths, ensuring any direct encounter would feed intelligence rather than risk exposure.
Rhyne glanced at Kael, a gleam in his eyes. "This is it. The King thinks he can strike decisively. But every unit, every spell, every move will play right into our strategy."
Kael's eyes glowed, Ember threads coiling across the eastern forest. "Exactly. This retaliation is predictable. And when he commits fully, the eastern front will not only hold—it will become a trap that decides the outcome of this war."
From the ridge, the two watched as the first units of the King's army appeared, dust rising like a storm on the horizon. The decisive confrontation for the eastern front was about to begin.