The Land of Extinction

Chaotic screams tore through the burning city streets as all hell broke loose. Civilians scattered in wild panic—some fleeing for their lives, others desperately battling the flames devouring what remained of the fractured town. Soldiers clad in onyx‑black armor forced their way through the turmoil, struggling to contain a crisis already slipping beyond their grasp. Beyond the castle walls, the clash of brandished steel rose into a cacophonous roar, and bodies struck the cold ground like hard pellets of rain.

This was war—one they were utterly unprepared for.

Somehow, the enemy had breached the fortress without ever touching the front gate. And with their leader absent, and the full might of their army elsewhere, their chances of survival dwindled like the last grains of sand in an hourglass.

Inside the throne room, unease rippled through the ranks of armored soldiers. Every man stood rigid, awaiting orders that had yet to come.

“Have you heard any word from the King?” the noblewoman demanded.

The knight lowered his gaze. “We have not, Your Highness.”

She cursed sharply, her words muffled by the black face covering. “What is the status of the city?”

To her right, a tall man in pristine steel armor straightened.

“It appears their assault on the town was only a diversion,” he said, exhaustion dragging at his voice. “Under Garlaf's command we managed to repel their forces, but the fires are spreading too quickly.”

The noblewoman absorbed his report in silence.

“And the castle gates?”

The knight hesitated, then bowed his head.“It is as we feared, my Lady. This was their true objective. At this rate… they will breach the castle within minutes.”

Her eyes narrowed behind the mask, but she did not panic. Instead, her gaze remained steady, filled with unwavering resolve.

“And can we confirm who is leading this army?”

The knight opened his mouth.“It is—”

The massive steel doors exploded inward, torn from their hinges.

A violent gust of smoke swept through the throne room as the shattered remains crashed across the floor.A wave of darkness followed, rolling in like a living storm.

The air thickened instantly.

Several soldiers staggered back, struggling to breathe beneath the crushing pressure that entered with it.

From within the mist emerged a towering figure.His form remained hidden beneath swirling shadows, but his presence alone was enough to silence the chamber.

Behind him stood seven figures, their forms hidden in the darkness. Not a single one moved. They waited patiently. They watched in silence.

“Greetings, my Lady.”

His voice was calm and polite. Yet it carried across the chamber like distant thunder.

“Although I am aware the King is not present, you already understand why I have come.”

The darkness around him shifted, coiling like smoke drawn to a flame.

“Has he decided to honor the terms of our agreement?”

His figure remained obscured, but his eyes were hollow orbs of utter darkness — exuding nothing but malice.

Yet the noblewoman did not retreat.

She rose from her throne with slow, deliberate poise.Then she walked toward him.

Each step tightened the silence around them.

“Had you remained in that dump you call a castle,” she said coldly, “you would have already received his answer.”

She stopped several feet away.

One tall and surrounded by darkness.

The other slight and refusing to yield.

“We would rather die,” she continued, “than serve you.”

For a moment, the room stopped breathing.

Then, without hesitation, she drew her twin double‑bladed daggers.

And prepared to strike.

She lunged—

—but a violent gust of wind blasted through the chamber, forcing her back a full step.

A new presence had entered.

Cold mist spiraled across the floor, sweeping between the noblewoman and the towering figure of darkness. The mist thickened, coiling upward like a gathering storm.

When it cleared, a woman stood at its center.

She was clad in sleek silver armour that shimmered like frost beneath the torchlight. The plates hugged her athletic frame, accentuating both elegance and lethal strength. Patches of icy‑blue reptilian scales glimmered across her porcelain skin. Majestic dragon wings unfurled from her back, stirring the air with each subtle movement. A powerful tail swayed behind her, completing her draconic silhouette. Midnight‑dark hair framed eyes like vivid ocean pearls.

She was a distant storm made flesh—beautiful, and unmistakably dangerous.

“How wonderful of you to join us, Guardian of the Frozen Skies,” the intruder said.

His voice remained calm, but the darkness around him curled inward like a predator sensing prey.

The guardian’s expression did not shift.

“For you,” she said, her voice cold as winter stone, “that should never be the case. Especially since I have come to kill you.”

A frigid mist gathered around her hands. When it faded, her delicate fingers had become jagged claws of solid ice.

She moved first—fast, unpredictable, like a blinding mist.

Her claws slashed through the darkness, only to pass harmlessly through the formless shadow.

Then an immense wall of thick ice erupted between them, instantly dividing the combatants.

“Tell Kinra that her timer starts now,” the guardian said, turning toward the soldiers behind her.

One hesitated, but her chilling gaze spurred him into motion.

Moments later, the sound of shattering ice rang through the throne room as millions of frozen shards crashed across the floor. A violent wave of darkness erupted from the demolished barrier, swallowing the chamber in menacing fog. Without hesitation, the guardian spread her wings and plunged into the abyss.

The battle lasted barely a minute.

Yet what transpired within remained hidden.

A second wall of ice rose around the combatants, sealing away the darkness and concealing the clash from prying eyes—especially the noblewoman. Only the vicious echoes of steel, splintering frost, and violent impacts escaped the barrier.

It was enough to know the guardian still fought.

Until everything fell silent.

The towering wall of ice trembled, then collapsed into glittering fragments.

Through the lingering mist, the Guardian of the Frozen Skies lay motionless on the shattered floor. Her silver armour was fractured, blood streaming from wounds carved across her once‑unblemished skin.

Yet she still breathed.

Barely.

The darkness surrounding the Man in the Mist settled.

Of the seven figures who had entered beside him, only four remained.

The others had vanished entirely.

Whatever devastation had unfolded beyond that frozen barrier, the guardian had not fallen without exacting a terrible price.

The noblewoman’s breath caught at the sight of the guardian’s blood seeping into the fractured floor. For a heartbeat, no one moved. Even the torches seemed to dim, their flames shrinking beneath the oppressive fog.

The Man in the Mist stepped forward.

Each stride sent ripples through the darkness, the shadows bending toward him like loyal servants. His remaining followers moved in unison, their silhouettes gliding across the stone with unnatural grace.

"This is the fate of all who resist." His voice thundered across the battlefield as darkness spiraled around him, forming a long, jagged blade.

He stared down at the Guardian of Frozen Skies, his hollow eyes narrowing.

"Had you faced me at your full strength, this battle might have lasted longer." He took a slow step forward, stopping directly above her. "But the outcome would have remained the same."

Darkness twisted around his blade.

"Save me the trouble of hunting for your daughter. Allow her to take your place, and I will spare your life."

His voice lowered.

"But this kingdom will still fall.”

The guardian coughed violently, blood spilling from her lips.

“G‑go to hell.”

Without hesitation, he drove the blade downward—only for the ground to tremble violently. He froze inches from her chest.

She smiled.

“Y‑you’re t‑too late,” she whispered.

Enraged, he dissolved into a dense cloud of smoke. The remaining four figures followed, twisting into shadow. Like flickering lightning, he charged toward the exit—only to slam against an invisible barrier. Nothing stood before him, yet each attempt to advance met heavy resistance. He struck again and again until thin cracks splintered across the unseen surface.

Before he could break through, a radiant spectral glow engulfed him. Shimmering runes spiraled around his form, locking his limbs in place.

“Wh‑what is this?!” he roared, thrashing against the bind.

A strained chuckle broke the silence. The guardian tilted her head toward him, fighting to remain conscious. An ethereal glow seeped from her chest, revealing intricate runes etched beneath her skin. Submerged in a pool of crimson, she clung to the last threads of strength.

The onlookers stared at her, their gazes heavy with fear and awe. A faint smile touched her lips before she looked to the noblewoman.

“L‑little Luni…”Her voice trembled.“I leave the rest… to you. Protect this land.”

The noblewoman’s breath hitched. Her fingers tightened around her daggers, knuckles whitening as a tremor ran through her arm. For an instant, the fog, the blood, the collapsing world around her seemed to fall away. Only the guardian’s fading eyes remained.

But she did not speak.She could not.

With her body burning in agony, the guardian turned toward the predator now trapped before her.

“Today… th‑the two of us… d‑die t‑together.”

"Even at death’s door, you remain a thorn in my side!" he bellowed as he finally broke through the bindings.

Before he could escape, she clenched her fist. For a moment, the world seemed to freeze.

Amid the silence, she whispered a final plea.

“My King… my child… please forgive me.”

A blinding radiance erupted from her body, swallowing the hall in scorching light. When it faded, nothing remained.

The Man in the Mist and the Guardian of the Frozen Skies were gone.

Seconds later, another burst of light ignited the sky, bathing the castle in an azure glow—beautiful, and undeniably unsettling.