The journey to Asteria lasted three days.
Lyra, Umbra, Pyron, and Nereus travelled without stopping, crossing mountains, rivers, and ancient stone roads.
Yet the closer they came to the kingdom...
The fewer signs of life they found.
Abandoned wagons lined the roads.
Fields lay empty.
Villages stood silent.
The Codex opened.
Region Detected
Kingdom of Asteria
Population:
1,200,000
Current Status:
State of Emergency
Threat Level:
Severe
Smoke stained the horizon.
When the travellers reached the final hill overlooking the capital, Lyra's heart sank.
The magnificent white walls of Asteria were scarred by battle.
Watchtowers burned.
Thousands of refugees gathered outside the gates, carrying only what they could hold.
Children cried.
Soldiers struggled to maintain order.
"They're too late..."
Lyra whispered.
Pyron shook his head.
"No."
"As long as hope remains..."
"No kingdom has truly fallen."
A sudden scream echoed across the refugee camp.
A frightened horse broke free from its cart, galloping wildly through the crowd.
People scattered.
A little girl stumbled directly into its path.
Before anyone could react—
Umbra sprinted forward.
Using Shared Instinct, Lyra understood his plan instantly.
She blew the wooden whistle.
The frightened horse heard the familiar melody.
Its panic faded.
It slowed just enough for Umbra to guide it safely away from the child.
The little girl burst into tears of relief.
Her mother embraced her tightly.
A captain of the city guard hurried over.
He stared at Umbra in disbelief.
"You..."
"You calmed a war horse without force."
Pyron smiled.
"The Beast Sovereign's way."
The captain bowed deeply.
"My name is Captain Rowan."
"The kingdom desperately needs your help."
He led them through the gates.
Inside...
The city was preparing for war.
Blacksmiths forged weapons day and night.
Healers treated wounded soldiers in every square.
The people looked exhausted—but not defeated.
Captain Rowan spread a map across a command table.
"The Cult has captured every fortress north of the capital."
"They aren't attacking directly."
"They're surrounding us."
Nereus frowned.
"They want to starve the city."
Rowan nodded.
"And there's worse news."
He pointed to the Royal Beast Sanctuary outside the eastern walls.
"Our sacred beasts have become violent."
"They've broken their enclosures."
"We fear they're corrupted."
The Codex flashed.
Main Quest Updated
Save the Royal Beast Sanctuary
Objective:
Purify the corrupted beasts.
Time Limit:
Before sunset.
Lyra looked at Rowan.
"Take us there."
The sanctuary gates stood shattered.
Roars echoed from within.
Ancient griffins clawed at stone pillars.
Royal lions fought one another.
Even peaceful crystal deer had become consumed by violet mist.
Yet through the chaos...
Lyra noticed something strange.
None of the beasts attacked the fleeing caretakers.
They destroyed buildings...
But avoided harming people.
"They're trying to tell us something."
Using Nature's Insight, faint golden footprints appeared on the ground.
They led not toward the beasts...
But beneath the sanctuary itself.
"There."
Lyra pointed toward an old stone shrine.
"It's coming from underground."
Deep beneath the sanctuary, hidden inside a forgotten chamber, a massive black crystal pulsed with Void Energy.
Unlike the smaller crystals Lyra had destroyed before...
This one was taller than a human.
Dark roots spread from it through the walls, reaching every corner of the sanctuary.
A familiar voice echoed through the chamber.
"I knew you'd find it."
Malakar stepped from the shadows.
He smiled behind his cracked silver mask.
"You've grown stronger..."
"But this time..."
He raised one hand toward the enormous crystal.
"...you've walked directly into my trap."
The crystal erupted with blinding violet light.
The chamber doors slammed shut.
Above them, every corrupted beast roared as one.
The siege of Asteria had truly begun.