I froze for a moment, straining my ears, holding my breath. The faint sound of the wind whistling through the palace corridors felt deafening, each second stretching longer than it should. My heart thumped in my chest like a war drum, echoing in my ears. I pressed myself against the wall, forcing my pulse to slow, forcing my mind to think, but every instinct screamed that something was wrong. The Empress wasn't here. Not anywhere I could see.

A sinking feeling settled in my chest, heavy and bitter, and I swallowed hard. My fingers tightened around the edge of the window frame before I slipped back inside, moving with careful, deliberate steps toward her room. Shadows clung to the corners of the halls, the soft creak of floorboards underfoot threatening to betray me. That's when I saw it—her disk, gleaming faintly in the morning light, sitting alone on the polished floor. And on it, a single envelope, stark against the cold metal: Read Me.

My fingers shook as I picked it up. I didn't want to know what was inside. Part of me hoped it was some trick, some empty warning meant to unsettle me. But I couldn't ignore it. I took a slow, steadying breath, forcing myself to open the letter.

The words hit me like a hammer. The Empress had anticipated everything. Every plan, every move I had taken, every blind spot I thought I could exploit—she had already accounted for them. Worse, she had prepared an army of monsters, the same kind I had faced once before. The creatures I had barely survived, and yet she had amassed them in secret, ready to be unleashed with a single command. Their path was clear, a trail of destruction leading straight to the capital.

I reread the letter, as if seeing the words a second time might somehow make them less real, less terrifying. My hands went cold, my stomach twisted, and a chill ran down my spine. The weight of what I had just learned pressed down on me, threatening to paralyze me with fear. But there was no time to hesitate.

I bolted outside, lungs burning, voice raw from shouting as I yelled, "Plan cancelled! The Empress has anticipated us!"

Sarah was at my side in an instant, eyes wide, a mixture of confusion and panic clouding her features. "What happened?" she demanded, clutching my arm.

I handed her the letter without a word. She read it slowly, the color draining from her face as comprehension sank in. Her expression shifted from disbelief to horror, her knees giving way as she sank to the floor. She stared at the words as though they were a curse written just for her, her hands trembling as she clutched the letter to her chest.

There was no time to dwell. The city's morning air felt charged with tension as we raced to the port, our footsteps echoing against the stone streets. My heart pounded, each beat a drum of urgency. But when we arrived, my stomach fell. The port was empty—no ships, no crew, nothing ready to sail. Desperation clawed at me.

I turned to Sophia, and our eyes met. We both knew the same thing without speaking it aloud. "We don't have time," I said, voice sharp. "We need Mona. She's our last chance."

Sophia nodded, fingers moving quickly as she cast a simple communication spell. A faint hum filled the air as her voice whispered the words to the distance. A tense moment later, Mona's voice came through, hesitant at first, refusing to leave her post. But as Sophia explained the situation, urgency threading every word, Mona's tone shifted. She agreed immediately, relief and resolve in her voice, reminding us to count ourselves lucky. Just yesterday, she hadn't wanted to leave, but now she was nearby, ready to sail.

It didn't take long for her ship to appear on the horizon, cutting through the morning mist like a knife. The first rays of sunlight glinted off its sails as we scrambled aboard, hearts hammering, adrenaline coursing through every vein. Once we were all on deck, we set our course for Lebara City—the first likely target of the Empress's wrath, and a necessary waypoint if we were to make it to the capital.

The wind rushed past us, tugging at our hair and clothes, filling my lungs with salt and anticipation. The waves sparkled like molten silver beneath the rising sun. I kept my eyes fixed on the horizon as we passed Destra City without stopping, my thoughts racing faster than the ship. The city ahead would need protection, but I couldn't afford to slow down. Turning to the girls, I said, "I'll run ahead. Taking a horse will slow me down too much."

They exchanged worried glances, the unspoken fear of what awaited them reflected in their eyes. "We'll follow as soon as we can," Sarah said, her voice steady despite the tremor in it.

Sophia placed a hand on my shoulder, the gesture brief but grounding. "Be careful," she whispered, the weight of those words heavier than any armor.

I nodded and bolted, the ground rushing beneath my feet. Every heartbeat felt deafening, every breath a reminder of the stakes, the lives depending on me, the cities at risk. The path to Lebara City stretched out before me, empty streets fading into the distance like a prelude to disaster.

When I finally arrived, the scene stole my breath. Smoke curled from the edges of the city, thick and acrid. The first signs of chaos were already taking hold, and my stomach sank as my eyes caught movement—shadows moving unnaturally through the streets. The Empress's monsters had begun their devastation. Buildings were scarred, fires flickered in alleys, and terrified citizens ran in every direction, screaming as the creatures advanced.

My chest tightened. This was worse than I had imagined. But there was no turning back. I clenched my fists, the leather of my gloves pressing against my palms, and ran toward the heart of the city. My mind raced through every strategy we had prepared, every contingency, every plan we had hoped would keep the capital safe. Failure wasn't an option. Not now. Not ever.

The Empress had set her pieces in motion, but I would not let them reach their destination unchallenged. Every step I took brought me closer to the epicenter of destruction, closer to the monsters, closer to a reckoning that could decide the fate of everything I cared about.

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