Orion stood at the highest watchtower, his gaze fixed on Juno's scouts —the River Kingdom and the Mountain Kingdom had stopped fighting each other. Instead, they now stood side by side in a temporary truce forged for one purpose.
"They want to take us out first," Isolde murmured beside him.
Juno scoffed, arms crossed. "Figures. Neither of them could handle us alone, so they're teaming up."
Darius exhaled through his nose, folding his arms. "It's smart. If we fall, they'll divide what's left between them—one castle each, no resistance."
Felix grimaced. "So they'll throw everything they have at us."
Orion tapped his finger against the railing. "It's a solid strategy. But it has an obvious flaw."
The others turned toward him.
"The River Kingdom's stronghold," he said. "It's probably their logistical hub right now. Their supply lines, their war camp, everything runs from there."
Isolde's eyes sharpened. "And if we take it—"
"We shatter their coordination before they can even reach us," Orion finished.
The realization spread through the group like wildfire. They had been bracing for a siege, but now? Now they had an opening.
Juno grinned. "Damn. We hit them first?"
Orion nodded. "That's the plan."
Orion's squad moved through the night like wraiths. Thirty elite fighters, handpicked for speed and precision, weaving through the darkened ravines and frost-covered forests.
Amon's diversion had worked. The Mountain Kingdom's forces were busy chasing skirmishers, their attention split. Juno's scouts had mapped out the River Kingdom's patrols, ensuring Orion's team reached the castle undetected.
They crouched behind a rocky outcrop, the fortress looming ahead. The torches along its walls flickered against the night sky.
Felix let out a shaky breath. "I still can't believe we're doing this."
"Then don't think about it," Orion murmured. "Just move."
The plan was simple: infiltrate the castle disguised as a supply unit. They had intercepted a supply unit, replacing the drivers with their own n and loading the wagons with concealed fighters. The River Kingdom wouldn't suspect a thing—until it was too late.
As the guards waved the caravan through the lower gates, Orion sat among the stacked crates, heart steady, mind sharp. The mont the heavy iron doors closed behind them, the strike began.
Knives flashed in the dark. The first guards never saw it coming. Orion's team slipped out of the wagons, silent and swift, cutting down sentries before they could raise the alarm.
Inside, resistance was scattered. The River Kingdom's forces had thinned, many sent to reinforce the alliance's main army. Those who remained had no idea what was happening until Orion's fighters flooded the halls.
By the ti Orion reached the throne room, the newly appointed king—a nervous noble shoved into command—was already trembling. He fumbled for his sword, but Orion's blade was faster. A single clean strike, and it was over.
A horn blared through the night. The castle had fallen.
Back at Orion's fortress, the war council stood in stunned silence as the news reached them.
"They actually did it," Isolde whispered, shaking her head.
Juno stretched her arms, grinning. "Of course they did. Now we get to see if they can hold it."
Orion wasted no ti. The mont his forces secured the stronghold, they got to work.
The castle had strong defenses, but Orion wasn't about to rely on walls alone. He turned it into a trap.
Felix stood beside Orion in the castle courtyard, watching their soldiers stack the last of the barricades. "We really have to hold this place for 24 hours?"
Orion nodded. "The mont we pass that mark, the castle is ours for the rest of the war."
Orion turned to Felix. "How long until they arrive?"
Felix checked the communicator strapped to his wrist. "Less than four hours."
He exhaled, adjusting the grip on his sword. "Then we get ready to bury them."
"You never ordered our main forces to co help us," Felix said, his voice even but questioning. "Once we took the castle, we could've had the rest of our troops reinforce us. Why didn't you?"
Orion leaned against the stone railing, gazing down at the battlefield below. The Mountain Kingdom's campfires glowed in the distance. He exhaled through his nose before answering.
"If we pulled our forces here, the Mountain Kingdom would've noticed the gap we left behind. They could've attacked our stronghold or worse—trapped us here. Maybe we'd still win, but at what cost?" Orion glanced at Felix. "We'd lose too many students. And that benefits them more than us."
Orion exhaled, staring out at the darkened horizon. "The worst kind of trap isn't the one you don't see." He turned to Felix, his gaze steady. "It's the one you can't avoid."
The south gate was left less protected on purpose. The River Kingdom's army would charge in, thinking they had an easy way in. But the mont they were deep enough inside, Orion's n would collapse the entrance behind them. Suddenly, they'd be stuck in tight hallways and courtyards with no way to escape. That's when the real fight would begin.
Certain hallways had been weakened on purpose. The mont the enemy marched through, they'd collapse, sealing off key areas and forcing them to take longer, more exposed paths. If the enemy sohow managed to push forward, they'd soon realize they had no way back.
Battles in open fields were ssy and unpredictable, but inside a castle? Orion controlled everything. He decided where the enemy could move, where they could attack, and how they'd fight. They wouldn't have the chance for a fair battle—every fight would be on Orion's terms, and that ant total domination. When the River Kingdom's forces arrived, they stord the gates with fury, desperate to reclaim their ho.
They had no idea they were walking into a slaughter.
The first wave poured into the castle, expecting a disorganized defense. Instead, the mont their boots hit the courtyard, the entrance behind them crumbled in a controlled collapse. The sky filled with the whistle of arrows as Orion's archers struck from concealed positions.
"Shields up! Shields up!" one of their captains roared, but it was too late—Orion's soldiers were already among them, cutting through their ranks before they could form a proper defense.
Screams echoed through the castle halls. The River Kingdom's n were funneled into tight corridors, where they were ambushed at every turn. Firebombs dropped from murder holes, igniting pockets of enemy soldiers. One by one, their formations broke apart, turning their charge into a desperate fight for survival.
Panic spread like wildfire. The soldiers who tried to retreat found their escape routes blocked, trapped between collapsing rubble and Orion's relentless warriors.
Their commanders shouted for order. They tried to rally their troops—but they had already lost control.
And then Orion himself joined the fight.
Leading his best fighters, he erged from the shadows and struck directly at the heart of the River Kingdom's leadership. One by one, their officers fell. Swords clashed in the dim corridors, but the mont Orion's blade found its mark, the last commander crumpled to the ground.
The River Kingdom's castle belonged to Orion now.
He stood amidst the fallen, wiping his blade clean before turning to his n. "One kingdom down. Two to go."
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