"Theo, sit down for a mont. You've got a nasty cut," Sophie said, her voice filled with concern. Theo complied without argunt, lowering himself to the cold stone floor, his shield resting beside him. The shield-bearer gave Sophie a nod, his face pale but holding steady, even as his eyes winced at the movent.
Nearby, Rhea was leaning against the cavern wall, her small form shaking slightly as she pressed a piece of cloth against her arm where a dark gash marred her skin. Sylvanna moved over, her gaze flickering over Rhea's injury. Sylvanna herself was sporting a few bruises, the most concerning being a jagged cut along her side, though she waved off any concern.
"Sharon, you're hovering again," Sylvanna said, her voice laced with a tired amusent.
Sharon, who was standing beside Sylvanna, her own hand resting on her broadsword as though ready to strike at anything else that dared co near them, rolled her eyes. "Hovering? If you can still talk, you can still move. Don't pretend you didn't get your ass saved by
back there."
Sylvanna smirked, the corners of her lips twitching upward. "I'd be more inclined to thank you if you didn't swing that big sword of yours like a blind ogre."
"Maybe I should've let it hit you," Sharon shot back, but her eyes were softer than her words. There was sothing genuine in the way she checked Sylvanna's wound, her hand brushing against the archer's side as she adjusted the makeshift bandage.
Sophie observed the exchange, a small smile tugging at her lips. She could see the care between them, despite their constant jabs. They were like sisters—forever bickering, but each unwilling to see the other fall. It ward her heart, even in the midst of all this chaos. Her gaze drifted across the cavern, searching for soone.
Dravis.
There he was, standing near the remains of the portal. His form looked almost statuesque, silhouetted against the glowing embers of the dark magic residue. He was staring at it, an intensity in his eyes that made Sophie pause. She watched as he knelt down, his gloved hand reaching out to touch the cracked earth where the portal had stood.
His fingers traced the fading runes etched into the ground, his gaze focused and unyielding.
It wasn't just inspection. It was sothing deeper—sothing she couldn't quite place. His eyes seed to unfocus, as though he were seeing through the portal, into sothing beyond this plane.
Draven felt the familiar tingle, the connection sparking between him and his other clone self—Professor Draven, back in his office inside the magic tower university, far away from this battle but never truly disconnected. His vision blurred for a mont as the two minds intertwined, their consciousness linking.
"There it is. Progress."
The voice was cold, analytical—his own voice, but it felt different. He could see it now—the laboratory, the whiteboard filled with notes. Draven, the professor, stood there, staring at him through the fading remnants of the portal's magic. The other self had an air of command, his deanor calculated as he studied the scene through Dravis's eyes.
"It's what we've been waiting for," Professor Draven said, his tone flat, yet sothing else hid beneath it—satisfaction, perhaps. "The first arc is beginning. This place... it will be where everything starts."
Draven as Dravis smirked, a rare expression breaking through the otherwise cold facade. He knew it. They were making progress, and every step was a step closer to unraveling the ss of threats that lay hidden beneath the surface.
"It's not going to be easy from here on out," Dravis murmured, though there was no one around to hear him except himself.
Professor Draven turned, his gaze fixed on a board filled with notes about the convergence points, a map pinned with red markers indicating the locations of known underground orc settlents. "Nothing worth having is ever easy. But nothing can defeat us. Rember that."
The two figures seed to mirror each other, their expressions shifting to the sa hardened, focused look. Draven's eyes narrowed as he glanced back at the portal remains, his mind working through every detail. He and his other self were two halves of a whole—both driven, both ruthless in their pursuit of what needed to be done.
"There's one thing we must make sure of," Professor Draven said, his eyes eting Dravis's through the vision. They spoke in unison, their voices rging as one.
"Protect Sophie."
The connection faded, the vision blurring until the cavern ca back into focus. Dravis blinked, his eyes sharp, his gaze lingering on the remains of the portal. He stood slowly, brushing the dust from his cloak as his sharp eyes scanned the area. The magic had settled, and the danger had passed, for now.
He heard footsteps approaching, the clinking of armor, and he turned to see Sophie walking towards him, her face set in a mix of determination and uncertainty. Her blue eyes held a thousand questions, but she stopped a few paces away, hesitating.
"What was that?" she asked, her voice quiet but edged with urgency. "Those orcs… they seed organized, almost like they were preparing for sothing bigger. What are they planning, Dravis?"
Draven turned his gaze to her, his expression unreadable. He let a mont of silence hang between them, his eyes scanning her face. He could see the fear there, the worry. And the responsibility—she felt the weight of it just as much as he did.
"I don't know, Captain." His voice was cold, though there was a hint of sothing softer—sothing ant for her alone. "But perhaps, just perhaps, they are preparing for war."
He paused, and his gaze sharpened, his eyes eting hers with an intensity that made her heart skip a beat. "They are preparing for war with us. And the question is… are we ready?"
Sophie swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. The weight of his words settled on her, pressing against her chest, making it hard to breathe. War. A war with the orc empire—sothing that seed almost unimaginable in its scope. She looked away, her hands tightening around the hilt of her sword.
"I…" She hesitated, her voice faltering. She was a knight, a captain, but even she wasn't sure if they were prepared for sothing like this.
Dravis didn't wait for her to answer. He stepped closer, his expression darkening, his voice dropping lower. "We need to be ready, Sophie. The empire of orcs is coming for our necks."
He looked at her then, really looked at her, his sharp eyes piercing through the uncertainty she tried to hide. "Go back to the kingdom. Report everything you have seen and heard."
Sophie frowned, a protest forming on her lips. "I can't just—"
But Draven cut her off, his voice taking on a steely edge. "Give the report to that professor."
Her brow furrowed, confusion flashing across her features. "Who?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
He locked eyes with her, his gaze unwavering. "That professor. Draven. The one known for his coldness, ruthlessness, and precision. He's the only one who might understand. Tell him that the empire of orcs is coming for our necks.
And perhaps… the other races are preparing as well."
Sophie blinked, her heart thundering in her chest. She hadn't spoken to Draven in what felt like forever—not since the engagent had been broken off, not since they had gone their separate ways. But he was right. If anyone would believe her, it would be him. Despite everything, despite the distance between them, she knew he would listen.
"You think… he will believe ?" she whispered, her voice almost lost in the echoing silence of the cavern.
Draven as Dravis watched her carefully, his expression guarded. For a mont, he said nothing, but then his eyes softened, just a fraction. "He will believe you, Sophie. If there's anyone who will take your words seriously, it is Draven."
Sophie nodded slowly, her eyes distant, her thoughts far away. She had always known that Draven was different. He wasn't like her brother—he didn't just see the world as it was, he saw it as it could be. He saw the threats before they beca threats, the dangers before they beca catastrophes.
And because of that, she thought of giving him the chance.
The chance to beco better.
But instead, he betrayed her, in more than one way.
"Even if my brother thinks I've lost my mind," she said, a soft, sad smile touching her lips, "Draven will listen. He will believe."
For a brief mont, Dravis's eyes shone—a flicker of sothing in those cold, distant eyes. Sophie caught it, her breath hitching as she saw it, but then it was gone, replaced by the sa unreadable mask he always wore.
"Then go, Sophie," he said, his voice as cold and calm as ever. "Go back to the kingdom. Leave the aftermath to us. Sylvanna and I will handle it. You need to leave,"
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