For a moment, silence filled the room. Emma shut her eyes and exhaled slowly. Her fists tightened, and she spoke softly, almost like a whisper.

"It is happening again."

At the far end of the room, Roen pushed the curtains aside and stepped closer. His jaw clenched tightly, and the veins in his arms were clearly visible.

He was clearly traumatized by the brutality he had witnessed.

"Roen we cannot think about the past right now," Emma said. "The Noctis Duchy has fallen, and we are next if we stay frozen. What matters is what we do from this moment forward."

Roen nodded, although his expression remained distant with memories he did not want to relive.

Julia looked at both of them and asked, "Do you think Ethan will come?"

Roen did not answer at first. He looked outside the window where the cold wind blew through the half-broken banners of their House.

"He will," Emma finally responded. "If that man made a promise, then he will keep it, even if he has to fight the abyss itself."

Julia swallowed hard and asked,"What about father?"

"I don't know..I have sent a message to him and even King but I don't know if it reached.

"I remember Baron Ethan raising the issue but they turned an blind eye to it.

Julia reached out and placed a hand on her Mother's shoulder.She knew that she was under immense stress.

Emma took a deep breath and straightened her posture. Her voice regained steadiness.

"We must secure the northern side first. If the corpses breach that wall, the inner city will be exposed. Julia, take command of the archers. I want them stationed on the upper platforms. They must not waste a single arrow."

Julia nodded. "Understood."

Emma turned to Roen.

"Roen, you will lead the ground units. Form three groups. Shield bearers in the front, spears behind them, and swordsmen at the flanks. Do not chase the enemy too far. Remember, those things do not tire. Our men do."

Roen smirked slightly, though without humor.

"I know. I have fought the undead before. It is never pleasant."

Emma stepped closer and looked him directly in the eyes.

"I am counting on you. Protect the troops."

Roen placed his fist over his chest.

"I will."

The distant sound of bells suddenly rang throughout the city. Everyone in the hall froze for a second.

Julia's eyes widened. "That is the third alarm… They are close."

Emma walked toward the exit and pushed the doors open. The chilling wind hit her face, along with the sound of distant screams.

The sky over Vancouver slowly dimmed, turning an unnatural shade of gray, and the ground began to tremble.

Emma whispered under her breath.

"So it begins."

Roen stepped beside her, gripping his weapon.

"Let them come."

Julia rushed to gather the archers and yelled orders across the courtyard. Soldiers formed lines, mothers dragged their children into houses, and traders closed their stores with shaking hands.

Emma stood at the center of the chaos, her voice cutting through the noise.

"Listen to me. Vancouver has not fallen yet and it will not fall tonight. We will fight, and we will survive. For our families, for our dead, and for every person that trusted us. Hold your ground!"

A roar of determination rose from the troops. Fear was still there, but something stronger began to burn within them. A will to live. A will to kill whatever darkness approached their gates.

Roen looked at the horizon where faint silhouettes slowly appeared.

From the horizon, a massive wave of monstrous creatures crawled toward the walls. Their bodies dragged across the ground, bones scraping against stone and dirt. A rotten smell filled the air as the swarm approached, yet suddenly, they stopped at a strange distance. The soldiers looked at each other in confusion.

"Huh?" Roen muttered, staring. Julia and the others were just as shocked. The creatures stood without moving, as if waiting for something.

Then, a shadow descended from above.

A man in dark robes slowly hovered toward them, suspended in the air. His presence made the wind around them turn cold. His hollow voice echoed.

"I am Kai, an Archbishop of the Abyssal Cult also called as Apostle," he announced. His calm tone felt more chilling than a scream.

"We do not want meaningless sacrifice, nor do we want more bloodshed. Just surrender and accept our religion. You will thrive for eternity."

Hearing those words, a look of pure disgust flashed in everyone's eyes.

You don't want more bloodshed?

Who the fuck are you kidding?

All these zombies and undead... where did you bring them from? The cemetery? The idea alone was insane, yet no one dared to speak it out loud. These people really might be crazy enough to dig up graves and turn corpses into an army.

Roen stepped forward, anger burning in his gaze.

"Stop lying!" he shouted. "What is the guarantee? And even if this is true we will never surrender to you damn heretics!"

He then turned his head slightly and called out, voice sharp and strong.

"Isn't it?"

"Yes! Yes!" the soldiers shouted, their voices rising as one. Their faces were pale yet determined, their hands gripping their weapons tight.

Kai looked at them with a twisted expression, then started to laugh wildly.

"Keke... kekekekekekeke!"

His laughter echoed across the battlefield like broken glass scraping against metal.

"What a delight," he said, voice trembling with excitement. "In fact, I was worried that you would surrender easily. Truthfully, I want more war."

He leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with madness.

"However, it seems you have forgotten the horror of Noctis."

Saying this, he raised his staff into the air. Dark energy swirled around him. Suddenly, a massive fireball, like a burning meteorite, formed above his head. Flames twisted and roared, lighting up the sky with a blinding glow.

The soldiers felt their hearts tighten in fear. Some took a step back. One whispered, trembling, "This is impossible…"

Kai pointed his staff forward.

Under his command, the enormous fireball began to fall.

The sky itself seemed to split open as the meteor dropped, its flames growing brighter and brighter. The walls, the ground, even the air shook from its power. Soldiers shouted, scrambling into position.

Roen's eyes widened. Julia grabbed the battlement to steady herself. Emma clenched her hands so tight her nails cut into her skin.

No one could look away from the falling star of destruction.

And then under their very eyes,it descended and slammed onto the city walls.

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