The fortress bells rang in unison, a deep metallic echo rolling through the stone walls. Every watchtower, every narrow corridor, every gate snapped awake. The alarm left no room for doubt: danger was approaching. Civilians were rushed toward the central keep in a tide of quick steps and tense whispers. Few truly understood Bartholomew or the war creeping toward them, but everyone was on edge. Out here, monsters still prowled, and a Safe Zone was anything but safe.

At the main gate, built by the Havens's best artisans, the group crossed a courtyard soaked in anxiety while guards bolstered their posts in the towers above. The air was knife-cold, and sentinels exchanged nervous glances over the ramparts. They climbed toward one of the watchtowers when Allison finally broke the silence.

"How many?" Her voice held steady despite the tension.

Luke followed her gaze to Evangeline. She was already sketching a circle in the air with her fingers, activating the skill that sharpened her vision into something beyond human. A faint shimmer ran across her irises.

"A squad. Fifteen men," she answered before the nearest archer could even blink.

Luke raised an eyebrow. "So the crow can't do math?"

Evangeline gave a quick laugh. "Jerry's not exactly a genius. He can tell if someone's alone, in a group, or being tailed, but counting heads? That's pushing it."

Meanwhile Mason held a post on the opposite tower, scanning the flanks. The fortress might look imposing, but it wasn't impenetrable. A daring enemy could scale the walls, and they were spread too thin to cover every point.

"We have the advantage," Miriam said, eyes fixed on the horizon. "Defending is always easier than attacking."

Evangeline shot back with dry humor. "Retreating over fifteen people? Calm down. We might be a small faction, but we're not that soft."

Allison stayed serious, staring down the narrow road leading from the city. In the distance, the shapes resolved into soldiers marching, looking like nothing more than a simple unit. Eleanor quietly pulled her bow from storage, stringing it with practiced hands. Her enchanted sight let her see farther than most could imagine, every detail painfully crisp.

"Can you identify them?" Allison asked without turning.

Eleanor drew a slow breath. "It's Ronan. And his trusted men."

Luke's brow furrowed. "There must be others hidden. Assassins."

Before anyone could reply, one of the soldiers below raised something unexpected: a white flag.

"Surrender?" Evangeline muttered, confused.

The figure moved forward at a measured pace, one hand gripping a white flag, the other raised in a placating gesture. Instinct took over on the ramparts: bows rose, strings drew tight, arrowheads gleamed in the cold light. Yet the man kept walking, calm and deliberate, until he reached the edge of the fortress approach.

"That's far enough," Allison ordered, her voice steady. Letting him come closer would be an invitation to disaster.

Eleanor narrowed her eyes, finally recognizing the man. "Ronan," she breathed, though he gave no sign of hearing.

"My name is Ronan," the emissary called, his voice carrying between the stone walls. "I come at Bartholomew's request, bearing a message. It can only be delivered in person, to your representative."

Laughter rippled from the battlements. "You expect us to let you chat with our leader?" someone from the Haven jeered.

Ronan exhaled slowly, unruffled. "Bartholomew's message is private. For your leader… or for whoever activated the mechanism."

Luke didn't wait for a decision. He vaulted over the wall, landing several meters in front of Ronan with the fluidity of a predator. If it was a trap, he'd kill the man before being killed himself. The move drew murmurs and a shiver of tension from the onlookers.

"Well?" Luke advanced in slow, deliberate steps. "What's Bartholomew's message?"

Ronan faltered, clearly unsettled by the proximity. Luke was a shadow wrapped in threat. But before he could answer, another sound cracked the air behind him. Allison had leapt from the battlements as well.

Luke thought Allison shouldn't be doing that; it was reckless.

'You're an idiot too.' Artemis muttered in the back of his mind.

I'm an idiot who survives arrows through the heart. He thought back. She, I'm not so sure about.

"Bartholomew wants… a truce," Ronan finally said.

"A truce?" Allison echoed, disbelief sharpening her tone. Of all the outcomes, that one was the least expected.

"Yes," Ronan continued. "And he also wants a meeting with you."

Luke's brow furrowed. "With me?"

"No." Ronan's gaze locked on Allison. "He wants a meeting with Allison Rhiannon."

A heavy silence settled over the ramparts. Thin snowflakes began to drift down, melting on armor and cloaks. And there, in the cold hush, Ronan began to lay out the terms and conditions.

***

The silence hanging over the fortress felt like lead as Luke and Allison passed through the gates and crossed to an improvised tent in the inner courtyard. Cold wind tugged at the canvas walls, and the snapping of banners along the ramparts behind them beat out a tense rhythm, like a drum announcing fate. Inside, the lamplight burned a muted gold, throwing trembling shadows across worried faces.

Mason was the first to break the atmosphere. "Well? What did he say?" His voice carried an edge of expectation, almost accusation.

Allison stopped, drew in a slow breath, then spoke. "In short… Bartholomew sent a message guaranteeing there will be no attack against us. No retaliation. He said even if more people come to this Safe Zone, he won't stop them. And if we return to the previous Safe Zone, he won't strike there either."

She paused, letting her gaze sweep the group. "He's asking for a truce. And… one more thing."

"What?" Quinn's eyebrow arched.

"A meeting. He wants to speak with me in person, on neutral ground," Allison said, her voice controlled but her eyes sparking tension.

Miriam folded her arms. "Sounds like a trap."

"Obviously," Mason muttered.

"Even so, I'm thinking of going," Allison said.

"So am I," Luke added without hesitation. He wanted to go precisely because it might be a trap—because he planned to spring it or break it. Several heads turned toward him as if he'd uttered blasphemy.

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"Let's think this through together." Allison lifted a hand, cutting off the rising objections. "If we stay holed up here and head for the third mechanism without knowing Bartholomew's intentions, we'll be vulnerable. If we understand what he wants, we can prepare."

Quinn shot back immediately. "Or you could walk right into an ambush."

Luke kept his expression unreadable. Deep down, he didn't care. If Bartholomew wanted to end it in a meeting, he wouldn't stall—he'd strike. And Luke was ready to strike back. Bartholomew and Kruger were still on his list.

Evangeline spoke slowly, thinking aloud. "Would he really kill someone who activated a mechanism? Publicly? If he did, his entire image would collapse. Everyone would turn on him."

Several faces began to shift as the logic settled in. Mason took a step forward. "Seen from that angle, he might be as cornered as we are. If he makes a move, everyone sees he's the problem. In the end, most people want to return to Earth, right?"

Evangeline turned to Allison. "When's the meeting?"

"In one week," Allison answered. "Ronan's team will come back with updates every two days until then. And we can take a small group with us."

***

The days that followed crawled by in a slow, taut line, like a cord about to snap. Each dawn brought more sentries to the walls, more men in the corridors, and less space for distraction. Even the air felt weighted with expectation. As a precaution, no one left the fortress alone, yet the work never stopped. Workshops were restored, corridors scrubbed, storerooms organized; every hammer strike on the wooden scaffolds echoed as a reminder of how fragile this place still was.

The focus was rebuilding—but also preparing. Reinforcing the fortress, training new soldiers, helping civilians awaken useful professions, and gathering resources for the next step: the journey to the third mechanism.

In the modest room where he preferred to take dinner, Luke sat across from Jack. The space was narrow, lit only by a single lantern whose yellow glow flickered against the stone walls. Outside, rain drummed a steady rhythm across the rooftops.

"I ended up befriending the other healer, Thiara," Jack said at last, stirring his food.

Luke lifted his eyes from his plate. "She's a good person."

"You knew her?" Jack asked. "Of course you did. She was the only healer in Haven."

A tired half-smile touched Luke's mouth. "I used to be her friend, I think. But when I tried to talk to her, she ignored me. So… guess not anymore."

Jack tilted his head, studying his expression. "Doesn't that bother you?"

Luke shrugged, chewing slowly. "Better indifference than hate. What I did was serious, even if I had my reasons."

Silence settled again, filled only by the sound of rain. The fortress, with its tall, narrow windows, felt like a citadel sealed off from the world. From the upper levels, Luke could see the Safe Zone glowing below like an artificial constellation on the ground.

More visitors appeared every day, but few actually entered the fortress. With infiltration a constant risk, screening was strict—Eleanor herself refused to clear any stranger without checking twice. Beyond the walls, a makeshift camp was growing. It wasn't strictly necessary, but it had become a symbol: proof that people could live outside without fearing a Midnight Warden. Explorers, hunters, and adventurers pitched their tents, edging deeper into the forest, trying to tame the wild region inch by inch. The air smelled of wet leather and woodsmoke.

The nights were colder now. The days shorter. And even so, the tension only tightened.

***

Two days before the scheduled meeting, the fortress felt as if it were holding its breath. The wind carried the smell of wet forest, and an unnatural chill for the season crept along the stone corridors. Meetings and debates filled the halls while Allison, Luke, and the others weighed their options: hold the encounter at a neutral point in the Wild Zone, risking an ambush, or accept Bartholomew's invitation inside his Safe Zone.

Pragmatism won out. They chose the hotel in the Haven, under Bartholomew's control. Surrounded by dozens of witnesses, it would be harder for him to make a move in the open. Besides, many of his men wanted out of this "tutorial" phase and were hardly loyal enough to risk a public massacre. Allison made sure word spread: she was meeting Bartholomew to discuss the third mechanism. From a distance, it would look like two leaders negotiating. No one would suspect the enemy's real intentions.

But in those last days, something unsettling began. Snowflakes drifted into the courtyard, sparse at first, dissolving on the dark flagstones. Within hours the temperature dropped sharply, as if an invisible hand had snuffed out the heat. It made no sense. The coldest season had already passed, and this area was far from the Wall, too far for snow. Not even the veterans remembered anything like it.

"The reward event has started," Mason whispered one night, eyes lifted to the sky.

Midnight. The second time the event had triggered here. Magical chests would spawn at random locations, stuffed with gold, food, and potions, resources as dangerous to pursue as they were tempting. They faced a choice: ignore the chests and let the enemy claim the loot, or hunt them through the night, risking assassins sent by Bartholomew.

In the end, they couldn't afford to hesitate. Teams were split, each with its own route, ready to grab as much as possible. It was also a message: the Haven wouldn't cower, wouldn't yield ground.

Luke, Charlie, and Eleanor formed one of the strike teams. They sprinted across slick rooftops, leaping between houses, their steps muffled by wet moss. The air smelled of iron and snow.

"I've done this before," Eleanor muttered, adjusting the bow across her back. "Chest runs at night are never clean. Always heard stories of ambushes."

Luke touched the storage charm at his neck. Inside it, a small bell waited, a security protocol. If any team was attacked, the bell would ring and reinforcements would come. "I just hope Bartholomew keeps his dogs on a leash," he murmured.

They dropped down into an empty street. The chest sat waiting at the center of a crossroads on a wooden platform, glowing gold and emitting a low, pulsing hum. Its reflection shimmered across their faces.

Luke approached with Eleanor, and together they pried open the heavy lid. Fresh magic hissed out like warm breath.

"Gold…" Eleanor whispered, distracted by the glitter. Luke began loading food, seeds, iron bars into the charm. Tools for blacksmiths, supplies for cooks, reinforcements for the defenses, each item more valuable than it looked.

Eleanor narrowed her eyes at Luke. "So this is where you get all your shiny trinkets?"

"I swear I didn't mean to," he muttered, tossing back the necklace he'd taken without realizing. For some reason, Princess Charlie was staring at the two of them. Luke thought she didn't like Eleanor very much.

The work stopped with a sharp hiss, an orange streak cut through the night like a comet.

"Charlie!" Luke's shout cracked the air.

Before he'd even finished, she lifted her hand. A spectral barrier bloomed in front of them, the fireball slamming against it with a thunderclap, scattering sparks across the snow. A heartbeat later came the arrows, hissing like lethal insects.

"Shit!" Luke yanked Eleanor back as Charlie held the barrier, eyes narrowed in concentration.

They bolted into the nearest house, wooden walls shuddering with each impact. Through a broken window, Luke caught sight of masked figures darting across rooftops. Assassins.

"It's an attack," he hissed between clenched teeth. "Bartholomew never intended a truce."

Eleanor already had her bow drawn; Charlie unsheathed her sword, the blade catching the dim snowlight.

Another fireball crashed through the window, bursting against Charlie's shield. Embers rained across the floorboards. "Step outside and you're dead!" someone yelled from the dark.

"I'm not one to pray, but I've been waiting a long time for something like this to happen," he said.

"What?" Eleanor asked, confused.

"Cover me."

He didn't wait for an answer. Diving through a side window, he vanished into the snow-dusted night. Eleanor fired arrow after arrow, keeping the assassins pinned while Luke scaled the side of the house, climbing to the roof. From above, he spotted a squad of eight closing on the chest, their supplies.

No hesitation. He threw a knife at the first to touch it. The man screamed. Charlie burst from the house, sprinting for the same spot, her barrier flickering as she moved.

Four enemies dropped into the street, retreating. One hurled a crackling orb of lightning; another leveled a crossbow. Luke dashed forward, closing the distance in a blink. Roots erupted from the ground to seize one of the enemies' feet; he was already spinning, twin kukris flashing, activating his Demonic Blade Dance.

[You have slain a human…] [+1 Soul Fragment acquired]

[You have slain a human…] [+1 Soul Fragment acquired]

One assassin fell clutching a severed hand; another screamed as Charlie's spectral chain yanked him off his feet. She grabbed him, touching him to activate an skill.

[Mark of Doom activated]

Then spun him into the rest. Luke caught the cue, throwing another knife midair.

[You have slain a human…] [+1 Soul Fragment acquired]

[Doom Explosion activated]

The Mark of Doom ignited in a blinding surge of red-black energy. The body detonated on the enemy rooftop in a thunderous, concussive blast, dragging others into the explosion. Screams and fragments of stone and steel filled the air as the shockwave rippled outward, leaving only scorched ground and silence in its wake.

[Princess Charlie has slain a human..]

[Princess Charlie has slain a human…]

[Princess Charlie has slain a human…]

[Princess Charlie has slain a human…]

Blood steamed in the melting snow. The assassins were too weak. Charlie and Luke stormed the opposite building where the last one was being dragged by her chain, howling in panic.

"Help!" the masked man shrieked.

Charlie yanked him fully inside; Luke grabbed him by the collar, pressing a knife to his throat.

"Who sent you?" Luke growled. "Was it Bartholomew?"

The man trembled, caught between defiance and terror. His answer would decide everything.

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