• •
  The Kingdom of Elyndor had stood for over a thousand years, protected by magic older than history itself. Beneath the royal castle, hidden within an ancient labyrinth of enchanted stone, rested a weapon spoken of only in whispers—the Celestial Blade.

Forged before kingdoms existed, the sword was said to choose its wielder. Legends claimed it could amplify any magical ability beyond imagination, seal entire armies, or plunge the world into endless darkness if it fell into the wrong hands.

Only the royal family knew where it truly lay.

Then the beasts came.

Not ordinary monsters, but creatures twisted by dark magic. Wyverns circled the skies, shadow wolves hunted the forests, stone trolls shattered city walls, and towering horned beasts ripped through battalions of knights. Mages unleashed torrents of fire, lightning, and ice, while healers raced through the battlefield trying to save the wounded before another wave crashed into the defenses.

“The eastern wall has fallen!”

“The barrier crystals are failing!”

“We can’t hold them much longer!”

Above the battlefield, black clouds churned unnaturally. From within them descended a figure cloaked in living shadows, hovering effortlessly over the burning kingdom. The air itself seemed to grow colder wherever they looked.

The soldiers froze.

Even veteran generals lowered their weapons in fear.

“The… the Dark Ruler…”

The name alone carried centuries of terror.

Behind the Dark Ruler stretched an army unlike any seen before—thousands of corrupted beasts, dark sorcerers wrapped in cursed armor, and winged creatures with glowing crimson eyes.

The Dark Ruler’s voice echoed across the kingdom without needing to shout.

“I have not come for your throne.”

“I have not come for your people.”

“I have come for what sleeps beneath your castle.”

As if responding to the words, the ground beneath the palace rumbled. Deep below, within the forgotten dungeon, ancient runes flickered to life for the first time in centuries.

The seal protecting the Celestial Blade was beginning to weaken.*