A week had passed since the deaths of Chiron, Menelaus, and Paris. In their wake, the war between the Greeks and Trojans raged on, fiercer than ever. The Trojans had anticipated their enemies to be emotionally shattered, burdened by grief and uncertainty. Yet, to their dismay, the Greeks seemed anything but weakened. If anything, their resolve had solidified, becoming a cold and calculating force that sent shivers through Trojan ranks.

    Gone was the arrogance that had once characterized the Greeks—the swagger and hubris that so often preceded their downfall. In its place was a chilling determination, a gaze devoid of sentimentality, focused solely on the grim task of annihilating their foes. This unyielding resilience unnerved the Trojans. How could their enemies, battered by losses, rally with such vigor? It was infuriating, maddening even, to see them rise stronger from what should have been crippling blows.

    The Trojans clung to one hope: the realization that their opposition now rested on the shoulders of just two men—Agamemnon and Odysseus. These were the last Greek leaders to defeat. Once they fell, the war would be over. Or so they believed.

    But the Greeks had no intention of making it easy. Their forces moved with newfound cohesion, no longer fractured by city-state rivalries. Spartan, Athenian, Mycenaean—those distinctions no longer mattered. All bore the same banner now: the banner of Greece. They had set aside their pride, their differences, and even their longstanding enmities. The Myrmidons, once Achilles'' fiercely independent warriors, now fought alongside the rest, unified in purpose.

    This unprecedented unity had not come easily. It was Odysseus, with his sharp wit and silver tongue, who had orchestrated it. He had seen the writing on the wall, understanding with grim clarity the danger that lay ahead. Achilles'' wrath had been a harbinger, a warning of what was to come. If the Greeks did not unite, they would surely fall.

    And so, Odysseus took on the mantle of leadership, delivering a speech that would resonate through the ages. Standing before the weary and disheartened Greek forces, he spoke not of glory or conquest, but of home. He reminded them of the families waiting for their return, of the lives they had left behind, of the dreams they had once cherished. He painted vivid pictures of their wives'' longing gazes and their children''s laughter, urging them to fight not for pride but for the chance to see those they loved again.

    His words struck a chord. Even the most hardened warriors found their spirits rekindled. For once, it was not Agamemnon who led them, but Odysseus, whose heartfelt plea transcended mere rhetoric. He became the voice of their collective longing, their shared desire to end the bloodshed and return to the lives they had sacrificed for this endless war.

    Odysseus himself was no stranger to that yearning. Each night, as he lay beneath the cold stars, his thoughts turned to Ithaca, to his wife Penelope and his son Telemachus. Their faces haunted his dreams, their absence gnawed at his soul. He longed to hold them, to hear their voices, to live the quiet life he had once taken for granted. And if that meant leading the Greeks to victory—no matter how many battles or lives it cost—he would do so without hesitation.

    But the Greeks faced formidable opponents, each a force of nature on the battlefield. Chief among them was Hector, the pride of Troy. He had always possessed the aura of a warrior, but the war had shaped him into something far greater—a legend in his own right, a man whose name would echo alongside those of Heracles and Achilles. His presence on the battlefield was commanding, almost invincible. No matter the odds or the number of enemies surrounding him, Hector fought with unparalleled ferocity, cutting down anyone who dared cross his path.

    He was not alone. Aeneas, the noble and steadfast warrior, stood at his side. Together, they formed the backbone of the Trojan resistance. They understood that the survival of Troy depended on them now more than ever. The days ahead felt finite, as if an unseen clock ticked closer to their end. Hector and Aeneas fought as though every moment mattered, as though their blades alone could hold back the tide of fate.

    Whatever doubts Paris may have harbored in the past had been washed away by the tide of blood and the raw power surging through his veins. He was stronger now—stronger than he had ever been. No one could stop him. Not Hector, not Aeneas, and certainly not Heiron, even if the man miraculously returned from the grave. Heiron''s name was nothing more than a whisper in the wind now, a fading shadow of a memory. Paris sneered at the thought.

    Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire

    He clenched his sword tightly, his eyes burning with a mixture of arrogance and rage. Helen''s words still echoed in his mind, sharp and mocking. She had ridiculed him, belittled him, compared him to a man who no longer existed. But he would show her. He would force her to see the truth, to understand that he was the strongest, the savior of Troy, and the man who had risked everything for her.

    His plan was simple: he would kill Agamemnon, the man she so feared. He would crush the Greeks, ending the war in a display of his might that no one could deny. And when the dust settled, he would take Helen, claim her as his own, and leave no room for doubt in her mind. She would have no choice but to accept him, to bow before the man who had protected her, who had ended the war for her. She would realize that Paris was her savior, her conqueror, her one and only.

    While he was at it, he thought darkly, he would also deal with Clytemnestra. The sister who had joined Helen in mocking him, laughing at him, belittling him. She too would learn the truth. He would take her, break her, and make her understand that he was the only man worthy of reverence. Heiron? He scoffed at the name. Chiron was nothing. A pale shadow next to the blazing light of his greatness.

    Fueled by these thoughts, Paris moved like a whirlwind across the battlefield. His sword sang as it cut through flesh and bone, blood splattering across the ground in rivers. The screams of the dying were music to his ears, the sound of his dominance. He was unstoppable, a force of nature, slaughtering hundreds of Greeks with each swing of his blade.

    But even as he fought, his gaze was fixed on one man: Agamemnon. The Greek king stood at the edge of the battlefield, his expression unreadable, his presence commanding. Agamemnon had always been a symbol of Greek arrogance, a man who thought himself untouchable. Yet now, Paris noticed something different. The king was closer to the battlefield than before, his cold, calculating gaze fixed on the chaos before him.

    Paris smirked, his lips curling into a predatory grin. "You''re making things easier for me, King Agamemnon," he muttered under his breath. Without hesitation, he surged forward, his speed and determination cutting through the ranks of Greek soldiers like a hot knife through butter. He was a man possessed, his singular focus on ending the Greek king and claiming his victory.

    But just as Paris prepared to close the distance, a burst of golden light erupted in the center of the battlefield, blinding and brilliant. It was as though the sun itself had descended to earth, bathing the warring armies in its radiant glow. The light was so intense that even Paris was forced to halt, shielding his eyes with his arm as gasps and cries of astonishment rippled through both sides of the conflict.

    The brilliance lingered for several heartbeats before it began to fade, revealing a stunning sight that left everyone speechless. In the midst of the battlefield stood a golden carriage, its horses as majestic and radiant as celestial beings. But it was not the carriage itself that captured their attention—it was the figure standing upon it.

    Paris''s breath caught in his throat. She was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen, her presence as otherworldly as the light that had announced her arrival.@@@@