CHAPTER 1068: PROGRESS

Aurdis drew a deep breath and steadying herself before she spoke again. Her voice was low at first, but still sounded firm, her words carrying urgency.

"Erend discovered something beyond anything we have faced before. This is a force that does not fight openly but hides within shadows of dimension. It can slip unseen into the strongest of hearts and manipulate them. Even a Dragonborn, Father.

"Erend witnessed it himself that this entity was capable of twisting one of his kind into a weapon of destruction without ever raising its own hand. There was nothing that could detect it before. It spreads its influence quietly and then it will be corrupting and bending will and power as much as they want."

King Gulben’s frown deepened as he leaned forward, his hands tightening around the armrests of his throne.

His keen eyes remained fixed on his daughter but the skepticism in them flickered. He didn’t show it openly, but the disbelief was present.

Aurdis pressed on. "It is not confined to one place, Father. Erend says its reach spans across worlds. It moved unseen into kingdoms and cities. That is why he came here, he wanted to warn us that if we just waited we would be losing. If we are not ready, when it finally touches our people, we will fall without ever knowing why."

The silence in the chamber grew heavy.

King Gulben drew in a slow breath through his nose, his face stern, his eyes hard as stone.

When Aurdis finished, the king leaned back once more, tapping his fingers against the carved wood of his throne.

His expression had not softened.

"So," he said, his voice measured and edged with skepticism. "An unseen enemy that no one can detect, that spreads without sound and without form, and yet possesses the strength to twist even Dragonborn to its will? Tell me, Aurdis... how am I to lead my people against a shadow I cannot see and cannot prove exists yet? I know that Erend would not lie about something like this. But how are we supposed to act?"

His words hung heavy, carrying doubt but also the burden of his responsibility.

Aurdis’s eyes flashed with frustration.

"Father, I know it sounds impossible. If we dismiss this, we risk everything. Not just our people but the world we stand on." she forced her voice to remain steady.

King Gulben’s lips pressed into a thin line. His skepticism had not vanished, but neither had his trust in his daughter.

At last, he let out a long, weary sigh.

"You speak with conviction, my dear child and Erend’s warnings have saved us before. Very well." He straightened in his throne, his voice resonating through the chamber. "I will not dismiss this unknown, even though I cannot yet believe in it fully. We will prepare as you wanted. But we need to do it quietly, without spreading panic."

Relief flickered in Aurdis’s eyes. She bowed her head. "Thank you, Father."

King Gulben studied her for a long moment, then added in a graver tone, "But remember, Aurdis, when the enemy cannot be seen, the greatest danger is not just in its strength, but in how it makes us doubt ourselves. Our people need proof for that."

Aurdis met his gaze, determination tightening her features. "Yes, father. I undestand."

The king gave a slow nod.

"You can go do your task now," King Gulben said.

Aurdis nodded curtly then she walked briskly to the door and disappeared.

When Aurdis’s footsteps faded beyond the chamber doors, silence returned to the throne room.

King Gulben remained still for a while. He didn’t call his advisors again and wanted to have time with his own mind for a while.

His hands resting on the carved arms of his seat, his gaze lingering on the lights that shine in the window. His daughter’s words weighed heavily on him. For now it somehow felt heavier than the crown he wore.

He thought back to Laston. The betrayal still burned in his memory but what haunted him more was not the treachery itself—it was the revelation of what Magic fused with metal and other constructs could achieve.

He had seen the constructs rivaled his palace’s ancient spells. The armor that his army wears could shrug off Magic attacks.

Then he saw himself Laston’s weapons that struck with terrifying power. It was not the way of Elves, not the way of their traditions, yet it had been real, undeniable, and devastating.

His jaw tightened.

He never liked the idea of tainting their pure Magic with the harshness of steel. But could he afford to cling to ideals when the world around them was changing?

When shadows crept unseen and when even Dragonborn could be bent to another’s will? The old ways would not hold. Not anymore.

"Magic alone..." he murmured under his breath, his deep voice echoing faintly in the vast chamber. "It will not be enough."

He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling deeply, then exhaled in a long sigh.

In that breath was resignation, but also a sliver of resolve.

His people would resist change if he forced it upon them, but he knew resistance would only leave them vulnerable.

They needed to be stronger. Stronger than their pride and stronger than their traditions.

Slowly, a bitter smile curved his lips. He tilted his head back against the throne, his eyes reflecting the light.

"So... it seems even I must walk this path," he muttered quietly, almost as if admitting defeat to himself. "Very well. If Laston could forge destruction with his vision, then I will forge the same thing to my enemy with my vision."

His gaze hardened with the bitter smile remained.

"I suppose I must begin creating constructs of my own with my own ideas."

The words lingered in the empty hall. It sounded like a vow that he had spoken to no one but himself. It has the same binding that he would need to do all the same.

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