Aurelius drew a long, shaking breath, forcing composure over fury. “Your return is a blessing, Mr. Chance. What now? My daughter remains his captive, and Celestia City may already be crawling with his agents.”
“Our top priority is to return to Celestia City and seize the reins,” Jared explained. “I’m sure Ieuan has already planted snares in the city, so if we delay our return, will use the opportunity to take control. As for the princess, we can send covert scouts to track location before coming up with a rescue plan.”
Aurelius gave a sharp nod. “Yes! We’ll do as you say, Mr. Chance! Issue the order to turn back and return to Celestia City!”
The Imperial Guard obeyed instantly. Hooves hammered the packed earth as the column wheeled north and surged toward the city’s northern gate. Jared and Yuliana rode beside the king, every sense strung tight for the faintest ripple of danger.
Not long after, the golden battlements of Celestia City rose ahead, ablaze with late-afternoon light.
But as they drew closer, dread pooled in Jared’s gut. The northern gate stood sealed, its iron doors barred. Ranks of Guardian Army soldiers lined the ramparts, and at their head waited Ieuan’s cold-eyed deputy general.
“King Aurelius is back! Open the gate!” Rylan shouted, his voice rolling across the stone ramparts, and the banner of the Imperial Guard snapping above his helmet like thunder in a clear sky.
High on the battlements, the deputy general of the Guardian Army offered a thin, crooked smile. “The king, you say? Celestia City now answers to the Prime Minister. Without his command, no one is allowed to enter!”
Aurelius drew a sharp breath. “What?”
The single word scraped from his throat like steel on rock. His face blanched, then burned. “How dare Ieuan betray me!”
“King Aurelius, must you cling to delusion so tenaciously?” the deputy general called down, his voice almost indulgent. “The Prime Minister is the chosen one. Soon, will rule the entire level six. Surrender, and perhaps will spare your life!”
“Rubbish!” Aurelius roared, the syllable snapping the air. “Ieuan Chapman is a jackal, and his treason stains the whole of Celestial. Open these gates and submit, or I will tear them down and show no mercy!”
A dry laugh drifted from the parapet. “Show no mercy? Your moment is past, King Aurelius. The Guardian Army has taken control of every city gate and every important department In Celestia. Your Imperial Guard is outmatched. Kneel and surrender. Otherwise, don’t blame us for taking the necessary action!”
Rage shook Aurelius from head to toe, his fist lifted, ready to order an all, out assault.
Just then, Jared caught his wrist. “Don’t act rashly, King Aurelius. The Guardian Army holds the advantageous ground. A direct assault will only needlessly increase our casualties. I suggest we pull back to the nearby towns, gather our forces, then retake Celestia City on our terms.”
Aurelius swallowed the fire in his chest. He knew Jared was right.
“Very well, we shall withdraw… Just you wait, Ieuan! I will make you pay for this treachery!” hurled one final vow before turning his stallion. High above, the deputy general suddenly issued an order. “Fire the arrows!”
The next second, a black storm of arrows hissed outward, turning daylight into sleet. Imperial Guards quickly raised their shimmering shields, while Jared and Yuliana flanked Aurelius, channeling their spiritual energy to block the arrows aimed at him.
“Retreat!” Aurelius commanded, voice steady now, clear as a captain’s bell amid the chaos.
The Imperial Guard folded into disciplined waves, blocking, then yielding, their formation retreating toward the nearest town.
From the wall, soldiers from the Guardian Army watched them vanish, then slammed the gates shut with a resounding thud and layered fresh barricades behind the doors.
Only after the column reached Breeze Town did Aurelius finally call a halt. His shoulders drooped beneath invisible weight, the anger in his eyes had cooled into something darker, almost liquid.
The fall of Celestia City, the abduction of Lorraine, and Ieuan’s rebellion, disasters striking one after another, had placed under crushing strain He turned to Jared, a flicker of hope beneath exhaustion.
“What should we do now, Mr. Chance?”
Jared rubbed his chin. “King Aurelius, Ieuan may sit on the throne, but hearts are a fortress does not yet hold. I’m sure there are many soldiers in the Guardian Army who despise this treason…”
“Once the people learn that had kidnapped the princess and covets the Ritual Manual for his own nefarious motives, citizens and rival factions alike will rise against him. Right now, our first task is to rally the army’s spirit, reach out to those still loyal to Celestia, and wait for the right moment to reclaim the city.”
