The Titam Kingdom received the news shortly after sunset. The royal council chamber had never felt so crowded and tense. Nobles filled every available seat while military officers lined the walls.

Even regional governors had traveled directly to the capital after hearing the announcement. The king had also summoned every high-ranking manipulators back to the capital.

At the center of the room, the king sat silently.

A magical projection floated above the council table—the official notice from the Dark Elf kingdom glowing before them.

The Second Prince of Gladia Kingdom has been captured. The execution was scheduled for the seventh day. Further actions are dependent upon compliance.

The king rubbed his forehead he could feel a headache coming.

No one uttered a word since no one wanted to be first. Eventually, an elderly duke broke the silence.

"This is a disaster. It just keeps piling up every passing hour."

Several people nodded immediately.

A younger noble looked around, confused.

"How is this a disaster, the prince’s capture at least gives hope that the royal family will be next, right?"

The entire room turned toward him. The duke looked almost offended.

"No it does not, it has just escalated things further. This isn’t a warning to the royal family it is a warning to us."

Unknown to them, it really wasn’t, Lilith’s threat had been very direct and she couldn’t care less about the other kingdoms unless they interfered.

A military commander finally spoke.

"Will the Gladia’s royal family surrender?"

"No. They will hide even further. "

The answer came immediately. The king himself had spoken. Everyone turned toward him.

The ruler’s expression remained grim.

"They can’t reveal themselves now, the second prince has already set the precedent of what will happen if they try to come back."

The room fell silent again. Everyone understood one thing, the missing royal family had vanished completely. No kingdom knew its location. No spies ir correspondent had found them.

If the citizens of the Gladia kingdom could surrender them, they would have already done so. This meant the countdown was real.

Seven days and two had already passed.

Then the prince dies. What happened after that was anyone’s guess.

The king leaned back heavily.

"Increase border readiness."

Several generals nodded while a few nobles paled.

The military commander frowned.

"You believe war is unavoidable?"

The king looked toward the notice as though it were mocking them.

"I don’t know, but what I know is we have to be fully prepared just for the sake of."

He had been rejected an audience after all. It just cemented everything.

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.

.

Terah reacted as expected. They were already preparing for war unlike their more docile neighbours.

The king stood upon a balcony overlooking the capital as reports arrived one after another. Each worse than the last.

"The second prince has been captured."

"We know."

"The execution notice has spread across the continent."

"We know."

"Titam kingdom is mobilizing."

The king finally turned.

"And?"

The messenger hesitated.

"Gladia kingdom remains silent."

That was the answer he expected. The king walked back inside. The room was already filled since most of the people had not left at the time of the announcement.

His councilors immediately rose.

Inside maps covered the central table, showing supply routes, military positions and border defenses.

The room looked less like a council chamber and more like a war headquarters. A woman in military uniform pointed toward Gladia territories.

"They’re finished."

The statement shocked no one, since it had become common knowledge that the kingdom had already lost but they simply hadn’t realised it yet. Their own borders had already started to fill with refugees who had been refused entry.

A councilor frowned.

"You think the queen will destroy them?"

"No."

Everyone looked toward the speaker. The king folded his arms.

"Destroying them would be easy."

The room quieted. What the king had said was true. The Dark Elf kingdom possessed overwhelming military superiority.

The king continued.

"She’s doing something worse."

The councilors listened carefully as tension started to bleed into the air.

"She’s making an example."

Understanding slowly spread.

The king pointed toward the map.

"Gladia kingdom isn’t the target," he looked up at his council," The continent is."

Silence followed.

The military commander finally spoke.

"You believe this is a demonstration."

"Yes."

The king’s expression darkened.

"The moment that the prince dies, every ruler on the continents receives the same message."

Nobody asked what that message was since they already knew. Cross the Dark Elf Queen and no distance will save you.

The king walked toward the window. His gaze went to the sky, night had fully arrived. Far above, stars filled the sky.

Somewhere beyond those distant horizons sat the Dark Elf kingdom, waiting and watching while counting down the days.

The king stared into the darkness then spoke quietly.

"Find the missing royal family, I want you to search every border village in all the kingdoms. I have a feeling we might find them there."

One, who hadn’t attended, the first meeting finally asked the obvious question.

"To save them?"

The king let out a humorless laugh.

"No."

His gaze remained fixed on the horizon.

"To save ourselves."

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.

.

The second prince was not particularly impressive. That was Atheline’s first thought as he stared at the man sitting across the interrogation chamber.

For someone whose capture had shaken three kingdoms and accelerated the continent toward war, he looked remarkably ordinary.

He seemed nervous, tired, and slightly disheveled. A prince only by title now. It was understandable why he wasn’t in line for the throne just by his looks.

The underground chamber beneath Gladia kingdom’s palace was quiet.

Cold stone walls surrounded them while magical restraints covered every inch of the prisoner’s chair.

Lilith sat opposite him, one leg crossed over the other her expression unreadable. The image would be scary for anyone who didn’t know her properly and it seems to be working on the second prince.

Atheline stood beside her.

Behind them, several shadows lingered silently near the walls.

The prince swallowed visibly. His confidence from the reports seemed to have disappeared completely.

Lilith folded her hands.

"Tell me where they are?"