Sirens echoed throughout the launch bay as Angelic soldiers rushed through the halls. Their footsteps created a steady rhythm against the metal floors. Commanders shouted orders as platoons were directed toward the transport ships. Everyone was urged to board as quickly as possible. Four silver transports had already been filled with soldiers for the last several minutes, but one ship stood apart from the others.
It wasn't silver. Its hull was a deep royal blue with white trim, covered in battle scars from years of combat. The damage hadn't been repaired completely, leaving the marks of its history visible for everyone to see. The cargo door hissed as steam escaped from the sides before lowering into place and forming a ramp.
A figure approached from the corridor, silver hair catching the faint light overhead as blue currents of lightning quietly crawled across his polished armor. Renku walked toward the ship with calm, measured steps, his expression difficult to read. Unlike the soldiers rushing around him, he showed no signs of nervousness. Renku had been raised around battles for most of his life. To him, preparing for another one had almost become routine, something he approached with the same familiarity as going to work. Several soldiers lowered their heads respectfully as he passed, and Renku acknowledged them with nothing more than a brief glance before continuing toward the transport.
The temperature in the hangar seemed to drop as shadows stretched unnaturally across the steel floor. Zether stepped into view without making a sound. His dark armor seemed to absorb the light around him, causing the edges of his body to almost disappear into the surrounding darkness. A long black cloak drifted behind him as he walked, and despite the dozens of soldiers nearby, few were willing to look directly at him. One young soldier swallowed nervously as Zether passed.
For a brief moment, amber eyes shifted toward him from beneath the shadow covering part of the Orion's face before moving on. Zether had never been raised like Renku. He hadn't grown up in the Angelic capital or spent his childhood learning from the Angelics. His upbringing had been far harsher. Many believed the old stories that he had somehow been born from the shadows themselves. That he was raised by the darkness itself.
Golden light soon filled the hangar as Andreia emerged from the corridor. Her presence was different from the other Orions. She didn't make the soldiers uneasy, but she somehow quieted the entire room without saying a word. Strands of golden hair framed her calm expression while faint sigils shimmered around her like pieces of sunlight brought to life. Even the exhausted mechanics paused what they were doing as she passed, their eyes following her for a moment before returning to their work. The soldiers lowered their heads as she walked by.
Her youthful face carried a calm yet determined expression. Andreia was born from a great elven kingdom. There she was viewed as the most beautiful being in all existence. She wore elegant white and gold armor that covered her body. A golden diamond-shaped centerpiece rested against her chest. Even without saying a word, her presence brought a sense of calm to those around her, making it clear that she was the Orion of Light.
Then came the last Orion.
At first, nobody noticed him. The only warning was a subtle distortion in the air, almost like heat rising from a fire. Crimson energy flickered near the corridor walls before disappearing again. An uneasy silence slowly spread through the hangar as Valak stepped forward from the shadows. His white hair carried a faint crimson glow beneath the emergency lights. Unstable energy pulsed through the cracks in his armor like the heartbeat of something barely being contained. Unlike the other Orions, Valak didn't look toward the soldiers or acknowledge anyone around him. His eyes remained fixed ahead, distant and detached, as though the people surrounding him barely existed. A soldier nearby exhaled shakily.
"It's him… the Orion of Chaos," he whispered.
The four Orions eventually reached the transport together and something about their presence changed the atmosphere inside the hangar. The soldiers became quieter, as if the war outside had somehow followed the four of them into the room. The rear hatch lowered with a metallic hiss. Renku boarded first, followed by Andreia. Zether disappeared into the darkness of the transport without saying a word. Valak paused at the bottom of the ramp for a moment, crimson energy flickering faintly around one of his hands as distant explosions echoed somewhere beyond the fortress walls.
Another battlefield was already burning somewhere far away. Without saying anything, he stepped inside. The hatch sealed behind them as the engines roared to life. Flames erupted beneath the transport as it lifted from the hangar floor, sending steam and ash through the chamber. Soldiers shielded their faces from the heat as the ship accelerated through the open launch gate and disappeared into the blue sky above the capital.
Meanwhile, on Zerrax, the sky had turned red with thick smoke rolling across the horizon. The last traces of blue were swallowed up as the sounds of battle tore through the air. Along the Zerrax Coastline, flames consumed shattered ships and broken fortifications. Their reflections spread across the ocean like an open wound. Thousands of soldiers fought beneath a dying sun. Steel clashed against steel as shields splintered under heavy blows. War cries mixed with screams while both armies pushed against one another without giving an inch. The ground was already covered in ash, fire and blood. It was the third day of the siege and neither side seemed willing to surrender.
"FORWARD!"
A golden-armored Angelic commander raised his blade, his voice cutting through the battlefield. The soldiers behind him surged forward, their armor catching the orange glow of the surrounding fires as they charged into the Arcadian forces.
"DO NOT YIELD!"
Across the battlefield, an Arcadian commander stepped forward with twin blades igniting in green energy. His soldiers answered with a roar of their own and within moments, the two armies collided again.
High above the fighting, a transport tore through the smoke-filled sky. The ship rattled as energy blasts flew past the cockpit, forcing the pilot to tighten his grip on the controls.
"Entering combat airspace," he announced.
Behind him stood Renku. His silver hair shifted slightly with the movement of the ship while faint blue lightning crawled across his armor. He stared through the cockpit window at the battlefield below, watching thousands of soldiers fight and die in front of him. The same cycle had repeated for generations. Different people, different flags, different reasons, but always the same result. His expression hardened as he watched another soldier fall.
"Remember why we're here," Renku said quietly. "We end this. No more blood."
The rear door opened with a sharp hiss, allowing heat and ash to flood into the transport. Zether moved first. The Orion of Shadows stepped down the ramp, his dark armor absorbing the light around him as his amber eyes swept across the battlefield. Several soldiers broke from the front lines and charged toward him, weapons raised. Zether barely turned his head.
"Light blinds," he murmured.
A shadow crossed his face, leaving one golden eye visible beneath the darkness.
"Shadows reveal."
The ground beneath him darkened. Black tendrils suddenly erupted from the earth, twisting through the air like living creatures as they rushed toward the charging soldiers. They wrapped around limbs, crushed weapons and lifted several soldiers from the ground before slamming them aside. Panic spread through the formation as the soldiers struggled against the shadows, but the tendrils refused to loosen.
The sky suddenly brightened. Golden light poured through the clouds, forcing everyone on the battlefield to look upward. Andreia hovered high above them. Her enormous wings spread wide as radiant light surrounded her. Her golden hair flowed behind her, untouched by the chaos below, while dozens of glowing sigils appeared around her.
She raised one hand.
"Divine Swords."
The sky answered. Blades of light descended in a violent storm, striking the battlefield one after another. Explosions tore through the ground as entire formations were forced apart. Soldiers raised their shields, but many were overwhelmed by the sheer force of the attack. For several seconds, the battlefield disappeared beneath golden light.
Through the smoke stood Valak. Crimson energy pulsed beneath his armor, casting a faint red glow across his body. His white hair shimmered beneath the burning sky, and as he looked across the battlefield, there was something almost unsettling about the expression on his face. He was filled with disgust at what was occurring below him.
Look at these pathetic mortals. Allowing the struggle for power and dominance to consume them.
His eyes moved across the destruction.
This virus plagues the universe.
Valak remained floating above the battlefield, watching soldiers kill one another for the sake of kings and governments who would never set foot on the front lines themselves.
They blindly follow others to death while the cowards who started these wars sit safely behind their walls.
The thought stayed with him as he watched another soldier fall.
On the other side of the battlefield, Renku stepped forward and raised his hand. Blue energy surged through his armor, and thunder rolled across the sky as the power gathered around him.
"Divine Cleanse!" Renku yelled.
Lightning crashed down from the heavens. A massive pillar of blue energy tore through the battlefield, wiping out the remaining resistance and leaving scorched earth behind. The impact shook the coastline, and when the light finally faded, the fighting had stopped.
"RETREAT!"
"Fall back!"
"To the transports!"
The remaining Arcadian forces broke formation and rushed toward the evacuation ships hovering above the battlefield. Their earlier confidence had disappeared, replaced by desperation as they tried to escape.
Above them, the four Orions regrouped. Renku, Andreia, and Zether floated together, watching the Angelic soldiers celebrate their victory as the Arcadians withdrew. Valak remained slightly behind them, staring down at the retreating army.
"The battlefield is clearing." Renku let out a slow breath.
"The fighting has ceased," Andreia said.
"Then our task is complete," Zether folded his arms.
For the moment, the only sound was the wind moving through the smoke.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the silence.
"No."
The word immediately changed the atmosphere. Red energy began flickering across Valak's armor as his eyes remained fixed on the retreating soldiers.
"No one leaves," Valak said.
"Valak?" Renku turned toward him.
Crimson energy gathered in Valak's palm. At first, it was little more than a spark. However, it rapidly expanded into a dense sphere of unstable energy. Lightning twisted through its surface as the space around it began to distort. Across the battlefield, soldiers looked toward the sky. They knew what was coming.
"Chaos Comet."
Valak released the attack. The crimson sphere tore across the sky like a falling star, growing brighter as it descended toward the evacuation fleet. Panic spread among the Arcadian soldiers as they desperately tried to escape.
The attack struck the ground with pure destruction. Fire erupted across the coastline as shockwaves ripped through the evacuation ships and sent debris flying in every direction. Metal twisted and disintegrated beneath the blast as the earth itself was torn apart.
Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the explosion ended. Nothing remained where the transports had been, only fire and ash. Near the edge of the destruction, a broken transport lay torn open. Its remains were barely recognizable beneath the smoke. A golden emblem rested in the dirt, half buried beneath the ash.
A trembling hand reached toward it. Renku forced himself upright. His armor flickered weakly as residual energy continued to crackle around his body. He looked across the battlefield, expecting to see survivors. There were none.
His expression froze as he slowly turned. Valak stood in the center of the destruction, crimson energy rolling from his body as he walked through the wreckage.
"You murdered them." Renku's voice shook, not from fear, but from disbelief.
"I ended it," Valak said as he met his eyes.
"They were retreating!" Renku shouted. Lightning snapped violently around his armor. "It was over. You didn't have to do that!"
"You still don't see it," Valak's voice remained calm and almost disappointed.
He stepped closer.
"You speak of peace, but to them, you are nothing more than a weapon," Valak continued.
Renku didn't answer.
"You kneel to those who send others to die in their place," Valak's anger grew with each word.
Zether stepped forward.
"The path you're choosing is the easy one," Zether said.
Valak gave a quiet laugh and gestured toward the battlefield.
"Easy?" He looked around at the dead.
"We are puppets," he said. "Sent to clean up the consequences of decisions we never made."
"It takes two to create a war. The Angelics are no less guilty than the Arcadians." His expression hardened.
"We are gods walking among mortals," Valak continued, "and yet we bow to them."
He pointed toward the distant horizon.
"They speak of war from distant halls while this…" his hand lowered toward the destruction surrounding them. "…is the reality they create."
Renku stared at his friend.
"Valak…"
"Following orders is easy," Valak said. "Ignoring the truth is easy."
His voice grew louder.
"But ending it… truly ending it…" crimson energy began building around him. "Requires something more."
The power erupted from his body, forcing the ground beneath him to crack. The energy began to consume the air as Valak's anger finally showed itself.
"You may call it genocide," he said, his eyes burning with conviction. "I call it salvation."
"I will end all wars," Valak declared, "even if the universe itself must be remade to do it."
Renku stepped toward him, desperation beginning to break through his anger.
"Extinction isn't peace! We can fix this… together!" Renku said, trying to reason with him.
Valak didn't answer immediately. For several seconds, he simply looked at Renku. Then he turned away.
"Deliberation is a luxury," he said quietly. "Choice is an illusion. Action is the only answer."
Andreia reached out and placed a hand on Renku's shoulder, but he barely noticed. His eyes remained fixed on Valak as his best friend slowly disappeared into the smoke.
Is it too late?
Renku couldn't bring himself to look away. Zether watched Valak disappear before asking one final question.
"What will you do now, Valak?" he questioned.
Valak stopped, but he didn't turn around.
"What should have been done…" His voice was calm. "…long ago."
The ground beneath him suddenly ignited. Emerald light spread outward, forming an enormous arcane circle beneath his feet. Ancient symbols appeared within it as the air around him began to twist. A vortex opened above the battlefield, growing larger until it seemed to stretch beyond the limits of the mortal world.
Valak stepped forward, and the light swallowed him. He was gone. The vortex collapsed in on itself, leaving nothing behind. For several seconds, the three remaining Orions simply stood there. None of them knew where Valak had gone.
Zether looked toward the place where he had disappeared, disappointment visible in his expression. Andreia remained beside Renku, trying to offer him some comfort, but Renku barely responded.
Only moments earlier, the four Orions had stood together as a family. Now there were only three, and none of them realized just how much their lives had changed. Valak was gone, but this was only the beginning.
End of Chapter 1