Vienna – The Aftermath of Victory
The city of Vienna, still bearing the scars of war, was reborn in defiance. Flags lined the great avenues, now cleansed of rubble. Monuments of steel and crystal stood in honor of the dead. The Iron Guard marched in step, and children waved banners of the Ehrenfeld-Austrian Empire.
Hans Ehrenfeld Adler—the Emperor and now Supreme Commander—stood atop the newly reconstructed Parliament Spire. With Eliska Vranova, Queen of Bohemia and his consort, beside him, he surveyed the city. The sun cast a golden hue across the Danube as bells rang in triumph.
In the hospitals below, he met the wounded. A young officer clutched his hand and whispered: "We didn't fall. Not for nothing."
Hans only nodded. "No. You rose. And I rise because of you."
The International Summit – The Pact of Nations
The grand council chamber within the Iron Crown Palace pulsed with tension. Banners of every major surviving nation—Japan, the United States, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the Scandinavian Federation, and more—hung around the oaken hall.
Each seat was filled with diplomats and dignitaries, analysts and guards. The atmosphere was one of wary admiration—and deep caution.
Hans stepped into the chamber in his ceremonial black coat trimmed with gold. Behind him walked Eliska, radiant in a crimson gown marked with both Czech and Austrian motifs.
He began:
"To the sovereign nations of the new age: We do not meet today to mourn what was lost. We gather to build what must now be forged."
The room listened.
"We are no longer kingdoms and republics hidden behind rivers and borders. Portals brought monsters to our doors. Powers awoke in our children. Armies rose against their own. Our age has changed—and we must change with it."
The Japanese Delegate, a silver-haired woman named Nakahara Masami, stood.
"Power unchecked invites fear, Your Majesty. How does the world live beside a nation whose emperor commands not just armies—but awakened legions?"
Hans did not hesitate.
"Fear invites stagnation. And stagnation invites death. We chose unity. We chose survival."
The Turkish Minister, General Asaf Demir, added:
"Your Empire stands triumphant. Yet the memory of empires leaves wounds. Tell us, Hans Adler—do you intend to rule beyond your borders?"
Hans looked around the room and stated calmly:
"We did not ask for war. But when war came, we did not break. This Empire is not built on conquest—but on consent. Bohemia joined us willingly. Slovakia was liberated. And with Czechia's voice, we built something new."
Eliska stepped forward.
"We are not annexed peoples. We are joined nations. United—not under oppression—but in vision."
The Pact
Hours of debate followed. Rising tensions. Cautious understandings. And finally, Hans offered what history would record as the turning point:
"Let us sign a Mutual Sovereignty and Stability Pact. Each nation here swears to respect borders, refrain from unauthorized awakened warfare, and commit to defensive alliances against anomalies and rogue factions."
Some hesitated. Others nodded.
The Scandinavian Bloc agreed first. Then Türkiye. Then Japan.
The United States added amendments, but signed.
A new global doctrine was born.
Shadows Beneath the Flame
As diplomats toasted beneath chandeliers, a courier from a non-aligned state—no flag, no introduction—delivered a sealed letter to Hans.
He read it aloud only to Eliska.
"Karling was not the last. The roots of the Old World run deep."
Hans folded the letter.
That night, he stood once more on his palace balcony, wind cutting through his uniform.
He whispered to himself:
"Then let the new world grow stronger."