In the skies above the Demon Kingdom, darkness had fallen—bringing with it the silence of the cosmos itself. Within that stillness, deep inside the halls of the Shadow Palace, the ancient commanders gathered, their eyes fixed on the map of the recent battle and the rivers of blood that had been spilled. The dark walls surrounding them seemed to mirror the fractured dimensions of time, while the shadows danced as if celebrating each new heartbeat of victory.
Nazarem, commander of the ancient legions, was the first to speak, his eyes glinting with an enigmatic wisdom.
"It is done. The demon army has been annihilated. Now, it is time to claim our spoils. The city will be ours. Shadows will blanket it… just as they once blanketed the world."
Seralyn, another commander, stood in silence, her face radiating satisfaction over the triumph. She raised her hand and spoke in her calm yet commanding tone:
"The Shadow Army, the Frost Army, and the ancient legions must stand united. We must erase what remains of the enemy's forces and reclaim our true majesty. Send the order now."
Alyira, the third commander, gazed at the heavens as though she could see the entirety of the future, before declaring:
"Yes. The city must be destroyed completely. There will be no mercy this time. Every land shall bend to the will of Sagibro."
In a single moment, the order was given. The three armies surged forward—alongside Frostzar the dragon of the Frost Army and the soldiers of the ancient commanders—to raze the city that once served as the demons' capital. The ground trembled beneath their every step. The Shadow Army, led by Sagibro himself, swept across the land. Whispers slithered through the ruins, wrapping around every stone and tree in the forsaken city, for everything was fated to vanish beneath the weight of eternal darkness.
Yet, while the battle raged within the city, Sagibro had already returned to the Shadow Realm.
In the Dark Throne Hall
The shadows coiled around him as though they were part of his very flesh. Sagibro approached the Dark Throne—not the seat of a mere king, but an ancient emblem of power and majesty. Shadows cascaded from his form like a heavy veil as he settled upon it, a vision of dominion that radiated not just through the might of his armies, but through his unyielding will.
Within the vast chamber, his words reverberated, sounding less like a command and more like a decree spoken by time itself.
"I gave them their chance… now the time for victory has come. Darkness will spread to every corner of this world, and I will be its sovereign."
Seated upon his throne, Sagibro watched as the world outside drowned in a cold, creeping night. Ancient powers seemed to draw strength from this moment, as though the throne itself bridged past and present.
Beyond the Palace Walls
On the outskirts of the Shadow Realm, colossal works were underway. The armies of the ancient commanders, alongside the Frost Army, had begun constructing a new city. This was no mere settlement—it was to be a fortress of unmatched strength, positioned on the border between the shadows and the other realms.
Soldiers dug deep into the earth and raised towering stone bastions, while arcane machines toiled tirelessly to accelerate the construction. The walls—vast, unending, and forged from dark rock—grew ever taller, becoming an extension of Sagibro's dominion.
Amidst this monumental endeavor, one of the ancient commanders stood still, his gaze fixed upon the rising city.
"The Shadow Realm will no longer be just a kingdom," he said in a voice deep and resolute. "It will be an empire. An unconquerable empire, shrouded in darkness and forged from the very heart of power."
As the soldiers continued their relentless labor, the dream began to take shape. This new domain would become a vital part of the Shadow Empire, forever under Sagibro's reign, where all things would bow before an indomitable force.
Back in the Throne Hall
Sagibro remained seated, his form steady, his gaze fixed upon the shadows that danced around him. In a voice quiet yet absolute, he whispered:
"The shadows are the true king now… and those who doubt it will choke forever in eternal night."
End of Chapter Fifty-One