The pressure surged instantly. The air became charged as Kai and Erika drew their weapons, and their respective teams surged forth, a storm about to break.
There magic waves are so dense and heavy that many people can't able to stand or breath properly.
Suddenly, a hand clenched down upon each of their weapon, stopping the clash before it began.
It was Gray Welhawk. His voice was sharp, commanding. "If you must fight, do it away from here. Do NOT drag the common people into this mess. Understood?"
He held both leaders' hands firmly. Anger boiled in his voice, making the gathered soldiers tense and wary.
Finn sneered, "Isn't this the great Shadow Ascension, Gray Welhawk? And why are you here?"
Erika glared. "Gray, leave. Kai Alden is stronger than Imperial himself."
Gray met her gaze, voice calm but edged with steel. "Is that supposed to scare me?"
As tensions rose, one of Kai's team members surged forth to attack; Team Zeran arrived and blocks his attack.
"That's enough!" called out Zeran, voice commanding as he blocked the blow. "stopping this mess earns us some points, right General?"
Travis, initially surprised, gave a booming laugh. "Correct, Zeran. But it won't move your team from third place, I'm afraid."
Zeran grinned. "Fair enough. We're still the first to got point in the new point cycle, after all."
With that, the teams backed down. The tension ebbed as Kai and Erika withdrew, leaving the stage as silence and whispers replaced the charged air.
Later that night, at a royal banquet for the top five teams and royal families, Zeran met with Gray and the others. "Thank you for looking after Imperial — and for saving Lord Cyrus," he said sincerely.
Cyrus smiled, placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You've grown strong, Zeran. Stronger than I expected."
Meanwhile, Erika's parents approached Lyra and Cyrus, apologizing for their daughter's behavior towards Kai. "I am truly sorry for Erika's behavior tonight," said her father.
Cyrus shook his head. "We owe you an apology as well — for how Kai acted towards Erika. They're both strong-willed and passionate. Let the younger generation work it out."
Then Erika's mother smiled as she glanced towards Ari. "Is this Ari Hale? The daughter of Kira Hale and Lord Zech? What a fine and beautiful choice for a daughter-in-law."
Ari turned crimson and quickly averted her gaze.
Lyra smiled, brushing away the remark. "It's not like that, Lady Emily. These four are friends — nothing more, nothing less."
With that, the night drew to an end, and the friends parted ways to return home.
As Lyra and the others arrived at the Alden estate, a servant stepped forward to open the door. Suddenly, Dawn stopped short, blinking in surprise.
"Wait… Imperial is here?" she said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.
Lyra tilted her head, surprised. "How did you know he'd arrived?"
Dawn smiled faintly and tapped a finger to her chest. "I can sense his magic, Aunt Lyra. It's unmistakable."
"Imperial is home," said Dawn quietly, certain of it.
Then they spotted Kai. He was packing his belongings, moving quickly towards the door.
Gay ignored him and moved to his room.
Lyra stepped forward, her voice wavering. "Kai… Congratulations, my son," she said, pulling him into an embrace. But he pulled her hands away from himself, pushed her back, and then walked out of the house, through the main door, without looking back.
Cyrus caught Lyra as she faltered, brushing away a lone tear from her cheek.
"Perhaps he is still bitter about the events of the ceremony," said Cyrus quietly. "Erika's words weren't aimed just at the council tonight — they were aimed at Kai and the hard work he put in. He's hurt."
Lyra drew herself up, swallowing her pain, and offered a faint, understanding smile. "Maybe you're right."
Ari, Tracey, and Dawn exchanged glances as Kai left. The night felt longer and heavier than before.
As they returned to their rooms, Dawn spoke softly. "Ari… didn't it look weird too you ? Erika's team has been the strongest for years, and tonight it was overtaken. Not just for the Empire, but across nations. And the way Kai acted towards Aunt Lyra tonight..."
Ari sighed, brushing hair from her eyes. "I don't know, to be honest. In the two years I've lived here, I've rarely seen Kai come home. He works hard — harder than any of us can imagine. So for him to respond like this tonight… I can't justify it, but I can understand it. He felt the sting. Not because of the ranking, but because it felt like Erika was questioning the worth of every drop of sweat he and his team shed. He acted out of pride and anger. Not ideal… but maybe he is going through something we don't understand."
The next morning, everyone was back to their training.
A month passed, and their routine remained the same until one day, while they were having breakfast, a servant came rushing in with a newspaper for Cyrus. The room fell quiet as the servant handed it over.
Cyrus unfolded the paper, and as he read, his hands shook. The newspaper slipped from his grip and landed on the table.
Lyra's voice rose, wavering. "What is it?"
Dawn picked up the paper and read aloud, voice shaking as she spoke. "Imperial Alden has been classified as a Red-Dot Criminal, and is deemed a threat to the world and its people. Ari Hale is also named a Red-Dot Criminal. Since both belong to the Eleven Supreme Families, this status is still unofficial until it is addressed in the upcoming Supreme Family Summit. There, the final decision will be made.
"As for their allies — Tracey and Dawn — they have been officially marked as Orange-Dot Criminals."
Tracey frowned. "What do these 'dots' even mean?"
Cyrus explained quietly, brushing a hand over the paper. "when someone is deemed too dangerous for the people, the royal family, or even the Emperor himself, they are marked as 'Dot Criminals.' The dots define the threat level.
"Yellow-Dot means 'under watch' — someone not too strong, but still a potential threat.
Orange-Dot means 'dangerous enough to kill' — and the royal army has every right to kill or capture the person on sight.
Red-Dot is the highest designation. Red-Dot Criminals can be captured or killed immediately, no questions asked. They're considered the biggest threat in the Empire… and until now, no one has ever held that title."
Everyone was shocked into silence.
Then, after a long moment, Dawn asked, "Why isn't Gray on this list?"
Gray shrugged voice calm. "Because I already carry an Orange-Dot title. Ever since I became a Shadow Ascendant. It's standard for all Ascendants. If one of us is captured or fails a mission, the employer can claim no association. We're hunted regardless."
Lyra sank into a chair, pale.
Cyrus placed a hand on her shoulder. "Try not to worry. The decision hasn't been finalized yet, and we can still shift the outcome. The Drakes and the Rowans are with us, and Hale's also for support too."
Gray spoke matter-of-factly. "But for any decision to pass, it needs more than sixty percent of the votes. The Aldens, Drakes, and Rowans together make thirty percent. Hale gives us another ten, making forty percent. We still need one more family on our side because Alden can't vote imperial in this matter and hale's can't vote ari."
Cyrus nodded slowly. "Exactly."
Ari spoke up. "We can ask the Everly Family. Our family has a long-standing alliance with them."
Gray crossed his arms. "That might work, but we can't bet everything on one link. We should approach every remaining family. Even a single 'yes' can tip the balance."
He glanced toward the table. "I'll ask the C.A. for help. They might have connections with the royal families."
Cyrus offered a tired smile. "Thank you, Gray. All of you — don't worry. Stay focused on your training. Let me handle this."
The news shook the Empires. Another month passed, and the training became harder and more focused. It had been nearly six months since Imperial left, and every member of the group felt the weight of those days.