They were on the road to the palace where the king of Crystalden lived when Lady Selena turned to Alex. "I'll give you a place in my house," she said. "I'll feed you, and I'll pay you weekly. I usually pay others monthly, but you'll be different. Do you like that?"
"It's fine," Alex answered. "I'm grateful."
When they arrived in Crystalden, the palace rose before them almost as magnificent as those in the cities. Crystalden was the only village with such well-built, modern structures; its palace alone set it apart from the ramshackle settlements nearby.
Inside, Alex caught her first glimpse of King Theron Valemont. He stood with the calm authority of a noble ruler, and every eye in the hall turned to Alex. She had a way of standing out unmistakably beautiful, almost foreign so that no one could guess where she came from. Even when she was angry her features held a dangerous, compelling grace.
Elliot, a warrior seated to the king's left, frowned and whispered, "What is she doing here?"
"She's with me," Lady Selena replied shortly, cutting him off. The king glanced at Elliot. "Do you know her?" he asked. Elliot's voice was low. "I've heard of her. They say she fights like a force of nature." Before anyone else could press the matter, Selena took Alex by the arm and led her down a quiet corridor.
At the end of the hall were dozens of rooms; Lady Selena selected the finest without hesitation. "This one," she said, pressing a heavy key into Alex's hand. "Make yourself at home. Take a bath and freshen up."
Alex stepped inside and felt the room with her eyes soft light, a large window, finely woven linens. She had known hardship; nothing like this had ever been hers. The luxury made her chest tighten, and, unbidden, memories rolled over her images of burning houses, the quiet of empty streets, the faces of those she had lost. She moved to the mirror and studied herself: the same features everyone admired, set now with a cold, private resolve.
A small, vicious smile crossed her lips. "I will find you, Max," she whispered, voice steady as iron. "And I will end you.
The next morning, Alex awoke to the distant sound of metal clashing against metal. For a moment she lay still, letting the noise seep into her thoughts. When she finally stepped outside, the village of Crystalden was already alive with movement. Children hurried through the streets with baskets, merchants shouted their wares, and on the far edge of the village grounds, warriors and guardians were training as they did every dawn.
She walked toward the training field, her eyes narrowing as she watched the drills unfold. Swords cut the air with precision, spears struck against shields, and men barked commands at one another. Among them were the village's most renowned champions: Auron, the Mountain Warrior, broad shouldered and unshakable; Orveth, a master of every weapon he touched; and Elliot, the noble warrior whose strength was said to outmatch any ordinary man.
But one figure was missing. Velora, the Armoured Huntress and Crystalden's only female warrior, was nowhere to be seen.
Alex folded her arms. So this is Crystalden's pride… nothing I haven't seen before.
The warriors noticed her lingering gaze. One paused, his sword resting on his shoulder. "Why don't you come down here and train with us? Or have you never trained before?"
Alex raised an eyebrow, her tone dismissive. "No. And I don't think I want to."
The words rippled through the crowd like sparks in dry grass. Auron laughed, shaking his head. "So the mysterious woman who bested Elliot is nothing more than a lazy sloth. You must've used tricks. No true strength."
The laughter of a few others followed, but Alex's face darkened. She said nothing. Instead, she walked to the edge of the training ground. The pit yawned twenty feet below too steep to climb without stairs. Yet she did not hesitate. With a single, fluid leap, she dropped into the pit, landing silently on the packed earth.
Every warrior froze, their laughter caught in their throats. Even Elliot's eyes widened.
Orveth stepped forward, his jaw tight. "Don't forget yourself, woman. Know your place."
From the sidelines, the guards jeered, emboldened by his words.
"Yeah, you're just a lady. Don't make us teach you a lesson!"
But Alex's lips curled into a smile sharp, predatory, and full of quiet challenge.
"Then come," she said, her voice low, her eyes gleaming. "If you dare."
Alex stood firm as forty warriors rushed toward her, believing that sheer numbers would bring her down. But she showed no fear, no hesitation. In a blur, she dashed forward, weaving through them with impossible speed. Before they could even raise their weapons, Alex had already struck. In the blink of an eye, every one of them lay defeated. Not a single warrior had managed to land a blow.
From the balcony of the great hall, Lady Selena and her guards watched in silence, stunned. This was the same courtyard where King Theron often came to take in the morning air, but today it had become a battlefield.
Alex turned to the onlookers and asked, her voice steady and sharp,
"Do I look like someone who still needs training, hmm?"
Then, without warning, Elliot appeared. His expression was grave as his eyes lingered on Alex.
"I've noticed something," he said slowly. "When we fought before, I couldn't touch you. Now your speed has grown even greater in such a short time yet I know you haven't been training. Alex… do you even know who you are? The strength rising inside you isn't ordinary. You're becoming more powerful every day, and that cannot be a coincidence. You must search for the truth about yourself."
"Enough!" Alex snapped, her eyes blazing. "Listen to me, warrior. I am nothing special. I am just a child who was stabbed in the back while my parents were taken from me. That is all I am nothing more. Don't you ever speak to me about this again."
She turned away before he could answer, storming into her room. Throwing herself onto the bed, she closed her eyes, exhaustion finally pulling her into sleep.
But peace never lasted long in Crystalden.
At dawn, a horn split the silence of the village. An alarm rang out across the streets, sending people rushing from their homes in confusion and fear. King Theron himself was jolted awake, his heart pounding. He stepped into the hall as his captain of the guard ran to him.
"My king!" the guard cried. "War is upon us. Morvax, the King of Redmere, approaches with his armies. He comes to conquer Crystalden, as he has conquered so many before!"
King Theron's eyes widened, fire flashing within them. He raised his voice so all within earshot could hear:
"Prepare to fight back!"
At once the halls thundered with shouts. Warriors, guards, and armies surged into motion. Armor clattered, blades were drawn, and shields were raised. Within moments, Crystalden was alive with the fury of preparation.
The storm of war was coming.
Alex's hands trembled as she pressed her forehead against the cold window frame. Her chest heaved, breath thick and uneven. War. The word alone had frozen her blood. She had heard rumors before, whispers in the night, but to hear it confirmed, to see the truth unfolding before her eyes it was almost too much to bear.
The village of Crystalden was burning.
Smoke coiled upward from the gates, where the armies of Redmere had already breached the first defenses. Their war cries shook the earth itself, clashing with the desperate shouts of Crystalden's warriors.
"Lady Selena, the king commands you to the underground chambers," a guard urged, tugging at the noblewoman's arm. Selena, pale but composed, allowed herself to be led away with her escort of soldiers.
Meanwhile, King Theron had already donned his armor, the golden crest of Crystalden glimmering against the firelit sky. Mounted on his royal steed, he looked like a figure carved from legend. Beside him, Elliot, Velora, Auron, and Orveth stood shoulder to shoulder, the finest warriors of Crystalden, prepared to die if they must.
The gate gave way with a thunderous crack. The enemy poured in like a black tide.
Steel clashed against steel. Screams filled the air. Blood sprayed across the cobblestones. The peaceful village was gone, swallowed whole by chaos.
And at the center of the invading storm was Maximus.
Once a boy who trained in obscurity, he had grown into a force of war itself.