The capital of the Northern Kingdom of Mystra lay under cold starlight. Snow-dusted towers glistened against an ink‑black sky. Inside the obsidian walls of Collen's fortress, the atmosphere was tense as a drawn blade.
Collen Koran sat in his high chamber, carved from midnight stone. Behind him, tall windows framed frost-laced pines and distant peaks. Before him lay reports, maps, and shimmering holograms of shadow residue overlaying Noctera's ruins. He traced a finger across the patterns, brow furrowed.
Outside the chamber, the doors opened. Kira entered, accompanied by her two elite sentinels. Her green hair caught the torchlight. Her eyes were steel—resolute but concerned.
"My lord," she greeted, bowing.
Collen nodded, not looking up. "You're wise to come swiftly. I have questions — not orders."
Kira stiffened, but remained silent.
He began: "The destruction of Noctera was catastrophic — beyond any known shadow or destructive magic at the Peak Soldier level. The city's Gate core collapsed, walls melted, wards shattered. The magnitude suggests something… new. Something unforeseen." He paused, voice low. "I want to know how he did it."
Kira's lips parted. "You suspect it's not just brute shadow force?"
Collen turned, his eyes alight with a cold curiosity. "Yes." His fingers tapped the table. "Those patterns of shadow residue. They're layered, twisted. Multiple threads of tonal darkness merging. This is not raw shadow magic: this is precision. Integration. Something inside him commanded shadows, not merely used them."
Kira's guard behind her shifted.
Collen leaned forward. "Tell me, Kira: have your spies ever seen him manipulate shadows outside combat? In silence? In secrecy?"
She swallowed. "Rumors. In remote border villages, people report flickers in darkness — shadows moving against the wind. But no proof. No witness strong enough to survive."
He nodded slowly. "Rumor is fertile ground. It lets fear grow. And fear gives me power." He stood, pacing. "He walks like the Abyss itself lives inside him. They call him The Crazed Destroyer now — not out of poetic flourish, but from terror. The title spreads faster than his paths."
Kira's face darkened. "Then we must act before the nickname becomes legend. If people believe he cannot be stopped…"
Collen's eyes gleamed. "Exactly. I will not be outmatched by myth or fear. I will know his shadow."
A sudden knock rattled the doors. A messenger entered, hooded and panting. He bowed low.
"My lord, reports from Weton's gates. Scouts spotted the signature residue near the border. And they speak of a portal opening — one unstable, but open."
Collen's heart thundered. "So he fled toward Weton already."
He turned to Kira. "Mobilize watchers along border paths. Block minor gates. Burn paths. Let him have none he expects."
Kira nodded. "It will be done."
Collen walked back to the window, studying Noctera's ghostly outline in his mind. He whispered into the silent night:
"You have shadows. But I have questions. And a king's patience."
Outside, the wind rattled the citadel towers. Somewhere, in distant darkness, the name The Crazed Destroyer echoed and the game had only just begun.