The mountains of Ashen Vale still groaned, fissures tracing jagged lines across peaks and valleys. Rivers that had boiled and churned now settled into uneasy stillness, scarred by tremors. Smoke and dust drifted down to villages and towns miles away, carrying whispers of devastation no mortal could comprehend.
In the Solvaran Empire, the largest human realm, Emperor Kael Veynor, a ruler at Mythical rank, stood atop the citadel balcony. His aura radiated immense power, yet even he could feel the tremors beneath his feet, echoes of a force beyond comprehension. Advisors scrambled to interpret reports from scouts: villages abandoned overnight, strange shadows moving across mountains, livestock scattered in terror.
"This… is no mere warlord," one advisor whispered. "The Duke of Ashen Vale… kneels before him?"
"Yes," Kael replied, eyes narrowing. "The progenitor walks again. The Scarlet Court… rises. Even I… must take note."
To the east, the Eryndor Empire felt tremors in the flow of magic itself. Empress Lyra Thane, a Mythical-rank sorceress with demigod-caliber potential, observed her council of mage-lords.
"Reports speak of a battle of Legendary to Mythical magnitude," one sorcerer said, holding a crystalline orb trembling with residual energy. "The Duke of Ashen Vale… defeated. By a single being."
Lyra's fingers tightened around the orb. "Even we cannot fully measure this power," she said softly. "We must observe… carefully. This progenitor has risen beyond mortal reckoning."
In the south, the Vardal Empire, ruled by King Thoren Valmir, a Legendary hero nearing Mythical status, felt forests bend subtly, rivers ripple unnaturally, and mountains quiver. Couriers reported fissures in villages, livestock fleeing in terror. Even he, accustomed to legendary warriors, felt unease.
The Cindral Empire, wealthy and maritime, led by Queen Selene Arcanis, a Mythical-level strategist and sorceress, mobilized naval and trade forces. Envoys reported tremors across mountains and valleys; reports of shattered towns and fleeing villagers reached her court. Even she, with power rivaling demigods, understood the scale of the threat.
Beyond humans, other races trembled.
In the Silvarien Empire, elder elves with Mythical aura felt forests bending subtly, the magic of the land itself whispering of a force beyond comprehension.
The Noxshade Dominion, dark elves and shadow lords of Mythical and Legendary rank, observed distortions in reality: shadows twisting unnaturally, trees splitting without wind, rivers reversing in places.
The Infernal Dominion of demons, ruled by Lord Malzhar, a near-Demigod infernal power, sensed a mortal-turned-progenitor whose aura rivaled even the strongest demon lords.
The Dragon Clan Empire, elder dragons, immortal and Mythical-level, sent scouts across northern peaks. Even they, beings who had seen the rise and fall of empires, recognized the presence of a force capable of reshaping the world.
The Stonehammer Kingdom dwarves, masters of mountains and fortresses, reported unprecedented fissures, while their High King, Legendary near Mythical, muttered, "Even the mountains themselves respect this power… or fear it."
The Scarlet Court's rise had not gone unnoticed. Whispers spread among the mighty:
"A progenitor walks… even Legendary submit."
"The Duke of Ashen Vale bends his loyalty — the apex has returned."
"Dragons stir, demons whisper, mortals tremble… the court is unstoppable."
Even gods felt tremors. Aurelios, the Dawnbringer, detected pulses across human lands, faint echoes of Mythical-level aura. Syltharion, Eternal Leaf, saw forests bend unnaturally. Malzakar, god of demons, scowled at tremors beyond his reach. Noctyrr, master of shadows, lingered in observation, intrigued. Thalorin, guardian of demihumans, noted shifts in lands long protected.
Villages and towns felt immediate effects. Roofs rattled from unseen tremors, streams overflowed, windows cracked. Livestock scattered. Commoners whispered prayers, hiding in fear while trying to glimpse a presence they could barely comprehend. Merchants and travelers carried rumors south, north, and east:
"A shadow devoured the mountains!"
"The Duke of Ashen Vale kneels before a lord whose very presence unravels the earth!"
"Even the gods may take notice…"
Children hid beneath carts, sensing something older and greater than any tale; elders muttered omens, fearful for the first time in centuries.
The four major human empires convened emergency councils, all rulers at Mythical or near-Demigod level:
Solvaran Empire, Emperor Kael Veynor, Mythical: mobilized elite forces, Legendary generals, and arcane battalions.
Eryndor Empire, Empress Lyra Thane, Mythical/demigod: dispatched sorcerers to detect pulses of progenitor energy.
Vardal Empire, King Thoren Valmir, Legendary near Mythical: fortified northern frontiers, cavalry and archers ready.
Cindral Empire, Queen Selene Arcanis, Mythical: bolstered naval patrols, merchants, and magical wards.
The twelve smaller kingdoms reported tremors, shadow disturbances, and bending of mountains, rivers, and forests. Rumors of monsters — beyond mortal comprehension — spread faster than caravans or letters.
Prophets and seers reported visions of a pale lord with red eyes, flanked by a glowing crimson woman, moving across the northern mountains. The Duke of Ashen Vale, once the apex of Legendary power, now part of this court.
Legends began forming in whispers:
"A court has risen. Even the Legendary kneel."
"The progenitor's hand touches all continents… dragons stir, demons whisper, humans tremble."
"The night belongs to him… his court will reshape the world."
Even minor deities debated intervention. Some, like Noctyrr, waited in curiosity; others, like Aurelios, considered defensive measures, while Malzakar scowled at his inability to predict the progenitor's next move.
The Scarlet Court had gained its first Duke.
The world had taken notice.
And the night… belonged entirely to them.