The world here was green.
It hurt Kael's eyes. The grass was impossibly vibrant. The water in the canals was clear, not grey. The air smelled of flowers and manure, not sulfur.
"It's real," Elric whispered, reaching out to touch a tree as they marched past. "I thought... looking at the user maps... I thought it was exaggerated."
"It's real," Kael said. "And they kept it all for themselves."
The Army of the Ash marched down the King's Road. They didn't loot. They didn't burn. They marched in a terrifying, silent lockstep. The mud of the Ashlands fell from their boots, staining the cobblestones.
They reached the Capital at noon.
The gates were open. The City Watch had fled.
They marched into the city.
The buildings were made of glass and white stone, aspiring to the sky. People—clean, well-fed, dressed in silks—lined the balconies and streets. They stared at the invaders.
They stared at Kael.
A man wrapped in Void-leather, with a black arm and a ring of white fire.
"Monsters," a child whispered loud enough to be heard.
Kael didn't look at them. He kept his eyes on the center of the city.
The Spire.
It was cleaner here. White, pristine, humming with the stolen power of the sacrifices. It pierced the clouds, a needle stitching the world together.
The Army reached the Palace Square—a vast plaza beneath the Spire's base.
The Royal Guard was waiting on the steps. Five hundred men in ceremonial armor.
But they didn't attack. They parted.
An old man walked out. He wore a crown of simple gold. His robes were white.
King Aurelius.
He looked tired. He looked at the army of skeletons occupying his square. Then he looked at Kael.
Kael stopped. He signaled for the army to halt. The sound of seven hundred boots stopping at once echoed off the glass towers.
"You broke my Wall," the King said. His voice was soft, but it carried.
"Your Wall was a lie," Kael said.
"And you brought death to my city," the King said.
"I brought the truth," Kael replied.
He stepped forward, the Ring shining on his hand.
"The First Sword is dead, Aurelius. The Plug is broken. The Void is coming."
Kael pointed at the Spire.
"And I'm going to turn it off."