Chapter 20 The War had Begun

For the next four years, after her formal introduction as a Hero, the days of quiet training in the castle were over. Within weeks, she was assigned a royal party — elite knights, a battle mage - Thessaria, a priest - Nyzari, and a commander - Halvek. Her duties were immediate: defend the borders, exterminate high-tier monsters, and lead offensives into the demon-infested lands.

She no longer sparred in the courtyard. She no longer walked the barracks in the morning. And her time with Rein grew scarce.

Sometimes, she was gone for weeks. Sometimes, for months. Rein would wait — checking the mission reports that Liora occasionally slipped him, scanning them for her name, his breath pausing each time he read the words 'injured,' or 'engaged the demon vanguard,' or worse, 'unknown location.'

When she returned, there was little time for reunions.

Aura would show up late in the night, tired eyes under her cloak, armor scratched, cloak singed at the edges. Her body had changed — taller, leaner, prettier, hardened by battle. The Hero's glow was still there, but now it was dimmed by exhaustion and sleepless nights.

Still, she smiled for him.

"Don’t look at me like that, Rein, I’m fine. A few bruises and cuts, that’s all. I’ve had worse from you in training."

They’d sneak out of the castle now and then — grab warm food from a quiet market corner, talk under the lantern lights, catch up. And just for a while, things felt normal again.

But only for a while.

Then the trumpet calls returned. Reports came in. Another outpost under siege. Another town spotted with dark clouds. Another strange rift in the far west.

And Aura left again.

Liora visited Rein more frequently now. She never said much — just handed him papers, mission updates, sometimes letters scribbled in Aura’s rushed handwriting.

But as the months passed, Rein could tell.

Each update was worse than the last.

"The Demon Lord has begun unifying the monster clans in the Northern Ridge."
"New fortress spotted in the Shadow Basin — possibly a command post."
"Aura’s squad lost two men in the last operation. She returned alone."

And finally.

"The Demon Lord has moved. His army grows bolder. Our scouts report he’s preparing to march."

The war had begun its slow crawl toward the kingdom’s doorstep and Aura would be the tip of the spear.

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Rein stood in the observation tower one late evening, overlooking the capital. The city lights shimmered below, but beyond them… darkness. He couldn’t see the demon plains from here, but he could feel them. Waiting.

Aura was out there now. Fighting alone. Bleeding alone.

"She was always ahead of me. And now, she’s carrying the weight of the whole kingdom. I have to catch up."

 The Demon Plains, that’s where she was. Aura. The Hero. The girl who stood in front of him when everything fell apart. The one who dragged him from the pit of grief when he lost his parents and locked himself away in that golden room.

"I should be there. With her. Not here. Four years of training. Four years of blood, sweat, and scars. But none of it matters. Not to the King."

The moment Rein brought it up to the king, he was met with warm smiles and deflections.

"The front lines are no place for you, dear boy."
"You’re too valuable to risk."
"The people need you alive, not buried under a crater of ash."

Excuses. Always the same rehearsed lines. Even Liora, as sharp and coldly honest as she was, danced around the topic like a diplomat she was.

"Rein, you’re doing your part. Don’t underestimate what it means to protect the people within our borders."

And then she'd change the subject. Or leave. Every time.

"I’m not asking to be a hero. I don’t want glory. I just want to be by her side. To fight with her. She’s done so much for me… It’s my turn."

The whispers in the streets haunted him. He'd heard them too many times to ignore now — rumors spoken in hushed tones in the marketplace and behind alley doors.

"Another gone. From the slums this time."
"No scream. Just vanished."
"Demon work, I tell you. They're already here."

Liora had warned him once — “They don’t wait. They infiltrate. Disappear people before anyone can notice something is wrong. You think demons march up to our gates in full armor and roar declarations? No, no. They slip through cracks. A merchant with a silver tongue. A girl too quiet. A boy with eyes too dark. They use illusion magic, suggestion, false memories, all that to look like humans. Some don’t even know they’ve been infiltrated until they’ve vanished — or turned. It’s clever on their part. Why waste armies when you can make your enemy tear itself apart from within? The demon lord isn’t just brute strength. He’s a strategist. A corrupter. Because that’s how it begins. One missing girl. One lying merchant. One boy too trusting. And then — you're gone."

And still, the King stalled. Still, they kept him here. Protected. Sheltered. Caged.

Rein’s fingers curled tighter around the edge of the stone railing, cracking it. His arms trembled, not from fear, but from restraint. Like something inside was ready to burst. He cursed the Demon Lord under his breath.

"You started all of this. You destroyed my family. Took my parents. You forced Aura to carry a burden too heavy for any one person. You turned this kingdom into a trembling shell trying to look proud. I swear, I’ll find you. And when I do—"

He looked again toward the horizon, toward the veil of black beyond the kingdom’s edge.

"You will be sorry!"

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Rein trained outside the central barracks when Aura stepped out from the archway. Her cloak fluttered slightly behind her, a royal blue now threaded with red — the Hero’s mantle.

She smiled at him. A small, tired smile. 

“Rein, hi.”

 “Aura. You’re back.”

“Not for long, just for tonight,” she said gently, stepping closer, “I wanted to tell you before you heard it from someone else. The offensive begins tomorrow. We’re moving on the Demon Lord’s castle.”

Rein’s heart missed a beat.

“We’ve scouted it for months. Commander Kael and Liora are leading the kingdom’s army — they’ll march with us. My party and I will breach the castle itself. If this works... if I can kill him... it’ll all be over. No more raids. No more monsters creeping into the kingdom. Demon Lord rules through fear and domination — once he falls, the rest will surrender. That’s what the King believes. And I do too.”

Rein stayed quiet, watching her as the weight of her words settled. 

“I wanted to see you before I go. I... I know how much you wanted to come with us, to be there when it ends. But I have a different favor to ask of you.”

She stepped closer.

“If he’s desperate, Demon Lord might send monster hordes across our borders. He might try to divide us — send his lesser generals to attack behind the lines. That’s why I need you here, Rein. I need you to protect the kingdom while I face him.”

“Aura! I can't stay here! I can help! I'm stronger now, much stronger! I—”

She held up a hand, gently cutting him off. 

“I know you’re strong. You’ve grown more than anyone here. But I need someone I trust — someone I believe in — to defend our people if the worst happens.”

There was a pause, her eyes shimmering faintly under the lantern light.

“And... if something goes wrong, if I don’t come back... I want to know that the kingdom’s still standing. That someone like you is here to carry on.”

 Aura looked down, brushing her thumb along the edge of her gauntlet. 

“But that’s not all. I want you to meet me. Tomorrow. Before we depart. There’s something I want to tell you. Something important. Just... come see me before we go.”

"I'll be there, I promise."

"See you tomorrow, Rein, until then."

And with that, she turned. No grand exit, no parting heroics. Just quiet steps fading into the night.