The weeks that followed the High-King’s death were chaotic to say the least. With all the Elders gone, the governing body was in disarray. Fortunately, Karen and Ramous were quick to assume their former roles. With the backing of the Royal Family, they rallied the Council and quelled any dissent.

Despite the victory in sealing the Vault and saving the world, the aftermath was a sombre affair as everyone reflected what they lost.

There was a moment of silence as the High-King passed away.

Brunhilde leapt through the air, her sword slicing across Balthazar’s neck. Before anyone could realise what happened, the man was clutching his throat as blood poured between his fingers.

Emma knelt beside her father as the world died around her, the clouds blanketing the land in darkness. She sheltered her dad while the wind whipped through her hair, energy and magic ripping through the guards protecting them and turning them to ash. She looked up and witnessed Matrious crumple to the ground, looking back at her with sadness before he too faded away. Tears streamed from her eyes as everything turned grey and crumbled, chunks of dirt torn from the hillside and

The shock didn’t hit everyone immediately. There was a significant delay after the dagger was plunged into Valerius’s side before people realised who had stabbed him or that it had happened.

Shade pulled away and covered his head. He waited for the explosion, knowing it would rip through everything on this hill. Everyone would be annihilated. The mortals, the mages, unless they reacted quick enough to protect themselves. He hoped his frantic shouting had been enough to save some of them. But he had no defence and he resigned himself to be killed.

Shade forgot how empty it was without his magic.

The vault began to hum louder as the pendants spun around the beam of light rising from the earth into the sky. Balthazar grinned victoriously and began chanting his spell, performing the ritual to unlock the second layer of the seal. Blue light shone down from the clouds and swirled around the gold stones which levitated higher around them.

A squad of soldiers joined Karen and Ramous as they assembled in the room where the jump point was stationed. Emma was pacing nervously, fiddling with her wand in her hand. Every second they wasted here in the Citadel, the worse the situation in the Unknown Region was potentially becoming. “We need to hurry” she said urgently.

The chaos that unfolded at Stonehenge was such a mess there was a moment when the mortals just stepped back to decide what they were going to do. They came to fight the mages for their surrogate daughter, but instead they got to witness a civil war break out.

They teleported back in the Realm and Kaleb was moving in a hurry. He dismissed the mages arriving to intercept them, barking to the Guards “call every councillor you can find. We must assemble a meeting immediately. And summon the Guard commanders.”

Their march through the dungeons was swift and full of purpose. The three mages stormed forward with their heads held high. There was only going to be one chance and they could not let anyone deter them.

The soldier’s had seconds to react, calling everyone to retreat before the vehicle exploded in a large fireball. The explosion shook the stone circle, scattering the mages who were too close to the blast. Two of the Guard were engulfed in the flames, screaming in pain before collapsing to the ground.

The High-King disembarked the warship with his company of mages, Elders and prisoners, climbing the gentle slope towards the stone formation standing atop the hill. Balthazar walked ahead with eager trepidation while Emma followed behind hesitantly as she approached the entrance to the Vault of Power.

Silence fell over the city once the mortals re-established their perimeter. Despite the chaos and the noise, they were not assailed by mutations all. It seemed clear Balthazar’s ploy to create a mega-horde had drawn in every mutation in the area. All of which lay dead outside their walls now. The soldiers began coordinating teams to organise the bodies into burn piles, which was going to be difficult with the tankers. The civilians had been moved to different shelters outside

The fleet left the mortal city behind, the smoke still visible over the horizon as night fell. While the battle was considered a victory, nobody on the warship felt like celebrating. None accept the Elder Spell-caster.

The confidence Valerius showcased made everyone uneasy as the exile came charging forward. He did not move, nor even flinch, as Shade’s sword came around swinging. He could glimpse his Royal Guard bracing to intercept him, but he held out his hand instructing them to stay where they were.

The pain vanished leaving the two of them gasping for breath. Odon groaned as he rolled onto his side, picking himself up. His magic was still vibrating with intensity, but he was getting it back under control. The platform creaked under his weight, the rotting beams cracking slowly.

They realised something was wrong instantly as the mage’s began screaming in agony. Shaw looked around and saw many of their new prisoners convulsing in pain, blood beginning to pool from their eyes and noses. She looked around in horror, staring up at the receivers they had planted around the city. She pulled out her radio again.