To the Dear lovely readers, I hope you will enjoy this chapter. I have completed the war part in this chapter .

Read slowly because a lot is happening all around so to understand and grab all the information, we need to be a little careful.

I love you all💜.

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The animalistic view of their eyes helped the warriors penetrate the forest during the night. The Empress had forbidden them to carry any luminous object with them so all they left with is their bright orbs and sharp instincts to follow. The troop spread over the entire forest, their eyes switching from the dark twigs on the ground to the dangling tails of the monkeys swinging on the short branches but ears still focused on any unusual movement around them.

The Commander led the troop from ahead while Kenji walked behind all of them. The Empress balanced the reins of horses and led the herd by the periphery of the forest to not disturb the sanctity of the forest. He navigated the path ahead of the herd, one hand holding his sharp arrow whose stony head glistened under the bare moonlight of eclipse while the other held the reins of Artax.

The other warriors on their horses followed the Empress closely while analysing their surroundings in sheer silence so that no sound other than the thumping hooves could escape their ears. Jungkook moved the twigs with his arrow and Artax penetrated them in a swift movement. The bow was shining on the armor of the Empress as the emblem of truth that will soon take the place on the soil of enemies.

Kenji stepped out of the cave after he found it fully closed from the previous encounter, “It's completely closed off, none has entered inside through this cave.” He informed the soldiers and all of them merged in the waning figures of others to spread it around. He jerked his white hanfu with a flicker and picked up his stick while following the route once again.

The Commander raised his hand in the air and the scattered troop merged behind him in one motion, “Few more laps, as soon as these dense twigs will disappear on the path, we will be out of the territory of Gigeré. Brace yourself, soldiers! Your weapons are your only shield now.”

Far at the periphery of Gigeré, the Empress was already standing in the wait of all the foot troops to arrive. He could see the shades of twigs moving around at the edge, meaning the troops were closer to walking out of dense forest but just when the image of the Commander became visible to the omega, a sharp smell of gasoline alarmed his eyes instantly.

A group of scoundrels rolled out of their hidden spots and threw their weapons directly at the foot troops. The warriors challenged their attack on hands and dodged off the weapons but before they could retaliate mercilessly, a loud voice rang in their minds, “Kill them without any touch, their clothes are dripping with gasoline. This part of the soil is moist but at any moment they shouldn't be walking inside the forest! I will diminish the source of fire, do not dwell; Charge!”

As soon as the link broke, waves of soldiers came out of the forest to make solid shields around the forest. The other Royals encircled the territory of Strays while the Empress embarked inside with a sharp arrow pointed towards the deep grapevines. His heightened senses detected the warm heat in one breath and liberated the bow in the bright direction.

The flambeau landed on the ground and cooled it down instantly. However, it woke up to a plethora of lights that surged over the shoulders of Stray soldiers, each of them carrying two flambeaus on their back but they hadn't used any gasoline in their bodies.

Kenji acquired the insolence of Strays and picked up the dead bodies of their two soldiers before chuckling them in the air so they could land back to their territory. One by one he picked up the remains and kept tossing them back so that in no way they could spread their evil plan.

Two of the arrows pushed the enemy down and made his back arch on the ground when Artax passed by the body with his hold raised to the sky. The Empress threw a bunch of grapevines on the Stray soldier’s head and tied the other end to Artax’s rein, “Your turn, Artax.” The horse moved through the territory like a snake till he found a thick branch of oak. Jungkook threw the middle over the branch and Artax pulled at those grapevines till he hanged all the enemies confiscated in them.

No fire, absolutely no fire should be there.

Luna’s mind chanted the words constantly and stretched his arm behind his back as he stroke two arrows that landed on the enemy's throat. There was no end of them with the way they kept emerging out of those ground caves. The sharp sound of horses behind him showed the presence of his other warriors and suddenly Jungkook realised that wiping the enemies off is the only path that could lead them inside the borders of Strays.

Without showing his back to the enemies, he raised his hand to point in three different directions for his warriors to capture and they bolted down the lane immediately. They fought head on, leaving the once peaceful grapevines into a graveyard of red strikes.

Fixing his one leg into stirrup, Jungkook raised his other to bend it over the saddle. The new posture gave him the desired height as the arrows of his bow landed at the centre of the enemy's head. Filling the quiver with a new set of arrows, the black orbs shone with furore as he faced the crowd of Strays.

His leg patted Artax to the left and the horse raced in the direction with no hesitation, the commotion heightened when he heard the words of Strays, “The whole land of West belongs to us!!? How dare you bunch of fancy people think that we'll let you take our rights without smashing your heads on the ground!”

His head lolled to the side when an arrow breached apart his jaw and blugged his eyes out, “The least you can do is open your filthy mouth.” The Empress murmured, quipping the interest of the crowd, none of them recognised the man sitting on the black horse because all the warriors looked the same. Black horses with black armors binding over with thick scarves on their noses.

One enemy from the crowd couldn't stop looking at the man who had successfully removed half of their platoon solely with his sharp arrows. He hides behind the thick bark of oak as he observes the man in the midst of the fighting crowd, his eyes widened in sheer frighten when a spec of red flashed beneath the scarf. He pointed his finger towards the man as if he was about to announce the eruption of a volcano but instead of voicing his word out, he found his jaw clenched shut by coiling arms around his neck.

Kenji sneered beneath his ear, “Why? Haven't seen an omega fighting before?” The enemy squirmed in his arm, desperate to free the chokehold but it suffocated him to breathe when, “Awh your pride isn't ready to die with his hand?”

“Warrior Jeon!” He shouted among the crowd, gaining the attention of the Empress. He stretched the chest of the enemy and punched at his ribs, asking the omega to aim nicely. Jungkook blinked and pulled an arrow that scored the bleeding abdomen of the man.

“Yes, mtherf’ker!” Kenji laughed behind the man who cried in pain, “And let me clear your doubt, He twisted that arrow brutally inside his abdomen while spurting, “ He is my real Empress!”

With two swords in his hands, the Commander was absolutely lethal on the ground. Eloping from one grapevine to another, he slaughtered the enemies with a wild smirk on his face. His swords had golden edges on the hilt but the colour they painted around the surroundings was bloody red. With one head under the heel of his boots, Hoseok raised his other heel to buckle out the jaw of another man.

The procession of Eclipse warriors fell upon the enemy like a heavy cloud bursting in the sky, their wrath consumed the hollering bravery of Strays in one gulp. Jungkook clutched his last arrow in his fist and stabbed the man’s neck who tried to clutch the stirrup of Artax before filling his quiver with another batch.

His wild eyes moved all around and sighed when the platoon of enemy soldiers seemed to have only a few battling with their arms. They cleared one part of the land successfully, but these bodies need to be buried or… or need to be burnt away from the forest!

Now that they all are inside the borders of Strays, Jungkook found a green oak was about to order all the warriors to bring their bait’s limbs under the shade when he watched Dabery racing forward while dragging a ton of corpses behind him. All the carcasses had their heads tied with grapevines and those who lost their heads had their limbs attached to it.

“Burn them, Your Empress. We will bring more.” The Commander expressed.

Jungkook stepped down the horse and let it circle around the tree as he picked up his two arrows from the quiver but before he could strike them over, the call from behind stopped him, “That way is too old to light a fire on gasoline,” Kenji plopped down two bodies from above his shoulder and take out his stick while mustering a few chants on his lips.

When all the corpses ignited at once, Jungkook took a step back from the tree while eyeing the Royal guest in designated annoyance not showing the enchanting surprise he got from the magic, “Nami would have done it with a flicker of his fingers.”

~

The first troop raced through the mountains of Chinra and entered Pither while announcing their presence with loud neighs of their horses. Finding the borders of Strays empty was suspicious but the mouth of several caves is what welcomed them inside, “These caves are wrapped in many labyrinths, if you decide to step inside make sure you won't divert from your fellow warriors or you won't find the exit even after years.” Yunhee announced.

“How about we destroy the riddle paths behind us, it will only leave one path that will securely take us out.” Yoongi suggested and the Royal Alpha agreed while urging them to lead forward while he backed them while tearing down the mythical walls of caves.

“So the wisdom runs in genes,” Yunhee mumbled as she took out her swords before following the red haired Beta inside along with the warriors.

It took them a while to navigate the path under the darkness of the cave but when the entire trail got finished with no anonymity they had anticipated the arrival of scoundrels as soon as they exited the caves and that's exactly what happened. Kim Cheol was standing a prideful mile away with a platoon of army behind him, yearning for the shapes of humans and wolves both inside it.

“Aren't you shamefully taking a lot of time while wandering in my labyrinth?” He chided while sitting on his horse, agitating the warriors more and more.

Yoongi chuckled as he opened the scarf and let it drop on the ground of Strays, "It's no longer so easy to identify the small rat holes now, is it?” With a movement of his wrist, the warriors charged forward to claw out the faces of those scoundrels.

Kim Cheol didn't budge from his sitting force and scoffed, “So the pretentious Empress has graced us again? I won't die until I see the face of the real one though.”

“Oh You absolutely wish,” Yunhee greeted her teeth and flew out shining mana from her fingers that surged a misty hurricane in the middle of Stray armies, “Why don't we see each other's faces first?”

The smoke increased to the point that the warriors couldn't even see the head of their own horses when they heard the voice, “Focus on your ears. Stray horses wear gems all over.”

The face of the Royal Alpha appeared at the last from the cave and watched the warriors racing towards the white juggling noises of gems. That way they will mop down the heads of enemies without using heavy weapons but for those wolf forms, Taehyung cracked his neck sideways and squared his chest before walking inside the hurricane of smoke. However, when he came out of it, the golden blazing eyes of a wild black wolf was carrying a grey wolf under his fangs.

His howl deafened the enemies and spread the fear before he took the next bite and ripped off another wolf head. His blaring teeth held the red remains of wolves but nothing stopped him from chopping the limbs of the other wolf who stood too close to Yunhee.

Far from the both sides of Strays, Kim Hyejoon was sitting on the ground as he watched everything happening on the black crystal revolving above the cage of skeletal hand. One side of his shoulder bore the weight of two slant feet as Amelia rested behind him on the chair.

“Do you think it's the right time to capture that omega?” Hyejoon asked as he lapped his tongue over his lower lip.

“Should we?” She smiled as she watched the omega standing close to the burning corpses.

“They are inside our territory, it's no longer when they will witness the lunar cave.” He suggested but his eyes were filled with vengeance, “It's time to avenge his mother, she carried way more debt on her shoulders for her son to be the Empress of Europe.”

“Only because your way of reasoning held me captivative,” Amelia agreed as she moved her hand into the air while chanting hushed words before weaving through the black crystal.

Jungkook climbed his horse again and marched past the burning bodies to glide deeper into the territory when the bellowing clouds halted the neighs of horses. The Commander brushed Dabery’s neck and walked ahead, all of the warriors did the same, ignoring the way that cruel cry of clouds scared the animals.

“Artax? Do you need water?”

The horse didn't reply for a moment before he jumped far with his long legs and bolted down the lane of warriors. Jungkook kept caressing the neck of Artax till he heard another thunder in the sky. He looked up and found it suspiciously clear from any symbol of rain so from where this sound is coming from? However, the horses didn't stop this time and kept gliding their hooves on the path.

A gush of harsh wind hit the omega's face when the troop turned around a corner, making his scarf loose around his neck. Jungkook untangled it completely in order to tie it again but another gush snatched it away from his finger and now such force couldn't be any coincidence, “Who is it? Come out from your hidden spot!” He called out the force and it alarmed all the warriors around him.

Kenji approached him first and lightened his stick like a flambeau to acknowledge any evident sorcery in the air, as soon as he moved the yellow hue of fire to the sky, a screech of bats left past the branches of trees, shocking the horses on the way. The surroundings turned red for a moment before it went back to dark once again.

He smiled while handing over the decorated but burning stick to the Empress, “I burnt the spell. March forward and hold this stick, they won't touch you again.”

Kenji nodded to the Commander who understood the nature of his behaviour, he could smell the presence of a witch around him. Jungkook didn't argue when he pressed his heels on Artax's back and the horse glided forward to make a route for others to follow.

“Amelia!?” Hyejoon shouted as he pushed himself up from the ground as if the floor burnt his confidence and ruined his prestige.

“What?” Amelia was shocked to see the omega marching forward without an ounce of emotions on his face, “How could it be possible?” She combed her hair back in frustration before standing on her legs, the long lapels of hanfu following her feet as she sat beside the crystal. She closed her eyes while bringing her both hands over the crystals, lips muttering loud chants as she plunged another wave on it.

But it failed when the omega didn't feel any phase and kept gliding on his horse, “This can't be!! He should be crying right now?!! Why are my visions not passing onto him?!! Something is wrong! I knew it when I failed to connect my spells inside the Western Land!! That's why I waited till I lured them inside the territory of Strays! So why, let's say that frugal stick stopped my physical attacks but why can't my spells enter his mind?”

Kim Hyejoon didn't wait for the witch to come back to his senses and opened his chest to cover himself with enough gears before picking up his sword, “We don't have plenty of time in our hands, Amelia! Figure out your mistake or we won't be able to see the next dawn!”

“Don't go before sending me back. Use your chants and send me to my village, I can help you from there as well,” She demanded as she dropped the crystal on the ground and captured the male by his wrist because only the awaker can send the awakening witch back to her home.

“Have you convinced me as a fool? No chant will leave my lips until we conquer this war. And if I die, I will make sure you won't escape the claws of Royals.” He yanked his hand back before abandoning the chamber entirely while ignoring the wild screams of the witch.

~

“Luna! There is a cave at the corner of the path, two white wolves are patrolling the area and they bowed when they saw our troop marching towards them.” One of the warriors informed the omega which made him frown as he approached the Commander on his horse. Skeptical eyes looked from afar at the cave, “But this side of Strays has no mountain like Pither so how come it has caves?”

“Should we skip it and move ahead?” Hoseok suggested.

“No. We should go inside,” Kenji countered, “It could be more dangerous to leave something unturned rather than dealing with it.”

The Empress woven his fingers with walking symbols and the warriors surrounded the said cave from all directions. Hoseok descended his horse and waited till those white wolves came back in their human form, “Lord, Please save us.” The strangers cried, upholding beautiful freckles over their skin, their clothes looked torn and hairs scattered all over their shoulders.

“Who are you?” Hoseok questioned them as the Empress and Kenji joined him from behind.

“We are people of Mosnic, I was fishing in Lavin when some scoundrels of Stray held us hostage in their claws. They did the same with my mate who came to search for me. Kindly free us from this hell.”

Their wailing couldn't be trusted so easily so the Commander asked, “If you need anything to escape from this place then how come you are guarding this cave with your life in the midst of war?”

“There are other hostages as well and they acclaimed to know His Empress and entrust their life to be saved by him.” The couple said while bowing once again, “There are children as well, Strays are inhuman!! They have kept them alive just so they can trap you all but now that you have failed their plan of burning the forest, there could be no one who can keep us trapped. Please have mercy.”

Hoseok’s eyes matched with the Empress and suddenly he nodded towards the couple to stop their loud crying, “Where are these people?”

“Inside the cave, they will be so happy to see that their crown prince has finally come to rescue them, please come inside.” The couple showed the path as they invited them inside.

Kenji remained at the door, his hip inclining on the ridges of the wall as the Commander and the omega went inside. They wouldn't need to go any further when they heard the noises, crying noises.

The Commander stopped when he saw a bunch of people sprawled on the floor while clutching their pups in their arms. However, one thing was common among them, all of them had red hair. He turned around to look at Luna but found him equally surprised by the appearances of the hostages.

“They have come!! No crying further, stand up now!? Won't you welcome them? Your Crown Prince has arrived?” The couple announced and suddenly the whole cave became alive. The crying noises turned into enchanting praises, pups running towards the Empress that barely reached up to his hips, asking for help.

The cave was filled with old males, females and small pups, entirely harmless creatures. Their disheveled state disturbed Jungkook as he caressed the head of a younger boy who had back marks over his face, “What has happened here?” He asked everyone but no one in particular that was trapped inside the cave.

“Kim Hyejoon.” One of the hostages murmured, “Queen, your mother, had sent us here to provide labour and learnt about the art of medicine. But when we reached here, the land owners captured us. We couldn't hear more than that they planned us to use like a bait. For what? We don't know but they said if the Empress surrendered then they would let us go back to our pack.”

“Stop crying, please.” Jungkook requested and kneel down to caress the cheek of that crying boy, “They won't harm you anymore. Even if I had to surrender myself, I won't let anything happen to you.”

“But Your Empress -” The Commander’s voice cut off in the middle when Jungkook raised his hand in the air and walked out of the door. Everyone saw the glistening eyes of the Empress and decided to follow him. Kenji got scared when he saw the Empress running out of the cave, “Yah, What happened?”

“Luna, listen to me, we can definitely find an alternative and save these people without you-” The Commander tried again but Jungkook shook his head, “She has always done this, Hyungnim. She has always used people inferior to her and didn't hesitate to make their life a living hazard. I need to make it right.”

“I agree with you. But-”

“Can anyone tell me what has happened?” Kenji stepped in but got ignored when Luna continued, “But I can't leave them scared and starved in the middle of nowhere. Soldiers!” The Empress was behaving differently, hearing no one as if he got possessed under a spell but his hand was still holding Kenji’s stick, so it can't be possible to get crafted under such sorcery.

The warriors gathered around the cave at once and waited for the omega's next order. When all the hostages came out of the cave, Jungkook wiped his eyes and tried to smile at them, “I wouldn't leave in peace if I remembered your sad faces only so let me correct my mother's mistake and treat you fairly.” The Empress bowed a bit and ordered the soldiers, “Serve them food and water, the pups are starving.”

None of them moved an inch and the deafening silence fell around the territory of Strays as soon as those words left the omega's mouth. The warriors looked at the ground and then at the Commander before pulling out the sachets that were wrapped around their waist.

“Please accept it as my gratitude,” The Empress requested while holding one hand to his chest. The people of Lunar smiled and sat on the ground to receive the food, they haven't had anything in a while, their sunken cheeks and dark eyes are proof enough.

The warriors looked at the Empress one last time before they unclasped the sachets and poured the water in the awaiting mouths of people. Everything happened simultaneously as all the warriors helped the people to drink the water and stepped aside to bring food…

…or so the people of lunar thought.

The warriors stood behind them like a wall and waited till one after the other people fainted on the ground with a white foam oozing out of their lips. In the span of a few moments, seventy-five people toppled over each other in front of the cave in a merciless massacre.

Kenji hunched down on his toes as he studied the lifeless bodies of people, the lines across his forehead turned serious as he looked at the Empress and commented, “I never knew you can pretend to cry so well.”

Jungkook blinked his eyes and stretched his hand that was carrying the burning flambeau away from his face, “The smoke helped a little bit.” Under the dark night his face was illuminated by the glow of fire, gleaming eyes focused on the carcasses below him.

“So what now? Didn't they belong to your old pack?” The Commander asked, still skeptical about the sudden turning of events.

“No. They are not lunar people, the smell of rust is running high in the air. Haven't you caught it?” The Empress asked and suddenly everyone around him tried their best to catch any whiff of rust. But their confused faces tell enough that they couldn't be able to.

The Empress shrugged confidently and explained, “I don't know how you aren't able to point that out but the moment I entered that cave, that smell revolted a vomit in my stomach. Then they mentioned my mother and I have learnt a very hard way to not believe anything where her personality makes an appearance, good or bad.”

He gestured to a warrior to bring normal water and he made a run to unclasp sachets that were bound around the saddle of their horses. And the omega's words were proven right when the red dye dripped away as the water got splashed on their hairs.

“And what about these guards from Mosnic?” Kenji pointed out the two people whose corpses were now buried under others.

“They were lying. When I visited Mosnic with Brother-in-law Sang, we noticed that all werewolves of Mosnic have clipped toenails and their snouts were pierced with black bands. They had none of them.”

“So all they did was spout a nuisance for what? To trap the Empress?” One of the warriors enraged and kicked a dead body in their stomach, “Only for getting humbled to death.”

Towards their left but miles away, Jimin was standing at the shore of Lavin, watching Sang patrolling the bridges one over another with no rest in his feet. They could see the wafting flames of smoke coming from the left territory of Strays while the right one upholds the exact opposite, a thunderous hurricane of fog.

He wants to request Sang to stay pressed in one position because his running feet were disturbing the constant frenzy of his heart. But he can understand the edge under the warriors’ curling wrists, waiting for a signal while sitting in numerous boats and holding the ores.

The serene eyes of Ella caught his gaze once again as he approached the lady silently who was standing upholding a proud head while looking past the shore of Lavin, “Mother, What do you think of this war starting at such an odious hour?”

“No time could be as perfect as it is, my child.” She didn't move her head and kept staring at the flames of smoke that were spreading all over the sky, “If you ask me a time where the chances of winning this war without a single casualty from our side, that time has started now.”

Jimin couldn't understand those riddled words hidden under the thick voice of his Godmother so he asked again, “I couldn't understand, Mother.” The news somehow settled his worries down but being the anxious one, he couldn't help but think worst scenarios in his head

“Taehyung adorns his mate’s mark on his wrist now.”

One sentence, woven with a few weightless words, Jimin could see how Ella didn't even move her lips while pronouncing the sentence but then why did he suddenly feel his lungs caging the windwipe of his throat? His lips parted in an audible gasp and eyes became glassy as he looked around to set his gaze onto something that could somehow help him to find an anchor for his jumping heart. The thick sob comes next, lips spreading into a wide smile, tormenting the omega as if it will split his face into two halves.

“What? Is it true?” With a rapid blink of his eyes, he stood closest to his Godmother while continuously raising and falling on his tippy-toes.

“Yes.”

“How? How do you know?” Jimin knows it's offensive to ask such a question from her but his happy heart can't comprehend many things right now.

“I have my ways and if you didn't notice, your brother had kind of flaunted his wrist about fifty times in the surroundings before marching towards Pither.” The annoyance returned on Ella’s face but it broke Jimin into a fit of choking giggles as he wiped the falling traces of his tears.

“Does it mean they have become invincible now?”

The way Jimin voiced out his thoughts, it made Ella’s eyes softened a bit, “Yes,” She confirms, “As now they are connected with a mark, Jungkook has acquired twenty percent of his mate’s abilities through the bond. He wouldn't be able to show them as an individual ability but they will remain inside him. It will heighten the power of his six primal senses, making him superior to his swindler enemies.”

“Oh Mother, I was so worried about everyone.” He captured Ella’s hand with his own and squeezed to convey the comfort he got from her words, “You lifted a lot of burden from my chest with your words.”

“But the danger still lingers in Stray valleys, Jimin. And I wouldn't have believed it if you hadn't invited me here.”

The hold of their hands loosened up when the merriness turned into a concern on the Royal omega's face. Danger? But haven't they just discussed the auspicious time of war and how it concludes their conquest in the very best possible way?

“I couldn't understand.”

“Amelia.” Ella turned around finally, pondering her gaze on the shocked eyes of the omega, “She is here, I can feel her sorcery penetrating the walls of mist.”

Jimin clutched the lapels of his hanfu, mind running towards the name of the woman who was once expelled by his father, “But hadn't you captured her when she practiced cannibalism in a village to raise her powers?”

The Royal omega still remembered that night when his brother had used Eingehen for the first time and the cataclysm it raised for months and how the whole village was turned into sacks of ashes. She was deathless, as a witch she was imperishable and as a woman she was filled with vengeance. Being her elder sister, Ella took the responsibility to stop her manoeuvres and punish her accordingly. She made a tomb, a cage made up of black stone and captured her soul in that barrack.

“After Taehyung sacrificed one of his abilities and brought death on earth for your great grandfather, it was her who lost one of her assets in the form of her interim husband. She went to Namjoon, demanding the spells to access the boundaries of Eclipse as she considered herself the Dowager Queen of Europe. But even after being banished by his own son, Namjoon denied all of her connections with the Royal family. He repeated his grandfather's words quote: Witches are made to complete the needs of werewolves not for ruling their kingdoms; unquote. Undefeated by her own mind, she pursued a practice that was prohibited in my family. She ruined a whole village just to become powerful after sucking their souls. Yes, I captured her. Placed her tomb under the deepest depth of Calva dunes where she can't make an appearance out of her tomb without being invited and offerings of new souls.”

The Royal Omega nodded with all the facts but when he listened to the last sentence, his mind raced, “Does that mean someone has purposely awakened her?”

“The Kim brothers. When I arrived in Western Land, I had felt her eyes of sorcery watching over the sky. I removed her spell, stopped that witchcraft that was helping her to know the whereabouts of the Royals.”

“Does Taehyung know about her presence?” Jimin asked.

“Seeing the courteous protection circle around his mate, I guess he knows.”

“Jungkook? Why do you think she will try to harm him?” The Royal omega was already thinking of ways to communicate with the Commander so that he could convey the information to him.

“I can't say exactly why but you and I both know that witches have always believed the saying of an eye for an eye. Amelia lost everything because of Taehyung so she will try her best to do the same with your brother.” Ella finished her words and walked towards the port when she realised that the soldiers had prepared some cushions for her to sit while waiting.

Jimin found her oddly calm after throwing such treacherous news so he followed her to know more about it, “What do you think she will try to do now? It's not easy to defeat our Empress easily.”

“As it's not possible to harm him physically, she will definitely try to invade his mind with disturbing thoughts. However, She isn't aware that the Royal couple shares a mark now and this marking bond is capable of shielding his soul from the visions she wanted to feed his mind.” Ella sat over the four cushions held up against the railing posts and patted the space beside her for the omega to fill it with his presence.

“Visions? What kind of visions can she possibly use against Jungkook's mind to defeat his strength?” Jimin asked as he sat close to the lady.

“She has tried once but failed. The aural chants which held the glimpses of Hwan and Tae back in the days, got ruined just before they could creep into his mind.”

Jimin didn't know he was holding his breath until he released a relieved sigh when he listened to Ella. He slumped his shoulders and placed his head on Ella's comforting arm while saying, “Thank you for being here with us, Mother. I wish they will be back soon while carrying victory on their heads.”

“It may take time but your wish shall be answered. Eventually I will need to leave for Amelia, it's time to put her back into her barrack.” Her long fingers caressed Jimin’s cheek, eyes watching over Lavin.

“Would you take me with you?”

The innocent question pulled out a chuckle from Ella’s lips, “Maybe not you but I'll have to take Sang with me before his veins burst out while waiting.”

“You can take him with you, General Dae can maintain the patrolling in his place. However, I have always been skeptical about him but he hasn't pulled anything suspicious yet.”

“If crushing over someone falls under the probe of crime then he is a culprit otherwise he has always thought good for his people.” Ella informed as she waved towards Sang who was stomping at the shore of Lavin.

Jimin sucked an audible gasp, “Crushing over who?”

“Take a wild assumption.” Ella looked at the Royal omega mischievously and it was quite frightening if someone could look from Jimin’s eyes. It made Jimin think deeply, he collected all the scenarios where he had met the man and analysed the conversations they had but there wasn't any clue.

“His Empress? Oh no… then Taehyung wouldn't have deployed him at a designated position in this battle. Yunhee? No no… Sang will bury him alive. Is it an omega or any other rank?”

“It's an omega.”

“Are they someone from Western land?”

“Was. She was from Western land.” Ella finished her sentence as her smile covered her face entirely because the dread on Jimin's features was proof enough that he had finally gotten whom they were talking about, or so he voiced, “Gyuri?”

~

The whole troop entered the forests of Strays under the Commander’s guidance, they resumed their similar strategy where Hoseok led the troop while the Empress patrolled from behind. All of them had studied the Map of Stray Land before managing the reins of troops, therefore when two crossroads collapsed together, the Commander chose the short one and turned the troop’s direction to the left.

Running a few miles inside, the Commander raised a hand in the air to halt the warriors and hooves of their horses when he saw a lake in front of them. The lake was overflowing with muddy water, the Commander climbed down from his horse and hunched to look closely at its shore.

Jungkook came forward when he noticed the static troop, he frowned in confusion when the new lake appeared under his vision, “Where does it come from? There wasn't any lake on the map that His Majesty showed us.”

“Awah cried so hard that they made a new lake in a few days?” Kenji joined them as well.

“Should we take the other path?” One of the warriors asked.

“No. That route runs deeper in the forest and it can mislead us into more trouble.”

“I heard about the trees of that forest, legend says that they are enslaved by powerful witches.” The other warriors replied.

The dark sky was about to illuminate as the dawn approached the next day, Kenji noticed the stillness of the water and found it awfully quiet, “Why does it look so quiet, is it full of poison? Maybe that's why animals abandoned it? Even the fishes.”

The Commander walked towards his horse and picked his spear from the saddle, “We need to measure the depth of this lake. If it's around our knees, we will cross it on our horses. If not then we will use the other route.”

The warriors followed the Commander while holding their spears in his hand. Hoseok launched his spear in the air and it landed at the centre of the lake and much to his doubt, the spear penetrated the ground by covering a few inches of water. More than half of the spear was still visible from the shore.

“Bravo!”

“So it's safe to ride this road huh!”

The warriors threw their spears as well but contradicting the previous proof, many of the spears plopped under the water with no traces behind while a few others kept standing in water.

The silence spread to the troops while Kenji came forward, “It's a maze but under the water. We need to be careful before coursing our horses inside.”

“But we don't have enough spears to locate the exact direction to follow.”

A blending arrow swished across the wind, attracting the attention of the warriors before landing perfectly into the water. Fortunately, the arrow landed on higher ground and its rear end stayed visible to everyone. “I can use arrows on both sides to navigate a trustful path.”

The Commander ordered quickly after agreeing with the Empress, “It will be more effective this way. Archers! Come forward! Form two equal columns, we will cross this lake in equal partitions while stepping in between the arrows that will be laid by you all for us.”

A bunch of warriors stepped forward on their horses and staged their bows towards the lake before releasing the arrows one by one. It took a handful of time but under the wise guidance of Luna who shot arrows like a waterfall, they made a cross road where the arrows stood sideways like a protective bridge post.

Dabery raised his hooves and thumped on the ground before leading the horse troops ahead, their speed remaining measured as the muddy water looked more suspicious to walk inside. However, their decision of crossing the lake instead of embarking on the forest was proven right because the troops didn't even run a mile in the midtown of Strays when they saw the younger brother of Kim marching towards them followed by a horrendous armed force.

“Kim Hyejoon, one of the Kim brothers.”

The Commander informed the troop as they strike the enemies head on, the swords collide along with the thunderous clouds in the sky. And with the first clink of sharp metals, the war began all over once again. Kenji flipped his swords in his hands and slammed two strays to the ground. He used their chests as a new carpet and stabbed both of his swords to the heart of a horse rider. The opponent landed on top of that carpet, his blood painting the chests before a flash of sword matched their blood into it.

Hoseok fought with Hyejoon on the horse, their outstretched arms showing the strength when each of them tried to topple the other but failed. The Commander remembered this sinister smile of Hyejoon all too well, it was the smile he adorned after injuring the formal Alpha with that poisonous wormwood.

The anger surged through his veins as he struck his sword once again, this time stumbling down the enemy on the ground. Hyejoon groaned and cursed blatantly, “You have stramped on my land unannounced, Commander. Wasn't aware that preachers of Royalty would throw such betrayal one day.”

Hoseok stopped his attacking sword with one hand and pulled him closer while scowling on his face. He knows that it was Strays who planned to attack under the dark night like a coward and now he was just trying to provoke his warrior heart so he said, “We thought we must teach you what actual treachery looks like.”

The words burnt on Hyejoon’s skin when the Commander next attack sliced his arm thickly around his elbow.

A bunch of strays pounced on the Commander when they saw the blood splashing out and Hyejoon took off from the field. His insulted eyes wandered on the vast forest, trying to capture someone on whom he could vent out his anger. The rising dawn helped his eyesight to locate the vision more precisely.

His wandering gaze stopped when in the sauna of warm blood, he saw a majestic horse neighing while hoisting his two hooves in the air. On the top of his saddle sat a warrior whose arm was stretched behind his head, shooting arrows that scissored one of his people’s heads. Moving his arms to fight the warriors around him, Hyejoon moved closer to that horse and found that the owner of that horse…indeed has red hair.

The Empress?

His lips barked a snicker but when the horse turned around and Hyejoon saw the face of the Empress for the first time, his feet remained rooted to the ground. The strays come around him to fight against the warriors as their Prince seemed to have lost his senses.

Jungkook noticed the fixed eyes on him but got distracted when Artax slammed his hooves towards two of the strays who had come too close to his saddle. Hyejoon stared at the Empress with an open mouth as he whispered inaudible words Nimie pulcher, non pertinet ad hanc terram…

His vision disheveled when a hard force collided against his people, sending him stumbling on the ground. He tightened his sword in his hand and found a man standing in front of him who was wearing a white hanfu unlike others.

“Futiles aren't allowed in such battles, you fool!” The man cursed at him as if he had caught his witless staring.

“I was just watching how low Royals can stoop to let an omega take up arms! What now? Have you decided to hide your inabilities behind their hanfus?”

“I think… your undies would be best for that, it carries only space after all.”

The nasty reply provoked Hyejoon to raise his arm and flash his sword towards the man but a rolling arrow penetrated his wrist, making the sword plopped out. Hyejoon’s wide eyes stared at the blood oozing out of his wrist as he fell down on his knees.

Kenji clenched his teeth before glaring at the Empress who circled the younger Kim with his horse, “Don't come after my bait!! Find your own, Warrior Jeon!”

“I didn't. It was just my greetings to retort his constant stares.” Jungkook pulled his wrist and moved Artax forward.

Kenji kicked Hyejoon’s bowing head and grabbed his hairs to elevate his face enough to spit on it. His one foot knocked on the handle of Hyejoon’s sword and snatched it in the air before pointing its tip at the centre of his chest, “Try to look at my brother-in-law once again… and you won't find your body for your next births!!” Slicing apart Hyejoon’s chest, he shoved the sword from top to down, till its tip penetrated the ground behind Hyejoon.

Bleeding through his mouth, head raised to the sky and kneeled with a sword in his chest, Hyejoon's body kept rotting on the land when the troops ran ahead after defeating his armed force.

~

Thirty miles inside and the first troop was finally able to see when the hurricane died down. Piles of bodies were stacked on the ground above one another as the warriors seemed to roam around them. Yoongi couldn't hold his chuckle when he remembered how the elder Kim ran and hid when he saw the wrath of the Royal Alpha who consumed half of his platoon in his claws.

He strides along the steep stones where different gems were embedded into it, the troop following him while careful with the spiny tips of the crystals. The path was filled with different kinds of marbles stacked against the stones as a precious resource. They couldn't see it but the shadow of the Royal wolf was hovering above them, maybe His Majesty has decided to take a different route.

Listening to the short pads of feet, Yoongi raised his hand to halt his troop only to call out mockingly, “Didn’t consider the first Prince of Strays to be a scaredy cat! Why? Won't you hear the courageous story of your little brother before he lost his life?”

His voice echoed in the stony walls but it certainly made Cheol’s hands clench into a fist who was standing a bit far with another lump of platoon behind him. Blood flew down to his irises, blazing them red to listen to the spouting nonsense of that red-haired Beta.

But his heart contracted when he couldn't get a hold of his brother through the mindlink. He  believed his mind which was forcing him to not get included in the provoking play of the Royals so he ordered his soldiers to surround the whole area!

“Take my brother's name respectfully, you scoundrel! He comes from the family of Stray Kingdom not from a piece of slavery like you!! He acquired the wisdom of seven spells! None can harm him.” Cheol roared as he crawled out of his hidden spot along with his people. His horse carried him with pride but it wasn't the animal’s fault if the man sitting on him still looked like a fool.

Yoongi laughed at his remark and suddenly the whole arena filled with the laughter of warriors, “Maybe his wisdom got distracted by something.” The words challenged Cheol’s insufficient knowledge of his brother’s whereabouts who fell silent at those remarks.

“Words would look good if you speak them after attaining victory!”

“Why? Are you afraid you won't be able to speak at all?” Yunhee announced the question while standing beside Yoongi's horse and reverberated the whole crowd into fits of laughter again.

“Soldiers! Shoot!!” Cheol cried in frustration and arrows started to shower down the sky. The warriors picked up the marbles from the floor and used those stones as a shield against the arrows. The dawn of day turned dark due to the amount of arrows in the sky but they fell unturned on the ground after bouncing back from the surface of marbles.

Beneath the thundering clouds, the shadow of the Royal Alpha was still resting over the top of the highest stone, black bushy tail dangling down in slow swipes whereas the hind paws carried the scratches of flesh. His body rested on the stone while face remained stoically open to show the dripping blood from his canines.

The Royal Alpha doesn't fight, he hunts.

His golden eyes were fixed on the male who was trembling in rage after hearing the news of his brother's death. Hyejoon died because of a distraction. What kind of distraction? the Commander didn't disclose. But the rotten smell of his body calmed his inner animal quite wildly.

When the showering arrows failed under the thick shoulders of the warriors, Cheol attacked them with their people on hands. Everyone was fighting against each other but none touched the elder son of Kim. Yoongi came forward to indulge him in a sword fight but it looked as if he was buying time or tiring the older with easy strikes.

Or they would know not to disturb the hunt of a predator. That's why when the shadow of the wolf fell across the back of Cheol, Yoongi took two steps behind him. The elder son chuckled, measuring it as the tiredness of the red haired Beta so when he raised his sword high in the air and was ready to strike it inside the Beta’s heart, a shadow pounced on his body brutally, making him tumble down on his feet.

The black wolf circled the prey in slow movement, giving him enough time to gather his strength and run rapidly on his little feet just so he could chase it. His favourite part of the play. But when the fool kept staring into his eyes while pushing his legs left and right in an attempt to run, his patience ran off instead.

The last feeling Cheol recognised on his body was the sharp canines on his neck and something large scooping out his stomach before he laid dead on the ground. The wolf raised his head to the sky and squinted to see the clouds thickening with blackness, a sign that it will pour down soon. He moved behind one of the tallest stones to shift back and wear his clothes as the remaining strays were handled by the warriors.

He came back while wearing a pair of black pants and a black vest with no shirt underneath. Walking among the crowd of cheering warriors, he found them hovering in a circle. Someone was beating a stray with sharp kicks on his head when the crowd dissipated, he found the beater, Yunhee.

His eyes turned passive as he moved closer and hoisted her by the waist, “He is dead, Yunhee.” He tried to drag her away but Yunhee kept thrashing against his chest, “Leave me, Tae! He stared at me as if he had never seen an omega fighting before! Bloody coçksuckers?!! Let me show him how I fight.”

Her feet landed on the ground when Taehyung moved away to grab a furcoat from one of the warriors. He threw it over his shoulders and climbed the horse while throwing a subtle warning at her, “You will follow the troops.” However, Yunhee was already all-over that man’s body to thrash it completely and she appreciated the last warrior who awaited for her to mount her horse before running towards the troops.

Even after defeating more than half of the Strays armed forces, something was still missing. And that missing puzzle being the father of the Kim brothers, Kim Yonkui.

All the troops merged when the first one strides into the midtown and finds the Commander already awaiting for them. The warriors bumped each other's chest, threw their arms above while hollering as they saw each other. The union was pretty dramatic as Yunhee saw the soldiers pretending to cry while pointing at each other's blood blotches.

When the troops combined once again, the Commander nodded towards the red haired Beta in greetings at front. After a wave of warriors surpasses the middle, Yunhee bumped her fist with Kenji while looking forward who used his decorated stick in place of his fist instead. And then after the hollering crowd of more warriors, the Empress awaited for the arrival of the Royal Alpha at the end of the troops.

It was a task to balance the reins of Artax once he saw his master approaching them from afar, his hooves raised as he neighed in respectful greetings. Only a small, very tiny snort fell out of his nostrils when he noticed the other horse his master used for this war. Why? He is capable of balancing two warriors in his back but then he doesn't really know how the human mind works to not realise that.

His little discomfort got noticed by the pure soul sitting on his saddle as a scrubbing comes next on his crest, soft fingers combing and caressing his hair in a soothing way. Oh okay… the master should be forgiven if his mate blesses him with such scratches every once in a while.

The Empress noticed the attire of the Royal Alpha when his horse stood parallel to Artax. Maybe the Alpha had shifted and changed his clothes because the attire was entirely different from the one he left for the war. Taehyung’s eyes roamed around the Empress in urgency only to soften his gaze when he found him unharmed and staring back at him delightfully.

“Ready for the war?” He asked.

The doe eyes enlarged in surprise, “Aren't we heading towards the end of it?”

“Why? Are you feeling tired?”

There was some concern wrapped under those words, Jungkook won't deny it but the aggravation was still there. So he puffed out his chest and looked forward, “A warrior never gets tired.”

“Then we must follow the lead now, there are some guests that await us.” He informed while pulling the reins and boasting to Artax to do the same as he moved forward.

The horses walked parallel to each other as the warriors gave them enough space to navigate the front of the troops but the sudden curiosity didn't settle down in Jungkook's mind so he asked, “What guest are you talking about, Alpha?”

“Former King of Strays, Kim Yonkui and his partner.”

“Ah..Are there any chances for that partner to be a…”

“A witch?” Taehyung raised one of his eyebrows in amusement as he looked at the Empress.

“Yes.”

“What makes you conclude such an assumption?”

The question made Jungkook sighed defeatedly and explained, “Earlier in the outskirts of Strays, I felt some unnatural aura around me. It kept snatching my scarf until Brother-in-law Kenji gave me his crafted stick to hold. I thought it could be some kind of sorcery because Strays can't seem to bear power like that. Am I right?”

Taehyung's gaze burnt at the back of the Commander's head as he heard the whole event, “Did it hurt you somehow?” He asked instead.

“No. I didn't feel it again after leaving that region. Do you think that witch could be behind this?”

“Amelia. Her name. She will disclose her intentions soon, all we have to do is wait for the reunion of the two sisters.”

Artax jumped suddenly to take a leap and made Jungkook stutter on his word, “S-sister?”

The word remained unanswered among them because the spreading silence around them gained the attention of warriors. They looked ahead only to find an army marching towards them. A chariot was rolling in the middle of that crowd as if provoking the crowd to burn their dignity for once and all.

Jungkook couldn't help as his perked up ears caught the fragments of chats happening among his own troops after watching the Strays army running towards them.

Ah!! There are more of them.

No one will touch my prey, I'm catching their eyeballs to show my mate.

A very disgusting way to propose, I must say.

Ohh why is it raining suddenly?

I haven't seen such a romanticization of battles before. What does this weather want from us? Should I kiss my sword before slicing the enemy??

Or we can just fuç-

I don't want to hear the end of it!!

Focus on those insect warriors!! No Eclipser die today!!

Have you seen their wrists? They are suffering from malnutrition.

Awh I bet they are.

Then we must end their misery at once!!

His focus returned to his wrist where a hand curled around, A pair of woolen gloves were placed in his open palm. He moved his face to the left and found the Alpha looking at him with doting eyes, “I will be preoccupied with the guest, Your Grace. Be careful with the warriors.”

Jungkook could only nod when the Royal Alpha moved forward with his horse along with the warriors. He wore the gloves and realised that they only secured his palms up to the knuckles, keeping his fingers free to grab and hold his arrows. The omega closed his eyes for a splitting moment to gather his thoughts and stacked the bow against his shoulder in the next to occupy his position.

Grabbing the crossbar of the chariot with tight hands, Amelia was barking orders continuously, “They have murdered your king!! Make sure they won't go back on their soil at any cost! Avenge your pride! Avenge your king!”

Yonkui was standing beside him, his clenched teeth holding the emotions of losing two sons on the same day. How would he wish to see them one last time and probably help them to gain their strength but these twàts even seized the right of mourning their sons.

He slapped the reins on the horses’ back and kept flipping the cord till they gained his desired speed to reach the midtown, “You need to kill all of them, Amelia. Take my kingdom!! Take my soul!! Take every single thing that I own but I want them dead!”

Behind his shoulder, Amelia’s blonde hairs waved through the wind as if absorbing the energies to channel her magic in every fibre of her body, “No one will be spared, Yon. Either we will win or this war will continue for eternities.”

She seemed dishevelled, angry and potentially calm to destroy the enemies and when the troops of Eclipse warriors merged in her army, she flared her arms to the sky. The tail of her black gown swayed with the wind as she challenged the pouring rain with her chanting spells. Black fumes emerged from her palms, creating a curling crystal of force, it developed from the size of an egg to the size of her head in a passing seconds.

A smile broke into her face when the both crystals buzzed with compressed power, she gritted her teeth and threw them over the Eclipse warriors.

However, the crystal didn't land and burst on the ground as she expected, it kept revolving above before reversing its direction and exploding a chunk of her own armed forces. She screamed while banging her palms on the crossbar and found the source who consumed her power before having the audacity to control it.

Her eyes turned bloody when he witnessed the man who threw her into the pits of misery centuries before… Kim Taehyung.

Sitting on his horse, the man was standing at front, gaze solely fixed on her to diffuse her sorcery in the middle, “How many you will consume, Bàstard! How many!!? Let your warriors keep killing these puppets and I will raise an infinite number of them!” She roared when her chariot came to a halt as they reached closer to the Royal Alpha.

Taehyung didn't say a word but his eyes hardened as she flared her arms once again. This time he didn't wait for the crystal to see commence down her palms and let it explode above the chariot. The horses attached to it scattered in different directions after the loud explosion happened, the wheels collapsed , throwing the passengers away.

Yonkui cursed as he laid on the ground, heavily injured as a side of his face got burnt completely. Amelia rose from the ground and screamed while contracting all the energy from her soul, “This is what you have created! And now your people will pay the price!”

Taehyung pulled his horse and staggered two hooves back when the ground shook and just a foot away a blazing fire uprooted. It was captivating to watch the flames of fire swaying so high under the pouring rain as if instead of extinguishing the flame, the droplets were raising it more and more.

The war stopped momentarily as each person watched the epitome of sorcery through their own eyes.

Kenji was about to praise the lady for her talent when loud neighs of horses caught his attention, a wild boar was riding a horse in sheer excitement. Oh wait… It's Sang. The man was leading a bunch of horses and he was followed by a carriage.

Carriage?

Who takes carriages in war?

But all of his doubts cleared when the door of the luxurious carriage opened and a velvet shoe came forward to step on the ground, the deep red gown flew through the seeping blood of the enemies as Ella showed his presence.

However, Sang landed where he wasn't truly welcomed with his axe. He twirled Yunhee in his arm with one hand while chopping the head of a stray with another, “What are you doing here?” Yunhee asked.

“Just delivering a precious cargo. But it's been ages that I have played, love. Wanna bet who will thrash more?” His smile turned more contagious as he looked around to see so many people to flex his axe.

“I am already over 357.” Yunhee smirked.

He pressed a languid kiss on her lips before twirling her out of his arms, “That's quite a handful but not a lot.”

Jungkook felt thankful to see the presence of Sang in the troops, his empowering groans attracted enemies leaving Jungkook free for a few moments to trade towards the periphery where the Royal Alpha was standing. Ahead of him, Ella was controlling the burning flames with her hands, her white hairs capturing the smoke moving around her.

So, Ella is Amelia's sister. It seems like the vengeance runs deeper than he thought. And his doubt was proven right when he stood behind the Alpha's horse and listened to the booming voice of the witch, “Look Yonkui!! Who has arrived to save her beloved son!”

Ella extinguished the fire completely and turned around to push the hurricane of smoke above the troops so none could be able to watch and listen to their conversation, “It isn't quiet pleasure meeting you, Amelia.” Her voice seemed thick when Ella slammed her sister with a piercing gaze.

“Won't you give your little sister some blessings before I ruin your beloved son’s identity?” The craziness in Amelia’s eyes was something that Jungkook hadn't seen before.

“Unfortunately, You only deserve punishment, Amelia. You have broken the barriers of your cage. Now it's time to return home.” The chilling smile on Ella's lips proved that they are indeed sisters by blood.

“And who are you to decide that? Who are you to give me punishment? I refuse your designation as the superior witch and wish to fight independently!!”

The mocking chuckle of Ella burnt on Amelia's skin when she voiced, “Independent? Do these people who are fighting for you make you independent? You had manipulated them, fed them poison of hatred and revived the buried enmity around them just to fill your own greed. You used them as a puppet in your path, you weren't independent from the start.”

The loud laughter of Amelia echoed in the empty corners of the ground as she tilted her head while speaking nonchalantly, “Do you really think that all of the things that you have counted were the only things that I have planned to do? Isn't it too boring, Ella. I'm not old enough to lose the thrill from my bones. I had planned to capture the weakness of your beloved son but it seems like I doubted his red haired genes!! I made puppets that looked like him, after all what Empress would leave their own people behind to win a war? But he did!! He murdered all of them!! I tried to lure him! Tried to invade his mind with visions of Hwan, I heard about his curiosity to learn about hidden mysteries but before my visions could unfold, that pretentious Skull tightened the protection circle around him!! Oh only if he could be captured by me, I would have stamped on all of your noses with my sole!!”

Jungkook's eyes widened at the confession of the witch, memories of the night circulated in his head to show him the plan of the enemy. What would have happened if he… and weakness? How wrong could this woman be in her judgement of people's characters? As if sensing the brewing thoughts of the Empress, Artax moved ahead and stood parallel to the Royal Alpha.

“But it was only a little hurdle that came into my path. You caged me in the barracks and faded me from the memories but Strays remembered me. Hyejoon called me out from that barrack!! They worshipped me, I have consumed thousands of souls, Ella. No one can compare my miraculous power, No One!!”

Fall.

Without any knowledge of spells and sorcery, Jungkook could see the fall of the witch who was speaking so brusquely, so self consumed that she couldn't see how a red halo of wind had started to form behind her head.

“And this will satisfy you in the end? Will these ministrations of yours be able to bring back the respect you had among the Elders?” Ella asked as she took one step closer, Jungkook watched how the Alpha's hand curled around the reins as she stepped closer to the witch.

“I am above your pathetic societies of Elders, they died for me when nobody stopped this bàstard from stripping off my Royalty.” Those frivolous eyes fell on Taehyung and threw a burning crystal towards him which got destroyed in the middle by Ella.

“That Lord never marked you, Amelia, didn't even court you in a ceremony. You never belonged to that family!” It was the first time when Ella raised her voice to hold the waning senses of her sister who seemed to go too far into her head.

“He had promised me!! The Great Lord had promised to mark me once he regained the power after winning those five gems of nature! But this scoundrel and his bogus pride ruined my everything, snatched my love and hopes of my future!! Now he will suffer the same!”

“I don't know what this implies about the abilities of that Great Lord but he reached the designation of being a great grandfather and even after all these centuries, he failed to collect five gems? Such absurdity in his capabilities didn't ring a bell in your head? He was using you!! Using your powers to feed his addictive habits and warm his bed!!”

Jungkook turned his head away when Amelia screamed at Ella with all her might, “Liar!! How could you say this to me? It wasn't my fault that he chose me over you. You were his second chance, second fated mate after his first one died during labour. I didn't provoke him to reject you! I simply waited to let him see me! And he loved what he witnessed! I wasn't free spirited like you, I know how to bow my head when things didn't find their ways of normalcy. But you! You were filled with egotism, instead of begging to remain by his side, you accepted the rejection!! You left him so how I'm at fault for grabbing the same opportunity to make my life better! I worked hard for him to see me, sister. I… I used to carry his things around for him like a mere maid. Indulged in all of his habits one by one, even remembered to fill his tobacco cases!! And when happiness came to me, when he finally accepted me, this stranded Alpha! ruined my life.”

The passive gaze of the Royal Alpha remained the same when the profanity got thrown at him. He knows that the woman was lashing out her unsaid words that she brewed in the confinement of centuries. His eyes didn't show any change but his lips parted when a hand pinched his fur jacket from the side.

He glanced at the omega who was looking at him with nervous glares, he covered those trembling knuckles with his palm and proceeded to entwine their fingers together before letting the hold dangle in between their horses.

Ella walked closer, her face showing the depth of emotions that she felt after listening to her sister, “I can understand your love towards him, no one questioned it. But your demand to take possession of the entire Europe after his death was questionable. What abilities had you had to occupy the land where Royals lived for centuries?”

“I demanded war! I challenged him to fight against me.”

“And you lost in that war as far as I can remember. Then what did you do?  You ran to Namjoon, seeking her support after knowing how Taehyung banished him from Eclipse. Did you really think a father would turn against his son to get justice for a witch whose greed would never be quenched? Moreover, No Emperor would hand over his Kingdom to a witch who couldn't even control herself during her griefs and mourns.”

Under the pouring rain, no one could extricate if the choked laugh of Amelia was true or she was simply trying to conceal her tears. The red halo behind her back has taken over her entire body but consumed in her dreads and emotions, she didn't realise how her death was hovering above her shadow.

The omega's breath hitched in his throat when Amelia’s gaze fell on him, “I will ask the same question from you, Empress.” The bitterness slurred out of her mouth when she threw that word out for the omega, “When this mate of yours will leave you markless till the end, I will come again to question your Royalty.”

Jungkook didn't say a word and squeezed his mate’s hand in comfort because Ella was already speaking for him, “Keep such worries at bay, Amelia. Taehyung bears his omega’s mark on his wrist.”

Those glinting eyes of the witch filled with dread when she saw their combined hands. Her head shook in acceptance because now the rise of other generations heightened. She will never be able to grace the throne at this rate, a throne that was made for her, belonged to her and her mate only.

Ella watched the lost expressions of her sister and found the exact moment where she raised her both hands and pushed that red halo into Amelia's body. That red halo turned into thousands of red gems, sharp spikes ready to penetrate the entirety of the witch.

The smoke around the troops dissipated, the downpour stopped when with one last pull from Ella, Amelia gasped loudly. Uncountable spiked gems tear apart her body, liberating a black glory that circled around her body before disappearing entirely. After releasing the captured souls, Amelia's powerless body collapsed on her knees and started to glisten like a diamond.

The Royal Alpha looked at the Empress and after providing him a careful nod, he loosened the hold of their hands and discounted the horse. Jungkook waited with a bated breath when the Royal Alpha walked towards Ella who was still standing in front of sister’s radiating body.

Taehyung stood behind her, leaving a foot of distance among them when he called, “Boon.”

The lowered eyes of Ella, filled with water when she heard the familiar word after centuries. It can't be true, maybe, maybe the shining body of Amelia sent a harsh reflection to her orbs and spinned her mind because her beloved son who loathed her for centuries can't be calling her with one of her favourite abbreviations. Her lips stretched into a sad smile when glimpses of a small Taehyung pervaded her mind.

Boon, lift the tree!!

Boon, I can swing this elephant on my hip.

These white hairs made you look like an albino monkey, Boon.

Won't you have mercy on me and let me meet him, Boon?

Why are you hiding him, Boon?

Won't you follow your son now, Boon? Go after him and leave me!

Ignoring to grab attention towards her face, Ella didn't lift her hand to wipe her gleaming eyes or turn around but kept staring at the body of her sister when she felt Taehyung standing behind her, “She is filled with bodeful thoughts that she nurtured for centuries. None of her words or deeds showed her ability to comprehend truth and falsity. We need to kill her now.”

Ella closed her eyes and sighed deeply just so she could stop herself from caressing the male’s head in blessings, “Withdraw the troops and leave her to me.”

The Royal Alpha stepped back slowly and turned around to find the saddle of Artax empty. His confused eyes found peace when he found the Empress entrapped in the celebrating circles of warriors. When the seized souls were liberated from Amelia's body, her spells died down too along with the puppets that she revived from the dead bodies.

He gestured towards one of warriors and pointed towards his horses as he walked towards the celebratory circles. The warriors were howling wildly in different languages or it could be defined as the language of victory. All of them bowed when they saw their Alpha approaching them holding a proud glimmer in his eyes.

“The Land of Strays won't be known as such in the future. It will be known as a Valley of Pither where the warriors of Eclipse brought peace after winning a valiant war. Grab your weapons, lionhearts and turn the troops at once. Your feast awaits you in Western Land.”

The crowd cheered frantically while throwing each other around. Taehyung turned when he heard the familiar sound of hooves behind him, his eyes rolled in annoyance when he saw only one horse, Artax, with a double saddle placed on his back but when the warrior received a prideful pat on his back, he knew he made the right choice. After all, their eyes yearn to see their Royal couple together in the wake of their victory.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜.

I hope I was able to convey all of my thoughts in words and hope you enjoyed the chapter.

Thankyou for waiting for me and my work.

Good night, lovely readers.

💜💜💜💜💜💜💜.