We continued to run away as much as we could, headed toward the forest where we would be out of sight of the rising Kingdom. The battle was more or less a one-sided fight as most of us returned to relative safety with heavy cuts and bruises. No deaths were accounted for thanks to the help of the Iron Guardians, who with a long amount of time to rest and think of our explanation, had chosen to join us to save Charles.

Their only condition was that we leave their prince unharmed, which I was more than happy to oblige. I could tell though that the other Knights had begun to see through my secret, not that having my Prince attack me and take an attempt at my life would discourage them from such chatter.

A soft squeal filled the silence as we walked through the forest, too high to be one of the Knights and Guardians. A quick search around our area found that the source of the noise was nothing more than a small Mandora, which I quickly recognised as Charles' and so did the Guardians.

"So your story was correct... there's no way Charles would leave his Mandora behind..." one of them said, looking at me with an understanding smile.

"Exactly! So you better be on our side!" one of my Knights replied as we walked back to the kingdoms, setting camp on what would've been our battlefield.

I quickly allowed the Cathedrals to travel alongside the Iron Fortress whilst the Mandora we picked up beforehand had called its allies from within the Fortress, and with them a small army of nurses and farmers from both the Fortress and the Cathedrals who helped tend to our wounds. They were quick to understand the situation, as well as the ceasefire between the Kingdoms, given that they had felt and heard the rising of the Crimson Kingdom, and with a less than ideal army of Iron Guardians and Firmament Knights to defend against what could be seen from the distance as a swarm of red-armoured knights, the sound of multiple elements clashing only letting us dread even more what we had awoken.

The citizens of both Kingdoms were more than happy to help whatever they could against the upcoming war, knowing they were too late to call on the faraway Knights and Guardians present at the Endless War.

By sunrise, all we could see was the red tinge of the sky as the clouds filled with blood from the Crimson Kingdom, their army had amassed themselves and begun to walk through the forest toward the two Kingdoms, the Mandora as well as the citizens nowhere to be seen. Most likely hiding in their homes to keep safe from the battle. As we watched the blood-red knights march toward us, we could only watch and stare at their immense numbers, and we stood ready for them. Ready to sacrifice our lives for our Kingdoms, but our courage faltered as we watched the new Crimson Prince Charles rise on a tower of earth, the book on one hand and the monster we had summoned by his side, but I kept my sword high. My mouth uttered only a short phrase, the blades of all my allies pointed at the enemy, the spectral woman that took my Prince away from me.

"Tonight, she dies. For the Crimson War has begun."