Steve, at the time, still possessed the records of the previous war against these entities. The war, which made a massive impact on the visuals of the City of Ambers, the Lydian capital, known to the people of the coming generation after the war. In those records, there was also a mention of the high energy emission recorded in the Himis and the southern borders, on the place which was later known as the Dimensional seal. Theory was, the DeSadians had managed to use the Dimensional seal to connect this reality with other dimensions and summon the previous army of unknown entities which was used in the previous war.

The same Dimensional seal areas- scattered all over the continent and maybe on other uninhabited lands all over the world, where many realities collided, collapsed during the failed attempt of Genesis, showing the bizarre effects on the world we witnessed at the time.

According to the records, after the previous war, centuries ago, many ranks fell and it ended with their defeat. So, the number of actual DeSadian population who could fight a war was less, and people who could actually fight like a soldier would even be countable. That-according to Steve-would lead to two possible conclusions. First, they'd act foolish, participate in this war that they called out themselves with those minimal numbers and lose. Or second, they'd use the dimensional seal to summon an army of creatures or some other type, just like last time but possibly much larger this time.

Of course, Steve went with the second.

"This should be quiet predictable," he remembered saying to Raya, one of the Elites, the previous day. "Which also makes me doubt why would they call out a war like this?

"Just like previous time," Steve cleared his throat, "as mentioned in the records, it is proposed that the dimensional seal in the Himis was used to summon the army from other realities. To fill the gaps and make sure they have enough manpower, they shall do that again...

"So now, we shall carry the armies to the borders, toward Himi," he continued. "There's one way to exit mountains-the Gates of Himi. We walk in the gates of Himi and make sure the war stays in the Himi. No one shall know how big or brief this event was, we don't want unnecessary panic among people."

"Our armies are capable, I'm sure," Raya said. "But realistically speaking, these ranks possess outerworldy strength. What if we are pushed back. It'll be hard."

"It's necessary," Steve said. "We need to avoid panic at all cost. Not just for people, but for nation. News travels faster like air. We are not in good terms with Assyria and Thena most likely won't participate in political matters. If they knew about the war situation, they'll find a blind spot to invade Lydia and things will go worse."

Raya nodded.

"I wish you luck, Raya."

Raya bowed and walked out of the office.

~~

Steve Tradis stood on the open balcony of his office, high up in the Eva buildings, workplace unit, calmly glancing down at the Eva cars, carrying the members-who were willing to fight the war for their people, for their loved ones-toward the mountains.

The surface soon rumbled sending waves through the ground below the capital and Steve glanced toward the eastern borders of the capital. From the eastern part of the massive lake surrounding the Capital, the grand ships and Armadas rose from inside the lake, followed by smaller battleships, sending waves on the shore. They ascended in the air, and started heading northward.

This was the first time in centuries that humanity witnessed something so massive and grand-ascending from inside the lake where they fished on daily basis-that their eyes couldn't believe the scene. Some still refused to believe the science and called it sorcery. Massive ships, never witnessed by people of that time before.

Steve kept looking at the view of Armadas, he somehow remembered, though their last use was centuries ago, moving north. His face was not surprised, he was calm. As ships moved outside the capital, his head turned, glancing toward the southwest, toward the direction of lands of the nation Thena.

~~

In Thena, the car of Lydia's royal house, a bright, navy-blue colored car, with white vertical stripes, entered the gates without any formalities and moved toward the main part of the Royal house. The visit of the Lydian Duke and the warrior Rukhban was already informed and was approved.

The Duke got off the car and moved inside the Royal house. Rukhban followed. Every door on his way opened as he walked ahead as if he'd been familiar with the place. His feet finally stopped at the big door with carved spirit animal shapes on it.

An elegant knock.

"Who do I owe the honor to?" came the sweet female voice from inside.

"I wonder who that lowly being would be, your highness," The duke said in an elegant, much sweater tone and he could hear the sound of chuckles from inside.

"Come in, alone."

Rukhban backed off by a step. "Try to not take much time."

The Duke nodded, slightly opened the door, revealing a small part of the luxurious room, and walked in, closing the door behind him. Inside the door, there was a spacious, of course, room with a wide balcony from which, one could view the entire capital of the nation. A queen bed for the royal lady with curtains surrounding it, a mirror covering almost the entire wall, a dressing area, and a bath, a private pool of a sort, again mechanically controlled.

Noticing the Lydian Duke enter, the lady of thena smiled, walked out of the bath with her silky long hair, flowing on her body, and soon covered herself in a towel.

"Long time," the Duke said. "Was certainly not expecting to meet. . .in such a way."

The Lady would chuckle, noticing the Duke's flushed expression.

"What should I say, your highness," she said. "Your timing is always so unique."

The queen would walk closer to the duke, elegantly like a feather flowing in the calm air, would take his hands in her own before getting closer to him. Their lips aligned, but the Duke would show signs of resisting before they met.

The queen faintly smiled, noticing the hesitation in the duke's eyes, "I see, you're not over it yet," she said, calmly. "Memories are like parasites sometimes, living on our mind, feeding on our happiness making us not able to appreciate the current moment."

She released her soft hug and so did the duke, and walked toward the dressing area, behind something, which looked like a folding wall.

"How is the young Duke, highness?"

The duke noticed she removed and rested her towel over the top edges of the dressing area and got changed, in some time, in a royal, looking-like-royal-lady outfit with her ancestral pendant, shining on her chest.

"He's doing well," She said. "Recently learned horse riding and to pilot the smaller battleships."

"He sure is a quick learner, just like his mother," Duke said. "But handling the controls of such a machine might be a little risky."

"His grandpa is a great personality, you know." She replied. "Rest assured about his safety and ethics."

The lady, the Duchess of Thena, took her seat on the chair near the dressing mirror and pointed at Duke, asking him to rest himself on the bed. Duke accepted.

"In the morning, I received a letter about your visit to the Royal house," She said. "I was surprised. . . and a bit happy. So, how can I be of your help?"

"I won't take much of your time," The duke said. "Steve Tradis, one of my closest companions, has suspected there's a war coming."

"And you came this far just on that mere possibility?"

"His instincts. . . and visions," the duke said. "They're never wrong. From birth, this person was somehow blessed with the divine energies, beyond this world and has a direct connection to the flow of natural energies of the planet. I don't doubt him."

"Even if I considered this possibility," the lady said. "Why do you think should I give the army of Thena, leaving my nation unarmed? Just because of our past?"

"Āssyrīà and Scythia lie on the opposite side of the cloud belt region." The duke said. "They, even if they wished, can't possibly attack the Thena, risking themselves through the cloud belt area. Though, I shall admit things are a bit different with Lydia. And Thena is many years ahead of other nations in technology.

"And about why," he continued. "It's not about our past. It's because Thena is strong and developed enough. Thena has the army and the machines which could stand against these entities and save the nation. This is not just the war for Lydia, it is for the human race."

Hearing his statement and his genuine tone, the royal lady sat speechlessly. He had that tone showing how desperate and genuinely concerned he was about the situation.

"It'd still make me wonder how this war, as you mention, broke out of nowhere. But, I understand," she paused for a moment. "Pardon me for my claims, then. We can make things on paper and of course, there'll be a price to pay for our support. And I can assure you, a part of Thena's army and machinery shall stand in the war by your side."

A feeling of satisfaction came into Duke's mind, reflected on his face as the stressed lines on his face calmed down.

"Your support is much appreciated," he said. "I wish I had the privilege to stay longer and enjoy the formalities. But the time is different, the air is changing and even in Steve's presence, I should be in my nation."

The duchess nodded and the duke stood up. His eye went on the royal lady before walking out of the chamber, noticing her face with incomplete expressions.

"Your face says, something bothers you."

The lady glanced at the massive mirror, "When I received the notice of your arrival in Thena. A part of my mind expected it would be for something which my mind was expecting."

"And what is it?"

"To forgive me?"

"For what?"

The lady glanced back at Duke, "For leaving you in that vulnerable state, back then. For being selfish and taking our son with me."

The Duke walked toward her with a comforting smile. He got closer and took her soft hands in his own.

"You don't have to worry about it," he said. "Those are the things in the past. And, no matter what situation it is and how far we are, we are together, we are united and we always have our young duke."

"Back then, I had no choice," the Duchess said. "On one side, there was Lydia, my Duke's nation and my home, who was looked over by the greatest person I ever met, you."

"I'm still not the king, you know," the Lydian Duke said. "My father is still the king, and I won't say he's upto good plans."

"But that's not big thing for you," she paused for a moment. "whole Lydia trusts and listens to you. Only you. On the other hand, there was Thena, a nation with the most advanced tech, a superpower nation with the strength to literally destroy nations, under the watch of my cruel mother. I still can't forget, the painful past of our ancestors when they ravaged the Himis for that blue flower. And my mother was no different from my ancestors."

Before she'd complete, the duke grabbed her closer and elegantly kissed her warm lips. Their lips met for a long time until the duchess was calmed again.

Their lips separated and he glanced at her again, "I see you. I understand you. And, I know you. The feelings in my mind had never and will never change. Calm down. Everything is okay and we are okay."

The duchess faintly smiled and nodded.

"Make out fast, we don't have a whole day my duke." Came Rukhban's voice in a sassy tone from outside the door.

The duke and the lady smiled, "how do you always predict the wrong timing to disturb, Rukhban?"

"That's my specialty, my Duke," he'd reply. "Now, hurry up."

The duke glanced back at the lady, "I should leave now."

"Yes, you should, my Duke," she smiled back. "And it's a word from the royal lady of Thena, a part of my army and machines shall stand by your side in this war and shall fight."