[Eastern Zahryssar — Forest Near Sah’qir — Morning]

The crimson orc smiled, and the moment it did, every instinct inside Iru screamed.

RUN.

The eagle’s wings moved instantly; a powerful gust exploded around him as he attempted to ascend higher into the skies but suddenly—

THUD!!!

The crimson orc slammed against the cave wall violently, and the entire mountain shook. Iru’s eyes widened, because the creature—that grotesque monstrous thing—had jumped.

Far too high and far too fast.

CRAAASSSHHHH!!!

Its elongated arm slammed toward him midair. Iru twisted sharply and barely. The claws missed his chest by inches, but the sheer force behind the attack tore through several golden feathers, which scattered violently across the forest winds.

"...what kind of monster—?!"

The eagle shot upward desperately faster and higher now. Trying to create distance, but beneath him, the crimson orcs had begun moving too.

One, then three, and then all of them. The creatures crawled across the cliffs unnaturally, not climbing...crawling. Their limbs bent at horrifying angles while black veins pulsed beneath crimson flesh like living parasites.

And their hollow eyes—their empty horrifying eyes—never left Iru. The villagers hidden within the cave began panicking immediately. Several smaller serpents curled protectively around hatchlings while older villagers hissed fearfully deeper into the cave.

Because they knew...they knew exactly what happened when the crimson orcs became excited.

One elderly serpent screamed, "DON’T LET THEM SEE YOU!"

Too late.

One of the crimson orcs suddenly opened its mouth unnaturally wide. Far wider than any creature should and then—SCREEEEEEEEEECH!!!

A horrifying sound wave exploded through the forest. Iru instantly faltered mid-flight; pain shot violently through his head, his wings lost rhythm, and for one horrifying second—he dropped.

The crimson orc nearest to him lunged instantly.

SLASH!!!

"AGHHH—!"

Blood exploded across the air, bright and sharp. Golden-red against the desert sky. The creature’s claws tore directly through Iru’s left wing, deep enough to expose flesh beneath shattered feathers.

Pain shot through his entire body violently. Iru nearly crashed immediately, his breathing becoming ragged and uneven, but survival instinct forced him upward again desperately.

FWOOOSSHHH!!!

The eagle pushed himself higher despite the injury, despite the blood trailing behind him across the skies. Below, the crimson orcs twitched violently.

Watching him and smiling.

And then something worse happened. The wounded orc that slashed him suddenly stopped moving. Its hollow eyes slowly rolled upward.

Then its mouth opened again, but this time a voice came out, not the orc’s voice.

Something else’s and something ancient.

"...golden bird..."

Iru froze mid-flight. Pure horror flooded through him instantly because the creature—the monster—was speaking? That’s not even possible...how can a beast speak? He looked around because he was so sure...there’s someone else around.

Iru’s injured wing trembled violently as blood continued dripping through the air. His eyes darted sharply around the forest.

Searching, because instinct screamed one terrifying truth repeatedly inside his mind: Someone else is here, someone watching and someone controlling them.

Then suddenly the entire forest trembled violently again.

BOOOOOOMMMM!!!

The ground beneath the cliffs shook hard enough to split several rocks apart while deep beneath the hidden cave—something moved, something enormous and something ancient enough that even the desert itself seemed to recoil around it.

The villagers panicked immediately.

Several serpents hissed fearfully before rushing deeper into the cavern tunnels while mothers wrapped tightly around hatchlings protectively; every serpent hid behind rocks, pressed itself into darkness, and tried desperately not to be seen.

Meanwhile, the crimson orcs slowly turned away from Iru, back toward the cave entrance, back toward the hidden villagers. And in that exact moment, Iru understood.

The creatures had not been hunting randomly. Then suddenly an opening appeared, and the orcs’ attention shifted deeper into the cave.

The villagers hid themselves completely, and instinct screamed:

NOW. FWWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHH!!!

Iru forced his injured wings open violently despite the pain and launched himself upward through the forest canopy. Branches shattered around him as the eagle escaped desperately into the desert skies.

"I need to inform Malika...immediately." His breathing came ragged and uneven.

Blood continued trailing behind him across the morning sky while the winds roared violently against his injured feathers.

But Iru did not slow; he could not slow because now this was far beyond corrupted beasts. Something ancient was awake beneath Sah’qir and it already knew Zeramet had arrived.

***

[Eastern Zahryssar — Imperial Camp — Later]

The imperial camp remained tense.

Knights moved cautiously around the perimeter while mages reinforced protective barriers repeatedly around the command tent.

And near the central tent, Levin stood waiting; his blue gaze remained fixed toward the skies, unmoving and uneasy.

Nearby Zeramet stood beside several knights discussing village maps with cold focus, but even he occasionally glanced upward, waiting.

Then suddenly, Asha hissed sharply. Lyresaph immediately lifted his massive silver head, and from the distant skies—something fell.

Fast.

A wounded eagle.

"Iru—?!" Levin’s expression changed instantly.

The eagle descended uncontrollably, one wing torn badly, blood staining golden feathers crimson.

CRAAASSSHHHH!!!

Iru crashed directly into Levin before collapsing heavily against him. The impact nearly knocked Levin backward.

"Iru!" Levin immediately caught him.

Both hands supporting the injured eagle carefully as blood spread rapidly across the pale robes beneath them.

The eagle trembled violently, barely conscious. Meanwhile, the surrounding serpents only stiffened, watching cautiously, not emotionally, not worried, only alert.

Because no matter what, their instincts still saw an injured predator before them, and Levin noticed. His expression hardened immediately.

"Physician Naram!" His voice echoed sharply across the camp. "Treat him immediately!"

The physician hurried forward instantly, though visibly nervous, approaching the wounded eagle. Meanwhile, Zeramet stepped closer calmly...too calmly.

His golden eyes immediately examined the torn wing, the claw wounds, and the blood. Calculating and analyzing.

Then, coldly, the Malik spoke. "The information."

Levin froze faintly, hearing the tone because there was no concern in Zeramet’s voice, only urgency and only command.

"Tell us what you saw."

For one brief second, Levin looked toward Zeramet silently, something faintly hurt crossing his expression because despite everything, Iru had nearly died for them, and yet the serpents still looked at him like a useful enemy instead of someone wounded.

But Levin said nothing because right now the village mattered more.

Iru’s breathing trembled violently and came into his original form, his one arm bleeding badly, his forehead bleeding, his legs bleeding and Physician Naram attempted to stop the bleeding as his voice shook weakly.

"T-the villagers...they’re alive..." The entire camp stilled immediately.

Levin leaned closer instantly. "Where?"

"H-hidden...inside a cave..." Iru coughed painfully afterward. "...inside the desert forest..."

Raevhan immediately moved toward the maps. "How many?"

"...hundreds..." Shock spread across several knights immediately as Iru continued weakly. "They transformed into serpent forms to hide, Mothers...children...injured villagers..."

Levin visibly relaxed slightly hearing that at least they survived...at least for now, but then Iru’s expression changed. Fear flooding his eyes again.

"There were creatures guarding them..."

Zeramet narrowed his eyes sharply. "The orcs."

Iru immediately shook his head weakly as his voice lowered shakily. "No...not ordinary orcs..."

The entire atmosphere around the camp tightened instantly.

"They were crimson..." Iru whispered. "Huge...corrupted...their bodies moved unnaturally...and their eyes...their eyes were hollow."

Arkhazunn’s expression darkened immediately. "Crimson orcs... I have never seen creatures like them before..."

Iru continued as he swallowed painfully.

"And...one of them spoke."

Silence, an absolute silence. Several knights stared immediately.

"...spoke?" Varesh repeated slowly.

Iru nodded weakly, fear remained visible all over him. His injured wing trembled violently beneath the physician’s hands while blood still stained his pale golden feathers. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

And when he spoke again—his breathing had become uneven and fragile.

"Yes..." His voice shook faintly as a painful breath escaped him. "At first...I thought the crimson orcs themselves were speaking...but they were not."

The imperial camp fell completely silent. Even the desert winds seemed to stop listening.

"There was someone else inside the forest."

Iru’s eyes lowered slightly.

"...someone watching everything." Several nearby knights visibly stiffened. "The orcs...they felt controlled like puppets."

That single word darkened the atmosphere further and for the first time since arriving at Sah’qir Zeramet truly changed.

Not anger, not calmness, a cold and dangerous recognition. Several nearby serpents immediately noticed it too because suddenly—the Malik no longer looked merely cautious. He looked like someone staring directly into a nightmare from his past.

Slowly...very slowly—Zeramet’s gaze shifted toward Arkhazunn. "Heal this eagle."

The entire camp blinked. Arkhazunn stared at Zeramet openly now, genuine disbelief crossing his face.

"...Malik?"

Because this this was not what anyone expected. Even Levin looked faintly surprised for one brief moment but Zeramet’s expression remained cold and absolute.

Arkhazunn slowly glanced toward Levin afterward, and seeing the silent plea hidden within the Malika’s eyes the High Mage sighed heavily.

"...alright."

Green magic slowly spread around Iru’s wounded wing afterward while the trembling eagle lowered his gaze quietly, relieved, grateful and yet still deeply afraid.

Then suddenly Zeramet turned away. Several knights immediately prepared to follow him back toward the command tent but after only a few steps—the Malik paused.

The desert winds moved softly through his silver-black robes, then slowly without turning fully he looked back toward Iru and what he said next—froze everyone.

"...lock the eagle inside a cage."

Silence.

Levin’s eyes widened instantly. Zeramet’s voice remained cold, Imperial and mercilessly controlled. "Seal him with magic and no one is permitted to meet him..."

His golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"...until I give the order."

The entire imperial camp froze completely and were satified with the decision because an enemy can never share the same ground. Meanwhile Levin stood utterly still, shock crossing his face openly now because for one brief second—he truly thought Zeramet had accepted Iru’s help.

Then slowly his gaze shifted toward the wounded eagle. Iru looked visibly shattered, not surprised because deep inside—he already expected this outcome the moment his identity had been revealed.

The eagle lowered his head quietly afterward, trembling and trying desperately not to show how deeply those words hurt him.

Levin stepped forward instinctively.

"Malik—"

But before he could speak— Zeramet cut through the air sharply as his voice echoed across the imperial camp like judgement itself.

"And this matter ends here, no one speaks of the eagle." Now his gaze shifted directly toward Levin, heavy, meaningful and dangerously unreadable.

"No one."

The silence afterward became suffocating because everyone understood immediately this was not merely punishment.

This was containment, political containment and imperial containment because if news spread through Zahryssar that:

an eagle lived within Silthara Palace, served beside the Malika, and remained hidden for years—the entire empire could descend into chaos.

Levin’s hands slowly tightened beside him, hurt flickering quietly across his beautiful blue eyes, not because he failed to understand Zeramet’s reasoning.

He did perfectly and that was precisely what hurt. Then finally Zeramet turned away completely emotion hidden once more beneath imperial coldness.

"Raevhan."

"Yes, Malik."

"Varesh."

Both captains immediately straightened.

"Inside the command tent." His voice lowered colder now. "We still have villagers to save."

And just like that the Malik walked away. The silver serpent emperor disappearing back toward the command tent while the entire imperial camp remained trapped beneath heavy silence.

Meanwhile behind them—Iru quietly lowered his head further and for the first time since meeting Levin—the eagle truly understood: No matter how loyal he became...no matter how much he sacrificed...The serpent world would never see him as anything other than a predator wearing borrowed trust.

And Levin standing between emperor and eagle—suddenly felt the weight of both worlds crushing against his chest at once.