The gleaming cities of Helioros and Selenea, perched high on rolling hills, stood like beacons of hope, yet even the strongest lights can be snuffed out. The dark shadow of the Eternal Empire began its relentless march, and hope began to wane.
Atrius, Draven, Lysar, and Selon, the formidable army generals of the Empire, convened on a hill overlooking Helioros, the first city in their path.
Lysar, with a twisted grin, muttered, "Let's give them a taste of our might." With a swift gesture, fireballs, large and malevolent, engulfed the unsuspecting Selenea. The sky turned a fiery orange, and the anguished cries of burning souls sent chills down the spines of Helioros's defenders.
Seeing this, General Draven remarked, "Their waters shall be their doom." Raising his arms, a monstrous tidal wave rose from the nearby ocean, crashing into Helioros's fortifications. The very walls that stood as the city's protectors now drowned its defenders.
Selon, ever the sadist, found joy in the despair. Harnessing his telekinesis, he rained boulders upon the city, leaving death and destruction in its wake. The streets, once bustling, were now awash with blood and debris.
Inside Helioros, General Theon tried rallying his troops. "For our families, for our homes!" he shouted. But his inspirational speech was abruptly cut short when Atrius appeared before him. With a swift motion, Atrius's blade found its mark, silencing Theon forever. The defenders, witnessing the fall of their leader, were enveloped in despair.
The Empire's soldiers, looking formidable in their dark armors, gleaming arcane crystals shining in the midst, stormed the breached walls. The city's defense, even with their 2 million commoners, crumbled before the superior might of the Empire's magic and sheer numbers. Every corner echoed with the cries of dying soldiers and terrified civilians. They weren't slaughtered, but the sheer terror of the invading force was enough to make many wish they had been.
Rumors spread of a renegade group from the city's own defense that turned to savagery. In a nearby village, Thessalos, these deserters, driven mad by fear and helplessness, unleashed terror. Houses were set ablaze, the streets ran red, innocent women were violated, and men and children met gruesome ends.
Back in the captured cities, a morbid parade began. The captured nobility, city lords, and their families were dragged through the streets. The once revered figures were now broken, their pleas for mercy echoing through the silent streets.
General Draven, with his typical cold demeanor, decreed their fate. "For defying the Empire," he announced as nooses were hung. One by one, they were executed, their lifeless bodies displayed as a grim reminder of the Empire's might.
General Atrius, observing the hanging corpses, remarked to Selon, "This... is but the beginning." Selon's response, with a chilling gleam in his eye, was, "The world shall soon know our power." The Eternal Empire's march was unstoppable, and the world trembled in its wake.