Alina stood amidst the stunned players, her breath still ragged from the fall. The battlefield stretched around her, chaos unfolding in every direction. The sky above churned with dark storm clouds, and Ethan's fortress loomed in the distance, an ominous reminder of who now ruled this world.
Dante stepped forward, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "You're alive."
"Barely." Alina wiped the blood from her lip and straightened, scanning the battlefield. Thousands of players, some fighting, some cowering, had their eyes locked on her. The Queen of Infinite Realm had returned—but without her throne.
A whisper rippled through the crowd.
"She's back."
"The Queen survived."
"But the King… he controls everything."
Alina clenched her fists. Ethan had sent her crashing down like a fallen god, as if she were nothing but another piece in his game. He wanted her to struggle, to fight back—to entertain him.
Fine.
If he wanted war, she would give him hell.
She turned to the gathered warriors, her voice ringing out over the battlefield. "Listen to me! Ethan has locked us in this world. He's rewritten the game to make himself invincible. But we're not powerless."
Murmurs spread. Skepticism. Fear. Hope.
A player stepped forward—a woman in heavy steel armor, her guild emblem glowing on her chest. "What can we do? He's the game's creator. He controls the system itself."
Alina's gaze hardened. "Every system has limits. Every god can fall."
Dante smirked beside her. "Now that's the Queen I follow."
A loud roar cut through the air.
Alina spun just as a massive shadow beast—a towering abomination of twisted limbs and glowing red eyes—came barreling toward them. Players scattered, screams echoing.
Alina charged forward.
Magic flared around her, blue flames dancing at her fingertips as she vaulted over a fallen warrior. The beast swung a massive claw, but she was faster—ducking under the strike and slashing with Eclipse. The twin blades sliced through its thick hide, sending dark ichor spraying.
The monster howled, rearing back.
"Now!" she shouted.
A mage behind her unleashed a torrent of fire. The flames engulfed the beast, burning through its corrupted flesh. The warriors of the battlefield—watching, uncertain—finally moved.
The fight had begun.
Dante lunged at another beast, his twin daggers flashing as he tore through its legs. The steel-clad warrior swung her warhammer, crushing another's skull. Spells lit up the night as players, once scattered, now united, pushed back against the invading nightmare creatures.
But Alina wasn't focused on the monsters anymore.
Her gaze was locked on the fortress in the sky.
Ethan was watching. She knew it. He wanted her to fight, to entertain him with her struggle.
She gritted her teeth. No. She wasn't playing by his rules.
A message flashed across her vision.
Incoming Transmission: Private Channel
Alina hesitated—then accepted.
Ethan's voice poured into her mind, smooth as silk. "You never disappoint, my Queen."
She didn't stop fighting, slashing through another creature. "Shut up, Ethan."
He chuckled. "You still don't understand, do you? You're clinging to the idea that this is a game. That I can be beaten."
Alina dodged a strike, countering with a burst of ice magic. "I've beaten you before."
"No," he murmured, "you haven't."
The battlefield shook.
The sky ripped apart.
And then—they fell.
From the dark storm clouds above, Ethan's army descended.
Hundreds of figures in black armor, wielding weapons forged from pure shadow, slammed into the ground like meteors. The impact sent shockwaves through the battlefield, knocking players off their feet.
Alina barely managed to stay standing.
The shadow warriors rose from their crouches, their glowing red eyes locking onto the survivors. Then, as one—they attacked.
Screams filled the air as Ethan's soldiers tore through the ranks.
Dante landed beside Alina, panting. "This just got a lot worse."
Alina didn't hesitate. "We fight."
She launched forward, clashing against the first soldier. Their blades met in a shower of sparks, and she forced him back, twisting her sword to cut through his armor.
Another attacked from the side—she ducked, spun, and drove her blade into his chest. He dissolved into shadow, disappearing into the air.
But for every enemy she struck down, two more took their place.
They were losing.
She grit her teeth, pressing on. Ethan's voice whispered in her ear again.
"You can't save them, Alina. You never could."
She ignored him, cutting down another soldier.
"No matter how hard you fight, this ends the same way. You kneeling before me."
Alina's vision blurred with rage. "Over my dead body."
Ethan sighed. "If that's what it takes."
Suddenly—pain exploded in her chest.
She gasped.
A blade of pure darkness had pierced straight through her heart.
Her knees buckled.
The battlefield faded.
The last thing she heard was Ethan's voice.
"Game over, my Queen."
And then—everything went black.