Location: The Dead Ravines, Eastern Tavara – 7:02 AM
The wind howled through the Dead Ravines like a warning whisper from the past. Jagged rock formations cast long shadows across the cracked ground, while faint ruins of what was once a Kane outpost stood like broken teeth jutting from the earth.
Damien adjusted his black tactical coat, his expression unreadable. Nora walked beside him, her fingers brushing his every so often as if grounding them both. Behind them, Ava moved like a ghost—silent, alert, scanning everything.
"This was once Kane territory," Damien said, voice low. "Before the war... before my father ceded these lands to preserve power in the West."
Nora's eyes swept the desolate terrain. "So they were abandoned. Left to rot. Or... to rebuild something of their own."
Ava paused, crouching near a piece of scorched stone. "This isn't recent. Someone's lived here for a long time."
Then, from the distance, movement. A figure emerged from the dust. Cloaked in black, their posture poised—not hostile, but not welcoming either. A scar split his lower jaw, and a silver pendant gleamed against his chest.
Damien's gaze narrowed. "Who are you?"
The man didn't flinch. "I could ask you the same, brother."
Silence. Even the wind seemed to pause.
Damien stepped forward. "You're mistaken."
"No," the man replied. "You're Damien Kane. Son of Gregory Kane and Elena Mireille. I am Leonidas Vane... born of your grandfather's war mistress. Discarded. Forgotten. But I remember. I remember everything."
Nora's breath hitched. Ava's hand hovered near her sidearm.
Damien's face remained unreadable, but a flicker of something—guilt? rage?—passed through his eyes.
"If you're truly my blood," Damien said, "why wait this long? Why hide in shadows?"
Leonidas chuckled coldly. "Because only in shadows do bastards survive. While you were fed power, I was fed betrayal. I watched our grandfather die with your name on his lips, never mine."
He stepped closer. "But I didn't come here to beg for inclusion. I came to declare war."
Nora stepped between them. "And you'll bring bloodshed to our doorstep? What for? A forgotten title?"
Leonidas's eyes locked with hers. "For justice. For the sons and daughters buried in unmarked graves. For the children born of the Kane name who were never acknowledged."
Damien's jaw clenched. "This isn't justice. It's vengeance."
Leonidas smiled. "Call it what you like, brother. But it's already begun."
A burst of static hit Ava's earpiece. "Damien," she said, grim. "Encrypted channels are lighting up. Explosions in East Tavara. Three embassies breached. And—" She stopped, eyes wide. "Someone leaked classified files on your military assets to international networks."
Leonidas turned away. "Tell the world their prince is no longer untouchable. You taught me silence. I'll teach you consequences."
He vanished into the Ravines before anyone could respond.
Damien stood motionless, fists tight at his sides.
"We're at war," he said quietly.
Nora touched his shoulder. "Then we fight together. Whatever legacy he thinks he's avenging—we'll face it side by side."