Chapter 26: The March Through Emberthorn
The ancient Emberthorn Forest stretched across the horizon like a sleeping giant.
Towering trees rose hundreds of meters into the sky, their crimson leaves casting a sea of red shadows upon the earth below. Thick roots twisted across the ground like the bodies of ancient serpents, while cold mist drifted silently between the trunks.
Through this legendary forest marched an army.
Two hundred thousand human soldiers advanced beneath countless banners fluttering in the wind.
The sound of armored boots echoed throughout the forest.
To outsiders, the sight would have been magnificent.
To the soldiers themselves, however, it was confusing.
No one truly understood why they were here.
"Demons?"
A young soldier burst into laughter.
"You actually believe that?"
Several soldiers nearby chuckled.
One of them adjusted his shield and shook his head.
"Of course not. Demons haven’t existed for two thousand years."
"They probably never existed."
"Exactly."
Another soldier joined the conversation.
"My grandfather used to tell me stories about demons invading kingdoms."
"And?"
"And he also told me dragons lived inside the moon."
The group erupted into laughter.
Such conversations could be heard throughout the army.
Most soldiers shared the same opinion.
Demons were myths.
Nothing more.
Stories created by ancient people who didn’t understand the world.
Even many officers secretly doubted the royal decree that had mobilized such a massive force.
After all...
How could humanity wage war against an enemy that no one had seen for two thousand years?
At the head of the army rode Commander Aria Valencrest.
Golden hair flowed behind her as her white warhorse moved steadily through the forest path.
Silver armor engraved with the crest of the Human Kingdom gleamed beneath the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Unlike most soldiers, Aria wasn’t smiling.
Her expression remained serious.
Cold.
Focused.
A veteran general guided his horse beside her.
"The troops are treating this campaign like a joke."
Aria’s gaze remained forward.
"I know."
"They don’t believe the reports."
"Neither would I if I hadn’t seen the records myself."
The general fell silent.
Few people possessed clearance to access the sealed archives beneath the royal capital.
Aria was one of them.
Several months ago, she had personally read documents written during the last Demonic War.
Documents preserved for over two thousand years.
Documents stained with blood.
The memories of humanity’s darkest age.
Even now, she remembered every word.
Entire kingdoms erased.
Cities consumed by darkness.
Millions dead.
The thought alone made her grip tighten around the reins.
The general noticed.
"You believe the demons have returned."
It wasn’t a question.
Aria nodded.
"Yes."
The old general exhaled slowly.
"If you’re right..."
His voice trailed off.
Neither commander finished the sentence.
They both understood the consequences.
Hours passed.
The army continued deeper into Emberthorn.
As evening approached, camps began appearing throughout a vast clearing.
Thousands of fires illuminated the darkness.
Soldiers ate, laughed, and shared stories.
To them, this felt more like a long journey than a military campaign.
Aria stood alone at the edge of the camp.
Her golden eyes watched the dark forest beyond.
Something felt wrong.
The forest was too quiet.
No wolves.
No birds.
No insects.
Nothing.
As though nature itself was holding its breath.
A cold wind suddenly swept through the trees.
At that exact moment, Aria felt it.
A faint presence.
Ancient.
Hostile.
Watching.
Her hand instinctively moved toward her sword.
The sensation vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.
"Commander?"
A nearby officer approached.
"Is something wrong?"
Aria remained silent for several seconds.
Then she looked toward the eastern horizon.
Beyond those distant lands lay the forgotten territories abandoned two thousand years ago.
The lands where humanity claimed the demons had disappeared.
For the first time in years, uncertainty appeared within her eyes.
"They’re coming."
The officer frowned.
"Who?"
Aria’s gaze never left the darkness.
"The enemy."
Far beyond Emberthorn Forest, hidden from human sight, countless crimson eyes slowly opened within the shadows.
And for the first time in two thousand years...
The demons began to march.