Arven Fort had turned into a sea of fire and steel. Smoke rose high into the sky, blackening the afternoon sun. Screams of pain mixed with war cries, and the clash of blades echoed across the stone walls.
General Kael galloped past the burning outer defenses, sword in hand, his voice rising above the chaos.
"Hold the gates! Don't let them breach the inner walls!"
Behind him, Korasium's cavalry pushed back, striking with precision and fury.
At the western tower, General Yuvan led the infantry through narrow passages, retaking key positions one by one. A trumpet blast signaled victory on the western flank.
"The enemy is retreating!" cried a scout from the top of the tower.
Yuvan looked out toward the horizon. The enemy, bloodied and scattered, pulled back slowly—disciplined, not broken.
"They're not retreating in panic," he muttered. "This is calculated."
Kael rode up beside him. "They're withdrawing... as if it's part of a larger plan."
The two generals stood side by side, surveying the battlefield. Fires still burned in parts of the fort, but the worst had passed. Medics rushed in to tend the wounded, while soldiers began repairing the damaged walls.
For now, Arven Fort stood strong. But deep down, both Kael and Yuvan knew—it wasn't over
The clash of steel and thunderous cries shook the stone foundations of Arven Fort. The enemy had nearly breached the inner gates when General Kael, with his elite cavalry, stormed in from the northern flank, scattering enemy ranks with brutal force.
At the same time, General Yuvan led a unit of archers and foot soldiers in a counterattack from the western tower, cutting off the enemy's supply line and pushing them into disarray.
"Push them back! For Korasium!" Kael roared, his sword gleaming with flame and blood.
Yuvan raised the flag of Korasium high above the battlements, signaling the tide had turned. Soldiers rallied with renewed strength, driving back the invaders inch by inch.
After hours of grueling combat, the fortress stood—scarred but unbroken. The enemy forces, realizing they could not seize Arven today, began to withdraw.
But their retreat was not one of defeat—it was slow, deliberate.
"They're falling back to their camp," Yuvan said, eyes narrowing as he watched them disappear over the hills. "It's not over."
Kael tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword. "They're planning something. This was only a test."
Night fell over the fort as soldiers tended to the wounded and buried the fallen. Fires were extinguished, and new barricades were set. Arven Fort had survived—but both generals knew the real battle had only just begun.