SS rank Xalvathar: The Soulweaver

The war room was silent, save for the faint crackling of the map flames and the steady drum of Diana's pulse in her ears. Around her, Finn, Takumi, Rowan, and the others waited for her to speak. The kingdom's fate hung on her shoulders, and every eye in the room reflected that truth.

"How long do we have before the northern villages fall?" Diana asked, her voice quieter than she intended.

Finn leaned forward, his expression stone-cold. "A day, maybe two, if we're lucky. The attacks are spreading like wildfire."

Takumi crossed his arms. "We can't keep reacting like this. It's time to strike back."

Rowan interjected, "Strike back with what, Takumi? Half our forces are wounded or barely trained. We need time."

"Time we don't have," Zanele muttered, leaning against the wall. "If we wait any longer, there'll be nothing left to save."

The room descended into an argument—voices overlapping, plans thrown into chaos. Diana sat in the middle of it all, frozen in thought. The map before her was dotted with red marks—each one a symbol of pain, destruction, or death. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing.

Be the queen, she reminded herself. Be what they need.

A memory surfaced. Her mother's voice, soft but commanding: "The crown isn't made of gold, Diana. It's made of sacrifice."

Diana stood. The room fell silent. "Enough."

All eyes turned to her. The weight of their expectations was suffocating, but she refused to falter.

"Rowan," she said, "take a small battalion to the northern villages. Evacuate as many as you can. Prioritize the children and the elderly."

Rowan nodded without hesitation.

"Takumi and Finn, fortify the capital's defenses. If the villages fall, we will be next. Every soldier, every volunteer—we need them ready."

Finn looked ready to argue but bit his tongue.

"And what about you?" Liyana asked softly.

Diana exhaled. "I'm going to the front. I need to see it for myself."

The room erupted in protest, but Diana raised a hand to silence them. "A ruler can't lead from the shadows. If I'm to be queen, I need to earn it."

Takumi smiled faintly. "You sound like a queen already."

As Diana left the war room, the echoes of her steps reminded her that this was just the beginning. The battle was near, and so was her reckoning.