The sun had reached its apex, hanging like a burning eye over the emerald swamps. But in the heart of the Swamp Kingdom, all eyes were on the courtyard of the newly completed Marsh Crown Academy—a royal institution of knowledge, arcane warfare, and sovereign loyalty.
A shallow silence fell across the training grounds. Hundreds of NPCs—beastkin, swamp-born warriors, elementalists, and even wild-born dryads—stood in disciplined formations. Many had been gathered from different regions conquered or influenced by Ashen's rise.
At the center of the arena floated a hovering obelisk made of translucent green crystal. It rotated slowly, engraved with sigils written in the forgotten dialect of Force Codex. It pulsed, responding only to the touch of its creator.
Ashen stepped forward, his black-and-gold robes swirling as if obeying his aura. His Force Crown hovered slightly above his head, flickering with arcane resonance.
