Snow fell in muted silence across the war-torn expanse of Northern Ukraine. Roads once filled with farmers and freight were now carved by tanks and tracked carriers, creeping steadily under Kael's southern command and Velora's icy pressure from the north.
But the silence wasn't peace—it was calculation.
Kael Vasil leaned over the holographic war map flickering inside his mobile command trailer, watching Ukrainian cities fall like flickering dominos—slower than they should. Resistance wasn't strong, but it was smart. Too smart.
> "HALIX, status update on Dnipro front?"
> "Sector grid 4-B showing delay in advancement. Enemy force patterns indicate asymmetric tactics—hallmarks of foreign-trained units."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Foreign? Like who?"
> "Encrypted satellite intercepts match prior Chinese spectral signatures. Consistent with Jian Wu's shadow doctrine."
Kael clenched his jaw. "He's already here."
Not physically—but Jian Wu didn't need to be. His influence worked like a virus: invisible until it struck, perfectly tailored to spread chaos in vulnerable systems.
"Order Division Echo to hold position. Prepare for counter-intel sweep. No more surprises."
—
Across the front, Velora Drakovich marched through the ruins of Chernihiv, her boots crunching over ice and rubble. Her campaign was ruthless and efficient.
Entire broadcasting stations had been hijacked to beam her voice through city centers.
She planted disinformation that Kyiv had already fallen.
Even her own troops feared her more than the enemy.
Inside her forward command, a bloodied prisoner knelt, flanked by Polish guards.
"He was coordinating air strikes from behind civilian lines," a soldier said. "Captured during the night raid."
Velora approached slowly, cold and unreadable. "Tell me who trained you."
The man spat blood. "You'll fall before the end, Drakovich. Just like all tyrants do."
She smiled faintly, crouching down. "Tyrants fall. But I'm not a tyrant. I'm a mirror."
She stood. "Kill him. Quietly. No broadcasts."
Then she turned to her aide. "Tell Kael: I want full siege pressure on Kyiv within forty-eight hours. If he slows down now, I replace him."
—
Kael didn't flinch at her message.
He was already at the edge of Kyiv.
His troops had the perimeter surrounded, but he knew better than to storm it outright. Civilians were still present. Infrastructure was intact. He needed the capital intact—strategically and symbolically.
Then the unexpected came.
A sleek, black aircraft touched down at his mobile airstrip—an unscheduled visit. Out stepped a woman in a silver coat, flanked by faceless armored guards. The insignia on her chest wasn't military.
It was a sponsor house—one of the elite conglomerates that funded the global Rise of Nations.
"Mr. Vasil," she said smoothly. "You've become quite the wildcard."
Kael stood with arms folded. "You're out of your lane."
"Oh, this is my lane." She smiled. "I'm here to help you win."
She opened a case, revealing a small drone the size of a child's skull—bristling with dark metal spikes and a red core humming low.
"Prototype weapon. Autonomic hive-class assault drone. Drops into enemy HQs and wipes memory banks, personnel, and command lines. Your current tactics are... admirable. But the audience demands impact."
"And the catch?" Kael asked.
"Broadcast it. Live. Deliver a message. Executions, destruction—whatever you want. Just make them feel something."
Kael stared at the drone. Then slowly, he shut the case.
"I don't fight for the crowd."
She smiled wider. "No, Mr. Vasil. But the crowd fights for you. Deny them, and we'll find someone more willing."
He didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
—
That night, as the lights of Kyiv flickered beyond the snowstorm, Kael stood alone on a hillside.
> HALIX: "Incoming transmission. Encrypted. Private key. No origin ID."
He hesitated, then accepted.
A hollow voice filled his earpiece. Staggered. Familiar.
> "Kael… it's me. I—I don't have long. They're watching everything. Jian Wu… he knows about the pact. About the sponsors. About you. He's not just trying to win. He's trying to erase the system. All of it."
Kael's breath caught.
> "You died. I watched you die."
> "Not yet. But soon, maybe. Listen. Don't trust Velora completely. She's being courted by the Red Sigil. And Kael… they're making you the villain for the world finale."
Static swallowed the voice.
Kael stood in the snow, the cold biting, the sky silent.
For the first time since the game began, he realized:
This wasn't about winning.
It was about who survives the story they tell.
End of Chapter Four
(Chapter Five: "The Ghost Rebellion")