At night, Dario and Maria arrived at Lord Reynolds’ mansion. Maria would have to stay there for the time being, until their house at Sunset Manor had been rebuilt and furnished. On their way to the mansion, Dario noticed Maria was tense. She sat still in her seat and her palms were getting sweaty. Her heart raced at the reality that she was going back to the same mansion she had not been to or seen in years. Her thoughts were racing in her mind. ‘I can’t believe I’m going back to his mansion after so many years and after everything that happened’ she thought sadly. Dario looked at her and noticed the lines of worry etched on her face and the drops of sweat that formed on her forehead. “Mama, are you okay?” He gently asked. She forced a small smile and replied, “I’m fine, baby. Just… uhm… enjoying the fresh air.” Dario understood how difficult this new change could be for Maria. He knew she was not just enjoying the fresh air. Her fear and nervousness was very obvious to Dario

The next morning, Dario woke up feeling vibrant. He immediately scurried to Maria’s room to check up on her. As he made his way to her room, his royal servants on the way greeted and bowed to him in reverence. When he got to her room, he realized she wasn’t there. Where did she go, this early in the morning?With his brows furrowed and his heart starting to racing, he went around the mansion looking for her. While at it, he also asked the royal servants and guards if they had seen her and none of them had seen her today.Just before Dario lost it, he found her in the kitchen making eggs. He heaved a sigh of relief, a smile creeping up his lips. “This was the last place I thought you’d be,” he said as he entered the kitchen. Maria looked up at him and smiled brightly. She looked better than yesterday. Dario could barely see any hint of sadness on her face and he felt relieved about it. She chuckled at his statement and greeted him warmly like always, “Good morning, my love.” “Good

Several weeks later, Dario stood in his training field with Lord Wilson. His firm and practiced hand gripping the hilt of his sword. He moved through his routine, each swing of the sword cutting through the air with a sharp, metallic hiss. Sweat trickled down his face from his brows with each strike. And rage fueled his focus, sharpening his reflexes and honing his combat skills to a razor’s edge. Dario’s movements now flowed with a fluid grace, a result of the countless hours he had spent perfecting his techniques. His muscles were tense and flexed with each strike, the rhythm of his breathing also steady and controlled. Everyday for the past weeks, Dario had invested most of himself in his journey of becoming a powerful god-of-war. He had read books, solved strategic and critical battle problems, practiced combat to the fullest and many more, with Lord Wilson by his side. Alongside, he had been brewing with rage ever since he found out about his father’s association with the Rav

When Dario left Lord Wilson’s house, he went straight to the palace. On his way, he ordered Bruce to inform the ministers, generals and other key advisors of the empire for an emergency council meeting. Before Dario left Lord Wilson, the latter had explained every detail about the war to Dario. Dario also met with the person who came as a representative from Armenia, who also enlightened Dario on everything he needed to know about the war. The grand hall of the palace was filled with soft murmurs of conversation as the council awaited the arrival of their emperor. They all wondered why an emergency meeting had been called for, as it was late in the evening. The large doors to the hall swung open, and the room fell silent as Dario walked in, his presence commanding immediate attention. Upon seeing their emperor, they all stood on their feet and bowed in reverence.Dario strode to the head of the long council table, his cloak billowing behind him. He nodded to the council members and

“Ambush! Take cover!” They ground to a halt as the soldiers spilled out of the trucks and tanks and took up defensive positions behind the vehicles. Without hesitation, they began to fire back at the enemies. The air was filled with the sound of orders being shouted, weapons being readied like guns being cocked, and the thuds of boots on the ground. “From a defensive perimeter! Return fire!” Dario commanded, his voice steady and authoritative. He and his generals quickly dismounted, taking cover behind a jeep as they assessed the situation.The soldiers moved with practiced precision, some were setting up machine guns on tripods, others crouching behind the wheels of trucks to return fire. One of the soldiers shouted, “Reloading!” as he ducked behind a fallen log, rapidly firing. Another soldier launched and threw a grenade towards a cluster of the suspected areas of the enemy, the explosion sending a shockwave through the forest and a cloud of debris into the air.Who knew they