Chapter 2: The Twilight Protocol

The days that followed the Black King's awakening were a slow-motion apocalypse. An earthquake of unprecedented magnitude devastated the coast of Chile. A sudden, inexplicable atmospheric vortex appeared over Siberia. The world's scientists were baffled, offering theories of climate change and pole shifts. But at Cassell College, they knew the truth. The world was not sick; it was having a nightmare, and the dreamer was stirring in his prison at the center of the Earth.

In the War Room, the atmosphere was funereal. The holographic globe was no longer a strategic map; it was a wound chart for a dying planet.

"We have a new problem," Rory reported, her face grim. She brought up two new sets of data streams. "Both the King of Bronze and Flame and the Winter Clan have become hyperactive. They're no longer moving with stealth. They are tearing across the globe, following leads on the remaining Seals with frantic, desperate speed."

"They're not trying to conquer the world anymore," Caesar surmised, staring at the data. "They're trying to save themselves. They know the Black King is coming back, and they're arming themselves for his arrival."

"Which means the race for the final three Seals is now more dangerous than ever," Kael stated, his hand resting on his sword. "We are facing two rivals who have been pushed to the edge of panic."

"A race we are ill-equipped to win," Headmaster Antoine said, stepping forward. His face, usually a mask of calm wisdom, now looked ancient and weary. "Fighting on three fronts is a strategy for fools. We cannot hunt for Seals while also preparing for the end of the world. We must change our objective."

He initiated a new command. The holographic table shifted, displaying a new set of images—seven magnificent, terrifyingly powerful-looking weapons, each with a different design.

"During the last great war against the dragons," Antoine began, his voice low, "humanity and its hybrid allies, pushed to the brink of extinction, forged seven ultimate weapons. They were created using forbidden alchemy and draconic power, each designed to embody a concept so powerful it could injure a true god. They were called the Seven Deadly Sins."

He pointed to the first weapon, a beautiful, ornate sniper rifle that seemed to absorb the light around it. "This is 'Greed'. A weapon that fires a bullet that does not stop until it has found the heart of the single most valuable thing in its path." He pointed to another, a set of seven knives. "This is 'Envy', blades that can steal the abilities of whatever they cut."

He continued down the line, each weapon more terrifying than the last.

"These weapons were scattered after the war, hidden in the most dangerous places on Earth, lest their power fall into the wrong hands," the Headmaster explained. "For centuries, they have been a legend. But our archives contain clues to their locations. The 'Twilight Protocol'—the college's last resort in the face of total annihilation—has been activated. Our new mission is not to stop the lesser kings. It is to arm ourselves for the true one."

"Where do we start?" Leo asked, his voice steady.

Antoine brought up a final image: a vast, buried ruin in the deserts of what was once Mesopotamia. "Our scholars believe the first of the Sins, the rifle 'Greed', is hidden here, in the lost dragon city of Eridu. But the entrance is protected by a seal of immense power. A seal that can only be unlocked by the 'Sunken Pearl'—the fourth of the Seven Seals."

The team looked at each other. The path was clear. Their mission was no longer just a race. It was a heist, leading to a treasure hunt, leading to the ultimate weapon. To arm themselves for the apocalypse, they first had to win the race for the next Seal.

"The King and the Winter Clan are also hunting for the Pearl," Caesar stated. "Whoever gets it first not only gains an advantage, but also holds the key to the first of the Sins."

The Headmaster nodded. "Indeed. Find the Sunken Pearl. The fate of the world depends on it."

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