The mission fractures the moment the truth is revealed. Deep within the Ironbark, Areus, Santia, and Rya uncover a hidden force gathering in terrifying scale, Shadow Fleet soldiers entrenched within an ancient crater, rifas moving in coordinated packs, and aerial war beasts circling above a newly activated ARC portal. This is not preparation. This is execution. As the atmosphere distorts and the ground trembles beneath them, Areus is overwhelmed by a violent surge through the Hydroverse, feeling the presence of Ahstra as something immense begins to push into Númaria. The forest responds in kind, falling into unnatural silence before erupting into chaos, and what follows is not a battle, but a relentless hunt through terrain that offers no refuge. Every direction closes. Every sound signals pursuit. Just as the pressure reaches breaking point, they are forced into contact with a rogue Torian whose knowledge of the region may be their only advantage, or their greatest liability. With enemy forces multiplying, the land itself turning hostile, and time collapsing around them, one reality sets in. They are no longer ahead of the war. They are inside it.