Chapter 97 Gathering Storms

• The final dimensional tear opened above the ruins of the ancient battlefield where I had first faced the evil that now haunted the continent's dreams. The irony was perfect and terrible—our ultimate confrontation would take place where everything had begun, in the shadow of the same stone circles that had witnessed my transformation from princess to queen.
• I stood at the head of the largest magical army ever assembled, representatives from every kingdom I had aided over the past months. Prince Erik commanded the Northern Reach contingent, their ice-born battle mages crackling with frost magic. Prince Marcus led the Westmarch forces, their war-wizards armored in enchanted steel. Even the southern kingdoms had sent their most powerful sorcerers, creating a coalition that would have been politically impossible under normal circumstances.
• "The dimensional readings are off every scale we have," Master Dorian reported, his voice tight with barely controlled fear. "This isn't just a tear in reality—it's a deliberate gateway. Something is trying to force its way through from the other side."