The very next day…
The ground outside the gates of the Emerald Kingdom trembled—not from magic, but from machines.
Heavy armored vehicles lined the horizon. Military trucks. Tactical vans. Soldiers in formation. Above them, helicopters hovered like watchful predators.
At the front stood their leader.
Commander Valeria Stone.
She stepped forward, calm but commanding, her boots echoing against the stone path.
“Hold your position!” one of the Emerald guards shouted, raising his sword. “You are trespassing on royal grounds!”
Valeria raised her hand slightly.
“We did not come to make war,” she said, her voice steady.
She reached into her coat and brought out her identification.
“Commander Valeria Stone. FBI. Authorized under global defense command.”
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glan
