The silver-haired king of Noctis, with his crimson eyes glowing faintly under the dim light of his throne room, scanned the letter from the king of Brimstone. His lips curled slightly into a smirk. "So you were right."
From behind the throne, Eva's voice emerged, laced with her usual cryptic tone. "Have I ever been wrong, my king?" she asked, a light chuckle escaping her lips. "I am your eye to the future, after all."
The king's gaze lingered on the letter, the message stirring something deep within him. "It seems our plans may advance sooner than expected."
---
Artorian
Seraphina adjusted the cloak around her shoulders, her pale face slightly hidden beneath her hood. "Father, was it really necessary for me to come along?" Her voice was unsure, her crimson eyes flickering with apprehension.
"You grew up in Noctis, remember?" I reminded her. "You know the kingdom well. You'll be more helpful than you think." The carriage rocked gently as we moved toward the capital with my army behind us, the steady rhythm of the horses calming yet filled with an anticipation that made Seraphina fidget.
I looked out toward the horizon, knowing this journey was only the beginning. The other children were under Fate's care, and with any luck, this would be a matter of weeks, not months. Still, something in the pit of my stomach told me to be ready for anything.
---
In a distant part of Noctis, a loud, commanding voice echoed across the training grounds. "One! Two! One! Two!" A woman with short, silver hair clapped her hands repeatedly as she drilled a young boy. The boy swung his wooden sword at a test dummy with determination, his face drenched in sweat.
"Sasha," the boy panted, his arms trembling, "can we take a break?"
"Certainly not!" Sasha snapped. "The future king will be strong. Keep going!"
Suddenly, a softer voice called out from behind. "Now, now, Miss Sasha, let my son rest. A well-rested body is always better than an exhausted one."
The queen's voice was soft yet commanding, her presence demanding respect. Sasha relented with a respectful nod. "Very well, my queen."
The boy collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard. As he gazed up at the sky, he marveled at the massive, ever-present cloud that loomed over the kingdom. It blocked the harsh sunlight, casting the entire vampire city in a cool, protective shadow.
---
Artorian
Solomon handed me a pistol, his expression serious. He barely glanced at me as he placed it in my hand. "Use this only in an emergency," he said, his voice sharp with warning.
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I raised an eyebrow, examining the weapon. "What kind of emergency?"
He gave me one of his vague, unreadable smiles. "You'll know when the time comes."
I tucked the pistol away, its weight a reminder of the uncertain future ahead.
Rosalind
Perched on the highest point of the clock tower, I gazed out over the kingdom of Brimstone. The city sprawled beneath me, a mixture of stone and iron, its towering structures casting long shadows over the streets below. Smoke rose lazily from the industrial district, and the faint buzz of the marketplace reached my ears. It was a chaotic yet orderly place—Brimstone always had that duality about it.
Arthur and Sophia were off gathering supplies, and I trusted them to move quietly and efficiently. They knew the kind of work we were dealing with. As for Lilith, Elizabeth, Aurora, and little Lumina, they were headed to the guild. I could only hope they'd find some trace of Art. He had been elusive, vanishing without a word, and I had no idea what he was planning or where he was going.
Brimstone was our next lead, and if Art had passed through here, the guild would know something. They always did.
The wind picked up as I adjusted my position, pulling the hood of my cloak tighter. The view from the clock tower was always the best vantage point in any kingdom. From here, I could see the roads leading in and out, the movement of the people, and anything unusual that might slip past the ordinary eye.
But nothing ever escapes me.
A figure caught my attention, a man moving through the crowd below, clad in dark clothes that blended into the shadows. I narrowed my eyes. There was something off about him, something familiar in the way he moved. Could it be...?
I drew a deep breath, readying myself. If it was Art or anyone connected to him, I couldn't afford to lose sight of them. This might be the first real lead we've had in days.
I slipped down from the clock tower, making my way through the tight alleyways and bustling streets of Brimstone, my senses alert. If Art was here, we would find him.
But then white fog surrounding me felt unnatural, as though it was warping around my senses. I tensed at the sudden sound behind me, my instincts ready to kick in, but what I saw was... unsettling. A man, or at least something resembling one, stood there, his form distorted, glitching in and out as if the fabric of reality itself couldn't hold him.
"Hey," he said casually, as though this was the most normal encounter in the world.
My heart raced as I tried to make sense of the situation. His appearance flickered like a broken image on a screen, parts of him blinking in and out of existence. "Who... who are you?" I stammered, trying to keep my voice steady.
"I ___, am the God of 'wisdom,'" he said, but his name was lost in the distortion, a jumble of sounds that didn't translate properly.
"What the hell is going on? Where am I?" I demanded, trying to regain control of my spiraling thoughts. My mind was racing, and none of this made sense. One moment, I was in Brimstone, and now... this.
The figure tilted his head, the glitching becoming more pronounced for a moment. "You're in between," he said cryptically. "Between your world and mine. I've brought you here because there's something you need to understand... something you need to see."
"See what?" I asked, my frustration growing.
"Everything," he replied, his voice steady despite his fragmented appearance. "Or nothing. It depends on how much you're willing to accept."
I took a step back, my hand instinctively moving toward where my weapon should've been, but of course, I wasn't armed here. "Why me?" I asked. "What do you want?"
The figure's glitching slowed slightly as he seemed to focus on me more intently. "Because you, like so many others, are a pawn in something much larger than yourself. But unlike the others, you have the potential to break free from the script, to step outside the confines of what is 'supposed' to happen. I'm offering you knowledge, Rosalind. The kind of knowledge that can either destroy you or set you free."
His words hit me like a cold wave. Break free from the script? What script? I didn't know what game this entity was playing, but I wasn't about to be a puppet in someone else's twisted reality.
"And what if I refuse?" I asked, my voice low.
The God of Wisdom let out a distorted laugh, the sound unsettling. "Then you'll return to your world, and everything will continue as it always has. You'll keep searching for answers, fighting battles, but you'll always feel like something is missing. Like you're just a step behind... never fully in control."
I clenched my fists. His words, though vague, felt too close to the truth. That gnawing feeling in my chest, like there was always something just out of reach.
"What's your price?" I asked.
The glitching figure smiled, though it was a broken, fragmented thing. "Only that you listen. And if you choose to accept, that you act. Nothing more... nothing less."
I hesitated, feeling the weight of this decision press down on me. Something told me that once I made my choice, there would be no going back.
"I'll listen," I said finally.
The figure's smile widened, the glitching momentarily stabilizing. "Good. Then let me show you the truth behind your world..."
"I won't give the answer to find him but I'll lead you the right direction, go to the sweets shop near the clock, you'll find a familiar friend" and with that, I was back go the tower.