A brigade of well over 56 Moons entered the space of the Amalgam’s Summit. They marched behind the Triplets donning their most exquisite wear and filled the outer rims of the circular chamber.

Silence stretched in their wake as they were the first to greet the Amalgam and the Archetypes who stood at their designated seats of the crystal round table. Frost greeted them with a similar silence and several acknowledging nods.

They simultaneously slotted themselves against the walls, half submerged in darkness as their eyes were illuminated by the stary ceiling. All 56 Moons of the Nexus, barring those that were still in Grandis, answered the call and were overawed to stand in a place of this level of prestige.

“You may enter, my Stars of the Nexus.” Frost granted the awaiting Stars entry.

Nearly all 35 Stars of the Nexus were present, aside from those who were on special missions.

As they shuffled into a ring just in front of the Moons, Frost asked: “May I ask where Raoul is?”

“On a mission for CogitO I believe. I apologize, Amalgam. Raoul is an Ex-Star. We Stars rarely know about the happenings of one another. He was last seen with a green-haired woman during the Wonderland incident.”

Cer kept her mouth shut just this once. As much as she wanted to voice her frustration, she refrained. She joined Frost with her sisters and stood by her side as she ushered 11 high-ranking Black Wings into the chamber.

The white strands were but a thing of the past. Few if any remained on their heads as they had fully black hair, each styled uniquely to differentiate themselves from another. Among them was Sana, who was the only Black Wing to feature less than 7 golden feathers on their uniform but was unmistakably a feather of this violent flock.

All one required was the complete darkening of their hair to reach their coveted ranks. It represented their full transition from Black Wings to an induvial worthy of wielding said black wings. This was why they were the council that oversaw, planned, conducted, and assessed all Black Wing operations.

They stood behind the Amalgam as her metaphorical wings.

“Beholders. Please, take your seats. I apologize for the abruptness of my call. Things have been developing faster than I imagined. I Welcome you to my Summit.”

Jury was the first to trickle in.

“Let’s get down to business. Immediately.”

Galia then trailed behind.

“A place worthy of savoring. Would not agree, Descartes 3?”

“All places of the Nexus are worthy of understanding.”

Following Descartes was Beholder Umbra, who brought along a length of chain that bounded her upper body.

“To call us so unexpectedly is curiously timed well with the rattling and the emergence of my Ark ashore.” She hummed mysteriously. “Regrettable that not all of us could be here.”

“It’s to be expected when the call is this sudden. Beholders can’t remain cooped up in this bird cage.” Satania was the last Beholder to join them. “Enoch. Don’t stall behind.”

“Coming! It’s… wonderful~! Thank you once again for allowing me to enter you grace!” Enoch was energetic as always. She strode into the Summit with unrestrained bliss, huffing the sacred air as the only non-Blessed amongst deities. “I always half-expect to burst in a ball of flames whenever I’m this close to the Archetypes.”

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She giggled into a closed fist, throwing herself into a seat nearby Satania. At the same time, Frost called for the level 200 Exalted to enter, filling the seats of the absent Beholders.

* * *

Weave, the Dream Weaver; responsible for teaching the Beholders how to utilize the White Light Apparatus.

Teardrop, the Sight For Sorrow; the head that oversaw the Tear Retrievers and possessed an innate ability to sense concentrations of ‘Tears’. He was an entity with an eye for a head. A glass bowl containing sky-blue tears sloshed inside. His apparel was like most within the Nexus – a two-piece suit and a tie.

Abadona, the Destroyer; The only living survivor of Inflow Direct’s experimental Serum Soldiers – the Obitutors. Were he not made from clumps of ore and steel, and his blood replaced by a slurry of liquid mercury, then he would have perished long ago. Spines stuck out from his back, the petrified remnants of the forbidden Serum Rods.

His role was closely tied with diplomatic missions into less-than-ideal Regions. This included Gnawer which had Swarm Cycles instead of weather, such as Locus Swarms that were known to rend flesh so quickly that the skeleton would be left standing. His inorganic composition made him ideal to venture into such places.

Pupa, the Unchanging; a major contributor to the creation of Serum G and painkillers. A byproduct of her toxins was used in the manufacture of Serum G and the therapeutic treatment of Shells. She was an iron maiden shaped like a giant cocoon. But looks were deceiving. The cocoon could peel off at any moment to reveal a fleshy mass that could imprison an individual.

Of course, therapy was not just her strong suit. She was a master torturer with methods so despicable that she was exiled from the Nexus centuries ago.

Devoid, the Microscopium; a man with skin that looked like the night sky. Stars and cosmic glowed in the infinite void of his flesh. If one were to touch him then their hands would reach into a spaceless abyss, feeling the cold emptiness of what was likely space.

His role was pivotal in the navigation of the sea. He used the stars as guides which was seen as bizarre in a world where Aquatid existed and could determine north from south through instinct.

According to a self-testimony, he became an Impuritas during an expedition into the Depths and manifested that form when he came across a sea not filled with water, but with images of the cosmos.

Zermillion, the Architect; he was one of the more interesting ones. Of all the Impuritas, he was the one that appeared the closest to a human but kept every inch of his skin covered by white robes and wraps.

He was the reason why various faculties existed within the Nexus, such as the Common Hub, the design of the Reception and its mural, the grand archways of the Nexus and its perfect halls. Without him, much of the Nexus would have remained in the same state as the Ruins of the War in Heaven.

It was unclear how his powers worked, but he seemed to be able to shape aspects of the Nexus but not take or add pieces to it. With how infinitely vast the Nexus was, there equally infinite possibilities for interior changes. His powers seemed redundant when one could wish for a space to exist, but one to had to remember that this power was limited to Workshops and certain Floors.

In any case, it was because of him that Caldera Industries was able to raise the Nexus into the skies.

And finally, Lunaria, the Founding Moon; a woman who began the legacy of the Moons of the Nexus. She was shorter than Frost and stood at only around 140cm and wore a maid outfit.

But looks were deceiving. Her crimson eyes harbored immeasurable combat experience. A stinging sensation in the heart was usually accompanied by her gaze. This was because in her mind she had already murdered the person in a thousand different ways, calculating all possibilities from most to least effective.

More surprising was that she was not an Impuritas but was considered an Exalted by her own choice. Even stranger was that she called herself:

“A Special One makes her appearance. She wonders if there are Rouge Moons present.” She spoke in a hushed whisper, referring to herself in third person. “Her ears twitch. Her long bangs obscure her vision. Her round, precision-cut hair experiences no irritation to this blessed air. But her senses do not lie.”

She sniffed the air, her long, fluffy ears making her origin clear. She was a short, blue-haired Fox Demi-Human. Nothing about her was remotely close to an Impuritas, aside from her insanity.

“Could there be more Special Ones like her, she wonders? All eyes fall onto her. Their minds seek an answer. But she has only come because of an invitation to a place where sweets will be served. She is sure of it. Undoubtedly so because it is the sole reason why she is here.”

She looked expectantly at Frost, finally smiling.

There was not a single sane person in the Nexus.