“Yeah well.” Aura stepped across the balcony, leaning over the edge of it. “That’s why we drink. It’s to drown out any personal bitterness, to sweep away our fears and give us just a little while away from it all.”

As she spoke, Aura’s emerald eyes softened slightly. As though she was reminiscing about a time long past. A time from when she was younger, more naive and ignorant. Apparently, just like Syllis and Kessiana, Aura had a similarly horrible past.

‘Being raised by her witch of a mother and aggressively calculating father, I can see where the damage might lie…’

Korman stepped onto the balcony and leaned beside Aura.

“I still don’t know what the purpose of this event is, do you two?” Korman inquired in an even voice.

It seemed this was his goal the entire night. Despite Syllis’ goal being nearly identical, they had not crossed paths once.

A frown formed on the secare nymph’s face as she spoke. “Does there need to be a reason? It’s probably just to give the upper class a party, any excuse to turn away from what needs to be looked at…”

Syllis’ voice was somewhat melancholic. Perhaps it was due to her couple of alcoholic drinks, but there was a tenseness in the air. She had thought over the upper class and the odd place she held, the perspective she gleaned.

It felt odd, being in such a new place. She felt resentment and she felt horrible, like she had abandoned Jyrid and the outer ring as a whole. There had been nothing of value there but Jyrid and his tavern, but didn’t it deserve the attempt at salvation.

Sure, maybe Syllis’ herself could not save it but what about the government and the upper class, they had the resources. Why do they sit idly, shoveling thousands of pounds of quartz into luxurious parties?

Aura and Korman both had complicated expressions on their faces. They were impossible to read, like a lock with no key. Even a kindred with a powerful affinity to deduction might not be able to decipher them.

Syllis looked at the both of them, at their silence, at their guilt. She let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry, I feel dirty. It has nothing to do with the both of you but… I’m sitting here, enjoying luxurious drinks and food, all while the outer ring starves. They threaten, they hurt, they kill, all to live.

“But those people don’t have to do that, not if the core of Asanoch decided to save them. But they will never do that. How can I sit here and feast while they starve? Why was I given the chance to do that?”

Syllis sighed and lifted her glass—still half full with the shimmering green liquid—to her mouth. She gulped as the glimmering liquid flowed through her throat and into her stomach.

Once again, it was bitter. Though, it tasted better this time, or maybe she just felt more deserving of something bitter.

Aura did not say a word, only offering a sympathetic look before she stepped off of the balcony and disappeared into the crowd.

Korman left to follow the beautifully tan woman, her pitch black hair flowed behind her.

At least, he would, under normal circumstances. Syllis had never seen Korman not accompany Aura after she left. Each and every time, he would trail after her, unless he was heading home of course.

This time though, he stayed, shifting towards Syllis. His small ponytail flickered in the subtle breeze.

“Our world isn’t a place where right and wrong exist. Saving the outer ring might not necessarily be right. What happens if they attempt to reintegrate these citizens into society and it ends up being a waste of time? This quartz could have been better spent on equipment for children's schools—”

“It isn’t being used for children’s schools.” Syllis’ seafoam eyes flickered with a luminous spark. “I mean look around you Korman. This, this is what it’s being used on. It’s not some noble reason, it’s greed.”

“There’s always going to be waste. This is not even entirely a waste. Events like these are important. It’s how the upper class connect, they cannot go to bars and mingle, they have an image to maintain. Events like these are where people like you can change things.

“You might not have the capital, but don’t pretend like you’re helpless here. An influential figure like you can always make a difference, regardless of background or wealth. You can make a change, don’t act like you can’t.”

Korman sighed and shook his head slightly before leaving the balcony.

Syllis took another sip of her shimmering green drink. ‘Still bitter.’ She scowled before turning around.

Upon stepping back into the interior of the Laurier estate, mutterings spread throughout the room. Obviously, they were not for her. Syllis was not nearly prominent enough for such discussion to arise.

No, they were muttering about a different nymph. This nymph was powerful, with at least four anathema. She was powerful enough to defeat full-fledged adult kindred in battle.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Is it true? How could such a rumor be true?”

“Obviously it’s not true, she’s much too young. Naive and inexperienced.”

Various nobles bickered and whispered under their breaths. Imbeciles that underestimated the ultimate and the strength of her bond. Anahita could hear the quietest of whispers from at least 5 kilometers away.

‘Morons.’ Syllis thought inwardly, not daring to speak as the sound of several doors creaked.

The sound of sweet silence permeated through the air. It was as though someone had hit a lit switch, instantly shutting off the entirety of the crowd. They did not bicker, they did not breathe.

A figure emerged near a stand, high above everyone else, like a god. This was the ultimate, this was the heir, this was Anahita.

Anahita was tall, standing at around six foot two inches. She did not harbor any great curves on her body, characteristic of a nymph, though her facial features were all symmetrical and perfectly placed. Her hair was a beautiful deep viridian color, the ends of it curled up and seemed to glow a hauntingly mesmerizing jade color, like the ends of flames flickering. Her spectral, pale skin was in sharp contrast.

Her eyes were a purple haze that bordered on the edge of blue and purple, equally as perplexing as her bond. They shimmered and swirled like the formless sky that loomed high above Ethrailia. Fable rifts would feel thwarted in their presence.

This woman seemed nearly perfect. It would not be unreasonable to hear that a deity had spent a year straight, sculpting her, perfecting her.

“You.” A voice rang out inside of Syllis’ head. The word was cold, but the voice that spoke it was warm.

Syllis looked around, as though checking to see who spoke. It was already clear to her though. ‘Anahita…’

“That’s right. And you are Syllis, the wretched siren who is slowly whittling away at everything I hold dear.” Anahita spoke through her mind again, staring into Syllis’ seafoam eyes as though they were her soul.

The secare nymph was momentarily taken aback.

“What, you can read minds? Nobody told me that earlier, especially not your dearest.” Syllis thought intently, she tried to sort out her important thoughts, what she wanted Anahita to read.

Anahita was not phased by her instigation. “Who could possibly tell you? You’re my first, you should feel honored.”

Syllis was stunned.

‘She hasn’t used this aspect of her bond against anyone before? Just how much do you have hidden away?’ Syllis thought, adding in the last part, wondering if Anahita would be able to glean it. She was trying to test the limits of her ability.

It was unknown whether Anahita did not discern Syllis’ thoughts underneath the layers of thought she added or if just chose not to respond.

“I’ll let you have fun in your fable rift, but afterwards… Just take Korman, or Aura, homewrecker.”

Anahita’s purple haze eyes that had been piercing Syllis’ soul for so long finally broke off. Syllis felt like she could finally breathe again.

‘Homewrecker?’ Syllis’ eye twitched slightly, she fought the urge to laugh. She continued layering thoughts for Anahita to read, despite knowing that she would not respond.

‘Who do you think I am? You want me to take my pick, what a joke. If you can discern these thoughts then you should know that I couldn’t care less if you take Clyde or not. So long as you treat him like a human being of course.’

The ultimate glanced around the room, finished talking to Syllis. Eventually, she sat down on a high seat above everyone else. It was a display of just how much more important she was. She looked down on Syllis in particular like she was an ant, the most minor threat that she could squash in a heartbeat. Though, that might not be the most unreasonable belief with the difference in anathema between them.

“Hello everyone.” Anahita spoke clearly and in a strong voice as she utilized some artifact to elevate her voice.

“I assume all of you are wondering why you are here. This was abrupt and you all deserve an explanation.” Anahita looked deeply at Syllis, placing emphasis on certain words.

The crowd murmured slightly before collectively nodding and waiting for the heir to speak.

The ends of her veridian hair seemed to shine slightly as she began talking. She looked upon the people with a sense of longing.

“I have grown up in this city. I have watched this city, it’s ups and downs. I have seen the beautiful, the horrid, that bizarre and the usual. I have experienced it all, witnessed it all, committed it all to memory. And all of this, so that I could one day stand at the top of it all.”

Anahita scanned the crowd, spotting familiar nobles and people she had once considered friends. Normally, tears would well up in the speaker’s eyes, but not Anahita.

“That day is today, or more precisely tomorrow. Today, I am announcing to you all my ascension to lead this city. Tomorrow, I will tell the people. I hope that you all can ensure the future of Asanoch with me.”

Anahita once again bore holes into Syllis’ skin with her gaze, enunciating the word ‘all.’

Syllis was beyond shocked. Before she had left school, she learnt of the history of Asanoch. Typically, the reigns were passed down from heir to heir once they hit their mid forties.

This was unprecedented. Anahita could not have been more than a few years older than Syllis. At the oldest, she was nearly twenty-two, half the age of previous heirs when they took over.

Dozens of equally stunned people stood dumbfounded. They stared at the empty stage above, where Anahita had been led out and back away by her parents. They were not nobles or high class connoisseurs anymore. They were merely the people and held no sway over this monumental decision that had just been made.

The rich loved greed, power was one form of greed. Power, quartz, and love, these are what the rich thrived on. Power was the most important, and they lost almost all of it that they held.

For quartz, they grew their empires. For love, they garnered mistresses. For power, they pledged their loyalty, standing above the common folk. Now, their loyalty was overturned.

Each and every one of these nobles had voted on when the last heir took over, now Anahita stepped in and announced it completely on her own.

“This… T-This… This is unbelievable!”

“How dare she!”

“Report her! We’ll report her!”

“To whom? To whom can you report the heir? The ultimate!”

Disgruntled, incoherent ramblings continued on for a while. The sensible nobles tried to leave discreetly, the entrance quickly piled with people who wanted to fade away. Though, even more people stayed, yelling, not at Anahita but at their lack of power.

Even adults who are supposed to have matured since they were children act like babies once their toys are taken away. They do not truly grow older as you age, their sandbox just gets bigger.