A meteor-streak of shadow shattered the castle grounds, cracking the earth like a pane of glass. Wind howled through the mountain pass, whipping the fortress's black banners into frenzied snaps.
From the dust, Dreyhan emerged—wings flaring to sweep the debris aside before disappearing into his back just as how they came. The armored sentinels lining the courtyard,colours differing their ranks,slammed fists to chests in unison, their voices a thunderous roar:
"WELCOME BACK, LORD DREYHAN!"
He dismissed them with a flick of his clawed hand, boots already climbing the obsidian stairs.
Agrotan materialized at his flank, the butler's polished shoes clicking in perfect time with Dreyhan's stride.
"What is it?" Dreyhan growled, not breaking pace.
Agrotan bowed at the neck. "My deepest felicitations on your return, Your Majesty. Was your journey… fruitful?"
"It was Fine."
A pause. Agrotan's gaze flicked to the empty space behind his lord. "And the guards who accompanied you?"
"They took a nap somewhere." Dreyhan's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Now, i'd like to rest in my chambers"
"A nap?very displeasing for men of their status.The main issue at hand,Hexagon,they request your presence." Agrotan's voice dropped to a whisper. "Immediately."
Dreyhan froze mid-step.
Slowly, he turned. The air around him warped with suppressed fury.
"...How immediate.."
The voice came from above—honeyed and lethal.
"I wouldn't say it was sudden…"
Dreyhan and Agrotan turned. At the stair's summit, a woman lounged against the mahogany banister, one finger tapping her chin in mock contemplation. Her smirk was a blade sheathed in silk.
"Ellan," Dreyhan growled, resuming his climb. "What's your purpose here?"
She giggled, and tucked an emerald strand behind her ear. "Don't be so feisty, Drey dear. I just came to say… hi."
"Cut the crap." His claws flexed. "I know why you're here."
The air thickened. Ellan's magic unfurled—a suffocating press of jade light and violet static—as her smile sharpened.
"As expected of the Apocalyptic King,So? Are you going, or not?"
Dreyhan's silence stretched, a chess player calculating a forced move. They'd sent her. No room for refusal.As strong as he was the chances of him escaping this woman's reach was near impossible.
He exhaled through gritted teeth. "Let's get going, then."
Ellan's aura dimmed to a glimmer. She closed the distance between them, her hand skating down his armored chest like a lover's caress. "Good. I thought I'd have to drag you."
With a flick of her wrist, space itself ripped apart—a vortex of seething green and bruise-purple. She stepped back, bowing with theatrical grace. "After you, Your Majesty."
Dreyhan strode past, muttering into the portal's maw,
"Tsk. Bitch."
Ellan's laughter chased him through.
The darkness of the chamber split like a wound as Dreyhan and Ellan materialized at its heart. A shaft of pallid light fell onto an obsidian table, its surface etched with runes that pulsed like dormant veins. Six chairs encircled it—three occupied, three gaping empty.
Dreyhan stalked to his seat, his glare a silent promise of violence as Ellan slid into hers with feline grace.
No turning back now.
Across the table, the other members watched:
Ulison, his blue skin carved with glowing tribal sigils, fingers steepled.
Alice, the elf, her hood shadowing eyes sharper than daggers.
The Orc, a mountain of muscle, arms crossed over a chestplate scored with old battles.
Dreyhan's voice was a low snarl.
"You said I could leave after the mission. Why am I here?"
The Orc's chuckle vibrated the table:
"Mission was intel, not extermination."
Ulison's tattoos flared crimson:
"Request denied. Ulison rejects your resignation."
"What? Why?!"
Ellan crossed her legs, her smile a sickle-moon:
"Marceline Lumina,The Vampire Queen, wasn't just Hexagon's mark.We only discussed on getting her to spill on the Deity's crown and how to stop the gates of the underworld from fully opening.Others wanted her dead.Did you think we'd let you skip town before the storm hits?"
A bead of sweat traced Dreyhan's temple.
Alice leaned forward, her expression stoic and mature for her appearance.
"Is it hot in here, Dreyhan? Or are you sweating guilt? Who else were you working with?"
Ulison's nodded in agreement.
"Ulison concurs. There's a third party we are unaware of."
Protesting further would be futile—and Dreyhan had no intention of baring his secrets to these vultures. He crossed his arms, letting silence thicken like clotting blood.
Ellan exhaled through her nose, peeling her palm from her forehead. She recrossed her legs—left over right this time—and tapped the table. Magic surged, conjuring a translucent screen that displayed the ramshackle house where Marcy and Akamon had met.
"If you you don't want to tell us Apocalyptic King,we won't force you.Let's get to more important matters.The Vampire Queen's hideaway," Ellan purred. "Notice anything… unusual?"
The chamber held its breath.All three pondering except Dreyhan who clearly felt he had nothing to say.
Alice was the first to speak, her voice a drip of poison in the dark.
"For a monarch to skulk in a mortal hovel? Either she was desperate… or hiding something. The crown, perhaps.With her king of power and the knowledge she possessed she probably had it in her possession already."
Ellan's grin widened. She zoomed in on the door—on the crude heart carved into the wood, the letters A and M nestled inside.
"Correct.Our little target had the crown so she went into hiding but occasionally appearing at this location.She was a love bird after all"
she concluded. "Marceline is M. Now we just need to find our A."
The Orc scratched his head, then bellowed a laugh that shook dust from the ceiling:
"Yes! Brilliant!"
Dreyhan barely glanced at the evidence. A derisive puff escaped him,a feeble vent for his seething frustration. He shot to his feet.
"Then let's kill him and take it!"
Ulison's glare slammed into him like a hammer.One demanding immediate silence. Dreyhan's jaw snapped shut.He sank back into his chair, throat bobbing.
Ellan sighed, her smile never wavering.
"Relax, Dreyhan. You botched the mission. Now we all pay the price.The only way out is to get the crown." Her gaze slid to Alice. "Would you be a dear and handle this, Dark Elf ,Alice Homen?"
Alice stood, hands buried in her hoodie's pockets. The shadow of her hood hid her face but not the Cheshire gleam of her smirk.
Dreyhan watched them from the corners of his eyes, his silent fury a living thing in his chest.
(Once this is over… I'll slaughter every last one of you.)
End of chapter.Guys I'm trying my best please let me know if there's anything even advice.I'd really appreciate if I knew of the numbers counting are fake or actually real.