The sound of birds chirping "It's morning," Helios whispered to the empty air. Beside him, Luna was still fast asleep, her breathing steady and peaceful. He resisted the urge to wake her. Sleeping on the floor is hard on my back, but at least she's comfortable on the bed.
He sat up, leaning his spine against the cold stone wall. I have to face those people again. At least the organization is technically mine now, but how do I even get paid?
He closed his eyes, mentally cataloguing the strange group he had inherited. There was Rio, the Dream Walker, who looked to be in his twenties with bright blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. Riku, the Sword of Shadows, whose age was a mystery hidden behind yellow eyes and brown hair. Nova, the Shifter, sporting a fox mask that conceals everything but his dark eyes. Sara, the Clock, with her long, elegant white hair and sharp blue gaze. And finally, Ray, the Inventor, who looked perpetually exhausted, likely from the strain of his research.
That's everyone, Helios thought, then shook his head. No, two are still missing—the Old Man and the Girl. The mystery of those two gnawed at him, a constant, irritating itch in the back of his mind.
"Morning, brother," Luna murmured, yawning and rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
Oh, she's awake. "Morning, Luna." Helios stood, his joints popping, and made his way toward the small kitchen.
"Where are you going?"
"To the kitchen, Moon." He looked at the barren shelves and felt a pang of stress. The cupboards are emptier than yesterday. I need to buy food, but I'm broke. He scrounged together what was left. "We only have eggs and bread. I'll have to make do."
A Sovereign who doesn't even have enough to eat? How pathetic, human.
The laugh echoed in his skull. Helios froze. "Useless crown? Is that you?"
The one and only, the voice replied, dripping with smugness.
It sounds like the crown, but where is it coming from?
I'm in your head, mortal. Do you think that's cool?
"No, it's terrifying. Can you stop reading my thoughts?"
I don't think I can. But don't worry, I can't tell anyone else what you're thinking. I can only speak to you.
"Small mercies," Helios muttered, plating the simple meal. "And where exactly are you?"
In my summon realm. I stay there unless you call me.
"Fascinating." Helios set the table. "Luna, time to eat."
The Sovereign of Nightmares, reduced to a personal chef? Who is the lucky diner? the crown mocked.
Shut up. It's my younger sister. You saw her in the room.
I wasn't 'present' then, so I didn't see anything.
Luna and Helios sat down to eat.
She does look like you, the crown noted, its voice turning contemplative. The red eyes, the black hair... if she were a boy, she'd be your clone.
Helios ignored the commentary and looked at Luna. He couldn't leave her here alone. "Luna, do you want to come to your brother's workplace today?"
"Yes! I'm always alone at home with nothing to do."
Helios offered her a rare, soft smile. "Fine then. Get ready."
Oh, what a surprise. You can actually smile? You looked like you wanted to murder me when we first met.
"I did," Helios thought dryly. "Because you almost got me killed."
I don't recall that.
"Brother, I'm ready!" Luna's shout broke his concentration.
"I'm coming!" Helios called back, then added internally, We'll talk later, you useless thing.
They made their way to the base. As they stepped through the entrance, a familiar loud voice rang out.
"Leader! You're back!" Nova shouted, waving enthusiastically.
This guy... I still want to punch him. He talks too much.
"Brother, where are we?" Luna whispered, clutching his hand.
"This is where I work. It's impressive, right?"
Luna's eyes went wide, reflecting the shimmering, floating doors that lined the hallway as people stepped in and out of them. "Yes! The doors are floating!" she cheered in her small, childish voice.
"Keep walking, Luna."
They reached the meeting room, but Nova was right on their heels. "Leader, why are you ignoring me?"
Helios spun around, startled. "Where did you even come from?"
Nova leaned in, his fox mask inches from Helios's face as he peered at Luna. "Who's this, Leader? She looks just like you. Is this your child?"
"Let's go inside first. I'll explain." Helios pushed the door open.
"Welcome back," Sara said, looking up from a stack of papers. "You made it in time for the morning meeting. And who is our guest?"
"The Leader has a child!" Nova bellowed to the room.
Someone please sew this man's mouth shut, Helios thought.
"Brother, who are these people?" Luna asked, hiding timidly behind his legs.
"The kid isn't his child, Nova, she's his sister. Stop shouting such idiotic things," Sara snapped, rubbing her temples.
"Yes, she's my sister," Helios clarified. "Luna, don't mind the fools."
"She can take a seat," Sara said, gesturing to a chair. "Since the other two are still missing, we're just discussing the organization and our members."
Helios sat down, Luna perched beside him. "What's on the agenda?"
"We need to reorganize the seating plan for the next council," Rio suggested.
"That's not the priority," Sara interrupted, her expression turning serious. "We need to talk about the nobles."
"Nobles?" Helios asked, his interest piqued.
"Yes. They believe we're trying to expand our influence after the 'incident' with the Baron," Sara explained.
"How does killing a Baron increase our influence?"
Ray looked up from his notes, his voice weary. "The organization was originally founded by nobles. They were always the leaders, providing us with funds that could last several lifetimes."
"I'm not following," Helios said.
"It means," Ray continued, "that the organization can now grow strong without the nobles' charity. We have our own resources."
"In short," Sara added, "we are now an independent organization. Most other groups rely on the bounties nobles set just to keep their lights on. We don't need their money, so we don't have to follow their orders. We can create our own faction—a Seeker organization that the aristocracy can not control."
"So we can grow without limits because we aren't tied to their budget," Helios summarized.
"Exactly," Sara said, her eyes flashing. "We don't take their bounties, which means we don't take their commands. This shifts the entire power balance between the noble families and the Imperial faction. We are the wild card."
The room fell silent as the weight of that reality settled over them. Helios looked at the "idiots" around the table and then at the crown hidden within his mind. The game was getting much larger than he had imagined.