Helios looked at the dark, ornate artefact resting on the pedestal before him. He let the silence stretch, savouring the moment of control over a being that claimed to be from the dawn of time. "Your name," Helios said, his voice echoing through the obsidian halls, "will be Circlet."
The artefact hummed, a low vibration of ancient energy. Circlet? You truly have a simplistic mind, human. But... I suppose it is better than some of my previous owners. One of them insisted on calling me 'Shiny.' At least you have a sense of form.
"You like it, right? It sounds official," Helios said, reaching out to pluck the crown from its perch. As he placed it back upon his head, the cold weight felt more familiar, less like a burden and more like a part of his own anatomy.
It is acceptable, Circlet replied, its voice regained a hint of its usual arrogance. Now, what else do you want from me? You didn't just come here to play namer of things.
"Getting arrogant again, I see," Helios remarked, pulling the crown off his head and holding it eye-level. "Are you going to tell me what I want to know, or do I have to find a way to read your mind?"
I thought you could already read my mind? Helios asked, his brow furrowing.
I can only read thoughts that directly pertain to me or our shared connection, Circlet explained with an annoyed sigh. I primarily use that link to speak to you when you are wandering around in the physical world. When you are here, in my realm, we speak as equals. Mostly.
"Fair enough. But that doesn't answer the question I had in mind," Helios said, his gaze drifting toward the horizon of the dark world. "What do I want from you now? I want to know where my Nightmare creatures come from. Where do they go when I'm not using them?"
You truly have never explored your own spirit, have you? Circlet remarked. The throne is just the centre. Why don't you open the door?
Helios blinked. For the first time, he noticed a massive, seamless black door situated at the base of the stairs leading up to his throne. He hadn't seen it before, or perhaps his mind simply hadn't been ready to perceive it. He descended the stairs, his boots clicking against the obsidian stone, and pushed the heavy doors open.
Beyond the threshold lay a sprawling dark valley. To his astonishment, he saw the Knight Lords, General Arthur, and the shadow-guards from the Targen mission. They weren't standing as mindless statues; they were active. Some were sparring, while others appeared to be constructing buildings and fortifications out of the dark earth itself.
He placed Circlet back on his head and walked down the outer stairs of his palace. "I've never seen this place from the outside. It's... impressive." The palace was a monolith of black stone, draped in massive red flags that bore the image of a black Chinese dragon, its coils wrapping around a hidden sun.
Human, your time is up, Circlet warned. You haven't mastered your Spiral Energy yet. Staying here for too long will drain your physical body until there is nothing left but a husk.
As the world of shadows began to blur, Helios heard voices drifting in from the outside.
"Lady Luna, are you sure we should do this? Master Helios might be furious with us," a voice whispered—it sounded like Karl, the maid from the previous day.
"Don't worry about it! My brother would never get angry at me," Luna's cheerful voice replied.
"But Young Lady, he looked so terrifying yesterday. If he wakes up like this, he might..."
Should I open my eyes? Helios wondered. No, let's see what Moon is planning first.
"Don't worry! My brother doesn't get angry at anyone! He's very nice!" Luna proclaimed with a note of pride that made Helios's heart ache. "Now, let's throw the water on him. He's slept for long enough!"
Water?
Before Helios could react, two servants tipped a bucket of lukewarm water directly onto his face. Helios bolted upright, coughing and wiping the droplets from his eyes.
"Rise and shine, brother!" Luna cheered, standing by the bedside with a mischievous grin. "You've been sleeping for so long! I called you three times and you didn't answer!"
The servants immediately dropped to their knees, their faces pale. "Master Helios, we are so sorry! We didn't—the Lady insisted—"
"Don't worry about it," Helios said, his voice surprisingly calm as he shook the water from his hair. He looked at Luna and offered a gentle smile, though his bed was now a soggy mess. "Moon, please don't wake me up with a bucket next time. A simple poke will do."
"But brother, you weren't waking up! If you got up sooner, I wouldn't have to use the water," Luna argued, leaning into his hand as he patted her head.
"Okay, okay. Now, everyone out. Your brother needs to change before he catches a cold."
Once Luna and the terrified servants had scurried out, Helios's expression shifted. "Come out," he said, his voice dropping into a serious, cold tone.
"Morning, Leader. You look like you've seen better days," Nova remarked, leaning against the window frame. "You should really consider a haircut. It's getting a bit long, don't you think?"
"What do you want, Nova?" Helios asked, his frustration mounting.
"Don't take your morning shower out on me! I'm just here to tell you that the council is meeting and a special guest has arrived."
"Fine. I'll be there shortly. Now get out of my room, you fox-masked idiot," Helios snapped, hurling a wet pillow at him. Nova laughed, dodging the projectile as he leapt backwards out the third-story window. Is he still alive? Helios wondered for a split second before remembering. Right, he's a Seeker. He'll be fine.
Helios changed into a crisp black suit, pulling on a pair of black leather gloves to hide the faint scars on his hands. He made his way to the meeting hall, where the air was already thick with tension.
"The Leader is late. Even Nova managed to show up before him," Rio grumbled, crossing his arms.
"He might just be stuck in traffic," Nova joked, though his eyes were sharp behind his mask.
"I told you guys we should have killed him a long time ago," Riku muttered, leaning back in his chair.
"Riku, you're off-topic. And if the Leader hears you saying that, he might actually follow through on his threats," Sara warned.
"I won't lose to someone who just became a Seeker," Riku snapped, glaring at her.
"Guess who said that last time... and still lost," Nova mocked.
"That wasn't the Leader who beat me! That thing—it didn't count!" Riku hissed.
"Are you guys always this lively?" a soft, melodic voice interrupted. Sitting next to Sara was a girl whose face was partially obscured by a delicate veil.
The room fell silent as the heavy doors at the end of the hall creaked open.
"I can't be the only one who feels that, right?" Nova whispered, his playful demeanour vanishing.
"Is there an assassin in the building?" Rio asked, his body beginning to tremble. "That bloodlust... that pressure... it's making my skin crawl."
"It feels like the Leader," Sara whispered, her eyes wide. "But he's never released a killing intent this terrifying before."
Helios walked into the room, his presence filling the space like a physical weight. "Morning, everyone. It's been a while since we've all been in the same room," he said, his voice smooth and dangerous. He walked to the head of the long, rectangular table—a new addition to the room, decorated with black floral patterns and eight high-backed chairs.
He sat down and turned his gaze toward the stranger. "Who is the new person?"
"Morning, Leader. You can call me Seer," the girl replied, her eyes meeting his through the veil.
"She's the one we mentioned before," Sara explained. "The one who might have been the source of the tip regarding your summon."
"You said 'might be'?" Helios asked, leaning forward. "Care to explain?"
"Well," Sara said, casting a suspicious look at Seer. "The person who gave us the information never revealed their identity, and we still don't know the extent of her abilities. We're being cautious."
"That's not a very nice thing to say when the person you're talking about is sitting right next to you, Sara," Seer said with a faint, knowing smile.
Helios watched them, his eyes unblinking. The Order of the Blackthorn is growing, he thought. But so are the shadows around us.
"So, Seer," Helios said, his voice cold. "Tell me why I shouldn't have you executed right now for knowing too much."