"Well, now that those guests are gone, we can talk to the other one," Sara said, her eyes fixed on Helios.
"What other guests?" Helios asked, shifting his gaze toward her.
"The black market leaders we need to sell our jewellery to," Sara explained.
"Fine. I'll be in my office; you can send them there," Helios replied, standing up and exiting the meeting room.
A short while later, Helios was busy writing on a document when a sharp knock sounded at the door. "Who is it?" he asked without looking up.
"Leader, it's me, Sara. I've arrived with the black market representative."
"Fine, come in," Helios said, his gloved hand never pausing as his pen moved across the paper.
Sara walked in, followed by a man who carried himself with a professional air. "Good evening," the representative said, his voice laced with practised respect.
"Good evening," Helios answered smoothly, still focused on his work.
"Our organization, the Red Blood, heard that you wanted to sell jewellery on the black market. We are here to strike a deal with you," the man stated.
Helios finally looked up, his sharp eyes meeting the representatives. "What exactly is the Red Blood organization?"
Sara stepped forward from Helios's right side. "The Red Blood is a prominent black market syndicate that deals in both legal and illegally obtained items. They are one of the five largest organizations in the underworld."
"Yes, as the lady said, we are among the top five," the man added with a nod.
Helios leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. "Why would such a prestigious organization seek to work with our Seeker organization?"
"We are looking to establish connections with a Seeker group that remains independent from the royal and noble factions," the representative replied.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Ray bounced in, a wide, excited grin on his face. "Leader! Since we finally have the blueprint, we need your approval for funding to buy the materials!"
"Ray, we have a guest right now—unless you're blind," Sara snapped, her voice dripping with frustration.
Helios turned an annoyed glare toward Ray, his red eyes beginning to glow faintly.
"Oh, it's just a person from the black market," Ray said, waving off the concern. "The black market isn't important right now! If we can get the spiral energy measuring machine, we can finally establish new rankings that aren't just 'high, middle, and low'!"
Helios let out a heavy sigh and raised a hand. At the signal, Sara escorted the Red Blood member toward the finance department to finalize the contract.
"So, is that a yes, Leader? Can my research lab get the funding?" Ray asked, looking at Helios expectantly.
"Fine. Go tell Sara to increase your budget. And next time, don't rush in like that," Helios muttered, his tone weary.
Whistling a happy tune, Ray walked out and finally closed the office door behind him.
"Finally, they're all gone," Helios sighed, leaning his head back.
"Yes, they are quite the handful, human," the voice of Circlet, the crown, echoed inside Helios's mind.
"So, you've decided to talk again, Circlet?" Helios thought.
"I have been watching you all day. It seems you have improved at leading a Seeker organization," Circlet remarked.
"It seems you simply have nothing better to do, which is why you're talking to me," Helios retorted.
"You look bored too, human. Why don't you enter my summon realm?"
"I can't stay in your realm for long anyway. Why should I pay you a visit?"
"Did I not tell you? If you meditate and appear in my realm, your body's spiral energy won't drain," Circlet said, his tone shifting to that of a wise, lecturing teacher. "You will actually recover the energy you've lost through the act of meditation."
"With that tone, you sound like you're talking to a dim-witted child," Helios thought. "Fine, I'll do it tonight," he added out loud.
When night fell, Helios returned home. Luna was already waiting at the door, her face lighting up the moment she saw him. "Brother! You're finally back!" she shouted, running toward him and jumping into his arms.
Helios caught her with a genuine smile. "Moon, I'm home."
After a moment, he turned to the maid Karl. "Moon, you should go to sleep now." He handed her over to the maid, Karl. Looking firmly at Karl, he added, "Don't let anyone into my room."
Helios entered his chambers, locked the door, and sat down to meditate. He visualized the gateway to the summon realm, and within moments, he appeared there.
"You're finally here, human. You took long enough," Circlet's voice rang out.
"We are still outside the castle," Helios noted, looking at his surroundings.
"That is because whenever you return here, you appear at the last place you left," Circlet explained.
"Circlet, you're not a very useful crown. What do you want from me?"
"You said you would not call me useless again, human," Circlet replied, sounding genuinely annoyed.
"I never called you useless," Helios said, his voice teasing and mocking.
"Fine. Since we are both bored, why don't you fight General Athure?" Circlet suggested, his tone becoming interested. "Consider it training for you and entertainment for me."
As he spoke, the red gem on the crown began to glow with an intense, ominous light.
In the shadows where the light begins to fade,
We walk the line that the ancient ones have laid.
Beyond the reach of the crown and noble hand,
A silent order moves across the broken land.
We don't seek gold, we don't seek the fame,
We only hunt the spark that has no common name.
Oh, whisper the oath in the dead of the night,
Turning the key with a flicker of light.
Seekers of truth in a world built on lies,
With glowing spirits and watchful eyes.
The veiled world is calling, the energy flows,
Where the Seeker wanders, nobody knows.
From the dark abyss to the light of day
We're knocking on fate at the forbidden door.
Through the summon realm's mist and the iron-clad gate,
We carry the burden, we challenge our fate.
A dance with the demons we haven't met.
So raise up the lantern and steady your breath,
A Seeker knows life is a gamble with death.
Bound by the spiral, the power we hold,
Writing a story that's yet to be told.