The king strolled back into the castle, opening every door himself. All the guards and slaves had fled except Ten Thousand, still cradling their bloodied commander.
Then came Shuri. Six feet tall, blonde hair catching the fading sunlight, her tight brown top hugged her chest, and a short skirt traced the curve of her hips and thighs. Every step she took radiated power, anger, and a magnetic intensity that drew the eye. Her aura was so heavy even battle hardened soldiers noticed. Her eyes blazed, fists clenched, chest rising and falling with each controlled breath.
A tired doctor, packing his heavy bag, glanced at them. "He'll live, but don't expect a quick recovery, not even from someone like him," he muttered, hinting at their abnormal powers.
Shuri slammed a fist into the ground. The tremor rattled the castle, sending ornaments clanging. "Who could've done this?" she demanded, her voice echoing, more question than plea.
A bulky man stepped forward, shielding Rios from the gold ornament that fell as a result of Shuri's outburst.
Fabien, a man slightly shorter than Shuri, dressed in black and masked, interjected. "Shuri, only the king could—"
Shuri cut him off, "Fabien, even Rios wouldn't dare attack him," Shuri snapped, glaring. The bulky man who shielded Rios grunted in agreement. "See, even Ulon gets it."
Nearby, a teenage girl clutched Rios's hand, tears streaking her pale face. "Whoever did this will pay," she whispered.
Shuri shot her a look. "Watch it, Gelly."
Fabien shook his head. "If not the king, then who? There's no one else."
Before she could retort, the doors burst open. Shuri froze, horror flashing across her face as the rest of Ten Thousand instinctively bowed.
How did he get this close without us sensing him, Shuri thought, heart hammering. We're surely dead this time.
The king's voice cut through the silence, sharp and cutting. "I only did half."
Shuri sprang upright, her chest heaving, eyes locking on him. The king's malicious smile widened. "I killed the guards. Rios, that's Soren's doing, along with an unknown boy."
An answer to their questions.
Gelly's jaw dropped. "That little mutt? Rios, lose to him? Impossible."
The king's aura flared briefly, sending Gelly stumbling back in awe and fear. She dared not speak further. Fabien and Ulon bowed silently.
When the aura receded, the king strode toward the throne room. "I am not to be disturbed," he said, leaving chaos and awe in his wake.
Shuri turned to Gelly, still trembling. "Still feeling brave?" she asked, though her own legs shook.
Gelly clenched her fists. Soren, I will make you pay.
The king stepped into the throne room. It was as silent as a graveyard paved in stone, his footsteps the only heartbeat in the dark.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
He walked straight for the gilded throne and sat, its cushions sinking like clouds beneath his weight. The moment his back touched the seat, the world shifted. The throne room vanished. In its place stretched a vast endless void.
Ten colossal chairs, thrones worthy of gods, stood in a circle. At their center, a pillar of fire roared, lighting the darkness.
Every seat was filled by a shadowy figure except one. From the King's vantage, they were all shadowed figures. Only he had form.
A heavy thud echoed into the void. An old man's voice, brittle but commanding, broke the silence. "When was our last gathering? Four hundred years?"
The others glanced at the empty throne. The silence deepened.
Then a younger voice rang out, bold and mocking. "If it's any comfort, I didn't miss a single one of you."
"Not now, Shiva." A woman's voice cut him down, smooth as silk and sharp as a knife. Her hourglass silhouette leaned forward, power radiating even in shadow. "We have more urgent matters."
"Spare us, Forei." Another voice spat venom into the void. A girl, harsh and impatient. "Not everything bends to your games, you painted whore."
Forei only laughed lightly, as though Kyo's insult amused her.
"Now, now, Kyo," came a third female voice, lilting with mockery. "If you missed us, you could just said so. No need to hurl vicious mockery."
"Tyra," Kyo snarled, her voice dropping low. "You're no better"
"Oho?" Tyra teased, her shadow raising its arms, squeezing her chest in cruel display. "Still stuck taking the bodies of little girls? Don't worry. Even small things have their charms. Of course, not everyone is born to have a body as desirable as mine."
Forei covered her mouth with a soft laugh, clearly delighted at Kyo's seething silence.
While they quarreled, Serus reclined in his chair, legs stretched, fingers steepled over his abdomen. His indifference commanded attention more than any insult could.
Kyo finally turned to him. "So, Serus, was what I sensed true?"
Serus's lips curled. "The Gravitas has been taken. By the son of this body's former owner. And his woman? Delivered to Pyro."
One of the silent shadows gave a single approving nod.
A murmur rippled across the thrones. The old man raised his staff again. "After a thousand and one hundred years, the time to finally break new earth, to shatter the barriers, is upon us."
"Old man," Shiva grinned through his words, "you'd better find yourself a fresh body before then. Can't have you going to war with those brittle bones. What would the lesser think of their 'Greater Barriers'?"
Tyra let out a laugh that shook the void. "Greater Barriers, ha. Centuries since I've heard that name. The humans call us 'demons' now. Demon lords. Has a nice sting to it, doesn't it?"
The old man coughed a laugh. "Do not worry about these bones. I've found a suitable host already. One of Serus's slaughtered humans, clinging to life even with his head crushed and guts spilled. A young man fit for my valor."
Serus's snicker echoed. "So, you're in Blitz, old man?"
"Soon," the elder rasped back. "You won't be calling me that."
Forei's voice slid through the firelight like smoke. "And the World Weaver? Will he be ready before the Elementals stir?"
"I left him in the care of a promising warrior," Serus replied, tone cool. "A boy whose Iora mirrors the First's."
The temperature in the void dropped. Eight shadows shifted uncomfortably.
Kyo's voice trembled despite her edge. "And the humans, the Kurai, are they prepared?"
Another shadow stirred at last. "I tested one, three weeks past. A Kurai who had touched godhood. He radiated lightning. They are ready."
Shiva cracked his knuckles, eager. "Then enough scheming. No more waiting. Time for chaos. Right," he turned to the shadow who spoke before him, "Vox?"
Vox's calm, calculated tone slid across the circle. "Our whole plan is scheming. But yes, the time to strike is near."
Tyra's gaze flicked to the empty throne. "And what of Stern?"
"For now," Serus said flatly, "we leave him be."
The old man struck his staff once more, the sound splitting the void. "Then let chaos be unleashed."
The fire roared high, then died. The thrones dissolved. The darkness caved in. And Serus was once again alone, seated on the throne of Blitz.