Cloude Manor.
"Hmm..."
Orion was standing in front of a transparent chamber wearing a purple tunic with the two kittens on his shoulders with bells on their neck.
In the transparent chamber was darkness, darkness no mortal sight can see through, perhaps an immortal would have problems seeing an inch through it.
This was the source darkness.
"This is exceedingly rare. Why are you wasting this?" Apathe said while looking at it greedily but his voice came out of the bell.
"This is not wasting it." Orion replied, "This might be the best way to use it."
Orion didn't mind Apathe's show of greed at all, even those above the six paths would salivate over this but Apathe has no use for this anymore as he was also created from something quite better than this.
"Start!" With a crisp command, Apathe and Pragma moved from their shoulders towards the sides of the transparent chamber and touch it with their paws. The mass of darkness in the chambers started bubbling as runes were forming on the surface of the transparent chamber brightening the room.
Orion's face was pale as he was straining himself to hold the source darkness and withstanding the might of the runes with his psyche, but he held on. This process continued for days on end without stopping as the bubbling mass of darkness started liquefying before dropping on a heart-shaped stone already in the chamber.
For a fortnight, this process continued until the heart-shaped stone absorbed everything in a bit of darkness, liquid or gaseous, in the chamber.
Orion and the kitten fell after this process was concluded.
Orion arrived in a familiar space.
Edge of Universes is a unique space between the six-path universe and a neighbouring one, a place discovered by Orion due to his unique birth process. His place of Origin, but Orion knew this was not the real place as he was dreaming. Looking around the place he saw, a silhouette in the distance emanating a very familiar presence.
Confused, he moved towards the figure only to find the reason for the familiarity, this silhouette was his. But this is not him. A heart demon?
*Such things do not affect me, so who are you?* Orion projected his thought towards the silhouette. The silhouette also turned back, looking at him and Orion finally got to see the face of the silhouette too.
***
Indeed, it was his face but there seem to be lines all over his face like a broken porcelain cup that was put back together.
*Can't you see? I'm you!* The other Orion replied.
Orion didn't reply and just gazed at the silhouette as he studied the lines on the silhouette, studying the 'other' him with intense focus causing the other him to feel a bit awkward.
*Aren't you curious about how I came to be?* The silhouette tried to provoke him but Orion just looked at him still trying to etch the lines in his memory.
A simple task like memorizing lines should be a very simple task but these lines keep changing with no visible pattern and Orion was sure the line extends throughout his body, so he had to formulate for that one too.
The silhouette, realizing he would not be able to rile up Orion that way tried to think of something else capable of bringing about a reaction in Orion.
*Aren't you curious about my true identity?*
...
*Are you just going to ignore me?*
...
*Don't you want to know who I have planted on your side?*
This passionate one-sided conversation continued for a while as some developments were occurring at other places.
...
...
Princess Ophelia Thanen would be having her awakening banquet in three hours, the civilians could sense an uneasy atmosphere in the capital. Envoys from the various powers in the system would be in attendance at the banquet, the big names had arrived at the capital. This situation led to the civilians being extremely careful, nobody wants their entire clan dead for some innocent mistake.
"How dry!" Naj'aree complained.
"Is it the state of the city or the system being boring?" Danari chimed in from behind her, as they were occupying one of the facilities the VHT built in the city. He gazed at the street, only seeing a few pedestrians, no cycles and shuttles even though the latter have not graced the skies of this system. This is still a level one system after all.
"No leads on the Unseen?" she asked, not bothering to reply to his question.
"Not yet."
"I thought we might see someone with a saint-level bloodline in this small system, turns out it's just a level 8 bloodline. How dry!" She complained again, when she was briefed about the events that had happened in this system in the last twenty years, she was elated to hear about the phenomenon before the void hour but it seems like the princess was just a level 8 bloodline.
Did that bastard Roc have anything to do with it?
A saint bloodline is rare but not too much at the place where she's from as she could count about 100 people who have a saint bloodline or physique but discovering one would give her some much-needed contribution tokens.
"What about the Umbrons?" Danari asked as he thought, *It's simple math, there's no way the Umbrons have a normal bloodline.*
"DO NOT TOUCH THE UMBRONS. THEY ARE OFF-BOUNDS!!!!" Naj'aree snapped as she shouted lowly and sternly
"Let's go!" She said to Danari.
Not waiting for him she flew past the window towards the palace in the distance.
...
...
The palace was bustling now, different people with different appearances and backgrounds were already present in the palace drinking and chatting with one another. Friendships are being improved and enmities are being withdrawn, everyone is giving courtesy to the host today who is in a great mood today.
*I'm finally getting the recognition I deserve.* Osian thought to himself as he watched everyone showing him proper courtesy befitting a royalty like himself. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, *It's time to build a substantial reputation and follow away from the old man.*
"Princess Fidele Quenthel II Umbron is entering the gathering." As the doorman shouted these words, the whole palace seem to calm down a bit as even those with status also looked at themselves again to seem presentable as they all hope to look presentable to the Umbrons.
*Indeed, I would be lucky to make her my queen.* Osian affirms his commitment to the woman about to enter as he had dreamed of the moment she enters and he presents the palace to her and makes a good first impression enough to steal her. The subtle behaviour of everyone present just convinces him more that his decision was the right one. Getting himself mentally ready not to lose composure in front of his beloved.
She entered the hall with overflowing gold.
Golden Dress, golden hair, golden pupils.
She had a sculpted figure which was twine-thin. Her waist was tapered and she had a burnished complexion. A pair of arched eyebrows looked down on sweeping eyelashes, her delicate ears framed a button nose.
They all knew who she is, the most beautiful woman in the system and the sole daughter of emperor Umbron, Princess Fidele Quenthel II Umbron. Either through her streams online or her public outing or just the aura that seem unmistakable in the system, they knew who she was.
Everyone was dazed for a few seconds as she enters the hall, she'd walked into the middle of the hall before she was met with a greeting and it was not from the host. The one to come up to greet was quite a beauty in her own right but nowhere near the level of the Umbron princess in terms of aura and looks. The most eye-catching feature of her was a multicoloured wing she was sporting on her back, her rainbow-coloured dress and the card she was lifting at an angle to her head.
"Hey!!... I'm such a huge fan of your works, I've listened to all your albums."
Indeed, Asmouranthe was the first to greet the princess. This abrupt interruption also brought everyone back to life as most blushed in shame or inferiority.
"How the hell did you come up with the 'Demons and Mortals' Album, it was fill- ..."
Cough Cough
The gossipy Asmouranthe was interrupted by a gentle cough from the host as he got to save his beloved from the hellish chatter of the parrot.
"Your Highness, I'm Osian Thanen, the host of the banquet. May I show you around the Hall?" Osian was in the best of his behaviours as he politely invited the princess.
"Thank you, I'd love to." The reply of the princess seem to hide a sigh of relief as she looked at Osian with gratitude.
Before the host could lead the princess away, Asmouranthe knew she had to do something so she brought up the trump card, "CAN I HAVE AN INTERVIEW?" she spoke out loud enough for all to hear.
As to be expected, she was rewarded with nothing but silence.
"A SIGNATURE?"
Silence.
"That's it folks, a short interview with the most beautiful woman in the system!!" She continued talking to her audience with her chest up extremely proud of her 'interview'.
"She really is impressive, even in our saint system, few people would have an aura and look that could match and fewer would beat." Naj'aree praised Fidele from the incognito corner she was residing in, Fidele turned her head towards their direction causing Naj'aree to lift her brow.
*Impressive!* she thought.
"Indeed, what an angel! What the hell is that mongrel doing beside her." Danari replied with extreme jealousy.
"What a boar!! Eye on the price. I'll bust your balls if we fail this mission." Naj'aree cursed, causing a shiver down his spine and his expression quickly turned serious. Looking at the stairs down with an old butler waiting for them, Naj'aree moved downstairs not bothering with the festivities with Danari taking one last hateful look at Osian before following. The Old butler moved in after them and the stairs disappeared, no one knew the two of them came to this party and no one saw them except Fidele.
The drinker and chatting continued with numerous people going to meet Fidele in her private corner to garner some friendship with the Umbron but all were turned down as she stayed in the corner alone. Whatever she was up to was no one's guess.
Osian came up to the balcony of the main hall as he announced,
"Ladies and Gentlemen in attendance, can I grab your attention please?"
The chatting crowd quieten as he called for their attention, all of them knowing what time it is as they wait in anticipation. This was the moment most had been waiting for, the princess's entrance. Her entrance into the world, her chance to meet people outside her family, their chance for a good first impression, and their chance to become friends of royalty. Their chance to improve their living status.
So, They waited for what was to come out of his mouth next to Osian's mouth though they knew.
"I present to you, the star of the kingdom and the banquet, the princess of Thanen royalty."
"Welcome, Princess Ophelia Thanen." As soon as he gestured, the hall was brightened, and a warm atmosphere pervaded the hall. The injured started to feel their injuries of old recover, the few elders felt their wrinkles smoothen, and the clogs in their blood were being washed away. Everyone in the hall felt awe, awe for the being who could perform such miracles, awe for the angel descending from the sky.
Naturally, everyone felt goodwill towards the princess and muttered prayers for her safety and protection.
BANG!!!!!!
A huge explosion rang throughout the entire city and blood rained throughout the hall.