"Explain to us more, Tiamat," Arden said, his verdant eyes fixed on the Radiant Dragon, scrutinizing the ancient being still choosing to wear his human guise. His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it—a tension that none of the gathered Radiant-rankers could quite shake off.
Tiamat inclined his head, his fiery hair shifting like living embers as he addressed the room. "I don't mind elaborating," he said, his tone measured and solemn. "Currently, Alyssara Velcroix has achieved peak Radiant-rank. And, if left unchecked, she is rapidly nearing Divine-rank."
The words fell into the room like boulders into a tranquil pond. Ripples of shock passed through the assembled Radiant-rankers as they exchanged uneasy glances.
"However," Tiamat continued, "that is likely her limit. Achieving Divine-rank is an insurmountable barrier for most beings. Even someone like Alyssara will struggle to cross it, and it could take her several years—if she manages it at all."
Valen, ever the pragmatist, leaned back in his chair, his dark eyes narrowing with barely contained skepticism. "Peak Radiant-rank," he muttered, his voice low and disbelieving. His golden eyes flicked around the room, seeking reassurance and finding none. Even Charlotte's usually composed expression had tightened, her gaze heavy with concern.
The weight of Tiamat's words wasn't lost on anyone. They all knew where they stood on the ladder of power. All nine of them were at low Radiant-rank, with Valen and Charlotte expected to reach mid Radiant-rank within the next few years. But even at their peak, the most powerful human in recorded history—Liam Kagu—had only managed to ascend to high Radiant-rank before his untimely demise.
But Alyssara? She had already reached a height that none of them could truly fathom, and she stood poised on the precipice of godhood.
"If she's so terribly powerful," Leopold said, breaking the uneasy silence, "why doesn't she just kill all of us and be done with it?"
Tiamat turned his gaze to Leopold, and for a moment, there was a flicker of something unreadable in his emerald eyes—ancient knowledge, perhaps, or a weariness borne of centuries. "That," Tiamat admitted, "even I do not know. Her actions, her motives—they are as much a mystery to me as they are to you. But one thing is certain: it is to our benefit that she has not taken such drastic measures."
"Or perhaps she doesn't see us as threats," Valen suggested grimly, his gaze darting toward Alastor. "Perhaps we've been beneath her notice this entire time, like ants scrambling around her feet."
"Mind your words, Valen," Alastor said sharply, his sapphire blue eyes narrowing. "You speak of threats, yet she hasn't made any overt moves against humanity. Maybe that's what we should be questioning—not what she could do, but why she hasn't."
"Alastor's right," Mo added, his voice carrying a note of caution. "Alyssara has the power to annihilate us, yet she chooses these strange, theatrical gestures instead. Dropping the corpse of Eva Lopez at the Fall Ball? Handing Arthur Nyxthar? These actions feel more calculated than chaotic."
"Calculated to what end?" Selene interjected, her tone skeptical. "What possible purpose could these moves serve, except to unnerve us? To disrupt the fragile balance we've maintained?"
"Perhaps it's not about us at all," Charlotte mused, her calm voice cutting through the rising tension. "Perhaps her actions are aimed at something—or someone—else entirely."
The room fell into another heavy silence, the unspoken truth settling in their minds like a layer of frost. None of them liked the idea that their survival hinged on the whims of a being whose power so vastly eclipsed their own.
"But do not think I am idle," Tiamat said, his voice firm now, cutting through the stillness like a blade. "If she were to make such a move—if she sought to eradicate humanity, to wipe this world clean—I would act. I would do whatever it takes to stop her, even if it meant unleashing my full power."
The implication of his words hung heavy in the air. Tiamat's "full power" was a subject of speculation and myth, but none of them doubted its destructive potential. It was a double-edged promise, one that offered salvation at a cost none of them wanted to consider.
"And yet," Tiamat said, his voice softer now, almost contemplative, "perhaps the greatest danger lies not in what she could do, but in what she chooses to leave undone. Alyssara Velcroix does not think or act as we do. Her aims, her reasons—they may not even align with the logic we understand. That makes her all the more dangerous."
Arden leaned forward, his voice low but steady. "Then we must prepare. Whatever her reasons, whatever her plans, we cannot stand idly by."
"Agreed," Charlotte said, her tone crisp. "We need to strengthen ourselves and the future generation. Because if she reaches Divine-rank, even you, Tiamat, may not be able to stop her."
Tiamat met her gaze, a faint smile curving his lips. "Do not think so little of me, Charlotte. Even gods can bleed."
Selene scoffed softly. "Bold words. But are we supposed to take solace in that? Bleeding isn't dying, Tiamat. You've admitted she might already be beyond any of us—even you."
"That's why we cannot act recklessly," Alastor interjected, his tone steel-edged. "Alyssara isn't some mindless beast. She's playing a game far more intricate than we can see. If we rush in, we might hand her the advantage she seeks."
"But doing nothing is a risk in itself," Marcus pointed out, his fiery aura flaring faintly in agitation. "The longer we wait, the stronger she grows. How much time can we afford to waste?"
"As much as we need to ensure we don't act blindly," Alastor countered, his gaze steady. "Arthur Nightingale may hold the key to understanding her motives. His connection to her, however tenuous, gives us a thread to follow."
Valen folded his arms, his expression dark. "And what if that thread leads us nowhere? What if Arthur is simply another pawn in her game?"
"Then we'll adapt," Tiamat said simply. "That's what humans do, isn't it? Adapt. Survive. Endure. And when the time comes, you'll find a way to rise above her—just as you've always done."
The faint reassurance did little to ease the tension in the room. Each Radiant-ranker retreated into their thoughts, their minds already spinning with strategies and contingencies. Alyssara Velcroix was not just a problem for tomorrow; she was a storm on the horizon, her winds already felt.
As for Tiamat, he remained still, his gaze distant, as though peering through the veil of time itself.
'I hope the game you are playing bears fruit for our sake, Art,' he thought, his ancient heart heavy with the weight of the future.