In a gloomy-looking room stood a large U-shaped table with an obsidian chandelier at its center. All around it were arranged seats, evenly placed on each side.
The majority of the seats were occupied.
Though the occupants differed in gender and appearance, they all sported a symbol that united them: a white jacket and pleated pants paired with a black belt.
The door to the hall opened, drawing the attention of the members seated in the room.
Someone entered.
It was a man of slender build with wavy brown hair. He wore the same symbolic uniform as the others, customized with a deep neckline and flaps on his coat.
He had a casual demeanor, yawning haphazardly as he approached the table.
"Oh, it's just you," a woman said in a bored tone.
With ebony skin, emerald green eyes, and short blond hair, she wore a variation of the symbolic uniform that covered the lower part of her face. Unlike the others, her jacket had a zipper, and the sleeves completely enveloped her arms, ending in black gloves at their extremities.
"What a pity," intervened an old man with a robust body. "I was hoping you'd die in your sleep so I could finally take the place that's rightfully mine."
His body bore wrinkled skin, covered by the symbolic uniform with the addition of a hat on his head and a short-sleeved jacket with a black fur collar.
"That's not very nice of you guys," retorted the newcomer in his ever-casual voice as he took a seat. "I'll remind you that I'm the right-hand man, shouldn't you be aiming for the left first?" After yawning again, he added, "The master hasn't arrived yet, I see."
"You should be grateful you arrived before the master," another man chimed in. "I wouldn't bet on your skin if you had arrived after."
Sitting with crossed legs, the man was extremely tall and thin. His hair was long and black, and his complexion very fair. He wore a large white headband with black borders that hid his right eye.
"You can attest to that, can't you, my dear Jiji?" he then turned to his neighbor across.
The latter was a tall man - not as tall as the previous one - and muscular with spiky light green hair and clear eyes. His symbolic uniform differed from the others with its white jacket with a raised collar, its inner lining being black, and its sleeves rolled up.
"Call me that again," he replied with a stern face, "and I'll rip out that damn organ you call a mouth."
To this, the man with the headband's smile widened to its extreme.
It was at that moment that a creak sounded again.
All eyes turned to the door as it slowly opened, revealing a young boy dressed in impeccable uniform.
The boy stood straight, his small stature contrasting with the seriousness emanating from him.
He swept the room with his gaze, observing each of the concerned faces. Then, in a clear and confident voice, he announced, "The master has arrived."
Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor and drew closer to the room.
The door swung wider open, and a man of impressive stature entered.
Of average height, with silver hair swept back with a strand falling on his face, and eyes whose pupils gleamed with a fierce yet calm intensity of blood-red, displaying a ferocious yet composed demeanor.
Unlike the others present, he did not wear the symbolic uniform, but rather a tunic of pure white silk and black leather sandals.
At the sight of him, all members rose.
This man was none other than Zeref accompanied by Klein.
Zeref approached the table, standing in front of the seat at the head of the table, with Klein by his side.
The other members took a posture of reverence, their bodies turned towards the man, their heads bowed, and their right hands over their chests.
Zeref sat down.
In a gesture both natural and elegant, he delicately supported his head with a disturbing courtesy.
The hand, akin to a caressing muse, enveloped his face in such a delicate and tender manner. His arm gracefully rested on the armrest of his seat, in a pose that inspired both trust and admiration.
"What are you waiting for to sit?" he then said in a bored tone.
They complied, each taking their seat again.
"Have I kept you waiting long?" Zeref asked afterward.
"Of course not, master," replied the young woman with ebony skin, "it is our duty to always be punctual at your call."
"Even if one of us didn't hesitate to arrive late," added the man with the headband, eyeing the casually dressed man with a most wicked smile.
Zeref turned to the man in question.
"Did I disturb your sleep, Gray?" he asked him.
The casually dressed man, apparently called Gray, who hadn't rested his head on the table, turned with his usual nonchalant air to the man who was his master.
"Although I cherish my nap time, you are the absolute priority, my lord," he replied, his tone still lazy, but his eyes showing a certain seriousness.
At Gray's response, Zeref gave a gentle smile, which momentarily perplexed the gathered members.
"Well, without further ado, let's begin the meeting."
With these words, his fingers delicately brushed the rough edge of the table. As if possessing an unsuspected power, his fingers traced a silent melody on the surface of the table.
Suddenly, something extraordinary happened, as if reality itself was being overwhelmed by enchanting magic.
Like a spell, the table responded to this masterful touch and transformed itself.
The rough wooden surface faded away to reveal a fairy-like emergence. The wood gave way to a luminous screen, unveiling an enchanting glow that illuminated the room with an unreal ambiance.
The engraved patterns of the old table now seemed to dance to the rhythm of the shimmering pixels.
"Can anyone tell me what this means?" Zeref asked afterward, his eyes fixed on the table that had turned into a screen.
At this question, the members focused their attention on the screen as well.
Despite the magical scene that had just unfolded before them, they were not in the least disturbed.
Wasn't it just a simple demonstration of their master's powers? They had seen more extraordinary things than that.
The dancing pixels formed a landscape.
"Isn't that a landscape seen from above?" intervened a woman, different from the previous one.
She had hazel eyes and long violet hair. She was clad in a green overcoat that covered her entire body, leaving only her head, hands, and legs visible. Her overcoat was open on her right side, revealing her symbolic uniform, and fastened with a medallion.
She put her index finger on her chin, pretending to ponder.
"This landscape seems familiar to me," she murmured. "Hmm... Oh, isn't it..."
"Joranis, the Kingdom of Joranis," another man interrupted.
A tall, slim man with silver hair like Zeref's. In addition to his symbolic uniform, he wore a pair of glasses over his eyes.
"Damn it! I was about to say that! You interrupted me!" the woman with violet hair exclaimed in frustration.
"Ah, sorry, I thought you were done. My apologies," retorted the man with glasses in an ironic tone.
The woman, though enraged, merely clenched her fists.
Her master was with them; it would be dishonorable for her to lose her temper here.
Zeref took his eyes off the screen and turned to his men, casting a glance at each one of them.
"I imagine you're wondering why I'm showing you this," he said. "But it's none other than to announce my ambition." His gaze exuded a certain excitement. "We're going to take control of this country!"