Seraphina's footsteps left no trace in the pale, shifting sands of Aetherius, as she made her way toward the heart of the land where the Tribe of Virelith resided. Her mind was focused, but a small knot of unease lingered in her chest. This was the last place she had wanted to return to, but necessity left her no choice. If she were to delay the Nightfall Order's pursuit of James, she needed allies—trusted, powerful allies who knew Aetherius like the back of their hands.
As Seraphina neared the tribal enclave, the familiar sights of shimmering stone buildings and energy-based constructs came into view. The tribe had thrived in Aetherius for centuries, using their connection to the energy flows of the realm to maintain their position and power. The Virelith tribe was ancient, their bond with Aetherius deep, and they alone held knowledge of its most obscure and dangerous secrets.
She approached the central structure—a tall, spiraling tower made of the same translucent energy that pulsed throughout the land. Inside, the elders were already expecting her, having sensed her arrival long before she stepped foot near their gates. As she crossed the threshold, her eyes settled on the leader of the tribe, Elyon, a stoic man with silver hair and eyes that glimmered like the moonlit sky. His presence was commanding, yet there was a weary sadness in his gaze.
"Elyon," Seraphina greeted, her voice calm but heavy with the gravity of her mission.
"Seraphina," Elyon replied, his tone neutral, though there was a flicker of recognition. "It has been a long time. What brings you back to the Tribe of Virelith? I thought your path was... elsewhere."
Seraphina bowed her head slightly, knowing full well the history between them. "Circumstances have changed. I require your help."
Elyon's sharp eyes narrowed, and for a long moment, there was only silence. Finally, he spoke.
"Zephyrus is sealed," he said, his voice laden with the weight of old alliances and grudges. "I've felt his absence. But your return—and with such urgency—does not bode well. You seek to delay the Nightfall Order, yes?"
Seraphina nodded solemnly. "They are coming for us. For James. And I need to buy time. I can't let them reach us, not yet. The world is not ready."
Elyon sighed, his hand hovering over a long, ornate staff. "I will help you, Seraphina. But only this once. I do not know how strong the Nightfall Order is, especially once Zephyrus is freed. When that time comes, we will be forced to reckon with them in full. But until then, consider this my debt to you—for the past."
She did not flinch at his words. She knew the risk, but there was no other choice. The Nightfall Order's reach was vast, and their resources endless. It was only a matter of time before they would close in.
"Thank you," she said quietly, the weight of her decision pressing down on her. "But I need more than just your assistance. I need the fastest path to where we are hiding. I know you understand Aetherius better than anyone."
Elyon gave a curt nod. "There is no direct way to where you are, but I can help by disrupting the Order's ability to track you. The Nightfall Order will attempt to trace you through the energetic signature you left when you entered the realm, but there are ways to mask your presence—methods that are... outside their comprehension."
At this, Seraphina looked up, meeting his eyes. "You can do this?"
"I can," Elyon replied, but there was a sense of reluctance. "But there is a price. A delay that could last for some time. It will take a while for them to cross through the first planet—perhaps months or years, depending on how effectively I can distort their path."
Seraphina didn't hesitate. "Do it."
Elyon looked toward the distant horizon, where the light from Aetherius' twin suns began to stretch across the sky, his voice almost a whisper as he added, "I will do this for you, but once Zephyrus returns, the full strength of the Nightfall Order will be brought to bear. The tribes of Aetherius will not be enough to stand against them. And when that time comes, I will not be able to stop what follows."
Seraphina paced inside the stone-walled chamber of the Virelith's main structure, her thoughts running faster than her feet. Elyon's words lingered in her mind, the inevitable clash with the Nightfall Order growing ever more daunting. Yet there was no turning back. She had to prepare for the worst.
Elyon had already set the ritual in motion to obscure their presence from the Order, but Seraphina needed more than just this temporary protection. The Nightfall Order was relentless, and she knew they would not be deterred for long. If she was to buy enough time, she needed the assistance of those who knew how to deal with powerful adversaries—specifically, the warriors of the Tribe of Virelith.
She turned to the two people she needed to speak with most. Their presence was a palpable force in the room, even before they spoke.
The first was a woman named Selene. Tall, with long white hair that shimmered like the moon's glow, Selene had an air of mystery that surrounded her. Known as the "Mistress of the Veil," she commanded a unique mastery over the forces of Aetherius, bending its raw energy with an ease that made her a formidable presence on the battlefield. Her ability to remain elusive, slipping through even the most guarded defenses, made her a near-unstoppable force when it came to infiltration and disorientation. Few could track her movements, and even fewer could anticipate her strikes.
The second was Corvus, a man whose mere presence seemed to influence the atmosphere around him. His black, intricately etched armor radiated an unsettling aura, and his eyes—dark as the abyss—held a quiet, unyielding power. Known as the "Warden of the Veil," Corvus was a master of control, able to dominate his surroundings with a simple shift of focus. Whether it was the terrain or the very air itself, Corvus could manipulate the battlefield, setting the stage for his opponents' inevitable downfall. His combat style was calculated, strategic, and terrifyingly effective, relying on precision rather than overwhelming force.
"We have a plan," Seraphina said, her voice steady but firm. "We need to delay the Nightfall Order. Their tracking abilities are formidable, but we can use the land itself to hide our movements. Elyon is masking our signature, but you two will need to ensure that their troops do not cross into Aetherius directly."
Corvus nodded, the weight of his responsibilities clear in his expression. "We will buy you time. The Order may be many, but their reach is not infinite. I will ensure they cannot cross the threshold into Aetherius without our notice."
Selene's eyes glinted with mischief. "And I will make sure that they have no idea where to start. They will be lost within the Veil."
Seraphina met their eyes, gratitude and resolve in her gaze. "Do it. Keep them at bay for as long as you can. We need every second."
As Corvus and Selene departed to begin their task, Seraphina turned back to Elyon. She could only hope that the delay would be enough, that the Nightfall Order would be slowed long enough for her to protect James.
Nightfall Order's Moves in Parallel
The Nightfall Order's underground chamber was shrouded in an unsettling quiet, the air thick with the scent of ancient incense and the faint hum of dark energy. A single lantern, its flame flickering with an unnatural green hue, cast long shadows across the stone walls, upon which strange symbols pulsed with an eerie rhythm. The chamber felt as though it was suspended between two realities—one foot planted in the known world, and the other in realms best left untouched.
At the center of the room, a figure stood, his silhouette imposing even in the dim light. Master Kael's eyes glowed with a faint, cold light as he studied the map sprawled out before him, its surface covered with intricate lines of red and black, marking paths, territories, and the shifting patterns of energy around Aetherius. His fingers hovered above the map, as though feeling the pulse of the universe itself through the symbols. The disturbance from Aetherius had grown stronger—undeniable, unyielding—and with it, the presence of Seraphina. His lips curled into a thin, almost imperceptible smile.
"She stirs the currents," Kael muttered, his voice low and thick, the weight of his words hanging in the air like a curse. "Seraphina's interference cannot continue unchecked."
Behind him, a group of his most trusted commanders stood in silence, waiting. The darkness seemed to draw closer around them, the atmosphere thickening with tension as Kael's voice broke through it once more.
"We must act swiftly," Kael's voice growled, as though he was speaking to himself more than to the others. "But we must do so with care. The Aetherius disturbance is growing, and we cannot allow Seraphina to disrupt our plans any further."
Nox, the second-in-command of the Nightfall Order, stepped forward from the shadows, his movements eerily fluid. His eyes, pale as death itself, fixed on Kael, and a faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Shall I send our elite forces?" Nox's voice was like a whisper that carried an edge, as though the very air bent to his will. "We could crush her forces swiftly, eliminate the threat before she becomes a more pressing issue."
Kael's gaze hardened, and the room seemed to grow colder. "No, not yet. We must understand her moves first. Send the regulars. The first wave. Let them test the defenses, gauge the strength of the tribe. We don't know what's at play yet, and the last thing we need is to rush into a trap."
Nox nodded, though a hint of frustration flashed in his gaze. He was a man of action, and waiting was not in his nature. Still, he held his tongue, for he knew better than to challenge Kael's decisions.
"Very well. The regulars will begin the march. Arif will lead them. He has the... subtlety needed for this task," Nox said, his voice dripping with a mixture of respect and disdain. "We shall see what they uncover, then we can act accordingly."
Kael's eyes narrowed as he stared at the map, his mind already calculating the next move. "Keep them moving. And ensure they face obstacles. Let them be tested. This journey to Aetherius will not be as straightforward as they think."
Arif stood at the forefront of the first wave, his dark cloak billowing in the oppressive silence that surrounded him. He had long since abandoned any notion of comfort—his was a life of constant calculation, manipulation, and an insatiable hunger for control. A master of dark alchemy and forbidden magic, Arif was a quiet storm waiting to be unleashed, and he had been given the task of leading the regulars, the first line of the Nightfall Order's advance.
The regulars—skilled, but untested in the true fires of war—were a varied group. Some were seasoned warriors, others were powerful mages, and a few were specialized in subtlety and sabotage. Arif's role was simple: lead them across the uncertain path that lay ahead, learn what he could, and prepare for the coming storm.
The planets ahead had become... unpredictable. What should have been a routine journey to Aetherius had been marred by strange occurrences.The first destination, Xyphos, had already proven far stranger than expected.