The Emergence… Sylvain felt the familiar word roll off his tongue so naturally. It was something he was lauded for, something he embraced much like his madness. But now, the word carries a different meaning. It was perhaps heavier than it had ever been, a profound trepidation overcoming him. Once more, he was emerging into Existence, but he might not receive the same welcome as he did previously. It had been too long... far too long since he had last been within the confines of this System of Existence. He never wanted to return here, and yet he found himself stranded.
His gaze pierced through the walls of the mansion, travelling into the far distance of the lost and wandering world. Out there, he could practically feel the presence of beings who inhabited this Existence. The things that they were were perhaps the antitheses to what the people of Earth knew. For now, Earth was free, wandering the outer fringes of Existence. But very soon, the little bit of protection that they had been afforded to ward off the eyes of Existence itself will vanish. And they will emerge into a System of Existence that they have not even begun to fathom yet.
[Ward capacity is at 2%.]
[Estimated time until Emergence: 90 Hours.]
Sylvain's gaze grew colder at this thought. He very well knew that the people of Earth were not ready for what was about to happen. He had already done his best to spread word of the Emergence long ago, but it was never enough. It was better to spread the knowledge than for them to all just die the moment the Emergence began which was why he still taught in the university even when none of the common folk ever took him seriously. But for all the power he used to have, the only thing he had at his disposal right now was the authority of the House of Grace. This was what the governments of the world and the powerful families respected. The authority of the one family to have existed from the very birth of the world had much more sway than the mere words of a young man they barely knew.
"Recall all members of the House of Grace. I want them back by tomorrow. All members must prepare to assemble in the Council Hall. Send the notices for the Clans."
Sylvain issued orders through Ciel who was the main source of Earth's technology. His words swiftly spread throughout the world, reaching the members of the House of Grace who were busy with their missions. All of them dropped whatever they were doing at the moment and rushed back home. The call of the Pillar of Grace was absolute. There was no questioning it, even if he asked them to die. At the same time, messages were sent to all the clans who have been ruling the world. When they received the news from the Revelators, they all trembled. This was mostly because they were born with powerful lineages that allowed them to glimpse at some of the Truths of the world. Most of these clans were not even full humans like the Long Clan who were descended from dragons or the Morrigan Clan who were descended from spirits. Their powers made them realise early on that their world was incomplete, like a body without a heart. And so they took the Revelators' words very seriously.
Information quickly spread among the Clans. Those who hold great political powers did not even bother dealing with the bureaucracy of the governments and just immediately issued evacuation orders for the citizens under their jurisdiction. The governments were shocked by what was happening, but when they received reports of the messages from the House of Grace, they fell silent, unable to decide what to do. Most of these people in power only took these prophecies as futile propaganda, not believing in the slightest. But what could they do now when the ones who wielded real and tangible power were all moving in earnest? Besides a few powerful human clans, the rest of the humans populating the world were more or less completely ordinary. No matter how much they hated to admit it, the governments were only in positions of authority because the House of Grace and the Clans allowed it.
But Sylvain could not care any less about them. His duty was to his family and his people. The world may be saved by his actions, but it would not have been for the sake of those he did not even know. He had already suffered through such stupidity many times before. It was not just Ciel who was traumatised by the Black Immolation. He was the one who had to suffer through all of it. Trying to save those who did not wish to save themselves was an exercise in futility. He may be burdened with the lives of many, but he would not allow himself to carry the blame for the deaths of those who did not even bother trying to fight for their own salvation.
[Father, the delegates from the Clans Long and Morrigan have arrived.]
Indeed, this was the reason why Xiu Mei and Svetlana did not return to their families. It was because they needed to be here to receive these delegates and lead them. Although they were called delegates, they were actually the next generation of leaders of the two clans. The House of Grace had already extended its hand to all the clans. It was up to them to take it. With the two heir candidates already being official members of the House of Grace, their clans were privy to more significant information. And due to this, they decided it was worth the risk to send the future of their clans to quite possibly the safest place in the entire world. Just how correct they were, however, was not something they would have the opportunity to find out.
Sylvain nodded as his eyes flashed with a deep cerulean light. His gaze went straight ahead, but his attention was locked onto each and every one of the thrones in the hall. There was a reason he had everyone gather in this hall before the Emergence began. That was because this hall existed in three different places all at once. With his gaze still focused, Sylvain's eyes seemed to glaze over as the three different fundamental aspects of his existence seemingly separated from each other at that moment.
His body remained seated on his throne in the heart of the hall, gazing at the thrones around him with his senses. His soul sunk deep into the core of his Source of Existence where a realm of nothingness was found housing a similar setup of thrones. He sat on the lone throne at the heart of the encirclement and gazed at each of the thrones around him. His mind dove into the Aletheian Engine in Ciel's hands, passing through the countless stars that lit his path like a celestial carpet. It led directly to the gates of a majestic palace that sat at the heart of the Aletheian Engine. He entered without reservations, passing by a room filled with the slumbering illusory figures of his family. He spent just a few breaths looking at them longingly before pulling himself away. At the very core of the palace was yet another encirclement of thrones, another lone throne awaiting his presence in the middle. But all around the encirclement of thrones was an entirely different scenery.
If the environment for the other two Council Halls could be described as mundane and empty respectively, then the environment of the Council Hall in the palace was divine. The first things to catch one's attention were the two gigantic crystalline trees with pinkish tints on opposite corners of the hall. One had the appearance of an oak while the other looked like a willow, both had such glassy textures from their roots all the way to their leaves and flowers. A serene crimson moon hung overhead seemingly in motion, revolving around the hall as it exchanged positions with a golden sun in the form of a crown of such blindingly benevolent radiance.
Streams of invisible flames that seemed to challenge the crown in brightness weaved through the air, tangling with streams of black water that seemed to devour all things. Shards of glass, each of different pristine colours, filled the rest of the space above them, twinkling lights like stars along with some golden crystals and dreamy sand that ebbed and flowed. Around the base of the two trees and the thrones were countless flowers of many different types and colours. Lying asleep on the bed of flowers by the centre of the hall was the illusory figure of a lovely pink-haired woman dressed in a pure white dress. These all were the Divine Constructs of all the incarnations of Sylvain. And the woman was his other half, Lapis Grace.