"Haaa," Hamilton exhaled, setting his glass of amber liquid down with a heavy thunk. The firelight from the hearth cast flickering shadows across his face, accentuating the deep lines etched there by years of responsibility and struggle.
"My Lord, please," Theon said, his voice measured yet firm. "Another glass, and Madam will surely hear of it."
Hamilton chuckled, though the sound was tinged with weariness. "Come now, Theon. Surely I've earned this indulgence."
Theon opened his mouth to protest but hesitated, the words dying in his throat. He couldn't deny it. What they had witnessed earlier defied reason, leaving both men grasping for a way to frame the unimaginable.
A Diamond-grade summoner. In the Kingdom of Thane.
It would have been staggering enough if Elara had summoned an Alpha Eterna, a being of immense power and potential. That alone would have made her the talk of the kingdom, perhaps even the continent. But she hadn't summoned an Alpha.
She had summoned a Prime Eterna.
A being so far removed from mortal comprehension that its existence felt like a crack in the natural order of things. The weight of that realization sat heavily between them, unspoken but omnipresent.
"I'm worried, Theon," Hamilton said finally, his voice low and raw. He turned his glass slowly in his hand, the liquid inside catching the firelight. "Worried that I won't be able to protect her."
Theon's jaw tightened. His master was no ordinary man. Hamilton Veylin was a Gold-grade summoner with ten mana cores—each a testament to his unparalleled skill and dedication. Ten summons, each powerful in its own right, with his top summon being an Omega Luminara Mana Beast: Jade Dragon, a creature that had perfected its strength with twelve cores.
There were few in the Kingdom of Thane who could match Hamilton. Fewer still who could surpass him. To hear a man of his caliber voice such fears was unsettling.
"Your strength is unmatched in this kingdom, my Lord," Theon said quietly, though he suspected his reassurance would fall short.
Hamilton shook his head, his expression grim. "The problem isn't this kingdom."
Theon nodded, understanding immediately. The Kingdom of Thane, for all its history and tradition, was but a speck on the tapestry of the wider world. A small, isolated realm where Gold-grade summoners and their Luminara summons reigned supreme. But beyond its borders lay Empires—vast, sprawling lands shaped and ruled by Diamond-grade summoners and their Eterna summons.
The gap between a kingdom and an empire wasn't just one of size or wealth. It was a gulf of power, of potential. Kingdoms were born of strength. Empires were carved by legends.
"No Diamond-grade summoner has ever been born in Thane's history," Hamilton muttered, his voice almost a whisper. "And now, out of nowhere, my daughter manifests a Diamond grimoire and summons a Prime Eterna. It's not just unprecedented—it's dangerous."
Theon's hands tightened at his sides, his gaze dropping to the floor. He understood the unspoken implications. Aria's presence in the kingdom was a beacon, a flare in the dark that would draw attention far beyond Thane's borders.
"It isn't just summoners we need to worry about," Hamilton continued, his tone dark. "There are Eterna beings out there, Theon—free ones. Beings that haven't been bound by grimoires. The kind that walk this world with power beyond reckoning, answering to no one."
Theon nodded grimly. "And Aria might draw them here."
Hamilton's lips pressed into a thin line. Theon was right, of course. Eterna beings were rare, but they existed, and their motivations were as varied and incomprehensible as the stars themselves. Some might see Aria as a rival. Others might see her as a threat—or worse, an opportunity.
"What's worse," Hamilton said, leaning back in his chair, "is that I don't know how to guide her. I don't know what to expect from a Diamond-grade summoner, let alone one who commands a Prime Eterna. This isn't a path I've walked. It isn't a path anyone in this kingdom has walked."
Theon hesitated before speaking. "You've always found a way, my Lord. And you will again."
Hamilton didn't respond immediately. His gaze was fixed on the fire, the flickering flames reflecting in his eyes. Finally, he spoke, his voice quiet but resolute. "I hope you're right, Theon. Because if I can't… this kingdom won't survive what's coming."
Theon said nothing, the silence between them heavy with unspoken fears. In that moment, the fire crackled, its light casting shadows that danced like specters on the walls of the room. They both knew the truth: whatever challenges lay ahead, Hamilton's strength and wisdom would be tested like never before.
And at the center of it all was Elara—and the unimaginable power of her summon.
"Vespa," Hamilton muttered as his Gold grimoire fluttered open. The pages shimmered with verdant light, and a figure began to take shape. A woman with cascading hair like molten emeralds stepped forward, her gown of green radiating an otherworldly brilliance.
The Omega Luminara Mana Beast: Jade Dragon.
She stood tall and poised, her piercing green eyes flicking toward her summoner with calm curiosity. "You called, my Lord?"
Hamilton didn't waste time. "What do you think of Aria?"
Vespa tilted her head slightly, her expression thoughtful. "Absurd," she said after a pause.
Hamilton raised an eyebrow. "Absurd?"
"That being is completely absurd," she clarified, her voice carrying a rare weight of reverence and unease.
"Explain," Hamilton said, leaning forward, his eyes sharp.
"As you know," Vespa began, folding her hands elegantly before her, "the only Eterna being I've ever known was my grandfather in my world before you summoned me. He was the pinnacle of power—a Prime Eterna, a being whose existence reshaped the very fabric of our lands. But Aria… Aria is something altogether different."
Hamilton frowned. "How so?"
Vespa hesitated, a flicker of something uncharacteristic passing through her eyes. "She defies the rules."
Hamilton's brow furrowed deeper. "The rules?"
Vespa nodded. "In our worlds, every genus of beast, from the lowliest to the mightiest, progresses along a path of evolution. A species refines itself over generations, reaching higher biological grades until it attains its ultimate form. For example, in the genus of dragons, a Royal Dragon is an evolved form beyond what I am, which is why he is a Prime Luminara, while I remain an Omega Luminara. But the apex of every genus—the final, perfected form—is marked by the prefix of Celestial. A Celestial Dragon, for instance, represents the absolute peak of what a dragon can become."
Hamilton's gaze sharpened. "And Aria?"
Vespa met his eyes, her tone dropping to something almost solemn. "Aria is a Prime Eterna, yes. But she has not attained the prefix of Celestial. That alone is astonishing because it means her biology still holds the potential to evolve further. That… should not be possible."
Hamilton's expression tightened. "Explain further."
"The prefix of Celestial," Vespa continued, "indicates a being that has reached the ultimate refinement of its genus. It is the pinnacle, the final step, beyond which no further evolution can occur. By all common sense, a being that attains Prime Eterna should automatically bear that prefix—because to reach Prime Eterna is to transcend the boundaries of evolution."
She paused, her voice growing quieter. "But Aria doesn't. Despite being Prime Eterna, she carries the prefix of Heavenly, not Celestial. She has not reached her final evolution. Her biology still holds room for growth, for refinement, for… something more."
Hamilton leaned back in his chair, his jaw tightening. "You're saying she's incomplete?"
"No," Vespa said quickly, shaking her head. "Not incomplete. She's… beyond complete. Her biology is something entirely new. The fact that she can still evolve, even as a Prime Eterna, breaks the very framework of what we know. My grandfather, for all his power, was a Celestial Dragon. He had reached his apex. Aria hasn't."
The words hung in the air, heavy with implications.
Hamilton's fingers tapped lightly against the arm of his chair. "And what does that mean for her… and for us?"
"It means," Vespa said slowly, her voice tinged with both awe and caution, "that she is something unprecedented. A being that can transcend even the boundaries of what we consider possible. But it also means that she will attract attention. Beings beyond our understanding—summoned or otherwise—will sense what she is. They will see her as an opportunity, a threat, or something far worse."
Hamilton stared into the flickering fire, the light casting shadows across his face. "She's not just powerful," he murmured. "She's an anomaly."
Vespa inclined her head. "An anomaly with limitless potential. And in a world built on structure, on rules… anomalies are both feared and coveted."
Hamilton exhaled heavily, the weight of her words settling over him. "And you believe she can keep growing?"
Vespa nodded. "Yes. How much, I cannot say. But the prefix of Heavenly—rather than Celestial—suggests something far greater. My grandfather always said that the name of a beast reflects its essence. A Heavenly being… it doesn't just transcend its genus. It transcends the idea of limits entirely."
Hamilton fell silent, the fire crackling softly in the background. After a moment, he stood, his gaze resolute. "Then I will ensure she grows safely. Whatever it takes."
Vespa smiled faintly, her green eyes glowing softly. "Your resolve does you credit, my Lord. But tread carefully. Protecting her may mean protecting the world from her as much as protecting her from the world."
The firelight flickered as Vespa's form began to shimmer, fading back into the grimoire. Her final words hung in the air like a warning, quiet yet undeniable.
"She is more than a being, Hamilton. She is the beginning of something new. Something the world may not yet be ready for."