The throne was golden, much like everything else in the palace. No guards stood around it, yet the one who occupied it had never needed protection.
He was one of the Seven Gods of the Round Hall, a deity who ruled over countless immortals. The King of the Gods.
At a position such as his, there was little in existence that could truly shake him. And yet, there he sat, frowning as he stared at the ground in complete silence.
The palace itself seemed to hold its breath, as though even the walls could sense the turmoil within their king. His emotions had stirred something far greater than the deity would ever willingly admit.
Just then, the court trembled, announcing the untimely arrival of someone he had not wished to see.
Not now.
Yet their insistence, coupled with their numbers, left him with little choice but to relent.
"I clearly instructed you to remain within your domains for the time being and prepare for what is to come," the One-Eyed deity stated in a weary voice as three figures emerged before him.
"And you expect us to sit comfortably within our domains while that cheeky little bastard is roaming around, looking for a way to hurt Kyle?"
The woman who spoke possessed an ethereal beauty. Her dark hair fell like a veil of shadow, while her eyes were so captivating that even in the midst of fury, they could make men fall to their knees. Yet there was nothing reverent about her tone. Ridicule dripped from every word.
"Odin... this should never have happened had we exercised greater caution."
The figure in the middle towered over ten feet, a hawk mask concealing his face. One of his arms was missing, yet his remaining hand remained clenched at his side. His voice carried restrained frustration, though his words remained measured and grim.
"The caution should have been exercised, but not by me," Odin said, his eyes settling upon the final visitor, the woman who stood with a spear in hand and guilt lingering in her eyes.
"I do blame Artemis for what she did, but that does not mean we should simply allow that abomination to do as he pleases." Freya’s voice carried clear defiance. "Now even the Watcher cannot determine where he is or what he is doing."
Odin exhaled slowly. "Because some among us believe that leaving their battle unmonitored would bring the best possible outcome for humanity and for ourselves."
"And you know that is a lie." Tyr’s voice held absolute conviction. "They have yet to understand who they are toying with. Everything we hold dear is at risk."
"Screw that. My Kyle’s life is at risk." Freya’s expression hardened. "Are you really going to sit there and let this happen, old man? You know how things turned out the last time something hurt Kyle too badly."
Odin’s eyes narrowed.
"Death... is one of the Three Greater Ones. She cannot interfere every time..."
"She will."
Artemis spoke for the first time, drawing every eye toward her. Slowly, she raised her head and met Odin’s gaze.
"She will, Odin, and you know how that would end. She is a part of him. No one here is closer to him than Death itself. And you know what happens when one of the Three Fundamentals becomes involved in a matter that the lesser ones should have dealt with themselves."
Despite the frustration building within him over the future that might await them, Odin could not dismiss Artemis’s words.
If matters took the worst possible turn, no one could predict how far the consequences would spread or how much destruction they would leave behind. Forget everyone else. Odin himself knew that if something happened to Kyle, he would stand beside those who opposed the Heavens.
"Very well. I will send my Apostles down there to aid in the search. You have my word."
The other three visibly relaxed.
Whatever abomination had been targeting Kyle recently had proven capable of severing the connection between the Apostles and their patrons with ease. But that would not happen with an Apostle of the King of Gods.
Odin lowered his gaze, his voice barely more than a mutter.
"I hope this ends with nothing more than a few deaths and tears."
....
After their long conversation about the past and their childhood, Kyle finally felt hunger creeping in. He had barely eaten anything that morning, and since then, they had been constantly moving from one place to another.
They decided to head to the cafeteria and grab something to eat. Fortunately, there was one inside the building, so they only had to make their way to the top floor.
"Do they take regular Lumir, or do they use something else?" Kyle asked curiously. Since the academy operated on a credit-based system, he assumed things might work differently here as well.
"Oh, they don’t charge you here. Not in this building." Veronica reassured him with a smile. "This building is reserved for those who work closely with the HQ, which should tell you how important they are. Cadets and trainees, however, receive credits based on their performance and training efficiency."
Kyle nodded in understanding.
He glanced at her and noticed that she had been keeping a little distance between them.
"You know you can hold my hand if you want, right?"
Veronica startled slightly. "I-I thought I was making you uncomfortable."
Kyle shook his head. "Even without the memories, you never made me uncomfortable. Here."
He extended his hand toward her. Veronica looked at it for a moment before taking it with a smile.
Soon, the elevator doors parted, and they stepped out.
The thirty-first floor, which was also the topmost floor of the building, was dedicated entirely to the eatery.
"It’s quite a nice place," Kyle murmured as he looked around.
The view alone was impressive, with towering windows offering an unobstructed panorama of the city. The cafeteria also offered both indoor and outdoor seating, allowing people to enjoy their meals however they pleased.
The ambiance was refined without being excessive. Everything was tastefully arranged, with no gaudy decorations or unnecessary extravagance.
The place was not crowded at all, just ten or so people scattered around and servers bringing them food.
They decided to take a seat inside the walls and see what they could order.
There was a digital display of the things they could have, and the list went on for twelve pages.
"There are so many options for beverages...I have never heard of some of them."
Veronica faintly smiled, "Since we have nothing much to do today, why not drink more than a few."
Kyle nodded. "I plan to do that."
Veronica watched him silence, eagerly reading the options when suddenly, her phone buzzed.
Taking it out, she found it was from Timothy, asking her,
{Commander, is it a good time to talk? There is something important.}
She frowned before telling Kyle. "I will be right back."
Kyle asked. "Everything good?"
She assured him with a nod before making her way to the side.
She walked towards the entrance, her phone already pressed to her ear. It was unusual for Timothy to contact her like this when she clearly mentioned on being a highly confidential mission.
But in a world plagued by Nightmares and Nightwalkers, nothing remained predictable for long.
After a single ring, he answered.
{Hello, Commander.}
"Timothy," Veronica replied. "Is everything all right?"
His voice sounded heavier than usual, carrying a weariness she rarely heard from him.
{I’m fine, Commander. It’s just... a lot has happened recently. We lost a few people.}
Veronica’s expression tightened.
"Timothy? Who did we lose?"
There was a brief silence on the other end.
{A few soldiers from the Central Governance... and Clara.}
Veronica’s eyes widened.
Timothy continued before she could respond.
{It happened last night. I’ve already submitted the report. A second-grade Gate transformed into a rift and began spewing Ghouls. It was... a disaster. We barely managed to keep things under control.}
Veronica clicked her tongue, her brows drawing together.
"Why didn’t I hear about this?"
{Because we only managed to catch our breath an hour ago. Things are grim here, Commander. The officers are mourning... and they’re afraid. The rift appeared so close to the headquarters. Our own home. And yet... so many of us died.}
Veronica had never heard Timothy sound so shaken, but she understood why.
He had always valued the cadets under his command. They were his students, yes, but in many ways, they were closer to his children.
And Clara...
Clara was someone Veronica herself had recruited.
The news made her heart tremble.
Yet she could not afford to let that fear show. She was the Commander overseeing Montclair. If she panicked now, the situation would only spiral further out of control.
Usually, Timothy was the one she could rely on in moments like this.
But now, he was shaken to his core.
And Veronica knew what she had to do.
She glanced toward Kyle and quietly exhaled.
{Commander?}
Her eyes hardened.
"I understand," she said, her voice firm once more. "I’ll be there."
°°°°°°°
A/N:- I will try releasing two Chapters from tomorrow