A vast courtyard stretched beneath the evening sky.
The last rays of the sun bathed the gardens in an almost unreal orange glow. The shadows of the trees slowly stretched across the paved paths while a gentle breeze made the flowers sway softly.
The contrast with the ruined prison Aeryn had left a few days earlier was almost absurd.
There, everything had been flames, blood, screams, and death.
Here, only the songs of birds and the whisper of the wind could be heard.
As if the two places belonged to entirely different worlds.
White stone pathways crossed through the perfectly maintained gardens. Massive flower beds lined the walkways. Some flowers were nearly as tall as an adult, their vibrant colors creating a landscape worthy of the wealthiest royal estates.
Every leaf seemed carefully trimmed.
Every plant appeared to have been positioned with meticulous precision.
That perfection almost unsettled Aeryn.
Yet she continued forward without slowing down.
Alpha walked at her right side.
As silent as ever.
As unreadable as ever.
To her left, another member of the organization walked calmly, his hand resting near the hilt of his sword.
Out of habit.
Or caution.
Among Calamity Hunters, there was rarely any difference between the two.
Aeryn kept her eyes fixed ahead.
But her thoughts were elsewhere.
For days, the same image had returned to her mind again and again.
Ryuji.
His body shrouded in black smoke.
The unbearable heat radiating from him.
That terrifying energy that seemed determined to consume everything around him.
And above all...
His eyes.
For a few brief moments, there had been nothing human left within that gaze.
Aeryn had fought monsters.
Calamities.
Creatures capable of wiping entire cities off the map.
Yet that memory disturbed her more than many of those battles.
She still couldn't understand what she had witnessed.
Nor what fate truly awaited that boy.
A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts.
"So your mission was a success after all... for once."
Aeryn immediately looked up.
And sighed inwardly.
Leon.
Of course.
The man stood in the middle of the path wearing his usual smug smile.
Tall.
Slender.
His long blue hair fell to his shoulders.
Even dressed in a simple training outfit, he still carried the unmistakable arrogance of a noble who had spent his entire life getting everything he wanted.
"Don't you have something better to do?" Aeryn asked.
"Plenty of things."
His smile widened.
"But seeing you come back alive was one of my priorities."
"Touching."
"I know."
Alpha slightly looked away.
Probably to avoid laughing.
Or to avoid a murder.
With those two, it was hard to tell.
Leon stepped closer.
His expression changed.
"The entire organization is already talking about you."
Aeryn remained silent.
"I've also heard about the Dragon Core."
The atmosphere immediately grew heavier.
"You allowed a complete stranger to merge with one of the most dangerous artifacts on the continent."
The air itself seemed colder.
"You don't know what you're talking about."
"Really?"
Leon crossed his arms.
"Then explain why the Council is currently debating that boy's fate."
Aeryn felt her jaw tighten.
She hated admitting that he was right.
The Elders would never ignore something like this.
Never.
"What?"
Leon chuckled.
"Don't tell me you've grown attached to him."
A subtle wave of magical pressure spread through the air.
Small.
Yet unmistakable.
Alpha raised his eyes slightly.
He recognized that sign.
Aeryn was only seconds away from breaking Leon's face.
"Watch what you say."
Leon's smile faded slightly.
"You know perfectly well what's going to happen."
His gaze turned cold.
"The Council will never allow someone who absorbed a Dragon Core to live."
Aeryn remained motionless.
"He's going to be execu—"
"I believe that's enough."
A calm voice echoed from behind them.
Instantly, the atmosphere changed.
Even Leon froze.
A woman was slowly approaching.
Her black dress perfectly complemented her elegant figure.
Her dark skin and composed gaze gave her a natural presence that was impossible to ignore.
A small beauty mark near her lips made her face even more memorable.
She wasn't speaking loudly.
Yet no one would dare ignore her.
Leon looked away.
"Tch..."
He turned around.
"Fine."
As he passed Aeryn, he paused briefly.
"That boy will bring a disaster far worse than the Calamities themselves."
Then he continued walking.
Without waiting for a response.
Aeryn watched him disappear among the gardens.
Part of her wanted to believe he was exaggerating.
But another part...
Was no longer so sure.
"Thank you."
The woman studied her face for several seconds.
As though she were reading her thoughts.
"The Chief is waiting for you."
Her tone left no room for discussion.
"Follow me."
The group resumed walking.
The farther they went, the stranger the silence became.
Heavier.
More oppressive.
Even the guards stationed throughout the estate seemed uneasy.
As though an invisible weight hung over the entire place.
Eventually, they arrived before a massive white building.
The doors were opened.
Aeryn stepped inside.
And immediately felt the difference.
Even the air seemed denser.
Heavier.
At the far end of the room, near a massive open window overlooking the gardens, stood a lone figure.
The man seemed completely absorbed in observing the flowers.
As if nothing else in the world existed.
His black hair rested on his shoulders.
His bare torso revealed a body covered in old scars.
Some were so deep they should have been fatal.
Yet he stood there.
Perfectly still.
Perfectly calm.
And strangely terrifying.
Then he slowly turned his head.
His eyes came into view.
A pure blue.
An almost unreal blue.
Aeryn felt her heart skip a beat.
Even after all these years.
Even after countless battles.
This man remained the most frightening Calamity Hunter of them all.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I've been expecting you, Aeryn."
Immediately, she understood why even the strongest members of the organization unconsciously held their breath in his presence.
Because beneath that absolute calm...
Lurked a power capable of shaking the entire world. 🌑🔥