—A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER—
Melina looked around her room. She felt something strange about it.
"Is it just me, or does this room look a little brighter than earlier to you guys?" She muttered to the shadows around her.
***
'How unpleasant.' He thought.
Wren stared at the individual, who had been the cause of the gazes that were now looking at him more intensely than before.
Although he appeared calm on the outside, as if the words hadn't evoked a hint of anger, inside he felt an urge to rip the transcendent's mouth apart in an instant.
The individual had long hair and wore a fine yellow silk robe. He had dark eyes and olive skin. He was indeed a handsome man, but the expression of anger on his face made him appear quite repulsive.
Suddenly, Melina chose to speak, "General Agastya, you—", however, Wren put a hand on her shoulder, and then shook his head.
He turned his attention back and then looked at the General, his expression strangely calm and cold.
Then, he spoke:
"General, may I know the reason for such venomous words?" he asked calmly; however, the opposition's response wasn't as polite as his question.
The yellow-robed general scoffed, veins popping on his forehead.
"Reason? You are just weak, and you don't deserve—" before he could finish his sentence, Wren cut him off.
"I am sure that many respected people here, far superior to you, felt the same way, but..." He paused and put his hands on the armrest of his chair before resting his face on his left hand, and continued, "They never disrespected the importance of this meeting, this place... or their subordinates."
The general opened his mouth to retaliate, but Wren beat him to it.
"I am just an ordinary person, although I have killed a corrupted Fallen. My presence here was unexpected, yet I still have a place at this table. Even if I were transcendent, I know I wouldn't have the courage to go against the will of a Spirit, especially not the Divine one who is watching over us."
Just as he spoke these last words, the sound of applause came from right above the central table. Then, a heavy spiritual pressure far worse than pressure from a Spirit's gaze descended.
It was as if Death itself were here.
A figure shrouded in a dark robe descended upon the central table. The figure had no face, only a void of darkness. They had a dark, metallic crown from which black, metallic spikes rose.
In an instant, every being, including Wren, rose and bowed in front of the divine one. Then, except for Wren, they all spoke in unison.
"Praise the lord of Shadows, descendant of death and the harbinger of solace and peace." The pressure subsided, and then a cold and menacing voice echoed throughout the vast hall.
"Take your seats." The figure descended, and a chair made out of shadows appeared right between Melina and Wren.
Wren felt confused.
Suddenly, the distance between the two of them had increased enough to make a seat for the divine one.
'Out of all the seats, he had to just sit between here.' He thought, however, suddenly someone's voice entered his mind.
It was the same cold and menacing voice.
[I wonder if removing one of the people here would be good? What do you think?] Wren felt the pressure like the hands of death wrapped around his neck with a crushing grip.
He couldn't even gulp.
They had listened to him, his thoughts and his mind. Wren felt bare with the being that sat beside him. He felt like everything about him was opened and left visible to the divine one.
He took a quiet, small breath.
The Shadow lord looked at the Watcher of the Stars and said.
"I heard you had a new revelation, and it was a very important one at that. What is it that distresses you so much, Lady Watcher of the Stars?"
The Watcher of the Stars looked through her drape, and Wren could se a violet eye through the starry hidden skies.
"I believe... that the gods and daemons are going to meet their ends," she paused as the spiritual pressure flared around, the wills bending and tearing the fabric of reality, but she remained unfazed and replied with her own will that was more imposing and deadly than the combined wills of others.
Wren and others, like Melina and Orion, were unaffected as they were under the grace of the Shadow Lord, with the sole exception of General Agastya. The poor transcendent was suffering in agony.
The will of the Watcher of the Stars flared.
"I think you all are really taking my generosity for granted. Have my years of neutrality really made you forget what I can do to you all?" Her will was overwhelming, so much so that Wren could now feel the pressure from it despite being protected by the Shadow Lord.
The other Sacreds and Supremes fell silent.
The lady retracted her will and then continued with her revelation.
"Weaver, the Daemon of Fate, will be the reason behind all of this. Although we had left them alone due to their refusal to go to war, the daemon seemed to be planning something that would lead to the demise of the gods and daemons."
One of the sacred from the sun lineage, then spoke.
"If what Lady Watcher of the Stars says is true, then that reclusive daemon is dangerous; we don't know where they have gone, and I fear that if any more time is wasted, then it would be very late."
The commander beside her then chose to speak.
"Since their siblings are already hunting them, we should use this as an opportunity to destroy them."
The discussion continued, and Wren silently absorbed all the information he could get for this nightmare.
From what he had learned, the war was in its initial phase. And since both sides were at equal stakes, the chances of it ending early were very slim.
It couldn't be the objective of this nightmare.
Neither Weaver seemed to be the objective; that reclusive daemon can't be brought down easily, and that was the truth they all didn't want to believe.
Hunting Weaver?
What a joke!
Wren knew that the daemon was already a step ahead, and they seemed to know about this, too. They weren't the objective either.
Then what was it?
He couldn't help but think again and again; however, he failed to reach any conclusion. Before he knew, the council was already over, and he was moving out.
Wren stopped in his tracks when Orion came in his way.
The two of them looked into each other's eyes and then nodded before they went towards their own paths.
He and Melina stood side by side before the lady whispered in his ear.
"You seem to be worried. Is anything bothering you?" she sounded concerned. However, he just shook his head in denial and gave her a soft smile.
She looked at his eyes for a few moments before nodding and then chanting in runic language.
Just as the golden light seemed to envelop them, a voice entered his mind.
It was a familiar voice.
It was the voice of the Watcher of the Stars.
[The Abyss is waiting for you.]
Wren's eyes widened in shock. He whipped his head around, desperately scanning the crowd to locate the sacred entity, but before he could catch her gaze, the golden light consumed them entirely.
The spell's bewitching voice whispered in his ear.
[The Abyss God is looking at you.]