The Cathedral was a monument to the ancient and the divine, its pillars reaching toward a ceiling of celestial fire. Hye-na's arrival was silent, but her eyes were frantic as she scanned the ocean of lords. Her objective was singular: find Leo. She didn't need a conversation; she just needed to know the heart of the man she cared for was still beating.
She recognized the scions of the legacy families instantly, her gaze hardening when she spotted Steven. He was a stain she wished to erase, but political reality held her hand. Steven was a buffoon, yet the Lockwood name was a shield that even she had to respect in a public setting.
Beside her, Gareth the Orc shifted his weight, his tusks baring in a silent snarl at the surrounding humans. He watched Hye-na's restlessness with a mixture of fear and confusion.' Humph, what got this maniac so worked up?'
Leo was nowhere to be found, but a familiar silhouette caught her eye. Luna Simmons.
Their history was a secret shared only by the two of them. Luna had been a child prodigy whose parents had traded her innocence for gold, pushing her into the spotlight before she could even grasp her own identity. While the world saw a beautiful model, Hye-na had seen the wolf hiding in the sheep's clothing. She remembered finding Luna behind their school years ago, methodically breaking their teacher's ribs after he had tried to corner her. Luna wasn't a victim; she was a predator who had learned to hide her teeth behind a positive mask.
Hye-na had gravitated toward that darkness, and by university, they were inseparable. Seeing Luna alive in this hellscape caused a rare, genuine smile to break across Hye-na's face—a sight so rare it was spoken of in whispers.
''I see you have managed to keep your head on your shoulders,'' Hye-na whispered, pulling Luna into an embrace that silenced the room.
The surrounding lords were in a state of shock. They had braced for a clash of titans, only to witness a heartwarming reunion. ''Wait, that is Luna Simmons! The Liva brand model!'' someone shouted. The crowd surged forward with curiosity, but Malphas's chilling pressure served as a physical barrier, forcing them back.
''This complicates the board,'' Elias Crowe noted, his mind already spinning new strategies. Emmi White watched with narrowed eyes. ''Shouldn't we introduce ourselves? That mysterious guy might be interesting, even if that bitch ignores us.''
Steven Lockwood merely sneered. ''A commoner with a few lucky summons is still a commoner. He has no family name to protect him once the trials begin.''
Hye-na stepped back, her gaze lingering on the silver-haired lord. There was a nagging sense of recognition, a feeling that she knew the rhythm of his breathing, but the mask was absolute. She turned to her friend. ''Why couldn't I find you, Lu? I searched for your alias, but 'The Lost Girl' didn't exist in the database.''
Luna rubbed the back of her neck, her cheeks flushing. ''Yeah... about that. I might have been a little drunk when the system prompted me for a name. I ended up as 'Princess Luna.' I feel ridiculous, and since I didn't have your handle, I was stuck.''
Hye-na let out a long, weary sigh. ''Typical. And who is this lord you're standing with?''
The question hit Luna like a physical blow. She was trapped between Leo's command of secrecy and Hye-na's protective nature. If she told the truth about the forced pact, Hye-na would draw her blade instantly, and the person she would be trying to 'save' Luna from was the very man Hye-na was looking for.
''Hye-na, it is complicated... you see...'' Luna began to stutter, her eyes darting toward Leo for help.
Leo, standing tall in his midnight coat, stepped forward. The void-like pressure around him seemed to thicken as he spoke. ''She is the first member of my alliance.''
The silence that followed Leo's declaration was heavy enough to rival the pressure of his artifacts. Hye-na's gaze was a physical weight, a cold blue flame that seemed to probe the porcelain mask for a single crack.
''An alliance,'' Hye-na repeated, the words tasting like ash in her mouth. ''Luna has never been one to follow, yet she stands behind you like a shadow. What hold do you have over her, Crimson Lord?''
The surrounding lords began to whisper urgently, their eyes fixed on the unfolding drama. The name Crimson Lord had been a growing mystery in the regional channels; now that he was standing before them in the flesh, the crowd gathered as if at an exhibition.
Hye-na did not seem to mind that Leo chose not to answer her immediately, but there were always those eager to play the hero for an audience. Steven was exactly that kind of man.
''Hey, did you not learn to reply when someone asks a question?'' Steven asked, sauntering toward the group with a cocky grin. He acted as though he had nothing to fear from the world.
Emmi let out a low grunt of annoyance. ''What is that idiot doing, butting in where he is not wanted?'' She moved to intervene, but Elias caught her arm and pulled her back. ''Patience. Let us wait and see what happens,'' he suggested quietly.
Leo had spotted Steven the moment he entered. In another life, Leo had viewed Steven as his ultimate goal; his revenge had once seemed like a mountain he could never hope to scale. But the crucible of the Origin had taught him a different lesson. Steven was merely a cockroach. Without the shadow of his family name to hide in, the man was utterly insignificant.
Even as he felt the heat of Steven's arrogant smile at his back, Leo did not offer him so much as a glance. He remained motionless, hands buried deep in the pockets of his coat, projecting a silence more insulting than any words.
Seconds ticked by in agonizing silence. Steven waited for a reaction, his face turning a mottled red as a vein throbbed in his neck. ''You bastard, you dare to ignore me?'' he barked. At his signal, his subordinate lords stepped forward to bolster his position.
There was still no response. To Leo, Steven was nothing more than a buzzing fly. The Lockwood heir looked around at the spectators; while many tried to hide their smirks, he could feel the mockery in their eyes. The sheer indifference coming from Leo made Steven feel like a bug beneath a heel.
Deep down, Steven knew he was outmatched, but his fragile ego refused to let him retreat. The succubus trembling behind him leaned in to whisper, ''Lord, it would be wise to withdraw now. This is dangerous.''
Hye-na turned her gaze toward Steven, her voice a cold, sharp warning. ''Why are you meddling in my affairs? Did I ask for your assistance?''
Steven's face burned with a fresh layer of embarrassment. He forced a smile. ''Hye-na, why the hostility? Are we not alumni of the same university?''
''Buzz off before I start removing your limbs,'' Hye-na stated flatly. Her indifferent eyes sent a wave of genuine terror through the gathered lords.
''Shit, she doesn't look like joking,'' a female lord whispered to her companion, taking a step back.
Steven's fists clenched until his knuckles turned white, but luck spared him further humiliation. A smooth, electronic chuckle vibrated through the air of the cathedral.
A shimmering mass of liquid silver swirled above the crowd, coalescing into the form of a man dressed in a sharp, navy pinstriped suit. His entire body appeared to be composed of a polished, metallic substance, and his silver hair was combed back into a perfect, sleek style. He had the air of an aristocratic gentleman, marred only by his clearly non-human biology.
With one hand tucked casually into his trouser pocket, he cleared his throat. "Greetings, young sovereigns. I am D5, your designated guide for this trial.''