In the waking world, the main building of the Government was busier than usual, many agents moved around doing constant work, between paperwork and meetings, dealing with recruitment, Nightmare Gates, and resource allocation.
The reason for the overtime was the preparations for the Chain of Nightmares that will happen in Antarctica. Despite still being some months away, they needed to make sure their logistics were on top performance, they were of extreme importance for the evacuation of the continent to be as swift as possible.
Especially considering the extremely unpredictable nature of the Nightmare Gates, no matter if they were small Gates, the possibility of monstrosities like Terrors and Titans were not out of the question.
As such, Saint Cor, the Wake of Ruin and one of the two Saints of the Government and the oldest Saint of Humanity, was very busy.
He expected as such, evacuating a whole continent would not be simple, especially because he needed to keep the reasons for these preparations a secret for the moment so as to not cause panic. Many of the Government's agents had no idea why they were doing such things, but thankfully there were some people that knew about the Nightmare break to help him, the Masters under him were extremely competent after all…
Along with the Song Clan.
Cor walked calmly towards his office, his Transcendent mind wandered beyond the walls of the technological fortress that was the Government building.
'Ki Song… What are you scheming?'
He expected the Clans to involve themselves in the conflict, of course, but not this soon. Antarctica may be the prelude for the inevitable war that will happen, so Cor had already plans to make sure they interacted as little as possible. But for Song to already take the initiative and for Valor to hold back?
The Raven Queen wants something, and she may have made the King of Swords hesitate, or in better words, recalculate.
Her plans may involve the Government itself. Assume control of it? What did she gain by doing this besides getting a few more Awakened and Masters? She knows Cor himself won't surrender his neutrality, she would find better resources by going to the House of Night.
Cor sharpened his eyes as he finally reached his office and opened the door.
'Will this Chain of Nightmares change things that much? Or… Am I overthinking this?'
The Saint turned and walked through the room, his piercing eyes trailing the simple yet elegant office until he got to his desk and slid the chair back, sitting on it.
He breathed steadily and leaned in, resting his arms on the dark wooden desk.
'Is she just desperate? Wanting to get anything she can before the war, knowing that Anvil has more soldiers and Saints?'
He sighed, shutting his eyes and pieching the bridge of his nose.
'Nonsense, she's the last person to get desperate. It must just be another one of her plans…'
Turning on his rolling chair, he looked outside the big window that took over the whole wall, letting him see almost the entire NQSC.
He leaned back on the seat, analyzing everything he could. Despite everything, all that the world was suffering, all the chaos and dangers, all the failures of this sistem… It was better than that time, back when the Nightmare Spell first descended, when Humanity had nothing.
'But in the end, it doesn't matter, her assistance is greatly appreciated…'
Whether he liked it or not, the Sovereigns gave this world some order, little as it was, he needed to make sure this world continued.
No matter if he hates some of their actions…
Turning once again to face the desk, a paper stood in front of him, the report his son had sent to him again and again…
The murder of two mundane parents by the hands of Valor.
Cor still had no idea how to deal with this, anything he did would push Valor's fury upon him and the Government, bringing this to light may have too many consequences.
He couldn't even warn Valor, this time, they made sure that there was no proof that they had anything to do with this case, even Beastmaster couldn't find any despite her best efforts, and regardless of what she says, her thralls are not reliable witnesses, especially when Valor has ways to know they are enthralled and when they don't have any physical evidence, not even their blades had the usual Valor symbol.
Even then, it was obvious it was the Great Clan.
The only reason anyone would target the family was because of their connection with the Song Clan.
But no matter what they were accused of, they could simply put it under the rug and say that the assassins acted on their own.
Saint Cor sighed once again, leaning forward, by chance, he opened his eyes when he gazed over at a small portrait, the only personal decoration on his desk besides a few medals of honor and rank.
It showed his small family from years ago, he was younger back then, still being a Master that was already in control of the Government, despite that, he didn't look a day younger from how he is now. By his side, the only woman that was brave and calm enough to deal with a man like him… And between both, Shin, he hadn't faced the Nightmare Spell yet so he was still a red-head, just like his mother, and his eyes were dark, like his father's.
But the biggest difference was that they seemed happy…
The Wake of Ruin reached towards the photo towards the woman, his late wife.
"I wasn't able to visit you this week, I'm sorry Aveline…"
His moment of remembrance was interrupted by a knock on the door, an aggressive, angry knock.
Cor breathed in, he knew who it was, his son had made no effort to hide his presence.
"Come in."
Shin barely let Cor finish before bursting in, closing the door with as much strength as he opened, almost destroying it.
Cor sighed and got up from his seat, meeting his son's eyes.
"That door is expensive, you didn't pay for–"
"I don't care."
His eyes were burning in a piercing gaze, brows furrowed and his mouth twisted, in a rare instance, Shin was angry.
"Why haven't you answered my report?"
Ignoring the disrespectful tone of his son, now subordinate, Cor answered evenly.
"I have much to do, your matter can be dealt with later."
Shin groaned and struck the desk with a clenched fist, denting the desk with the strength of an Ascended.
"Just say you can't do anything father!"
He glared at Cor.
"Just say you'll let Valor do whatever they want as long as they maintain your so-called 'order'!"
Cor met the gaze with his sharp eyes.
"You say as if Song isn't planning revenge right now. As if only one side of this war has blood on their hands."
"They were innocent! Is being connected to a Song enough of a reason to pick sides? If that's the case, I'll gladly give you my resignation."
"Don't even think about it. I already warned you about your relationship with Saint Moonveil, you already gave me enough trouble as it is."
"I thought you liked what I did…"
"I was glad you chose to follow your own choices, but that doesn't change my position on the matter."
Shin cursed quietly as a way to let out his frustrations and crossed his arms.
"Are you really just putting this under the damn rug and pretending that nothing happened? Again?"
Saint Cor sat down on his chair once again.
"I have no choice, there will be nothing gained by confronting Valor. I advise you to use this tragic loss of life to learn from your mistakes."
"My mistakes?!"
"Yes! Your!"
Shin took a step back in surprise, his posture weakening. It was the first time in a long, long time his father was angry and raised his voice.
Cor raised himself once again, glaring at his son with anger. The subtle scent of rot and slaughter that followed him like an invisible mantle grew heavier and thicker, to the point it was almost palpable.
"Your's and Song's mistakes! They wanted both ways, to have that little girl, the education of a Great Clan and the warmth of a normal family, but this world doesn't allow that!"
He gripped the dark table, letting it crack under pressure.
"And you… You were careless! You passed it all off as just another favor your little girlfriend asked of you, and now look where we are?! Two parents killed and two more orphans for the great Ki Song to raise into weapons of war!"
Shin lowered his gaze, shame passing through his scarlet eyes…
"So yes Shin, the blood may be in Valor's hands, but you gave them the damn knife! If you only thought a little more about the consequences of your actions, they might still be alive and I wouldn't need to cover up the death of a family!"
Cor stared at his son with a scrutinizing gaze, who looked down with a sorrowful expression.
For moments, none said a word.
Until eventually Cor collapsed down his chair, sighing loudly.
Looking over at his son, Shin still didn't say anything, he was probably ashamed of many things, for his actions, for raising his voice, for not thinking.
Such is the fate of any son, to be lectured by the father.
Cor inevitably looked at the portrait of their little family.
He waited a few more seconds before he asked a question, not even diverging his gaze from the photo.
"How is she?"
His voice got softer, lower, more familiar, so much so Shin jumped a little before waking up and looking at the portrait.
"She's… She's the same, still as lifeless as the day the Nightmare took her…"
Cor looked over to his son, and sighed.
"How are you?"
Shin's eyes widened for a moment, before he forced himself to smile a little.
"Overworked and underpaid."
"That comes with the job, try again."
"I'm tired?"
"We all are, doesn't count."
"... I don't know right now."
Cor looked at his son…
And sighed.
"You are dismissed for today. Go to your girlfriend, have a few drinks and think about what I said, I still have some work to do. I'll meet you tomorrow."
Shin stared at his father for a good time, but a little smile creeped onto his face.
"As you say, father."
But before Shin could even turn…
"One more thing."
"Hm?"
Cor looked up with a heavy gaze.
"I know you already drank that woman's blood, when the Clans go to war, you'll fight for Song… Whether you want to or not. Just… Please, be careful."
Shin studied his father for several seconds.
"She's not a monster, father."
Cor sharpened his eyes as Shin continued.
"And the children… Don't think they'll just be weapons against Valor, she cares more than that."
Turning around, Shin left the room, much calmer than how he entered, closing the door and leaving the office.
"Agh… How would you know that?"
Cor looked at the portrait of his wife once more.
"What do I do Ave…?"
— —
Shin approached his military PTV with a thousand thoughts passing through his head, grasping as if he had a headache.
'Damn… I guess I still have a long way to go.'
He stopped against his vehicle and took his cap off, he passed his hand through his hair, sighing as he began to look for his keys.
"Long day?"
Shin looked behind him to find Soul Reaper Jet with her arms crossed.
"You can say that."
Shin turned and leaned back to his PTV, using it as support.
Jet smiled wickedly and joined him, leaning into his vehicle non-chalantly.
"Arguing with the old man?"
"More like receiving a lesson…"
"About what? Does he still think you shouldn't date that little Princess?"
"Of course, even though It's been more than a year… But I understand where he is coming from, especially after what happened last month."
Soul Reaper's gaze suddenly grew heavy.
"So that was what your 'lesson' was about?"
Shin sighed.
"Yeah, he thinks I was too careless… He's right, I should have looked more into the possible holes that Valor could have explored…"
Jet sharpened her eyes.
"You shouldn't have involved yourself in the first place."
"Moon asked me, and I couldn't just say no."
"You could, they had other ways to do what they wanted, you didn't need to help. That's what I do every time Saint Jin asks me a favour."
"You say no to all Legacies."
Jet opened a sweet smile.
"Yes, that's the idea."
Shin dead-panned at her, really unammused, but a subtle smile rose from his face upon remembering something.
"But you won't be able to say no to one of them, they helped you after all, by your request."
"Tsk, why did I even want to call that boy? I could have dealt with Kirt by myself."
"Well, I guess you let curiosity blind your principles, thankfully for you he went into the Second Nightmare, he'll probably take a while before asking for a favour."
"Oh, I heard about that, people are going crazy about him and Changing Star challenging the Second Nightmare with barely a year as Awakened, they are about to become even more popular."
Jet sighed.
"Still, I don't like owing a Legacy, even if he is slightly more tolerable than the other ones."
"Why do you hate Legacies so much anyway?"
"I don't hate them, I just dislike how arrogant and selfish they are, especially the ones from the Great Clans…"
Jet froze as she just noticed what she just said, criticizing the scions of the Great Clans right in front of the boyfriend of one of the same scions.
She slowly turned to Shin, already preparing an apology, but to her surprise, he didn't seem angry, rather just confused.
"Was Sunless arrogant to you?"
Jet was taken by surprise, not because of the question, but the answer she came up with: No. At best he was just annoyed with her, and he was justified. Jet did take him out of his comfort zone by immediately calling out his true identity when they met, at the time it was supposed to be a secret.
In fact Sunless Song should be pretty arrogant, he was the son of Ki Song, had a Divine Lineage, various powerful Echoes and Memories he got on his own, a True Name, and was the most popular Awakened at the moment along with Changing Star.
Yet he wasn't…
After not answering for a few seconds, Shin sighed.
"Look, I understand not liking arrogant Legacies, in fact, Moon already told me how they are a true bother that do everything except help the Clan, but you cannot pretend that all of them are like that."
He crossed his arms.
"I mean, the Song siblings are almost all from the outskirts, maybe, in another universe, you were one of them."
Jet couldn't help but laugh after hesitating for a few seconds.
"And wear a dress? In your dreams."
"... I mean, you would look good in…"
"Complete that sentence and I'm sending Silent on you."
Shin and Jet shivered upon hearing the third voice that infiltrated the conversation.
The scarlet eyes of Shin widened in fear as he turned around to see a beautiful woman with white hair and wearing white clothes.
Moonveil, his girlfriend.
And she looked very, very mad. Glaring at Shin with her moonlit eyes.
He raised his arms in surrender, trying to put a gentle smile while he displayed fear in his eyes.
"M-Moon, no need to escalate things! Hitting me, I understand, but Silent is just too much-!"
Jet took a step back, expecting her poor friend to not survive the next morning.
But to her surprise, after a second, the serious facade that Moonveil was using suddenly broke, and she began to laugh.
Laugh loudly, making both Government Masters confused as Moonveil displayed none of her usual elegance.
"Ha! Your face! So priceless!"
She continued to laugh as Shin's face slowly turned from despair to an empty face, devoid of emotion as he accepted what happened.
"You… Tricked me…"
"Of course! Payment for embarrassing me in front of Sunny! Did you really think I was a jealous girl, Shin? I'm not Rev!"
Moonveil turned to Soul Reaper Jet, who held a surprised expression.
"In fact, I think you are right, she would look good in a dress."
Her gaze passed through Jet's whole figure as if she was judging how she'd look in a dress.
Shin recovered from his embarrassment and sighed.
"You decided to take revenge after three months?!"
Moon turned to him with the sweetest, most innocent smile, Jet could swear wind suddenly passed through her figure to make her hair hover in the air.
"Yes!"
Shin seemed to be immune to her charm.
"How could you? I almost had a heart attack! Imagine if Silent really was here!"
"Don't worry little scaredy cat, I will protect you of course!"
"That's not the point!"
Moon turned to Shin's PTV with the same happy-go-lucky attitude she irritated Shin with.
"Whatever, I'm tired, want to go home and cuddle?"
"We are not-!....."
Shin stopped immediately and considered his choices.
"Can we grab drinks first?"
"Hmmmm….. Sure!"
Shin turned to Jet with a determined demeanor.
"Forgive me Jet, we'll have to continue another time."
He then went to the driver seat and entered, not waiting for Soul Reaper's response as she had just been standing there for a long time.
Moon entered the passenger seat and opened the window.
"Nice to meet you Soul Reaper!"
She proceeded to close, and the PTV left the parking lot, going to the home of Moonveil, the Song Manor.
Leaving Jet there, motionless.
'She… She treated me normally? It didn't even take weeks like with Divine Strategist…''
Not just that, Moonveil was not afraid or wary of Jet in any sort of way, not even looking down on her.
She remembered about Sunless and the conversation she had with him, and what she discovered about Saint Beastmaster.
Jet looked around and scratched the back of her neck.
'Was I the arrogant one for thinking they were all the same…?'
…..
"Wait, where did she come from?!"
— — —
The past of the Blightlands was nothing like the present.
A bright Kingdom was in the place of the disastrous land that it became in the future, with ancient architecture that was integrated in nature, like the inhabitants built the city to be overtaken by nature.
Trees were born in the middle of houses, roots and plants infested the walls, the forest itself was the city's security, having been born by the work of seven sorcerers together with their leader, the ones who founded the city.
Over the centuries, the founders died, leaving seven clans and a royal family to rule the Kingdom of Abundance.
Ruler after ruler, it expanded, until it came to encompass the whole area of the current Zone of the Blightlands.
However, with conquest and growth, also came ambition and danger.
The rested clans found nothing to vent their frustrations, and internal war inevitably came, with it, conflict, discussion, and strife between the seven clans. However, the royal bloodline could always mediate the conflict to keep the peace.
Until they were all murdered.
The whole royal family died, and the seven clans fell into civil war, blaming each other for the assassination of their rulers.
Until only three clans remained, the rest being purged after years on the fires of war.
In this tense situation of war, where anyone could be the enemy, was where the Shadow Watchers would have their trial.
On the devastated land cut in three by powerful sorcery, a land of burning plants, frosting forest, and an acid jungle.
Each separated into the Clans.
Lauma stared at the window of the abandoned tower where she resided, a blizzard raging outside, sitting on the half-made bed of the room, she had incarnated as one of the heirs of the Clan Coldflower. She had escaped the Clan to regroup with the cohort along with the other two that incarnated in Coldflower, Kin and Mei.
Lan, Lycon and Merlin incarnated in the acid region in the Clan Gravewater. While Kira, Motza and Nix incarnated in the fire region, in the Fireregal Clan.
Now, they all had escaped and regrouped in an abandoned tower in the blizzard region, now, they needed to to figure out a plan.
They already knew how the history originally ended, thanks to the description of the Memory Kira received from the Fallen Tyrant they killed before they found the Seed, they discovered that the Gravewater Clan was largely responsible for the blight that transformed the land. Searching for a quick end to the already extensive war, the Clan head initiated an array of sorcery circles to overgrow her territory and triumph over the other two Clans, but he failed in the end due to the interference of multiple factors, causing the massive array to backfire, and created the Blightlands.
The Fallen Tyrant was apparently once the daughter of the Clan head, but that mattered little, what mattered was what they would do now.
Lauma sighed and stood up, walking out of the room and proceeded to the main crucible of the tower, where all the others resided.
The majority were playing cards, Lan, Kin Merlin and surprisingly Nix were together, using ruble as a table.
"Are you kidding me?!"
Nix chuckled at Lan's reaction.
"What seems to be the problem, dear Lan?"
"What else? You are cheating!"
"Oh my! Such a strong accusation, do you have proof?"
"Of course he doesn't, he's my brother."
"And he is such a sore LOSER!"
Lan stared at the three people that were now piling up to make fun of him.
"Agh, so stupid!"
Lauma smiled at them, then shifted her gaze to the others.
Mei was on the other side of the room, sitting on the corner of a window while also looking at the four people playing, some sort of emotion in her eyes. The katana shone a little bit as if reacting to something.
But soon enough, her true gaze was somewhere else…
Lycon had been looking outside another window of the room, he looked… Angry, for some reason. He had been ever since the start of the Nightmare, so much so he didn't join in the group's activities.
Kira and Motza were not present, they had gone to scout a nightmare creature that was coming closer and closer to the tower, analyzing it to determine weaknesses.
Nix noticed the arrival of Lauma and non-chalantly asked her a question while continuing to play cards.
"Good afternoon Ms. Sleepyhead, sleep well?"
Lauma chuckled as she approached the make-shift table.
"I was not sleeping and you know it."
Kin scoffed.
"Of course you weren't, you don't know the meaning of sleep, if I didn't know any better, I would call you a vampire."
Subtle laughs echoed through the hall as the five people enjoyed themselves playing the card game after letting Lauma join.
But the other two shared something different.
Although Mei did smile with the sight, the smile soon disappeared after noticing the strange expression that Lycon had.
He had furrowed his brows, as if he… Hated the sight?
'Did he forget something again?'
She grabbed her katana and walked forward, intending to stay with the group, just to make sure.
Standing behind Kin, Mei continued to keep her gaze onto Lycon, disguising it by pretending to look at the match.
It seemed to have worked as all the others seemed surprised at Mei's presence, especially Kin, who was trying to hide something by covering his face and not looking at her.
But even then…
Lycon continued with his angry stare.
'Hmp, so all your pleasant exterior is just a facade?'
It wouldn't surprise her, it was the second time they had been together for a long stretch of time, if he really pretended to be pleasant, his mask would fall eventually.
Especially if…
'Did he notice that we had Lord Sunless' blessing, and he didn't?'
If that was true, and he really felt betrayed…
Mei grasped her blade a little tighter, and her eyes sharpened.
None the wiser that a certain swordsman underneath her was really nervous.
'Don't look, don't look, don't look!!!'
Kin was going crazy, because the girl he had a hidden crush on was too close!
'Don't be weird!'
"Ahh… Brother?"
"WHAT NOW, LAN?!!"
Everyone on the table stared at him surprised at his sudden outburst, almost falling off their chairs.
Kin leaned forward towards his brother, finally 'snapping' after so long.
"WHAT IS IT?!"
Lan hesitated for some seconds before answering.
"I-It's your turn…"
Kin stared at his brother until his face slowly melted. From anger to understanding, to an unreadable expression.
"Oh. Forgive me."
He sat back down and looked at his hand, choosing a card and playing.
For the rest of the game, Kin held his hand close to his face.
Eventually, Kira and Motza returned.
Nix immediately stood up and went to her boyfriend.
"Hello! Took you enough time!"
She hugged Motza from the back against his will, he didn't seem to mind despite not hugging her back.
She leaned on him while he looked at nowhere specifically.
"I know, thankfully, we were able to delay the Tyrant."
"What do you mean delay? Did you put yourself in danger?"
"Yes, and don't pretend to be angry again, it's weird."
Nix was about to retort, but the words never left her mouth as she sighed.
Kira sat down at some rubble and called for everyone's attention.
"We'll leave soon, I already know what to do."
They all stopped what they were doing and gathered in the center of the crucible.
"Considering the information we gathered, I think it is in our best interest to ally with Coldflower and use the…"
As they settled on the plan, one of them could only think of one thing…
'Why am I always being betrayed…?'
From that bothersome girl always staring at him, to that assassin's annoying eye, everyone in his cohort seemed to be against him in some way.
They even gained something he was supposed to have from their… Leader?
Lycon looked down, gripping his coat tightly as he crossed his arms.
Kira continued his explanation of the plan.
"... And as Lord Sunless said, we'll…"
That perked Lycon's interest, because he felt a strong emotion towards that name, from respect, to a feeling of betrayal. Similar from that time with his family.
But the most important thing right now was answering the question:
'Who is that anyway?'