After a final, brief conversation where Von reluctantly acknowledged Adrian as an equal in hand-to-hand combat, Adrian exited the Simulation Chamber. The past few days had been transformative, but he had a promise to keep. The day he had agreed upon with the Elves had already passed, and he was late.
***
The Voidstrider cut silently through the afternoon sky, crossing the forest into the Elven lands of Eldryth.
He brought the craft down in a large, designated clearing a short distance from the entrance of the Elven kingdom.
The Barrier which had once protected the Elves’ lands was still visibly weakened as a result of Theron’s attacks. In its place, dozens of Elven guards were stationed in the clearings, their sharp eyes scanning for any potential threats.
Adrian got down from the Voidstrider, and with a thought, the vehicle imdiately disappeared back into his [Inventory].
He wasn’t wearing his imposing Power Suit. Instead, he had chosen a simple but well-tailored set of casual clothes to cultivate a more friendly and approachable air. He was not here to intimidate, but to build an alliance.
"Lord Adrian!" A warm voice called out to him.
Loryn, who had clearly been waiting for him with the other High Elves ca closer, his hand extended for a handshake. "You were true to your word. Welco back to Eldryth."
Adrian accepted the handshake with a firm grip. "The honor is all mine, Loryn," he replied before adding. "And my apologies for the delay. My original plan was to arrive yesterday, but so urgent matters required my attention."
Loryn waved away the apology with a gracious smile. "Think nothing of it. We understand that a new king has many responsibilities. Life happens. We are more than glad that you are here now." His gesture was warm and welcoming. "Please, the Elder Council is waiting. Allow us to escort you to the Royal Palace where we may discuss the matters at hand."
"Of course," Adrian began, ready to follow. "The sooner we begin, the better."
The journey from the clearing to the palace was an experience in itself. .
"Your people seem to be in good spirits, despite the recent conflict," Adrian observed as they walked, his analytical gaze taking in the serene Elven citizens who offered them respectful bows as they passed.
"We are a resilient people," Loryn replied, though a hint of weariness touched his ancient eyes. "But the war has left scars, not all of them visible. We lost many fine warriors at the border, and the forest itself cries out from the blight of Theron’s magic. The recovery will be a long one." He managed a small smile. "However, your intervention prevented a tragedy from becoming a catastrophe. The news of the peace you brokered has given our people a hope we have not felt in a long ti."
Their procession continued through the city and he was led into the Royal Palace, a magnificent structure of white marble.
Adrian was escorted to a large, circular chamber with a high, dod ceiling.
"This is the Sunken Hallow," Loryn explained as the great wooden doors closed behind them. "It is where all matters of state are discussed."
The room was serene and powerful. A large, circular table carved from a single slab of luminous wood sat in the center. After they all took their seats, Loryn gestured to the three other elves who had joined them at the table.
"I have not had the chance to properly introduce you to my fellow council mbers," he said. "Together, we are what remains of the High Elven leadership."
He gestured to a elf with raven-black hair and violet eyes. "This is Vamir." Next, he indicated an elf with radiant golden hair and a calm deanor. "Caelar." Finally, he pointed to an elf with reddish-brown hair and a rugged look, as if he spent more ti in the wilds. "And Tharion."
He then explained with a heavy voice, "The four of us now lead Eldryth in the wake of our Queen’s tragic demise."
Adrian nodded respectfully to each of them. "It is an honor to et you all. I offer my condolences for the loss of your Queen."
Loryn offered a sad smile in response to Adrian’s words. "Thank you. Your respect does you credit.
"Regarding what I wished to discuss... you are well aware that your forr King, Theron, only dared to attack us because of our Queen’s death. It was an act of opportunism. If she were alive, he would never have dread of it. She could have defeated his entire army as easily as swatting a fly. She was, without question, the strongest being in this world."
Adrian nodded, his brows furrowing. He could sense that Loryn was getting to the heart of the matter. He decided to ask the question that had been in the back of his mind. "I was never made aware of the circumstances. How did she die?"
The four High Elves glanced at each other for a few seconds, a shared, painful mory passing between them. It was Loryn who finally broke the heavy silence.
"She was assassinated."
The word landed in the quiet chamber heavily. Adrian was genuinely surprised. He had originally assud the Elven Queen had died of natural causes, despite her power. The thought of the strongest person on the entire planet being killed by another didn’t make any sense to him. A being of that caliber should be virtually untouchable.
As if reading his thoughts, Loryn dropped another bombshell. "She was killed in a single strike. Just one hit was all it took."
This made Adrian feel a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room. A being that was able to kill a Transcendent-level entity as strong as the Elven Queen—in one strike? The thought sent shivers down his spine. The Garog were a distant, quantifiable threat. This was sothing else entirely. This was an unknown, apex predator walking their very own world.
"But who?" Adrian couldn’t help but ask. "Are you aware of the being capable of such a thing?"
The High Elves were silent again. This ti, it was Vamir, the raven-haired elf with violet eyes, who spoke up.
"The being? We do not know them personally," he said, his eyes locking with Adrian’s gaze. "But we do know one thing." He paused, letting the final, devastating piece of information land.
"The one who killed our Queen is a human. A human killed her in a single strike."
A human. The word echoed in the serene chamber. Adrian’s mind was racing, trying to process the information he was receiving. An assassinated Queen, the strongest being in the world. Killed in a single strike. By a human. The statents were a series of logical impossibilities that were being presented to him as fact. They weren’t making sense.
’Who could it be?’ That was the only thought that could pierce through the static of his shock. He began to run through a ntal list of every powerful human he knew of. None of them possessed that level of power. Not even close.
He interrupted his own frantic thoughts and repeated. "A human... Were you able to glean any other details? Did you witness the assassination firsthand? I need a description of the fight, of his abilities, anything you can give ."
"I couldn’t see his face clearly. But he is on a different level entirely from anything I have ever encountered. He was capable of teleportation, appearing in the heart of the Queen’s chambers without triggering a single ward."
Loryn paused, struggling to find the right words. "We don’t know if it’s a specific ability of his... but all the attacks we threw at him simply... faltered. He also didn’t attack us. He didn’t even seem to notice us. He only killed the Queen and then left as if he had never been there, as if that was his only goal."
Teleportation? Attacks that simply cease to exist? Adrian was deep in thought, his mind processing the terrifying implications. A being capable of these abilities was truly a force to be reckoned with This was a power that defied the known rules of this world’s magic system.
It was Vamir who interrupted Adrian’s thoughts, "We wished to know if you, as a being of unusual power yourself, have any idea who this person is."
Adrian shook his head. "No." The answer was honest. He was as clueless as they were, maybe even more so.
The existence of such a human completely upended his understanding of the world’s power balance. If he was forced to pick a suspect, to grasp at the thinnest of straws, only one na ca to mind.
It was a guess with almost no basis, a shot in the dark based on a single, tenuous connection.
His brother, Julian.
The only reason the thought even occurred was simple: Julian was the only darkness mage he knew. His brother had always been mysterious as well, quiet and distant, his true thoughts and abilities always kept hidden.
That realization made Adrian pause. His mind flashed back to the tense eting he had just held days ago, the eting with all the heads of the noble houses and the Association.
’I didn’t see him at the Borin mansion,’ he thought, a cold dread beginning to creep into his heart. Every single one of his forr family — they had all been there representing the house. But Julian had been absent. ’I haven’t heard about him in a while either.’
Could he be the one?
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