The war room was crowded with the most powerful Sleepers of the Forgotten Shore. At the center stood a massive table, a map of the Dark City spread across it. Of course, it wasn't an old map, after Amon had burned the city to the ground, only a handful of streets had survived intact. Even those ruins had crumbled further under the shockwaves.
Luna slipped in first, her eyes wandering with curiosity before she spotted Seishan. Without hesitation, she strolled over and sat beside her.
Amon entered more calmly, scanning for a free seat. Unfortunately, almost every chair was taken. Only one remained empty, and it was in the most uncomfortable place possible.
He sighed inwardly, but walked forward anyway, taking the open spot.
To his left sat Gunlaug.
To his right, Harus.
Ahh… awkward.
The room hadn't quieted yet, Nephis and her retainers hadn't arrived, so conversation buzzed around the table. Even so, Amon imdiately felt two pairs of eyes boring into him. Slowly, he lifted his head to et their gazes.
He gave them his best polite smile.
"Weather's good… right?"
"…"
"…"
Yeah… should've thought that one through.
Before he could dig the hole any deeper, Harus finally spoke, his voice low and deliberate.
"You… seem stronger."
Amon leaned back with a sigh, massaging his neck. He wasn't worried anymore, he had already defeated them once, and now the gap in strength between them was even wider.
"Yes, I am. And you? You were paralyzed last I saw."
Harus's lips curved into a dark smile, though his eyes remained cold.
"Changing Star healed ."
Amon let out a sharp whistle, raising eyebrow in surprise.
"Unexpected, but not unwelco. We'll need every Sleeper in peak condition soon enough."
Harus shrugged, saying nothing more. Gunlaug, however, kept staring, his usual arrogance tempered but not gone, pride still lingered in the weight of his tone.
"So you are the one… who destroyed everything."
Amon t his gaze, humming softly before nodding in confirmation.
"That would be , yes."
Gunlaug gave a slow nod, his face unreadable. But Amon didn't miss the glint of curiosity in his eyes.
Of course he's curious, Amon thought, suppressing a sigh. He might have rested, but lying flat for a week only left his body sluggish and his mind restless.
He opened his mouth to say sothing more, anything to break the silence but the door creaked open, drawing his attention.
Three beautiful Sleepers entered the room. They were Seishan's handmaidens, and for so reason, they were carrying extra chairs.
Ah… right. Nephis and her people will need seats too.
But as the handmaidens arranged the furniture, Amon's brow furrowed. Four chairs for Nephis, Cassie, Sunny, and Effie... Fair enough. Yet another four were placed beside Harus.
Strange…
Gradually, the room's lines of division beca clear to him.
One side held Luna, Gemma, his pathfinders, Seishan, and her handmaidens.
Another belonged to dici, standing at the head of the table as he listened to Rodrick's report, his hunters and castle guards forming a wall around him.
Opposite them sat the row of empty chairs, waiting for Nephis and her people.
And then, finally, there was his side: Gunlaug, Harus, himself… and now, apparently, space reserved for four more.
How interesting...
At last, Amon's curiosity got the better of him. He leaned toward Gunlaug, lowering his voice.
"Hey, Aquaman. What's with the seating order? Who're the four beside us supposed to be?"
Gunlaug blinked, his brow furrowing in confusion before he answered calmly.
"They're your subordinates… What's Aquaman? So kind of nightmare creature?"
Amon's mouth twitched. He cald himself and nodded seriously.
"Yes, a very sinister creature at that… Likes violating fish."
Gunlaug frowned, his expression growing even more dumbfounded, but Amon paid it little attention. He leaned back in his chair, thoughts circling. Kai, Caster, Aiko… makes sense. So I've got subordinates now, huh? Cool. But still…
His gaze slid between the two n flanking him.
"What about you two? Don't you get your own corner of the room? Or is it that I'm sitting in your spot?"
Harus shook his head as he tried to straighten, bones cracking in the process. The sound made everyone in the room shudder as their eyes flicked toward the hunchback. But he didn't care about them and simply answered:
"No. Everything's in order."
"…Pardon?"
Gunlaug nodded, arms crossing over his chest with casual finality.
"He's right. This is our spot."
Amon squinted at them suspiciously, then his eyes widened, disbelief plain on his face.
"Wait a second. Don't tell …"
Gunlaug shrugged, glancing at him with an amused smile.
"Yes. We're joining you."
For once, Amon didn't know what to feel. Confusion? Suspicion? A little dread? Why the hell would they choose ? I'm not like dici, whose ambition and charisma draw people in. Heck, I don't even want to be charismatic. Sure, I have ambitions, but they're mostly about having endless fun and adventures. Not exactly the kind of things that would interest those two...
As if reading the doubt in his eyes, Gunlaug rolled his eyes and let out a bored yawn.
"Relax. I was going to join dici, but Harus here talked out of it."
Amon snapped his gaze to Harus, his expression questioning and filled with suspicion.
The hunchback exhaled, leaning forward, fingers interlaced, his sharp eyes catching the torchlight.
"You beat … That alone is impressive, considering you don't even have a powerful Aspect. And… you're more cunning and terrifying than anyone else in this castle. You burned the Dark City, massacred thousands of nightmare creatures, destroyed the Bright Castle, and killed dozens of Sleepers. Do you realize… no one has ever accomplished even ten percent of what you did? No one has a kill count as high as yours; whether it's nightmare creatures or humans. You collected shard mories, uncovered the truth about the Crimson Spire… and from what I've heard, you even figured out how to escape this place. You don't seem to realize just how extraordinary those feats are."
He paused, his stare locking onto Amon's.
"dici is powerful, sure… but then again, plenty of people are powerful. Changing Star, Luna, Seishan, Gemma, Gunlaug, myself… there are many. But there's only one you. Only one person who has conquered the Forgotten Shore with mind, not sword. And after fighting you, I ca to a realization… in the long run, the sword is always beaten by the mind."
Amon's grin vanished. His expression grew cold and unsettling, the crystal monocle on his right eye gleaming with a bizarre luster. The light reflected from its surface made everyone who glimpsed it shiver and quickly avert their gaze.
"And why should I trust you?" His voice was calm, but the edge in it was razor-sharp. "You could turn on at any mont. It's suspicious that you two suddenly decide to follow now. Yes, my actions were outrageous, unsane, even. But that doesn't erase the fact that we were enemies."
Harus shrugged, seemingly unbothered as he answered lazily.
"That may be true. But we decided to step back. Ruling this place broke us… that much is clear. Fighting you, dici, and Luna was… an enlightening experience, let's say. Losing that battle made so things even clearer. dici approved of our choice to join you as well. Heh, he seed pleased with it, even. Told us that a lot of interesting and thrilling things would happen if we follow."
Amon blinked, dumbfounded. He still couldn't make sense of it.
"So… because it'll be fun? That's the reason? I like adventures, sure, but you two don't exactly scream 'thrill-seekers.'"
Gunlaug tilted his head, leaning back in his chair lazily, and laughed.
"And who said we aren't? The despair of never leaving this place killed whatever excitent we had. Now there's a chance to get out alive, a chance to return to waking world. We want a fresh start, and it begins with you." He leaned forward slightly, his voice formal but not unkind. "So consider this official: will you accept us?"
Amon drew in a long breath. Should I? The unease lingered, but the prospect of gaining two powerful Sleepers under his command was tempting.
He already had Kai, who could fly and, one day, would beco a dragon. He had Aiko, the greediest soul on the Forgotten Shore, with a knack for wealth that almost rivaled his own. Then there was Caster, their speedster and wannabe Wally West.
And now… Gunlaug. Without his armor, he wasn't that powerful. He had relied on an Echo of Transcendent rank to beco monarch of the Dark City. Without it, he was just a normal Sleeper… at least on land. But his Aspect Ability allowed him to breathe and move with incredible speed underwater. That ability would evolve, and he would almost certainly gain a True Na after his performance on the Forgotten Shore. His Aspect might evolve as well, and he would gain an Awakened ability, too.
All in all, Gunlaug would beco very powerful in naval battles. And… he was mad. Amon could still see the hint of insanity in his gaze, but behind it was sothing else. He was a genius. A mad genius...
And then there was Harus. Damn… Harus was already terrifying, and that was just with the ability to steal sight. What would happen when he Awakened? Would he strip away every sense? Or perhaps gain so kind of ability that enhanced his strength as long as he wasn't seen…
As a Cryptologist, Amon could deduce what Harus's ability might beco from the knowledge he already possessed. Still, he wasn't certain. Well, he would learn in ti. There wasn't much to think about when it ca to Harus. He was the deadliest Sleeper on the Forgotten Shore… that much he was sure of. Sunny had only beaten him because of luck, and nothing else.
He sighed, his expression growing contemplative as he looked down, lost in thought. Then, after a few seconds, he exhaled, his face hardening as he made his decision.
"Fine. Let's turn this world upside down."
Gunlaug's grin widened, and Harus chuckled, both clearly satisfied with his answer. But Amon's eyes narrowed as they fell on the last chair in the corner. Hmm… What's that now? He glanced around in confusion.
"Wait. , Gunlaug, Harus, Caster, Kai, Aiko… but who's the last seat for? That's a mistake."
Gunlaug blinked, then followed his gaze. Understanding flickered across his face, and he smiled.
"There's no mistake. That seat's for Kido."
Amon froze, bewildered. "Kido? Why would she join ?"
Harus answered, calm as ever, eyes half-lidded.
"She doesn't like dici. Doesn't like his hunters. Doesn't want to be tied to a clan, either. Gemma will follow Luna, but Kido… she'll be with you."
That only left Amon more confused.
"But she and Gemma are together. So why-"
Harus shrugged, his voice as detached as ever.
"Who knows? Maybe she values her freedom. Sa reason we're here. And just because she's joining you doesn't an she won't see Gemma. They live in the sa house; it's just that Gemma will work in Ravenheart while Kido will be with us."
Amon blinked, smiling pleasantly as he patted Harus's shoulder.
"And how, and why do you know that?"
Harus tilted his head, remaining silent, which was answer enough for Amon. Yeah… that isn't creepy at all.
But then Amon frowned, rembering sothing Kido once told him.
"Oh, wait. Isn't she afraid of you?"
Harus blinked, genuinely perplexed, as if the thought had never once crossed his mind.
Amon sighed, shaking his head. "Whatever. We'll figure it out soon enough."
Amon lingered at the table, talking with Harus and Gunlaug longer than he'd expected. Surprisingly, they weren't as bleak and monstrous as he had imagined. Maybe a week without a throne had forced Gunlaug to reflect. He was still a terrible man, but then… so was Amon. No, scratch that, everyone was terrible in this godforsaken shore. It gave you no choice: to kill those abominations, you had to beco an even bigger monster.
That thought settled strangely warm in him. He'd always kept his distance from the "main cast" because he had read in the novel what they were capable of. Sunny was feral and insane on the Forgotten Shore, while Nephis… he was genuinely unsettled by her. When he read in the novel how Nephis explained to Sunny that she would sacrifice everyone for her goal if necessary… he felt disturbed. Sure, Nephis had changed a lot by the end of the story, but that was in the novel. And now he was living in it, aning his involvent had completely fucked up the plot, and there was no way to know what would happen.
Even if that had been the only way to return to the waking world, it had felt wrong and inhuman. But now… sothing had changed. He didn't care about them anymore, for so reason. He felt a strange sense of detachnt when thinking about them, as if they were obstacles, and once he had overco them, he had lost all interest.
When dici finished talking with Rodrick, their eyes t. His crimson eyes widened for a mont, a wide grin spreading across his face. Amon grinned back, giving him a thumbs-up.
At the sa ti, Kai and Aiko slipped into the room. Aiko's wide eyes betrayed how scared she was of Harus and Gunlaug. She trembled, avoiding their gaze, her head down. But Kai, as always, offered a polite nod. That guy was an angel for accepting them so easily. It felt like Kai had a heart big enough to forgive even a devil if they truly felt regret.
Aiko took a seat at the edge, the last chair available, creating as much distance between her and them as possible.
Kai tried to sit beside Harus, but the seat was taken. Caster had appeared there, as he always did: sudden and casual, lounging cross-legged and picking at a handful of fruit Kido had most likely created.
"Dude, when did you show up?" Amon asked.
Caster yawned and stretched. By the looks of it, he was utterly bored. His brown hair was pulled back, and his eyes were half-lidded, as if he had woken up just a few minutes ago and instantly appeared here.
"A few minutes ago. You guys are too slow."
Amon snorted, shaking his head, feeling a sudden urge to either steal his ability or break his leg, like a certain Teen Titan had done to another speedster.
Finally, Kido entered, sliding into the chair beside Aiko. She glanced at Harus, a chill running down her spine, and quickly averted her gaze, an action that made Harus blink in surprise. He hadn't expected even lieutenants to be nervous around him.
A few minutes later, Nephis entered in the war room, followed by Cassie, Sunny, and Effie. They walked in with casual steps, but the atmosphere shifted the mont they saw Amon talking with Caster. Their faces darkened, especially Sunny, whose gaze sharpened into pure malice, while Cassie visibly flinched, hiding behind Effie's tall body.
Nephis stayed composed, expression steely as she gave Amon a cold look.
Before things could explode, dici cleared his throat, leaning back in his chair with his legs crossed on the table, clearly irritated. By the look of it, the new Blood Emperor had to deal with infighting quite often, his eyes darkened as he spoke coldly:
"Don't start anything now. I'm tired of this bullshit. If anyone isn't satisfied with how things turned out, I can always feed you to the abominations."
His words cut through the room. Conversations died, and people sank into their seats. Sunny, however, wasn't satisfied with that.
"Oh? Looks like you recovered, maggot," he sneered. "I thought you'd be dead."
Amon glanced at him, then raised an eyebrow in amusent. Standing, he smiled politely and nodded his head in a gentlemanly manner.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlen. It's delightful to see you all… doing so well."
At his pleasant words, the room grew tenser. Sunny's eyes widened, his body trembling as sweat poured from his forehead. Shivers ran down his spine as he heard Amon's voice. He had thought he wasn't afraid of Amon anymore, but it seed his ntal scars were still resurfacing.
The others weren't faring any better. Effie visibly paled but quickly composed hery. Nephis furrowed her brow, her body twitching, as if she could still feel the lingering pain of being impaled on a wall. Cassie lowered her head, her bleak, sightless eyes closing as she trembled uncontrollably.
No one could sense anything threatening from Amon. Yet it was clear he had changed. It seed he no longer cared about them at all. As if, after defeating them, he had lost all interest. There was no hostility or malice. On the contrary, he appeared pleasant and polite, which sohow made the atmosphere in the room feel even heavier.
But the changes didn't end there. He was more confident now, more casual… and colder. He seed more serious. They had no idea why this change had occurred. Usually, Amon would joke, tease, and laugh at others. But now, he was indifferent and… charming. Yes, he was undeniably charming.
There was still mischief in his eyes, but now they felt… dead. The excitent and curiosity had been replaced by a cold, piercing gaze that made him appear more mature. His smile remained pleasant and his actions polite, but in stark contrast to his dark, unsettling eyes. For so reason, it made him feel creepy and slightly horrifying.
Yet, beyond that… he was more handso now. His curly black hair had grown longer, framing his face in a way that made him strangely attractive. His tall fra wasn't overly muscular, but it wasn't skinny either. He wore black, aristocratic clothes, black pants and shoes, a white shirt with a tie, and black robes draped over his shoulders. His crystal monocle glead over his right eye.
He couldn't be called as beautiful as Kai, but he was far more charming and glamorous than anyone else in the room. Still, his beauty sohow unsettled others. Unlike Seishan, whose inhumanly gray skin was striking and beautiful, Amon's effect wasn't about his appearance but about his presence.
Noticing the tense silence, dici sighed and shook his head, glancing at Amon with a strangely proud smile. His friend was… well, to put it simply, terrifying. No, more accurately, it was his mind that made him so frightening.
Before, people had looked down on him. But now, even his voice alone was enough to make everyone in the room fall silent and tremble in fear. And he hadn't even said anything threatening or disturbing, he had only greeted them with a polite nod.
dici's mouth curled up in amusent as he leaned back. It was clear that Amon would never be friends with Nephis and the others, but that was fine. As long as they didn't start killing each other… not that any of them had a chance of beating him now. He could tell that Amon had Awakened from how striking his appearance had beco. Not to ntion, his instincts told him that even he would lose against Amon… and quite miserably at that.
Seeing the most unique and powerful people beside Amon, dici felt reassured. At least he had convinced Gunlaug and Harus to join him. Amon had done a lot for dici, practically secured his throne. Possessing shard mories and knowledge further solidified his position as lord. And when he dropped the ship on the enemies from the observatory… that had crushed most of the sleepers' fighting spirits, allowing his hunters to quickly dominate and take over the castle. Slum dwellers still clung to Nephis, but he didn't care. He was vastly superior to her now, both in personal strength and in the quality and number of sleepers under his command.
The least he could do was ensure that Amon was surrounded by capable people, and that eased his mind.
Sighing, dici coughed to get everyone's attention and said calmly,
"Let's start the eting, then…"
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