The council chamber was a perfect circle, its walls made of translucent crystal that seemed to absorb and refract the light of what were normally nine thrones arranged around a central dais.

  Each throne uniquely represented the realm of its occupant.

  Helus’ formed from crimson hellfire that never consumed itself, Golobus’ carved from living stone, Aerus’ perpetually surrounded by gentle breezes, Desia’s woven from threads of light, Darkeus’ wreathed in shadow, Dalia’s made of the deepest obsidian, and Permeus’ blazing with eternal flame. Both Dephenus and Imaia had liquid gold, but Imaia had it.

  This was an act that did not seem to sit well with Desia especially by the look on her face but by the looks of it, Laura sitting on the throne did not sit well with her either, regardless of her and the rest of them had to move on

  Six of the Origins plus the Dephenai princess had already taken their seats when Permeus took his seat, which conveniently put Laura at his side, seeing as that was normally the position from which both Imaia and Permeus would discuss the irrelevance of the meetings. The chamber filled with a few loud murmurs itself fell silent as all eyes turned toward Permeus.

  “How kind of you to grace us with your presence,” Darkeus remarked dryly, his pale face a mask of irritation. “Were you hoping to make an entrance like Helus or did you just get lost?”

  “The night is young, brother. This meeting will not be hampered by someone arriving a quarter of an hour late,” Permeus replied casually while getting comfortable. “And you forget this is my realm; I arrive precisely whenever I mean to.”

  “Typical Permeus”

  “Perhaps we should have invited Germaine in your stead,” Darkeus suggested, his tone deceptively light. “I suppose he at least understands the meaning of punctuality.”

  “I mean if he didn’t, this corner of the world would have already fallen apart,” Darkeus added,

  Permeus’ expression hardened. “Need I remind you that this Union was my idea, Darkeus? Titania is the capital because I chose to share my vision with our siblings.”

  “Titania is the capital because Helus believed you could learn to be a proper Origin if given enough responsibility,” Darkeus retorted.

  “Though after fifty years, we can all agree that he was wrong, atleast based on the evidence you have given us.”

  “At least I feel like a true Origin,” Permeus said with a cold smile.

  “How must it feel to hold power over death yet know the very thing that defines you cannot claim a single one of us? What good is an Origin whose domain holds no sway over his own kind?”

  Darkeus rose from his throne, shadows gathering around his clenched fists. “You dare...”

  “Enough!” Helus’s voice boomed through the chamber, the floor trembling beneath them. “We have gathered to address serious concerns, not to entertain your endless bickering!”

  Both Origins fell silent, though the hostility between them remained palpable.

  “If everyone is silent,” Helus continued, his crimson eyes sweeping the room, “we can begin.”

  “Now, this year we have serious matters to discuss,” Helus continued

  “That’s a shocker,” Permeus jibed

  “Permeus,” Helus said as if cautioning him

  Permeus fell silent, crossing his arms above the table, causing a smug smile to spread across Darkeus’ ever-brooding face

  “Dalia has joined our Union with troubling news from the Nightrealm and Desia, her own, from Desinai. I believe since Dalia is new, it is only right she go first if you would allow it ,”

  “Works for me,” Desia conceded

  “Great then,” Helus said with a jolly expression on his face. “Dalia, you may begin. “

  Dalia, taking the invitation, stood, her dark robes flowing like liquid shadow around her slender form.

  “For a time now, creatures of darkness have been appearing in my realm — creatures I did not create nor command, and that goes for the rest of my nightwalkers. At first, they were weak, malformed things that disintegrated almost immediately. But they’ve grown stronger, more defined, and their attacks more vicious.” She paused, her black eyes reflecting the light of Permeus’ throne.

  “In fact, the most recent one, in fact, was by a gigantic beast. It killed two of my most elite nightwalkers with a venom I’ve never encountered before and regeneration properties beyond my understanding.”

  “Hmm,” Permeus mused

  “That explains the raven,” he continued

  Aerus turned toward him, white brows furrowed. “What raven?”

  Permeus described his encounter with the shadow raven in the woods of Titania, how Germaine told him its wounds had regenerated despite the titans’ immortal flame, and how its aura felt ancient, older than creation itself.

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  “So these creatures have spread beyond the Nightrealm?,” Golobus rumbled, his voice like stones grinding together.

  “It depends,” Permeus answered

  “On what?” Darkeus asked impatiently. “If you would be so honest to explain”

  “If Dalia’s nightwalkers attacked the beast, it might be the same one since the one Germaine found was also brutally wounded,” Permeus elaborated

  “How could something on death-row make it from the underworld to Titania still in one piece? That does not make sense.” Desia asked, dumbfounded by the suggestion.

  “It’s not entirely impossible,” Permeus said before giving a knowing look to Laura, suggesting the two knew more than they were letting on, though the rest of the council seemed not to notice

  “That is still very concerning.” Aerus pointed out, his voice filled with dismay

  “Is there anything else we should know?” Helus asked, looking between Permeus and Dalia.

  Desia rose from her throne of light, her voice trembling slightly.

  “I think that is where I come in,” she blurted

  “How so?” Permeus asked curiously

  “I’ve been having... visions.” She answered.

  Permeus heart almost skipped a beat, not out of love but out of fear having to even for a moment remember the awful nightmare he had had just a few days prior but after some heavy and frequent blinking, he had got the image out of his mind.

  Once his eyes were full open, his and all the rest turned to Desia as she described her recurring nightmare of the giant crow attacking her in the ruins of a burning castle, and of her encounters with the being called Aurea who claimed to be their mother.

  “She warned me of darkness coming,” Desia continued, “and in our last encounter, she said the only way to defeat it would be with ‘the sacrifice of a white flame powered by the black night.”

  “The white flame,” she repeated, locking eyes with Permeus.

  “It must refer to you or.... the titans.” Desia suggested. “I am not entirely sure.”

  “And the black night must refer to Dalia,” Laura suggested, but Desia’s contorted expression exposed that she did not share the same belief nor objected it enough to say anything.

  “You believe I’m involved?” Dalia asked, her voice dangerously quiet.

  “You may be the key,” Desia clarified quickly. “Whether knowingly or not.”

  “Or perhaps,” Darkeus suggested, “the black night refers to the source of these creatures; they are borne in your realm.”

  Laura, who had been mostly silent until now, spoke up on hearing that comment.

  “It could also mean that Dalia’s power control over darkness is needed to defeat whatever’s coming. Not that she’s the cause of it.”

  “You will watch how you speak to an Origin young girl,” Desia reminded her

  “Does that not apply to the Origins themselves” Laura asked.

  “That is not a matter to be discussed with non-Origins,” Desia snapped, casting a dismissive glance at Laura.

  ”Enough,” Helus commanded again. “Speculation gets us nowhere.”

  “Permeus, do you still have Raven’s carcass?” Helus asked

  “Yes, here in the basement,” Permeus answered

  “You kept it here?” Darkeus asked with disapproving eyes.

  “Why am I not surprised?” He added rubbing his eyes aggressively

  “Where else was I to store it?” Permeus asked, “Where my wife and children sleep?”

  “Apparently not,” Darkeus answered, still furious, “but putting risk to all your guests, subjects, siblings and niece is just fine. A wonderful idea by all proportions, No idea how that could go wrong, honest.”

  “Who knows? Maybe we should give you a seat greater than host and allow you rest in Helus’”

  “Would you not worry so much,” Permeus prompted him. “The damn thing is dead, plus Germaine put a guard on it. Gerraine, one of our finest captains, is leading it.”

  “I know in that cavity of a brain of yours, that sounds like an excuse but it is not,” Darkeus hissed with fury

  “ENOUGH” Helus bellowed once more

  “We have no time to squabble, for instead we have a raven’s carcass to examine.” Helus pointed out.

  “Permeus, lead us to it” He instructed

  “It will be my pleasure,” Permeus said with a smug look on his face.

  “After fifty years, this council finally does something I want to do.”

  One by one, both Origin and Laura rose to their feet as they followed Permeus to the basement of the citadel where the creature was being held.

  The descent was long and silent, tension thick in the air as they made their way through the winding staircases. When they finally reached the heavy iron door leading to the containment chamber, Permeus pushed it open with confidence, still wearing a grin on his face while he looked at Darkeus at the back of the file.

  All his confidence turned to naught in a single second, standing silently frozen in his tracks.

  The glass case that had held the raven’s remains was now shattered, shards scattered across the floor. A dozen titan guards lie around it, their silver skin ashen gray, with black veins protruding from wounds on their necks where something had punctured the skin.

  “What the...?” Permeus whispered, dropping to his knees beside the nearest guard.

  Black fluid oozed from the marks on the titan’s neck, and his eyes, once bright blue, were glazed and lifeless.

  “That’s impossible,” Golobus said, his stone-like features cracking with concern. “Titans cannot die except by an Origin’s hand...”

  “Or Germaine’s,” Aerus added softly.

  Permeus looked up, his face a mask of fury and disbelief.

  “They’re dead. All of them... they’re dead.”

  Without another word, he rose and stormed toward the exit.

  “Permeus, wait!” Desia called, hurrying after him. “Where are you going? It is dangerous out there.”

  “To hunt down whatever did this,” he replied without slowing, his voice cold with rage. “And to burn it out of existence like I should have when I first saw it.”

  Permeus had hoped to study the blasted bird himself once the meetings of the union were over, especially its ability of regeneration, but never had he imagined that it would regenerate to full health and slaughter his guards, who by the looks of it were surprised. Now is only mercilessness and vengeance, and he was going to make sure it felt both in equal measure.

  “We might need to keep it alive!” Desia argued, struggling to keep pace with his long strides. “If these creatures are spreading, we need to understand them!”

  “What I understand,” Permeus growled as they emerged into the courtyard, “is that something has just killed my people. Something that apparently shouldn’t exist, much less have the power to kill immortals.”

  Desia grabbed his arm. “At least be careful. We don’t know how potent that venom is or whether it can affect an Origin.”

  For a moment, Permeus’s expression softened. Then he pulled away, summoning a chariot of flame that materialized before him.

  “I’ll be back with answers,” he promised as he mounted the chariot, “one way or another.”

  The other Origins joined Desia in the courtyard, watching as Permeus’ chariot streaked into the night sky like a comet, leaving a trail of fire in its wake.

  “He’s going to get himself killed,” Darkeus muttered.

  “Perhaps,” Helus replied, his face grim, “but I fear we all face that risk if we cannot identify the source of these creatures soon.”

  As they stood watching the fading light of Permeus’ chariot, none of them noticed the shadow that slipped from the basement and melted into the darkness of Titania’s outskirts, a shadow with the form of a man and eyes that glowed crimson in the night. A shadow that was named Operas.