The Song domain was hosting a banquet and ball.
Of course, the occasion was that over four hundred of the strongest Sleepers the world had ever seen had escaped the Forgotten Shore. More than that, a hundred of them had been personally recruited into the great clan, and the two royal heirs, Nico and Seishan, had been a major part of the leadership that led the charge back.
Inside their grand compound, hundreds of clan members, government personnel, influential mundane, and Awakened had gathered.
Waiting under crystal chandeliers and gilded pillars, they couldn't help but be enamored by the opulence; the polished marble glistened under their feet, the gorgeous engravings on the ceiling hovered above the second-floor viewing, and the rich, intricately carved wooden furniture decorated the edges of the hall.
Guests continuously entered, each wearing outfits more vogue than the last. Pleasant idle chatter began echoed everywhere, and servants busied themselves delivering refreshments, offering snack platters, and announcing each new guest.
Then, the clock struck eight and all conversation ceased.
Red velvet curtains parted to reveal the main stage, and a woman with fair skin, a scarlet gown, and a delicate, irresistible face stole their attention. Long black hair tumbled down her back. Her dark, mesmerizing eyes swept over the crowd, and a small grin played on her lips.
She was Eunbin — Beastmaster — one of Ki Song's six Transcendent daughters.
She spoke softly, and though she held no microphone, her husky voice easily reached their ears.
"Welcome all, esteemed guests and family. As I'm sure you all know, just about a month ago we were given a wonderful surprise. For, after over a decade of harsh survival, my sister, Seishan, had returned. Alongside her, my brother, Nico, and over four hundred other dedicated Sleepers who are on track to become the greatest group of Awakened the world has ever seen."
She paused, clasped her hands, then continued:
"Over a hundred of those powerful men and women were recruited into our great clan. For a month now they have worked tirelessly, contributing their worth to our world and dedicating their lives to humanity. And so, their suffering must not be forgotten! Their triumph must be sung! And tonight, we will celebrate their homecoming!"
A wonderful smile bloomed on her face as she gestured to the audience before her. Several men blushed deep red, and a second curtain behind her parted.
"Which is why I invite you all to eat, drink, and dance to your heart's content! Please, enjoy the festivities!"
The beguiling Saint bowed, then stepped to the side, revealing an elegant orchestra of professional musicians. They stood in rows, wearing matching black tuxedos and holding shiny brass instruments.
At the head of them all was a glossy black grand piano, its keys carved from pure ivory and ebony.
Sitting on the instrument's bench was a tall man with sun-kissed skin and short brown hair. A long-sleeve white dress shirt covered his torso, rolled up at the cuffs and bound tightly by a black waistcoat.
His face was statuesquely aloof — with thin lips and sharp features — and due to his obviously attractive features, he was Awakened. But, unlike most of his kind, even his mere presence defied reason. A tangible force pulled their eyes towards his as he scanned over the crowd.
A subtle haze seemed to shimmer in the air around him.
Instantly, everyone knew who he was, for he had been one of only two Sleepers to have fought a Fallen Terror. On the Forgotten Shore, he was both an elite member of Gunlaug's regime and the first to rebel against it. He had disappeared into the labyrinth for nine months, returning only to aide Changing Star's last stand against the golden lord.
He was Nico of Song, Dawn Eternal.
As the ballroom cleared at the center, and people began to motion to dance, his eyes rotated smoothly back to the keys, and his fingers rose, delicately playing a slow composition.
With each note pressed, wonderful music graced the audience's ears.
With each note he played, wisps of blue essence sparkled in the air.
With each note that sang, ephemeral mist swirled in dazzling loops…
***
…A while later, Nico stood from his bench, collected his coat, and let another musician take his place. His audience below grew strangely cheerful then, lowering their glasses and pausing their dances to give him applause.
He could feel several people looking at him with hunger—not just for his body, but also for the money, power, and prestige that ingratiating themselves with him would bring.
'Inconvenient.'
Slipping his coat back on, he descended the stage stairs and barely managed to make his way through the frenzied crowd. He was looking for his cohort. Or, rather, Seishan, Gemma, and Kido.
All three had received tremendous accolades from the Forgotten Shore, and all three had gained True Names, although Seishan never spoke of hers.
Firstly, Gemma's new Awakened Ability allowed him to freely change the size of his body. Through it, he could rapidly shrink or grow himself with impunity, recovering no matter the size thanks to his even more potent Dormant Ability. The ratio could also be controlled, meaning he could increase only a single limb or just two. His Innate Ability allowed him to freely change his center of gravity, aiding in the strange maneuvers he could achieve.
The versatility and applications were almost strictly related to combat though, and it was quite costly on his essence as well. To be expected of an Awakened Aspect.
He had earned the True Name Sanguine Huntsman.
Then there was Kido. Her Innate Ability made her much better at crafting. She could influence the properties of plants with her Dormant Ability, but in truth it was much more than that. Its actual purpose was to influence all living things, but she had kept that facet secret, and now, through her Awakened Ability, she could alter non-living objects. It was definitely powerful, but its uses were mostly limited due to her rank. Her Aspect was Transcendent.
The True Name granted to her by the Spell was The Artificer.
She'd also received an Attribute called [Sage] that let her draw recover essence quicker when surrounded by plants.
Other, more personal things like their Flaws weren't known to him, but he figured it for the better. Not everyone needed theirs publicized like his — although most misunderstood it entirely.
Politely shuffling through the chattering crowd, he finally managed to reach his three compatriots. At the moment, Kido was engaged in conversation with a random guest, and Seishan was talking to one of his blood sisters, so he walked up to Gemma first.
His short, neat dark brown hair was combed to the side, and he wore an elegant suit with golden trimming and a gray vest. The proud man noticed Nico immediately, breaking into a grin as he shuffled over and clasped his hand onto his shoulder.
"My friend, I didn't know you could play like that! That was impressive! You really put on a show with those lights, didn't you? How'd you do it?"
Nico blinked.
"It was simply essence I dispersed into the air and crystallized with my Awakened Ability."
"Simply," Gemma scoffed, then attempted to take a sip of his glass, only to find a few drops of crimson liquid left.
Nico's lips curled upwards ever so slightly, and his finger grazed the side of the glass. It shimmered a moment later with faint blue light before dispersing into countless motes. Slowly, each manifested drops of the rich crimson liquid, and soon the glass was half full again.
Despite the theatrics, Nico found making his Awakened Ability's process visible was a good way to keep people aware of it and also hide a facet of his ability; the reason he had used it with Gemma, though, was so that he didn't end up accidently spilling the wine.
Once the glow faded, the former Hunter swished his glass, sniffed the liquid, then took a cautious sip.
"The hardest part was trying to do all that while ignoring other people's venerated gazes," Nico continued. "It's quite challenging to focus. I didn't realize my presence had such an effect on people. All the Sleepers on the Forgotten Shore had been too dreary for thoughts like that."
Gemma chuckled.
"Ah, well, we're Awakened now. Everyone looks at us that way, regardless of whether they're mundane or not. Don't hold it against them."
He shifted his posture slightly and gestured towards the sitting area. Nico nodded, and they walked together, eventually resting in two wooden chairs propped back against the wall.
Gemma sighed.
"On another note, I've made my decision. The things I needed to do are… done. As done as they will ever be. I want to join you and Seishan. Kido agreed as well. Most of the Hunters, Handmaidens, and remaining Artisans are here anyway — like we recommended of them — so we're coming along too."
Nico gave him a knowing nod. Though he wasn't privy to whatever private matter Gemma had undertaken, he could sense that the man's resolve had become solid. There was much to do now. Gemma and Kido's choice was something he had been waiting for in order to create a solid future plan. A torrent of various ideas he had repressed began to reemerge again…
…Unaware of his current contemplation, and rather unable to stomach a question that had been plaguing him since the last few weeks, Gemma blurted out:
"I've been meaning to ask, how many do you have now? You had three on the shore, right? Did you tell Song?"
Nico snapped back to reality, then furrowed his brows. Gemma was referring to his Soul Cores. It had taken him a little over two years to become a Demon in the Dream Realm, but now, after revealing his ability to form more cores to his… clan? Family? Whatever it was, he had been given a plethora of resources to evolve and was now about to become a Devil.
"I did tell them, and I'm almost at four."
However, that was hardly the highlight.
"My Spirit also Ascended."