[Immortal Hall.]
WHOOSH!
The Second Elder, Valerie, landed in the center of the vast Immortal Hall with the grace of a shooting star. Her gaze slowly swept across the nine elders already seated in a semi-circle around her.
"What news do you bring, Valerie?" the First Elder, Leonardo, asked, his voice a low rumble.
Valerie bowed slightly. "First Elder Leonardo, you were right. It was just her fragment... nothing more." A wave of relief washed over her words.
"Oh... But Aiden said you found something else," Leonardo countered, a subtle arch in his brow.
Valerie's eyes flickered to the Tenth Elder, Aiden. 'Ogres are always trouble,' she hissed inwardly, before speaking aloud:
"Yes... I discovered traces of Deaths."
A palpable shift in the atmosphere swept through the hall. All the elders, save for Aiden, straightened, their expressions turning serious.
"Are you sure about this?!" Leonardo demanded, rising to his feet, his chair scraping against the polished floor.
