"So for what this meeting arranged? My lord," one of the shadows whispered in disbelief. She thought that the meeting was arranged for the plan but after hearding the Mage King's word she couldn't understood why?
The seat at the top of the circle had always remained silent. Today, it glowed.
But what sat on the throne wasn't a man.
It was a shadow that burned like gold fire.
He spoke with no emotion.
"You asked what happned? Why i arranged this meeting? Your every questions answers will meet you soon."
The room held its breath.
The Mage King continued.
" The unknown person called me and said that if you want to know real truth than meet me with your every companions in this chamber."
" He didn't spoke anything but I think he knows something that is necessary for us."
Seroi's breath caught slightly.
The Mage King went on.
"I know you all think that what type of stupid things i am doing but I have some clues regarding that. Beleive me."
The flame dimmed for a moment located in the middle of the chamber.
The one shadow spoke...
"We all are believe on you. My lord. In previous one we have doubt but we show the truth. You are right and we always loyal to you. No matter how the situation wil."
After his words evryone agreed. All are believed on Mage King.
"The people inside. Very interesting you all."
Same figure appeared. He clapped. His voice was as usually so heavy.
"So you was that person who contacted."
The Mage King told. His gaze was as usual normal.
Evryone were amazed and shocked. They thought that Mage King was right. If that person entered the chamber without any security broken. Then that person was not normal.
The whisper spread everywhere. Evryone was whispered about that person. His shadow only appeared but in one site anyone could guess easily that he have immense power.
The Mage King's voice darkened...
"So reveal us why you are want to meet us? What important information you have?"
"Now you all are here. Not many. But enough. Enough to guide your hand when you betrayed Ren. Enough to kill Yato when he resisted the council's lies. Enough to push us all toward ruin."
The figure spoke. His words like a knife that cut everything.
The council remained silent. No one has strength to spoke. His words are enough true to silent evryone.
Then Seroi looked down. He couldn't handle his words.
"Yato died with honor. He never spoke a word of it. He just… vanished from the records."
The dark fire flared and the figure turned towards the Seroi and spoke without no emotions.
"Because you erased him. You are the one pawn of their game. They all lied you."
Seroi clenched his jaw.
"Because I had no choice. Because if I hadn't… they would have infected him too."
"Hmm... So you knew that evryone was betrayed you."
"Yes, I know the truth."
"The truth... Really! You think you know truth. They all still lies you."
The room began to shift. The mist churned. The walls seemed to ripple like water.
And then the Mage King whispered something none of them expected.
"So you know my real identity. Hahaha.. But now it's too late. Your elite soldiers and mages are already not alive."
Mage King laughed like a evil. His smile was too devilish. Then he revealed his true identity.
He was not a human nor a animal. He was like a alien. He stood taller than any human, ranging from eight to twelve feet, but never upright. His bodies curved like serpents long, arched spines covered in smooth, black skin that reflects no light. His limbs were thin and jointless, flew like strands of silk yet able to hold crushing strength. He had between four to six limbs, all grew from the same place the chest.
His face had no mouths. Just a vertical slit where the nose would be, constantly shifted open and closed like a breathing wound. They did not spoke through sound but through mental pressure.
Eyes? He had one. But Other members had dozens, arranged like rings around their skull. All of them(His Civilization Members) were pupil-less and glow faint violet, shown starscapes that move within their gaze.
From their backs grow long fibers, not hair, but extensions of their nervous system — tendrils that float in the air like roots in water. These are how they bond to machines, hosts, and even planets. The fibers pierce into matter and merge, allowing them to control it.
Their movements are soundless. They glide, not walk. He had not red blood. A silver black blood shown in his veins.
All narrowed their eyes.
"What? What is that? Is that human?"
All were felt his pressure. He had immense amount of mana energy.
"So you see Seroi. Who actually he is. He is an impostor to manage the invasion by that civilization."
All were shocked too. Like in every seconds the revelation of truth gave them a heart attack.
"But How you know? Who you are?"
Seroi asked boldly.
"Hmm... I am your real Mage King and he is an impostor. They captured me and tortured me. I was caught by them...."
"You are right. We are caught you but how you escaped that place? It's impossible to escape that prison. Even higher members of our civilization can't escape it."
The creature spoke in curiosity.
"Really, what you think your prison have that much power to hold me. Hahaha... You think you caught me but actually it was me who want to caught by you."
Mage King spoke calmly with smile. He laughed sometimes in between that. The flow of the energy easily shows in his eyes.
"Ohh! So you escaped from that place. But what about next? As i said you the planet Qiyun not had that much potential to stop us. Yes, that's right to had a protection of the unknown barrier but our higher members had planned to destroyed it too."
The creature spoke. In his face so much excitement and joy seen.
"Hmmm... So you didn't know till now what is that barrier? Who was placed that?"
The Mage King Delio spoke to him. In his eyes had a confidence.
"Hahaha..." The creature laughed. "You thought we don't know? We know everything about it now. A boy who had a immense power. To protect him someone put that barrier."
The creature answered. Every one were not knew what happened. And what will be? They all were in confusion. Thoughted like they were in dreams.
★★★
Elsewhere, Ren stood alone at the edge of a ruined bridge that once crossed a clean river.
The wind brushed against his coat. In his hand was a small photograph.
His mother. His father. Mira. Watson.
They smiled, frozen in time.
Ren stared at it for a long while.
The memories still came in flashes. But something had changed in him.
He was no longer the scared boy who trained under stone ceilings and prayed for approval.
He was something else now.
His voice was calm, almost like it wasn't meant to be heard.
"I'm coming."
He turned and walked into the mist.
And far above, where no eye could reach, something in the sky blinked awake.
Watching.
Waiting.