The moon poured its cold light over the courtyard, illuminating Typhon and the being before him.
They stared at each other, absolute silence between them, as if the air had condensed, heavy and sharp.
A blade appeared out of nowhere, resting on Typhon's neck.
He didn't feel it approach. He only froze, every muscle tense, sensing the danger by instinct — and yet, something deeper disturbed him, a presence that transcended strength or magic.
The shadow spoke. The voice was calm, but it reverberated in the courtyard like contained thunder:
"I suggest you calm down." Each word seemed to bend the space, echoing in the bones. " We did not come here to fight."
Typhon clenched his teeth, disbelief and caution burning in his eyes.
"You must be joking..." he muttered, his breathing heavy. "Ereon... what have you done? Besides breaking the taboo kept by the gods, you..."
Before he could finish, Brianna, Karna, Kael and Phoebe advanced, silent, instinctive steps.
But when their eyes met the scene, each of them felt the world twist.
Two beings emerged under the moon, identical as echoes of the same abyss.
The air vibrated, heavy with weight and anticipation. Every breath seemed to drag stone; every heartbeat, a thunder.
Ahead, Ereon — pale skin with a dark glow; short black hair, with long and disordered strands down to the nape; purple eyes, deep, radiating power.
Behind Typhon, the other — equally pale skin, dark glow; short black hair and chaotic strands; abyssal black eyes, as if they swallowed the light around them.
Brianna was the first to react.
Her silver eyes shone, incandescent lines and circles appearing for an instant as she processed the vision: not just one, but two beings, perfectly equal — and the presence of both distorted space, the reality around seemed thinner, about to tear.
The blood froze in her veins. She understood, at last, the implicit message of the shadow: it was not just about the balance on the other side. It was something greater, more dangerous... a storm capable of sweeping the entire Empire away, with no chance of escape.
Karna took a deep breath, the playful smile disappearing, replaced by an almost instinctive focus.
He felt the density of the air, the energy pulsing around, calculating every possibility of attack and defense, every path they could take not to be caught off guard.
Even his lightest heart recognized the absolute danger before them.
Kael leaned lightly on the ground, the blindfold still covering his eyes, but his senses expanded like roots in the soil.
He felt the vibrations: the presence of both beings, the weight of their energy in the courtyard, every step, every breath.
The ground seemed to tell him secrets that eyes never could. His serene posture did not deceive: he was ready to react at any moment.
Phoebe remained silent, upright posture, hands discreetly aligned in front. Even without seeing, her perception extended through the entire environment.
She felt the pressure of each being, the danger surrounding them and, more importantly, the crucial moment of decision approaching.
Her voice, when it finally broke the silence, sounded firm, filled with calm authority:
"Now we will decide..." she said, pausing so that each word would pierce like a blade. "Whether we will be allies... or enemies."
The courtyard seemed to hold its breath with them. The moonlight reflected in shadows that danced over stone and blood, as if the world itself hesitated before the storm about to rise.
Typhon felt the tension reverberate in every fiber of his body.
Brianna, Kael and Karna were alert, each reacting in their own way, but the shared perception was clear: those two beings had not come just to confront — they had come to change everything.
And in the sharp silence of the courtyard, the shadow remained still, watching, waiting, letting the weight of its presence speak for itself.
Ereon's eyes swept over the beings that had appeared in the central courtyard. A cold smile formed on his face:
"This place used to be better." he said, pausing as if savoring the heavy silence "Not even a cup of tea is offered."
Typhon raised an eyebrow, sarcasm dripping from every word:
"Of course. Since you're thirsty... come closer, and I'll make you drink your own blood."
From the shadows, a woman of supernatural beauty emerged.
Skin pale as snow, black hair with bluish reflections and golden-amber eyes that, under the moon, burned reddish.
She wore imperial red and gold garments, adorned with serpentine symbols; a crimson mark shone on her forehead when her dark essence manifested.
Her voice was cold and venomous, each syllable loaded with disdain:
"You haven't changed at all, Typhon." she smiled, lazy and lethal; each word an invisible slap.
Typhon retaliated with malice:
"Look what we have here... seems that finally the biggest whore of Greece managed a human form. What did it take, Limia? Kneeling and begging to Erebus's spawn?" the laughter in his voice cut like a blade.
She tilted her head, her eyes sparking:
"It wasn't anything as graceful as you imagine." she paused, cruel "And you, Typhon, how have you been? The last time we met, you seemed a bit... shaken. Where was it again? Mount Etna? Sicily? No... I'm almost sure it was in Poseidon's territory, where your lover... was in bed with him."
Typhon's smile became dark, control on the verge of cracking:
"I should have killed you when I could." he murmured, low and dangerous.
She smiled with absolute contempt:
"I suggest you step back, Typhon. You are at a disadvantage." she stared at Brianna with a predatory look "If you choose to fight, the first one I will kill will be her." she paused, savoring the tension "She's the only one that shows real danger."
Phoebe straightened her posture; her calm cut through the air. Without haste, as one who weighs destinies, she let the golden blindfold slide through her fingers — a ceremonial gesture, not a search for sight.
Her voice came out clear, slow, like a polished blade:
"Divinities can be unpleasant" she began, measuring each word "starting with the gods and ending in their creations."
She sighed, her presence expanding in silence. "This is not Greece." she continued, firmness in every syllable. "This is my territory. Refrain from believing that you can do as you please."
The air around trembled. Phoebe raised her hands with contained precision: blades of light appeared, sharp, ready for defense. She looked in Limia's direction and declared with implacable voice:
"If a fight starts here, I will kill her first."
The entire courtyard seemed to hold its breath. Every step, every gesture, every glance turned into a dance of imminent danger.
The air grew heavy, filled with power and threat; even the moon, for an instant, seemed to recoil.
Ereon smiled, short, like one who keeps pleasure in a contained revelation:
"So you went through the Tirésias Resurrection." each word came measured, almost a test, challenging the air around him.
Phoebe faced him, firm, calm voice but filled with authority:
"Tell me: why did you come here? I don't believe you moved only to fight."
Ereon made a brief pause, his purple eyes shining under the moonlight like sharp blades:
"I have matters to deal with. Starting with Baron Silvanis, Skýra Bragança, Medéa... and you, Phoebe." each name fell in the air like a piece carefully moved on a mortal chessboard. "And I want to understand how each of you may be useful to me."
Phoebe kept her gaze firm, each word filled with authority:
"You shouldn't have meddled with the Norse gods, Ereon. Now you will have two problems in your hands: Zeus and Odin, as well as all the gods of the Order."
The silence of the courtyard deepened, almost tangible. Ereon smiled, short, like one who keeps pleasure in a contained revelation, and replied, cold and measured:
"Well... that's why I'm here. Enlighten me with your wisdom, Tirésias. Who is Odin, and why did I feel his eyes rest upon me while I rebuilt this body?"
The moon cast silver light over the field, illuminating the tense faces. Every word seemed to weigh in the air.
All remained still, feeling the gravity of the moment, unable to fully comprehend the reach of that conversation.
Brianna analyzed every gesture, every pause, piecing the puzzle together. For an instant, her expression changed, silver eyes sparkling with comprehension:
"You created chaos in the Abyss... and you're also the one responsible for the emergence of a new Prince."
Ereon faced her, his purple eyes shining like sharp blades, mixing irony and absolute control:
"I needed something to cover my tracks... so I had to create a little chaos on the other side."
The air seemed to tremble around. The statement, simple, carried a weight that Brianna felt reverberate down to the courtyard floor. She understood, finally, the full panorama of Ereon's plan.
Ereon then turned to Phoebe, cold and cutting voice, so measured it seemed to slice the silence:
"And then... I know you have connection with the Temple and the title of Saint. You must have useful information."
Phoebe took a deep breath, her eyes lighting under the moon's reflection. Every word of hers fell like a blade of light in the dark courtyard, firm and without hesitation:
"I can only affirm one thing: Odin is not someone you can face in your state. And the body you rebuilt has connection with an ancient dragon. That's all I can say; the rest, you may discover yourself, Prince of the North."
Her words echoed through the courtyard, dense and filled with warning. The wind seemed to hold its breath with them, as if the very night awaited the reaction.
Before turning and leaving, she threw one last sentence, sharp and filled with warning:
"I hope you're far away by dawn. We already have too many problems to deal with the wrath of the Norse gods."
Silence remained for moments. Each shadow seemed denser, each movement heavier. The tension hung in the air, a silent warning that the world they knew had just changed.