Verdamona's room in the palace was dimly lit by the dying light of dusk. Outside, the faint hum of Rome's flux barriers filled the air. It had become the city's new rhythm since the Faceless attacks began two weeks ago.
She closed the door behind her and leaned against it for a long moment, exhaling like she had just survived a marathon. Her armorless military uniform was wrinkled from sitting in the war room all day. Her hair was a bit tangled from the constant stress and lack of sleep. The holographic maps, the commanders' booming voices, the sheer weight of the responsibility they had shoved onto her shoulders, it all dissolved as she stepped in her room. She collapsed face-first onto the bed. The mattress gave a soft whiff under her weight.
"Finally. I'm going to melt into this bed and never move again..."
But even as she tried to relax, her mind refused to stop spinning. The war table, the reports, the screams in the background of radio transmissions, they all replayed behind her eyes. She turned over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. The chandelier above had been dimmed to a low golden glow.
"I haven't seen anyone in forever…"
It had been two weeks since she last saw Hinesia, Thales, or Xaessia. To her, it was two weeks of meetings, reports, and sleepless nights. She missed them more than she would admit.
Hinesia was buried in statecraft with the Empress. She heard they were reshaping the government of the Roman Empire after the Empress made her shocking decision to resign. Verdamona still couldn't believe it when she'd first heard.
'Who resigns from being Empress?'
But the woman had handed over power to the Senate, saying Rome's survival needed collective guidance, not a throne. Hinesia, as expected, had been instrumental in stabilizing the transition, practically helping the Empress with the new government system.
Then there were Xaessia and Thales. They had gone north, spreading aid to the refugee camps across Italy, which were all under constant attack or evacuation. Verdamona had read the reports and seen their names pop up in field dispatches.
Thales had been using the chaos to make himself known among the people. "An Heir of the House of Erdict brings hope to the Empire," the headlines said. Verdamona had smirked when she first saw it. He loved attention but at least this time he was doing something meaningful with it. Xaessia, on the other hand, worked quietly beside him. The House of Argemenes had always been proud, but now it was becoming revered. She was charismatic, capable, and terrifyingly efficient. Together, the two of them made a perfect political storm.
And Hinesia's House had its soldiers stationed across refugee zones as guards. Their tri-alliance with the Houses of Augustus and Argemenes was no longer just a symbol of unity. It was admired worldwide.
"Guess the trio's doing fine without me…"
Her smile faded a little. She was proud, sure, but it reminded her how long it had been since she'd actually spoken to any of them. And the worst part? The people she wanted to see the most were still missing. She sat up, pushing her hair out of her face, and stared out the window at the orange sky fading into deep blue.
"You better not be dead, Phaser."
Phaser and Haruno had left for the Trial of the Blood Odachi two weeks ago and there had been no contact since. The last she heard was that they were traveling to the trial of a Primal Synsiline Treasure.
"They're probably fine. Phaser's strong, right?."
If anyone could finish a trial and come out alive, it would be him. Still, the silence was bothering her. The world felt quieter without their constant chaos.
The palace felt too calm.
She rolled back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling again. Her thoughts drifted back to something that had been gnawing at the back of her mind. She remembered the last words Hinesia tells her before leaving for the Senate.
"Verdamona, the Faceless have a king called the The Faceless Sovereign. If you find him... no, when you find him, don't engage. Inform me, Xaessia, and Thales. They're the ones controlling the Faceless. Don't let anyone attack it."
Verdamona exhaled slowly, frowning.
"Right. The Faceless Sovereign."
She turned onto her side, pulling her blanket over her shoulder, glaring at the edge of the pillow like it was responsible for her stress.
"I'm supposed to find an immortal monster leading an army of unkillable horrors. And then what? Just send a text? 'Hey, guys, found your eldritch overlord!' Great plan, Hinesia."
She groaned and covered her face with her pillow.
"Ugh, I hate thinking!"
Her muffled voice echoed off the soft silk fabric. After a moment, she rolled the pillow off her face and stared at the ceiling again.
October was coming.
That meant her break was over. She would have to go back to Reversa University, assuming the world hadn't ended yet. She sat up slightly, hugging her knees to her chest.
"How do people balance school and global apocalypse at the same time? Do I just… hand in essays between battles?"
Her cellphone chimed. It was a message from one of the Commanders, asking for her presence at a strategy briefing tomorrow. She sighed and tossed it back onto the bed.
"I just wanted to enjoy summer in a different country with rich friends and use their money to satisfy myself. Now I'm playing advisor to the Empire and possibly hunting down an interdimensional boogeyman."
The thought made her chuckle softly. It was the kind of tired laugh that came from pure mental exhaustion. She closed her eyes, letting herself sink deeper into the bed.
"Please, be okay, you idiots…"
And for the first time in two weeks, Verdamona fell asleep without dreaming of faceless horrors or burning cities.
°°°°°°
Verdamona lay curled on the bed, with the silk sheets tangled around her legs. Her face was half-buried in the pillow. Outside, the night in Rome was unnervingly still.
From the corner of the ceiling, the darkness folded inward. A shape stretched out from the gloom, forming the outline of a woman. Her body was impossibly tall, wrapped by dark mist. Her eyes were two deep voids with faint ripples of golden and when she breathed, the curtains fluttered through the windows were closed.
She looked at Verdamona. Or rather, through her.
"You are not… a good host."
Her tone was not angry but merely disappointed. She took a step forward, the floor cracking beneath her as if they remembered an ancient weight. Her gaze lingered on Verdamona's sleeping face.
"Too unsure. You dream when you should be screaming. You really are an opportunistic woman."
Her eyes shifted toward the window. The city sprawled before her, half-lit by fires still burning in the outskirts. The night wind carried the faint wail of sirens and the distant clang of metal.
"If it was not for the carnage, I would still be crawling under Russian snow with their cages and their science clawing at me. But you Fluxers are good for one thing. When the world burns, it opens the locks. And now I must move again before I fade."
She turned from Verdamona, who stirred slightly, her brow furrowing in sleep.
"I know who to choose. Someone far less fragile. Far more… fitting. Unfortunately, I do not understand why my ancestors want me to integrate with her but..."
The temperature in the room dropped instantly. The final traces of her shape dissipated with a whisper that brushed against Verdamona's ear.
"Sleep well. Your part is done."
The curtains were silent. The room was silent again. Verdamona turned slightly in her sleep, her lips parting in a faint, confused breath, as if she had heard something but couldn't remember what.