Within three months of Midnight Haven's birth, we'd been busy.
In the hideout in the east—a warehouse—Luna weaved through the darkness, her mana sword cutting with blinding speed. Enemies fell like flies. More rushed in from ahead, shouting in panic,
"It's them! The ones destroying facilities across the Etheridge territory, kill her!"
Luna didn't stop walking. She only whispered, "Titan…"
Titan appeared from above, her eyes alight with a craving for destruction. She landed on one enemy, driving his head into the ground with a grin. The others were shocked, but Titan moved too fast, claws slashing through them, blood spraying with every strike. She smashed the ground with her fists, shattering stone into rubble, then slammed her tail, sending chunks of earth flying like massive projectiles that skewered and crushed her foes. Over twenty bodies lay broken in her wake.
Walking through the chaos, Luna finally spoke.
"Titan, you should learn to fight with more precision and less destruction."
As Titan walked beside her on all fours, unlike the others, fully tapping into her primal instincts, she responded, "But… but Lord NF said Titan can fight however Titan wants."
Luna folded her arms, a smirk forming on her face. "Lord Night Fallen is far too lenient with you lot. I suppose it can't be helped."
They pressed forward, tearing through the remaining enemies. One man, already missing an arm, begged for his life. Titan tilted her head in confusion, scratching at her black fur. "But… but Lord NF said if someone asks Titan for mercy, Titan should just grin… and then proceed to massacre them."
The man's eyes widened at the sheer madness before him as Titan grinned and that was the last thing he ever saw.
While Luna freed the other demi-humans held for experiments, she whispered as she left the hideout with the prisoners, "Titan…"
Titan obeyed without hesitation. She tore through the remaining structure, reducing the entire hideout to rubble. Walls crumbled, beams splintered, and the place collapsed into a twisted, shattered ruin, leaving no survivors.
*****
Meanwhile, Black Rose and Miranda were at the old building hall hideout in the west, one of the largest hideouts so far.
The guards were stationed everywhere, almost two hundred strong across the first and second floors, all heavily armed. Black Rose strode in, umbrella in hand, while Miranda had a lollipop in her mouth, a long mana shard dripping with blood already.
"You know, Lady Black Rose, I find it far more pleasing to work with you than Lady Luna… she's a bit…"
Black Rose chuckled. "Stiff. Well, don't let her hear you say that, or we'll both get scolded."
All the guards froze at the sound of their heels, pointing their guns toward the entrance.
"An intruder? All men, shoot on sight!"
The moment he spoke, a thread shot from above, yanking his neck upward. He struggled in shock as the others raised their weapons and fired.
Miranda moved like a shadow, weaving through the hail of bullets and deflecting them effortlessly with her mana shard. She slashed through one guard's throat, another's chest, then another's head, flowing upward to the second floor with lethal precision. Bodies dangled as Black Rose's threads severed limbs, shredding enemies into minced pieces while blood sprayed and dripped off her umbrella. The corpses crashed to the floor below.
One guard tried to strike Miranda from behind, but she casually threw her shard without looking. He wobbled and tumbled off the railing.
Miranda's gaze lingered on the scene. "That's… gross even for you, Lady Black Rose." She turned away, composed, and proceeded to search for the imprisoned demi-humans.
Black Rose stepped toward the man, his one leg dragging him along the wall. She pressed her heel near his face, then drew her tarot cards from her sleeve and shuffled them calmly.
"Go ahead… choose your fate."
The man shook his head frantically. Black Rose's enigmatic smile never left.
She drew a card—the Coffin Nail—and held it up before him.
"Perhaps… next time."
A thread shot out, slicing cleanly through the top of his head. His body collapsed into a pool of blood. Black Rose turned and walked away, her heels echoing in the silence. Corpses hung, dangled on the railings, and splattered across the floor; the edges of her umbrella dripped crimson.
"Seems Miranda already freed the prisoners and collected the vials. Hopefully she found some gold. Lord Night Fallen would be pleased."
Her hand flickered, sending a thread cutting through the pillars. The hideout caved in behind her, crumbling to ruin.
*****
A month later, word of the destruction of the Ethridge Church's secret facilities spread through the underworld and above, whispers of an evil shadow organization aiming for humanity's downfall, identities unknown.
In the capital of Bermith, inside the Ethridge Church, men gathered around a long table. Some wore priestly robes, others dark suits. Heads barely cleared the polished wood.
"What is this?!" one bellowed, fists slamming the table.
"It seems someone is deliberately challenging the Church… could it be a wielder of the Rogue Mark?" another asked, voice calm, almost too calm.
"Rogue Mark?" the first scoffed. "That's nothing but a myth. Just some radical trying to fight for demi-human rights or some such nonsense… not realizing...." He smirked, leaning back in his chair. "The Church decides what is justice. Whoever these fools are, they won't last long."
*****
Back at Midnight Haven, our numbers had grown, over a hundred demi-humans freed from imprisonment now calling this place home. Order was necessary, so above them sat the Ten Moons. Luna led them, naturally, her responsible nature making her the obvious choice. Black Rose wielded authority equal to Luna's, though she preferred to leave the day-to-day work to others. Titan and Miranda, of course, were among the Ten Moons as well.
Thanks to my diligent, hard-working subordinates, I finally managed to get myself some painting tools and a canvas — hobbies I rarely had time for. Another thing I do is share my experiences from my old world, stories only I could know. It makes me feel… mystical, and the girls treat my tales as one might a holy text. I ran with it and called it The Midnight Blessing.
Luna entered quietly and stopped a respectful distance away. She bowed, waiting until I acknowledged her.
"Lord Night Fallen," she said evenly. "Forgive the interruption to your artistry. Rhea has returned from the capital of Bermith."
My brush paused mid-stroke. A faint curve touched my lips.
"Already?" I said. "Rhea works fast."
I set the brush aside and rose. Luna straightened and followed as I passed her, our footsteps carrying us through the corridor and into the main throne room. I took my seat.
Rhea stood waiting, silver hair cropped short, fox ears alert yet composed. She was one of the Ten Moons, one of the quieter members. She knelt and lowered her head.
"Lord Night Fallen… it is as you predicted. Word of us has spread through the capital. It won't be long before they begin plotting against us." Her jaw tightened. "They're calling us—"
"Rhea." My voice carried, and she looked up at once.
"Midnight Haven does not act for acknowledgment. People deem the night threatening by nature. In order for day to follow night, night must come first, regardless of the darkness it brings."
No one spoke. Miranda's thoughts were written plainly across her face. 'Oh my gosh… Lord Night Fallen is so wise! He's so cool!'
Luna's lips curved into a knowing smirk. "Rhea, Lord Night Fallen fights for everlasting peace. History rarely understands great figures in their time."
Black Rose let out a quiet chuckle, amused.
As murmurs of reverence passed through the room, I watched them from my throne. Luna couldn't have been more wrong. I had no interest in world peace or grand ideals but if that delusion kept them loyal, then my purpose could be whatever they believed it to be.
I leaned forward slightly.
"Now then… it's time to pay the capital a visit." A smirk crept.
'The grand stage.'