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The scene opened in an abyssal void, an endless expanse of darkness where light seemed to bend and vanish. Six figures stood in a circle, their bodies obscured entirely by the impenetrable blackness. Only their eyes glowed, each pair unique—malevolent, piercing, or calm, reflecting the personalities of the Eclipse Sovereignty’s members.
Vesper Noctis, the 2nd in command, spoke first, his voice cold and deliberate. “I called this meeting because Lord Malakar has informed me that Commander Aiden is no longer in his chamber.”
A tense silence followed before Zareth Morghul, the 4th in command, broke it. “He escaped?”
Selene Nyx, the 5th, replied sharply, her tone carrying an edge of disbelief. “That’s impossible. I watched Kaelus place a Dark Pact around Aiden’s chamber myself. There was no way for him to escape.”
The Dark Pact, the narrator (me lol) explained, was an unbreakable ward forged from an individual’s essence. Once bound by it, no one could bypass its constraints except for the creator or a member of the Eclipse Sovereignty. The chamber was supposed to be impenetrable—its doors and walls sealed not just physically but magically, tethered to Kaelus’s will. The spell also actively repelled external forces, ensuring no interference from outside.
Vesper responded icily. “Well, he’s gone now. And Malakar wants answers.”
Darius Kaine, the 7th, leaned forward slightly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “None of us even knew he was gone until you said something, so why in the world would we have the answers?”
Vesper’s eyes narrowed, his tone biting. “Why yes, Darius, let me waddle back to Lord Malakar and tell him we have no idea what happened because we never noticed it until now. I’m sure he’ll take that well.”
Before Darius could retort, Neraxis, Lord of the Abyss, spoke in his deep, otherworldly voice. “Have the demons found anything yet?”
Vesper shook his head, his glow dimming momentarily. “Not yet. They’re still searching.”
The group fell into uneasy silence until Selene Nyx spoke, her voice cautious. “The Dark Pact... If it was unbroken, the only explanation would be that someone within the Sovereignty removed it.”
Her words lingered in the air like poison. Nyxara Tenebris, the 6th, nodded slowly. “If that’s true, then the question is: what does it mean?”
Vesper’s voice turned stern, almost accusatory. “It means that someone within the Eclipse Sovereignty betrayed us and freed Aiden.”
The revelation sent a ripple of shock through the group. Neraxis spoke first, his guttural tone carrying disbelief. “Impossible…”
But Vesper was unmoved. “That’s why we’re here. We know it wasn’t Kaelus—he’s occupied with the commotion of the giants. But the rest of you? I can’t say the same.”
He continued, his tone heavy with authority. “I knew no one would confess if they were guilty, but Malakar still demands an example. That brings us to Phase Two of his plan.”
Darius’s tone shifted to irritation. “And what exactly is ‘Phase Two?’”
Vesper’s response was as cold as the void itself. “The elimination of one of us.”
The group erupted in outrage.
Zareth spoke first, his eyes narrowing. “How are we supposed to decide something like that? It doesn’t even make sense!”
Darius, his voice sharp, shot back. “And who’s to say you didn’t do it, Vesper? You’re the only one who spends most of your time outside the Sovereignty.”
Vesper raised an eyebrow, his voice unshaken. “And yet I spend more time with Lord Malakar than any of you. If I had betrayed him, he would’ve known before I even thought of it.”
Selene nodded reluctantly. “He has a point.”
Darius’s gaze darted around the circle, suddenly realizing the direction the group’s attention was turning. His voice grew louder. “So, who’s it going to be…?”
The silence that followed was suffocating. Slowly, the other figures began to look at him.
The realization hit Darius like a blow. His voice cracked as he began speaking, but it quickly gained strength, his words dripping with a mix of sorrow and venom. “I see how it is. This is what loyalty gets you, huh? I’ve bled for this group. I’ve done things that would haunt anyone else for the rest of their lives! I gave up everything—my freedom, my humanity—for this cause. And this… this is how I’m repaid?”
He laughed bitterly, his glowing eyes narrowing into slits. “You know, the funny thing is, I’ve always known none of you trusted me. Not fully. But I thought—no, I hoped—that when it came down to it, there would at least be some shred of decency among us. Clearly, I was wrong.”
Vesper raised his hand, his voice soft but resolute. “Darius, I’m sorry, but this is Lord Malakar’s will.”
Darius’s voice rose, cutting through the dark abyss. “Don’t lie to me, Vesper. You’re not sorry. You’re guilty. And you think you can fool me? I can see right through your deception.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Darius disappeared into the shadows, his aura vanishing into the surrounding abyss. Vesper Noctis, though powerful, lacked the ability to track Darius’s escape. His eyes narrowed, glowing with restrained fury as he lowered his raised hand.
The remaining members exchanged uneasy glances, the air thick with tension. Zareth Morghul was the first to speak, his voice low and measured. “He escaped. How did we let that happen?”
Selene Nyx, her tone sharp and skeptical, countered, “What did you expect? Darius always had a knack for survival. You put him in a corner; he did what he had to.”
Vesper’s calm exterior cracked slightly, his voice carrying a biting edge. “Enough. He’ll surface again. None of you should waste time chasing ghosts. We still have Malakar’s will to carry out.”
Nyxara Tenebris, her voice quieter but no less intense, added, “But this… this changes things. If Darius truly betrayed us—or even if he didn’t—his defiance will embolden others.”
Vesper nodded slowly, his demeanor regaining its icy composure. “Perhaps. But we have no room for weakness in the Eclipse Sovereignty. Malakar will see to that.”
The circle grew silent once more, the weight of Darius’s escape—and the implications it carried—settling heavily over the group. Each member, despite their dark powers and fierce loyalty to their leader, felt the undercurrent of mistrust growing stronger.
The chapter ended with the lingering presence of Darius’s rebellion etched in the abyss, leaving the Eclipse Sovereignty fractured and uncertain of what lay ahead.24Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8p0iWXDwhW
