Torren Vialis, the Regenerari Apex, adjusted his perfectly tailored suit, a smirk appearing on his lips.
His sharp features, coupled with his relaxed posture, made it look like he had nowhere else to be but right here, bothering Kynara Flux.
The Evolari Apex, on the other hand, stood rigid, her golden hair tied back, the glow of her cyan eyes cold as ice.
She seemed like the embodiment of discipline and dignity, standing with a posture so perfect it looked unnatural.
"Come on, Kynara. You can evolve any part of yourself, and I can regenerate any part of myself. We're literally made for each other. We could be Eldoralth's most indestructible couple." He winked.
A muscle twitched in Kynara's jaw, her sharp gaze snapping to him as though she were contemplating whether to blast him into oblivion right here and now.
Her voice was level, controlled, too controlled.
"Do not speak to me in that accursed informal tone. We are not familiar. You will address me as Miss Kynara. Were you not taught basic etiquette?"
Torren, unfazed, tilted his head slightly, hiding a chuckle.
'Damn, she's really stuck up,' he thought inwardly.
But outwardly?
"Formality with my soulmate? That's just not possible." He placed a hand over his heart as if he were deeply offended by the idea. "Our bond transcends such trivial things."
Kynara turned her back to him without hesitation, her gaze colder than ever.
She strode away, leaving him standing there.
Torren clicked his tongue, muttering under his breath. "Too bad. We would've had beautiful children."
The words were lighthearted, but the moment his eyes darkened slightly, the onlookers flinched and quickly averted their gazes.
They knew better than to stare at someone powerful, especially an Apex, for too long.
Elsewhere in the banquet hall, an entirely different type of tension crackled through the air.
Ae'ark of the Aeonians forced a strained smile, his blue, translucent skin shimmering faintly under the banquet lights.
Standing before him, unmoving, was Khan Voss of the Nullite race. None would have expected an Aeonian and a Nullite to meet anywhere except on a battlefield to the death.
Khan's brown, abyssal eyes bore into him with something that wasn't hatred, contempt. His presence was like a void, an absence of mana itself.
Ae'ark felt it instantly.
His very existence was being repelled.
Filth.
Even without words, he knew exactly what Khan was thinking.
That he shouldn't exist.
Ae'ark's fingers twitched. He shouldn't be here. His instincts screamed at him to leave. But he didn't.
It didn't help that he still very well remembered their last encounter at the Nexus Event. He still remembered the moment Khan almost killed him.
Khan's hand twitched at his side, a vein subtly pulsing along his forearm. The only thing stopping him from attacking right now was the restrictions placed by the military.
Ae'ark forced himself to speak, the words coming out far too awkwardly.
"So… how's life?"
The silence that followed was excruciating.
Khan's glare sharpened, his aura pressing down harder.
"Filth."
Ae'ark sighed. "Yeah, I figured."
Somehow, their conversation, or complete lack of one, was as expected as ever.
On another side of the hall, Lirae Bloodveil, the Vampyros Apex, was… trying.
Really, really trying.
With an amused smirk, she leaned against a pillar, effortlessly drawing attention as her deep red gown draped over her form. Her dark crimson eyes were filled with curiosity as she directed her full attention toward Maera Nihilus, the Obliteri Apex.
"So, what's your type?" She tilted her head slightly, her smirk deepening. "You do like men, right? Hmm… I'm not so sure. Anyway, mine are the ones who make me wonder…"
Throughout her whole speech, Maera's piercing white eyes locked onto her.
Expressionless.
Aloof.
Unmoving.
Lirae continued talking. She was used to breaking down icy personalities, after all, she loved a challenge.
But despite the number of questions asked, despite the smoothness of her tone…
Maera simply stared.
There was no hostility. No fondness, either.
Just pure, unwavering silence.
It wasn't that she wasn't interested in talking. It was that she didn't even acknowledge the existence of the conversation itself.
"…Damn, this is harder than I thought."
The military officers watched the Apexes carefully, each of their gazes filled with wariness and curiosity.
It wasn't that they were surprised that the Apexes were acknowledging one another. What unsettled them was how… friendly it all seemed.
Even the most awkward conversations were happening. Even though none of them should be talking.
Aeonians and Nullites? They were sworn enemies.
The military had always pushed for cooperation among the Apexes, but at this point, even they knew it was a fool's dream.
Their competition was far too intense, their egos, their power. All of it made true teamwork impossible.
So why were they talking?
Why weren't they ignoring each other like usual?
It didn't make sense.
What the officers couldn't possibly guess was that none of these Apexes had forgotten their past.
They had whittled down their numbers at the Nexus Event. But many still remained.
They never forgot their goal.
The reason for their reincarnation.
In Eldoralth, only one of them was supposed to remain.
Which meant that seven of them had to die.
It was inevitable.
And currently, the human Apex had the highest chance of being that one.
Regardless, none of them had any intention of dying. So rather than waste their time ignoring each other, it was better to probe the competition and see what the others were thinking.
To prepare for the moment when only one remained.
And this banquet?
It was the perfect place to start.
Still, as the strange conversations continued, many wondered where the remaining three Apexes were.
The Human Apex. The Dragon Apex. And the Dimensari Apex.
But they didn't have to wait long for the former.
The door to the hall swung open.
An aura spread out, so overwhelming that it silenced the room and made everyone turn to look.
There, walking calmly into the hall, was a race of people whose standing in Eldoralth should have been the lowest of the low.
And yet, because of a single boy, they might as well currently be at the top.
At Atticus' entrance, the gazes of the Apexes narrowed, and the tension in the hall rose to unimaginable heights.