The Nebulon fortress bordered the Lucendi domain. This was an irrefutable fact.
So it was completely logical that any spies infiltrating the Nebulon fortress would come from the Lucendi. In fact, any problem or threat should arise only from the Lucendi.
However, that perception had just been shattered.
The Dimensari, a race that wasn't even close to the human domain in the first place, had infiltrated their borders?
It was hard to believe, and if not for the unmistakable sight of their bodies in front of them, they would have dismissed it as a lie.
The gazes of Magnus, Octavius, and Zephyrion narrowed in unison.
For the former two, they had just realized that the situation was more dire than they had thought. It wasn't only the Vampyros but also the Dimensari.
"Have they formed an alliance?"
Octavius's sudden question caused Zephyrion's gaze to sharpen. He was still trying to understand how he had missed something like this.
"What do you mean?" Zephyrion asked.
"We just discovered Vampyros imposters at my fortress, and from what I can tell, they seem to be using the same methods," Octavius explained.
Just like the Vampyros imposters, the Dimensari also appeared to be using the same technique.
"What do you think?"
Both Octavius and Zephyrion turned toward Magnus, who had just spoken. The latter decided to ask Atticus directly rather than ponder over something they didn't understand.
Atticus had been the one who discovered everything in the first place.
They each saw what Magnus was attempting to do and also focused on Atticus, waiting for his response.
At Magnus's words, Atticus was brought out of his thoughts. He turned to see the trio staring at him.
He pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I would like to visit each fortress first to confirm my assumption. I think I have something."
Magnus nodded. "Then that's what we'll do."
At Magnus's words, the group set out, moving from fortress to fortress and uncovering spies. Each of the spies was killed without hesitation. However, at each fortress, they categorized the spies into two groups.
The first group included spies that each of the paragons could sense and instantly identify as members of the race bordering the said fortress.
The second group included the imposters. In each fortress, they uncovered multiple imposters, and each time, they were either Vampyros or Dimensari, sometimes both.
The paragons of humanity had been stationed at their respective fortresses and were present to receive Atticus and the others as they arrived.
In every instance, the paragons were left shocked beyond belief. Each paragon also followed Atticus to the next fortress, and soon enough, every paragon was aware of the situation.
Eventually, they arrived at the last fortress, the Ravenstein fortress that bordered the Aeonians.
No spies from the Aeonians were discovered. However, even the Vampyros and Dimensari had their reach in this fortress.
The Ravensteins were surprised to see their paragon and apex. They raged when they discovered that imposters had been hiding among them, going as far as attacking and turning the dead bodies of the imposters into ashes.
Afterward, when all the paragons were gathered together, they turned toward Atticus, even Oberon, awaiting his conclusion.
…
Deep within the Vampyros domain, in the depths of the Blood Queen's castle, the sharp sound of heels striking the floor echoed across the silent hall.
It was utterly dark, yet Jezeneth didn't seem to mind. Her piercing gaze shone through the darkness as she walked forward.
The hall was filled with a bloodlust so intense that a chilling coldness gripped the entire space.
Despite the little time that had passed, Jezeneth's anger hadn't waned. In fact, it only seemed to increase as the moments went by. She wanted nothing more than to gather the Vampyros forces and unleash carnage upon the human domain.
'Why did he stop me?!' Jezeneth raged.
However, as she reached a normal-looking door, she paused and took a deep breath before exhaling. Repeating this a few more times, Jezeneth calmed her emotions, and her gaze turned serious.
Then, she opened the door and entered.
Despite being deep underground, a wave of fresh air hit her as though she had just stepped into a forest. The smell of nature assaulted her nose.
The room she entered, if one could even call it that, was dark. Utterly dark. The only light came from her faintly glowing gaze and the sight of a softly glowing peak in the distance.
Jezeneth didn't hesitate and moved forward. The air wasn't oppressive, nor was it heavy. Surprisingly, it felt peaceful. Happy, even.
Soon, Jezeneth reached the base of a flight of stairs that led to the glowing peak.
There, the source of the faint light became clear.
Plants. A garden filled with glowing plants. And within this garden was the figure of a man who seemed utterly engrossed in tending to it.
She fell to one knee and bowed, remaining silent. Waiting.
Time passed. Seconds stretched into minutes, the only sound being the soft snip of scissors cutting through the air. The man was meticulous and precise, taking his time as he trimmed overgrown parts and watered each plant as though they were his children.
He was happy, and so, the atmosphere was happy.
Eventually, he finished, carefully cleaning his tools and setting them aside. Despite Jezeneth kneeling before him, he didn't seem to be in a hurry.
Afterward, the man gazed at his garden with satisfaction, a small smile gracing his lips. Then, he took off his apron and hung it neatly on a rack at the side.
Finally, he turned.
As his gaze landed on Jezeneth, his smile vanished, replaced by a placid expression.
And as though it were natural, the atmosphere shifted. The happiness faded, replaced by a profound stillness.
The man's steps echoed as he calmly descended the stairs, and as though the space itself was waiting for him, the area began to brighten.
Light spilled out, growing in intensity until it illuminated the entire space. It was so bright it felt as though a second sun had appeared.
The light shone down, revealing the man's appearance.
His blue hair caught the light like dark sapphire, each strand shimmering as though liquid in its luster. His compact frame moved with an unhurried grace that imposed itself upon the world.
His face was sharp and flawless, as though carved by divine hands. But as his crimson eyes landed on Jezeneth, his lips curved into a slow smile.
But that smile… did not reach his crimson eyes.
"Jezeneth," he said, his voice serene.
"You're here."