The night passed without notice.
I spent most of it seated at the table near the window, sheets of paper spread out before me, marking points of failure and inefficiency in my own system. The Transcendent mastery memories hadn’t added anything new to my arsenal, but they had done something far more troublesome, they had shown me where I was being sloppy.
I adjusted how my domain rested around me, not fully manifested, not withdrawn either. A quiet presence. A pressure that no longer pressed outward unless I allowed it. I worked on letting my laws sit inside that space instead of hovering at the edge of my awareness, reinforcing the connections again and again until the strain eased. By the time I stopped, the sky beyond the windows had shifted to a faint blue of morning.
I took a cold bath, letting the chill wash away the last of the fatigue, dressed simply, and stepped outside.
The guest residence garden was already alive.
It wasn’t loud, but it wasn’t quiet either. A low murmur of voices, the sound of cups being set down, the occasional laugh. A long stone table sat beneath a canopy of interwoven branches.
Everyone was already there.
North noticed me first and raised a cup slightly in greeting. Steve was halfway through a plate of something that looked suspiciously fried and grinned around it. Ragnar leaned back against the table with his arms crossed, relaxed in a way he rarely was after combat. Silver, Aurora and Lyrate stood near one end of the table, speaking quietly.
"I see you finally decided to sleep," Steve said. "We were starting to take bets."
"I slept," I replied. "Briefly."
That earned a few chuckles.
I took a seat and poured myself a drink. Whatever Ferans used for morning refreshment had a sharp bite to it, enough to wake even a dead mind.
"So," I said, looking around. "What did you find?"
Knight was the first to answer, pushing off the railing and landing lightly on the stone. "There’s an event tonight. Big one."
Steve raised an eyebrow. "Define big."
"A birthday," Knight continued. "But not the kind you ignore. It belongs to the Griffin family."
That made Aurora look up sharply. "The Griffins?"
Knight nodded. "Main family’s based in the Prime Galaxy. They send envoy branches to regions where Feran influence is strong. Our galaxy has one of those branches."
"And the birthday?" North asked.
"Their young master," Knight said. "Recently advanced to Transcendent. From what I gathered, the celebration is as much about announcing his position as it is about marking another year."
Silver whistled softly. "That’s... subtle."
"It’s not meant to be," Knight replied. "Invitations are limited. Presence is a statement. The Ferans here include the Griffins in every decision. So even the excursion of Vaelix Ranthor probably had their approval."
A Transcendent heir from a Prime Galaxy family celebrating publicly inside Feran territory wasn’t just a social event. It was bootlicking to max.
"Anything else?" I asked.
Lyrate stepped in next. "The Aqua race."
That caught my attention.
"They’ve been relocating," she continued. "Not refugees. Planned movement. A significant portion of their population is being transferred to the third planet in this system."
Aurora nodded. "It’s the ocean-heavy one. Around 85 percent water coverage, stable tides, strong Essence currents."
"So Ferans aren’t just hosting," I said slowly. "They’re making deals."
"Yes," Lyrate replied. "With Aquas. And indirectly with Elementals as well. Infrastructure support, territory concessions, mutual defense agreements. Nothing official has been announced yet, but the signs are there."
Ragnar grunted. "They’re making an alliance."
"That’s what it looks like," Aurora said. "They’re building a coalition without naming it one."
"And the rift?" I asked.
That brought a brief pause.
Steve shrugged. "Not public. At all."
"Suppressed," Knight added. "Hard. Local forces know it’s closed, obviously, but there’s a strict information clamp. No broadcasts. No reports sent out-system. Even internal chatter is none."
North frowned. "That’s strange. Closing a grade four rift should be something they’d want known."
"Unless they don’t want to reveal how," Aurora said quietly.
Or who, I thought.
I tapped a finger against the table, considering. A powerful envoy family celebrating tonight. Aquas relocating under Feran protection. Rift closure buried before it could ripple outward. It wasn’t hard to see the shape forming beneath the surface.
We were stepping into something already in motion.
Before I could speak again, movement at the garden entrance drew everyone’s attention.
Shera approached with an easy stride, two Feran escorts flanking him at a respectful distance. He wore the same calm expression he always did, but there was something lighter in it now, almost pleased. When he reached the table, he inclined his head slightly.
"I hope the accommodations have been to your liking," he said. "I was told you all arrived late."
"They’re more than sufficient," I replied. "We were just sharing how wonderful this entire place is."
Shera smiled faintly. "Happy to know that."
He gestured toward the table. "May I join?"
"Of course," I said.
He took a seat, his escorts remaining a few steps back. His gaze moved briefly over everyone present, assessing without being obvious.
"I wanted to formally welcome you again," Shera said. "And to let you know that arrangements are being made. There are... opportunities here. Social ones, for tonight. Strategic ones, longer term."
I smiled and nodded.
"And," Shera added, his smile widening just a fraction, "I hope you won’t find Feradros too dull. We try to keep our guests entertained."
I met his gaze evenly.
"I don’t think that will be a problem," I said.
Shera nodded, then reached into his coat and placed a thin invitation on the table between us.
"There is a celebration tonight," he said. "I’m sure you’ve heard the buzz already. All of you are invited. Most of the important forces of Feradros will be present, and we would like to formally thank you for your support in closing the rift. Please accept it."
I picked up the invitation and glanced over it. There was no excessive wording, only a seal and a simple summons.
"Sure," I said, setting it back down. "We’d be glad to join."
Shera’s smile returned. He rose to his feet and inclined his head once more.
"Then we’ll look forward to your arrival," he said.
With that, he turned and left the garden, his escorts falling in step behind him, leaving the invitation resting quietly on the table.
"Support in closing the rift?" Aurora scoffed once he was gone. "Did he really just call it support?"
I smiled faintly, already anticipating what was about to unfold.