Nightblade (Darkest night)

Chapter 235: Crystallization of power.

At the top floor of the world’s tallest building, the Skybreaker, a grey-haired man stepped out of the shadows, gently tapping an intricate walking cane on the ground.

A moment later, the air around him sparked furiously, humming with current, and in the next moment, a dark, circular rift slowly opened in the fabric of space.

A silver-eyed man clad in an impeccable dark long coat and designer clothes stepped out with his hands in his pockets, followed by a dark-haired young woman with stunning emerald eyes.

The tall man glanced around, then grabbed one of the luxurious chairs at the massive table, effortlessly lifting it and moving it to a corner of the room.

There, he sat, steepling his fingers and smiling patiently.

Emily stood motionlessly for a few moments, then promptly moved, standing at Merlin’s side in silence.

Marcus spared her an amused glance, then spoke warmly.

"Welcome to the Skybreaker, Emily Whizen."

It was nearly impossible not to know what the Skybreaker was. But until that point, she hadn’t realized the magnitude of where she stood.

The Eden CBD Skybreaker.

A futuristic marvel only made possible because of technology, cooperation, and an insane amount of wealth.

"How?" she asked, in shock, her eyes darting to the large glass panes that doubled as windows.

"Child, the Praesgius and the Brotherhood own nearly everything you’d dare to think of as wondrous or impossible," Marcus said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Merlin nonchalantly gestured towards the table and another chair separated from the rest, floating through the air, plopping down beside Emily.

" A seat for you, my lady." He said with an exaggerated bow.

The portal remained open, and a few moments later, Victoria, Thrain, and Gregory made their way through.

With Thrain’s arrival, the room instantly became darker, the shadows shifting eerily and flowing around him.

At the height they stood, clouds fleeted outside the glass panes, drifting by with the wind.

It was almost as though she were standing in the sky.

A few moments later, Emily gasped in surprise.

The space around them rippled fluidly, then— inexplicably—It cracked.

For a few moments, she was too stunned to say anything.

An incredible amount of umbralis poured out of the rift into the room, stirring an ethereal wind into existence.

" Who’s coming through?" she whispered.

Merlin threw her an amused glance, then smiled.

" Watch."

The cracks in space slowly spread throughout the room, then froze in space, condensing into long vertical slits.

Several men and women stepped into the room quietly, observing the other figures and taking their seats.

From the energy around them, Emily could instinctively tell.

" They’re all monsters."

A moment later, Merlin snapped his fingers, and the air hummed with power once more.

Current thrummed through the air for a few moments, then several man-shaped portals bloomed into existence.

A few moments later, a single woman and four men stepped into the room, decked out in elegant white gold-trimmed uniforms with a peculiar rose insignia.

Emily instantly recognized the similarities in the uniforms they wore and those of Victoria and Thrain.

Merlin chuckled at the look of awe on her face.

" Knowing you, you probably guessed right, he whispered.

" These are the other members of the revered Videntis."

Emily stared at the new arrivals with a mixture of shock and awe.

Everyone gathered seemed to be some sort of big shot, and they were immensely powerful at that.

"What am I doing here?"

Suddenly, she felt a sense of foreboding.

"Why have we been summoned here, Marcus?"

Emily recognized the man as Vincent Varas.

" Talia’s father?"

The realization of who the other people gathered in the room were even more shocking.

" This is the Council of Assassins and the Videntis."

Marcus stood, his gaze drifted over everyone in the room.

He lifted his hand in the air, showing three fingers.

" Three reasons."

He gestured with his hand.

" The first— Ophelia’s prophecy. I’m sure you’ve all heard of her," he said, his gaze drifting over the other members of the council that were gathered.

He lifted another.

"The second—Merlin Halecrest. This man here."

Merlin quirked an eyebrow, his lips curling up into an amused smile.

He nodded in acknowledgment, his silver eyes glinting with light.

" And the third and still an equally important reason—is this young lady here—Emily Whizen."

All eyes in the room turned to her.

Emily barely suppressed a gasp, staring back at the intense stares in bewilderment.

Marcus smiled gently.

" I believe there’s something she’d had to say to us all."

"Isn’t she one of the Survivors? From the incident? " a woman asked softly.

The woman was easily one of the most beautiful women Emily had ever seen.

She spoke softly, her voice floating almost mesmerizingly through the room.

Marcus nodded.

"Yes, Delilah. She is indeed one of the Survivors."

The woman held Emily’s gaze for a few moments, then turned away with a sigh.

"Are you sure we can trust this child?" Marco Dark asked, scrutinizing Emily.

"I believe we can," Ophelia said quietly.

Marco spared her a glance, then leaned back.

" And I suppose we should take your word for it, yes?"

Ophelia tilted her head slightly. For a brief moment, her eyes shifted through a myriad of colours.

Emily stared in stunned silence, subconsciously shifting back in her seat.

"Yes, Marco Dark. The girl is trustworthy."

The Head of House Dark showed no visible reaction but made no further comment.

After that, things moved swiftly.

"We have cause to believe that the recent prophecy will not only affect the Talented but the Brotherhood of Shadows as well."

Ophelia swiftly recounted the details of the ominous vision, then went silent.

"Well, it certainly sounds gruesome," Merlin whispered to Emily, flashing her a quirky smile.

Emily threw him a startled glance.

Shaking his head, he whispered once more.

"There’s no need to be so stiff. Relax."

Emily turned back and whispered.

"She’s talking about the world ending, how am I supposed to relax?"

Merlin spared her an amused glance.

" Kid, when you’ve lived as long as I have, you’ll realize that the world is always ending. Much like a story. And so, the best solution is to create a different storyline. One where the world doesn’t end. Problem solved. The only problem with that is it creates another problem," Merlin said with a sigh.

" And what would that be?" Emiky asked, her brows furrowing."

Merlin smirked.

" An eternity of boredom."