Rio, still immersed in the wonder of the vast hall and the enchanted forest, gazed around with his silver eyes, as if he wished to etch every detail into his memory. The golden cobblestones beneath his feet gleamed, and the sound of the group's footsteps echoed in the open courtyard like a soft drum. But suddenly, his gaze fell on the entrance to the hall, where an elf woman stood with dignity—it was Celria, the Emperor's special representative. Her long, black hair shimmered, and her light golden armor, adorned with intricate patterns, made her look like a guardian from legend. As the group approached, Celria bowed gracefully and spoke with a respectful yet commanding voice:
"Welcome to the elfs Empire, Lord William, Lord Kato. We are pleased that you accepted the Emperor's request and joined this summit. Please, this way. The other representatives and the Emperor await you."
William and Kato, like two great warriors who knew the battlefield well, stepped forward with an imposing presence that seemed to weigh down the air. William's red-and-black coat billowed in the cold winter breeze of the forest, and Kato's icy gaze cut through everything like a blade. Celria stepped aside as they passed, but when Rio, with his white coat and radiant hair, approached her, her expression flickered for a fraction of a second—a brief spark of surprise flashed in her emerald-green eyes before vanishing. Rio, his heart pounding with excitement, noticed the look but was so enchanted by his surroundings that he chose to ignore it. He gave a faint smile and followed his father.
Upon entering the hall, Rio felt as though he had stepped into another world. The grandeur of the space took his breath away. The walls were adorned with white and golden tiles that sparkled like diamonds under the light of glowing orbs on the ceiling. The orbs, suspended by delicate chains from the high ceiling, emitted a white, magical light, as if they were earthly stars captured in the hall. The ceiling was decorated with intricate elven designs—images of ancient trees, stars, and mythical creatures that seemed alive, gazing down at the guests. At the center of the hall stood a massive, flawless gray stone table, like the heart of the structure. Five person sat around it, their presence filling the air with an invisible tension—a political, heavy tension laced with unspoken secrets.
William and Kato strode toward the table with steps that seemed to command the ground, taking their seats on stone chairs. They placed their hands on the table with silent authority, their silence like a storm yet to roar. Rio, standing behind them, cautiously studied the faces around the table, trying to discern their races and identities. His heart beat faster, not just from awe but from an instinctive sense of warning: this was a battlefield, even if the fight was waged with words and glances.
At one side of the table sat a man of about forty, with black hair and blue eyes that gleamed like ice. His face bore old scars, and his weathered hands, resting on the table, told tales of countless wars. Upon seeing William and Kato, he clenched his fists, as if an old anger or memory had stirred within him. Rio recognized him instantly—he was human, likely the representative of the human kingdom. His gaze was heavy, like that of someone carrying the weight of many defeats.
Opposite him sat a woman with long, white hair that shimmered like silk in the light of the orbs. Her blood-red eyes gleamed, and her skin, paler than even Rio's, seemed carved from marble. She wore blood-red garments that contrasted with her harsh, unlovely face, making her appear more menacing. Her long nails tapped the table incessantly, in an irritating rhythm that seemed to proclaim her impatience and frustration. Rio's heart skipped a beat upon seeing her sharp fangs and unnatural skin—she was a vampire. A cold wave of anxiety surged through him, and he quickly averted his gaze, as if afraid she could read his thoughts.
Next to the vampire woman sat another woman, with green skin and hair that shone like spring leaves. Her frail body and yellow eyes with hexagonal pupils gleamed like strange jewels in her face. She wore layered winter clothing but still shivered, as if the forest's cold had seeped into the warm hall. Rio stared at her for a moment, his curiosity outweighing his fear. She noticed his gaze, and for a split second, her eyes locked onto his—not with anger or kindness, but with curiosity. Rio quickly looked away, his heart racing. She was an Ahil, a race from the deserts and tropics that Rio had only read about in Olivia's scrolls.
Opposite the Ahil woman sat a man with brown hair and scale-like skin, resembling a fish brought from the ocean depths to land. His eyes were completely white, without pupils, yet his gaze was calm and kind, as if he could see into people's souls. His strong body, clad in simple yet elegant clothing, exuded quiet power. Rio couldn't fully identify him—he was of the sea folk, but his race was unfamiliar, something Rio hadn't encountered in books. His calmness amidst the tense atmosphere was like an island in a storm.
At the head of the table stood a tall, beautiful elf with golden hair that cascaded like a crown of sunlight over his shoulders. His emerald-green eyes brimmed with intelligence and authority, and his slightly dark skin gleamed in long, regal robes adorned with golden patterns. He was the elfs Emperor. Upon seeing William, Kato, and their group, he rose, a motion that seemed to command respect from the entire hall. With a respectful yet resolute voice that could move mountains, he said:
"Welcome, great representatives. I greet your arrival to my land, and I hope the outcome of this summit will be an alliance to save our beloved continent."
His words echoed like a bell in the hall, but beneath the warm welcome, a heavy political tension simmered. The representatives' gazes fixed on William and Kato, each seemingly sizing up their opponents. William and Kato, seated silently on their stone chairs, briefly clenched their fists with quiet authority.
Rio, standing behind his father, felt his heart pounding. This hall, this table, these faces—it was all like a chessboard where every move could alter the continent's fate. The vampire woman's gaze still weighed on him, as if trying to extract a secret from his soul. The human representative, with his clenched fists, seemed ready to shout. The Ahil woman occasionally glanced at him with her yellow eyes, and the sea folk representative, with his strange calm, seemed the only one unaffected by the tension. The elfs Emperor, after his greeting, sat down, his gaze shifting between William and Kato, as if he knew these two dragons held the key to this dangerous game.
Adrina, standing beside Rio, gently placed her hand on his shoulder, as if to reassure him. But Nadia, with her red, furious eyes, stared at the table, ready to fight anyone who dared threaten her family. Elian, in his black armor and raised cape, stood like a deadly shadow behind William, while Ayhan, a little farther from Rio, studied the representatives with curious yet cautious eyes, though his gaze occasionally drifted to Nadia, as if he couldn't help himself.
The hall was filled with secrets and unspoken threats. Every word, every glance, was like an arrow fired in silence. Rio, still trying to conceal his power, felt this summit was not just for unity but for a greater test—one that could change him and his family forever. In this political battlefield, he was no mere boy—he was a secret that could freeze everything.
Minutes passed, but finally, Talandril, the elfs Emperor, raised his head and scanned the representatives' faces with his emerald-green eyes, as if trying to read their unspoken secrets. A mysterious smile crossed his lips—not one of joy, but of awareness of the moment's weight. With a calm yet commanding voice, he said:
"Since this is the first official meeting for unity in our continent's history, I believe it's best for the representatives to introduce themselves."
His gaze fell on the human representative, and with eager eyes that seemed to invite a challenge, he gestured to him.
The human representative let out a deep sigh, as if exhaling the weight of years of war and defeat. His icy blue eyes, filled with buried anger, locked onto William. With a rough, slow voice that seemed to rise from the depths of his scars, he said, his hands under his chin:
"Kairos Voldberg, special representative of Emperor Zarok Elderin."
He clenched his fists tighter, the veins on his hands bulging like ropes under his skin. His furious gaze, now sharp as a blade ready to strike, unsettled Rio. He didn't know why Kairos harbored such enmity toward his father, but he sensed an old secret flowing like poison in that look. His heart raced, and for a moment, he was lost in thought, trying to piece together this invisible puzzle.
But suddenly, the exasperated, weary voice of the vampire representative pulled him back to the hall. The woman with white hair and red eyes that burned like hellfire placed her hand on the table with impatience and said:
"Valeria Nightmunder, special representative of the Queen."
Valeria didn't utter the Queen's name, and whether intentional or not, it sparked surprise in the tense hall. Eyes turned to her for a moment, and the heavy atmosphere grew thicker, like dense fog. Kairos raised an eyebrow, and even Talandril, with all his composure, narrowed his eyes for a split second. But he quickly shifted his gaze to the Ahil representative, as if eager to move past the awkward moment.
The Ahil representative, still shivering from the cold, let out a sneeze that echoed like a shot in the silent hall. With a trembling, weak voice that seemed to rise from her frailty, she said:
"Risa Veshra, representative of the twenty small tribes in the south of the human empire."
She fell silent, her frail body huddling in her layered clothing, as if trying to hide within it. To Rio, Risa felt strange—not because of her appearance, but because of something in her yellow, hexagonal eyes that unsettled him. Each time his gaze met hers, he quickly looked away.
Then it was the sea folk representative's turn. With his brown hair and scale-like skin, he wore a calm, kind smile, as if the political tension was merely a fleeting performance. He clasped his fingers together and said in a soft yet confident voice:
"I am Hayno. Unlike what other races believe, the sea folk have no tribes or empire. But I can say my voice represents most of the ocean's people."
Talandril nodded in approval and, with that same mysterious smile, said, "Once again, I welcome you all."
His gaze fell on William and Kato, and with a respectful yet weighty tone, he continued, "Lord William, Lord Kato."
William, with a voice like quiet thunder, said, "William Kalimore, leader of the Sun Tribe."
Kato, with a cold, cutting tone, added, "Kato Kalimore, leader of the Arashid Tribe."
With the introductions complete, a heavy silence fell over the hall like a black curtain. The light of the ceiling orbs seemed to dim, and shadows danced on the tiled walls, as if reflecting the tense spirit of the moment. Rio, standing behind his father, found it harder to breathe. The representatives' gazes, now locked on one another, were filled with calculations and suspicion. Adrina stood beside him, her hand gently on his shoulder, but even her calming touch couldn't ease his anxiety. Nadia, with her red, furious eyes, stared at the table. Elian stood like a deadly shadow behind William, and Ayhan, a little farther off, watched the representatives with curious yet cautious eyes.
But suddenly, Kato broke the silence. With a taunting tone that spread like poison through the air, he said, "So, why are we here?"
Talandril shook his head, his smile now faded. With a voice that seemed to rise from centuries of life, he said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, as you know, our continent is a wondrous place, where most of us live in balance. But a great force is threatening that balance, and we all know who they are."
He paused, his eyes locking onto each representative.
"Though we once stopped them with the help of two great champions, Darius and Valentina…But.."
His silence hung like a blade in the air. William, who had been silent until then, said in a calm but curious voice, "But?"
In that moment, the air seemed to freeze. Valeria, the vampire representative, suddenly pulled a black letter from beneath her red cloak and, with a voice that seemed to rise from a graveyard, placed it on the table. The letter fell like a lifeless body onto the stone surface, its golden patterns glinting in the orbs' light, as if alive. Kairos, the human representative, with eyes now filled with both anger and fear, pulled a similar letter from his pocket and slammed it onto the table with such force it seemed he meant to break it. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the hall. Talandril, with a composure now cracked by traces of worry, drew a final black letter from beneath his regal robe. With care, as if afraid it might burn him, he placed it beside the others. Three black letters, like three plagues, lay on the table, their golden text whispering ominous murmurs.
Talandril stared at the letters for a moment, as if the weight of the entire continent rested on his shoulders. Then, with a voice now trembling faintly, he said:
"But they are planning to attack us again."
His words thundered through the hall, and the tense atmosphere turned to deep dread. Rio felt his breath catch. Valeria's gaze, now sharper and more threatening, fixed on him, as if trying to extract a secret from his soul. Kairos clenched his fists so tightly his bones creaked. Risa, still shivering, stared at the letters, as if afraid to even look at them. Hayno, with his strange calm, lost his smile for the first time, his white eyes fixed on Talandril. William and Kato, who had been like unmoving rocks, exchanged a glance—filled with suspicion and calculation.
Rio, his heart pounding like a drum, looked at the black letters. There was something in them—not just paper and ink, but a dark force, like a shadow creeping from the depths of hell. He felt a wave of frost flow through his veins, and for a moment, he feared his freezing power might awaken unconsciously. Adrina tightened her grip on his shoulder, as if sensing his descent into panic. Nadia, with her red, blazing eyes, stared at the letters, as if ready to burn them. Elian, standing like a deadly shadow behind William, slowly clenched his fist—a motion only Ayhan's sharp eyes noticed.
The hall was no longer just political—it was eerie and terrifying. The three black letters, like three ominous prophecies, lay on the table, and every representative, every glance, every breath was part of a storm approaching. Rio, a boy in this battlefield of words and secrets, felt this moment would not only shape the continent's fate but also change him and his family forever.