Eternal Undying Chronicles

Carrisa waved her hand, dismissing the holographic image that had been floating before her. Three hours had passed since she had put the others in their place, and they had gradually returned to their original discussions.

The room had settled into a more focused atmosphere, the earlier tension now replaced by a sense of purpose.

Argint glanced between Carrisa and the now-dimmed holographic display.

"Now that we have everything in order, there remains one crucial matter. What are you planning to do with the Espers?"

Elizalina, her silver hair cascading over her shoulder, turned her attention toward Carrisa as well.

"You weren't initially planning to let them live. You had every intention of allowing Alicarde to eliminate them, but you changed your mind after learning the full extent of that Chrona woman's abilities."

Carrisa, ever poised, responded with a calm, composed demeanor, the faint smile on her lips suggesting that she had other plans.

"Indeed, that was the plan. We had been aware of their location for weeks, and eliminating them was always part of the strategy. However, I did not intend to expedite their execution. Their attempt on Anne's life was unforeseen, forcing me to advance their demise."

As she spoke, Carrisa's fingers gently stroked Alicarde's head, which still rested on her thighs.

"But with the revelation of Chrona's ability, the situation has changed. Such power is invaluable, even if it means we may have to contend with an agent of one of the three great powers."

Elizalina's gaze sharpened, clearly analyzing the potential use of the Espers in Carrisa's broader schemes.

"Her ability is indeed extraordinary—returning from death by reversing time, this [Chrono Break] is remarkable. Although, it proved no match for Ali's wrath during his rampage."

Carrisa's expression remained unreadable as she replied.

"I will meet with them tomorrow. Afterward, I shall engage our government contact."

Shifting her focus toward Argint and Elizalina, Carrisa's tone became more colder.

"The two of you shall expand our underworld operations. At the current pace, the Night Shades will soon return, and in the meantime, we must seize control of the territories held by the major underworld players. Their hold will not last, and we shall be prepared to take it all."

Argint nodded, about to respond, "We'll take over th—" but her sentence was abruptly cut off.

Alicarde, who had been resting peacefully on Carrisa's lap, suddenly stirred. He sat up with a jolt, cold sweat covering his forehead as his breath came in ragged gasps.

His eyes darted around the room before he placed a hand on his forehead, trying to steady himself. Despite the suddenness of his awakening, he quickly composed himself, offering the women a calm, albeit weary, look before laying his head back onto Carrisa's lap.

The room fell into silence for a moment, the only sound being the soft rustle of fabric as Alicarde resettled himself. The luxurious surroundings seemed too peaceful compared to the turmoil he had just experienced.

Amena glanced at the holographic projection on her wrist.

"Three hours and twelve minutes. A new record."

Alicarde chuckled softly, a thin smile crossing his face.

"Yay me, three hours of sleep. I've outdone myself."

Carrisa's expression softened slightly as she looked down at him. This was a common occurrence, so the women didn't react much.

Alicarde himself seemed unbothered, clearly recognizing the episode for what it was—a mere nightmare, nothing more. His nonchalance in the face of such turmoil was a testament to the horrors he had grown accustomed to.

"What was your nightmare about this time?" Carrisa asked gently.

"Nothing too big... I just dreamt that Zagarath turned the entire city into Strigoi."

He chuckled again, though there was a slight edge to his laughter.

"Pretty funny dream. Not sure why I was so freaked out."

The room's atmosphere lightened at his words, though the underlying tension lingered. Carrisa continued stroking his head, her thoughts hidden behind her unreadable violet eyes.

"Must have been quite the dream," Carrisa murmured.

Alicarde's playful smile faded as his expression grew more serious.

"Right, I wanted to ask you all something."

The women's attention shifted to him as he continued.

"The Strigoi are conducting some kind of ritual, and Mal—"

He paused, wincing slightly.

"I mean, well, I discovered a magic circle that seems to belong to a demon."

Carrisa noted his brief hesitation when mentioning the witch he had dealings with. Though none of them spoke of it openly, they all knew about Alicarde's connection with Malefica.

Argint narrowed her eyes, leaning back against the sofa.

"A demon, here in this city? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

Elizalina's expression turned disdainful, her delicate features hardening.

"Are they truly planning to summon a demon? That wretched Strigoi is overstepping his bounds."

Deeming the topic more serious, Alicarde raised his head from Carrisa's thighs.

"No, it's not a summoning. The magic circle is more... hold on, let me show you what it looks like."

He summoned part of his Reaper's Vestments, manifesting only the right gauntlet connected to the vambrace. Tapping the wrist section, he activated a holographic projection—a feature Amena had ingeniously integrated into his suit.

It was a piece of technology she had attached as a secondary accessory, allowing Carrisa, and mostly Amena, to support him better.

Originally, Alicarde had requested Amena to install this feature to make his Reaper theatrics more convincing. The face recognition scanner, linked to government databases, allowed him to identify his targets by name.

Amena, ever thorough, had added several other high-tech enhancements to the suit. These included advanced communication systems for encrypted, long-range communication without fear of interception, and a tactical HUD providing real-time analysis of battlefield conditions—enemy movements, environmental hazards.

Though he didn't use it against the Strigoi in his earlier battle, considering they were so weak he didn't even bother using body enhancement magic.

As they examined the red magic circle projected in the air, the room grew tense with curiosity.

Elizalina, familiar with Strigoi magic, spoke first.

"It's a blend of various forms of magic, but what's particularly intriguing is the sigil that connects to the demon. It's not any demon I've ever encountered."

Argint furrowed her brow, scrutinizing the projection.

"I'm no expert, but this doesn't appear to be a summoning from the demiplane. It looks more like an unsealing."

Amena nodded, her expression as stoic as ever.

"I have analyzed this circle thoroughly. The demon in question is unfamiliar to me as well. My hypothesis is that it might have once been human or a creature from this world that transformed into a demon."

Carrisa's mind raced, processing the implications.

"There is no record of such a demon in this world either—at least, not one known to the three great powers. Had it been, they would have either exterminated it, sealed it away, or turned the site into a sacred ground. I suspect it might have been a human who became a demon."

Puzzled, Alicarde voiced the question on his mind.

"How can a human even become a demon?"

Argint shot him a slightly exasperated look.

"Did you forget everything we taught you about truenames?"

Elizalina stepped in to clarify, unsure if he was teasing or genuinely forgot.

"If someone who has awakened even a fragment of their truename falls into depravity, they risk becoming a demon. That's why demons are often individuals of considerable power and significance—they were already named."

"Oh right, truenames can make someone fall. Got it, won't forget again," Alicarde replied, scratching his head.

Carrisa added more context to the topic.

"And should one fall further into darkness, they risk becoming corrupted by the abyss, becoming one with the end-maker, Nemesis Omega."

Alicarde raised an eyebrow, clearly not familiar with the name.

"What in the world is a Nemesis Omega?"

"It's merely a myth," Amena replied calmly. "A tale from the demiplane about a beautiful angel or goddess who emerged from the abyss, destined to bring about the end of all things."

Nodding, Alicarde compared it to Earth's stories.

"I see. It's like the concept of the Last Judgment—Antichrist, Gog and Magog, Shiva dancing the world into destruction, the Red Heifer, Ragnarok, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Argint nodded. "Yes, I suppose you could say that."

"So basically, it's nothing then. Can we get back to what actually matters? We might have a demon problem, and I don't think we should be spinning tales right now."

Carrisa sighed but conceded.

"Indeed, Alicarde is correct. We have allowed this Strigoi to run unchecked for far too long."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Alicarde frowned.

"Right, and the Strigoi are getting stronger. Some of them can even talk now."

"They can speak?" Elizalina inquired, surprised. Read exclusive adventures at empire

"Yeah, that's what I said."

"They shouldn't be able to do that unless they were born Strigoi."

Alicarde placed his hand on his forehead in annoyance.

"And am I supposed to know what that means?"

Elizalina elaborated, her tone more cold.

"Only born Strigoi are capable of speech. Those who are turned should possess lower intellectual abilities. It would typically take years for them to reach such a level of cognition."

Sighing, Alicarde knew she wasn't done.

"Go ahead, give me a lecture."

Elizalina continued, her words carefully chosen.

"Strigoi are a lesser subspecies of vampires. These creatures cannot withstand sunlight and dwell in the underground sections of vampire cities. Vampires operate under a strict hierarchy where pedigree is everything. In our eyes, a Strigoi is akin to humans' relationship with apes—if the latter had human-level intellect, of course."

Carrisa, already familiar with this information, let Elizalina continue for Alicarde's sake, though she listened attentively.

"So basically, to you guys, they're like monkeys?"