Peter entered the manor, the old wooden door creaking shut behind him.
His boots echoed against the floor as he stepped into the entry hall, the smell of something burned lingering in the air.
He paused, sniffing lightly.
"…Smells like someone nearly set the place on fire."
He sighed, running a hand through his hair before glancing around. He made his way towards the kitchen. Finding two copper pans, one burned and the other a little.
He raised an eyebrow at the sight of the pans.
"I suppose Esme never managed to teach her how to cook."
Peter picked up both pans, and as his fingers brushed the metal, a soft glow pulsed from beneath his skin. The light enveloped the pans for a brief moment and then faded.
When it dimmed, the burns were gone, leaving both pans spotless.
He placed the pans down and looked around the kitchen, checking for any more damage.
"My oh my, look who is back."
Caldreya stood by the doorframe in her nightgown.
Peter turned, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Don't tell me you waited so long just to scold me."
Caldreya strolled in, her bare feet silent against the floor, eyes gleaming in the darkness.
"I was curious if the man who abandoned a poor little dragoness with me of all people would have the decency to return before midnight."
Peter picked up a wine bottle from the counter, he then poured two glasses of it, handing one to her.
"How did she do?"
Caldreya took the glass, sniffed it, and sipped.
"She has the potential to destroy the world as we know it."
Caldreya's eyes darkened.
"Which is barely enough."
Peter chuckled softly, though there was little humor in it. He leaned against the counter, swirling the wine in his glass.
"Spoken like someone who's already imagining the apocalypse she could bring."
She gripped the glass tighter.
"We are already in one, Peter."
Caldreya closed her eyes.
"We have five or so years before they resume the invasion."
Peter's expression dropped. The glass stopped in his hand, mid-sip.
"… You're certain?"
She nodded.
"Velkaar's magic is already having cracks."
He set the glass down. The sharp clink against the counter echoed louder than it should have.
"Are the other archmages and grandmasters prepared?"
Caldreya let out a dry, bitter laugh, slowly swirling her wine.
"Some are, Peter. But things are far from stable."
She exhaled through her nose, her gaze distant.
"The Veil of Nythera has been growing-its roots burrowing deeper into our society with every passing day. I can't say for certain yet, but…"
Her voice lowered.
"I have my suspicions. Even among our own."
Peter's face twisted.
"How dare they betray their own race..."
His eyes narrowed with cold fury. Caldreya snapped her fingers, and in an instant, a rift appeared beside her. She reached into it and pulled out a silver necklace, its pendant shaped like a radiant sun. She stared at it, her gaze hollow.
"I've found something even more horrifying," she murmured, her voice distant.
She handed the necklace to Peter, her fingers brushing against his.
"An order calling themselves the Children of the White Brilliance."
The air in the room grew heavier as Peter stared at the necklace, his mind racing. Caldreya's warning hung in the air like a dark cloud, the name 'Children of the White Brilliance' sent a chill down his spine.
"While I was braving the Great Storm," she began, her voice low, "I encountered one of them."
"He was an incredible magician, but I quickly overpowered him."
"I tried to get information from him."
She coughed.
"I even used torture."
"Yet the only thing he said was."
'I live for The White Sun, I die for The White Sun, I rise for The White Sun, I fall for The White Sun, I sacrifice for The White Sun, I ascend for The White Sun.'
Our time is running out.
Caldreya shivered, but it wasn't out of fear or anything akin to it.
Peter placed a hand on his face.
"We've killed so much. We've lost so much. And yet… it seems we haven't even begun to rid ourselves of the rot spreading within."
Peter's eyes remained closed, his thoughts drifting as he processed their conversation.
"Amelia and I are almost ready to venture outside of the dome." he said.
Caldreya's eyebrows raised up, and she gave him an amused look.
"Do you plan on leaving Velessa in my care?" she asked, her tone laced with disappointment.
"My oh my, you suck as a father."
Peter's lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I trust you, Caldreya. But I have to do it. We need to find more divine weapons."
His gaze sharpened, a hint of resolve in his tone.
"And I need to make sure we're ready."
She clapped her hands.
"You always have a plan, don't you?"
She said, her voice filled with both amusement and a touch of respect. "But divine weapons? That's a dangerous game you're playing, Peter."
She set the glass down gently, her eyes gleaming with something darker.
"And we both know that the more you search, the more you'll attract unwanted attention. You might find yourself battling more than just the invaders."
Peter's gaze hardened, but his resolve remained unwavering.
"Unwanted attention is the least of my concerns, Caldreya," he said, his voice low and steady. "We've seen what's coming. We can't afford to be unprepared."
"After Velkaar perished and Forged in Wrath disappeared, things haven't been the same."
Peter muttered, his voice carrying the weight of years of struggle.
He paused, running a hand through his hair, his eyes darkening as memories resurfaced. The loss of those key figures in their war had shifted the very balance of their world. The space left behind by their absence was something no one had been able to fill.
Caldreya's lips curled slightly, but her expression was one of quiet understanding.
"Of course," she replied softly.
"The death of such power shifts the currents of fate. But you know, Peter, nothing ever stays the same. Not for long."
Peter turned toward her, his face hardening.
"I know."
He said flatly.
"But what comes next might be worse. I've seen the signs."
He exhaled, the tension in his shoulders evident.
"If we're not careful, the consequences of this will be much worse than anything we've faced so far."
Suddenly, countless strings appeared, each stretching and connecting to either Caldreya or Peter. They were invisible to the eye, and neither of them felt nor noticed their presence. The number of strings attached to Caldreya far outnumbered those attached to Peter, but neither of them noticed the silent webs between them.
And so, the night unfolded, undisturbed by the unseen forces at play.