It's funny how a single person can tilt an entire civilization's mood just by existing in the same room.
Every noble, every House leader, every celebrity orbiting this gala did so because of her pull. If she looked at you twice, you were important. If she ignored you, you might as well have never been born. That's how the world worked when your name was Norphie Phoenicia, who is twenty-four years of age.
Sometimes I forgot how absurdly talented she was. According to MoDS lore and Phasnovterich's memories, She started Heart's Boutique when she was nine. When most kids were learning multiplication tables, she was tailoring dresses for the daughters of nobility and playing inter-House diplomacy like it was a chessboard she had memorized at birth.
She has a memory so perfect it was almost eerie. She once told me (well, the real Phaser but since we integrated it was similar to say she told me) she could remember what she ate on Christmas Day when she was five. She could remember the smell, the taste and the pattern of the tablecloth. If Norphie saw something, she never forgot it. Every name, every connection, every dirty secret whispered at a gala like this all went into that infinite archive inside her head.
That's why House leaders across the world wanted her on their side. Not just for her fashion though, to be fair, without her, half the noble Houses would still be wearing ceremonial cloaks that looked like tragic curtains. They needed her because Norphie knew things. She was the unofficial broker of elegance and information. You could buy loyalty, but Norphie sold relevance.
And here I was, standing beside her, being dragged from table to table as she introduced me like some prized artifact.
"Everyone," she announced with that radiant smile, "meet Phasnovterich Argemenes and yes, that Argemenes, the heir of his House."
And every single face would shift. The whispers spread like perfume. The House of Argemenes, the Abyssal House of humans and the most reclusive and feared of the Four Abyssal Houses. For centuries, we were treated like monsters until we weren't.
My ancestors ended the Third Great World War.
Humans and Fluxers had slaughtered each other for decades until the Argemenes entered the field. The Six Radiance Houses thought they owned the world but the Argemenes fought for humanity and crushed them in a single, final campaign that redefined the balance of power.
Afterward, the Abyssal Houses vanished from public view and then disappeared as if disgusted by what they has seen. So seeing me, the heir of Argemenes, walking beside Norphie Phoenicia, was a massive declaration. To everyone watching, it meant one thing:
The Argemenes were back. And not just back but allied, or at least connected, with the woman who practically ran the modern noble economy.
In the world of Fluxers, there were two main classes. Commoner Fluxers, who trained freely, and Noble Fluxers, divided into Officia and House Fluxers.
House Fluxers were those born into the great bloodlines, each wielding a different type of Flux. Concept Flux, the rarest of all, belonged to us, the Argemenes.
That alone made the others… uneasy.
The Six Radiance Houses hated us. They hated that humans had something rarer and stronger than anything they could create. But even they had to respect us. Because if the Argemenes ever decided to go to war again, the Radiants wouldn't exist long enough to complain about it. Meanwhile, the Two Aiding Houses stayed neutral a always.
And now, here I was, laughing and drinking beside Norphie Phoenicia, the most politically magnetic woman in the world. If cameras hadn't already been flashing before, they definitely were now.
The House of Argemenes had allied with Heart's Boutique.
It wasn't true in the formal sense. Norphie and I were just friends. Complicated friends, sure, but friends.
Yet perception was everything. If I wanted to restore the Argemenes' place in the world, I couldn't have asked for a better accident. The timing was perfect, the crowd was perfect, and Norphie's arm linked around mine was practically a declaration.
Every House leader watching this would interpret it the same way:
"Argemenes has chosen a side."
Of course, I wasn't actually choosing one. I was just trying not to look awkward in a room where the forks probably cost more than a house.
I glanced around at the crowd again. The way people bowed slightly when Norphie passed, the way others angled their bodies subtly to be seen by her, it was all too obvious. She caught my glance and smirked.
"You're staring again."
"Just wondering how much this whole event costs."
"Enough to make most kingdoms cry."
"Figures."
She tilted her head with that trademark, lazy smile.
"Don't look so overwhelmed, Phaser. You belong here more than anyone."
I chuckled. "That's debatable."
"Please. The Argemenes built half of this world's history. You're the closest thing to royalty the Houses have left. Enjoy it."
"Enjoy being politically misunderstood?"
She laughed lightly. "You're already used to that, aren't you?"
"Touché."
Norphie and I walked side by side towards where the Empress sat on a table. She wore a fancy white dress. She sees to like white a lot. When her gaze landed on us, it wasn't surprise that followed. She was scanning us.
"Norphie Phoenicia. You didn't tell me you'd be bringing someone of such… prestige."
Norphie smiled like she owned the entire place.
"You didn't ask. Besides, it would be rude of me to celebrate in your empire without you being here. I'd lose all my credibility, wouldn't I?"
The crowd went silent. Nobody talked to the Empress like that. Yet Aurelia just chuckled.
"Well then, introduce me to your charming companion."
Norphie's hand lightly brushed my arm.
"Phasnovterich Vecria Argemenes, Heir to the House of Argemenes."
I didn't bow.
Instead, I gave a small nod, reached forward, and kissed the Empress's hand. Her glove was cold.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Imperial Majesty. I've heard much about you… though none of the stories seem to do justice to reality."
Her eyebrow arched, clearly amused.
"Flattery from an Argemenes? I didn't expect that."
"Observation. We Argemenes prefer accuracy over exaggeration."
For a second, her expression softened, albeit barely. She drew her hand back slowly.
"Hmm. I didn't expect the heir of Argemenes to be this… handsome."
Did she just...
Alright, fair. I get told I'm attractive often enough but coming from the Empress of Rome herself? Am I that good-looking? Probably. Though I had to admit, my hair was looking good tonight. Tying it into a single braid was definitely a good idea, though my bangs hid my forehead pretty well.
Before I could respond with something dangerously witty, Norphie spoke up.
"I'll be borrowing him, actually. I've decided that Phaser will be my model for this summer's fashion line. Want to join?"
The hall froze. You could practically hear the silence hit. Even the imperial guards tensed.
Was Norphie insane? You don't just… volunteer the heir of Argemenes for your boutique's runway. And in front of the Empress, no less!
The Empress blinked once and leaned forward slightly on her seat.
"You want me, to sit and see where you'll use the heir of Argemenes as your model?"
Norphie gave her signature Phoenician smile that could charm both merchants and monarchs.
"Not just sit. I want you to join. It's summer. You deserve a break, don't you?"
A murmur swept through the chamber like wind through glass. Nobles exchanged looks. Some covered their mouths. A few looked like they were ready to faint. And yet, the Empress smiled.
"Join your summer show? You are bold, Norphie."
"Boldness is the only thing people remember. Isn't that right, Phaser?"
"Always," I said, trying not to laugh. "If you're going to make history, at least make it stylish."
That earned a laugh from the Empress. The hall gasped again. A few courtiers looked like they were questioning reality.
"Very well, I accept your invitation, Norphie Phoenicia. Perhaps it's time I remembered what summer feels like."
The crowd erupted in applause, more out of disbelief than excitement. I swear I caught at least three noblewomen whispering about how Norphie must have blackmailed the Empress. As the sound filled the chamber, Norphie leaned close to me and whispered with a smug grin.
"Told you she'd say yes."
"You just convinced the most powerful woman in Europe to join your model photoshoot."
"I know. And you're my main model, so don't embarrass me."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair.
"You're going to kill me with all this politics and glamour—"
It didn't take a single second for me to throw the Empress out of the way immediately. The moment I did, a powerful explosion erupted on the very table she was sitting at.