Silence fell once more—heavier than before, as if the hall itself were holding its breath in reverence for what had been said.
Shaine remained standing where he was, his gaze steady, yet something deep within him stirred.
Then he broke the stillness, his voice calm, tinged with curiosity and something deeper still.
"So, Harveil… tell me. Where exactly are the Seraph positioned within the Empire?"
Harveil was not surprised by the question.
He answered with the composure of one accustomed to organizing chaos.
"Very well, Your Majesty.
Elinor and Nova are stationed in the Kingdom of Escalaria.
As for Rina and Sasha… they are in the Kingdom of Khazad."
He paused briefly, as if weighing his next words, then added in a tone Shaine knew all too well:
"And I believe you already know—without me having to say it—where Zula would be."
A faint smile appeared on Shaine's face, one of prior knowledge.
"In Maval, correct?"
Harveil nodded, a small smile forming in return.
"Yes, Your Majesty.
She is there… as one of the Ten Blades."
Shaine's smile widened slightly, his voice carrying a mix of surprise and admiration.
"So that's how it is… She breached the ranks of the Ten Blades this quickly?
A truly brilliant girl."
A brief silence followed.
Harveil was about to speak, but Shaine beat him to it—his tone now pure curiosity, as though a missing piece had begun to trouble him.
"But… why didn't you tell me about that idiot?
Where is he stationed?"
Harveil's expression shifted subtly—barely noticeable.
He opened his mouth and began carefully,
"Do you mean—"
He didn't finish.
Suddenly, an immense pressure surged through the palace.
It wasn't a manifested aura, but a suffocating sensation—as if something had slipped into the space without permission.
Harveil's eyes widened in shock.
Even Shaine felt the weight… yet he did not step back.
Instead, he smiled.
A faint… wicked smile.
"So you're here after all… Shiva."
In the next instant, the doors of the hall slowly opened.
A young man entered with confident steps.
His hair was a deep crimson, like blood long since dried, and his pale red eyes carried a calm mockery.
He wore refined clothing befitting a noble—yet something about his presence contradicted that elegance.
He began to clap slowly, the sound echoing against the empty hall.
"Well, well…" he said with a crooked smile.
"Look who finally decided to show himself… after all these years."
Shaine lifted his gaze to meet him.
Cold. Steady. The smile never left his face.
And in the blink of an eye—
Shiva vanished from where he stood.
No sound.
No vibration.
Only a transition that defied logic.
He reappeared directly in front of Shaine.
The two stood face to face, a single step apart.
Their gazes locked—silence charged with grandeur, with unspoken history, with power that needed no display.
Then…
Shiva knelt.
One knee to the ground, as though time itself had returned to its proper place.
"It's been a very long time… Your Majesty."
For a brief moment, Shaine's expression changed.
The coldness vanished, replaced by something like nostalgia… something rare.
"Yes…"
he said softly.
"It truly has been a long separation."
Then he added, his voice carrying a clear promise:
"And now I am here with you once more.
I will not disappear again… I swear it."
Shiva's smile widened.
Harveil smiled as well, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from his chest.
In that empty hall,
amidst majesty and awe,
the scene felt like a reunion of old comrades—
Separated for a long time,
yet bound by a bond even time dared not sever.
The hall remained still after the warm reunion, until Shiva broke the silence with a tone filled with curiosity and confusion.
"Where were you all this time?
I traveled the entire Empire, kingdom by kingdom, searching for you.
I couldn't find even the faintest trace of your aura—nothing that could lead me to you."
Shaine smiled calmly, his gaze steady, hiding a secret within.
"After I was sealed… it happened suddenly.
You know the circumstances.
The divine seal was extremely powerful—so much so that even I couldn't escape it."
Shiva nodded in astonishment, his voice rising slightly.
"Then how did you get out?"
Shaine chuckled softly, easing the tension in the room.
"Fate was on my side.
It's a long and strange story… but in short, I deceived someone to escape.
The ability known as 'Eternal Illusion' was one of the main reasons I could break free.
That mysterious person still piques my curiosity… even though I have taught him what no one else knows, he might be a useful pawn for our next journey."
A look of astonishment crossed both Shiva's and Harveil's faces.
Harveil asked in surprise:
"Is this stranger… a demon? Or an elf? What is he? How can he fascinate you to such an extent that you want him on this journey so quickly?"
Shiva added:
"Yes, tell us more, Your Majesty!"
Shaine smiled and looked at them deeply:
"He is… human."
Everything froze for a moment, then came the unified response from Shiva and Harveil, their voices rising:
"Whaaaat?!"
Shaine gave a light smile and shrugged:
"The important thing… is not that. Let's leave it aside for now until I adjust to this new world I have been absent from for so long."
Shiva smiled to himself, recalling his king's habit:
"Here he goes again… starting an important topic, then leaving it open, as he always does…"
Harveil laughed quietly, knowing well his master's unchanging habits over time.
Shaine then turned to Shiva:
"Tell me, Shiva… where were you stationed all this time? You weren't here when I returned to the palace."
Shiva answered in an organized, calm tone:
"I traveled all the kingdoms, as I said earlier, monitoring the developments of magic and politics within the Empire. Much has changed in your absence… a new capital has been established, called 'Arinfa'.
Within it, a new political hierarchy rules the entire Empire, known as the 'Noble Factions'. There are ten factions, each with a higher status than the one before it.
The first faction is the strongest and leads all other factions, considered the second emperor of the Empire."
Shaine's face showed surprise, then he smiled:
"So the Empire has developed this fast… truly fascinating."
He whispered to himself, as though speaking to a part of his own mind:
"The path will be harder for you in this world… more than you imagined. What will you do now?"
Then he looked at Shiva again:
"And also… are there powerful individuals within the Empire now, or are they the same as before?"
Shiva answered calmly:
"Yes, there are many prominent figures now… plenty."
Shaine smiled, a mix of cunning and joy:
"Finally, it will be interesting."
Then Shaine continued, deep in thought:
"So… regarding the members of the Noble Factions, are they mixed or is each family of a single race?"
Shiva replied:
"Yes, they are mixed. Each faction has a lord, his children, and the elders under him. Each faction has a different number of elders, with a clear hierarchy from strongest to weakest."
A faint smile appeared on Shaine's face:
"Good information… I want to know more.
All this progress didn't happen by itself. Something strange about the speed… but I won't dive into it now.
I'll leave it aside until I regain my strength and clarity of mind.
The seal placed on me drained my power greatly and repeatedly.
Therefore, Harveil and Shiva, I will enter a short isolation to restore my energy."
Harveil and Shiva replied together:
"Very well… as you wish, Your Majesty."
Shaine's gaze lingered on the assembled before him—Harveil and Shiva—yet his mind wandered, calculating, observing, anticipating. A smile, faint but knowing, curved his lips.
"This… is only the beginning."
And as the hall's silence settled once more, a sense of inevitability pressed against them all—the kind that whispered of power, of secrets yet unrevealed, and of a storm quietly gathering beyond the horizon.