"All aboard!" A man’s voice echoed in the train station as passengers began to board.
Moving to their respective carriages which were sizable enough for six people, they quickly made themselves comfortable while waiting for the train to move.
The train station was quite rowdy as it has been for the past few days due to the destruction of BoneHaven.
With the relocation of several civilians to other cities, trains had become quite clogged up with tickets now costing so much due to how in demand it was.
A few silly bastards hoped for the refugees to seek help elsewhere but that was something they could only wish for since the relocation was being headed by members of the Main Parliament which was located in the business capital of the Empire.
In any case, the train was quickly filled up after which...
"Carriage 16," Alex remarked softly as he walked through the passageway that was barely large enough for a single person to walk through.
He pitied those that were a bit larger if they would ever attempt to take a train ride.
Walking with two briefcases while dressed in a simple black suit, he was accompanied by Nadia who was wearing an aqua-green Lehenga with a few pieces of jewelry adorning her neck and wrists.
Her eye-catching attire naturally drew attention but she wasn’t one to care as she followed silently behind Alex with her head down.
Soon, they arrived at Carriage 16 and quickly entered inside to make themselves comfortable.
With Nadia’s help, they had managed to secure the entire carriage to themselves, naturally with extra payment involved.
In any case, it gave them some much-needed privacy.
Alex neatly placed their boxes in the space allotted for them before taking his seat which was across from Nadia.
Both seated close to the window, Nadia had her attention outside while Alex stared at her.
She had been this way ever since she took his hand and became his first official subordinate.
He could understand why since it was easy to tell.
Nadia still blamed herself for not having the chance to share her true feelings with Alex before his death, leaving her with nothing but an unrequited love that would always hurt her.
He wanted to convince her to go back to her life but knowing how pointless that was, he turned his attention away and focused on his next course of action as the train moved.
After careful consideration, Alex had decided to acquire the Mantle of Darkness first.
First appearing sometime during the 3rd era, it was a boon that gave the Cryptids of Ra’as the power they needed to rule the entire continent.
At that time, their power was so great, it was said that Ra’as was not a place for humans but for monsters to congregate.
It was not until the 5th era that the Mantle stopped aiding the Cryptids for some reason, which allowed the Great families to defeat them after an extensive war that soaked the continent in blood.
Not much was known about the Mantle, just like the other Branches.
This was mostly because after labeling them as aspects of God, no one else dared to learn more out of fear of losing their lives.
Alex had wondered why no Mystic had attempted to acquire the Branches and use them as a means to attain godhood but that in itself was a no-brainer after careful research.
Some had attempted to acquire it but the same tale was told each time.
They were devoured without mercy.
A good example was what happened to the werewolf lineage after their leaders attempted to assimilate the Moonstone.
It was a testament to just how powerful and dangerous the Branches were.
In any case, he wasn’t too worried since unlike the others, he had Nyx to deal with the acquisition.
The reason he picked the Mantle was quite simple actually.
It was because it was the closest to him and its location was known to all that wished to know.
Located next to the City of Popolis, the Labyrinth of Dread was its current location.
No one knew how the Labyrinth appeared but most believe that it was the Mantle that created it in a bid to prevent its power from being used wantonly.
Known for being a place where none had managed to survive, the Labyrinth was a forbidden land watched by the D.O.D. to prevent those that would be stupid enough to want to enter despite the dangers.
Alex scratched the side of his cheek as he mused. ’I guess I’m one of those stupid ones.’
In a dark hall filled with several coffins, most of which had been broken with blood spilled aside and dead bodies littered about, a humanoid being sat at the forefront with a tired look on his face.
His features were quite peculiar as he had pale skin with pointed ears and exaggerated canines.
His fingers were quite sharp and his features were more feminine than masculine, giving him an androgynous beauty.
Breathing heavily, he glanced at the sight before him before letting out a deep sigh.
His blood-red irises flashed crimson for a moment, and the blood-soaked cemetery was quickly drained with the red liquid rushing toward the man.
He seemed to regain himself after absorbing the blood as he slowly rose to his feet and remarked. "He should be on his way here now, no?"
As though on cue, a knock was heard at the door.
Chuckling lightly, the man remarked. "Come in."
The doorknob was turned and a man wearing a crow mask with a black robe walked in with a box underneath his right arm.
He walked with a cane and had a certain air about him that caused the androgynous man to step back in fright.
"Kuku, you seem scared, Damian." The crow-masked man joked as he approached.
The androgynous man... no, Damian sighed as he replied. "I can never get used to that strange air you carry."
"Kuku, there’s no need to." The crow masked man said before glancing at the cemetery. "Did I miss the party?"