Lyssandros stood on the balcony adjacent to his bedroom, ignoring all around him as his gaze focused not on the city below but on the sky above.
He was dressed in minimal clothing, wearing just enough that one wouldn’t consider it as the King having gone mad.
Taking a deep breath, he found himself reminiscing on past memories, the smile on his lips shifting from warm one moment to melancholic the next and alternating in that manner for a bit until he heard a knock at the door bringing an end to his recollections of the past.
Just then, he heard someone knocking at the door, prompting him to respond. "You may take your leave, I do not wish for company right now."
"Brother, it’s me." A feminine voice called out from the other end of the door, causing Lyssandros to pause.
Closing his eyes to parse through his thoughts, he ultimately replied. "Come in."
Following that, the door opened and a short woman with a slender physique and childlike innocence walked in, dressed in a simple white himation.
She was perhaps the only one who had been wearing white along with her brother since the end of the Civil War.
She was Princess Niobe, the only sibling that Lyssandros’ parents had blessed him with before their early deaths.
Lyssandros glanced back at the young lady, who appeared sixteen while being almost twenty-five.
"Niobe," he muttered gently. "Are you alright?"
"You already know the answer to that question brother. I came to check on you, to ask if you were alright."
Lyssandros pursed his lips as he replied. "You should know the answer to that as well."
Silence followed as Niobe walked over to join him on the balcony with graceful steps.
As Lyssandros stared at her, he couldn’t help but allow his mind to wander, thinking to himself.
If only the war hadn’t happened, she should have gotten married to... he closed his eyes, deciding to stop with the what-ifs.
The more he dwelt on it, the longer it would take him to accept what had happened.
"It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?" Lyssandros asked with Niobe nodding in agreement.
Taking a deep breath, Lyssandros intoned. "The council, they want me to become emperor."
Niobe glanced at him. "And?"
"Did you agree to it?"
"How could I?" Lyssandros asked. "It would mean more bloodshed and at such a chaotic time..."
"It’s precisely because of the disorder tearing through the continent that you have to become emperor," Niobe said, cutting Lyssandros off as she did so. "With your strength and leadership, this continent can survive."
"You sound convinced," Lyssandros said. "I’m guessing you were listening in again."
Niobe pursed her lips before slowly nodding in.
"Is that the real reason you are here?"
Lyssandros let out a sigh as he shifted his attention back to the winter sky above.
It was a peaceful sight, allowing him to ignore the chaos around him.
"I will tell the others what I told you... waging a war in winter is a fool’s game. Let the Long Night finish, then we may discuss this again."
"And what if by then it’s too late?" Niobe asked. "What if the continent falls to ruin before then?"
"Then..." Lyssandros didn’t manage to complete what he wished to say as the winter sky disappeared right before his eyes, replaced by a sky filled with blinking white lights.
It was beautiful yet terrifying, radiating a serene aura that calmed one’s heart.
However, it was completely alien to him, causing him to grab Niobe instinctively while pondering what was about to happen.
Just like back then in Ra’as, Alex projected Evernight all across Henos, ensuring that what was to happen next would touch everywhere.
Once he got the go-ahead from Humphrey and the Witch, he began.
He spoke of the war, of the chaos it brought.
He spoke of the deaths and the anguish it caused.
He spoke of the pain and the anger that came along with it.
He spoke of the disorder and the promised decadence that was sure to ruin everything.
Finally, he spoke of the despair and the hope that should follow.
Even when it seemed like there was no hope, he urged them to remain steadfast, to not stop until the last breath in their lungs.
At a certain point, it turned personal as he spoke not only to those who listened but to himself as well.
By the end of it all, he retracted his power with the Witch Of Fables doing the same along with Humphrey.
At the same time, Alex heard a melodious laughter in his head.
’Well done, well done!’
Even though they were done, Alex’s words echoed across the continent, offering solace to many who needed it while also gaining the attention of those who hid in the shadows and sought to use the chaos to their advantage.
One in particular, the Daemon of Gluttony Sayda, was quite amused as she stared at the sky, watching as it returned to its natural state.
However, the smile on her face vanished the next second as she sensed something, causing her to shift her attention elsewhere, towards the abandoned land outside the eastern wall of Thespene.
Over there, a great fog had begun to obscure the entire area and at the center of the fog, a light shined brightly.
"Twilight." Sayda breathed out in disbelief.
Instinctively, she glanced towards the sky and then back at the fog-covered area.
Was she overthinking it or was there a connection between the starry sky and Twilight?
As she pondered this, at another location, yet another individual was forced to wonder the same as the once masked man, stood out in the open, his gaze focused on the brilliant fog ahead.
"Boss, what do we do now?" The average-looking Henosian asked in excitement.
"Anika, Hamon." The man called out.
"Get ready. We leave in ten."
And so, the two rushed to get everything ready while the once masked man stood in place, his expression betraying a hint of displeasure.