"Where are they?" Victoria asked, voicing the question in Alex’s mind as he searched the room for Ana or Arwen.
He found neither though they were clear signs that both had been staying in the room not too long before they arrived.
It also didn’t help that the communication orb that Ana was supposed to be with had been left behind.
Just as he considered attempting to reach out to Elena, there was a flash of golden light and Ana appeared in the room, catching Alex and Victoria off guard.
"Where were you?" Alex asked, displaying a slight hint of worry.
"I’m sorry, I had to flee with Arwen."
"Why?" Victoria asked from the side.
"Alex, she’s here," Ana said.
"The Daemon that killed Arthur and took Douglas."
There was no response, just a resounding silence that persisted for a moment too long.
Arthur’s death and Douglas’s abduction.
Those were two events that happened on the same day, at almost the same period and the perpetrator for both acts was the same person.
It was a scar that existed among all members of Constellations, save for Ulysses, an experience that lingered at the back of their minds, reminding them of the fact that in the grand scheme of things, they were nothing.
That day was perhaps the single greatest loss Constellations had suffered since its creation, ensuring that they would not forget about it for a long time to come.
Even Ana, who had not personally witnessed the Daemon’s overwhelming might and disgusting cruelty, held a great deal of fear towards her.
In truth, Alex had anticipated her presence but hearing that she had come was a completely different ballgame.
Could vengeance be served?... Would it be possible to make the Daemon pay for what they’d done?... Should they even bother trying to confront her?
Alex did not delude himself into thinking that because he had a GodKiller, he would have a better chance of taking on the Daemon.
In fact, all things considered, he felt the GodKiller might increase his chances of being targeted next.
It also didn’t help that the Daemon in question was going after the same thing they wanted; the Midnight Pearl.
The chances of them taking the Pearl with Sayda going after it as well were just too low to take into consideration.
With that in mind, Alex remarked, his tone laced with an underlying sense of urgency. "Get the others. There is much we need to talk about."
Overwhelmed with fear, Archibald remained static, his mind a complete mess as he zoned out from everything happening around him.
He’d thought he would have little trouble getting into Twilight, but it turned out he was wrong.
Of course, he was well aware of why the Daemon had come, and even as he wished to believe that she wouldn’t find the entrance, the condition of the werewolf she had with her caused him to hold that thought.
Though he had no plans of going after the Pearl and instead only wished to harvest the cells and wealth of his fallen ancestors, just the thought that he would be in the same space as one of the bastards that had relentlessly hunted down his pure-blooded brethren left him bothered.
But then, the longer he waited, the less time he would have to do what needed to be done.
The chances that Twilight would remain as it was after the Pearl was taken by the Daemon were low, so moving now was the best choice.
He was jolted from his thoughts by his companions, who were clearly worried about him.
They were mercenaries he had picked up on his way to Thespene, both abandoned by their original party for being deadweight.
That was what they got for deciding to follow the path of the werewolf as they challenged the Monster Wheel.
Naturally, Archibald couldn’t stand for such injustice, so he took them under his wing, hoping for their aid once they entered Twilight.
On their own, they wouldn’t be able to find the entrance since they weren’t true werewolves like Archibald.
Taking a deep breath, Archibald remarked. "We are taking a huge risk with what we are about to do. Are you sure you wish to accompany me?"
"Bah, who cares?... It’s not like we have anything better to do out there, right?" Hamon asked, eliciting sympathy from Archibald.
With a smile, Archibald remarked. "Soon, this curse will be taken away and the werewolf race will rise again. So do not give up hope."
"Sure." Anika enthusiastically said.
"Now then, come on, let’s be on our way," Archibald remarked. "The future awaits."
With that, the trio ventured into the fog, with Archibald making sure not to walk too fast as he did not wish to come across that wicked Daemon once again.
Meanwhile, deep within the fog, Sayda came to a stop, white smoke escaping her lips as she took deep breaths while struggling to stop herself from trembling due to the unnatural chill threatening to turn her into an ice statue.
Glancing down to find Douglas completely unaffected, she had half the mind to make him feel pain but ultimately decided against it.
Instead, she focused on the map on his bare back, trying to figure out the next step to take and which direction to move in.
Just then, Douglas suddenly turned in a particular direction and began to move on all fours like a dog, pulling Sayda along.
Sayda said nothing as she followed him with measured steps.
Soon, he came to a stop and the reason for that swiftly revealed itself.
There was a burst of light after which a doorway revealed itself, seemingly out of nowhere.
It was an arched doorway made completely out of ice.
The door at the center had no handle and appeared more like a mirror than an actual door with a crystal clear surface that reflected both Douglas and Sayda.
Lost for words as she stared at the doorway that the Paragons had spent literal centuries trying to find, a mocking smile soon appeared at the corners of Sayda’s lips.