A strained hush followed Galen's words, like the moment before a storm either breaks or passes. A few exchanged glances across the three arcs of the circular table, but no one dared speak first—not even the kings.
Berg Thuden muttered something under his breath—something that sounded suspiciously like, "Arrogant little bastard"—but he wasn't bold enough to say it louder.
Queen Lucy, ever the master of timing, let the weight of the silence stretch just a second more. Then she gently clasped her hands together, voice poised and cool.
"Now that all members are present," she said, her eyes brushing across Galen with a flicker of meaning, "this summit of the Allied Kingdoms Task Force shall officially begin."
With a subtle motion of her fingers, the ancient glyph carved into the floor at the center of the chamber shimmered to life. A radiant symbol formed—three interlocked circles spinning into a glowing triangle, each one representing a kingdom: Crescent, Solara, and Tempest.
Lucy spoke again, her voice echoing crisply through the grand chamber. "It has been one week since our last gathering, and as we agreed then, a task force has been assembled to locate and eliminate the Gaia Hybrids."
She let the weight of those words settle.
"This past week, the Tempest Kingdom has endured... a few challenges. But in the end, those challenges bore fruit. One such fruit," she paused, "was produced by my alchemist, Dove Verlhare—who has labored endlessly to create seven hybrid detection crystals."
She turned slightly, her gaze falling on Dove—who sat stiffly, clearly irritable, her nerves frayed from going too long without a smoke.
Catching the cue, Dove raised her right hand with a subtle flick. In response, two elegant black chests etched with fine silver markings materialized with a soft shimmer before the Crescent and Solara delegations.
Both kings studied the chests for a brief moment.
King Valemir was the first to reach forward. He opened his carefully, the lid creaking back to reveal two translucent crystal necklaces resting neatly within. Moments later, King Tharion followed suit, revealing identical contents in his own chest.
Tharion narrowed his eyes, unimpressed. "These appear no different than ordinary crystals."
Dove didn't miss a beat. "Well, Your Majesty, seeing as I had barely a week to pull this out of thin air while no one here bothered to lend a hand, forgive me for not bedazzling them to match your royal taste." Her tone was dry, laced with sarcasm—and the edge of cigar withdrawal.
Tharion merely raised a brow, but said nothing, plucking one of the crystals out with cautious fingers.
As both Crescent and Solara representatives examined the necklaces, Mystica rose smoothly from her seat, noting Dove's increasingly twitchy demeanor. The lack of tobacco was catching up fast—and with Dove in that state, letting her handle the explanation was a recipe for chaos.
Fortunately, Mystica already knew the details.
"My apologies," Mystica said, her voice cool and polished, "but our alchemist isn't quite herself today. Allow me to explain what you're all undoubtedly curious about—how the crystals function."
The room quieted. All eyes turned to her—except Galen, who leaned back with eyes half-lidded like he was about to nap through the whole thing.
"These crystals," Mystica began, "emit a unique signal that resonates specifically with Gaia hybrid physiology. Any hybrid within range will involuntarily react to it. Their reaction, whether subdued or aggressive, triggers a return pulse to the crystal—causing it to glow green."
Eliv Borges, silent until now, leaned forward just slightly, eyes sharp. "When you say 'react,' subdued or aggressive —what exactly does that entail?"
Before Mystica could answer, Dove cut in, voice dry and scratchy.
"'Calmly' means they get lightheaded for a few seconds—five, ten at most—and keep on walking like nothin' happened. 'Harshly' means they snap, transform, and go feral right then and there. No filter."
A quiet beat followed.
Then Galen muttered under his breath, just loud enough: "Well... sounds like a fun little toy."
The silence following Galen's lazy remark stretched, taut as a drawn bow. His words drifted like smoke—casual, but carrying just enough heat to threaten combustion.
Dove didn't so much as glance in his direction. She rubbed at her temple with visible irritation, her voice low and flat. "Call it a toy all you want, but if you break the one assigned to you, I swear, Galen, you'll regret it."
Then she raised her voice, addressing the room with a sharp edge.
"That goes for the rest of you too. Treat those crystals like they're your kids. Or pets. Or whatever you nobles actually give a damn about."
Several brows lifted across the Crescent and Solara tables. Even Mystica spared Dove a brief sideways glance but chose not to comment. Instead, she steered the discussion away from boiling into snark and sparks.
"There is a limitation," Mystica said, her tone smoothing into cold professionalism once more. "The crystals have a radius of approximately forty meters. The hybrid must be within direct exposure—no magical shielding, cloaking spells, or suppression runes. Any strong concealment will block the signal."
At that, Queen Seralyne Magna, who had remained a quiet presence thus far, finally spoke.
"And what if there are multiple hybrids within that radius?"
"They'll all react," Mystica replied smoothly. "The crystal will glow brighter the more responses it receives. The activation is near-instant."
King Valemir leaned back in his seat, fingers tapping the rim of the chest in thought. "That could prove... useful," he murmured. "But how do we confirm their functionality before deployment?"
Mystica opened her mouth to reply, but Dove cut in with a dry chuckle.
"Oh, that's easy. We've already got ourselves a test subject."
She turned toward Queen Lucy, who held her silence for a beat before speaking with composed authority.
"We apprehended a hybrid who was within the academy grounds during the time of our last summit."
The words landed like a thunderclap—especially for King Valemir. His composure cracked ever so slightly, eyes widening as the realization struck. A hybrid… in the Dark Knight Academy? The very place where his children were being trained? A place he'd sworn would be protected?
He shifted forward, preparing to speak—but Queen Elanora reached out and gently laid her hand over his.
"Wait," she whispered through a quiet spell, audible only to him. "She knew how you'd react, yet she brought this up regardless. That must mean the children are unharmed."
Valemir exhaled through his nose, closed his eyes, and sat back, choosing—for now—to say nothing.
Across the room, King Tharion's eyes narrowed sharply. "Having a hybrid hidden among children… that's dangerously irresponsible."
"It is," Lucy agreed, voice steady. "But before we get to that part, allow me to explain how these new crystals came to be."
She paused, then continued, "During our last summit, one of my Royal Corps knights, who I had secretly embedded in the academy, reported an encounter with not one, but two hybrids."
Mois Ashton leaned forward, gaze laced with suspicion. "Were they in human form or their Gaia states?"
"Human," Lucy answered without pause. "You'll recall that Dove had developed a prototype detection crystal prior to our last meeting. It was unstable, but functional. That crystal was entrusted to my knight, and it led to the discovery. Unfortunately, it was destroyed in the process."
The room fell still again—this time, with more questions waiting to boil to the surface.
"Though two hybrids were discovered," Lucy continued, her voice cool and composed, "only one has been detained so far. That hybrid was none other than a well-trusted figure within the Tempest Kingdom—Assistant Headmaster of the Dark Knight Academy... Gordon Rvack."
Her words struck the chamber like a sudden crack of thunder.
King Omer, who had sat in silence for most of the summit like a ghost in flesh, turned sharply to his wife. His voice wavered between disbelief and denial. "What do you mean Gordon is a hybrid?"
Lucy's gaze never faltered. "Yes. That serpent you've always shielded from my judgment has finally slithered into my hands."
Gasps whispered through the chamber, but no one dared interrupt.
"With Gordon," Lucy went on, "we were able to finalize the design and function of the detection crystals you now possess. But words are wind—and so we will demonstrate."
Her eyes shifted toward Mystica, who raised a hand with fluid grace. With a pulse of magic, a portal shimmered open at the center of the great table, casting violet-blue light across the chamber's stone floor.
From the swirling arc stepped two Tempest guards, flanking a figure in chains.
A young woman was dragged forward—her neck bound in a steel collar, thick chains wrapped around her wrists and ankles, all linked together. A dark blindfold veiled her eyes, and her long white hair hung in tangled strands over her shoulders, dirtied and disheveled. Her once-pristine clothes were torn and grimy.
Lucy's voice rang out again, cutting cleanly through the heavy silence.
"Our second hybrid. One who turned herself in willingly mere days ago... Ember Everest."