Re: Timeless Apocalypse

The inn’s lobby was quiet.

Korynth sat behind her counter, her long white hair woven into a beautiful, lengthy braid that trailed down her back, blending seamlessly into the fabrics of her layered silver robes.

Her light bronze skin carried a soft sheen beneath the cold glow of the moon, its pale light dancing across her golden gaze.

As usual, she held a pipe in hand, her striking visage set in a particularly neutral expression on this otherwise unremarkable night.

She shook her head and exhaled a small cloud of smoke.

"Some things can’t be negotiated, Parthyn," she said to the tall figure standing across from her counter.

It was a guardian, entirely draped in robes of layered crimson and violet. Their eyes burned with a resplendent golden light, speckled faintly with emerald. They emitted no aura whatsoever.

"Is that so?" the guardian replied, his voice distinctly masculine.

"You wouldn’t even negotiate to keep your life, hm?" he asked, his gaze sharpening.

Korynth studied the man. Then, slowly, she extended her free hand and tapped the air.

The moment she did, the guardian froze, his eyes widening.

Instantly, he retreated dozens of meters back and summoned a dagger, gripping it tightly in trembling hands.

But then... nothing.

Korynth’s sultry voice echoed as she let out a soft chuckle. "Oh?"

"If you dare threaten my life, then surely you must have the power to back it up? Aren’t I just a measly innkeeper, nothing but a speck of dust in the eyes of the Order?"

The man didn’t answer.

Korynth nodded slightly. "My meaning is clear. My clients are under my supervision. That is all."

"If you make a move toward them, then the horn is blown." Her gaze sharpened, and a dangerous smile curved her lips.

"Do not give me a reason to destroy your little order. The chains that bind me are far more flexible than they may seem."

"Try me, and see if your precious tower can save you."

Her Will exploded outward, and for a fleeting instant, a Simple Domain bloomed from her, plunging their surroundings into a void of darkness.

A void where her Will painted its truths, shaping it into a hellscape of endless blue and white flames, where colossal demonic creatures roamed and clashed in violent chaos.

Her Will had summoned a domain of infernal might.

Parthyn froze, his eyes trembling. "Y-you... reached ’it’?"

His eyes widened further. "How?!"

He staggered back, his breathing growing heavy, his chest heaving. "No... no..."

His hands trembled, as though he were on the verge of doing something he could not commit to. Fear and shock flickered through his gaze, his presence wildly fluctuating in and out of existence.

Then, he vanished.

"The boy you protect is key to something far beyond your pathetic scope... I may not be powerful enough to show you just how out of your depth you are, but the hell to come will be..."

"We’ll see if you’re so mighty then."

"When the skies tear open and their fury descends, we’ll see. I’ll be eagerly waiting for you to come crawling back."

His voice faded into nothingness.

Silence lingered for a few moments.

’...’

Korynth sneered. "Coward."

Her domain dissolved, and the inn returned to normal, as if nothing had happened, as if reality itself had not just been reshaped by her sheer will.

Unbothered, uncaring for the coward’s words, she brought her pipe back to her lips and took another drag.

Though outwardly unaffected, as her thoughts began to flow, a flicker of curiosity crept in.

’The Order wants to reach the boy before others do... that’s interesting.’ She exhaled slowly. ’Does he carry an artifact they need?’

’Or is he the son of an Esteemed?’ She paused. ’If he is... this could get messy.’

’I might die.’

The thought was chilling, yet she remained indifferent to it.

No ascendant reached her level of power without becoming intimately familiar with death.

’What to do...’

But no ascendant reached her level by being careless, either.

It was a delicate balance.

For a brief moment, she considered simply handing the two boys over to the Order. If she did, she would wash her hands of the situation entirely. She would be rewarded, and perhaps even strengthen her standing with them.

But...

’I can’t.’

Merely thinking of Uriel made her heart stutter, her core nearly shatter. The memory she held of him had, in just a few days, become an obsession she could not escape.

In truth, the only reason she was still at the reception so late into the night was the hope of seeing him again. Each passing second stretched endlessly, agonizing beyond words.

This was an opportunity she could not afford to miss.

’If I consume him... I’ll be able to completely break the chains. And if I fully devour him, I...’

The mere thought nearly made her faint in glee.

The sheer magnitude of power she could gain sent her mind spiraling into fantasies of realms she had no right to even covet.

CREAK!

The wooden stairs of the inn groaned, and from them, a pair of boys descended, making their way toward her.

Both wore light, airy silver tunics.

One had long, ashen-grey hair framing a youthful, pale face still brimming with innocence. His eyes shone with a bright sunset-orange hue, complementing the freckles scattered across his cheeks.

The other was taller—noticeably so—and a few years older. His body was lean yet packed with sleek muscle, and his mid-length hair was as ivory as his skin, both as white as fresh snow.

Yet his hair carried faint undertones of silver.

His eyes glowed with a deep rose light, and his impossibly charming face bore a radiant smile; soft in appearance, yet subtly predatory as his gaze settled on her.

Her heart trembled.

"Hello."

Uriel and Samael approached her. The latter still seemed slightly dazed, clearly not yet accustomed to aether or his core.

Uriel stopped just a few meters away, the counter the only thing separating them. He leaned against it casually, looking down at her as his smile deepened.

"Hello?"

Uriel frowned slightly, confused. For some reason, Korynth simply stared at him, as though he were the only thing that existed in the world.

Letting out a soft chuckle, he waved a hand in front of her.

"Feast your eyes as you like."

His words echoed through her mind, and she finally snapped out of it.

A faint blush touched her cheeks, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Hello," she said smoothly. "What can I do for you?"