Tall grass swayed gently in the meadows like a golden sea. The autumn sun neared its peak in the sky, and the clouds were ever so present. The sweet smell of apples wafted through a secluded orchard on a gentle breeze, where a boy tossed apples into the air beneath arching tree branches. As they fell to the earth, he raised his hand, at the same time focusing his Source within. He willed the apples to slow before they could crash into him—to remain airborne—but he could never sustain their flight. With every apple that hit the ground, his frustration grew.

A twig snapped, allowing him to break focus. He looked at his surroundings to find no one. Perhaps it was a snapping branch from a dead apple tree. He continued his practices but with caution of his surroundings.

"Neat trick!" A voice said. An apple fell on his head. "How do you do it?"

The boy turned to find a girl with red hair bundled in the back with piercing green eyes.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

The girl began to observe him, lifting his arm and walking around him. "You're not human." she said. "I'm not against it, nor do I hate you if that's what you're thinking."

The boy began to run but looked back only to find her standing completely still. He kept running until he felt as if she could no longer see him, turning where he thought would throw off his trail, and eventually he found himself running through tall grass. A path through the grass was barely paved by his last visits.

All the shrubbery began to grow thicker the further he went. Eventually he reached a stone wall. He took another look behind him to make sure he wasn't followed, but again he couldn't see anyone. He began to walk along the stone and eventually found a crack in the wall. It was large enough for a person to go through if they squeezed through. He angled his shoulders to begin going through the crack.

He followed where the water flowed into a ravine, and he watched as the water fell over a cliff. There was a cave entrance across the stream bank; the water was shallow enough to cross. With every step he could feel the current try and take him, so he made sure that all his steps had weight. He found his way to the mouth of the cave, feeling a familiar air breeze through. He placed his hand on the right side of the cave and traced the damp rock as he walked further into the darkness.

The air became hotter as the cave became desiccated. A red glow began to refract from the cave walls. His pace began to pick up as he began to see where he was going. As the exit of the cave came into sight, he could see Nasherux. He took a deep breath upon exiting the cave and looked at his surroundings. There was some shrubbery, but most of it was dead. But that was all he could see before a manor. Some of the Overworld's greenery tried to invade beyond its home only to find immediate death in the Underworld. This red wasteland was a great representation of the Underworld; only the strongest survive, and the weak get left behind for dead.

He slowly slid down the slope and felt the gravel give way until he reached the bottom. Some voices could be heard approaching his location. Traversing the loose gravel carefully, he found a hollowed tree and snaked himself through a small bush. He could see a trail further away; the problem was crossing the open space.

Hearing the snarl of a hellhound, he began to panic.

His feet began to jitter as he gathered his courage and ran into the opening. The hellhounds began to bark, and the brush between them began to rustle. The boy looked back but felt his feet hit something hard, which he found strange as the opening was clear with no rock or root in sight. He braced for impact and felt himself slide a few feet.

"You should never do that!" A familiar female voice shouted as a barrage of kicks began to land on his body as he balled himself and covered his head.

The barking hellhounds appeared out of the bushes with their handler holding the leash. Peeking through the crack he provided himself through his arms, he could see the hellhound's saliva spilling out of its mouth and then the man who held the beast.

"What are you doing so close to the border?!" The man shouted.

"This servant thought he could just run away, but I caught him!" She stomped on his arm but firmly planted her foot as if she were reducing the risk of him running away.

There was a long pause.

"That's your problem," he yanked at the leash as the beast tried to snap at him. "You allow them to think. Keep your servants on a tighter leash!" The man pulled on the leash of the hellhound and walked back into the shrubbery.

"Why do you do this?" She said, waiting for the rustling of leaves and branches to cease. The boy uncurled himself and observed that the guard was gone. He winced at her as he rubbed his arm, realizing it was Namon, a superior from his house. "How many times do we have to tell you not to go in there?"

Even though he knew his answer, the words crashed in his throat. Namon offered her hand to help him up, and he grabbed it, feeling her pull, and helped him on his feet. The boy couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes, so his gaze fell to the ground.

"Draven," she called him with a gentle voice. His eyes began to look upward at her. "You know there are rules we must follow, and if we don't follow those rules, our whole House becomes compromised.

You know the stories of House Aurur. Their tragic end started when they became weak and evidently didn't follow the rules."

"I know it's just. . ." Draven paused and tried to look up at the woman but failed and settled past her shoulder. "It's comfortable when there aren't any eyes to watch me."

The woman hooked her arm around the back of his neck and began to tug him in the direction she wanted, completely disregarding what Draven said.

"The Master has an assignment for you. Now whatever you do, you must accept it no matter what it is. I would say that it's safe to assume that your life depends on it."

Draven finally looked at her face—milky-brown skin and straight silver hair that flowed behind her, her eyes were a deep red, and her ears pointed—but when she stared back at him, Draven's face only showed concern.

Thanks to Namon's Flash Step, a spell that allows its user to travel on light for a short distance, they made it to a manor that served as the home for House Kel. The building was surrounded by a mix of dead and dying trees. Bushes outlined the elongated lawns. The two walked through the front gate, but once they passed the threshold, they were suddenly engulfed in some type of illusion magic, seeing how the dying plants that surrounded the manor had now come to life with greenery and the sun shined bright, as if he crossed over to the Overworld. The visual illusion had such a great effect on their senses that they couldn't feel the miasma anymore.

Namon Flash Stepped to the grand ornate doors at the front of the house and waited for Draven to catch up. Reluctant to run, his walking pace became faster as he approached the doors. He looked at the door's design, always fascinating him as if the engravings and characters had a story to tell.

The doors opened, and it echoed a rich, sonorous sound. Inside the building felt alive with people conversing and walking about in the grand hall. There were too many voices and sounds to pinpoint a conversation. Draven looked for Namon, but she too was lost in the crowd, leaving him by himself. His heart began to palpitate as he was left to his own thoughts. Draven wondered, shuffling his feet and keeping his limbs close to himself as much as possible with every move, and eventually he found an empty table towards the window of the manor. He felt a sudden rush of wind blow past him, and he found Namon standing by the table with her arms crossed.

A sound of doors creaking open and closing hushed the crowd, save for a few mumbles, and all of their focus went to the balcony on the second floor. Red-hooded figures, varying in sizes, long and wide, marched and lined the railing of the balcony, making their way down the two flights of stairs that lead down to the grand hall. Once they reached the bottom, they stopped and faced the other railing on the opposite side. Above on the balcony a man walked towards the middle where there was an opening. His eyes were a mesmerizing red, an easy indication of a purebred vampire. Though seemingly young, he could very well be many millennia old. His long white hair went back into a ponytail and gold jewelry complimented his pale complexion. His suit was lavish with armor accenting his limbs. It was Kel, the leader of their House.

"My family," he spoke softly, yet there was an eeriness that sent shivers down Draven's spine. "We gather today as we have been given a Cardinal Order by the Senate. Our efforts on the warfront have been recognized since the armistice six years ago. But to be given such a task is not right for us. . ." He paused and scanned the crowd. His gaze fell upon Draven. "You, my dear," the hairs on his body stood and his stomach curled. "Come forward to claim your task."

Draven looked at Namon, and without moving her head, she gestured with her eyes for him to get moving. His legs eventually gathered the courage to move, and he made his way through the crowd. Eventually he made it to the front. A black mist with red hues flowed down from where Kel stood, and he suddenly reconstructed himself to where Draven stood.

"Kneel," he demanded. Draven's legs gave way to his command. A dark red liquid poured out of his hand, and it quickly formed into a sword pointing at his head. Kel put the palm of his hand on his forehead, and a small magic circle formed at the tip of the sword. A curse was placed on Draven, a common tactic for Cardinal Orders to assure efficient use of the subject's success or failure.

"With this curse, the Cardinal Order has been given to you to carry and fulfill."

"Yes, Father." Draven said. His heart began to beat itself against his ribcage, and dread began to settle in.

· · ─ · ◯☽✵☾◯ · ─ · ·

Sunlight snuck through the crack in the curtains, revealing dust particles in its rays. The light refracted off the dull wood, emitting a soft illumination that spread through the room. Lyra's eyes fluttered open, and she was thankful that her room was dim. She rose from her bed with a stretch and looked at her door as her instincts told her to. Within a short moment a knock came from the other side.

"Lyra!" Her mother's voice came through. "The sun's nearly at its peak, darling. It's time to seize the day."

She watched as the shadow cast from underneath the door moved and eventually disappeared. She got up from her bed and pulled a thin chain link, and a light turned on, revealing her mess of a tinkering bench. Lyra opened the window and breathed the fresh air as it flooded into her room. The sound of the busy streets and the chatter of the morning people stimulated her brain enough to wake her even more. She moved some metal parts off of transparent papers that were made a mess on top of the table. Sifting through the pages, she began to put them back in order according to the numbers of the pages, and it began to resemble a spherical chamber. Lyra smiled to herself as she looked over to the other side of the table where the physical device she had on paper sat. She knew there was one last component for it, and a new form of energy would be created.

"Lyra!" Her mother called again, snapping her out of her head.

Lyra hurried out of her room and went straight upstairs. She entered the threshold of her kitchen. The sunlight entered through. To her surprise, Aeris was at her dinner table eating the lunch her mother prepared—her head didn't even look up to see Lyra. Her attire was proper, as if she had just left the Senate.

She sat down across from Aeris, hoping to get a reaction, but to no avail. Lyra's mother set a plate of food in front of her, and she suddenly felt the pain in her stomach from starving.

"Are you two having an outing again?" Her mother asked, putting away the dishes she used to cook.

"It seems like someone forgot." Aeris said poshly.

Lyra almost choked on her food and washed it down with a glass of water. Gasping for air, she remembered. "Is that today?!" She said frantically.

"Some things will never change with you," said Aeris, bringing a cup to her lips. "And hopefully they never do."

Lyra slumped her shoulders in defeat. Her mother brought a covered basket over to her and revealed its contents.

"Your journey will be long today, so don't starve yourselves!"

"Of course, Ms. Algernon. I'll be sure to take care of Lyra for you." Aeris said with a grin.

Lyra grabbed a piece of bread and threw it at Aeris, giggling as the bread soared and hit her. Aeris' jaw dropped as she found crumbs all over her attire.

"Girls, that's enough!" Lyra's mother said, playfully smacking a washcloth on Lyra's head. "You get ready and pack up clothes." Lyra got up from the table and headed towards her room. "And don't forget to bring a backup for your backup!" Lyra rolled her eyes as she began to walk down the steps.

She felt her heart race in her chest as she found herself rushing for her door. Bursting through her door, she grabbed her bag that hung from a chair. She began to stuff clothes into the bag and gadgets into a smaller pouch outside the bag. Lyra stopped and felt a presence behind her. The back of her arms felt chilled, and she turned around expecting to see someone standing behind her, but no one was there. Her eyes were caught by the small spherical device, and her instincts told her to grab it.

Finalizing her choices, she ran back upstairs to find Aeris waiting for her by the door. Senator Veil stood by the entryway talking to Lyra's mother. Senator Veil reached out her hand.

"You're the only one I can trust with this," she said. "We must go now. Time is of the essence."

Aeris walked out the door, and Lyra followed her. Senator Veil bowed her head to Lyra's mother, and she bowed back. Veil opened the door to a large carriage, allowing Lyra to go in first, and her mother signaled her to go next.

Lyra planted herself by a window of the carriage and looked out. There were vendors out in front of their houses and shoppers bargaining for better prices. Kids ran amongst the crowd not caring of consequences. She noted to herself that the day never does the kingdom justice. Its true colors shine during the night as it's more alive, but she figured that the day was just an interlude to the lively night.

When Senator Veil entered the carriage, a servant closed the door behind her. When she sat, it began to move. Lyra was only able to experience carriage rides when she was with Aeris, which was rare. She watched as the vessel split the crowd. Their faces and figures began to blur as they began to go faster through the streets. She watched as the scenery switched from buildings to autumn landscapes. Though the fourth ring was the last, it was the most vast out of the other three rings, as it had its agricultural and development sector.

"What are your goals, Lyra?" Senator Veil asked. Lyra glanced at her, and the senator's posture locked her into compliance, making her straighten her back. "At ease, soldier," she said with a chuckle. "What's going on in that brilliant brain of yours?"

"Well, I brought this with me just in case." Lyra rummaged through her bag and found the spherical device. "Think of it as a cell that can hold an infinite amount of energy, sustainable and clean—of course, it's a prototype. But the price is high and the resource, almost impossible. . ." Lyra stopped herself as she noticed she was rambling. Her posture slouched, and she sunk into her seat.

"How can you acquire such an impossible resource?" Aeris asked. Lyra noticed her mother leaning in for the answer.

"Well. . ." Lyra took a deep breath. "There's a cosmic energy I felt a few days ago after I met this boy."

"A boy, you say?" Aeris interrupted.

Lyra expelled the remainder of her breath into a sigh.

"Not like that!" Lyra shoved Aeris' arm. "Anyway, there was a surge of energy radiating from his person. I can't quite describe it. . . almost as if there was a tear in reality and energy was seeping in from the other side.

I devised this contraption to try and either capture or replicate that energy. I know that the Gerigors are revolutionizing combustible energy, but there's infinite space, and comparing that to a limited resource, this will change everything."

"Where is this boy now?" Senator Veil asked.

"Well. . . to be quite honest, he ran away from me once I approached him."

"You are scary when you're passionate." Aeris chimed in.

"Did anything seem abnormal to you about the boy?" Senator Veil asked before Lyra could rebut Aeris' remark. "Fast perhaps?"

"He did run incredibly fast. . ." Lyra noticed Senator Veil's demeanor changed. Her aura was almost suffocating. "He wasn't human. . . I didn't talk to someone who could hurt the kingdom, did I?"

"No, but in this time of peace, there is expected to be opposition.

The Underworld is a treacherous kingdom. Its people had to adapt to it; otherwise, they would perish. Legend says that Hellspawn helped them adapt to their lands, creating monstrosities, but their entanglement with its people was severed once the Grand Prexy came into the picture. Since then, they have controlled the Underworld.

They are not like humans. They are stronger, faster, more conniving, and absolute. But there are aspects to humans that they lack: compassion, determination, and hope. As long as there is hope, humans will prosper, and all of our allies will be with us."

"How is hope going to help us win this war?"

"Hope is a thin, wavy line of alternating light and dark. A flickering flame that can spread or diminish. You may not understand now, but I believe you will in the future when all is dark and your light is the only guide."

Lyra looked out the window once more. Her heart raced at the thoughts that spread through her head like wildfire. She clenched her fist, digging her nails into the flesh of her palms. There was something unsettling about the future, but she couldn't understand it, not now.