"So, everyone is here," Max said as his gaze moved across the hall.
The others had already gathered inside the wide chamber, and even Aurelian had appeared among them. His presence made Max's eyes pause for a brief moment, but he did not say anything about it. The atmosphere in the hall was already strange enough without him adding more tension.
Orion leaned back against the wall and grinned the moment he saw Max. "You sure took your sweet time getting here."
Max smiled a little awkwardly. "I was in seclusion. I did not even know I had been summoned."
"It is good that you still arrived in time," Rosaline said, her expression unusually solemn.
Max nodded to her, then looked around the hall once more. Aside from the top geniuses, he did not see any Primordials present. There were no elders, no envoys, and no guards standing nearby. When he glanced behind him, he also noticed that Sarvion had already disappeared without a sound.
