Scene 1 — Crow
"Come on, Lily. We need to hurry to the meeting."
I held the door open for the rumored cousin Grandma decided to introduce to the family.
Even I cracked a smile at the way my mom and aunt were practically glowing. Ghost—of all people—was already focusing on Lily more than me and Amber's love life. Alexis and Thomas rushed out the building looking like they'd been caught doing something they couldn't explain. Alexis was blushing hard enough to start a fire. I gave her a curious look.
She flicked me off.
"You look like you had fun," I said anyway, glancing at Thomas.
He wore the same blank face a man wears after a bomb goes off in his head—like something shattered and he hadn't figured out which pieces mattered yet.
I grinned, then guided Lily inside before anyone could corner her with questions.
"Lily," I said, keeping my voice low, "I wanted to ask before, but my mom would've killed me… who's your dad?"
Alexis, still red in the ears, slid in like she'd been waiting for the chance to derail the vibe.
"It couldn't be Tyr," she said quickly. "That's Crow's."
Lily glanced around the hallway like she was checking for eavesdroppers, then looked back at Alexis.
"Ten," she said.
Then, like she decided pretending didn't help anymore:
"Tenebris. That's what his workers call him. I just call him… dad."
My steps stalled for half a heartbeat.
I glanced at Alexis.
Then back to Lily.
Alexis blinked like the sentence had to be wrong.
"Is it one of her god-children? Like the ones Grandma adopted? Uncle Tasey said Ivy's mom—Aunt Tia—was a daughter-only relationship."
Lily's face pinched as she tried to sort the myth logic in her head without breaking it.
"No. Grandma has baby photos of him, so I don't think so."
She sighed like the topic annoyed her more than it scared her.
"We can go ask her once we finish here," Lily added. "It's not like I can go study after this stupid Explorer meeting."
I patted her shoulder—half encouragement, half warning.
"Yeah," I said lightly. "Meeting first."
Because the last thing I needed was Lily Johns breaking the minds of every Explorer in the building by casually exposing what she'd been researching. Even Tasey had gotten pulled into the orbit after becoming the spearhead in shutting down cult sites.
And that meant whatever was coming in that meeting was bigger than jokes.
Bigger than family.
Bigger than comfort.
Scene 2 — Combat / Chant / Crater
"I command thee—blaze—destroy my enemies with my will to survive!"
I knew I messed up the words. I still held my hands out the way he told me.
Something left my palms.
I kept my eyes shut, waiting for the blade—waiting to be taken the way Travelers get taken when they run out of luck.
Nothing hit.
When the silence didn't break, I cracked one eye open.
The goblins were gone.
A crater sat where they'd been—scorched earth, shattered stone, and heat rising like the ground was still angry.
"I need to get out of here."
I clutched my side and forced myself upright. Their voices—men and women who died buying us seconds—looped in my head like one of my dad's old records.
You're the next generation.
We can fall, but you have to stand on our shoulders.
When you're afraid, shout the chant. Even if it only makes small fireballs.
He'd grinned like losing an arm was nothing.
So I swallowed my pain and slipped through the alleys toward the evacuation point.
The same people who were about to declare war on us were sending their Travelers to pull us out.
"I'll hunt down any cults who caused this."
Around here, they'd sacrifice a town over a missed payment. Portals and monsters were their kind of sin.
I wouldn't forget my family.
Not the living.
Not the dead.
Scene 3 — Briefing Stage (Huginn / Lily / Crow / Baldur)
"Yes. I allowed them to be here," I said, voice flat.
"Is that an issue for you, Huginn?"
I locked eyes with him and ignored the curious glances thrown our way.
His half-mask hid the worst of his grin.
"It's an issue," Huginn said calmly, "but if you want them here, don't expect me to reduce the intensity of the information."
His gaze slid past me—past Lily—straight to Baldur and the people behind him.
Only Baldur dared hold eye contact with the rumored guard dog of the underworld.
That alone earned him quiet respect in the room. Everyone knew Huginn was the worst when it came to not holding back critical information. Pair that with Lily—who we avoided on normal days—and this emergency meeting became a horror show for anyone dumb enough to ask for more than they could handle.
"You can begin, Lily," Huginn said.
"Crow—stay on stage with her. The other two can step out and guard the doors."
Alexis and Thomas didn't argue. They moved immediately.
Lily and I took the stage. I stood slightly behind her—close enough to step in, far enough to let her speak.
"I doubt I need to introduce myself to the Explorers," Lily said, then looked directly at Baldur.
"But for you—nice to meet you. My name is Lily Johns. Codenamed Lilith."
A visible ripple went through Baldur's people at the codename.
"I'm taboo research," Lily continued, voice bright, eyes dangerous.
"My only competition—when it comes to Odin theories—is the Devil of the West."
She waved casually at Baldur. He returned it with a calm smile. His entourage did not.
"My assistant for today is my little cousin," Lily said.
"Crow Hellstrong. Codenamed—The Prince of Death—"
I raised a hand and leaned in.
"My bad," Lily corrected smoothly.
"Codenamed Prince of Order. After his meeting with one of the subjects of tonight—Morbus Mortis."
She paused.
"And don't worry. He's already been renamed, so that name holds no power. The new name isn't to be spoken. Anything with an affinity to Death sits under direct line of fire."
I stepped forward as she nudged me to center stage.
"The second type I've run into," I said, "is safer to discuss—but only under strict circumstances."
"A title is an anchor for power. When you hear something like 'The Hornless One' or 'The Black Sun,' you're not hearing a nickname. You're hearing a function—an identity tied to a larger concept."
"Due to my circumstances, I can tolerate subjects concerning Death. And I've experienced divine backlash when humans attempt to take a name that was never theirs."
The screens lit up.
Reports. Repeated usage. Invocation attempts.
Then—
One line overwrote everything.
ASURA PATH. CRIMSON SUN.
"Asura Path," I continued, "is the physical application of law—typically assigned to war-types, unlike True Path users who focus on inner stability."
"These names are safer to discuss because we don't know their true identities. Unlike the one Lily referenced."
"His name was changed. The description wasn't. That's why he isn't a topic for broad discussion."
I took a breath.
"With oversight, Astral research can broaden safely."
Huginn cut the moment short.
Because the next portion wasn't a briefing.
It was a council.
Scene 4 — Closed Door (Crow / Baldur / Huginn / Crystal)
"I see your meetings aren't any less hectic than mine, young man."
Baldur sat across from me like a man negotiating with inevitability.
Tance—his successor—and his head of war stood behind him.
Huginn and Crystal flanked me.
I poured a drink for everyone.
Baldur didn't touch his.
So I didn't either.
"With you in office," I said, "my headaches have lightened. But we still need an arrangement—something to prepare for what's coming."
"The portals are increasing. Slowly. The locations are the real issue."
Baldur nodded.
"Travelers are the warriors of modern society," he said.
"There are rarities like you who can govern as well."
"You're not willing to lose progress to your rivals. That's why I pushed for you to accept the children affected by cult activity."
He paused.
"But the older crowds remain an issue. If they have no home to return to, you can build loyalty out of that void."
"Give them shelter. Food. Work. If they assimilate, they become assets."
"The old systems need to be thrown out. That's where we align."
"We don't abandon children," I said.
"But we won't ignore adults weaponizing victims."
I glanced at Crystal.
"Crystal is coordinating with Athena of Europe's Olympus and Ghost of the Zodiacs."
Baldur's people stiffened.
"All three have unprecedented authority to conduct rescue missions for nations already collapsing."
I leaned back.
"From this point forward, the state of the world is in question."
"And that's if we can stabilize things before they turn into monster zones we have to reclaim."