Eiden watched the two distant figures tear across the sky, their white and green essences colliding in violent, rhythmic bursts. The clouds rippled like water, and the very air trembled with every clash, sending shockwaves across the plains like the rolling of distant thunder.
"Be careful," Eiden said, sheathing his katana with a soft, final click. "Their spells could burst in any direction. Keep your eyes and ears sharp. For now… we wait until they finish."
He lowered himself to the ground, his cloak settling around him in a dark pool. Pulling a heavy grimoire from his belt, he opened it to pages that glowed with a faint, spectral light, the runes shifting across the parchment like living ink.
Vaelus threw his arms up in a gesture of pure exasperation. "And we're just gonna sit here while those two are fucking going at it?!"
Morvath didn't look away from the horizon as he sheathed his own blades, but he placed a steady, grounding hand on Vaelus's shoulder. "Vaelus. If we get caught in a battle between them, three of us would die instantly. And it wouldn't be you, Eiden, or Selyndra."
Dravien's ears shot up, his tail swaying sharply with irritation. "Wait a damn second—so what? You saying compared to them, we're weak?!"
"Yes," Morvath said. There was no hesitation, only the cold weight of truth. "Exactly that."
Dravien blinked, stunned into a momentary silence. "Wow. Just… wow."
"Selyndra and Eiden come from powerful clans," Morvath continued, his voice calm but firm. "Their magic is far beyond ours. Eiden wields a grimoire containing nearly every spell known, except those tied to the three gods. And all three of them are sword experts. As for Vaelus—if he wanted to, he could see our attacks thirty minutes before we even think of using them. His dodging alone puts him above us."
Dravien clenched his fists, his ears flattening against his head. "Unbelievable."
"Everyone, calm down," Eiden interrupted, his eyes never leaving the glowing runes of his book. "For now, we sit and wait. If they're still fighting when night comes… we intervene."
Vaelus looked at him, frustration flickering in his emerald eyes. "But Eiden—" He stopped himself as the sky flashed again, a violent burst of light tearing through the clouds. He exhaled, his shoulders finally dropping in defeat. "I guess…"
He sat down beside the others, his blade resting across his lap and his eyes fixed on the distant war of kings.
Hours passed. The sky shifted from a bright, searing gold to a deepening, bruised orange. The breeze changed with the light, turning from a warm breath to a cool draft that carried the scent of dust and distant smoke. As the sun dipped lower, casting long, skeletal shadows across the plains, the Sages settled into their own uneasy rhythms.
Selyndra sat with her legs folded neatly, eyes closed in meditation. The fading sunlight shimmered across her golden hair, and the air pulsed faintly with a quiet magic that responded to her steady breathing. Iris lay back in the grass, hands tucked behind her head, staring up as her red cloak spread around her like a blanket of embers. She hummed a low, quiet tune, though her eyes remained sharp and alert.
Seraphaine plucked petals from a wildflower, letting them drift into the wind with a ritualistic rhythm, her unreadable gaze fixed on the horizon. Meanwhile, Dravien paced—back and forth, his ears twitching at every distant boom, his restless energy manifesting in the sharp sway of his tail.
The sun eventually dipped below the world, and the sky darkened into a deep violet. Still, the two figures clashed, white and green lights tearing across the heavens like warring stars. Eiden finally closed his grimoire.
"If they're still fighting when night falls," he said quietly, "we move."
Vaelus stood abruptly, catching his blade in his hand. "That's it. I can't do this," he snapped, his frustration finally boiling over. His green robes rippled in the fading light as he moved.
The others reacted instantly. Selyndra's eyes snapped open; Iris lifted her head; Morvath straightened and uncrossed his arms. Even Eiden looked up, his gaze steady as Vaelus stepped closer, his voice rising with a frantic edge.
"You contain nearly every spell in existence, Eiden! You know the abilities tied to time. You have the chronomancy spells—so you know exactly what the hell is going to happen! Neither of them will die. Not today. Not tonight. This fight won't end anytime soon!" He gestured wildly toward the sky where the lights continued to crash. "If we attack once night hits, some of us could die. So why can't we take a different approach?! Why are we waiting for a death trap to open?!"
Eiden did not answer immediately. He simply watched Vaelus, letting the Chronomage's anger burn itself out in the cooling air. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and controlled.
"This is the one opportunity we have to kill both the Angel King and Yajin. While they're overwhelmed and exhausted."
Vaelus froze.
"If we let them finish… we won't see either of them for another century," Eiden continued. "And in that century, the Angel King will likely settle in the Claimed Lands. He'll rebuild. He'll gather followers. He'll spread his influence." He turned his gaze toward the distant flashes. "And Yajin… he will not stay idle. He will continue his crusade. He will purge what he considers 'bad' roles. Werewolves. Vampires. Anyone he deems unworthy."
Eiden stepped closer, his voice dropping to a quiet, heavy certainty that felt more oppressive than the battle in the sky.
"If we do nothing… the world will suffer for a hundred years."
The sky flashed again, a violent burst of white and green tearing through the night clouds as the ground trembled beneath their feet. The war between kings raged on.