Mist shrouded the narrow garden pathway, curling like a whisper around Katie’s ankles as she moved with quiet grace. The stone lanterns dotting the path flickered, their blue flames quivering in rhythm with the gentle hum of Avalon’s latent power. Each step resonated subtly through the enchanted ground beneath her feet, echoes swallowed by the still, expectant air.

  Professor Kurosaki emerged from the mist beside her, following her through a twist in space that Fen wouldn’t find so easy to navigate. The star-struck girl had been pulled in by his honeyed games like moths drawn to fox fire.

  His sharp kimono flowing like liquid night, golden embroidery glinting faintly under the ethereal light of the grove they’d entered. The high, weeping trees hid them in their mists on the eastern side of the Academy grounds. A perfect place for a date.

  Kurosaki eyes, dark and reflective, like a still lake at midnight, met hers without hesitation. He had the look of a man accustomed to secrets—one who thrived in their dangerous current. Katie’s lips curved into a polite smile as she inclined her head.

  “You’re playing with fire with that Huli Jing. How long until you drive her mad with jealousy? Male vulpes are extremely rare. You wield your scarcity with precision.”

  He chuckled softly, a sound devoid of warmth to a mature woman’s ears. “You give me too much power, Professor Katie. Is it wrong to admire the beautiful? In the eyes of those who matter, Fen is an adult and my assistant instructor… Her feelings are her own to express.”

  “Indeed they are,” she hummed, folding her hands at her front while appraising the vulpes she’d had surprisingly few interactions with over the course of her life inside Avalon. “I appreciate confidence in a man who deals in subtlety.”

  “And I appreciate a woman who knows the value of keeping appearances. Especially in a place like Avalon. These days, everyone seems to be playing their own deadly game.”

  Katie’s smile remained, though her gaze sharpened slightly. “Isn’t that why you called me out here for this little tryst, Professor? To feel out how much of a threat my little sister poses…or who might tip the scales first?”

  Their footsteps echoed softly as they walked deeper into the garden, the foliage around them pulsing faintly, reacting to their combined presence. The scents of wildflowers and petrichor lingered in the air, but beneath it, Katie detected the faint trace of forbidden magic clinging to Kurosaki, and recently.

  Combining our magic with old fae artifacts, are we? She didn’t look his way, she already knew he’d keep his gaze on the shifting mists. What a devious fox you are, testing where I stand. Little Yeon-ah must have really gotten under your skin.

  He was steeped in it—The Darkness threaded itself into the seams of his being like a parasitic force that both empowered and corroded. Moments later, it vanished as if never there.

  She didn’t flinch. She wasn’t afraid of him, though caution wrapped tightly around her core. “You’ve been busy,” she observed, her tails swaying behind her in fluid arcs that mirrored his own, coming inches apart in their rhythms. “Rumor has it you’ve taken an interest in the talk of the realm.”

  Kurosaki’s mouth twitched at the edges, but he didn’t bite. “Rumors often contain pieces of the truth, though I’ve found that truth is rarely as clean as people believe. Sora is quite extraordinary, but also quite young. And you, Professor Katie… Are you here to continue your sister’s game or play your own? The Council has been…whispering.”

  There it was—a subtle challenge hidden behind the veneer of conversation. Katie kept her expression light, almost teasing. “Yeon-ah is a dreamer, always has been. I play my own hand. I’m not here to defend her, nor am I here to condemn my adorable dreamer. Families are complicated like that, wouldn’t you agree? I heard you had sisters at one time.”

  Kurosaki’s eyes gleamed, reflecting a hint of the blue fire floating in the mist. “…Now where would you have heard that, Fox Sister Seol-hwa?”

  She resisted a reflective sigh at the mention of one of her past names, when she’d tried to live as a human, only for her own human brothers to expose and chase her out.

  He must have connections with Diane and The Foundation to have that very old story.

  “Where indeed? I questioned it myself since…well, you sort of popped out of nowhere a decade ago. If you were on Earth before Avalon closed its doors, I would have heard of you. Yet…you show up out of nowhere. It made me ask how this person I spoke to obtained such information. In any case, families are complicated. Are they not?” she asked with a sly smirk while examining the twisting trees.

  Kurosaki’s smile hid a dagger. “Quite complicated. On that note. Complications… There is something Avalon excels at. Half the fae here seem to have sprung up out of the trees since I’ve arrived…or have you heard about the mysterious fae who materialize out of Shadow Pits as of late…as if drawn in through a gate to some other realm.”

  Her tails drew closer together as they paused at a clearing, her gaze drifting to the enchanted vines weaving across a nearby trellis. The flowers glowed faintly, their petals shifting in color—each hue marking a different aspect of transformation. She traced a fingertip along one of the blooms, letting the magic hum against her skin.

  Now how did you manage to guess that, my dear handsome fox? She mused inside, weighing her options and the scales of where she sat. Everyone is dancing to the strings of faces in the dark. But who are the heroes…and who are the villains in this tale?

  “A dangerous topic, Professor. Not one the High Queen and High King would enjoy being discussed aloud. Fae and monsters who have no memory. No origin. No family… Magically inserted into society through a powerful spell that weaves their existence into our lives… Such as a certain fae genius who has been attending your classes…or the shy siren who sang her way into a certain dorm room.”

  “Indeed…” He laughed, mist gathering in his outstretched hand to form into a chrysanthemum. He brought it up to smell and then extended it to her. “Where might the two of us gain the power to see past a charm of fae far beyond our limited magic and experience? Family is complicated. The true danger lies in the ties we can’t sever.”

  “Where indeed,” she mused, accepting it as blue flames flowed over her fingers to ignite the veiled threat; a flower in her culture symbolized tenacity, faithfulness, and longevity…while also placed on gravestones.

  Katie watched the petals curl and darken. “Transformation is a curious thing, Professor,” she murmured. “Everyone assumes it’s only skin deep, but the most profound changes are internal… The transformation of oneself… Don’t you think?”

  Kurosaki didn’t respond immediately. He stepped closer, his presence like a cold wind at her back as he towered over her, staring down at her with the flame between them. “Are we speaking about what we both suspect? Or are we still talking about Sora and the threads coiling around her tail?”

  “Who can say, Professor? Is this a quiz?”

  A sharp tension crackled between them, subtle yet palpable. Katie’s amber eyes narrowing slightly, tails spreading to mirror his own.

  “Who has been feeding you, Professor? I can smell the potent flesh of immortals on your breath.”

  “Who indeed, my handsome admirer?” She brought up the slow-burning flower to smell. “What a lovely scent destruction can make… Sora is interesting. But perhaps not in the way you or my sister believes. People like you see her as a key. Others see her as a ticket to impossible. And some,” she allowed herself a small chuckle, “see her as an opportunity for redemption.”

  “Which are you?” Kurosaki quietly asked, his voice soft but with a razor’s edge.

  Katie tilted her head, her gaze distant for a moment as she considered his words. “Perhaps I’m all three. Or none. After all, you wouldn’t trust me if I gave you a simple answer, would you? Maybe you can ask that shadow lingering underneath your tails the next time you slip through the veil to return to the moon.”

  The professor’s mouth curved into a thin smile. “Now who is discussing topics our overlords wouldn’t want discussed… And no. I wouldn’t trust tails as well groomed or fine as yours. Trust is a currency that’s in short supply in Avalon these days. Especially with the likes of Diane and Fae Founders circling like vultures.”

  Handing him back the blackened flower, she showed a smile. “Damned if we do, damned if we don’t, damned if we let it go. Damned if we won’t, damned if I leave, damned if I stay…damned either way. When the light goes down, truth comes out. I’d be careful of Diane, Kourosaki… How far will you go to know what lies in the darkness of your own past?”

  Kurosaki took a slow step forward, his tone growing colder yet his smile growing as she was forced to look up to meet his gaze. She didn’t retreat, maintaining a charming, almost innocent expression.

  “You aren’t working with your sister, are you? Sisters who love one another, yet use each other for their own end. How…normal. But I have no intention of letting Diane or you sisters play your games uncontested. Avalon has its own shadows…and its own needs. I hear you set up a dinner date with the former Unseelie Queen… Damned either way.”

  Katie’s tails flicked once, slow and deliberate. “Avalon’s shadows run deep. Deeper than even The Darkness might suspect. And if you think The Darkness won’t consume you in the process, then perhaps you’re underestimating the storm you’re inviting… Damned either way.”

  The mist seemed to thicken around them as Kurosaki leaned slightly forward, his voice a whisper between them as the flower flaked away. “And perhaps you underestimate how long I’ve been living in that storm. I don’t fear it, Professor Katie Milla. I am it.”

  Katie held his gaze for a long moment, the air charged with unspoken threats and alliances yet to be forged. Slowly, her smile grew, a gesture of acknowledgement and challenge rather than submission.

  “Then we’ll see how well you can steer the tempest. But remember, Professor—storms are fickle and often hide unknown danger. Chain reactions can be…unpredictable when dealing on a scale beyond our own understanding.”

  Kurosaki’s smile widened slightly as Fen finally managed to make it through the rift, no doubt cursing her tails. “That’s what makes the game so fun, isn’t it? Tell me you don’t feel as high as the clouds right now.”

  “Oh, dangerously high.”

  Katie turned, her nine tails sweeping gracefully behind her to likely brush against his face as she began to walk away, leaving him in the mist. Her thoughts were a tangled web of uncertainties and half-truths, but one thing was clear—this game, with all its players and stakes, was just beginning to unravel.

  Fen jogged through the fog to meet the handsome manipulator as she vanished into the veil.

  I don’t think these higher powers are what you should be worried about, Kurosaki… Sometimes, the games a man plays with a woman’s heart is the poison that leads to their own destruction. There is always a sympathetic knight in her shadow…waiting for a reason to strike.

  * — * — *

  The tower loomed above Diane, its spire vanishing into one of Avalon Academy’s cloud districts for beings such as pegasus. A frown touched her lips while taking in the ancient architecture, its spiraling design a fusion of enchantment and function.

  How clever are you, Oberon and Titania… It just looks like a means for students without wings to get into the district…but it is for far more than that.

  Holding up a paper with symbols written across it, she fed the wealth of natural magic around the area into it; the spell analyzed the structure, identifying various properties and traces of old magic origins. Pulling it off, she examined it with a deep frown—this was actual Foundation work she was required to do.

  Interesting… Behind these stones is a massive monolithic rod that sinks so far into the ground that I can’t get an accurate reading… A ward. One of many, no doubt, hidden behind various other large buildings. A defense against The Darkness… Only, it’s failing? And I was right.

  Her teeth gleamed as she ignored the loud taunts from a few fae boys who were trying to get her mixed up into a pixie word game trap. It wasn’t worth her time to educate them. Not after what she’d discovered.

  So, my old mistress… You created these just before disappearing. How did you make it feel so ancient? I even remember them being here when I attended…but they definitely weren’t here. Reality warping…or time variance? No, perhaps the more fascinating part is…who is eroding them?

  This is Founder fae magic… High King Oberon and High Queen Titania couldn’t affect these… And most certainly these are the major bulwarks against The Darkness, which makes me wonder…what Queen Titania actually did and why so much of their magic is being tied up in other things…because it isn’t tied to The Darkness.

  Diane’s eyes narrowed, her mind racing through the possibilities. What secrets are you keeping after your fae goddesses were carried into the abyss? Is there something else happening behind the scenes? Something within The Foundation?

  Pulling out her tablet, she opened up one of her many tabs to jot a few notes. The fact I was sent to identify these and to see if they were indeed still in-tact or damaged shows someone in The Foundation knows their true purpose… The spell that rewrote reality didn’t work on them or their eyes were opened.

  She paused and looked up at the colossal tower, a short chuckle shaking her frame. There’s a bigger game others are playing behind the scenes. Kurosaki seems to be a piece in that puzzle. I love puzzles… It’s like they’re challenging my intelligence. Mia has her own plan, but there are other Founders playing their own game…which means I can play all sides to tip the scales in my favor. I just need to find…

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  Footsteps echoed faintly behind her. Diane’s pulse quickened, but she didn’t turn. She recognized the obviously projected aura—a playful, almost melodic presence she had encountered several months prior.

  And there she is…

  “Yeon-ah… It took you long enough to find me.”

  “I thought I smelled trouble,” Yeon-ah chimed, her voice light and playful as she emerged from a warp in space, totally invisible to the fae boys.

  A feat a single-tailed girl like her should not be able to do. Of course, to those on Earth, she was practically a goddess.

  “Here I was hoping to get some peace and quiet in my favorite hidden corner, and who do I find? The ever-diligent Diane, poking at old secrets.”

  Diane glanced over her shoulder, taking in the fox spirit’s appearance. Yeon-ah was in the guise of a bubbly, silver-haired schoolgirl with an innocent gleam in her eyes. It was an effective mask. If she hadn’t announced herself, she may have been fooled. Yeon-ah’s true nature simmered just beneath the surface, hidden in plain sight.

  “You blend in almost as well as your sister,” Diane remarked, returning to her tablet to make a few more notes. “I’d say you’ve perfected the art of charming everyone around you.”

  Yeon-ah’s amber eyes sparkled mischievously. “You flatter me, but I’m nowhere near as polished as Katie. She’s always been the ‘responsible’ one…which is shocking to see her taking the actions she has.” The nine-tailed fox tilted her head, her expression becoming coy. “But enough about me. I’m more interested in why you’re here and not with Sora or digging into more books about your old mistress. This isn’t exactly Foundation territory.”

  Diane sighed softly, stepping away from the tower’s base. “Can we quit the games you foxes love to play? I know you have a long life and time to kill but some of us operate on a limited time-frame. Are you here to torture and eat me for the Foundation imprisoning you for so long or are you here to offer me an in to whatever higher game you’re a part of?”

  Yeon-ah chuckled and shrugged. “Oh, this is why I hate you Foundation types. All work, no fun. Why would I want to eat a representative of the Foundation who has been invited in by this realm’s current rulers? I’m merely dipping my toes in the waters.”

  Diane shifted a dull gaze to her for a moment, regarding her silently and weighing her options. An unpredictable fox woman who has been alive for more than a thousand years just happens to show up out of the blue? The only reason she was able to get into Avalon is due to connections…likely her older sister. It’s time to fish.

  “The stabilizing rods are failing,” Diane bluntly noted, watching for any reaction. “You didn’t show up just to tease me. You’re here to recruit me.”

  Yeon-ah’s playful expression didn’t falter, but a subtle tension crept into her posture. “Oh my, you’re sharper than most Foundation types. It’s impressive you’ve learned so much about beings like Founders in under a year but I suppose your fae Founder instructor had a hand in the, ahem, foundations. As for my purpose? You could say I’m here to offer…my services for a little access.”

  Diane nodded slowly as the fae boys left, acting like they didn’t exist; she couldn’t even sense the magic used. Being outside of the Foundation’s powerful suppression network leaves me vulnerable, to a degree. What side is Yeon-ah playing on? Sora’s or her own?

  “No need to mince words. I have the ability to get certain high-tier items from the Foundation, and you have a way to sneak them into Avalon. But I’m a very high-price business partner… Founder magic doesn’t just crumble without reason. Is it connected to what’s been happening around the academy—disappearances, altered memories, students who don’t seem to have origins in the Grand Library of Records?”

  Yeon-ah tapped her chin thoughtfully, shifting her weight to her other hip. “Hmm… You really have been busy. It could. Avalon’s history is…more complicated than just what happened in the past five hundred years. The Fae Rulers left more than just protective wards behind. Sometimes those echoes wake up when certain conditions are met to show past memories stored in the realm.” She glanced at Diane, her smile sharpening. “Conditions like Sora’s presence.”

  “The redirect… Good. You’re not wasting my time…by much.” Diane’s jaw tightened. “You wouldn’t give up information like that either. Also, there must be more to it. If you’re suggesting Sora is responsible for this at her current power—”

  “Oh no, not directly,” Yeon-ah interrupted, waving a hand dismissively and twisting her tail around to brush it. “But she’s a catalyst for what is happening. Founders, especially ones like her, have a way of drawing attention from…unsavory forces. She’s surrounded by more than just curious friends, wouldn’t you agree?”

  Diane’s mind flashed to several faces, connecting dots and subtle hints, even Diane’s own ambitions. “Obviously, she’s a pawn in multiple games,” Diane muttered. “Games her mother could easily thwart. Unless…there are other Founders involved. This being her territory puts the home field advantage in her court, though. Also, that is a dirty trick of words… Sora is a catalyst for just about everything. It’s not news. You’re going after Sora?”

  Yeon-ah’s laughter echoed softly, like the chiming of distant bells. “Oh, Diane, you wound me. I’m not here to destroy Sora. It’s not like her mother would ever allow that. In fact, I’d argue that I’m one of the few people actually trying to protect her. Who do you think put Wendy on a warpath to be her sister’s keeper?”

  She spread her fingers to examine her sharp nails. “And wouldn’t you say our dear Fen—the huli jing you put in her path—for example, has a rather…personal interest in her. Have you noticed how close she is getting to Sora?”

  Diane crossed her arms, tapping her tablet against her side, her eyes narrowing. “Fen’s loyalty is…complicated. You’ve been in contact with her, haven’t you? I take it you’re encouraging her attachment? Does that mean you’re working with Kurosaki?”

  Yeon-ah’s smile turned enigmatic. “I might be.”

  “No…” Shaking her head, Diane reevaluated everything she knew. “You’re working your own angle. Your sister, Avalon’s new rulers, Kurosaki… There is power in this realm that can bring us to levels we could never dream of… Her mother was extremely hostile toward Fen at the start from security videos. Are you…moving against Mia?”

  The fox’s head tilted to the side, the sharp predator behind her school-girl mask bleeding through as Diane’s vision widened. Piece by piece the puzzle was fitting together.

  “Inari,” Diane breathed, the realization hitting her like a cold wind. “Mia’s older sister. You’re trying to get the current matriarch of all foxes to notice her niece… I suspected after hearing a few rumors, but… Who is talking to you? Who put you on this path?”

  Yeon-ah’s smile widened. “Who do you think could supersede Mia’s desires and fears?”

  I…don’t know. The Fae Founders? Could Oberon and Titania be speaking with others…who corrupted their own siblings? Nilly? I don’t know enough about the First Cat Founder since everything I have is from Sora and Wendy’s recorded conversations… Noelia?

  Diane didn’t respond immediately, her mind racing. She didn’t trust Yeon-ah, but there was truth in her words. The cracks in Avalon’s foundation, the rising influence of The Darkness, and the growing web of alliances and enemies... it was all spiraling out of control. Sora was the linchpin.

  No, she’s trying to guide me to my own assumption like a fox would. Not a lie. Not the truth. I don’t need to know at this point. I need to get on the board. I figured someone would pull me in…but I didn’t think it would be Yeon-ah. Interesting. She needs access to the Foundation, which means she doesn’t have any other connections. Her sister is complying with her. Yet, vulpes are notorious for working with family while stabbing their tails at the same time…

  “Fine,” Diane finally said, her voice cold. “I’ll accept your…offer of cooperation. For now. I would love a meeting with your puppet master but know that I will not accept any plot to harm Sora.”

  Yeon-ah raised her hands innocently. “Oh, Diane, I wouldn’t dream of it. Sora is my greatest concern, after all! Inari will be so pleased… She may even grant your wish without all your plotting. But I’m just here to keep the game interesting. Just…be careful of Katie. My big sister is twisting her tails around for no good reason…and I don’t know why.”

  The fox spirit turned, her single tail swaying playfully as she began to walk away. “By the way…you might want to know that Kari’s little sister is here…somewhere. Which means…”

  “Eric will be here soon, causing trouble,” Diane mused, looking back at the tower with its cracking internal rod at its center. “If we can get our hands on the little sister… Now there is an fascinating piece of leverage.”

  As Yeon-ah vanished into the mist, Diane clenched her fists, her thoughts dark and heavy. The game was becoming more dangerous by the hour. And in a tiny universe that was like a grain of dust to a universe when dealing with real Founders, trust was something she couldn’t afford.

  I planned on getting a portion of Sora’s essence at a later date. But given her need to help every stray puppy around her with a sad story… If I get her dog’s little sister, she’ll give me anything I want. That’s the hardest item checked off the list.

  Watching the mist dissipate into nothing, she chuckled. Who have I tied myself to? Whoever they are, they seem to know my goals. That’s not new. But…it means they can’t act and need ground units. If they’re as powerful as I anticipate, then granting my wish will be easy.

  Diane turned and walked away from the tower, having done her ‘Foundation Duty’ for the day. Now to do what I want… It’s time to go on a little wolf hunt.

  * — * — *

  The vast expanse of the lunar landscape stretched out beyond the reinforced glass of the Foundation’s Lunar Base, a cold, silver desolation broken only by faint glimmers of sealed craters scattered across its surface and other Foundation structures.

  A massive starship flew overhead, carrying one of their alien allies that had become too spooked with Mia’s presence to maintain relations at this time. It was a large loss for united research, yet not close to his primary concern.

  The largest of these craters stretched below them, encased in an iridescent web of unusual magic from a world they still didn’t understand—the Moon Wizard’s magic. Something far below it stirred in restless slumber. Something more relevant than any of them first thought.

  It was the right call to put Sora near this area to gauge her reaction… There was something beneath that seal that chilled her. What are you hiding inside that tower of yours, Arsarius Lunaris?

  Raven stood before the window, his silhouette a shadowed enigma against the pale, reflected light. His black coat, adorned with various feathers and potent artifacts he’d gathered over several thousand years, swayed slightly in the artificial breeze generated by the base’s zero-point conduits. His gaze remained fixed on the crater.

  The base’s AI chimed, generating an image of Diane as her recorded transmission played for him. No one was currently inside this section. Ever since Sora had occupied it, he’d maintained a rather skeletal crew to buy time for his investigation.

  Diane’s voice filled the sterile chamber, precise and professional, though faintly tinged with frustration. She was a rather funny woman, filled with hubris.

  “This is Diane, reporting from Avalon Academy directly to the EC Council. As you expected, the stabilizing rods within the spires are deteriorating. The damage is unlike any conventional magical erosion; Founder magic should be impervious to most forms of decay, yet something is actively undermining their integrity. The Darkness may already be spreading throughout Avalon. I’ll continue to investigate.”

  The transmission ended with a faint static hiss. Raven’s lips curved in a subtle frown as he processed the information. His sharp, golden eyes flicked toward the recording device before glancing back at the sealed crater.

  So many webs layering on top of one another. This is a pillar event that will reshape our entire universe, so I suppose it makes sense that pawns will move on their own.

  “Always more cracks beneath the surface,” he murmured to himself.

  A soft shimmer of light danced through the chamber, heralding the arrival of another presence. High King Oberon materialized, his form tall and regal, clad in intricate armor of silver and starlight. His long hair cascaded like spun darkness over his shoulders, and his gaze was as ancient and unyielding as the cosmos.

  “I trust this isn’t about another mortal grievance with the Academy’s internal politics, Raven,” Oberon said, his voice deep and resonant. His eyes briefly scanned the crater before settling on him. “You have the report for me?”

  Raven chuckled softly, though the sound was devoid of mirth. “Far from internal politics and the typical run-around from the other members of the council, Your Majesty. This concerns The Darkness beneath Avalon. I assume your wife is aware of your absence? No?”

  Oberon’s expression darkened slightly, though it carried a touch of humor. “Titania is weaving her own schemes, as she often does. I leave her to her mysteries as she leaves me to mine. What of your investigation?”

  Raven turned away from the window, stepping forward and producing a single sheet of paper. Despite its modest appearance, the sheet shimmered with ancient High Fae script, each rune shifting into a new pattern. It carried a weave of information so dense it could overwhelm a mortal mind in seconds. He handed it to the High King without ceremony.

  “This contains the details of what is the likely cause of the disruption in your wards against The Darkness,” Raven explained. “Diane is withholding information, but I just needed to be sure of what type of cracks they were to give you my analysis. You will find cross-references to the last known incident involving the origin point of the tremor. It also notes Diane’s observations and some of her suspicions. I’m sure you can get more out of it than I.”

  Oberon took the paper, his eyes narrowing as he absorbed the flood of knowledge encoded within the runes in an instant. Raven continued with a casual note.

  “I’ve also put in every bit of information relating to The Darkness and the incidents you inquired about without tipping off the other members of the EC Council… As you suspected. The Ethics Committee members are all dead. They’ve been dead for many months. ”

  His face grew tense as he read, the faint glow from his armor dimming in response to the weight of the revelations. Slowly, he turned his gaze back to the sealed crater outside.

  “So, the seals are failing,” Oberon muttered, his tone grim. “Perhaps Titania wasn’t wrong to keep her silence all these centuries. If these cracks widen, it may draw forces far beyond what Avalon or the Foundation can contain.”

  Raven watched him carefully, noting the High King’s subtle shift in posture. “I figured you’d have the best mind to project where this will end. Are you suggesting you’ve seen this before?”

  Oberon’s jaw tightened. “I wouldn’t say I am the best mind for this…that would be my wife. I have seen enough to know where it came from. But some things are best left buried in the folds of time, yet time refuses to remain still. There are echoes of an old power here—something that neither I nor Titania fully understood ourselves when we last faced it. But this time, I have a lead.”

  Raven folded his arms, his expression neutral but his mind racing. “Perhaps it’s time you met with the Moon Wizard again,” he offered, gesturing toward a distant tower rising from the lunar surface—a spire of obsidian magic encased in layers of protective wards none of their technology could so much as touch. “He has his own stake in this, after all.”

  Oberon’s gaze followed Raven’s gesture. His expression hardened, and for a moment, a flicker of something beyond ‘old acquaintances’ passed through it.

  “Ahh.” Raven tilted his head to look between the crater and the tower. “I figured he may have some way to stop The Darkness…but by your reaction, it seems it runs deeper than that.”

  “You could say that. With all the research you’ve done. It’s opened my eyes to a few small details that paint a rather grim picture. The Moon Wizard and I have a long chat ahead of us, it seems. I won’t accept his non-interference policy after this.”

  With a faint shimmer of light, Oberon straightened and stepped back, his form beginning to dissolve into a cascade of ethereal sparks. “I will meet him,” he said, his voice carrying the weight of a decision that echoed across centuries. “I will remember what you’ve done for me, Raven. There is a rot in Avalon and your Foundation. It needs to be carved out.”

  “Of course,” Raven replied smoothly, his golden gaze never wavering. “We all have our parts to play, Your Majesty.”

  Oberon vanished, leaving behind only a fading glimmer of moonlight. The chamber fell silent once more, save for the faint hum of Avalon’s energy radiating through the glass. Raven turned back to the crater.

  But…what will you do if it is your own wife who stands in your way?

  The scarred surface of the moon hid many secrets. Within that crater, an entity of immeasurable power lay sealed—a remnant of a war long forgotten by most of the cosmos. One he’d recently discovered wasn’t as ancient as the wizard had made them believe.

  Raven’s fingers drummed lightly against his arm.

  Perhaps it is finally time to contact the Black Queen, he thought. She has always been adept at dealing with us, and now…we can be on the same side. Won’t that be a treat? Maybe I’ll be able to steal a dance.

  With a final glance at the shimmering tower in the distance, Raven turned and walked deeper into the base. The shadows lengthened around him, and the faint resonance of old magic hummed as he rubbed a particular jewel on his wrist watch.

  A date was set to meet with his old fling. The pieces were moving on the board, and in a few months, all would converge, with Sora in the center.

  Another chime signaled his AI assistant. “Chancellor, Jarlath Moore has arrived.”

  Smile lighting his face, he began his journey toward the banquet room. “Excellent. Be sure to guide him through the scenic route so he can enjoy all the best views and prepare the fifty-year scotch. It’s bound to be a long meeting.”

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