Nightblade (Darkest night)

For a while, silence reigned in the room.

The thick, heavy, suffocating quiet in the air was a stark contrast to the unshakeable confidence that usually defined the Brewer family.

The polished stone walls of the estate had always felt like an impregnable fortress of ancient influence and modern wealth.

Now, the space felt strangely fragile—shaken to its very foundation by the staggering foolishness of Clara’s ambition.

Robert stood up, walking around the desk. "Merlin hasn’t filed a formal complaint with the Praesagius—yet. A man of his stature considers such bureaucratic avenues beneath him."

He paused, stopping near the edge of the desk, his eyes dark with a suppressed, restless anxiety that Edmund had never seen in his uncle before.

"But the rumor mill among the foremost Talented families is already churning. If it leaks that the Brewers tried to strong-arm the Black Meridian and got broken for it, our standing before the Veilrend Games will collapse."

​"You want me to fix it," Edmund realized, the disgust evident in his tone.

​"We want you to return to Pyreptar," Robert corrected smoothly.

"The Veilrend Games are only weeks away. The academy is already becoming the focal point for every major delegation, Great House, and independent syndicate in the region."

He looked at Edmund, his tone taking on a calculated, persuasive weight.

"Emily Whizen is currently training under Merlin, but she remains enrolled at Pyreptar. She will return for the Games."

"And you think she’s going to talk to me?" Edmund scoffed.

"Her master nearly killed my aunt!"

​"You had no part in Clara’s madness," Robert said firmly, placing a heavy hand on Edmund’s shoulder.

"You are young. You knew the girl before this incident. You shared classes with her. The family needs an open channel, Edmund."

Edmund stared at him silently.

"Not to press a claim—we are entirely relinquishing any attempt to acquire her," Robert continued, "—but to ensure she understands that the Brewer main line does not harbor continued hostility toward her or her master."

A realization churned bitterly in his stomach.

To Robert, to Clara, to the elders who sat in their fancy fortress playing political games, both he and Emily were simply pawns on the board.

To them, she was simply an anomaly. An uncatalogued ice-user. A specimen to be claimed, dissected, or neutralized. They had looked at her rare, brilliant talent and seen only a resource that belonged to the Brewer bloodline and, by right, at that.

...How arrogant of them...

​"You want me to act as a buffer," Edmund said quietly.

"To hide behind my age and my school uniform so Merlin doesn’t decide to literally wipe our name off the proverbial map."

"I want you to represent this family with the dignity your aunt lacked," Robert replied, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"You are a Brewer, Edmund. Your prestige, your funding, your access- everything you have stems from the strength of that name."

" If the family falls into political isolation, you fall with it."

​Edmund looked at his uncle’s hand on his shoulder, then back at Klein, who had turned his gaze back out toward the rain.

​He hated the insidious nature of these calculations. He hated the cold, transactional reality of how his family viewed people.

But as he stood there in the study of his family’s estate, he knew Robert was right about one thing— he couldn’t undo what Clara had done.

If he went back, he might at least be able to keep his family from doing something even more catastrophic.

​And perhaps... he could apologize to Emily himself. Without the lies.

​"My transport," Edmund said, stepping back so his uncle’s hand slipped off his coat.

"Is it prepared?"

​"A private shuttle is waiting at the upper pad," Robert said, a faint wave of relief washing over his strict features.

"It leaves in twenty minutes."

​Edmund gave a brief, stiff bow.

"Then I won’t waste any more of your time."

​Ten minutes later, Edmund stood on the elevated launchpad above the estate’s main roof.

The wind blew hard up here, carrying the sharp, pine-scented chill of the northern mountains.

The sleek, silver technological marvel hummed on the landing deck, its thrusters glowing with a soft, blue radiance as the automated ground crew finalized the pre-flight checks.

​Edmund pulled his collar up against the cold, looking out over the valley.

​In his coat pocket, his academy comm-pad chimed twice. He pulled it out, glancing at the encrypted display.

[Notice to all returning students]

[Pre-Veilrend and Festival security protocols are now active. ]

[Security Drones from the Administrative Wing have doubled perimeter sweeps. ]

[Advanced delegations from the Videntis, the Brotherhood of Shadows, and secondary regional houses have begun arriving at Sector 3 accommodation blocks.]

[Please ensure all credentials are updated before entry.]

​Edmund stared at the glowing screen for a moment before slipping the pad back into his pocket.

"Right..."

With all the anticipation for the upcoming Veilrend Games, he’d almost forgotten about the Festival of Shadows.

The hurdle that Xander had said he and Warren, plus a select few others, had to clear before the upcoming games.

"Damn..."

Closing his eyes, he tiredly massaged his temples. He could already feel a massive headache brewing.

The world outside was moving, completely oblivious to the near-disaster that had taken place at Merlin Halecrest’s estate.

To the students gathering at Pyreptar, the upcoming Veilrend Games were a stage—an opportunity to claim glory, rank, and recognition before the entire Paranormal world.

Both in the Brotherhood and among the ranks of the Talented.

Edmund thought of Emily.

He wondered what kind of monster she was training under right now—and what kind of person she would be when she finally walked back through the doors of Pyreptar Academy.

​"She isn’t an asset," Edmund thought, his fingers tightening into fists inside his pockets as he walked toward the shuttle’s open ramp.

"And if my family thinks she’s going to be easy to deal with when she gets back... they’re in for an even bigger shock than Clara."

The hydraulic doors of the shuttle hissed shut, sealing out the chilly wind.

Edmund took one final look at the estate behind him. For the first time, he wondered whether returning to Pyreptar was really about protecting his family’s reputation.

​A few moments later, the sleek craft lifted silently off the pad, banking sharply toward the south, carrying Edmund Brewer back toward the academy...and the storm he knew was waiting for them all.