A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

So, he was forced to bluff a little.

His expression had shifted from sly, back to stormy, and his surroundings started to become charged with chaotic aetherium. Third rank power flooded the area, and both second ranked guards gulped. Finally, they began to lose some of their calm, when they felt the clear threat.

"Listen here, you piss stains," Erik growled threateningly in Aaron's voice, his eyes shining with malice. "You can either tell the confessor about my message and risk being killed by her, or you can definitely be killed by me, right here and now! Lilith might not be pleased about it, but do you really think she'll kill a third ranker for you two dipshits!?"

With their previous composure finally broken, the two guards now felt the cold sweat trickling down their backs. They looked at each other miserably, but knew they had no choice now.

Sighing, they held up their fists, and played a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. To his dismay, Jake lost and sighed even deeper. He shot his partner a pleading gaze, but went ignored.

Soon, he had no other option but to open the gate and walk up the luxurious mansion behind it. Supposedly, this was once the presidential palace, before Djibouti was hit by the awakening no less than the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, the other guard remained behind, and tried to look self-assured in front of Erik, but failed miserably. Clearly, much of his earlier confidence had come from the fact there were two of them.

Fortunately for the second guard, Jake didn't stay away long. He soon came back, with a slightly haunted look in his eyes.

Erik naturally noticed, and couldn't help but wonder exactly what the current Edda was like for him to look like that. He'd gotten a small taste of the truth behind the façade he'd known his whole life, but that was a chaotic time, and they didn't talk much outside of insults.

At the same time, his worry for his mother's current status grew.

When Jake took his position again, he indicated to the open gate. "Y— You can go in now, Lord Aaron… Although Mistress Lilith warns that the consequences of wasting her time are dire, and that this is your last chance to back out."

The fearful look in this guard's eyes suggested that a similar fate awaited him if he disturbed Lilith for no good reason. He was clearly hoping Erik would take this chance to give up.

But unsurprisingly, Erik couldn't give half a shit about this man's fate. Thus, with a snort and without another word, he brushed passed the guards and hobbled up to the large villa at the driveway's end. Still faking injuries, he continued to drag his leg behind him.

As soon as he reached the door, however, a sudden shiver ran through his spine. "We've entered her omnisense range…" Elora muttered in his mind.

"She's inspecting us," she continued with a bit of tension. "The armour's projection ability is designed to fool omnisense, so theoretically we should be fine…"

"Yeah, and practically we've only tested it against your own omnisense," Erik muttered wryly in reply, also a little tense. If they were discovered now, there was no telling what would happen, but it likely wouldn't end well for them.

Instantly, Elora lost her tension and snorted pridefully. "Hmpf, don't underestimate my omnisense! I'm just being cautious, but we both know there's almost no chance hers is stronger!"

Fortunately, that was a pretty safe bet, as a fairy's omnisense was naturally stronger than most, not to mention that Elora was at the top of the third rank. Of course, she could also cover Erik in her own omnisense and protect against Edda's spying that way, but that would have surely been considered suspicious.

But despite the internal conversation, Erik opened the door calmly, before walking inside. Not showing any fear or tension was just as important as actually having nothing to hide.

Yet, as soon as he was through the door, he did halt. His thoughts paused, his heart skipped a beat, and his body nearly transformed into its werewolf form out of instinct.

Because there she was. The woman he'd desired revenge against for so long. The one responsible for his father's death and the deaths of everyone else he grew up with.

Including the girl he loved.

Except, she didn't quite look the way he remembered.

The golden strands of blond hair he once loved to stroke had turned dark and menacing. Her blue eyes like cool arctic water had turned completely red, but it wasn't the same red as Emily's corruption. Rather, they were red like a vampire's, despite her obvious humanity. Even her fair complexion had turned paler, despite the freckles still dotting her cheeks.

But, regardless of all these changes, he still easily recognized her. This was the woman who's face he went to sleep with for practically the last 26 years. First out of a crush, then, out of hatred and a desire for vengeance.

His thoughts were unescapably transported to eight years ago, the day of the awakening, the day of Edda's betrayal, and also the last day he'd seen her.

The entirety of events that day flashed across his eyes.

From the moment he went to meet the woman he loved on a ridge for some star gazing, to waking up on that ridge and watching that same woman slaughter his friends and family, to the chase through Norway's frozen taiga, until, finally, his escape through that strange light.

The last thing he saw before his memories ended was Edda's frustrated scowl and sadistic glare as she tried desperately to try and get a gun shot off, despite time having practically frozen.

Then, he found himself back in the present. Here, eight years later, he stood in a luxurious entrance hall. At the end of which stood a large, throne-like chair, and on it said the woman who appeared in both his dreams and his nightmares. Read new chapters at empire

She lounged back casually, and eyed him with the sadistic curiosity of a cat looking at a mouse.

Seeing that expression, Erik nearly lost control of his emotions. A barely perceptible flash of pure rage flashed through his eyes, but then he immediately stamped down on it. Elora and his wives all send him soothing emotions to help him keep his calm.

Fortunately, his pause took less than a second. Before it got suspicious, he put the next foot forward, and looked up at the woman he used to know as Edda with apparent respect. "Lady Lilith," he began deferentially. "Thank you for seeing me. I believe you'll want to hear what I have to say…"