The wind gently cut through the trees of the forest, their whispers almost mystical as they blended with the distant sound of a stream. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a pattern of dancing shadows on the ground, while Strax walked slowly between the trees, the only visible presence for miles.
He was certain of it. He had already used his keen perception, his ability to sense the changes in the environnt around him, and assured himself that there was no one here. No one within a ten-kiloter radius. He was alone. And that was exactly what he needed.
The forest was peaceful, a tranquility that contrasted with the turmoil that always surrounded him. There was no weight of responsibilities, no expectation of conversations. There was no one to judge or question his movents. He simply walked, his steps light yet firm on the soft ground, unhurried. The sound of the leaves moving with the wind seed almost like a soft lody around him, a comfort to his tornted mind.
The pressure of being constantly watched, the weight of alliances and enemies, the war that was looming—all of that felt distant here. He needed a mont of clarity, a break where he could truly listen to himself, where the voices of others and the clamor of the outside world could not interfere.
Strax took a deep breath, absorbing the fresh air of the forest. He could feel the energy of nature around him. He was not just a dragon; he was soone who carried within him imnse power, a power that connected him to things beyond human comprehension. Even now, in solitude, he could feel the echo of his lineage and his destiny. He had a mission. He had sothing he needed to do. But at this mont, he needed to reconnect with his own being, far from everything.
He continued walking, the low grass partially covering his bare feet, the cool, damp earth seeping between his toes. As he moved farther away from the civilized world, he felt the pressure lessen. He knew he could have gone further, but the forest had its own laws and limits, and he didn't want to get lost. Still, he liked knowing that, at this very mont, no one could track him. No one could find his way.
The trees were tall and imposing, their crowns intertwining and partially blocking the view of the sky, creating a canopy of shade that brought a refreshing relief from the harsh midday sun. Strax stopped for a mont, looking at the trunk of a tree in front of him, feeling the rough texture of the bark under his fingers. He had always had an affinity for the natural world. There was sothing primitive and true about it, far from the complexity of political intrigues and the constant battle for power.
He glanced at the sky for a mont, between the openings in the trees, and noticed that the sun was beginning to set. A golden light bathed the world around him, tinging everything with a warm, soft hue. The breeze seed to carry away so of the restlessness that had tornted him. But what he wanted most, at that mont, was simply to feel at peace—a peace that seed increasingly difficult to attain amidst the whirlwind of events happening around him.
Strax sighed and continued his walk.
Until he stopped in the middle of the forest, the silence around him enveloping him like a cloak. The wind still blew gently, but he couldn't ignore the weight of the invisible presence he always felt, sothing beyond simple physical perception. He felt that he wasn't completely alone, and that was what bothered him. He didn't know if he was being watched by human eyes or sothing else... sothing divine.
With a sigh, he looked at the sky through the opening between the trees, the soft light of the sunset tinging the leaves gold and orange. He knew that if he wanted, he could simply ignore this feeling, continue his walk, and lose himself in his thoughts. But the growing pressure inside him would not allow him peace. He needed answers.
"Persephone..." Strax murmured, his deep voice cutting through the quiet air of the forest. "Are you watching ?"
Her na left his lips like an invocation, not because he felt he needed sothing from her, but because the persistent feeling of being watched unsettled him. The connection they shared—the pact, the contract—had always been there, invisible, and he knew she had power over him in a way that even he couldn't fully comprehend.
He didn't have to wait long.
Suddenly, a silent presence filled the space around him. It wasn't sothing physical, but Strax could feel the energy around him shift. It was as if the very environnt was bowing to make way for this presence. The light filtering through the trees seed to shine brighter for a brief mont, casting strange shadows on the leaves.
"Did you call , Strax?" Persephone's voice echoed softly, yet with undeniable authority. It was as though nature itself was responding to her will, as if the earth, the wind, and even the silence bowed to her presence.
Strax closed his eyes for a mont, feeling the familiarity of her voice. "Yes," he finally said, opening his eyes and staring into the space before him.
Persephone appeared before him, materializing as a vision of her own will. She stood there, her ethereal presence, her dark golden hair falling like a curtain of shadows, and her eyes as deep as abysses. She was as always: enigmatic, calm, and... distant.
"I imagine you saw what I wanted you to see," she said with a soft smile. "What do you want?"
"Explanations," Strax responded, feeling the pressure of the atmosphere around him. "But even then, this won't set at ease."
Persephone stepped closer to Strax, her steps silent, as if the very ground dared not make a sound beneath her feet. She stopped in front of him, her energy subtly pulsing around him. "Tartarus is rebelling."
Strax straightened, eting her gaze with intensity. He wasn't naïve, and he knew Persephone wasn't there just to exchange empty words. "The conversation I overheard," he said, his voice firm.
"It was our 'Containnt Plan,' sothing to deal with this monster. After all, Hades has disappeared," she said, looking directly at Strax.
"Hades disappeared?" He questioned.
Persephone smiled slightly, as though she knew sothing he didn't understand yet. "That was just the beginning. So gods seem willing to join Tartarus," she said with an intriguing softness. "And so are already gaining their apostles here on this planet... so have even taken control of them."
Persephone's response was as enigmatic as ever, but Strax couldn't deny the truth in her words. Sothing much bigger was happening, sothing he couldn't fully comprehend. The feeling that everything was converging toward sothing unpredictable left him uneasy.
"I don't know what's coming," Strax said, his tone darker, "but you... You know more, don't you?"
Persephone tilted her head slightly, her eyes fixed on his, full of silent wisdom. "I know many things, Strax. What you are facing... is part of sothing beyond your limits, beyond anyone's limits here. Only ti will tell how far you will be able to go."
Silence settled between them for a mont as Strax pondered her words. Persephone had always been evasive, never revealing too much, but always leaving a trail of knowledge that seed to extend beyond his understanding.
"I'm not expecting easy answers, Persephone," Strax finally said, his gaze hardening. "But I want to know how far this will take us. And you'll be by my side when it happens, won't you? When everything reaches its limit?"
Persephone smiled gently, an expression that mixed mystery and compassion. "I can't guarantee what will co, Strax. But I will be by your side. And when the right mont cos, you will know what to do."
She disappeared as silently as she had appeared, leaving behind a trace of soft energy, and for so reason, Strax felt his unease diminish, even if just for a brief mont.
He stood there for a while, absorbing the conversation, still trying to understand what Persephone had ant. The forest around him seed a bit quieter, calr now. He knew there was more at stake than simply what his eyes could see, more than any impending war. Sothing bigger was unfolding, and Strax was becoming increasingly aware of his role in it.
He had no answers, but one thing was clear: whatever it was, he would have to face it with his head held high.
And maybe, just maybe, Persephone was right—chaos might be the path to the truth.
"What the hell..." Strax muttered, before hearing a growl coming from the corner... a grey wolf stared at him with fury in its eyes, but upon sensing a presence, it fled in fear.
Strax turned to see what had scared the wolf...
"How long, another demon of the keys?" he questioned, seeing a serpent with demonic power.
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