The night was heavy and silent. The moonlight filtered weakly through the glass panes of the Hunter Association Tower, casting pale silver streaks across the dark oak furniture of President William’s office. The room was filled with the faint scent of ink, parchnt, and steel—a soldier’s quarters, not a bureaucrat’s.
Max sat in one of the tall chairs opposite William’s desk, his figure relaxed but his eyes sharp. Across from him, President William leaned back, exhaustion visible in the heaviness of his shoulders, though his aura of war never seed to fade completely.
The lamp on his desk flickered with a dim fla, casting long shadows across the shelves lined with scrolls and ancient tos.
"So," William exhaled, rubbing his temples before fixing his eyes on Max, "what is it you’ve been wanting to tell ? For the past few hours, I’ve felt your intent but..." His voice faltered with a sigh, tone carrying a rare note of apology. "With how things turned out in the hidden city, I could not spare a mont. I had to organize the clean-up, command the retrieval teams, and prepare the reports for the other forces. As President of the Hunter Association... every matter tied to demons or Nulls falls upon . I cannot ignore them."
His eyes softened slightly. "I am sorry, Max."
Max smiled faintly, shaking his head. "President William, you don’t need to apologize. You’re doing your duty. Nothing more, nothing less."
Inwardly though, he was restless. The mories he had torn from Moro’s soul still burned in his mind—visions that kept replaying, gnawing at him. He had wanted to tell William the mont they returned, but he also knew so things couldn’t be rushed.
William’s golden eyes narrowed with seriousness, his tone hardening. "Good. Then let us waste no more ti. First, tell everything that happened in that hidden city. Every detail. Leave nothing out, no matter how small or strange. This concerns not only the Middle Domain..." His jaw tightened. "...but our entire world of Acaris."
The room grew heavier at his words.
Max inhaled, then nodded. "Alright."
He began from the start. His voice was steady, recounting step by step to the finest detail.
William listened without interruption, his brows furrowing deeper with every detail. His fingers drumd once on the desk, but his expression never wavered.
Max’s tone darkened further as he continued. "And there’s more. President... the demons are not alone this ti. From Moro’s mories and from what I heard from Tower Lord Mathew, I learned the truth. The demons have already allied themselves with the Ascendants. They have been united for who knows how long. Their war ten thousand years ago never ended—it was rely delayed. And now, they are moving again."
The words lingered like a poison in the air.
President William’s aura flickered violently, the golden runes of war lighting faintly on his skin. His gaze grew colder than steel, his voice low and grim. "Demons and Ascendants... together."
He leaned back in his chair, his brows furrowed so tightly it looked as if they might never untangle. His voice was heavy, filled with a bitterness he rarely showed.
"This is bad. Demons alone are enough of a headache and now Nulls too?" He sighed. "These demons were freely operating in the Greenwood Region of the Middle Domain," he muttered, almost as if speaking to himself, "and we had no idea about it."
Then his face grew darker still, his tone sharper. "This makes concerned about one matter... If the Void Soul Tower and Thunder Monarch Hall are truly linked to demons, then what about the other forces? Are there more? Could there be others among the great powers colluding with them?" His golden eyes narrowed, reflecting both suspicion and dread. "If even one force can be infiltrated so deeply, then nothing stops there from being others."
Max fell silent, his mind replaying the words Tower Lord Mathew had spoken before. Finally, he raised his head. "I heard sothing directly from Mathew himself," Max said quietly. "He told ... that the foundation of the Void Soul Tower wasn’t collusion. It wasn’t a temporary alliance."
His voice grew heavier with each word. "The demons built it. Them, and the Thunder Monarch Hall. They created those two forces themselves, as a way to plant their roots in the Middle Domain. Not just to spy, but to carve out a base where they could freely operate, waiting for their ti."
President William’s breath stilled. His expression turned unreadable, but his golden aura pulsed faintly, betraying his shock. Silence stretched in the room, heavy enough to crush air.
Finally, William’s voice returned, low and solemn. "That... would explain too much. Their strange movents. Their growth patterns. It all makes sense."
He exhaled heavily, then leaned forward, his gaze locking on Max like a blade. "So, what was it? The matter you were so desperately trying to tell about? What truth did you uncover?"
Max’s expression shifted at once. His usual faint smile vanished, replaced by solemnity so grave it chilled the room. His shoulders stiffened, his voice low but clear.
"It’s about why the demons invaded our world in the first place."
William’s composure cracked instantly. His expression twisted, cycling between disbelief, shock, and fury. His knuckles dug into the desk, the wood groaning under the pressure of his grip. He stood up so suddenly the chair behind him scraped loudly across the floor.
"You know?" His voice thundered through the office, though it carried more desperation than anger. "What is it? Tell ! What do they want?! Why are they here?! What could they be searching for in Acaris all this ti?" He stepped closer, his golden aura flaring unconsciously, eyes blazing with desperate eagerness.
Max didn’t flinch, though the weight of William’s presence pressed on him like a mountain. He spoke slowly, deliberately, so there would be no mistake in his words.
"I know because of my flas." His eyes darkened, a faint flicker of black and purple fire flashing in them. "I have a class ability... one that lets absorb the mories of anyone I burn alive."
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