CHAPTER 7: BENEATH THE CRESCENT

The Starborne Emporium-

A few minutes earlier

Damien, who sat on his office chair, stood up and walked towards the shelf adorned with his awards and other regal decor. He moved towards a statue holding a black orb. He placed his fingers on the black orb and spun it.

The black orb started to turn white and started replicating the moon. The orb turned white, and the wall beside the shelf shifted and opened. An elevator with carvings of the Moon and stars came into view.

Damien walked towards the elevator and placed his hand on the moon at the centre of the elevator’s door. His palm touched the moon, and a periwinkle blue light flowed from the moon towards the stars. The elevator’s door opened. Damien stepped inside the elevator and pressed a button displaying a blue crescent moon.

The elevator rumbled to life and began its slow descent. After a few moments, it stopped with a soft chime. The doors slid open, revealing a narrow hallway illuminated by the eerie glow of runic carvings etched into the stone walls. The air felt ancient---heavy with power---and unmistakably forbidden to mortals.

Damien stepped forward, his boots echoing faintly against the stone floor. Each step resonated like a whisper in the silence, guiding him deeper into the corridor. At the end of the hallway stood a towering door, marked by a five-pointed star with a lotus carved at its centre---silent, waiting

He stepped near the door, which opened by itself, seemingly calling him to come inside and become part of the mysteries hidden behind it.

Damien walked through the door and after he entered the door behind him closed as he continued walking, His white hair started elongating, his eyes began rippling and soon his hair turned black, his eyes turned purple, His clothes ripped apart and in place of his old suit came a white and purple peak lapel suit adorned with silver embroidery.

He took out his pocket watch and opened it. Instead of having the 12-hour clock within it showed 4 carvings--- A white moon, A half white and half black moon, A quarter white moon, A black moon--- Displaying the importance of the moon for the mysteries of this world.

Soon, he stopped at an opening and set foot on a stone pathway where multiple people could be seen doing their work. He slowly walked towards a small cabin, and his eyes glowed.

[Instant Transversal]

The space before him rippled, and a scarred guy with crimson eyes appeared before him. The scarred figure looked at Damien and knelt.

"Young master!" he called out to Damien.

"White... How did it go?"

"I followed Amaya to an old pub named The Rusty Lantern and happened to see him."

"But?" Damien asked, knowing that things won’t be that easy.

"I couldn’t see him properly; however, I was able to use the artefact you gave me on him," White said with a wide grin.

"Good job, can you tell me everything you remember?"

"He had short black hair with a few white strands, blue eyes, and a scar on the right side of his right eye... hmm... that’s all I can remember," White said. He stroked his chin as if deep in thought.

"You did great, White," Damien praised.

"You may leave now," Damien said as his eyes glowed again.

[Reverse Transversal]

White bowed his head as the space around him cracked like glass. Soon, the cracked space began mending, but White was nowhere to be seen.

"One..." Damien called out.

"Yes, My lord!" A voice came as a hooded figure emerged from the shadows.

"Search and find any midnighter with the facial descriptions white gave," Damien ordered.

"As you command," One bowed and disappeared.

"Hah.." A heavy and long sigh escaped from Damien’s lips.

Damien cleared his mind and waved his hand, and the space in front of him began to ripple and glow with a purple hue. It soon turned into a portal.

[Portal Creation]

Damien stepped forward and walked through the portal and a large room of big grey walls came in the view, with a wide and robust black wood table adorned with intricate carvings of mythical beasts--- Dragons, Phoenix, Kraken, Etc--- and stars placed in the centre, Four black leather chairs promising comfort and aesthetic could be seen placed adjacent to the corners, Large windows filled the walls as moonlight illuminated the room. A chandelier hung from the ceiling at the centre of the room.

Damien stepped towards one of the chairs. A group of ravens entered the room and merged to take the shape of a man with short grey hair, a nicely combed grey beard, and deep green eyes. His muscular, tan body spoke about the hardships he had faced in his lifetime.

"Lord Rankin," Damien said with a small smile.

"Lord Kinten," Rankin nodded and replied with a small smile.

( Midnighters use aliases instead of real names; thus, Damien was mentioned as Kinten here.)

The shadows within the room began to wiggle and turned into a woman. She had long blond hair flowing down her waist, silver eyes, a mature body of fair skin, and her long black gown clung tightly to her body like shadows.

"Lord Rankin, Lord Kinten," the woman greeted with a wide smile.

"Lady Sakhnor," Damien and Rankin nodded at her with a small smile.

Suddenly, the door of the room opened with a loud thud, a lanky figure with long raven black hair and deep black eyes, which shone with cunning, donned a simple black notch lapel suit, entered the room each step he took echoed throughout the room as he made his way towards the last empty chair and took his seat.

"Lord Zesper," everyone greeted him with a smile.

"My lovely friends," Zesper replied with a wide grin and open arms. However

"Krum." Zesper cleared his throat and looked at everyone with a solemn look.

"The demons are showing a rapid increase in their activities."

Everyone heard that, their eyes stopped smiling, and their face displayed a frown. Of course, everyone here already knew about it, but when it was brought up at the round table. They couldn’t help but feel bitter about it.