When she was a child, Nora had never understood why international meetings dragged on for days, weeks, or even—at the most extreme—years.
Back then, she thought simply, like a child does. But growing up and standing in the real arena, she finally understood why the elders took so long to negotiate even a single matter.
When interests overlapped, there would always be parties who could not agree to certain sensitive terms. The more people involved, the more voices there were. And every word in an agreement had to be exact, because every word carried the potential to be used against you.
Before she knew it, half the day had passed. It always went fast when you were focused on something in which you had a stake.
The break period was the perfect time for each delegation to huddle and discuss details internally.
For Snowhaven’s side, they were not yet in a position that required deep strategizing. The Empress’s current priority was clear—keep the method of detecting Shadows exclusively for themselves.
The Diablo would have to roam their lands anyway. At that point, Snowhaven would seize the opportunity—without outsiders poking their noses in. And the Empress was certain they would get what they wanted.
President Fofana could read this game as well. She knew Empress Ophilis XIV’s intent perfectly. Leaning back, tapping her foot, she bit the end of her pen and stared at them.
Meanwhile, delegates passed in and out of the chamber to tend to their own errands.
“Your Majesty.”
The Empress’s advisor pointed discreetly toward Nora. She should have been returning to her seat after stepping out for personal reasons… but she wasn’t.
Instead, she had approached the Diablo delegation.
More specifically—she was walking toward Fury, the one person everyone else was trying to avoid getting too close to.
The Empress’s eyes widened.
“What is that girl about to do? Bring her back here. Now.”
But it was already too late.
Nora looked up at him, and his crimson eyes glanced down at her.
She pinched the edge of her black gown and dipped into a royal curtsy.
“I am Nora Ophilis, first in line to the throne of the Ophilis Empire of Snowhaven. I pay my respects to you and your company, your highness.”
It wasn’t long before a sound rolled out from Fury—the first wavesound a human standing this close had heard from him in ten years. A greeting.
“I am Fury, first prince of Diablo. I believe that the last time I set foot on human soil, you were still an infant.”
“I know your reputation well, your highness.”
That was enough to draw attention from every direction—even President Fofana was nudged to look. How could a girl so young walk up and speak to a demon capable of wiping out a country single-handedly?
“So, what brings you here?”
“I am here to study, by my mother’s order, your highness.”
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“And what have you gained from it?”
“A great deal, your highness.”
“Is that so?”
By now, the Velmount and Zentinel delegations were watching too. Nora noticed, and chose to end it.
“It has been an honor to meet you, your highness.”
“Do your best.”
Fury nodded like a kindly elder, and Nora turned to leave.
The exchange had been brief—but the real conversation was between them alone:
Mr.Fury… I’ve learned a lot.
Good. Keep going.
When she returned to her place—alone, behind Snowhaven’s working group—she looked up to find all of them staring at her.
“…What?”
The meeting resumed.
“We still stand by our demand to close our waters.”
In the end, Mathema, Velmount, and Zentinel preferred to close their waters rather than send observers to the operation.
It was proof they still deferred to Luminus. And even without Luminus, they faced other concerns—chief among them the public panic demons could cause.
Each kingdom’s system shaped its priorities:
-
Mathema: four-term presidency, elected by popular vote.
-
Velmount: military dictatorship with a semi-parliamentary system.
-
Zentinel: a confederation of tribal representatives.
-
Luminus: monarchy with the Pope as sovereign.
-
Snowhaven: empire—no need to appease the people, often mocked as barbaric, but always the fastest to act.
With those positions fixed, the Diablo’s usable routes were decided.
The agreement: two separate navigation contracts—one with Velmount, one with Mathema. These set strict boundaries: maximum distances, specific coordinates, and permitted maritime zones.
Everton skimmed Velmount’s contract—huh. They’d pushed the route far offshore.
Velmount, like Luminus, might hate them, but they didn’t like Diablo either.
Snowhaven and Zentinel didn’t submit contracts—Snowhaven’s icy waters made off-route sailing naturally dangerous, and Zentinel played little part in this meeting, though they did demand Velmount and Mathema add clauses banning the Diablo from entering Zentinel waters under any circumstances.
Once the contracts were reviewed and accepted, Everton signed.
And just like that, the assembly had reached its day’s goal. Applause echoed through the chamber.
In the four days ahead, it would be Snowhaven’s turn to negotiate directly with the Diablo on their own terms.
Day Two – Leaders’ Conference
Today held nothing especially critical for Nora. This was Snowhaven’s presentation day.
Up front, her mother and advisors took notes as The Raven—lead on the case—stood with documents in hand, ready to present.
“I am Raven, Supreme Commander of Snowhaven’s Security Forces.”
He bowed to Prince Everton.
“From here on, I will present all the details for your review.”
The Raven reported on the events surrounding Princess Nora’s procession, the Shadows’ appearance, every scene documented, evidence compiled—including sketches of the site.
Nora kept her eyes on the other delegations; they all bent over notes, heads lifting and lowering as pens moved.
This was about humanity’s survival.
If Shadows could infiltrate Snowhaven, why not elsewhere? That was why they were all here—no one wanted to be next.
When Everton’s group finished listening, he conferred briefly with his demons, and Galatasaray stepped up to translate.
“There is no doubt this is the work of Shadows. For them to appear at all means the network is vast,” Everton said.
“You know they live like insects—if there are workers, there must be a queen.”
“I know, your highness,” Raven replied. “But hasn’t your side already destroyed all their queens?”
“We are certain we destroyed every queen of the royal line. But… there is a high chance the new queen out there began as a worker who transformed.”
He presented Diablo intelligence on the Shadow homeland—now nothing but an abandoned, lifeless island.
Silence settled over the hall.
“Shadows outnumber Diablo a hundred to one. In war, it’s no surprise that some slipped through.”
Galatasaray pointed to the world map—the former Shadow kingdom marked as a large, isolated island on the west, surrounded by sea. Below it sat the smaller, solitary Diablo island. Between them lay the human kingdoms.
“The Shadows could escape by sea, moving freely. The countries most at risk are Velmount and Mathema.”
And yet—they’d been found in Snowhaven.
“They may be hiding along coastlines. I recommend reinforcing ocean-border defenses. If possible, eliminate them on sight—Shadow intelligence is structured like an ant colony; the higher minds won’t show themselves easily.”
Nora wrote it down. The Shadows were worse than the Diablo—nearly extinct now, but far more dangerous.
“Now, the most qualified speaker will take the floor,” Galatasaray said, lowering the pointer and stepping back.
A Tall, dark, heavy presence filled the air—the kind that leaked from a being simply by moving.
The entire assembly stiffened, even President Fofana gnawed her nails.
When it came to security, no one could speak with more authority than the crown prince himself.
A deep, layered voice cut through the hall.
“I am Crown Prince Fury of Diablo. From this point, I will address the situation in Snowhaven, and answer your questions for the remainder of the afternoon.”