385 We Will Prevail
Lucas and Amelia were walking through the thick forest, navigating through the uneven grounds of the jungle.
They were headed to meet the other members of their unit.
But as they walked, a pair of ethereal cyan eyes of a reptile followed them.
The reptile itself was hidden underground, its body completely out of view, leaving only its vertical pupils exposed.
At the same time, thousands of miles away, a council was held inside the Government House situated in the heart of the Central Continent.
In the spacious meeting hall adorned with all kinds of lavish items, twelve men and women were sitting around a huge round table.
Placed in the center of the round table was a device that was protecting a holographic image of… What was it exactly?
"What is this exactly?" One of the women sitting there asked. She was dressed in a pantsuit and exuded an aura of power and authority.
That was to be expected since she was someone who had been in a position of power all their life, after all.
Everyone else sitting at this table was the same.
Each one of them carried an air around them suggesting that they believed the entire world lay beneath their feet.
…Which wouldn't be entirely false.
Everyone sitting at this round table was a member of the Central Government. The entire world did indeed lay beneath them.
Another woman seated at the table rolled her eyes exasperatedly. "How can you not know what this is? A file was sent to every single one of our homes. At least have the professionalism to read crucial documents sent to you before attending the meeting that could very well decide the fate of the fucking world!"
"I didn't have much time this weekend," the first woman replied. "Actually, I haven't had much time for the past six months. I've been covering for all of you, trying to handle this Spider situation on my own as best as I could! So forgive me if I couldn't spare a moment to read a fucking file!"
Everyone fell silent after those words were spoken. They knew what she said was all true.
Ever since Spider's existence came to light six months ago, Donna has been the only one controlling the public, answering the press, and suppressing the media.
On top of it all, she was also the one who had been keeping the word of the North's situation out of the general public's ears.
The situation in the North was worsening and if people got word of it, a full-
blown mass panic would break out.
There wasn't a threat… yet… but the people won't listen to reason. Reason is the first victim of panic, after all.
Essentially, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Donna was the only person here trying to keep the world together.
…But that didn't mean the others weren't doing anything.
"Donna," the man sitting across from her whispered, uttering her name to calm her. "Calm the fuck down. You're doing your part of the job, and so are we. Let's not make a scene."
The man's words were curt and his tone cold, bordering on indifference. If it was anyone else, he would have been dead already for speaking to her in such a manner.
However, this man was Count Dekrauf himself.
Donna had no choice but to shrink back and nod submissively.
Count shifted his gaze to the second woman. "Cassy, try to understand the situation as well."
"But she's never prepared for a meeting!" Cassy retorted. "Why does someone always have to compensate for her? How difficult can it be to manage public affairs?!"
"Handling the masses may seem simple, but manipulating them is not!" Donna shot back. "And you don't get to talk about easy jobs when you spend all day on your computer!"
"Oh, you think cyber affairs are easy, huh?! Try taking my place for a day! Just try it for one day–"
Before they could continue, however, Count Dekrauf slammed his hands on the table, silencing both women.
Others in the room also involuntarily shuddered for a moment. Count had a tendency to snap, and no one was eager to provoke his anger.
"Enough, both of you!" Count shouted but swiftly composed himself. "What we're discussing here could potentially alter the fate of the world."
All eyes turned to him in solemn silence as he continued.
"So, please, for once in your pathetic lives, set aside your differences and try to work together."
A hushed silence enveloped the room for a long time before Donna spoke up once more.
"I apologize," she said in a sincere tone. "Now, can someone please explain what I'm looking at?"
Her gaze fixated on the hologram displaying what appeared to be… space?
A vast expanse of nothing but a dark void with numerous small orbs of light scattered throughout.
Stars? Galaxies? What was this?
"I swear if this has anything to do with the prophecies…" Donna sighed.
"No, it doesn't," Cassy was the one who responded, shaking her head. "This is... It's... They are universes. Each one of those star-like glowing orbs are… universes."
When that bombshell was dropped, silence once again filled the room.
Donna's eyes widened, her jaw dropping as she looked at her surroundings.
Ah, now she understood why everyone was looking so down today.
After a prolonged silence, she mustered the courage to speak up again. "Okay, so we were right. The multiversal theory is real. How did we obtain this, exactly?"
Cassy took a deep breath. "Remember our little prisoner? That snake girl? Well, she finally spoke. Even revealed her name."
Donna arched her eyebrows, displaying further surprise. "Wh-What is it?"
"Kiara," Cassy replied.
"So our torture worked on her finally?" Donna inquired.
"Hell no," Cassy chortled. "She generously gave us some information. She confirmed a few of our speculations and shared other, more terrifying details."
Donna slumped back in her chair. "Were we right about her being the Dragon God's general?"
"Yes," Count Dekrauf affirmed with a nod. "He... is coming for us next."
Donna couldn't help but shudder. A primal sense of fear seized her at the mere mention of those words.
"What do our Diviners say? Anyone who can foresee the future?" Donna questioned.
Cassy shook her head. "They confirmed the information. He is indeed coming for us next."
"So we are all dead," Donna chuckled hysterically. "How can mortals ever hope to stop a God?"
"Please, Donna, calm down," Count intervened. "We still have time. Several years, at least. We can put an end to this. The war, the impending apocalypse, everything!"
Everyone once again turned to Count, their eyes glimmering with intense emotions.
The situation seemed grim... but with this man leading them, perhaps they could... survive... even win!
Count took a deep breath and nodded resolutely.
"First, we will eliminate Kalis and exterminate the Vampires. Then, we will begin preparations for the Dragon God's arrival. We... will... prevail."
