Rivers of the Night

"Do you three know why I have called you out of seclusion?" Grand Elder Macie asked slowly.

Before her, two young men and a young woman stood. They couldn't have looked more different, each one having a height difference so great from the other that it almost seemed designed.

The tallest of them was bare-chested and strapped a club almost as long as his body across his back. He would have looked like a barbarian if not for the polished black pearls around his neck and the immaculately pressed, black hammer pants on his bottoms.

He would have been exceptionally well-dressed if not for the lack of the shirt, but when one paid attention to the club strapped to his back, it didn't seem that this was by choice.

There was an eerie black fog coming from it that seemed to swallow everything in its path up… including weak fabric.

His pants didn't seem to be affected. But unfortunately, he had never had a proper shirt or robes to match with them.

The second tallest was the second young man. The first of them stood at over seven feet tall, and this second disciple could only stand up to his shoulders.

He was much more silent, and his weapon wasn't out for all to see. Even so, he had a sharpness to his brows that made him an obvious sword cultivator, or so it seemed.

He wore the official disciple robes of the Nightingale Sect, ribbons of gold tying his wrists, ankles, and waist to denote his status as a Core Disciple, if his deep Gold Mancy cultivation wasn't enough of a dead giveaway.

Unlike the first disciple, there was no smile hanging from his lips, a deathly coldness coming from him instead that seemed to chill the air.

And finally, there was the third of them, a short young woman with a petite frame and delicate features. She, likewise, barely came up to the second disciple's shoulders, wearing the same robes as the second disciple. The only creative liberty she took were the jingling earrings that hung from her fair earlobes. They swayed in the air, releasing a chime from time to time that only seemed to add to her charm.

The world somehow seemed brighter around her and the adorable smile she was sporting. But there was a not-so-well-hidden craftiness in her gaze that told a different story.

The First Core Disciple, Blackmaul.

The Second Core Disciple, Kaelen.

The Third Core Disciple, Lyra.

These three were the three strongest Core Disciples of the Sect, and their reputations preceded them. Though they had been placed on the backburner with Sadie's appearance, it would have still taken another year or two before Sadie had outgrown them all.

Seeing their silence, Grand Elder Macie continued to speak.

"This mission will be incredibly dangerous. It is more than likely that a Demon Chosen is on the loose within our Nightingale Forest, and any interaction with such an elite could very well result in death.

"However, we have the advantage of numbers, and you will have the support of the Elder Council behind you.

"You three will lead teams to blanket the forest. We have enlisted the help of the Resonate Eye Sect and the Bronzed Earth Sect, who will likewise be sending their disciples. In fact, they are already here."

Grand Elder Macie waved a hand and there was a surge of Dark Mana, and another set of six disciples appeared, their auras and air of arrogance no less than that of Blackmaul, Kaelen, and Lyra. In fact, the moment they appeared, sparks flew between them all.

They had clashed more than once in the past. However…

Grand Elder Macie's aura stifled them all.

"Now isn't the time for you all to clash. I promise you, if any one of you allow past grievances to interfere with this mission, I will personally kill you no matter which Sect you come from and regardless of the consequences. Do you understand me?"

The nine disciples all stiffened, but they nodded nonetheless.

Blackmaul grinned. "Ilyssia, why don't you come with me? I'll protect you well."

The enormous Blackmaul looked at a gorgeous disciple from the Resonate Eye Sect. The golden line on her forehead did nothing to make her less enticing, nor did the cold glance she gave Blackmaul. However, Blackmaul didn't seem put off by it.

The two of them were the strongest of their respective Sects, so it was only natural they pair up. The fact that she was such a beauty was just his luck.

As for whether Serenya of the Bronzed Earth Sect came or not, that had nothing to do with him. That big-bellied woman wasn't to his fancy.

Unfortunately for Ilyssia, she didn't get the option to reject. There was another surge of might across the group and they were forced into their segments.

"The nine of you will split into these groups of three, and each of you will be in charge of 10,000 disciples. The organization structure has already been decided, and your task for now is building outposts and communication hubs across the Nightingale Forest. It will be a major undertaking, but your safety is the first and foremost priority.

"Go. Now."

Seeing that he wouldn't have time for any more flirting, Blackmaul had no choice but to lead Ilyssia and Serenya away. Well… at least leading so many disciples might be fun.

…

The Nightingale Forest suddenly became overrun by disciples.

The Elder Council led the vanguard, but they weren't searching or building outposts. They were responsible for keeping the more powerful beasts away from the disciples and acting as a deterrence.

As Grand Elder Macie led this, the number of hubs and lines of defense in the forest only grew more and more expansive. From a bird's-eye view, it looked like they were preparing for an all-out war instead of just trying to find a single person.

However, as the days trickled by, not a single shadow was found. It was like Theron had vanished into thin air until…

Crack.

A badge on Patriarch Nightingale's body shattered.