Shadow of the Abyss

When the duchess arrived within the Dining Hall, a slight frown of imperfection touched her lips in the form of a frown. The sight of her son beside Nox hadn't bothered her as much as what was missing from the table. The manor was as large as a castle, and it was rather difficult to control who or what Noctis wanted to see. No. What bothered her was the absence of Noctis' personal maid.

Nox aside, there were five unverified men, Veil Hunters, within the hall with her son, who appeared without an escort.

"Mommy!" Said Noctis, hurrying to his feet. He sprinted on over, leaping into her embrace.

"Darling, where's Anna?" asked the Dutchess.

Noctis shrugged. " I haven't seen her." He said all innocently.

"Then who dressed you?"

"Mommy. I'm not a little kid. I can dress myself."

"We found him here with these… commoners." Altair glanced at the five armed men, who looked as if they lived in the woods. They appeared clean, freshly shaven, and sprit with cologne to mask the commoner stench. Yet that did nothing to mask the etiquette they clearly lacked.

They could all feel it. The mockery in the young master's cold eyes towards those around him.

Lady Corsant herself had the grace to blush, strutting forward with her child in her arms as if he were a babe and not a boy on his fourth term. She hadn't realized she was being so transparent. But the damage had already been done, and she had lost some face before her stepson.

"Please," She gestured to the five Veil Hunters who'd risen to their feet at her entrance to sit, finding her spot at the head of the table.

Altair smiled, holding his tongue at the lack of any formal greetings or announcements for her guest or the heir of House Nier. It was rather amusing. He had to wonder what she was relying on to disrespect him so openly. Had he still used his true name, he'd have had her on the chopping blocks for her offense against the crown.

"Tasha, why don't you take a seat."

Lady Corsant lifted a brow and said in a pleasant voice that was no doubt filled with discontent, "You'd allow your maid to dine with us?"

"My Maid is of a royal lineage. The least I say for these… lesser bread men. Judging by their appearance, they appear to share the same genetic constellation. Gentleman. Tell me, who, here, is also the uncle and the dad? An Uncle-Daddy if you will. Don't be shy.

Or was it a type of let all fit in mommy to—"

"Nox!" snapped Lady Corsant, "please show at least some decorum. Such talk is inappropriate."

The five hunters flushed, visibly shaking, as their fists clenched, unsure how anyone had learned their families kept secret.

"Right… Of course. Such things are best left in the family. Literally."

Alvar, the eldest of the five, struck his fist against the table, raising the silverware, as his eyes glared daggers at the lordling testing. He might have stood up if not for the thinning lips of the young masters.

"Quite audacious," Altair started slowly. "Do you think just because my cultivation has fallen to that of a Fourth Circle, you think that I am defenseless?" his eyes slid to Lady Corsant, back to Alvar. "Or is it because my family has abandoned me that you think that I can't end your pathetic excuse for a genus? Show me the respect I am warranted. If I tell you to kneel, you kneel.

If I ask you to cut out your tongue, there isn't an expectation for hesitation, only results, boy."

As Altair's spiritual essence exploded, with the aid of the Will of the Abyss, their bodies were visibly drained of color beneath a force that demanded that they kneel. The sensation, however, vanished before it splintered the wood.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Corsant could not believe the arrogance. It was so blatant her jaw opened as she struggled to keep her calm. Not only had she lost control, but even the servants watching seemed to be observing her to gauge her reaction. She'd wanted nothing more than to slap Nox, but despite her feelings, he was still the heir of House Nier.

"Mother?" Noctis said, a little shaken by all happening around him. He was young but not so foolish he couldn't sense the tension in the room.

"Young Master, perhaps we—" Anklem began, but his words were cut short by the fierce storm of survival instincts howling at him to hold his tongue.

"If you still like your head attached to your body, you'll be silent, Anklem. Ninth Circle or not, you belong to House Nier. Remember that. Right now, I'm having a conversation with the dutchess. Hold your tongue. Tasha, should he open his mouth again, take his head."

The Devil grinned cruelly, her infernal pupils beginning to burn witht the flames of the Hells.

'This isn't the young master I know… it can't be,' Anklem determined, clenching his fist. "Could someone really have invaded his body? He was never this cruel. Never this heartless.'

Corsant resisted the urge to bite her lips. "Nox, there isn't a need to threa—"

"If you must insult me, please have the courage not to lie in my face." Altair grabbed the chalice of wine in front of him, savoring a sip or two. "Since I've awoken, not only has no doctor or the Medarc I here is present visited me, but I was not even allowed to rest in my room. Quite a thing, isn't it?

Not only that, but you insult me further by inviting incest bread Veil Hunters, suspecting me of what exactly?" he gave a dry laugh. "The insults keep coming, Lady Corsant. Even now, you've yet to introduce me to yourself. How am I supposed to feel? I have shown your son nothing but love despite his birth being an excuse to replace me, but you. You continue to spit in my face."

The silence in the hall was deafening, so much so the chanking steps of retreating servants were all the more noticeable.

Finishing his wine, Altair settled the chalice back onto the table, finally shifting his attention back to the Veil Hunters. "Bring it out. The Shard of Ilvaras. It's how Veil Hunters determine if someone is an Outerworlder, right?"

Alvar exchanged glances with his brothers, then the Lady Corsant, who, despite the loss of face, managed to remain composed with her son still in her arms.

"Do it." she forced herself to say, truly considering if Nox was not from the Veil. If her husband were to learn of the treatment of his firstborn, then even she would dread the consequences of her action.

"The Shard of Ilvaras is but one of the tests," Alvar notably said. "And is meant to be used in the worst of cases."

"I am well aware they are expensive. However, the Dutchy will cover your expenses. The Shard of Ilvaras is foolproof. So use it so I rid myself of the presence of you commoners."

'Master acting is… on point.' Tasha told herself, keeping her composure. She nearly wanted to fall out of the chair in shock. Rarely was he ever this aggressive. 'But how does he know about the Shard of Ilvaras? Has his shadows already begun scouring the realm for information?'

Fishing the azure-faced stone form out of his pocket, he tossed it to Altair, who didn't hesitate to touch it.

"Transmit a part of your Mana into it, and it'll determine if you are an outer worlder or not."

Altair wanted to laugh, for that had been the furthest thing from the truth. It wasn't mana that the Shard read but, in fact, the Soul Essence attached to it. Since Mana needed a direct source of willpower to move, it was the easiest source to read to determine one's origins.

Alair, however, wasn't worried since he had in his possession the soul of Nox De Nier. The Transcendent Soul that was so powerful it radiated like liquid fire.

Everyone present stared intently as Altair injected Mana laced with Nox's soul essence instead, smiling as his own will was easily devoured by Nox's.

The shard pulsed an azure hue, radiating so brightly that golden light began to seep through, signifying the noble lineage within the realm of Allmor. The Shard continued to glow brightly before it shattered into dust before the eyes of everyone.

"Is this enough proof, Corsant, or—" Altair stopped himself, his eyes looking down at little Noctis bleeding from the nose? Slowly, it came from his eyes and ears, and before he knew it, every other orifice down below. Tendrils of black veins began to line his face as his little body swayed in his mother's embrace.

The sight itself had been so shocking even the boy's mother stood petrified as Noctis puked a mouthful of blood. His innocent face paled to a ghastly white as the light in his eyes faded to a deadly void where light didn't seem to exist.

Even Altair couldn't help but be surprised. Tasha had told him it would be bloody, but even he was startled by the sheer cruelty she'd inflicted under his order. However, it was a necessary sacrifice, or so he believed.

"What the Hell are you standing there for? Get the bloody Medarc!" he demanded.

"HELP!!!!!" Corsant screeched, a cry only a mother held, clutching the limp body of her son. Tears ran from her beautiful eyes as she howled, unveiling her Transcendent Might that nearly turned everyone present to a fine mist were it not for Tasha's quick reaction: For nearly a thousand miles, her aura could be felt, alerting the ancient lords held within the manner.

"My Lady! You must calm yourself! Your son will die!" Alkrem shouted. "Look! He's here! But he can't work under these circumstances!

Please! Calm down!"

Before Altair could glance at the Medarc, striding into the room at a pace, Corsant fury latched onto the young monster. "NOX!!! What did you do!" she demanded with the fury of a thousand suns.

Calm in the barrier Tasha had generated, Altair smirked. "You're blaming me? How shameless. You left your son unattended, and somehow, you are blaming me. This bitch really is something."

"It wasn't him," The Medarc quickly shouted, noticing the tension. "I did a full diagnostic on the second young master beforehand, and he was perfectly fine. No poison was detected."

"He's right, m'lady!" shouted Alkrem, taken back by the storm of mana invading the estate. "It had to have been—" his eyes fell upon the Viel Hunters, remembering Noctis being unattended for an unknown amount of time. "Oh, dear Lord! What have you done?"

Tasha all but licked her lips, lowering the barrier around the Five men, choosing to defend only her Master and Noctis from the storm.

'Master! You're a bloody monster!' she gloriously thought as a quick realization of what he was fishing for occurred.