Immortals and Empires

Chapter 4: Revelations

Killer's possessed by a malicious spirit.

Swap is introduced right into the thick of things and unaware of it.

Dream has two discoveries, and neither of them are good.

Ink remains alone under moonlight.

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A/N: I have nothing to say before this chapter. It can speak for itself.

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His footsteps thudded lightly as he exited the coffee shop, having just spoken with Cross upstairs. It'd been only a few hours since the close call in the Royal Gardens.

Killer felt almost...hazy, if that made sense. As if his vision was superimposed with a gaussian blur, flickering randomly as he stumbled down the path.

He was staring off into the distance, his entire body numb and almost...detached.

The being with no form lost his grip on Killer

Killer fell, his eye lights flashing black as an eclipse for a moment.

Shame...perhaps his influence wasn't strong enough to possess Killer for long.

Killer crumpled, breathing shallow and quick. A single drop of black goop fell from his eye socket.

He lay there, unconscious.

His footsteps thudded lightly as he exited the coffee shop, having just spoken with Cross upstairs. It'd been only a few hours since the close call in the Royal Gardens.

Killer felt almost...hazy, if that made sense. As if his vision was superimposed with a gaussian blur, flickering randomly as he stumbled down the path.

He was staring off into the distance, his entire body numb and almost...detached.

The being with no form lost his grip on Killer

Killer fell, his eye lights flashing black as an eclipse for a moment.

Shame...perhaps his influence wasn't strong enough to possess Killer for long.

Killer crumpled, breathing shallow and quick. A single drop of black goop fell from his eye socket.

He lay there, unconscious.

- - - - -

There was a painting of lovely sunflowers, dotting fields with vivid gold petals and framed up in the hallway leading to the Marigold Court's war room.

A little distance away from that, there was another exquisite painting, of calatheas this time. Yellowish—orange hues coloured tiny petals, in front of leaves clustering behind the small flowers.

There were a few other paintings in the hallway, but the latter one was placed just before the entrance into the war room.

- - - - -

The weather wasn't bad today. Sure, the sun decided to unleash the raging fires of hell's volcanos before the Empire's poor citizens today, but at least the rain hadn't joined in. Swap could deal with heat; he couldn't deal with a thunderstorm.

Actually, maybe rain wouldn't be so bad. He was already soaked with sweat, what would some rain do?

He fought a dry laugh at that thought and went on his way. Swap was, simply put, tired. This month really wasn't easy on the Palace staff.

At least Dream was somewhat understanding. Silver linings.

Swap walked down the familiar path, the one he visited everyday on his way to work. He was tempted to stop at the coffee shop nearby to get another cup of coffee, but decided against it. He already had one during his, albeit late, lunch.