Page 223 of The Wishing Game

Even more reason why I shouldnotbe found here.

FORTY-SEVEN

"Go on then, Commander. What was it so urgent that you had me come here personally?" the king asks with affected impatience, tapping his foot on the floor.

Ze gives him a bored look, but he doesn't reply immediately, walking around the library.

"Commander!" the king barks out.

"Since Elias absconded with the chalice, the Supremes have been on high alert. They fear that other artifacts might be in danger, too," Ze speaks slowly, leveling the king with his gaze. "You have been made aware recently of the weakening of the boundaries between the worlds. Demons in their physical form have managed to sneak into the intermediary realms, and it will not be long before they will be able to cross between worlds."

"I thought that was under control," the king grunts.

"For now. But the situation is not looking good. One of my generals is missing."

"Who?"

"Aethon," Ze replies quietly.

"Pyros?" The king frowns. "How could he go missing? I wasn't aware there was anyone who could take him out."

"There should not be." Ze nods.

"But... You don't mean to imply he deserted, too? Blasphemy."

"Indeed," Ze drawls, rounding the table and taking a seat. He leans back, his posture relaxed. "Aethon is loyal. I do not suspect him of desertion. In fact, it was his last communication that gave me reason to be alarmed."

"What is it? Get on with it!" the king demands impatiently.

Ze raises a lazy brow at him, seemingly not impressed with the king's edicts.

"He was investigating the Sons of Tenebreis. It was a son of Tenebreis who was leading the demons into the intermediary realms."

"Tenebreis? Impossible. They cannot leave Tartareia."

"So we have presumed." Ze sighs. "I believe the situation to be more dire than we previously thought. Aethon relayed to me that he uncovered a demon plot not only to destabilize the boundaries between realms but also to awaken the Seven from Tartarstasis."

Silence descends in the room as both Maros and the king stare at Ze, their expressions full of disbelief.

"That's...impossible."

"Unfortunately, with Elias's desertion, it is highly possible. When the Primordials imprisoned the Seven in Tartarstasis, they each used a piece of themselves to perform the spell. As such, the only way the spell can be broken is by using the same type of energy to unlock the prison."

"The Primordials are long gone," Maros intervenes. "No one knows where they are, so I cannot see how the demons could get their hands on their energy signature."

"They might be gone, but you forget one thing. They left something behind."

"The artifacts," the king mutters a curse.

"Indeed. Each Primordial left behind an artifact to one of the Houses. And considering Elias took the chalice with him, the demons are already in possession of one. Now they need fourteen more."

"But—"

Ze places his hand up, stopping the king from speaking.

"Together, all artifacts could unlock Tartarstasis and free the Seven. But that is a concern for another day. By themselves, the artifacts are also far too dangerous to fall into the demons' hands. The chalice alone likely allowed them to leave Tartareia in their physical form. But according to Aethon's report, it is a temporary measure. The chalice allows their body to withstand travel between realms only for a limited period of time, which is likely how a son of Tenebreis was able to cross over. But there is one other artifact that coupled with the chalice could give them a more permanent solution," Ze explains.

"The vial of Arche." The king closes his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose between two fingers.

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