Lady of truth

"Calm down! Why are you so angry? Such a weak poison isn't a challenge for you, is it?"

"Don't worry, I don't have the antidote. But you can have it if you listen to me."

No one wanted to respond to his dialogue. Only the accelerated heartbeat of those who had been poisoned said enough.

That poison wasn't weak.

"Kill each other. Or rather, kill those who failed you and then everything will be fine. As if by magic."

A few whispers, laughter, footsteps and the gnashing of teeth. That night, tempers seemed a little more heated.

"And why would we do that? That's your question, isn't it?", he walked across the stage. Nero found a column to lean on. Diana heard the heavy breathing next to him. Three women. The same ones from the elevator. "Your host died two weeks ago. Of natural causes, the body can prove it."

The whispers grew louder.

Nero shook his head.

'He was a good man...'

"All we did was use his appearance. The banquet must go on, after all. And before someone takes the place of the host... Why not us?"

"And who are you?", a female voice, mature, but little interested in that small theater.

The man's smile wavered. His back was still covered in sweat, but his words were clear.

"A group willing to die. As long as it leads to revolution. Or rather, to unity."

As if in a theater, his tone was powerful. It cut through the silence, but it was no more than a passing wind.

He needed to win over the right people there.

"Our worlds need to advance, connect, unite... Whether during the day or night, we need to come out of the shadows. Thousands have wanted the supernatural world to become only natural. But why don't we see progress?", he was like an anxious child spinning in circles. "The selfishness of those one percent at the top."

"Or maybe their wisdom. How can an ant compare to an eagle? How can it understand the situation while wandering on the ground?", ironically it was his own accuser who pointed out what many there were thinking.

"But the ant learns a little about eagles. After all, when they die. We are the ones who will be left with the carcass. And what do we learn?", theatrically he pointed to the poisoned man in front of him. His expression frowned, his fists clenched. Even if he wanted to he could not take a step forward.

He was weak to the point that those mere assassins could be a problem.

"Come on, don't be shy," the man pointed to his own lips. "Open your mouth."

And suddenly he spoke. His eyes widened in panic, but he said enough.

"I am a high-ranking spy from Orcus, I was supplied, in exchange, to bring the most talented to the next step."

And suddenly the hall exploded with voices.

"Me too," Diana heard one beside her. "I betrayed you, my lady. In truth, I was never faithful to the king; I work for House Lion."

The voices spread through the hall like waves. Nero paid attention to each one and made a mental note of each betrayal.

Yes, the poisoned ones had a lot to say. Secrets so terrible that they made the listeners shudder.

But one of them made the hall a little quieter.

"They are just disposable pawns, just like me. For the sake of my clan, I swore to guide the people here to the lineage of Lora. That's how I encouraged some, won others over, and always manipulated the votes."

The clown in the center of the stage laughed, watching the man unveil his own secrets with a face of horror and hatred.

"I knew it. It's always better to hit the snake's head. I feel like my men's deaths weren't in vain."

jo k

llp Everyone could feel the hint of spite in his words. The smell of iron was still in the air, after all. And none of the guests had died.

"Right. You got them..." someone seemed amused by the situation. A female shadow in a corner. "But who can prove that's true? Do you want us to believe that a third of the hall is theirs? That the bigger banquets just laugh and mock us behind the curtains?"

The man laughed. "Well, maybe at you. But there are some here that not even the most arrogant of them can laugh at, aren't there? And coincidentally, one of them can help us prove the effect of our... truth serum."

Nero shook his head as he followed her gaze. Suddenly he felt Diana's eyes under the palms of his hands.

"It's okay. There's nothing here to hurt you."

"What's going on."

"Just an old dispute...", Nero sighed. The clown on stage looked at Erin. If it were her, discovering everyone's secrets there wouldn't be difficult, with or without serum. "They appear every few decades. Groups wishing for the supernatural world to expand. For important people to also be part of it..."

"People like me?", for some reason, Diana didn't feel threatened but rather curious.

"People like presidents, great geniuses, central or spiritual figures. Those at the top of their world."

"..."

Diana froze for a few moments. The silence continued in the room. Erin was still smiling with her eyes closed.

"So what am I doing here?"

Nero smiled and said softly.

"Didn't I tell you? You've leveled up pretty fast lately. The president loses..."

Erin's voice echoed.

"Why would I do that? Don't involve me in your games."

The man put his hand on his chest.

"Hearing a rejection from such a beauty hurts me, but I have to do my job. See, they want to know too. Just say yes or no. Look!"

Three floating screens appeared above his head. Waves of whispers came from all of them, even from the hall.

"They are all waiting for your answer. Are your friends and family traitors or not?"