It had taken quite some time before Unity and Amelia had run out of jibes about Crow’s public status as the brooding, driven rogue. An alarming amount of time, in fact. On a purely logistic level Crow wouldn’t have thought it possible for a single person to come up with so many, and yet even after sitting through the constant stream of quips for close to half an hour they just kept coming with seemingly no end in sight.

Crow was fairly sure that the artificial would have continued even longer, had he not finally managed to get a word in edgewise and point out the lateness of the hour. As confusingly hilarious as they seemed to have found his undeserved reputation, the knowledge that the orientation for the Sieve’s third stage would begin the following day had quickly sobered them of their giggling.

Amelia had reluctantly bid them both farewell, and once she was gone Unity, too, had darkly muttered about his own arrangements. Unlike the girl, he had trailed off mid-way through- then illuminated his own face with that mischievous smile Crow knew all too well.

“I’m expected to go to a party tonight”, the artificial had said. “And while I’d love to simply ignore it, if my invitation isn’t used then I’ll invoke the wrath of the most obnoxious Immortal in history”, his smile seemed to falter for a brief second before he continued. “But I think I have a way that we can both get what we want."

“No."

It wasn’t often that Crow felt so confident in dismissing proposals, certainly not ones he had yet to even hear, but Unity, though perhaps not as outright malicious and cold as he had misjudged him for being, was still the sort for whom such a reaction was entirely justified.

Reasonable though it may have been, the immediate dismissal seemed to be no more deterrent for Unity than the air to an arrow.

“Hear me out Crow, you’ll like this."

Crow went to repeat himself, however Unity hurriedly spoke over him.

“It might just help you take care of that roguish reputation you have in the betting pool, you know."

Though his immediate instinct was to keep his heels deeply entrenched in the ground, Crow had to admit that Unity had captured his interest. Reluctantly, he gestured for the artificial to continue.

“Well, this isn’t just a normal party- it’s a big one, for a start, but more importantly than that, it’s a powerful one."

He dramatically, and annoyingly, paused for a few moments- then resumed just as Crow was about to hurry him.

“Technically it’s there for Immortals, but I’d say maybe a tenth of the guests will be that magically strong- and at most three quarters will actually be mystics. However, all of them will be very, very influential. Money, social pull, whatever- they’ll all have plenty of fingers in plenty of pies."

Unity began to slow down as he neared the end of his explanation, and Crow finally came to realise what he was suggesting.

“So… if I go there and show them all that I’m not actually a dark, brooding loner right out of a Nocturnal legend…”

With a clap and a grin the artificial finished for him.

“Exactly! These people have pull everywhere, betting pools included. And you’d be doing me a favour by going instead!”

***

Doing me a favour, he had said.

Crow suppressed a shiver as he approached the large building, staring up at the pinkish structure and tightening his grip on the invitation in his pocket. Unity had given him directions, and then very patronisingly written them down for him, but even if Crow had been directed no more precisely than to a mile’s radius, he imagined he’d have been able to pick the location out from any vantage point which let him see it.

It was dwarfed by plenty of nearby towers and warehouses, but even so there was an undeniable quality to the place which simply screamed “exclusivity." It was likely down to the fact that, rather than being placed along a row of other buildings, it was instead surrounded by a great fenced field- complete with what looked like a few trees. The outer gates of the iron railings had been left open, and though they could undoubtedly have fit a half dozen people through shoulder-to-shoulder, there was not a single other soul in sight of them.

As he stepped onto the green and trudged closer to the mansion itself, Crow found himself wondering when he’d stopped seeing things as “larger than Selsis” and started comparing them to the sprawling constructs of Bermuda. He supposed that after spending a full week there, and seeing first hand what his own entrails looked like, it was entirely possible that he’d lost the ability to be cowed by something as simple as a big pile of stone.

This supposing lasted no longer than the time it took him to come within fifty paces of the entrance.

Magic, he had often heard it said, had a taste. It certainly had a feeling, and the nearer Crow came to the doors the more he felt himself tremble at the sheer intensity of both. It wasn’t like the crowds of the stadium, where it had been spread between great masses of people. This was thicker, heavier. If only one tenth of the event’s guests were Immortals, as Unity had claimed, then he couldn’t help but wonder just how strong each of them was to produce such an atmosphere.

Every step closer he came to the gathering felt like it was one taken against a gale-force wind, and Crow nearly lost his nerve several times. When he finally came close enough for one of the outer guards to approach, he was beginning to worry he’d soak his clothing through with sweat.

With a shaking hand, he held out his invitation for the serious-looking man to inspect. He was allowed through after only the briefest delay, not a single word having passed between them. No sooner had Crow crossed the frame on which the enormous double-doors hung than he was approached by yet another guard. Unlike the first, this one did speak- albeit only three words.

“Follow me, sir."

Acclimated to towering buildings though he was, Crow still had to fight back a nervous chuckle upon hearing himself addressed in such a respectful way by a man many years his senior. Of course if he had let the laughter escape his lips, it would have quickly been stifled by that unearthly presence which seemed to wrap all the way around the building. It had been harder to approach than it was to dwell within, but the atmosphere was still more than Crow cared to be around.

As the guard led him through winding hallways lined with expensive possessions, Crow found himself throwing glance after glance over his shoulder- all in an entirely unconscious and utterly futile attempt to ward off the persisting sense that something very dangerous and very hostile was following him. He wasn’t certain whether that was due to the suffocating supernatural presence by which he was surrounded or merely his increasing awareness of the fact that, his best clothes though they may have been, Crow’s attire fell far short of even the most plainly decorated parts of the building’s interior.

It was almost a relief when the man stopped next to an especially gilded pair of doors, then turned and pulled one open before gesturing Crow through. It took a moment for him to move, so greatly surprised by the behaviour he was, but a slightly annoyed glance from the silent guard put his feet into motion.

***

Gem wasn’t sure what had pulled her attention to Crow Tempora’s entrance. Exceptional as his strain was, she could neither see nor sense any trace of an abnormality from his magic- even when he had used it so thoroughly against the necromancer. Regardless, whether by instinct or merely coincidence, she had turned to the door just in time to see him practically shuffling his way through.

It was almost funny how out of place he was, with his vanilla overcoat, leaf green undershirt and brown breeches leading to a soft-looking pair of leather boots. He stood out like a vampire at a beach amidst present company, where his usually-passable attire was placed beside the comparatively dear gilded vibrant fabrics of the other guests.

This was only exacerbated by the room itself, the varnished wooden floor appearing almost reflective and smooth enough that Gem imagined she could have gotten on her stomach and slid the full forty-metre length from one side to another. This dance floor was framed by four walls, as floors often were. It seemed every square metre of them had been decorated with some bizarre and doubtlessly expensive trinket from somewhere in Mirandis, including something which looked suspiciously like a skeletal human hand.

Pulling her gaze from the sight, Gem affixed Tempora with another gaze. Yes, even in spite of how his golden- not blonde, golden- hair seemed to ignite beneath the orange glare of the countless magically-charged luminary crystals affixed to the chandeliers, he was clearly at odds with his surroundings.

It seemed he knew it, too. There were many ways in which a person of his rarity and power could have entered. Strolling, strutting, Gem herself had gone for the tried and true single stride with a great flourish. Despite this, he had opted to shuffle. That, followed by his utterly pitiful, jittery nervousness regarding each and every one of the people around him, motivated Gem to cross the room and speak to him- if only to save herself from further second hand embarrassment.

Despite the relatively thin distribution of the guests, Gem still got the distinct impression of being suffocated as she weaved through them. None of them went out of their way to make her movement difficult, in fact many practically scrambled to avoid inconveniencing her, but many of them were Immortals, and even a life spent around Gilasev hadn’t allowed her to become fully accustomed to being surrounded by them on all sides. Particularly when she was dead-centre in many of their sights.

She’d have to thank Karma, then, for ensuring she spent so much of the last two years experiencing the exact same thing. It made the opportunistic, power-starved appraisals far more manageable even in spite of the magical monstrosities from which they came. With a practiced posture halfway between indifference and feigned ignorance, Gem suppressed all visible expressions of her discomfort and came to a stop a metre from Tempora.

The boy seemed amusingly surprised to see her looking directly at him, and several seconds passed in complete silence while he simply stared absently. Gem allowed herself to smile as she decided to end his quiet misery.

“Hello there, your name’s Crow isn’t it? I’m-”

“The Gemini!”

Gem closed her mouth once more as he interrupted by blurting out the wretched title, and his face practically glowed with scarlet embarrassment as he continued.

“Uh, sorry. It’s just… well I saw you in the Sieve, obviously, but I had no idea it was you since the only pictures I’ve seen were really low quality and didn’t exactly have colour. I only found out who you were afterwards from my sister."

He paused, apparently lost for words once more. This time, however, Gem couldn’t quite bring herself to end the amusing display by rescuing him- and he was forced to continue his nervous prattle.

“You, uh… you were really impressive. Against the necromancer, I mean. I took a punch to the stomach and it still hurts now, though that might be the sword swing too. Still- I remember watching you get smacked right in the head at least once and you just kept on getting back up!”

Sensing that the boy was finally running out of things to say, Gem cut in after a particularly long spluttered pause.

“Thank you, it’s always nice to be appreciated for my ability to get repeatedly punched in the head."

The golden-haired contestant pulled a face which rather closely resembled the sort of expression one might pull upon first finding out where babies came from, and the almost frenzied attempt to clarify his intended meaning drew scornful glances from several nearby guests with its volume. Gem ignored them, and gently spoke over Crow even as she felt her smile sprouting.

“Relax Crow, do you mind if I call you Crow?” He immediately shook his head, and she continued. “Thank you, now relax Crow- I was only joking around. We’re teammates now, you don’t need to walk on eggshells around me."

Crow looked relieved for all of two seconds, then blinked in confusion before answering.

“Wait, what do you mean we’re teammates? Was that not just for the second stage?”

Shit. He hadn’t been supposed to know that until the orientation. Looking around futilely to see the several interested looks his question had elicited from the eavesdroppers, Gem seized his arm and- perhaps harder than was appropriate- led him to follow her to a more secluded corner.

As they walked, she glanced over her shoulder to speak in a hushed tone.

“Yes, we are- though neither of us is supposed to know yet. So…”

Thankfully, he took to her meaning quickly.

“Keep it to myself? Alright, you don’t have anything to worry about from me."

The almost dutiful way in which he assured her was shockingly endearing, and the manor in which his runic, emerald green eyes seemed to inflate as he fervorously spoke reminded Gem very much of a puppy. As they neared one of the less inhabited areas of the room, she felt a sudden flash of worry at the thought that this had been how Karma had seen her back when they’d first met. No, surely not.

Gem’s thoughts were deposited back in the present as she let go of her teammate’s arm and turned fully to face him. There were perhaps ten people within a handful of metres of them now, and the murmurs of the room’s hundred other conversations suddenly felt far less distracting.

“Now then”, she began in a far quieter voice than had been required earlier, “that looks nice on you."

Though she made a point of gesturing to Crow’s clothing as she spoke, he still seemed to take a moment to understand what she was referring to. When he did, he broke out into a smile- already pink skin turning a shade more scarlet as he chuckled nervously.

“Oh, thank you! It’s not quite as fancy as what everyone else is wearing, though…”

“It isn’t”, Gem agreed, “but thankfully you have the benefit of being among people who really don’t care what you’re wearing. They’re probably far too preoccupied with your eyes to so much as notice your clothing."

Crow’s brow crinkled into a frown.

“My eyes? Oh, you mean my strain right?”

“Yes, I mean your legendary, terrifyingly powerful strain which has known so few users throughout history that they could be counted on a single hand."

The boy seemed taken aback.

“Surely it isn’t that unusual to see someone like me, I mean… well, I know strains are rare and all, but I always assumed there were at least a few other people with the Eye of Chronos."

Gem had been about to reaffirm her statement, but a sudden whispered silence ran through the hall- and she and Crow instinctively turned their heads, along with most of the other guests, to face a new arrival at one end.

The individual was a tall man of average build, with pale Pangaean skin and eyes too dark to make out from where Gem was standing. He entered onto a large balcony which hung over the far end of the room, made from a white stone and carved in the same flowing way which indicated it could only have been shaped through the use of magic. Remembering one of the many pieces of advice Karma had given her, Gem tried studying his clothing and stance to see what she could glean from them- unfortunately she wasn’t Karma, and could tell no more than the facts that he had a taste which was equal parts expensive and gaudy.

“Greetings. I am your host, Reginald Tamaias, and please allow me to take a moment and thank you all for joining me at this most illustrious of events!”

He spoke with a deep, booming voice- amplified in volume by unseen magical apparatuses and underlaid with the confidence of one who was entirely sure he was the most powerful being in the room. Of course even from several dozen metres away, Gem could sense his magic- the way it practically eclipsed that of even the lessar Immortals standing nearest to his balcony. Demigods, she knew, were often confident. It almost felt as though the space around him were closing in as he addressed the room.

“It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to these jubilations, be you an Immortal, non-mystic or contestant. In light of the exciting events we have yet to come, both the orientation for the third stage and the third stage itself, I hope only to ensure that you are all less bored than you could be while waiting."

He paused, and the low hum of laughter made its way throughout the crowd. The Demigod grinned before continuing.

“Now I’m aware you’re all likely eager to get into the entertainment as quickly as possible, so I’ll cut this short. I would like to welcome some extraordinarily special guests to the occasion, the first- as I’m sure many of you have already seen- is the illustrious Gemini Menza!”

With but a single gesture, the Demigod directed the gaze of each and every individual in the room directly at Gem. She felt her breath catch in her throat at the sensation of suddenly being caught in the stares of hundreds of people, several dozen of which could reduce her to ashes within moments. Her heart had the time to beat only twice before Tamaias recaptured their attention to himself, yet it seemed to drag on for hours.

It was a concerted effort for her to snap her focus back to the booming voice, though Gem couldn’t help but notice Crow suddenly looking quite pale.

“Of course, exceptional though she is, our dear Gemini is not the only luminary among us. May I extend my personal welcome to the first successor of a particularly esteemed Immortal name, Ra!”

Heads turned just as they had towards Gem, though perhaps less eagerly. From her position she could not see the individual being brought to focus, though she knew already he was nobody she’d have recognised by sight. Thinking back to her many, agonised lessons with Karma, she tried to pick through her memories and dig up information relevant to the name Ra. Not for the first time, she wondered whether her friend’s slightly inferior magical talent had been a better deal when paired with her near superhuman memory.

After a few moments, she gave up in frustration. Looking back to the Immortal, she realised he had begun to back away- though when his voice returned it was no different in pitch.

“Now, with greetings, welcomes and announcements out of the way, please enjoy your time here!”

At his last word, the man simply disappeared- seeming to fall straight through the ground as though it were water. The moment he vanished out of sight- to an uproar of shocked gasps and stifled applause from the guests- a crisp musical rhythm reached Gem’s ears. She shifted her gaze to the opposite end of the hall and saw an assembled band, all dressed nearly as finely as the guests and operating similarly expensive looking musical instruments.

The song was both sharp and high pitched, seeming to cut through the air to reach all the way across the large hall in which it was played before breaking against the far walls rather than rebounding as an echo. Just as whispers and exchanges of information or rumour could begin among the guests, the fragile tune rent such conversations apart and undercut them. It was music to be danced to and focused on, demanding the full attention of all who heard it. Suitably, it was only a handful of moments before dancing began across the floor.

Watching the stationary guests gradually join in the swaying, ballroom dancing was quite fascinating- one pair seemed to inspire several more beside them, each of whom would in turn draw several more into the act. The exponential nature of the unified motions were captivating, almost like watching a natural occurrence unfold right before one’s eyes.

Of course, despite what it looked like, it was anything but natural. Before long Gem and Crow were among the few people in the room still standing instead of swaying to the music. That simply wouldn’t do, she’d spent more than enough time being stared at already.

Seeing no other way to avoid it, Gem settled her gaze on Crow, put on her best smile and held out her hand.

“Well, aren’t you going to ask me to dance?”