Ellee was attending a conference with the high elf council of the Dryadalum kingdom. Though she had founded this nation of elves herself, since then a lot of changes occurred. Because she was a child at the time, she had many high-born elves support the internal transition, and as a result they rose to power fast.

Today, it would be risky for her to try and remove them from the council, because they held great influence over the people. Great diversity characterized her nation, as all kinds of elves came under her rule. Be they moon light, wood, dark, or the typical kind of elves which first comes to mind, her nation had them all under a single banner. It was not easy to manage, and keep the people united.

Today's topic was the usual discussions about internal and external affairs, but as always nothing noteworthy happened. At least on the surface. In truth, before the usual meeting there was a secret gathering held where none of the council members were present.

She was there to confirm her hypothesis about an unremarkable item she always kept hidden on herself. It was a wooden doll, which she received from an elderly woman long ago. The woman was very protective of the item. She guessed then, it must have a sentimental value equal to the woman's devotion. It really did, however there was something else to it.

Ellee would have ignored it, had the woman not cry out for her. She decided to humor the human and listen to her. The woman sounded crazy when she told her story before passing away, but Ellee kept the item just in case if even a flicker of what was said was true.

From what she understood the item belonged to a being close to God if not a God, even though she heard about the 6 Great Gods, but she had never met them personally. From the description it sounded like the woman was talking about Surshana the God of Death, however the woman had highlighted that several times that she is talking about a different entity. One with more power than the Gods themselves, more power than the famed Dragon Lords could ever muster.

She did not believe the ranting of a lunatic, but she held onto the item just in case should the need ever arise, it wouldn't hurt to try using it.

…

After the council meeting, she was going down on the corridor connecting to the audience room, where she would receive the honor guests for the night. Today was a holiday after all. They celebrated the New Moon, the renewal of life.

However, when she was sitting on her throne for 10 minutes straight, yet no-one came she became suspicious. She called for her guards, yet none answered. "Huh, this is strange." She thought. Unbeknownst to her the unassuming dummy was glowing inside of her pocket, and slowly disappeared into light particles.

…

The guards would always fly to her side when she called. The only explanation would be if they were dead or did not hear her. "How? Magics? Did the Dragon Lords find our city? No, impossible it is hidden perfectly. Then-" Her musing was disrupted when she heard a staff hitting the marble floor. The sound carried on and made up a rhythm.

She hastily turned her head around in every direction, yet she couldn't see anything. She heard the knocking of the staff closer and closer to the throne and yet there was nothing there. She couldn't see anything. "What? Invisibility?! The intruder must be a competent mage." She steeled herself. She wouldn't show weakness whoever it is.

Then slowly the outlines of a man became visible, as the figure formed dark mist spread out in the room accompanied by a feeling of utter despair. Finally, she could see the man. Her heart skipped a beat. Death stood before her, in all His might.

She paled as she discovered that the figure bore a strong resemblance to the one seen at the day of the Great Catastrophe. "Did he come for revenge? No, my troops even if they were captured wouldn't have betrayed me, even if they were tortured." However, as she kept gazing at the personification of Death she couldn't help, but shudder at the thought; "No wonder they spoke. Anyone would break under this pressure. This presence is not of this world."

"I… I-" She tried to gather the courage to speak, but the words died in her mouth. The terror radiating from his being was overwhelming. Even though she had trained her mind to withstand pressure throughout the years because her duties commanded it, now it all seemed like a pointless endeavor as she felt her mind breaking.

Hate incarnate stood before her, its glowing eyes weighted down her very soul. "What a frightening being, to think anyone would be able to make me bow my head in defeat with his sheer presence! No! I didn't lose yet, if I can get the initiative, then I can still come out on top… somehow."

She was cut off before she could speak up, when the being who inspired genuine fear in all livings spoke. She was so stunned, that she didn't register the meaning of the words.

"You have my items? Interesting, I do not recall lending one to an elf… "Unbeknownst to her Death's mind was otherwise preoccupied with an important question that awoken worry inside of him. "Who knows it's been so long… maybe I did lend her one."

Death made a grandiose gesture as if sitting down, and voila a throne made of amethyst crystals appeared under him.

He looked down on her, like a predator eying their prey. The silence was killing her; however she didn't know if the great being wished for her to speak. There might still be something he wants to say. She would listen, and at the first opportunity she would minimize the damage to her people.

She waited patiently, as the room began shrinking. No! The room wasn't shrinking, but the form of Death grew larger by the minute. Many thoughts ran through her mind, as she tried to salvage the situation, and make sense of what he had said. "I called him? What?! How?! I didn't…Oh-" She found the item missing from her belt. She had to come up with a solution fast, because the survival of her people hanged in the balance. Should this God wish to eradicate her people, she wouldn't be in a situation to deny him.

However, the royal blood flowing through her veins did not allow weakness. She would not kneel, be they Kings, or Gods. She was sweating profusely despite that she put up a brave front, and kept the smile on her face throughout the meeting. She would not falter, even if it cost her life, she will protect her people.

She readied herself to speak up again, however death waved a skeletal hand and simply disappeared. She couldn't understand the thoughts of a supreme being, one who ruled over death. However, she gave thanks to mother nature, that death left without much of a trouble…

Only if she knew how the mysterious being sweated profusely, not knowing how to interact with her after the long seclusion…

Satoru was having a mental breakdown, if that is even possible in his undead state… how could he embarrass himself in such a way? He found solace in the fact that he did not give his name, so it couldn't be connected back to him.

To hide his inability to come up with a quick answer he cast {perfect unknowable} and hidden away in the shadows from the outside world. However, he soon realized that what he did was childish, foolish even. Why would HE hide, when in centuries only one being could match his might?

Utter foolishness, but now that he already did so he couldn't come out of the shadows so easily. Of course, he could fix the situation if he used mind magic, and erased his earlier blunder, but it consumed up a lot of mana, and so he decided against it.

At least somebody removed him from the seclusion, who knows how long it would have taken for him to feel safe coming out all alone? Now, being outside he discovered that his earlier worries were unwarranted, as the beings who could hurt him could be counted on two hands, even if he counted non-existent ones just for the sake of caution...

For now, he would follow around the elf, and observe silently, he would learn about the world first person, and decide for himself if it is viable to expose himself to the public, or to a select few.

Ellee had a strange feeling ever since the God of Death showed up in front of her. She felt as if a hungry pair of eyes followed every movement she made, listened to every word she uttered. It was slowly driving her crazy.

It appears the encounter with the great being had a greater effect on her life than she ever thought possible. She felt as if the Ruler of Death stalked her and waited for her to make a single mistake so he could claim her life.

She felt her right shoulder growing cold, she gulped audibly. It was like the icy embrace of death had touched her, it was a frightening experience, however as soon as it came it was gone, still she couldn't ignore it any longer. She would have to take action…

She turned down the corridors and headed to the treasury, where the sacred relics of elf kind were kept. She hoped there is something against ghosts, or mental protection. After seven days of suffering these symptoms she couldn't decipher any longer, if it was only in her imagination, or a shadow greater than death had really stalked her.

…

In only two days she had tried out all the items associated with mental afflictions, but none of them worked. It could mean only two things. Either her mind had already degraded to a point beyond salvation, or her most terrific assumption would be confirmed…

On the other side of the continent a great war raged between the Greed Kings and the famed Dragon Lords. Their legendary struggle would carry on as it did in the past decade, or so everyone who was aware of their existence thought. None of them could have imagined the abrupt end, a certain being would force. The Ancient One would make his presence known throughout the world, and his legend would be everlasting.