The Last Silver

The meeting room had been quiet for nearly an hour.

Then Aurelius finally spoke.

"We need a war council."

The words immediately changed the atmosphere.

The warmth of the reunions remained, but now there was purpose behind everyone's eyes.

Arcturus activated the central table.

A three-dimensional map of the known territories appeared above it.

Imperial colonies.

Human settlements.

Succubi territories.

Dragon territories.

Other population centers that were an amalgamation of different species and cultures. They didn't favor one government over another, but they were no less important. The people still needed protecting, the children still needed a future.

Ancient ruins that lay undiscovered.

And, at the very edge of the projection, a growing region of black.

The Ashen, attacking one colony after another.

Aurelius looked around the room.

"We've been treating this as an isolated threat."

Gilgamesh folded his arms.

"It isn't."

"No."

Aurelius enlarged the black region.

"It's spreading."

Asha nodded.

"And it is learning."

Alexander leaned over the table.

"Learning what?"

"Us."

Asha pointed toward several readings.

"The darkness reacted to Dinraal's silver energy. It reacted to the gateway. It followed our attempt to escape."

Julius frowned.

"So it can adapt."

"Exactly."

Johanna looked toward Dinraal.

"Then what is the silver?"

Dinraal shook his head.

"I don't know, but I bet it has something to do with the bond between myself and Isolde."

Tiamat answered quietly.

"I might be able to expound a bit."

Everyone looked at her.

She stepped closer to the table.

"The silver has never simply been a weapon."

Dinraal turned toward her.

"What do you mean?"

Tiamat looked at her son.

"Your father and I spent centuries trying to understand it. When Eve gave us the pendant, we were already well versed."

She placed her hand over the projection.

"The Silver is connected to preservation."

Aurelius narrowed his eyes.

"Preservation."

Tiamat nodded.

"Life. Memory. Civilization. Things that refuse to disappear."

Aramaeis looked at her.

"Then the Ashen is the opposite."

"Yes."

Gilgamesh smiled grimly.

"Destruction versus preservation."

"Not exactly."

Tiamat's expression became serious.

"The Ashen doesn't simply destroy."

Asha looked up.

"It consumes."

Tiamat nodded.

"Exactly."

The room fell silent.

Aurelius slowly looked toward Arcturus.

"Then we move forward with the Imperial Preservation Initiative."

Arcturus froze.

Even Gilgamesh's expression changed.

Isolde looked between them.

"What is the Preservation Initiative?"

Aurelius took a breath.

"It was an idea thought up long before you were born."

He gestured toward the holographic map.

"When we first discovered civilizations disappearing in places where there should have been no conflict, we began preparing."

"For the Ashen?" Dinraal asked.

"For something like it."

Arcturus brought up another projection.

Millions of small points appeared across the galaxy.

"Colonies," he explained.

"Hidden colonies."

Aurelius continued.

"Archives. Seed vaults. genetic libraries. cultural records. ships capable of carrying entire populations."

Isolde stared at the projection.

"How many?"

Arcturus hesitated.

"Enough."

Dinraal's eyes widened.

"How many people?"

Aurelius looked at him.

"Potentially billions."

Nobody spoke.

Rhiannon finally broke the silence.

"You've been preparing to save the entire civilization."

"We've been preparing to save whatever could survive."

Alexander smiled.

"Then perhaps the time has come to stop preparing."

Gilgamesh laughed.

"Finally, something sensible."

Julius looked at Aurelius.

"What happens now?"

Aurelius straightened.

"We activate every Preservation Initiative facility we can reach."

Arcturus began issuing commands.

"Wake the archive worlds."

"Begin evacuation protocols."

"Reactivate the dormant fleets."

"Send messages to every allied kingdom."

Asha looked toward the map.

"And the colonies that can't be evacuated?"

Aurelius's expression hardened.

"We fortify them."

Dinraal stepped forward.

"And the Ashen?"

Aurelius looked at him.

"We stop it."

Dinraal nodded.

"Good."

Tiamat placed a hand on her son's shoulder.

"Not alone."

Dinraal looked at her.

Aurelius smiled.

"Never again."

Later that night, the war council finally ended.

The room emptied slowly.

Gilgamesh and Alexander remained behind to argue over military strategy.

Julius, along with Cleopatra and Johanna followed Aramaeis and Arcturus to inspect the colony's defenses.

Asha disappeared into the engineering sector.

The First Weapon simply wandered off, apparently satisfied that the meeting had ended. Possibly looking for kibbles or belly rubs.

Rhiannon stayed to catch up with Tiamat.

That left Dinraal and Isolde alone.

They stood on an observation deck overlooking the colony.

Stars filled the glass.

For several minutes, neither spoke.

Then Isolde leaned against the window.

"We almost died. Right after we found each other again."

Dinraal smiled faintly.

"Yes."

"That's not comforting."

"I'm not very good at comforting."

"I noticed."

She smiled.

Dinraal looked at her.

"You were scared."

"Of course I was."

"Why?"

Isolde turned toward him.

"Because I thought I was going to lose you, again. I had nightmares about that day at the park for years. So many visits with counselors and therapists. I couldn't even eat, couldn't sleep. I knew even at 13 that you were my everything and that one day, we would marry and have babies. Then you vanished, and I thought you were dead. When Father first found evidence that you were alive, I felt like I could breath again."

Dinraal's expression softened.

"You didn't lose me, I'm here."

"I know."

She paused.

"But I realized something."

"What?"

"I don't want to keep waiting."

Dinraal frowned.

"Waiting for what?"

Isolde took his hand.

"For us."

Dinraal stared at her.

"You mean—"

"I mean marriage."

He blinked.

"Marriage."

"Yes."

Dinraal looked away.

For perhaps the first time in his life, the Last Silver looked genuinely nervous.

"I've thought about it."

Isolde smiled.

"You have?"

"More than once."

"And?"

"I wanted to ask you."

She squeezed his hand.

"Then ask."

Dinraal turned toward her.

"Isolde Rhia Corvega."

She laughed.

"That's my name."

"I know."

He smiled.

"Will you marry me?"

Her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes."

Dinraal exhaled.

"Good."

She laughed.

"Good?"

"I had a whole speech prepared."

"Where is it?"

"I forgot it."

She kissed him.

When they separated, Dinraal rested his forehead against hers.

"I don't know what the future looks like."

"Neither do I."

"But I know what it looks like, I know how it sounds, and it's you. All you and only you."

"So do I."

They decided not to keep the engagement secret.

The next morning, Dinraal and Isolde entered the family quarters together.

Tiamat was sitting with Aramaeis.

Rhiannon was drinking tea.

Aurelius was reviewing military reports.

Isolde cleared her throat.

Everyone looked up.

"We have something to tell you."

Rhiannon immediately smiled.

"You two look suspicious."

Dinraal glanced at Isolde.

She nodded.

He took her hand.

"We're getting married."

Silence.

Then Rhiannon screamed.

"WHAT?!"

Isolde laughed.

Rhiannon jumped out of her chair and rushed toward them.

"My daughter is getting married!"

She hugged Isolde.

Then she hugged Dinraal.

Then she hugged both of them simultaneously.

"I knew this day would come!"

Aurelius slowly lowered his datapad.

"You're serious?"

Dinraal nodded.

"Very."

Aurelius stared at him for several seconds.

Then he smiled.

"I couldn't be happier."

He stood and embraced Dinraal.

"Welcome to the family, officially."

Dinraal smiled.

"Thank you."

Aurelius turned toward Isolde.

"And you?"

Isolde smiled.

"I've never been more certain of anything."

Aurelius nodded.

"Then you have my blessing."

Tiamat had remained silent.

Dinraal looked toward her.

"Mother?"

Tiamat smiled through tears.

"You've already had my blessing for years. When that little silver haired fire cracker told me you were late, I knew. When you reacted to her and talked to her more than even me or your father when you were in my belly, I knew."

She walked toward him.

"You were born into a world where you were expected to carry the weight of everyone else's hopes."

She touched his cheek.

"But now you get something for yourself."

Dinraal's eyes softened.

"A family."

"Yes."

She looked toward Isolde.

"A family of your own."

Isolde stepped forward.

"We'd like you there."

Tiamat laughed softly.

"I wouldn't miss it."

Aramaeis finally stood.

"So I'm expected to give a speech?"

Isolde smiled.

"Absolutely."

He groaned.

"I knew there was a catch."

Everyone laughed.

Rhiannon suddenly raised her hand.

"I have an idea."

Aurelius looked concerned.

"That's usually dangerous."

"We should have a proper royal wedding."

Isolde's eyes widened.

"Mother—"

"Aurelius and I can host it."

Aurelius nodded.

"Of course."

Tiamat smiled.

"And I will help."

Dinraal looked around the room.

"How large are we talking?"

Rhiannon grinned.

"Very."

Dinraal sighed.

"I was afraid of that."

Isolde laughed.

"You'll survive."

He looked at her.

"I survived the Ashen."

"Then you're prepared."

They smiled at each other.

For one brief moment, the coming war seemed distant.

But only for a moment.

Because outside the colony, warning lights suddenly began flashing.

Arcturus's voice came through the communication system.

"Aurelius."

The emperor's expression immediately changed.

"What is it?"

"We have a problem."

The room went silent.

"Several Preservation Initiative facilities just went dark."

Aurelius stood.

"How many?"

Arcturus hesitated.

"Thirty-seven."

Dinraal's silver eyes began to glow.

"Thirty-seven?"

"Yes."

Asha's voice suddenly came over the channel.

"And there's something else."

Aurelius looked toward the communicator.

"What?"

Asha took a breath.

"The Ashen aren't attacking the colonies."

Everyone froze.

"They're attacking the Preservation Initiative itself."

Dinraal looked at Isolde.

She took his hand.

The war had begun.

And now they had something even more important to protect.

A future.

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