The Council Chamber existed in a place between places—a neutral ground where no single ruler held domain. Ancient stone walls bore the marks of all five territories: frost crystallized in one corner, shadows pooled in another, while golden light competed with creeping vines and wisps of cloud drifted near the vaulted ceiling. It was the only place where the five most powerful beings in the known world could meet without the implicit threat of territorial advantage.
Today, the air practically crackled with tension.
Frost sat at the head of the circular table, his silver-white hair catching the mixed light like fresh snow under moonlight. His piercing blue eyes swept across his fellow rulers with calculated precision, his frost-pale fingers steepled before him. Everything about his posture screamed regal control, from the set of his shoulders to the slight tilt of his chin.
"We are wasting time with this... fixation," he said, though his voice held less conviction than his words suggested.
"Fixation?" Raven's laugh was dark and rich, rolling through the chamber like distant thunder. The Dark ruler leaned back in his chair, red eyes gleaming with something between amusement and hunger. His black hair seemed to drink in the light around him, and his tall, imposing frame made the ornate chair look almost small. "Coming from you, Frost, that's rich. You've scried that location seventeen times in the past week."
Frost's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. "I was attempting to discern the nature of—"
"Of his beauty?" Gale interrupted with a playful grin, his white and blue-streaked hair disheveled as always, as if he'd just descended from a great height. His silver-blue eyes sparkled with mirth. "Come on, we all saw him. We've all been looking. Let's not pretend this is about territorial security or magical anomalies."
Solaris, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. His voice was warm and measured, befitting his noble bearing. "Gale is correct, though perhaps more blunt than necessary." The Light ruler's platinum blonde hair seemed to generate its own soft glow, and his bright amber eyes held a gentleness that contrasted sharply with the tension in the room. "What we glimpsed three weeks ago was... unprecedented."
"Unprecedented," Verdant repeated, his deep voice carrying the weight of centuries. The Forest ruler's ancient aura filled his corner of the chamber; his brown hair bore actual wooden accents that seemed to grow from his scalp, and his deep forest green eyes had witnessed the rise and fall of kingdoms. "In all my years—and they are many—I have never seen a being of such... ethereal beauty."
A heavy silence fell over the council.
It had been an accident, really. Frost had been scrying the border regions, searching for magical disturbances, when the viewing pool had flickered and shown them something else entirely. Someone else.
A figure with pearl-white hair that shimmered with iridescent colors in the light, waist-length and flowing like liquid moonlight. A face so perfectly formed it seemed almost divine. And those eyes—one crystal blue, one molten gold—had briefly glanced toward the scrying pool as if sensing the observation, and in that moment, all five rulers had felt their breath catch.
Then the vision had vanished, leaving them with nothing but questions and an inexplicable obsession.
"He looked directly at us," Raven said quietly, his menacing demeanor softening slightly at the memory. "For just a moment, he knew we were watching."
"And then he was gone," Solaris added, his gentle smile fading. "I've tried to locate him again. We all have. The magic... it's as if he doesn't exist in any realm we can access."
"Or he's blocking us," Frost suggested, his calculating mind working through possibilities. "Which would suggest power. Significant power."
Gale pushed back from the table, his free-spirited nature making it impossible for him to sit still during tense conversations. He began to pace, his movements as fluid as wind. "So what are we proposing here? We can't find him through normal means. We can't even determine where he is. But we all want to see him again."
"Want is a mild term," Raven murmured, drawing sharp looks from the others.
Verdant's ancient eyes studied each of his fellow rulers in turn. When he spoke, his words carried the weight of wisdom and careful consideration. "There is one option we have not discussed. It would require all five of us working in concert, which is... rare."
"A summoning," Frost said immediately, his sharp mind already there. "A forced translocation."
"Forced is such an ugly word," Gale said, though he'd stopped pacing, clearly intrigued. "More like... an insistent invitation?"
Solaris frowned, his noble nature balking at the idea. "To summon someone against their will is—"
"Is exactly what we're all thinking about doing," Raven interrupted, leaning forward with predatory interest. "Let's be honest with ourselves, Solaris. We want him here. We want to know who he is, what he is. We want..." He trailed off, but the hunger in his crimson eyes finished the sentence.
"To understand him," Verdant finished diplomatically. "To speak with him. To determine why a being of such apparent power and beauty exists outside our knowledge."
Frost's fingers drummed once against the table—his only tell of internal debate. "A five-point summoning would be unbreakable. Whatever wards or protections he has, whatever realm he inhabits, the combined power of all our territories would pierce through."
"And if he's angry about being summoned?" Solaris asked, ever the voice of conscience.
"Then we explain," Verdant said calmly. "We are not tyrants, Solaris. We simply... request an audience."
"By magically kidnapping him," Gale added with a laugh, though he was already moving back to his seat. "I'm in, by the way. I haven't been this curious about someone in centuries."
Raven's grin was sharp. "Agreed. The Dark territory pledges its power to the summoning."
Verdant inclined his head. "The Forest will participate."
All eyes turned to Frost and Solaris.
The Light ruler looked troubled, his amber eyes conflicted. But finally, he sighed. "If we are to do this, we do it properly. We treat him as an honored guest, not a prisoner. We explain ourselves and allow him to leave if he wishes."
"After we've gotten a good look at him," Raven added with dark amusement.
"After we've had the opportunity to speak with him," Verdant corrected firmly, shooting Raven a reproving look.
Frost was the last to commit. His calculating nature warred with the inexplicable pull he'd felt since that brief glimpse. Finally, he nodded once, sharp and decisive. "The Ice territory will join the summoning. But Solaris is correct—we do this with a measure of... civility."
"How civilized can forced magical abduction be?" Gale quipped.
"More civilized than you, apparently," Frost replied coolly.
Despite the tension, several of the rulers smiled.
"Then we are agreed," Verdant said, his ancient voice carrying the weight of momentous decision. "When shall we perform the ritual?"
"Now," Frost said immediately. "Before rational thought overrides this collective moment of insanity."
Raven laughed, dark and pleased. "I knew I liked you, Frost."
The five rulers stood in unison, moving to the center of the chamber where a large circular pattern had been etched into the stone floor countless centuries ago. It was designed for exactly this purpose—the merging of five distinct powers into a single, overwhelming force.
Each ruler took their position at one of five points, forming a perfect pentagon around the circle's edge.
"Do we know what we're even summoning him into?" Gale asked, glancing around the chamber. "This place isn't exactly welcoming."
"Here is neutral," Frost replied. "Appropriate for a first meeting."
"And if he attacks?" Solaris asked quietly.
"Then we learn something important about his character," Verdant answered.
They joined hands, an unprecedented show of unity. Ice touched Darkness, Darkness touched Light, Light touched Forest, Forest touched Sky, and Sky touched Ice, completing the circuit.
The temperature in the chamber fluctuated wildly—freezing cold from Frost, oppressive darkness from Raven, warm brilliance from Solaris, earthy stability from Verdant, and rushing wind from Gale. Their combined power began to build, swirling in the center of the circle like a maelstrom of elemental force.
"Focus on his image," Verdant instructed, his voice steady despite the magical pressure building around them. "The pearl-white hair, the mismatched eyes, the pale skin. Focus on him."
Five minds converged on a single memory—that brief, perfect glimpse of impossible beauty.
The air in the center of the circle began to tear.
Reality itself seemed to protest as their combined power ripped through whatever barriers separated them from their target. Frost felt the resistance, felt something powerful pushing back against their summoning, but the five-point ritual was too strong. Nothing could withstand the combined might of all five territories.
The tear widened, became a portal, and through it—
Light.
Brilliant, iridescent light that made even Solaris squint.
And then, with a sound like a sigh of resignation, someone stepped through.
Felix had arrived.
For a moment, no one moved. No one even breathed.
He was even more beautiful in person.
The pearl-white hair that shifted colors in the chamber's mixed lighting, catching rainbow hues like an oil slick on water. The slender, elegant build that suggested both fragility and impossible grace. The unusually pale skin that seemed to glow from within. And those eyes—crystal blue on the left, molten gold on the right—currently surveying the five rulers with an expression that was equal parts confusion and calculation.
He was wearing simple clothing that somehow looked elegant on his frame, and he stood in the center of their summoning circle as if he'd simply decided to visit rather than been forcibly dragged across realms.
"Well," Felix said, his voice smooth and carrying a edge of sarcasm that immediately broke the spell of silent awe. "This is new."
His mismatched eyes traveled from one ruler to the next, taking in their still-joined hands, their positions around the circle, and the fading magical energy still crackling in the air.
"Let me guess," he continued, one elegant eyebrow arching. "You're either the world's most dramatic welcoming committee, or I've just been magically kidnapped. Please tell me it's the former, because I have a very short temper about the latter."
The five rulers released their joined hands almost guiltily.
Solaris was the first to step forward, his noble bearing and gentle smile firmly in place. "We apologize for the... abrupt nature of your arrival. We are—"
"The five rulers of the known territories, yes, I can tell." Felix's tone was dry. "Ice, Dark, Light, Forest, and Sky." He pointed to each in turn with unerring accuracy. "The real question is why you decided that summoning a complete stranger was a good use of your combined godlike powers."
"We saw you," Raven said, his red eyes intense. "Three weeks ago. You looked back at us."
Felix's expression shifted, just slightly. "Ah. The scrying. I wondered who that was." He crossed his arms, the movement unconsciously graceful. "So you saw me once, briefly, and decided the appropriate response was forced translocation? That's either very flattering or very concerning. I'm leaning toward concerning."
"We meant no disrespect," Verdant said, his ancient voice calm and measured. "We were... curious. Your appearance in our scrying was unexpected, and when we could not locate you again—"
"You decided to just yank me here instead," Felix finished. "How charmingly invasive."
Gale laughed, delighted by the sass. "Oh, I like him."
Felix's golden eye fixed on the Sky ruler. "That's nice. I don't like being summoned. So we're at an impasse."
"Please," Solaris tried again, his tone genuinely apologetic. "Allow us to explain properly. We are not in the habit of... summoning individuals. This was an unusual circumstance."
"Unusual how?" Felix demanded, his short temper beginning to show. "You saw a pretty face and couldn't help yourselves?"
The blunt assessment made several of the rulers shift uncomfortably, because it was, unfortunately, accurate.
Frost finally spoke, his calculated approach taking over. "You appeared in our scrying for precisely three seconds before vanishing without trace. No magical signature, no territorial marker, no indication of realm or origin. For someone to exist completely outside our awareness is..." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Concerning."
"Concerning," Felix repeated flatly. "So this is a security issue. Because I'm definitely feeling very secure right now, standing in a magical cage surrounded by the five most powerful beings in existence." His sarcasm was sharp enough to cut.
"It's not a cage," Gale protested. "It's a neutral meeting ground!"
"That I was dragged to against my will."
"Okay, fair point," the Sky ruler conceded.
Felix took a deep breath, and for a moment, something flickered in his expression—something calculating that none of the rulers quite caught. Then his features smoothed into something merely annoyed.
"Fine. You've summoned me. You've satisfied your curiosity about whether I actually exist. Congratulations. Can I go now?"
"We would like to speak with you," Verdant said gently. "To understand—"
"Who I am? Where I'm from? Why I'm so mysteriously untraceable?" Felix's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe I just value my privacy. Ever consider that?"
"Please," Solaris said again, and there was something genuine in his amber eyes. "Stay. As our guest. Allow us to make amends for the... forceful nature of your arrival."
Felix studied the Light ruler for a long moment, then glanced at each of the others in turn. Frost's calculating intensity. Raven's hungry fascination. Verdant's ancient wisdom. Gale's playful curiosity.
"As your guest," he repeated slowly. "Not as your prisoner."
"Never as a prisoner," Solaris assured him.
"And I can leave whenever I want."
There was a pause. The rulers exchanged glances.
"Of course," Verdant finally said, though Frost looked like he wanted to object.
Felix's smile sharpened. "Somehow I don't believe you. But fine. I'll play along. For now."
He stepped out of the summoning circle with deliberate casualness, and the rulers couldn't help but notice how he moved—graceful, confident, completely unafraid despite being surrounded by beings who could level mountains with a thought.
"So," Felix said, turning to face them with his arms crossed. "You wanted to talk. Talk. What do you want to know?"
"Your name," Gale said immediately. "Start with that."
Felix's mismatched eyes glinted with amusement. "Felix."
"Just Felix?" Frost pressed.
"Just Felix."
"And where are you from?" Solaris asked.
"Away."
"That's not an answer," Raven growled.
"It's the answer you're getting," Felix replied coolly.
The tension in the chamber ratcheted up several notches.
Verdant stepped in smoothly, his ancient diplomatic skills on full display. "Perhaps we are asking the wrong questions. Felix, why did you appear in our scrying?"
"Accident," Felix said with a shrug. "Wrong place, wrong time. I wasn't trying to be seen."
"And yet you looked directly at us," Frost observed. "You knew we were watching."
"I'm perceptive." Felix's tone suggested the conversation was boring him. "Look, this has been fascinating, but I really do have places to be. So if we're done with the interrogation—"
"Stay for dinner at least," Gale blurted out. "Let us be proper hosts. We did kind of magically abduct you. It's the least we can do."
Felix looked at the Sky ruler for a long moment, then surprised them all by laughing—a genuine sound that transformed his beautiful features into something almost otherworldly.
"Dinner," he repeated. "With the five most powerful rulers in existence, after being forcibly summoned. Sure, why not? This day couldn't get any stranger."
But as Felix followed them out of the Council Chamber, none of the rulers noticed the calculating gleam in his mismatched eyes, or the way his lips curved into a smile that suggested he knew far more than he was letting on.
After all, they had no idea they'd just summoned the most powerful being any of them would ever meet.
And Felix intended to keep it that way.
For now.