Free Web NovelChapter 250: _Impossible Darkness
The dancing didn’t stop immediately after Gabriel finished playing.
If anything, it only got worse.
Or better, depending on who was asked.
At some point Ambrose found himself laughing so hard that his stomach hurt. Orion had somehow convinced a pair of elderly women to teach him an old ballroom step while Devon stood nearby recording the entire thing for future blackmail material.
Viktor meanwhile had consumed considerably more alcohol than everyone else.
Not enough to get drunk. Just enough to stop pretending he had dignity.
By the time they finally returned to their table, the ice Prince casually hooked an arm around Ambrose’s neck and dragged him closer.
"You dance terribly."
Ambrose nearly choked. "You literally stepped on my foot three times."
"I was distracted."
"By what?"
Viktor’s icy eyes flicked toward him. "Your face."
Devon gagged dramatically. "Disgusting."
"You sound jealous."
"I am jealous."
"Good for you, Devvy boy."
The two Espers glared at each other before bursting into laughter.
Across from them Gabriel quietly took a sip of wine.
Devon pointed at him after a few seconds. "By the way, your piano skills were insane."
The unexpected compliment visibly caught Gabriel off guard.
His brows lifted. Then a faint hint of satisfaction crossed his face.
"Thank you."
"Oh my God." Ambrose gasped. "He likes praise now."
"Shut up."
"Nope."
"He’s right though. You absolutely do." Devon grinned.
Gabriel looked moments away from opening a spatial tear and throwing all of them inside.
It was during all that laughter that Ambrose noticed movement nearby.
His smile slowly faded.
Loki.
The Pantheon member walked through the restaurant floor casually, hands tucked into their pockets. Not exactly approaching or hiding.
Just moving like they weren’t originally here for Ambrose.
Which somehow felt worse.
Gabriel noticed first. Then Valentine. Then Devon and Viktor.
The atmosphere around the table shifted instantly.
"What are they doing here?" Devon frowned.
Viktor’s eyes narrowed. "Good question."
Both men slowly turned toward Ambrose and Valentine.
"Care to explain?" Devon asked.
"Why are you looking at me?" Ambrose immediately deflected.
"You and Valentine literally disappeared together."
"That doesn’t mean anything."
"It’s suspicious."
"Very suspicious."
Before the conversation could spiral any further, Orion suddenly perked up, his bright eyes locking onto Loki.
"Oh!"
Ambrose’s soul nearly left his body as the little boy pointed.
"It’s—"
A hand immediately covered his mouth.
"Who wants another ice cream sundae?" Ambrose asked far too quickly.
"Mmph?"
"Another sundae."
"MMPH!" Orion made a sound under his palm that sounded close enough to an agreement.
"Great."
Devon blinked.
Even Valentine looked mildly concerned.
By the time Ambrose risked another glance toward Loki, the Pantheon member was already gone.
Just like that.
Leaving behind far more questions than answers.
★★★★★
By the time they made their way upstairs later that night, everyone was exhausted.
Valentine had apparently booked an entire luxury suite floor.
Because of course he had.
The arrangement itself was surprisingly thoughtful.
One large room for Valentine and Gabriel. One room exclusively for Orion. And another room for Ambrose, Viktor and Devon.
The little boy barely lasted five minutes. The moment his head touched the pillow he drifted into sleep.
Back in Ambrose’s room, the three adults lounged around while discussing the evening.
"I’m still annoyed," Viktor muttered drowsily, one hand curled around a bottle of wine like it was his best friend.
"About what?" Ambrose cut him a look.
"Gabriel being able to play piano that well."
The Guide rolled his eyes from where he leaned against the doorway.
"Your insecurities aren’t his problem."
"That’s rude."
Meanwhile in another room, Valentine had barely loosened his tie when Gabriel spoke.
"I noticed by the way."
The Necromancer paused. "Noticed what?"
"The way you and Ambrose disappeared."
Silence followed.
Gabriel folded his arms. "And then Loki appeared."
Valentine sighed. "I knew you’d connect the dots."
"Did they tell you something?"
For several moments the Necromancer simply stared toward the city lights outside.
Then finally he nodded.
"The Pantheon has decided to keep an active eye on Ambrose."
Gabriel’s expression darkened. "Through Loki?"
"Exactly."
"And you didn’t think that was important enough to share?"
"I was planning to."
Gabriel looked unconvinced. "So why?"
Valentine’s gaze lowered. "Kali apparently discovered unusual activity involving the Void Entity."
That got Gabriel’s full attention. "What kind of activity?"
"They don’t know yet."
"Tch. That’s reassuring." The space god exhaled slowly.
Just when he opened his mouth again to continue—every light inside the hotel suddenly went out, plunging the room into complete darkness.
Both men froze instantly.
The darkness lasted less than a second before they moved.
Gabriel was already halfway to the door when Valentine blurred past him like a living shadow.
"Ambrose!"
The name escaped both of them at nearly the same time.
The moment they stepped into the small hallway leading to the other rooms they discovered the situation was far worse than a simple power outage.
Emergency lights should’ve activated but they didn’t.
The chandeliers should’ve still reflected moonlight from the hotel’s massive windows.
Yet they didn’t.
Everything was simply... Dark.
Not normal darkness either.
This darkness swallowed light itself. A suffocating blackness that seemed almost alive.
"Something’s wrong." Gabriel’s voice turned cold.
"No shit."
They hurried toward Ambrose’s room only to find the door already opening.
Devon emerged first. Viktor followed behind him. And Ambrose stepped out last.
The Guide’s face had gone completely pale.
"You feel it too?" Gabriel asked.
Ambrose swallowed. "I know what this is."
The others immediately looked at him.
A horrible feeling settled into Valentine’s chest as he demanded. "What do you mean?"
Ambrose didn’t answer immediately.
Instead he slowly turned toward the nearest window.
Everyone followed. The group approached cautiously.
Then Viktor pulled the curtains aside.
Silence.
The city was gone.
Not destroyed.
Gone.
Every building beyond the hotel had vanished beneath an endless ocean of darkness stretching toward the horizon.
The stars were missing.
The moon was missing.
Even the sky itself had disappeared.
And floating above that impossible sea of blackness were thousands of glowing white eyes.
Watching.
A sharp breath escaped Gabriel.
Devon’s face lost all colour.
Even Viktor’s expression cracked.
Suddenly the entire hotel trembled.
Ambrose felt every hair on his body stand. Because unlike the others... He recognized what this was instantly.
The Void Entity had found him.
