"Welcome to the... ahmm... Princess Rapunzel's Tower, Mayor Silverbough," came the hesitant greeting of the head castle butler, Cosmo, as the Evadne Nyx carrying the elven mayor and his son descended smoothly onto the 100th-floor landing bay of the Dark Tower.
Cosmo was a Velkhaari demon, an ancient race known for wearing the skin of the most beautiful beings. Though he was over a thousand years old, Cosmo looked like a striking twenty-nine-year-old, with smooth, flawless skin, crimson and obsidian irises, and long black hair tied into a low ponytail. He was elegant and graceful, but behind those refined features was a history soaked in blood, luxury, and secrets, including being one of Alpha's, the eldest child of the Demon Lord, personal bed companions.
Behind Cosmo stood ten demon maids, dressed in sleek black and crimson suits with short skirts and sharp tailoring. Their attire resembled elite corporate staff more than traditional castle attendants. Cosmo himself wore a high-collared, impeccably tailored suit in the same black-and-red motif. They looked less like servants and more like the executive team of a high-powered empire.
Thalorien Silverbough and his son Vaelorin both raised their brows at the name Cosmo had just casually used for the tower.
"Princess Rapunzel? Who is that?" Vaelorin asked, unable to hide his confusion.
Cosmo smiled politely and gestured for them to follow. "According to Master Alpha's stories, she was a princess imprisoned in a tower by an evil witch... with very, very long golden hair."
There was a beat of awkward silence.
"Please remember the tower's name," Cosmo added knowingly.
Father and son exchanged a look, both even more bewildered now, but said nothing. With practiced grace, they followed the butler deeper into the tower.
They were led to a massive pair of double doors. When the doors opened, they stepped into a grand conference hall, minimalist in design but undeniably majestic.
The first thing that drew the eye was the Aetherglass Table, long and gleaming, carved from translucent crystal that shimmered with soft ambient magic. The table stretched nearly the length of the room and could seat up to a hundred individuals. It doubled as a projection surface, capable of displaying scrying visuals and magical simulations.
At one end of the table stood a regal high-backed chair of black velvet. It had remained untouched for five hundred years, yet it looked as if it had just been placed there. At the opposite end stood another throne-like seat, this one in royal violet velvet, and it was currently occupied.
All four walls of the room were made from Scryglass, intelligent, reactive screens that could display anything from battle maps to council records.
For a grand meeting hall, it was remarkably sleek, clean, and void of any unnecessary adornment.
Cosmo escorted the elves toward the end of the table near the violet chair.
There sat Alpha, the eldest child of the Demon Lord, currently absorbed in sketching something intricate. He didn't even look up until Cosmo spoke.
"Master Alpha," Cosmo called softly.
Alpha finally raised his head, blue eyes still half-lost in whatever design he was working on.
"Mayor Silverbough," he greeted with a small smile, then motioned for them to sit. "You're the first to arrive."
Thalorien and Vaelorin bowed in unison, offering the proper respect, before taking the seats offered.
"Is that a new Rune Spell, Master?" Vaelorin asked, unable to hide his awe as he tried to get a closer look at the sketch Alpha was making.
"Yes, Vaelorin," Alpha replied with a casual nod. "It's a rune that creates a hundred light bullets, each capable of piercing through anything... except for the Impenetrable Shield, of course. But it only works during the day. It needs direct sunlight to activate."
Alpha was a formidable presence. Though he appeared no older than thirty, his entire being carried the weight of centuries. As a grey wolf shifter, his frame was stronger and more imposing than most, broad shoulders, lean yet powerful muscles, and a presence that commanded attention without the need to raise his voice. But unlike many shapeshifters whose strength lay in brute force, Alpha's power came from creation.
He was the master of Rune Magic, arcane symbols that condensed long, mana-intensive spells into concise, efficient forms. With just a memory of a symbol and a single word, magic could be executed without incantations or elaborate rituals. It saved time, preserved energy, and in the heat of battle, could mean the difference between life and death. In war, it was a revolution. And it was all born from Alpha's hands.
"Have the Academy Directors been pestering you again?" Thalorien asked with a knowing smile.
"Yup," Alpha replied, still focused on the runic diagram he was drawing. "They've been flooding Cosmo with reminders. The new academic year begins in three months, and they still haven't received this year's Rune for the opening ceremony."
Cosmo bowed lightly and excused himself to wait for the arrival of the other representatives.
"Why not create multiple runes at once, Master?" Vaelorin asked curiously. "Wouldn't that save you time in the long run?"
Alpha smiled gently at the younger elf.
"Because, according to Father, the most abundant thing we have is time," he said. "If we hand everything out at once, if all innovations are given in a single wave, you'll lose the thrill of anticipation. There will be nothing left to look forward to." He paused, eyes soft but firm. "That's why one rune per year is enough. Same goes for the inventions and creations my siblings work on. This way, the years feel shorter. You don't realize how slowly time is moving."
And it was true.
It was only now that Vaelorin realized it, he had lived for over eight centuries, yet he never felt the weight of that time. Each year came with anticipation. Each year brought something new, something exciting, from the Demon Lord's children. The anticipation blurred the decades, and suddenly centuries had passed, unnoticed.
Suddenly, the conference room doors burst open with a dramatic slam.
"REGENT!!!" came the panicked shout of an attendant, moments before a small whirlwind of chaos danced into the room.
A stunningly adorable seven-year-old girl burst into the room in a swirl of black tulle and ribbons. Her ballgown was pitch black with a heart-shaped design across the chest, her platinum blonde hair flowing like starlight behind her. Golden eyes sparkled with mischief, and a giant bow at the back of her dress.
She was being chased by five flustered demon maids.
"Ahhhh!" the little girl squealed in laughter as one of the attendants finally managed to grab her arm. "Off with your head!"
Vaelorin froze. His eyes widened in horror at the phrase. But oddly, no one else in the room reacted with alarm.
"Regent, please," pleaded the head attendant, Calixira, clearly at her wit's end. "You've been wearing that same dress since yesterday. The Demon Lord is arriving today, please change into something fresh!"
"Pixie," Alpha called, not raising his voice.
The little girl immediately paused and turned to him. Her golden eyes lit up as she spotted the two elves, particularly Thalorien.
"Off with your head!" she repeated one last time to Calixira before gleefully running toward Alpha and climbing onto his lap with absolutely no regard for her elegant gown or the giant ribbon at her back.
"Hello, Mr. Elf Mayor!" Pixie beamed with energy as she greeted Thalorien. "Do you know the name of my tower?"
Thalorien was momentarily taken aback, but quickly recovered with a gentle smile. He suddenly understood why Cosmo had told them to remember the tower's name.
"Yes, Regent," he said with a respectful incline of his head. "It's Princess Rapunzel's Tower."
Pixie squealed in delight and gave a happy little clap, clearly thrilled.
Then her eyes landed on Vaelorin.
"Do you know who Princess Rapunzel is?" she asked, narrowing her gaze slightly.
"No, Regent," Vaelorin admitted, swallowing hard.
Pixie's eyes narrowed further, a pout forming on her lips.
"But…" Vaelorin quickly added, "I heard she was a princess locked in a high tower by an evil witch."
Pixie blinked… then slowly smiled, satisfied.
"Correct," Pixie said proudly, nodding with exaggerated seriousness, like a teacher awarding gold stars. "She had very long hair and lots of birds."
Vaelorin gave a small, awkward smile, nodding along. But deep down, his father's words echoed in his mind.
This child, this sweet, spoiled, giggling little girl, was the most dangerous of them all.
Alpha, ever observant, noticed the slight flicker of fear on Vaelorin's face and smiled faintly, amused.
Just then, the doors of the conference room opened again. Cosmo returned to the room, this time accompanied by eight more representatives, four from the Night Dwellers and four from the Shapeshifters. Each group was composed of two men and two women, young and vibrant in appearance, all dressed in regal business attire.
They approached with respectful bows toward Alpha and the two elven guests, but most of them entirely ignored Pixie, except for one.
"Hello, Regent," greeted Virelya Hollowkiss, a striking vampire noblewoman with light purple hair and moon-pale skin. She handed Pixie a sleek shopping bag marked with the elegant crest of Evadne Lux. "This is for you. I hope you like it."
Alpha smiled approvingly at the gesture while Pixie, delighted, slipped down from his lap to accept the gift with sparkly-eyed glee.
"Thank you! You may sit," she said sweetly, skipping away to admire the gift.
The others, meanwhile, remained composed, but Alpha watched them carefully. These were new faces, new leaders, none older than four hundred years. Confident. Ambitious. And, in Alpha's mind... utterly foolish.
Their predecessors, had retired recently, choosing to enjoy the peace and luxuries brought about by the Demon Lord's reign and his children's innovations.
But these new bloods? They lacked reverence.
Pixie approached the Night Dwellers' section and stopped in front of a tall man who had just taken a seat beside his sister, Virelya.
"Do you know the name of my tower?" she asked brightly, blinking up at him with those deceptively golden eyes.
Kaelith Hollowkiss, Virelya's younger brother and the newly appointed head of the Night Dwellers, barely glanced her way.
"It's called the Dark Tower, little girl," he said dismissively, voice bored.
Pixie blinked once. Her smile faded.
"No, it's not," she said. "Guess again. Or you're not allowed to sit."
Kaelith exhaled in annoyance. "That is the name of the tower. And I've earned my seat at this table. I am my father's only son." His voice rose, chest puffed with pride.
Pixie's tiny hand curled into a fist. Her attendants stiffened in alarm.
Without a word, without a single spell or signal, Pixie lifted her foot and kicked the chair Kaelith was seated on.
It shouldn't have done anything. She was a child. Delicate. Dressed in frills and lace.
But Kaelith, chair and all, was flung across the room like a ragdoll, crashing into the Scryglass wall with a resounding crack. The enchanted wall shattered behind him, flickering with broken magic and sparks.
Gasps filled the hall. The other young representatives stared in stunned silence.
"I said you are not allowed to sit!" Pixie yelled, her small voice suddenly filled with frightening authority. She turned on the rest of the newcomers, her eyes flashing.
"What's the name of my tower?" she demanded.
They hesitated. Gulped. Looked around.
Cosmo, clearly tired of the moment, flicked his fingers. A magical banner unfurled behind Pixie, glowing with gold script that read:
"Princess Rapunzel's Tower."
The representatives quickly chorused:
"Princess Rapunzel's Tower!"
Pixie immediately brightened. "Okay! You can all sit. Except for you!" she pointed at Kaelith, who was still staggering to his feet, looking disoriented and humiliated. "You useless mosquito."
Cosmo walked calmly toward Kaelith, waving his hand. The cracked Scryglass wall shimmered and reformed, flawless once more. He straightened the now dented chair with another flick of his hand, then looked down at the vampire.
"Sit here," Cosmo said calmly.
Kaelith looked like he wanted to protest, his face a mix of fury and humiliation, but Cosmo leaned in just enough to speak low.
"Humor her," he said softly. "She'll forget about it once the Demon Lord arrives. Then you can return to your place at the table."
Alpha raised an amused brow toward Cosmo, his lips twitching in a knowing smirk, while Pixie remained standing, arms crossed, still glaring daggers at Kaelith.
Cosmo gave a tired sigh, before flashing Pixie a warm, practiced smile.
"Regent," he said with perfect politeness, "the chef has requested your presence in the kitchen. She's not sure what flavor of ice cream you'd like today."
Pixie's golden eyes widened in excitement.
"Ice cream!" she squealed, all anger forgotten as she spun on her heel and bolted for the door, ribbons bouncing behind her.
Her exhausted attendants, already anticipating the chase, immediately groaned and sprinted after her.
And just like that, the most dangerous creature in the room was gone again, chasing dessert like a child.