Angel Monarch

After another few days had passed, the New Year came. It was basically the only holiday people still celebrated. A remnant of the Old World.

People usually celebrated by giving each other presents, singing songs, drink and eat heavily, then party through the night.

Many clubs opened this time of year to let the people celebrate in masses. In New Athens, it was a bit more reserved.

People spent this day with their families, but there were also activities around the city.

All the Amphitheaters would stay open during the night. There were a bunch of plays, food and drinks served, and other fun activities like dances and amateur acting.

Some people preferred the open air, though. Many people celebrated in parks and squares, where they could let out all their yearly frustrations by partying.

In Sera's mansion, preparations had also been made. At first, they weren't sure if they wanted to celebrate or not, but the day before New Year's Bran began planning and inviting people.

He seemed really excited, but he didn't tell anyone why. He just told them he had a present for everyone, and that they wouldn't want to miss it.

He invited a lot of people, starting with the forty who went to rescue Sera. He also said that everyone can bring a plus one, but not everyone did. He invited Professor Collins as well, and James had already indicated that Mary would come.

There were a few people who were with Bea in the Realm of Eternal Frost who got invited as well. Kim also said that Sam would be her plus one, which was obvious to everyone.

The twins, Eula and Joan, will also bring their dates. Bran was afraid that they would cause a lot of trouble, but since they helped in Sera's rescue, they got the same invite.

He also invited a few of the regular soldiers' commanders, as an honor for their service and loyalty.

Overall, there would be close to a hundred people attending, so he, Melinda, Lilith and Adam spent most of the day stockpiling food and drinks. Discover hidden tales at empire

The mansion's main hall, living room, dining room, recreational room and lounge area would be the evening's theater. There was even a dress code issued, semi formal wear.

Woman had to wear dresses or suits. While a man had to wear either a suit or at least a button-up shirt. Armors and military uniforms were prohibited.

Lilith was very much against this idea, since she couldn't wear her robe. The other person who hated it was Astrid, since she only wore her armor.

Bran just laughed at them and said to suck it up for one night. Lilith didn't appreciate this comment and had given Bran the silent treatment for the past two days.

Otherwise, nobody really cared about the dress code, and everyone was excited for the evening.

The invitations were sent out, and the party would start at 8 pm.

The mansion was decorated with regular New Year's decoration, like colorful lights and evergreen tree branches. Nobody was exactly sure why people used these as decoration. They speculate it's related to the Old World, but the reasons were lost to time.

In secret, Bran even asked Bea to grow a few evergreen trees, which then they brought inside and decorated with ornaments. The mansion now truly had a festive look.

When the clock hit 7 pm, the people started arriving. Bran wore a nice black suit with a black vest and shirt.

The first to arrive was, of course, Melinda, Lilith and Adam. They lived inside the mansion, so they didn't technically arrive, just got ready.

Melinda wore a tight red dress, which accentuated her seductive figure. Adam and Lilith walked hand-in-hand, and they both looked miserable in their suits.

Bran had a feeling Lilith wouldn't be wearing a dress. He would've loved to watch her misery during the evening, but alas, she wasn't stupid. She would've felt way too uncomfortable with revealing clothing. That's why she mostly wore her robe.

There were seven-pointed stars in the suits too, which Bran didn't know how to feel about.

The next to arrive were a few of the Ouroboros Cohort members, accompanied by Kathy and Percy. There were also a few people who Bran hadn't met yet. They were their plus ones.

He was also informed that about half of the members would arrive late in the evening. They wanted to explore New Athens and watch a few plays in the theaters.

David was actually one of these people. He and Cass went out a while ago, so they wouldn't be back for a few hours. Damien and Agnes went with them too, but Bran didn't question this.

At about 7:30, James arrived with Mary and the professor. They exchanged pleasantries and even brought gifts. Well, Collins was the only one who brought anything.

He had been really excited about this evening. In the past years he got bored with celebrating New Year's, but now he felt like a child again.

He even went on a small rant about what the decorations actually meant and where they come from.

By his account they were related to a different holiday, but after the Apocalypse, people only celebrated New Year's, and somehow the decorations got associated with it.

It became clear to Bran that the old man would talk a lot more about traditions during the evening. By the time he finished with the interesting explanation, new guests had arrived.

Kim, Astrid, Sam, the twins, and their dates came. Eula and Joan were already pretty drunk, and they kept laughing at Astrid's outfit.

She wore a nice dark gold dress that went below her knee. It had long-sleeves and only revealed part of her neck and collarbone.

It did look funny on her, since she was gigantic for a woman. She even towered above Bran and most other people in the household.

Kim, on the other hand, wore a suit, and she looked like a butler of sorts. Her and Sam's arms were interlocked as they walked about.

He wore a suit as well, and when Bran first saw him, he blinked a few times in surprise. After his past trauma with goblins, he never thought to see one acting normal, but Sam differed from them, and he acknowledged that already.

The suit looked ridiculous on him, and any discomfort Bran felt about him had disappeared when he saw how miserable he looked. He didn't seem to like the suit very much.

When the clock hit 7:45, the Black Crusaders had arrived. They all had beautiful dresses or suits on, each one of them bright in colors.

After they arrived, the few commanders and their plus ones and Frank's team. Frank seemed to have one of his episodes, but the little girl named Maya just pulled him away, so he wouldn't cause trouble.

When the clock approached 8 pm, Bea's group finally began to leave their rooms.

Lucy had a pure black long dress on, which was quite revealing at the cleavage area. Will stood next to her in a dark blue suit.

Close to them, Leslie arrived with Sarah. He wore a dark red suit, while she had a bluish-gray dress on. It revealed much more than Lucy's, but Sarah didn't seem to care.

Faith came alone; she wove her dress from shadows. It was like a black smoke covered her body. It parted and revealed skin now and then, but never at inappropriate places.

After saying hi, she went straight to Lilith and Adam to chat with them.

The last to arrive were Bea and Vicky. They came inside the room, right when the clock hit 8 pm.

Bea's dress was especially beautiful. It was green and made of leaves. It connected over her right shoulder and moved along her sinful body.

Vicky's was much more modest, obviously. It was black, in perfect contrast to her white hair. The dress had long-sleeves, and it reached to her ankle. It also had a seven-pointed star embroidered on it.

Bran greeted them cordially, then looked around the room, making sure everyone was accounted for.

His watch vibrated as a message arrived. After reading it, he giggled a bit, then shouted into the main hall, where everyone was gathered.

"Hello everyone! Can I get all your attention for a moment? Thank you!"

The conversations around the room turned silent, and they all turned his direction.

Bran stood a few steps on the stair inside the hall, so he would be above the crowd. It also gave his voice much needed volume.

"This was a hard two years for all of us, and there is still no light at the end of the tunnel, but that's okay! We will keep fighting and struggling until we win or die!"

"What we fight for is a better world, and until our cause is noble and our path is true, we will reach our destination!"

The crowd was nodding along, and they all raised their glasses in solidarity.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

"These past few weeks were especially hard! We have lost the most important person, the one who began everything, who showed us the way out of the dark tunnel! The one who provided light along this desperate journey!"

The few commanders who hadn't received the news yet looked sad, but as Bran continued, they became curious.

"I'm happy to announce that our light is back! Everyone, please welcome wholeheartedly our leader! The Angel Monarch! The Deathless Phoenix! Seraphine, the Unbroken!"

He basically screamed the last words, sending shivers down everyone's spine.

From the top of the staircase, slow and methodical steps echoed around the deathly silent hall. The hundred or so people inside the room all held their breaths as the sound came closer.

A few seconds later, a heavenly woman appeared at the top of the staircase.

Her long golden hair had been braided with white ornaments woven into it. Her pure white dress was modest at the cleavage, but also revealing on her thighs and sides.

She walked like a contradiction. Someone who harbored hatred, but was also kind. Someone who was terrifying, but also compassionate towards others.

Someone who shouldn't be able to walk after how much trauma she endured.

A person who continued to defy the odds, and remained standing even with so many expectations placed on her.

Someone who broke, but instead of giving up, she waited and endured, until she had the chance to rise again.

A truly Unbroken individual...