The cool mist of Britain clung to the cobblestone streets like a shroud of memories long buried. Fog coiled and slithered between ancient trees and rolling hills, veiling the path ahead in shifting gray. Magic whispered from the earth itself old magic, wild and unyielding. Even Thalia, a child of Olympus, kept her steps careful here.
Riser Phenex stood tall amidst the veil of mist, the tails of his charcoal cloak fluttering in the wind. Golden eyes gleamed beneath his hood, sharp with purpose and the weight of lineage. Behind him, Thalia adjusted the strap of her spear across her back, her lightning aura kept barely in check, and beside her, Artoria Pendragon walked silently, posture regal, sword at her side, her blue cloak billowing like the standard of a long forgotten kingdom.
"Are you sure she's here?" Thalia asked, voice low, eyes flicking across the mist covered hills. "This place feels wrong."
"It's not wrong," Artoria murmured, eyes narrowed. "It's old. And it remembers."
Riser nodded. "She's here. The rumors weren't just gossip. Sightings of a black haired woman appearing throughout the centuries. Always unchanged. Always observing. Disappearing before she could be questioned."
"And you're certain it's her?" Artoria asked, tightening her grip on her sword hilt. "The Merlin?"
Riser didn't answer with words. Instead, he stepped forward, toward the ruins that loomed like a skeleton on the edge of the hills.
The castle what was left of it bore the scars of time. Vines crept up weather worn stone. A broken tower leaned precariously. Despite its ruined state, faint magical symbols shimmered along the archways and shattered windows, pulsing with quiet power.
"She's here," Riser said again, voice firmer
A magical ward shimmered faintly over the entrance. Most beings would have recoiled. Riser extended a hand, and a pale blue flame danced across his palm. The ward parted for him, light curling around his aura like silk bowing to royalty.
"Show off," Thalia muttered.
"Impressive," Artoria admitted, her gaze proud.
They entered. The ruined throne room echoed with silence and tension. Every breath they took felt like trespassing. Magic coiled through the cracks in the stone watching, waiting, ancient.
And then
A gust of wind, but no wind stirred.
Above the dais, floating effortlessly, she appeared like a spirit born of myth. Amber eyes gleamed with playful cunning. Black-purple hair flowed as if underwater. She was timeless, her presence commanding and chaotic all at once.
Merlin.
"Well, well" she said, descending slowly with one leg crossed over the other, as if lazily reclining in the air. "A Phenex walks into my ruin. That's not a setup I've heard before."
Riser offered a short bow. "Riser Phenex. I've come to speak with you."
"To recruit me, you mean." Merlin's grin widened. "Really, darling, let's not pretend I don't see the mutation piece tucked into your coat."
Artoria stepped forward. "Show respect. You're speaking to my King!"
"Relax, little lioness." Merlin chuckled. "I knew your ancestors before they had crowns. You're not the first Pendragon to bristle in front of me."
Artoria stiffened, but Riser raised a hand.
"She's earned the right," he said calmly. "And I didn't come to take you, Merlin. I came to invite you."
Merlin circled him slowly, her boots never touching the ground. "You're bold. I like bold. But let's cut through the fluff. Why should I join some devil's chessboard game?"
"Because you're bored," Riser replied without hesitation. "Because you've lived in every age, guided kings, watched gods fall, and monsters rise and through it all, you've stayed on the sidelines."
"And now you think you're the one worth following?" Merlin asked, folding her arms.
Riser didn't blink. "No. I think I'm the one worth walking beside."
That gave her pause.
"I won't ask for obedience," Riser continued. "I want loyalty. I want someone who challenges me. Teases me. Teaches me. Someone who doesn't just serve but stands with me, helps me build something better."
"And what would we build, hmm?" Merlin asked, tilting her head. "An empire? A dynasty?"
"A Home," Riser said. "One not bound by old bloodlines or outdated rules. A world where strength, will, and vision decide fate not tradition."
Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Careful, darling. You sound almost heroic."
"Hardly," Riser chuckled. "I just know what it means to start small, and aim high."
Silence fell. Thalia watched with arms crossed, impressed despite herself. Artoria said nothing, but her gaze flickered with the faintest approval.
Merlin finally sighed, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "You talk pretty for a devil prince."
"I'm not a Heir," Riser said, golden eyes burning. "I'm building my own kingdom."
For the first time, Merlin looked moved. Just a flicker. But it was there.
"You know," she said softly, "when Arthur died, I tried to fade. Tried to bury myself in time. But the stories they keep finding me. Kings. Devils. Demigods."
She stepped forward. "You're dangerous, Riser Phenex. Because you believe what you say. That's rarer than magic."
Then she smiled a slow, mischievous, knowing smile. "And because you make it sound like fun."
With a flick of her wrist, the illusion of the ruin shattered like glass. Around them bloomed a towering arcane observatory, filled with constellations glowing in midair, relics floating in stasis, books older than nations stacked beside staves and orbs.
Thalia blinked. "Okay, that's new."
Artoria looked around slowly. "This place it's older than the Isles."
Merlin turned, offering her hand to Riser. "So, flame boy let's write a new legend. I'll be your Queen. But remember queens don't kneel. They stand next to a King."
Riser stepped forward, producing the mutation piece glowing in phoenix fire. "Then let's make it official."
He pressed the piece to her chest, and light engulfed the room.
The observatory thrummed with power. The magical constellations bent slightly, as if bowing. Merlin's aura flared violet and silver, and then settled, resting lightly like a cloak on her shoulders.
When the light faded, she exhaled deeply and gave Riser a sly look. "Well that tingled."
"Welcome to the family," Riser said, golden eyes alight.
"Just don't expect me to call you 'master,'" Merlin smirked. "Unless we're in bed of course." She said with a flirty grin
Thalia raised an eyebrow. "He might like that."
"Interesting," Riser muttered with a smile.
Artoria chuckled, the rare sound like a bell in the mist.
Merlin turned toward the glowing map at the edge of the observatory Kuoh Town now marked red.
"So what's next, flame boy?"
Riser stepped beside her. "We claim Kuoh once I turn 14. And after that we set the world on fire."