It was 2:59pm New Orleans time, as the gathering drew near, Barry thought as he observed the time in the pocket watch that he picked up from the ancient obsidian table.
"Let's begin then," He declared before stretching forth his hands towards the fog.
As the oppressive quiet of the Axiom, the inner sanctum of the castle realm, shattered with a series of sharp, almost displaced, pulls. With came the gathering of fog and the condensing of shape
Barry, seated at the head of the long, ancient table, watched as swirls of the ethereal grey fog coalesced into distinct forms, each depositing a new occupant into a vacant chair.
The air crackled with a dizzying mix of confusion, anger, and sheer disbelief. As a smug grin began to surface on the culprit's face.
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POV: Aya Al-Rashid
Darkness all around.
For a moment, Aya thought she was reliving death. Not the kind that took your body—but the kind that stole your mind. No sound. No sensation. Just endless, crushing stillness.
Then suddenly, a sharp pull—like being yanked through space.
She gasped.
Her eyes opened, and she stood upright in a dimly lit chamber. Arched stone ceilings towered above her. Symbols she didn't recognize pulsed with soft golden light along the walls. A long ancient obsidian table sat at the center.
A flicker of alert, then deep suspicion, crossed her face. "You... this place... impossible," she heard a voice mutter, it was raspy.
Hence, she knew she wasn't the only here cause now she could their mumblings and rambling all round her, so she looked and she saw.
There stood ten other figures by the table, one per seat, though their face were blurred with a greyish fog. It should have looked unnerving but yet, strangely enough, it just seem natural.
Observing closely, I could tell from their body movements that Six of those standing figures, were equally confused—or equally calculating. I couldn't tell, with the fog obscuring their faces.
"Where the hell am I?" Aya muttered, instantly on guard as some distance away. She noticed the four people laughing about something, before making their way to their respective Seats.
The strangest thing was that as they began to get closer to the seats in front of them, the fainter the fog became until it was no more - when they took a sit at last.
Looking at them, I didn't know anyone save for one. The man who hunted us down, showed me the true color of my beloved and burned down the strix all of those years ago. I thought to myself as I heard the voice of someone I despised.
"Father? But that's impossible, I killed you, you should be dead. What sort of trickery is this uhh, whoever is behind this, I command you to stop at once." One of the six foggy person screamed as he turned around," Also what kind of blasted place is this."
He made a good point. A very good one.
There was no heartbeat. No hum of technology. Just old magic. Ancient magic. 'Really old magic', she thought
Her hand instinctively brushed against the blade hidden in her coat. Still there. Good.
We may not have been able to see his face but we could all tell who it was, it was Klaus Mikaelson, the unkillable vampire, the hybrid or as I liked to call him - the devil himself.
"Where you've been summoned to," at that moment, a smooth, clear voice echoed in the room. As the already seated people stood up to give a round greeting towards the head sit.
"Good afternoon, Mr Fool,".... "Good Afternoon, Mr Allen...." "Good Afternoon, Boy."
She turned. A tall, calm looking man stood at the head of the obsidian table. Young, with smooth brown-hair. But his eyes held depth, they looked different, an exotic purple. Power rolled off him in waves—quiet but undeniable.
"Who are you?" Aya narrowed her eyes as the man took a sit.
"I am the host of this gathering, the one who brought you here. I go by many names but you, My dear. May call me, Allen," he said, smiling faintly. "I brought you here in accordance to the message that was sent out."
"So you were the one, who sent out that psychic message to us," someone in the fog said but I could tell it was a lady, for the voice was feminine.
"Before I answer and listen to any questions, take a sit first." The man called Allen gestured towards the seat in front of us," It's rude to speak when others don't know who you are, don't you agree?,"
We heard him say but none of us moved, as something pulled each of us towards a sit , it was a bitter experience but I could clearly see the other figures properly now.
Aya contemplated as she scanned the others, hoping to find an ally in this madness. A tanned skin lady with curly hair, and an amused expression mixed with disbelief - the witch
A white European lady with dark hair and a calculating face- the werewolf. Klaus Mikaelson, of course he's here. Figures. A light skinned lady with brown hair and a fiesty looking face - The dead person . And two humans — a light skinned man with a pale looking face, and some blonde woman she didn't recognize at first glance.
"You have five seconds to send me back," Aya growled.
"You'll want to hear what I have to say," Barry replied, unfazed. "After all, each of you was chosen, not by my hands but at random. For your... potential maybe, Your role in what's to come, or simply because you were just lucky."
Aya's eyes narrowed. She didn't like the sound of that one bit, most of all she hated being manipulated.
"I don't play well with others," she warned, standing up from her seat as she glared at the man. "Especially not with Originals."
Klaus chuckled.
"Still so bitter, Aya."
Barry lifted a hand. Instantly, all sound around the room stopped even as Klaus's lips moved, but no voice could be heard.
"This isn't a command, you're to leave and never come back anytime you want, but" Barry said softly to Aya. "Only after hearing what I have to say, this is the beginning. You've been running from your fate long enough. Now you face it."
Aya's anger simmered as panic began building, but something beneath the fear stirred curiosity. This man... this meeting... the energy in this place—this wasn't ordinary magic. It was deeper than even the Strix's archives had ever hinted at.
She looked around once more, assessing.
A circle of enemies. A chance to reshape the future.
Aya folded her arms.
"Fine," she said coolly. "I'll listen. But if this is a trap... I'll be the last thing you see."
Barry smiled again.
"Love the confidence, dear. Now the real conversation can begin."
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Barry watched their reactions, as a faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips. Beside him, Marco, sat with an unnerving stillness. To his right, Annabeth observed with quiet fascination, her regal veil adding to her mystique. Mikael, and Freya exchanged knowing glances with the newcomers, their own prior arrival having offered some clarity
"Now then. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen," Barry's voice echoed, calm and resonant, cutting through the rising tide of bewildered murmurs and whispered threats. "Or perhaps, I should say, welcome to the Astral Germinal gathering." He paused, letting his words sink in. "I am Allen, the current holder of the Black Seat, and you are currently in my ancestral heritage, the Axiom, a manor that came in contact with the power of the Everjade long ago... and has now become a place beyond time and space, hidden within the fog."
Klaus, recovering his composure, slammed his fist on the table. "Allen? You pompous arse, what is the meaning of this? You've snatched us from our lives, dragged us into... whatever this is!"
Barry's purple eyes met Klaus's, unwavering. "Meaning? The reason, Mr Niklaus, is chance. And an overdue agenda." He leaned forward, his voice evening out," Back in the days, one of the members wanted to extend an invitation to this sacred meeting. To allow outsiders to join but the people of back then did not agree."
Klaus scoffed, though a flicker of unease crossed his features at the mention of agenda. "And what exactly does that have to do with me, or any of us?"
"Everything," Barry stated, his gaze now sweeping across the table, making direct eye contact with each bewildered face. "Since I have decided to agree with that proposal and allow outsiders to join us." He paused and smirked 😏," So I had the Manor to send out an invite to seven random people not of the three families, while also letting the members to invite someone they wanted."
He was explaining when a deep low voice interrupted him with a frown,"I believe we do not know each other, so when you speak for the first time," Marco leaned into his chair as he observed everyone."Please introduce yourself and be respectful alright? Mine is Marco Dwanvigo - the Builder, I am the holder of the Seat of White. And I build and study supernatural items for sport & as a hobbies."
"Well said, I believe this is an effective way of speaking," said the veiled woman," I am Annabetha of the Purple Seat by the way, also known as the High Princess."
"Ehm, excuse me? But what exactly are these seats that you guys speak of and more importantly, what exactly can this gathering even give us?." Questioned the pale looking man," also my name is Maxwell Clide."
"My name is Francesca," said the European looking lady," And i have the same question! Who else agree with him."
"I concur too, also I am called Sabine," "I agree as well, the name is Freya...."
"I feel I need no introduction boy, everyone already knows me and fears me equally."
"Always so full arrogance father, forgetting how you died so soon?," Klaus mocked as laughter broke the quiet background," you have a lot of confidence but soon I will be back either way."
"What do you..""Quiet now."
"Hmm a good question and the answer to that is well, anything!!," suspicious murmurs and looks rippled through the gathered members as Barry's eyes landed back on Clide," you don't need to believe but what you do need to know, is that you can get anything you want! So long as you can ask the question and can offer worth the service."
He leaned into his seat to look at the starlight covering the ceilings," well, the seat names are the position that members of this gathering hold, while those code names are the titles of the members," He stared down at the people at the table," you don't have one cause you are not a member! You seven still need to pass a test to join."
"Why do we need to meet your expectations? Why are we not members either? And why did you say seven?," Klaus face simmered with rage,"Even after removing those two, there are still nine of us, so why say only seven? Allen."
"People invited by a seat member can skip the process, and that is what Mikael and that girl called Freya are - for they were invited by a seat member." We turned towards the man that was speaking," whereas you seven, were not invited any of the seat members... hence you must earn your seat on this table."