AETURNUS COR: Vánagandr's Wake

Act 1 — The Calm Before

The velvet sofa in the main lounge of Greyfell Manor was practically submerged under a blizzard of silver glitter and festive craft paper.

Arya sat cross-legged right in the absolute center of the chaos, her small frame completely swallowed by a ridiculously plush, oversized wolf onesie—complete with floppy pointed ears, a faux-fur tail that swished with every fidget, and tiny padded paws over her feet. She grinned, her golden eyes sparkling with pure delight as she flashed her sharp little fangs, admiring her reflection in the full-length hallway mirror.

Elora stepped through the front door, slipping off her heavy leather hunting jacket with a soft sigh of exhaustion. The moment her gaze fell upon the girl, her sharp, weary features melted into a warm, radiant smile.

“Arya...” Elora murmured gently, kneeling down to her level. “You look absolutely adorable, sweetheart.”

Maeve strolled in right behind her, unlacing her muddy combat boots and tossing them into the corner with a heavy thud. She leaned back against the mahogany doorframe, crossing her arms as a smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.

“A wolf onesie? For Halloween?” Maeve snorted, shaking her head. “Talk about ironic.”

The plush cloth ears pinned to Arya’s hood instantly flattened backward. “What’s ironic mean?”

“It means it suits you perfectly,” Maeve replied, winking.

Elora shot Maeve a glare, then gently brushed a stray strand of silver hair away from Arya’s brow. “I’m so sorry I’m late. The perimeter hunt took much longer than we expected.” She smoothed down the onesie’s oversized hood. “Give me ten minutes to clean up and change, and we’ll head out for trick-or-treating.”

Arya bounced off the sofa cushions, landing on her paw-padded feet with a dramatic gasp. “Finally! My first ever Halloween!”

Maeve let out a low laugh, her expression softening into rare nostalgia. “I used to take my nephew out every year. But now he’s a teenager. Says he’s ‘too cool’ for free candy.” She sighed dramatically, resting her hands on her hips. “Cherish these moments, Elora. They grow up way too fast.”

The sharp, rhythmic click-clack of high heels echoed down the grand staircase, drawing everyone’s attention.

Faye emerged, draped head to toe in an exquisite, high-collared black Victorian dress. She wore delicate silver jewellery that glinted in the chandelier light, paired with dark, razor-sharp makeup that made her look like a ghostly nobility from an ancient era. She paused at the foot of the stairs, raising an eyebrow at the gathered crowd.

“What?” Faye asked flatly, adjusting her silk gloves.

Arya tilted her head, her onesie ears flopping to one side. “Why are you dressed like a ghost?”

“It is All Souls’ Night,” Faye replied smoothly, her voice carrying a solemn weight. “The cemetery walk. We light candles to honour and guide the spirits of the dead.” She flicked a cool glance toward Elora. “It is a sacred tradition.”

A tall, imposing shadow stepped into the foyer behind her. Ruzel stood with his broad arms folded over his chest, his dark eyes unreadable. He was dressed simply—a fitted black jacket, dark trousers, and leather boots—yet his lethal posture made him look like he was heading straight into a war zone rather than a graveyard.

Faye rolled her eyes, letting out an irritated huff. “And why, exactly, are you tagging along?”

“Elora asked me to keep an eye on you,” Ruzel said gruffly, not bothering to look at her.

“I don’t need a bodyguard.”

“Didn’t say you did.”

Arya let out a sudden, uncontrollable giggle. Faye shot the girl a sharp glare, but Arya just buried her face in her furry onesie sleeves.

“I honestly don’t see what all the fuss is about,” Faye muttered, smoothing down her black skirt with an exasperated sigh. “It’s just candy. You walk door to door, begging complete strangers for sugar.”

Arya let out a low, feral growl—a surprisingly genuine wolf rumble that made Ruzel raise a curious eyebrow.

Elora chuckled softly, gently patting Arya’s hooded head to calm her down. “Don’t study your aunty, sweetheart. She’s just jealous she isn’t invited to go trick-or-treating.”

“I am most certainly not—” Faye began sharply.

Creak.

The heavy oak door to the study swung open.

Vincent stepped out into the hallway.

Silence fell over the foyer like a physical weight.

Vincent was dressed in a full, classic Dracula costume. He wore a sweeping black cape with a crimson satin lining, a crisp high-collared shirt with a gold cravat, his dark hair slicked back to perfection, and a pair of plastic vampire fangs resting awkwardly over his actual fangs—a gimmick he clearly hadn’t fully committed to. He stood in the centre of the room, his face completely expressionless.

Arya burst into fitful, hysterical laughter, clutching her stomach.

Maeve doubled over, resting her hands on her knees as she wheezed for air. Elora clapped both hands over her mouth, tears of laughter instantly pricking the corners of her eyes.

Ruzel just stood there, deadpan, staring at his leader in stunned disbelief. “What... in the world is that?”

Vincent glanced down at his red-lined cape, then back up at the group, entirely unfazed. “A costume.”

“You are a primordial entity of ancient darkness,” Ruzel said slowly, trying to process the visual before him. “And you dressed up as... a theatrical vampire.”

“I am a vampire,” Vincent stated calmly, his tone completely flat. “Technically.”

“You’re the Primordial of—”

“Technically.”

Elora wiped a tear from her cheek, her shoulders still trembling with laughter. “Okay, okay! Everyone looks absolutely amazing.” She turned to Faye and Ruzel, offering them a warm nod. “You two be safe out there tonight.”

“Always,” Ruzel replied quietly.

Elora then looked over at Maeve. “Maeve, there’s fresh towels in the guest room if you want to use the shower.”

“Appreciate it, Elora,” Maeve said, stretching her arms before walking over and giving Ruzel a solid pat on the shoulder. “Good luck at the cemetery, bodyguard.”

Ruzel merely grunted in response. Faye let out one last dramatic eye-roll, turning on her heel and sweeping out into the crisp, autumnal night.

“Arya, Vincent, go lock up please. I’ll be down in a second,” Elora called out as she turned toward the stairs to get ready.

Arya beamed with pure excitement, happily grabbing her pumpkin trick-or-treat bucket from the hall table and clutching it tight to her chest, ready for her first Halloween adventure.

Act 2 — The Vanishing Sky

The ancient silver dome of the Grayhaven Observatory sat quietly atop the highest ridge on the outskirts of town, its polished surface catching the cold glint of the autumn night.

Jason pulled his sedan into the quiet gravel parking lot, turning off the ignition. A wide, boyish grin spread across his face as he turned in his seat toward Detective Chen. “So... what do you think?”

Chen glanced out the passenger window at the towering structure, then raised an eyebrow at him. “An observatory?”

“Not just any observatory,” Jason said warmly. He reached across and, gently squeezing her hand. “I had to pull a few heavy favours for this. A buddy of mine manages the complex, and he’s letting us have the main dome and the high-magnification telescope completely to ourselves for an hour.”

The sharp, guarded line of Chen’s mouth softened into a faint, rare smile. “You’re actually serious, aren’t you?”

“One hundred percent.” Jason opened his door, stepping out and swiftly walking around the car to open hers. “Come on. I promise you’re going to love this.”

They walked up the crunching gravel path toward the entrance, their arms linked against the chilly October breeze. Above them, the sky was a breathless canvas of deep ink, dusted with thousands of scattered stars that shimmered like crushed diamonds.

Inside, the dome was shrouded in soft, amber ambient light. The only sounds were the low, steady hum of ancient mechanical gears and the occasional creak of the massive dome roof above.

Jason led Chen over to the central platform, adjusting the heavy brass focus dial on the primary eyepiece.

“Okay, so... there’s this one specific star,” Jason said, his voice dropping into a quiet, fond tone. “It’s called Vega. My dad took me up to a hilltop to show it to me when I was just a kid. It’s one of the brightest stars in the northern sky... and honestly, every time I look at it, I think of him.” He gave the lens one final fine adjustment, then stepped back with a smile. “I really wanted to show it to you tonight.”

Chen looked at him, her dark eyes reflecting the warm glow of the console lights. “That’s... actually really sweet, Jason.”

He gestured enthusiastically toward the lens. “Go ahead. Take a look.”

Chen leaned forward, pressing her eye to the rubber cushion. Through the high-powered glass, the universe expanded before her—and right in the centre sat Vega, a brilliant, piercing blue-white diamond burning steadily against the endless dark.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered softly.

“Right?” Jason beamed, his cheeks flushing slightly. “Okay, okay, my turn.”

He gently nudged her aside, stepping up to the platform and pressing his eye to the lens.

For a few seconds, he was quiet. Then, his brows furrowed.

“Wait...”

Chen tilted her head. “What is it?”

“It’s... gone.”

Chen blinked, confusion flashing across her features. “What do you mean, ‘gone’?”

“The star. It’s just... gone.” Jason pulled back from the eyepiece, rubbing his eye with the back of his thumb. “Did I accidentally bump the calibration dial? Did I break the telescope?”

Chen immediately stepped up, pushing him aside to look through the lens herself.

Vega was completely gone.

She pulled her head back from the lens and looked directly up through the open slit of the observatory dome. She scanned the horizon.

Before her eyes, a bright cluster of stars flared once—and vanished into pitch blackness. Then another star blinked out. Then three more, swallowed in a silent, cascading wave of absolute void.

“What the hell...” Jason whispered, staring up at the darkening sky in utter bewilderment.

Chen’s blood ran ice-cold in her veins.

She didn’t need a telescope to understand what was happening. She had spent enough time in the shadows—hunted enough supernatural horrors alongside Sylph—to recognize when the universe itself was being corrupted by an unnatural entity.

She took a sharp step back from the platform, her jaw setting into a tight, hard line as her detective instincts completely took over.

“I have to go,” Chen said sharply.

“What? Right now?” Jason looked at her, entirely lost. “Chen!”

“It was really fun,” Chen said, already pulling her jacket tight and turning toward the heavy exit doors. “Let’s do this again another time.”

“Chen—wait!”

She didn’t look back, pushing through the observatory doors and breaking into a brisk run into the full moon night.