The cameraman held up a hand. Five fingers. Four. Then he started mouthing the count. Three. Two. One. His hand made a sharp chopping motion.
The lights shifted. Priya’s face transformed, intense focus replaced by a warm, confident smile.
“Welcome back to GTNN’s continuing coverage. I’m Priya Sharma. If you’re just joining us, we just finished a wonderful conversation with Sheikha Khalida Al-Hashara about Dubai’s remarkable return and the road ahead for the Emirates.” A beat. Her smile widened. “But I know what you’re really here for.”
She turned to face them.
“I am thrilled to introduce two very special guests. Two men who need absolutely no introduction, but I’m going to give them one anyway.” She gestured with an open hand. “The Dragon Lord and the Machine God themselves. Maximilian de Castillo and Alexander Rooke.”
A clap track played.
Alexander’s eye twitched.
Beside him, Maximilian offered the camera a composed nod, as if pre-recorded applause was a perfectly normal part of his day.
It probably was.
Priya leaned forward slightly. “Thank you both so much for taking the time to sit down with us. I know the past few days have been, well, extraordinary doesn’t quite cover it.”
Maximilian inclined his head. “Thank you for having us, Miss Sharma. We appreciate GTNN’s commitment to covering these events with integrity.”
Alexander nodded. “Happy to be here.”
Priya’s smile flickered with amusement. “I have to be honest with you both. I was watching the press conference live, along with most of the world. And when you revealed the truth about AEGIS, about the Prophecy of Eight, about what’s coming…” She shook her head. “I don’t think shocked quite covers it.”
“People deserve to know the truth,” Alexander said. “They deserve to have time to prepare, to look out for their loved ones, and fight for their right to live.”
“We can all agree on that. And we’re going to circle back to the press conference during the next segment.” Priya paused. “But right now I think I speak for everyone watching when I say there’s one particular truth that matters more than anything else right now.” She looked between them. “The man known to the world as Executor Jacobs, revealed to be the Vampire of Panama. The being some have called the Lost Prophet.” She paused. “Is he truly dead?”
Silence. Even the production crew were holding their breath.
Maximilian took a breath. “Yes. Together, Alexander and I were able to defeat the Lost Prophet on Mars. He is no longer a threat to anyone.”
Priya exhaled. She pressed a hand to her chest and looked into the camera. “For everyone watching at home, you heard it here. The Lost Prophet is dead.” She held the moment, then turned back to them. “I won’t pretend that doesn’t mean a great deal to me personally. Like many others, I experienced the vampire attacks firsthand. I’m only here today because I was lucky enough to have a superhero come to my aid.”
She straightened. “Which brings me to what I think is the most important question going forward. The Compact. Can you tell us what it is in practical terms? What is the Compact actually doing to protect people?”
Maximilian crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers. “The Compact is a formal alliance between six of the largest guilds on Earth. Our primary focus is preparation. Each member guild is contributing in the ways best suited to their strengths. Some of our members are actively defending against gateway invasions. Others are working with local communities to organize response networks and stockpile resources. And as the world just witnessed, we’ve been developing habitable infrastructure on Mars for emergency evacuations.”
“That’s an enormous undertaking,” Priya said. “How long has this been in the works?”
Maximilian glanced at Alexander. “I’ll be honest, Miss Sharma. When the framework was originally presented, it was a bit more wishful thinking than operational planning. However, during the arbitration negotiations with Grimnir, we were able to refine the details into something much more practical.” He smiled. “The full scope of our efforts will be available on the Compact’s website when it launches in the coming days. I’d also be happy to discuss it in greater detail after the break.”
“I’ll hold you to that,” Priya said. She turned to Alexander. “And seeing as we only have the enigmatic Machine God for another minute or two…” A grin spread across her face. “I think it’s time we get a little personal.”
Alexander grinned. “Uh oh. I’m not sure I like the sound of that.”
Priya tapped something on the arm of her chair. A photo appeared on the monitor behind her. “Both of your guilds were in Dubai a couple of weeks ago for the arbitration. And while you were there, a fan happened to catch this beautiful moment.”
Alexander looked up at the screen. A photo of him and Julia walking arm in arm into one of Dubai’s entertainment venues.
He remembered that night.
Priya’s eyebrows rose. “So, are you and Julia Delvane, the Ice Queen of the Throne of Scales, an item?”
“We are.”
A gasp drew his attention to the back of the room. Julia had both hands over her mouth. Her eyes were wide.
Oops.
Alexander’s grin faded. He turned back to Priya. “I don’t suppose we can cut that?”
Priya shook her head. “I’m afraid not, Mr. Rooke. We’re live.” She leaned in. “Why?”
Alexander laughed. “Because I’m going to be in so much trouble. We hadn’t told Julia’s mother we were back together yet.”
Priya’s eyes lit up. “Oh no. That’s not good.”
He’d realized far too late. The woman seated across from them was also a villain.
“No. It really isn’t.”