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    Things calmed down a lot inside Sanctuary after Leo convinced everyone to follow his plan. Afterward, the Elementals equipped him and Desdemona with all the necessary tools to reach the Meadow of Origins safely. Like always, Leo made people believe everything would work out. Now, the same people who were willing to kill children a short while ago were acting normal. They were peacefully cleaning the muddy tunnel floors caused by Lore’s power outburst. The temple of Anorea was cleaned first out of respect, and it was easier. Cleaning the tunnel floors, though, was more of a challenge. The floor was mopped then big rocks were placed in the middle to create a pathway.


    Calaren straightened his back after putting down a rock. “Alright, that was the last one for me. All people have to do is wait for the mud to harden and travel using this rocky walkway in the meanwhile. What about you, honey? You done yet?” Calaren asked June.


    “Oh, I was done way before you. Am waiting on you, honey,” said June, poking Calaren with her elbow and smiling.


    “Yeah, yeah, I get it. Calaren Hearth-Bringer doesn’t know how to work fast and efficiently due to his elite upbringing. That is what you want to say, right?”


    “How well you know me, sweetheart.”


    “Let’s head back to the temple. You can taunt me all you want there.”


    “Do we have to? It’ll be lonely there at this time of the day. Also, I think after what Leo pulled off, the Elementals will happily let us stay with their main group.”


    “Yes, but I don’t want to face Atlas. We are used to Leo’s antics, but Atlas isn’t. He looked extremely angry at how everyone sent Desdemona out. I’m sure he blames me for all of this. If he wasn’t called for emergency water rationing, he would be at my throat already. I want to have a few moments of tranquility at the temple before he comes for me.”


    “So, you are going to run away without taking responsibility like always. Well, not this time. You are going nowhere until you answer my questions,” said Atlas from behind them.


    Calaren heaved a huge sigh and massaged his temple before turning around to face Atlas. “Run away, that too from you? Never! I wouldn’t even dream of it. Ask away. I won’t move a muscle until all your questions are done,” said Cal.


    “All of this was planned by you, wasn’t it?”


    “No.”


    “Lies. If not you, then who?”


    “It was Leo.”


    “Using your child as a shield for your nefarious plans is low even for you. Just admit that it was your plan, but how dare you use my daughter in your schemes.”


    Calaren took a deep breath and replied, “Atlas, my son is wise and capable beyond his years. He makes the impossible possible. From the moment we stepped in here to the moment Leo and Des left to heal Ragonia, it was all him.”


    Atlas swiftly crossed the short distance between him and Calaren and punched him in the face. “You despicable excuse for a living being! How do you call yourself a father? First, you put your child in harm’s way, then you claim it was your son’s fault!”


    “Enough!” said June as she moved between Atlas and Calaren. “Ever since we came here, you have been constantly berating my husband. You know nothing about him and what he has been through. Did you know he saved countless lives during the Primordial War? He is the reason this place remained safe from the Anons’ advances."


    “Honey, please! He doesn’t need to know all this,” said Calaren as he put his fingers to June’s lips.


    However, June moved his hand away with force and continued speaking. “You think it is coincident that Calaren knows people who can supply a whole Elemental city with resources in secret? During the war when all of you were killing each other it was Calaren that helped the ones left behind. He is the wartime hero Wandering Soul.”


    Stolen story; please report.


    “What?” asked a surprised Atlas.


    “Don’t believe me?” asked June as she revealed Calaren’s unique Hearth-Bringer symbol with a nine-pointed star inside it. “Cal helped everyone while hiding his face, but people knew him from this symbol. Also, it was Cal that led the surviving Elementals to Sanctuary’s gates. He would’ve joined the Battle of Behemoth too, but his father Kendall Hearth-Bringer forcibly sent him back.”


    “I…I can’t believe this!” said Atlas.


    “Hmmph,” scoffed June. “Wait till you hear what we got in return for all his good deeds. They bound him with a promise on the Mother to stop him from going against the Anons. Not only that, they killed our first child in my womb and made me drink potions that were supposed to make me barren. It was only after years of tears, pain, and prayers that Anorea blessed us with Leo. Yet Cal still let our only son risk his life to revive your dead planet. So, after today I never want to hear you demean my exemplary husband ever again. Because I promise to rip your head off if you insult him one more time,” said June as she punched the nearest cave wall. A huge gapping hole appeared where June punched the wall. Upon seeing it, Atlas became extremely thankful for the wall being there to take June’s punch instead of him.


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    The metropolis of Sanctuary was hidden deep underneath the surface of Ragonia. A long stretch of land existed between it and the entrances to the Ragonian underground. Once upon a time, light crystals illuminated the underground passageway. However, with time all of them lost power. Currently, only a blanket of darkness engulfed the whole passage. Nowhere was this eclipse more profound than in the area surrounding Leo and Ethan. It seemed Ethan’s anguish and frustration directed at Leo served to deepen the shadow around them, and the two light crystals held by Des and Leo didn’t help lift the dark either.


    Des wanted to prompt Ethan to let Leo go right away, but Leo signaled her not to interfere. Instead, he stared back into Ethan’s venom-filled eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, Ethan let Leo go. “That’s more like it! Now before we have our chat, let’s brighten up this place, shall we?” asked Leo as he took out a box from the back sack he was carrying. Several mechanical fireflies came out as soon as he opened it. “A marvel of the Craftmasters. Little stars that create light in the darkness.” The fireflies flew to far-away corners and relit dead light crystals on the walls.


    A special ability of the mechanical fireflies was to supply and siphon powers to and from other objects. As the space they were standing in came to light, a horrible scenario greeted the children. Traps were littered everywhere. From walls aligned with hidden spikes, barb wires sticking out from the floor to guillotines hanging in the air, and parts of the floor giving away to deep spear-filled holes, death was beckoning from all corners.


    “How did you manage to avoid all of these in the darkness?” asked an astonished Desdemona.


    “A safe pathway exists between the traps. My protective shield changes to red each time danger is near. So, I just moved in the direction where the shield’s color remained blue. However, how are you surviving out here without a shield? Isn’t the air outside Sanctuary toxic?” Ethan asked Des.


    “Yes! It is! Both Leo and I are immune though. I acquired the Creation Flames back at Solem which nullify the effects of most destructive things. As for Leo, he is using his healing Hearth-Bringer powers to remain unaffected from the toxins in the air,” replied Des.


    “I see,” said Ethan before turning to Leo. “Mr. Hearth-Bringer made me a promise to hear you out in exchange for his help in escaping. So, start talking about this great truth that has been kept hidden from me,” said Ethan while crossing his arms.


    “The Gainsworths’ loss of power is directly linked to the Cursebinders putting the power-draining curse on all Veiled Ones. It is Anorea’s punishment to the Gainsworths for their role in the Primordial Wars. The Anon king and Emanuel Cursebinder knew of this but let it happen anyway. The only way you can stop this is by helping me restore balance to Areliam,” said Leo solemnly.


    “You are full of shit. If what you say is true, then our whole clan would’ve lost complete power already. It has been over a decade since the war ended, yet a lot of us still have our powers. Uncle Emanuel remains especially powerful. He is the strongest, not only within the clan but also among all other Veiled Ones,” countered Ethan.


    “Emanuel Cursebinder is draining the Gainsworth ancestors to remain in power. Have you not wondered why your connection to your ancestors has been broken? Why you haven’t been able to contact your father’s spirit through the death-link rituals?” asked Leo.


    The death-link rituals were a common practice between Veiled Ones, at least it had been before the Anons outlawed them. It granted the living Veiled Ones brief periods of contact with their deceased ancestors. However, special privileges were given to the Gainsworths to keep practicing it. But, it wasn’t working. All communication with Gainsworth ancestors had stopped. Ethan was visibly shaken by Leo’s knowledge of this.


    “You must be wondering how I know all this. My ancestors told me. See, this has happened once before. Anorea took away powers from the Pathfinders when they abused them. Back then, the Pathfinders didn’t have a chance to get it back. But you do. The question is whether you’ll take it or not.”