《The Celestials Prison - Project Archangel》


 Act 0 - Chapter 1

    Chapter 1; Eos; Hemhir 21st, 329SR; 12:20


    The red toy dragon obscured the gentle light from the ceiling, a child''s tiny fingers gripped and held it up. The toy''s jet black eyes were horrifying, its hands and other features were bizarre. Three fingers, black claws, a head shaped like a snake. It was majestic, perplexing, different, but most of all, monstrous. Yami stood up on his short legs and raised it as high as he could, then tilted it toward Eos and ran forward.


    "Rawr!" Yami grumbled as he brought the toy closer.


    "Ah!" Eos squealed.


    The boy named Yami wore black shorts and a loose green T-shirt. He was only six years old, with dense blue hair and blue eyes, he was also the tallest sibling. Eos shut his eyes and turned away, shielding himself with his small hands. After nothing happened, Eos peaked out of his left eye, only to see the dragon there in front of him.


    "Arr!" Yami grunted loudly with a deep voice.


    "Ah haha!" Eos cowered with a smile on his face.


    "Stay back monster!" Zeus jumped down and took a stance. "You''re fighting me, idiot!"


    Yami grinned as he ran away and jumped over the bed. Zeus followed, pulling his blue shirt off in the midst of a roll. He was a year younger. His crooked teeth had a noticeable gap in them. He crumpled his blue shirt and threw it at the dragon, however the clothing simply unraveled after it missed, flopping onto the floor without a sound.


    "Don''t say idiot Zeus!" Nova, the second oldest yelled from under the covers of her bed.


    "Ah- Wait! Wait timeout, let me get my shirt-"


    "Rawr!" Yami grumbled as he ran for it first and picked it up with the same hand that held the toy.


    "Hey, my shirt!" Zeus cried as he chased after the eldest brother.


    "The dragon is too fast! Haha!" Yami shouted.


    Eos was on the edge of his boosted seat in the middle of the room. His eyes followed Yami and Zeus running around the wide open room. It was big enough for four beds with an attached nightstand, four closets and two windows on the left side. Yami ran towards Eos''s left, when they ran behind the chair, his head whipped to the other side. However, he was met with the dragon instead of his brothers.


    "Ah!" Eos shielded his eyes and cowered, Zeus and Yami ran circles around him.


    "Haha, fire..." Yami laughed before chanting something behind Eos.


    "Fiya?" Eos mumbled in confusion as he tried to turn, but the back of the booster seat obscured his view.


    "Ball!" Yami shouted as he threw the shirt rolled into a ball.


    As Eos was trying to look back, the blue shirt was already in flight. Zeus''s shirt struck Eos''s face, and he suddenly found himself blinded. It wrapped around Eos''s head, causing him to panic. The shirt was damp from sweat, and smelled bad.


    "Aah!" Eos cried excitedly, pulling the shirt off. "Hahaaha!" Eos chuckled and kicked his feet as he tried to cover his eyes, his heart beat rapidly.


    "Hey... Mom told you to stop teasing him all the time..." said Nova. "If Eos cries again, I''m telling Mom..."


    Nova was the same age as Zeus but three months older, she had loose long hair similar to his, however hers was a vibrant red. Her feet kicked back and forth as she laid down on one of the four beds, she was reading a boring book. She turned the page, and continued to scan through the book diligently. Zeus stopped and turned to her as he raised his arms in confusion.


    "What? We''re not even doing anything though!" Zeus stomped his tiny foot down, it barely made a thump. "And look, Eos is laughing... Why are you being a party pooper..."


    "Don''t call me that!" Nova shut her book and sat up.


    "I''ll tell, i''ll tell... You always ruin our fun..." Zeus mocked her voice with a girly tone.


    "Mom!" Nova shouted.


    "Oh, brother... Here she goes again..." Zeus groaned.


    Eos felt the energy in the room become tense, he found himself skipping his breath. Nova got off the bed and walked up to Zeus. A sense of dread rose within Eos as he watched, he gulped as he felt himself sink into his booster seat. Nova pulled his ear and yanked it as hard as she could.


    "Ow- ow!" Zeus cried. "Don''t pull my ear!"


    Zeus pushed Nova down, she fell on her rear and looked visibly shocked for a moment. Eos''s head shot up, Yami gasped. Nova''s expression became angrier as she quickly sprang back up and ran forward. With all she could, she pushed Zeus. The black haired boy stumbled backward before falling, his head hit a wooden cabinet. Eos gasped as he saw Zeus grasp his head and curl up. Eos held his own head and grimaced, imagining the pain.


    "Hey, mom said we shouldn''t-"


    "Ow!" Zeus exploded with anger and cut Yami off in the middle of his sentence, his eyes became slightly glossy as he held back his tears. "You idiot, that hurt!"


    Eos and Yami immediately went from tense to shocked, they both gasped as they heard Zeus swear.


    "I''m telling mom!" Nova shouted, she immediately ran for the door. "Mom!"


    "Mom said you can''t swear Zeus!" Yami also scolded him with a worried tone.


    Zeus kissed his teeth as he realized he couldn''t take it back. "Wait! Don''t tell her, I''ll let you off the hook for pushing me! Aw! Why is she such a tattle-tail!" the boy groaned as he got up and stumbled to the door.


    Yami and Zeus stood by quietly as they heard Nova make her way to their mothers room. Zeus turned to Yami and shook his head in disbelief as they listened to a door open, followed by Nova immediately blurting out Zeus''s crimes. The annoyed sigh from their mother meant she was on her way. Zeus looked to Yami, who simply shrugged.


    "I''m not involved..." Yami opened his palms and took a seat on his bed.


    "We weren''t doing anything though, right? Right?!" Zeus tried to confirm his side of the story with Yami. "She always-"


    Zeus stopped as a sniffle cut through every other sound in the house. Yami and Zeus turned to each other as they heard a somber whimper from the other child in the room. Eos''s chin quivered as he pursed his lips, tears were rolling down his cheeks. Eos tried to wipe them, but a wave of emotions overcame him. He tried to hold it in, but couldn''t.


    "Oh no..." Yami uttered, his expression sank.


    "Oh shit..." Zeus whispered, his face filled with dread immediately.


    "Aaaaaaaha!" Eos cried, his voice echoed throughout the whole house.


    "Ah!" Zeus and Yami both grabbed their heads in a panic.


    "Waaahha-" Eos snorted a glob of mucus off his lip and back into his nose. "Aaaaha!"


    "Stop crying! Stop crying!" Zeus shook Eos back and forth.


    "You always make Eos cry!" Yami scolded.


    "I didn''t even say anything to him!" Zeus shouted back. "It''s not my fault he''s a crybaby!"


    "Don''t shake him! He''ll just cry mo-"


    "Aaaaah!" Eos''s pitch became ear piercingly loud.


    "Zeus!" Yami shouted.


    "Eos stop being a wimp! No one is fighting, stop crying!" Zeus scolded the upset child.


    "What the heck do you mean wimp? He''s only four?!" Yami shouted.


    A hurried pair of steps came from the hallway outside, and the children''s mother quickly stopped at the door. She wore a black and white nightgown. She was much taller than Yami, about twice his height. Her black hair was tied back in a bun as her bright red eyes analyzed the situation. She hurried across the room and hoisted Eos up from under his arms, he stopped crying immediately. Eos stretched his hands out with tears and snot running down his face, his mother held him close and patted his back. Her embrace was warm, soft, he felt safety like nothing else. Eos''s chin rested on her shoulder as she softly spoke to him. Nova entered the room with a somewhat confused look as she noticed Eos crying.


    "It''s alright baby, it''s okay, shh, shh," his mother spoke softly to him. "Zeus, you get another hour in time out. How many times have I told you not to swear?"


    "What?!" Zeus yelped. "But I didn''t-"


    "Yami, Nova, go study, playtime is over."


    "But... Mom, I tried to stop them..." Yami whined.


    "Yami, don''t make me repeat myself," their mother said sternly.


    "He didn''t do anything!" Zeus shouted.


    "Zeus pushed me first!" Nova pointed at her sibling.


    "Yes, I did, and then she pushed me into the drawer!"


    "Zeus, why is your shirt on the floor, why isn''t your bed set? After that hour is up, clean this room from top to bottom! Nova, what did I tell you just now?!"


    Zeus reared his head back from the wave of scolding. "But- But my head-" Zeus tried pointing to where he bumped his head on the cabinet.


    "No buts! Now go!"


    Zeus''s shoulders slumped, he almost looked like he wanted to cry. Nova gathered her books off the bed and walked out of the room. She shot one glance at Zeus, pulling her eye lid down, and sticking her tongue out to mock him. Zeus''s head whipped back and forth between his mother and Nova, the red haired girl stomped out of the room with a huff.


    "Wha- Huh- Mom! Nova just made fun of me!" Zeus complained.


    "Zeus, what did I say!" their mother spoke with a strict tone.


    Zeus audibly groaned as he pulled a book off the floor and another one off the edge of his bed. Eos watched everyone exit the room, his chin resting on his mother''s shoulder. She lightly bounced him up and down as she looked around the room. Eos listened to her quiet hum as she comforted him, he looked down at the red toy dragon on the bed. The spec of light reflecting off its pupil vanished as Eos''s shadow covered it.


    "This place is filthy... Ugh..." she shook her head and groaned.


    His mother knelt while holding Eos, reaching down with her other hand. Dirty clothes, toys, and puzzle pieces were scattered around most of the room. Nova''s side of the room was rather tidy, but she had stacks of books on either side of her bed. Theresia sighed as she set Eos down on his bed.


    "Give me a minute, your brothers and sisters are ridiculous, you know that..." she groaned.


    Eos looked up with a blank expression as she made her way around the room and picked up the fallen clothes. ''I''m bored...'' He tugged his white quilt and then rolled over, wrapping it around himself. Theresia quickly piled all of the clothes onto one arm and crossed the room. Eos''s gaze followed her to the door, she turned and made her way back before stepping on something.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    "Yow!" his mother clenched her teeth as she lifted her foot.


    She knelt down and picked up the brown toy horse she stepped on. Then picked up the red toy dragon and set it down on the headrest next to Eos. The quilt was very hot, but he still felt comfortable being wrapped up in it. Eos''s eyelid started to fall, closing his eyes slowly before quickly reopening. ''This is boring...'' Eos kicked the sheets off and stood on the bed. He lifted the quilt and threw it over his shoulders like a cape, then turned to the bed frame as his feet sank into the soft mattress. The red toy dragon was now on Eos''s level, its eyes looked menacing.


    "I will beat the dwagon!" Eos grinned.


    "Eos, don''t jump on the bed or you''re going to fall..." Theresia advised in an annoyed tone as she continued to clean the room.


    Eos jumped to the side as he pretended to dodge a fireball. He swung his cape around over his back and rolled along the sheets. He stepped on the pillow then threw the bed sheet over it. Then dived onto the quilt, pummeling the toy under with light swings.


    "Wah! Take this! And this! What, ah!" Eos pulled the blanket over himself as he continued to play fight with the pillow, imagining that it was the dragon itself.


    Eos started to roll the other way, unravelling himself from his blanket. A wave of cold air washed over him as he unraveled the blanket. His heart skipped a beat as he rolled past the edge, falling off the bed entirely.


    "Ah- Ow!" Eos yelped as his forehead hit the corner of a wooden block on the floor. "Ah..."


    "Huh- Eos! What did I just tell you!" she groaned again. "None of these kids listen..."


    Eos slowly pushed himself up on all fours, the front of his head was numb. The fall didn''t seem to hurt, but he felt a throbbing in his forehead. A red bead dropped off of his head and hit the wooden block. It silently splattered outwards in all directions.


    "Huh..." Eos touched his forehead, and winced slightly as he did.


    "I can''t take my eyes off you for one..." His mother grimaced as she looked at Eos.


    Her hands shook, she huffed in and out as she looked at him. Anxiety overtook the child, his heart beat quickly as he saw his mothers expression. Eos felt a trickle run down his head, he looked at his hands and noticed the vivid scarlet color.


    "Wa! Aaaha!" Eos started to cry uncontrollably again as he saw his own blood.


    The sudden sound shook his mother out of her daze, she quickly angled Eos''s sobbing face toward her and put her hand on his forehead. Her thumb and palm felt warm, Eos sniffled as he tried to hold in his snot and tears. Only for it to all flood out.


    "Ah, it''s just a scratch, don''t cry, it''s okay... I Need... Need, what do I need... What do I do when they get hurt, uh..." She looked around as she whispered. "Bandages, and disinfectant! I''ll go get those, just a second Eos, wait there! It''s okay!"


    She ran out of the room quickly and turned left into the hallway. Eos continued to sob and cry, he tried holding his head to stop the blood. He sniffled as he tried to stop crying, but the tears kept coming. He bawled loud enough to be heard throughout the house. Suddenly, a warmth comforted Eos, it made him forget the pain momentarily. He opened his eyes and noticed the room was a lot brighter, a light hit every surface. The shadows all stretched away from the child.


    "Huh..." Eos looked around in confusion, then down towards his hands. "Mom... Mom!"


    Eos didn''t know what to make of what he saw. Patches of light blue flames floated off of his skin slowly. The strange substance was extremely bright, but it wasn''t hot. The substance floated strangely, it was slow and very viscous. The puzzled infant tried to shake it off, but couldn''t.


    "Eos?" Yami called from the hallway. "Are you okay, what is that light?" his older brother murmured.


    Eos turned to the door as Yami came around the corner, his jaw dropped and his eyebrows lifted immediately. Eos lifted his arms with a strangely puzzled look to show Yami more of the flames.


    "Uh-" Yami paused.


    "Fiya!" said Eos with his arms raised .


    "Mom! Mom!" Yami cried.


    "Yami, I told you to-


    "Eos is on fire!" Yami shouted to the left and pointed at Eos.


    "What!?" their mother shrieked, her tone sounded both shocked and scared.


    "Eos is on fire!"


    "I heard you the first time, what do you mean he''s-" her expression lit up as she turned the corner, she appeared genuinely shocked. "On... Fire..."


    "Fiya!" Eos grinned, a stream of blood still dripping down his head.


    Yami approached slowly, raising his hand toward Eos to see if it was hot.


    "Yami- wait..." their mother turned to shout at him, but couldn''t take her eyes off of Eos.


    His mother''s eyes were wide open, she held one palm over her mouth. It was as if her entire world just stopped. She dropped the box of bandages and looked at Eos. She fell to her knees, tears rolled out of her eyes, but she also cracked a slight smile. Eos didn''t think much of it as he continued to play with the strange flames.


    "What is this stuff?" Yami moved his hand closer to Eos, then felt daring enough to poke him. "It''s not hot? Does it feel hot?"


    "Mm..." Eos shook his head left and right.


    "Oh... Oh wait! Mom! This is it!" Yami turned to Theresia. "Nova! Zeus! Eos is going to get his gift! It''s happening!"


    "What?!" Zeus and Nova both shouted from the hall as they heard that.


    Theresia was still by the door, looking at Eos with a dazed expression. Zeus stormed into the room and looked at Eos. Nova hurried into the room, she was caught off guard by the bright blue light. As Nova walked forward, she noticed her mothers expression.


    "Mom? Are you okay-"


    "Let''s go! That''s what I''m talking about!" Zeus jumped for joy and cut Nova off. "Eos! Eos, what can you do with your gift?! Is it strong! Let''s fight!"


    "I dunno?" Eos shrugged.


    "He didn''t even get it yet..." Yami spoke under his breath as he smiled at Zeus.


    Eos was a little surprised by Zeus''s reaction, he never reacted like that before. It made him happy, Eos wanted to try and do more. He looked down and tried to touch the flames. At that moment, a gold light phased through the ceiling and struck Eos.


    "There it is!" Yami and Zeus both hyped up the moment.


    A single name came to his mind, a word to call upon the Celestial gift he had just received. ''Wubble?'' As he thought the word, a golden light flew out of his stomach and landed in front of him. It appeared like a fuzzy ball, only to stand on two feet and raise its tiny head. It was a golden rabbit, similar to the animals Nova showed him in her books. It sniffed the air, then frolicked around Eos as it continued to observe the room.


    "Huh-" their mother shook herself out of her daze as she saw the golden rabbit.


    "Ah! And he''s got a spirit too! Woo!" Zeus cheered. "Just two days after his birthday! He got his the earliest!"


    Eos turned as the rabbit hid behind him, it was slightly startled by Zeus. Eos tried to pick it up, however the moment before his hand touched it, the rabbit vanished.


    "Huh- Oof!" Eos fell forward and onto his face.


    "What the! Where did it go!" Nova yelled, clutching her mother''s arm as she hid.


    Eos looked left and right, he scanned the room to find the rabbit. He stood up while the bright fire made his hair rise. His mother approached from behind and turned Eos toward her. The look on her face was still a mix, it confused Eos, he didn''t know if she was upset or happy. She hesitantly brought a cloth towards Eos''s face. As she noticed the flame wasn''t hot, she started wiping the blood off. She pressed a cloth swab onto the wound, then wrapped a bandage around Eos''s head.


    "Up there!" Zeus pointed toward the top of a shelf.


    Eos looked up to see the golden rabbit wiping its eyes as its nose bumped up and down. Zeus shoved Yami''s arm as they all looked up at the golden creature. Theresia held Eos''s arm up and observed the flames.


    "Hey... You think Azure can get up there?" Zeus asked.


    "I don''t know if he''ll be able to catch it... Azure..." Yami chanted.


    A blue bird shot out of Yami''s back and flapped its wings. The gold rabbit saw the bird and immediately got on all fours. Yami pointed towards the rabbit, Azure flapped its wings and flew up. However, the moment before Azure could touch it, the rabbit vanished again.


    "It did it again!" Zeus jumped.


    "Mom said you can''t use spirits in the house-"


    "Go Yycan! It definitely can''t out speed you!" Zeus shouted over Nova.


    A white substance stretched off of Zeus''s shoulders and landed on the ground. The white blob suddenly pounced for the rabbit with the head of a wolf. It landed on all fours, sinking into the bed sheet before bouncing airborne and nipping at the rabbit. Yycan fell onto the desk, then immediately kicked its feet and knocked papers off the desk. The violent spirit then jumped for the ground and then jumped for another table. The rabbit pounced out of the way, narrowly avoiding Yycan, landing on Theresia''s head and then jumping back into Eos''s body.


    "Huh- Hey! What did I tell you about spirits indoors!" their mother snapped out of her daze.


    Eos looked at his hands, the bluish white flame floating off his palm was mesmerizing. Eos smiled happily as his mother scolded Yami and Zeus. The thoughts of how much he''d get to play with his siblings made him grin with excitement. Eos summoned the rabbit to his shoulder, then ran toward the hallway.


    "Let''s play!" Eos decided in a hurry.


    "Huh- Eos! Where are you going! It''s dark out!" their mother scolded him.


    "That''s the spirit, Eos! Let''s see who is stronger!" Zeus shouted, not caring about his mother''s scolding anymore.


    "Hey!" their mother yelled.


    The golden rabbit phased into Eos. A bright yellow ear sprouted off Eos''s head. Eos ran to the door as fast as he could. However, everything went black at that exact moment.


    ***


    "Ah, you''re getting heavy..." Eos''s mother whispered to herself as she stretched her shoulder. "My shoulder still hurts... "


    "Huh..." Eos slowly came to, he opened his eyes and stretched.


    Eos''s feet were covered by a soft quilt, his face was planted against a pillow. Eos slowly turned his face into the pillow, then pushed his groggy self up. He looked around and noticed he was in his mother''s office. They were the only ones in the room.


    "Okay, let''s see... Where is it..." she muttered as she reached around the top of a shelf.


    The room had papers all over the floor, it wasn''t usually this messy. Eos''s mother opened the cupboards of her desk in a hurry, she was sweating heavily and breathing even harder. She walked to another dark-brown drawer and pulled it open, and started shuffling through the pages impatiently. Eos was puzzled by her behavior, she didn''t ever seem this stressed before.


    "Here!" she pulled out a glass panel with a golden mark on it. "Hello! Lucifer, are you there?! Lucifer!" she shouted into the device.


    "Theresia? Why are you using this gift to communicate... I don''t like being reminded of its user..." a voice came from the glass device. "If I wasn''t in my office I wouldn''t have even heard it... Why have you called... Why are you out of breath?"


    "Because this is urgent!" Theresia stressed as she walked toward the door and opened it.


    "What is this about... I''m busy right now..."


    "Project Archangel... It''s a success..." Theresia''s voice faded as she closed the door behind her.


    "What?!" the voice from the device sounded very concerned all of a sudden.


    Their mumbling continued as Eos slid off the bed. He landed on his two feet and made sure to avoid the papers on the ground. However, one of the letters that had fallen from the shelf caught his eye. It was brown, darker than most of the other papers or books. The edges were slightly torn around the corners. As Eos touched it, he heard an audible crinkle. Eos gently picked up the paper and held it up, the light went through it, he turned away from the light and looked at the contents.


    Leazra,


    It saddens me that it has come to this. The fact you even would go as far as to think about trying to perform this experimentation using the Darkeater... I cannot support this, you know I can''t. You two are trying to create monsters. Monsters with the sole purpose of fighting the divine beings...


    Did neither of you learn a thing from Jalrog? We are disturbing powers far beyond ourselves! And our meddling has cost us the lives of thousands, angels and demons! We don''t even know what may have happened to the survivors, those who were left behind, to fend for themselves against Ragnarok''s rampage! The fact you can even sleep soundly, knowing that you may bring about our destruction once again... Is simply revolting. The giant that emerged from the sea, it made the divine being remember, it made him remember who he was. And look now, House Rafael is gone! Written out of history like they never existed! I cannot accept this.


    I am taking the demons and leaving Helios. My people and I will have no part in such foolish actions. If you are reading this, I promise you, the both of you, harbingers of Jalrog, I will kill you. If you do not cease this madness immediately Leazra, I will not hesitate to do what must be done. The blood is already on my hands, this is my burden, as the one who gave you this life. Don''t make me do this...


    Abaddon.


    Eos didn''t read the entire letter, he struggled to get past the first word. He turned the paper in his hand and tilted his head. He squinted as he tried to read the first word.


    "Lee... Leah? Leez?" Eos stuttered, he was still learning how to spell, and he didn''t recognize the word.


    "Stay in touch... I''ll send someone down there soon... This has not been for nothing Theresia... I promise..."


    "Yeah, you better get me the hell out of here..."


    Theresia opened the door and stopped the moment she noticed that Eos was awake. Her shoulders tensed up immediately, but they lowered as she heard Eos''s stuttering to pronounce a word on the paper he held.


    "Oh, Eos... When did you wake up?" Theresia said with a soft smile.


    "Le... Leazra..." Eos tried to read the name on the beige letter.


    Theresia dropped the glass panel. It shattered against the wooden floor, startling Eos.


    "Eep!" Eos yelped.


    "What did you just say..." Theresia asked with a mortified expression.


    "Glass!" Eos pointed with a concerned look, the paper crumpled in his other hand.


    "What- Why did you say that... How... You can''t... You can''t possibly..." Theresia muttered to herself, she huffed between words.


    The look on her face was different from before. Eos could almost feel how afraid she was from her eyes. Eos held the paper up to her.


    "Leazra..." Eos pointed to the name on the letter.


    Theresia immediately clutched the letter and pulled it close to her chest. Her expression looked frightened for a moment as she took a deep breath. Eos looked around, observing more scattered papers. He looked up to the window, and noticed that it was dark out now.


    "What? It''s night time? But it was just bright out... I wanted to go play with Wubbles..."


    "Eos..." Theresia called him.


    "Hm?" Eos replied.


    "It''s time for bed. Go back to your room and go to bed," Theresia said with a blank expression as she read the letter.


    Eos stared at her face up close. Theresia''s eyes were wide open as she read the letter, her fingers shaking. Eos was used to hearing her warm and inviting voice. However, she sounded different this time.


    "Oh... Okay... I''ll play tomorrow!" Eos''s confused face turned to a bright smile.


    Eos walked out of the room, he looked down and made sure not to step on any glass. He pulled the door to the side and walked into the hallway. The look on Theresia''s face was still on his mind. Eos stopped a few feet away from Theresia''s office. ''The glass...'' Eos turned around and walked back toward the room.


    "Mom-"


    The tear of a piece of paper made him flinch, followed by crumpling and heavy breaths. Eos slowly pushed the door open. Theresia''s back was against the sofa, but she was sitting on the floor. She held one hand over her eyes as she looked up with her head leaned back.


    "Mom..." said Eos.


    Theresia barely tilted her head as she saw him standing in the doorway. Eos gulped as he saw her bright red eye, almost glowing underneath her palm.


    "Yes, Eos?" Theresia replied.


    "Uh... Don''t... Step on glass," Eos advised.


    Theresia took a deep breath, and then smiled softly as she looked at the ground. Eos''s eyes widened, something about this smile was different from all the others before.


    "I won''t, it''s very sweet of you to worry about me, Eos," said Theresia.


    Eos slowly crept backwards, he turned and walked down the hall toward his room. As he reached his bedroom, he could hear the audible breathing from his two loud brothers. Eos looked past Nova''s bed and toward the window, it was pitch black outside. Eos turned to the hallway, he looked at the wall and noticed a dent in it. It was at his eye level, but he didn''t think much of it.


    ''Tomorrow, I''ll finally get to play with everyone else!''

 Act 0 - Chapter 2

    Chapter 2; Arthur; Hemhir 30th, 329SR; 11:45


    The sunlight peeked through the gaps in the leaves, their gentle rustle reminded him of why he liked the spring season so much. Arthur crossed his legs as he laid atop a thick tree branch, holding the top of the spine of a large book with his left hand, his head resting on his other. The gentle breeze rustled the leaves, covering the sound of wooden spears clashing. He held a small book in his hand, the page he read showed a peculiar diagram. It resembled a circle, however one part seemed to be split open, revealing an assortment of colorful structures arranged within. ''The medical practices used by Hirian natives from Welis are far different compared to the angels. Upon inquiry into their practices, many, but not all, were open to discussing the contributions of the Doctor Zilin... Pernas? Pernais? No that sounds like mayonnaise, no, it''d be...''


    "Pernias... A shaman from the south western regions of Hiria... South western?" Arthur raised an eyebrow as he read that.


    ''Hybrids from the resistance have contributed to the medical field? Wow...'' Arthur continued to read with an obsessive curiosity, the cracks of wooden sticks nearby barely caught the same intrigue from him. ''The people of Hiria have trusted the harbingers'' teachings for generations, as Doctor Phelps noted, "They see no need to understand the inner workings of their practices, and if I may make the judgement, I believe they were rather upset about my inquiry into it." Kristoph Phelps, 294 SR. After the discoveries of Siba Pendragon in 38SR, we understood the human body was made up of multiple systems acting together all at once, and he deduced, that the therapeutic methods of Welis had to have been founded by scholars aware of the inner workings of these various systems, and how they all work together and effect one another. Several first generation gifts of the Hirian people utilize natural energies, however, introspection into the energy the gifted natives of Welis can harness, is near impossible due to its incredibly reactive nature. Marok''s descendants are an alternative, however, due to political hindrances, further research has not been approved. The energy their clans harness is similar in its medium, however its behavior is far different, the only observed phenomenon would be the effect it has on weather observable even from the southern regions of Kamino. '' The young noble studied the book closely, entranced by every word. A loud clash of wood was followed by a sharp whistle from the instructor.


    "Halt!" A loud voice announced. "That''s a match, good deflection, you stay on! Next up is... Hmph... The ace... Arthur! You''re up!" Instructor Istvan called, but Arthur didn''t feel like replying. "Where is he!"


    "Arthur was bored, so he climbed the tree and started reading," someone answered.


    "What?" The instructor scoffed as his head snapped toward the tree. "Arthur! Get down from there right now!"


    Arthur heard Istvan calling him, but he didn''t care, he wanted to read a little more. The sound of footsteps in the grass approached. ''Here we go...''


    "Arthur!" the instructor called from below. "I know you can hear me!"


    "Loud and clear," Arthur replied.


    "Don''t act smart with me! Just because you''re Shinra''s son do you think you get to slack off?"


    "Have you ever considered writing songs? You have a great pitch," Arthur turned the page and kept reading.


    "What?! Don''t make me come up there!"


    A few people in the class giggled. Istvan put one foot on the tree, his metal boot scraping against the bark. ''Ugh...'' The instructor grumbled as he pulled himself up. Arthur raised one eyebrow, then shifted his legs off of the branch. He looked across Pendragon Boulevard, a courtyard surrounded by walkways in front of the major buildings associated with Arthur''s family, it was about a hectare in size. He slid out of the tree, crouching and rolling as he landed.


    "Okay, okay... I''m down... Don''t want you falling out of a tree in armor..." Arthur sighed as he yawned.


    "I''m getting real sick of your attitude Arthur!" the instructor got off the tree.


    "Aren''t you burning up in all of that armor?" Arthur asked as he picked up a reinforced vest.


    Istvan Bahar, a knight captain and the instructor of the class was clad in a full suit of armor, he was just missing a helmet. He had slightly tanned skin and a full set of thick facial hair that went pretty well with his messy hair. He gave Arthur the usual intense stare with a blank face. Arthur squeezed his head through the tight collar, the white vest felt skin tight, but it was due to the plates within. Istvan handed him a wooden spear, then turned and walked away, each step causing the suit to make hefty noises. The armor he wore was a newer model of the trooper suit, it was considerably smaller. The braces around the arms and legs were bulky, made up of plates wrapped around the limbs, two between each joint rather than four with the prior model. ''They keep making the suit smaller with each generation...''


    "The suit is designed for harsh environments, so no... Now stop wasting time and get into your circle, spar with Rukard," Istvan ordered.


    "Harsh environments..." Arthur snickered to himself as he walked between the different pairs of people sparring.


    Arthur approached a circle where a familiar man stood by. Rukard Lielos, he stood just under six feet tall with his hair tied back in a ponytail. ''Darn... Did it have to be Rukard... I wanted to take it easy...'' He wore baggy grey sweatpants and similar white vest to the rest of the class. Rukard took a stance with a smirk as he held up a wooden dummy sword, he was the only one in the class using a sword.


    "Where''d you find a sword?" Arthur chuckled.


    "It was in the back of the tool shed," Rukard nodded. "I''ve always wanted to use a sword over a spear!"


    "Hm... A spear is way better though..."


    Rukard slowly inched forward, he shifted between his feet, making it hard to predict if he''d go left or right. ''He always takes training so seriously, and he tries extra hard against me...'' Arthur took an offensive stance, keeping his spear pulled back and observed closely. Rukard stayed at the opposite end while continuing to shuffle back and forth. ''I''d say his range is between two and half feet and... Five feet to be safe, he has to close the distance...'' Arthur jabbed his spear forward, causing Rukard to redirect it to the left and then take two quick strides to the right. Arthur felt his heart rate quicken. ''Huh-'' Arthur pulled the shaft back, quickly turned to the right, then stabbed the spear forward again. This time Rukard parried, but pushed the blade up against the spear and ran forward. Arthur tried to pull back, but Rukard crouched low. Using the guard, he pushed the spear above him while keeping Arthur from disconnecting. Rukard entered his range, and made a side swipe from over the shoulder. ''Block!''


    Arthur stepped backward, pulled the shaft forward and flipped his staff around, stopping the incoming slash from Rukard. His foot slid against the grass, Arthur inhaled quickly, then pushed Rukard back. ''He''ll probably assume that I''ll stay on the defensive, but I know about other weapons too, Ruk!'' Arthur put his grip on the handle together, then flipped the spear back around and pushed forward while Rukard staggered backward.


    "Rgh!" Rukard grunted as Arthur swung the spear down hard.


    Arthur exhaled as the strike connected, but he continued to spin the wooden spear. Rukard fell on his rear, quickly staggering back to his feet, he got ready to block again. Arthur angled his strike, shifted his right hand up the shaft of the pole and pulled it back in one motion. Rukard''s eyes widened as Arthur readied for a jab. ''Launch him!'' Arthur lunged forward, twisted his torso, and forced the butt of the spear forward into the face of Rukard''s wooden sword. The strike echoed through the air. Rukard stumbled backwards, but lost his footing and fell, rolling over onto his back. Arthur breathed in and out steadily, he lowered the spear as he relaxed his stance. Rukard shook his head, and then pushed himself up on his elbows. Arthur offered him a hand.


    "You had the right idea to keep moving unpredictably, caught me off guard when you suddenly ran to my right. And my last attack, I committed to that strike, but if you parried it, I probably would have been in a bad spot..." Arthur pulled him to his feet. "Let''s go again?"


    "Yeah!" Rukard enthusiastically nodded.


    "Rukard!" Istvan called. "Where''d you get that?!"


    Rukard turned and squinted, "I... Found it in the back of the barracks?"


    "You should be using a spear, I taught you to use a spear!" Istvan yelled.


    "Hey, he almost won, did you see that?" Arthur spoke up.


    "Yeah, almost!" Istvan shook his head at Arthur. "You think just because you are the ace in this class, it makes you some special standard?"


    Nearby students in the class gradually noticed the growing commotion going on. A chilling wind blew by, momentarily breaking the consistent warmth from the sun''s rays. Arthur took a deep breath and shrugged. ''Here we go...''


    "You said it, not me..." Arthur smirked. "Leave him be... He should do what he likes."


    Istvan stopped, and glared at Arthur. ''That''s right. You heard me.'' Arthur stood tall, the office for House Pendragon behind him.


    "Arthur, I swear, if I hear-" Istvan stopped talking and bowed, causing Arthur to raise an eyebrow.


    "What''s the matter," a man with a deep voice approached, their steps could be heard against the grass.


    "Lord Rael? All is fine, Rukard! Go and get a proper weapon!" the instructor shouted.


    Arthur sighed, and turned around slowly. Behind him was the behemoth of a man known as Alexander Rael, the noble of House Rael, and a friend of Arthur''s father. His white dress shirt with green decals was stretched by his monstrously huge muscles, his imposing presence stopped the wooden clacks between weapons. He had a bulky face, sharp jawline, and short green hair and eyes.


    Behind Alexander was a man dressed in a similar white shirt and black pants. His black hair was dense, but considerably grown out, so much so it was tied back into a short ponytail. His sleeves were rolled up as he felt the wall, a stern look on his face as he examined the stone. The ring with an orange jewel was a Celestial gift that was passed down through his family.


    "Every time I walk by this class, you''re the odd one out..." Alexander squinted. "Always misbehaving..."


    "Hey Alexander, how''s your day going?" Arthur yawned. "Hey Bruno!"


    "Good morning," Bruno waved.


    Alexander''s face twitched slightly, "You''re sullying your father''s name. Stop acting entitled, and get to training with the rest."


    "How am I sullying his name?" Arthur tilted his head.


    "What?" Alexander squinted.


    "I mean... Father is well respected by citizens from both lower and upper Helios, and... I don''t want to be a knight or a scout, so I''d rather learn more about medicine and science. Wouldn''t I be honoring my father by following in his path? Helios doesn''t have many doctor''s, so... I don''t think I''m sullying my family name."


    Alexander glared at Arthur.


    "You think a medic doesn''t have to defend themselves on the battlefield," Alexander stated.


    "Not what I said," Arthur squinted.


    Alexanders face twitched again.


    "I''m already at the top of the class..." Arthur shrugged. "I think I can defend myself fine..."


    "Oh really... And how powerful do you think you are? Young man, Rukard was it, let me see that sword," Alexander asked Rukard.


    Rukard looked at Arthur, ''Wait, is he serious?'' Alexander walked past Arthur, Rukard held the sword up and Alexander grabbed it by the blade end. Alexander had a smirk on his face, but so did Arthur. ''I''ve always wanted to try fighting Alexander... ''


    "Sir Alexander! I don''t think you should-"


    "Silence Bruno," Alexander turned. "Let''s see just how strong you are, son of Shinra..."


    The rest of the students looked between each other, they spread out as they expected something big now that a noble was going to fight. Alexander walked toward Istvan as Arthur spun his spear around. ''This might not end well...'' However, at that moment, a light shot down from the sky. ''Huh-'' Arthur hesitated as he felt a weight tied to his neck, a silver pendant that resembled a coiled snake dangled over his chest. Arthur looked down with wide eyes, he looked up at the other students, but no one else seemed to have noticed. Nobody but Rukard, whose jaw was dropping slowly. ''Did- Did that just happen...'' A single name came to his mind, but Alexander ran forward and leapt at Arthur with the wooden sword raised.


    "Ah-" Arthur gasped as he dashed under the blade to Alexander''s right, and delivered a quick smack to his side.


    His heart beat rapidly as he quickly turned, but as he saw Alexander again, the noble was already lunging forward for a stab. Arthur dodged to the left, but then Alexander immediately swung, so he ducked low. Alexander was relentless, ''Go for the knee- No!'' Arthur was about to raise his blade above him, but chose to roll to the right, but felt the wood graze his left shoulder. ''Shit!''


    "You move well... But where did that confidence from earlier go!" Alexander grinned as he pursued relentlessly.


    "You rushed me without saying anything!" Arthur started stepping back.


    Arthur retreated quickly and prepared to jump back. ''I can''t get around him, he''s too big, and he has insane range... Why did I have to get a Celestial gift right now!'' Arthur blocked an attack with both hands and then redirected it, then spun and swung his staff at Alexander''s head. The noble dodged by simply moving his head, then raised his hand to grasp Arthur. ''I don''t need to use the gift-'' Arthur dodged low, rolled and got up again, his heart beat quickly and each breath was heavy. Alexander immediately turned and lunged forward.


    "You should be prepared for anything in a fight!" Alexander instructed as he swung wildly.


    Arthur tried to dodge, but Alexander still connected some of the slashes. The force of Alexander''s swings was pushing him back over a meter at a time, they weren''t even within the boundaries of the arena anymore. ''Anything in a fight, huh... Well, then let''s see how you deal with this!'' Arthur stopped dodging backwards, then blocked Alexander''s next strike while pushing the blade away as he closed the distance. Alexander grinned as he jumped up and raised the wooden sword high. The speed at which he swung down shocked Arthur. ''Reiu! Protect!''


    The silver snake that appeared like a pendant, unraveled and took life. ''A spirit?!'' It had blue eyes, glowing stone scales, and blue gemstones were embedded on the tiny dragon''s head. A white shield of light formed in front of Arthur and blocked Alexander''s strike. The shield suddenly got brighter, and was sucked into the nose of Arthur''s living pendant. The small dragon then opened its mouth and blasted a white and blue force at Alexander.


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    "What-" Alexander stuttered.


    Alexander was suddenly blasted away, the force sent Arthur off his feet as well. ''Agh!'' Arthur fell backwards after the strong impact, landing on his rear and immediately rolling backward. He looked down at the pendant in shock, he was surprised to see it had changed back to its lifeless form. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Alexander had been launched into the tree that Arthur had climbed earlier. Arthur stood up slowly, taking a deep breath. ''I gotta show dad...''


    "I win," Arthur suddenly announced.


    Istvan and the rest of the students looked confused. Arthur suddenly turned and ran toward the hospital. Alexander shook his head as he tried to make sense of what he saw, but he was much more focused on Arthur''s declaration.


    "You win?!" Alexander coughed. "What was that light! Get back here you brat! You did not win!" Alexander''s voice got quieter as Arthur got further away.


    "Sorry! I really gotta go!" Arthur yelled with a smile on his face as he quickly ran off.


    "Huh... Hey, hey Arthur! Wait, come back here and explain yourself! What just happened!"


    "I just got guaranteed a place as a lieutenant! That''s what!" Arthur quietly laughed to himself.


    He ran directly toward where his father worked, the Helios Hospital of Medical Research. To the right was House Pendragon''s Bureau, to the left was a plaza with multiple shops. In front of the convenience store Arthur always went to as a kid, were multiple bags of what looked like sand, but there was a lot of grey ash and dust around it. He stepped off of the grass and onto the pavement in front of the massive building. Every time Arthur approached the building, he''d remember the awe he felt as a child the first time he looked upon it. He ran up the steps and then approached the door. However, it was pushed open before Arthur reached it.


    "We need more cement..." a construction worker wearing sunglasses walked out of the hospital.


    "Why the hell can''t we just get Bruno to do this job... This makes no sense..." Another one who was bald walked out.


    "Stop complaining, the pay is good..."


    "Seal a broken wall of the building," the other worker said with a mocking voice. "But then they want us to bury the room in cement, like... What?! Where do we get that much cement, and the equipment?! And not to mention, we''d basically have to do everything again..."


    "Trust me, this client is worth the extra work. There''s no one who would pay more."


    Arthur walked into the hospital as he looked back at the two construction workers head toward the bags he saw earlier. He turned and was immediately met with heads rising. Two people stood at the front desk, one of them behind it. Several patients waiting in the lobby looked up with bright eyes.


    "Arthur, how are you doing today!" the lady at the front desk waved, she was blonde, her hair tied back in a pony tail with a pair of glasses resting atop her head.


    "Morning Lisa, morning Dr. Fost!"


    "Hey Arthur!" the doctor leaning on the desk waved, he was rather plain looking, skinny with short black hair.


    The bright light from outside shone through the glass roof, illuminating the lobby. It was mostly white, save for the banners with red symbols of House Pendragon, a snake-like dragon coiling around a spear. A large tree sat in the corner between two rows of seats along the wall. It was a tree native to Hiria''s jungles, Arthur could tell from its odd shape and the twenty large leaves evenly spaced out in sets of five. ''That tree is almost too big for the lobby... It''s been growing for some time now... Huh... Technically the tree is around my age, it was a gift for my father before I was born.''


    Down the hall, next to the information board, a few workers were seated on a wooden bench. The sound of hammers and picks could be heard from the entrance. About halfway through the hallway was yellow tape to block people from entering that area. ''They''re doing construction on the first floor? That''s going to be annoying for the offices down here...'' Arthur took a left, pushing open a door and entering into one of the building''s primary stairwells.


    Arthur turned and ran up the steps two at a time. After passing the third floor, he stopped and took a deep breath as a drop of sweat trickled down the side of his head. Outside the building he could see Istvan helping Alexander to his feet, only to be shoved off in the noble''s frustration. Arthur knelt slightly, then continued up the steps at the same pace. He slowed down passed the eighth floor, his legs felt strained, but he was used to climbing the stairs. Before he reached the ninth and top floor, a man with blonde hair passed him.


    "Arthur!" the man shouted with a welcoming tone and a slight laugh.


    "Hey Oliver!" Arthur waved as he leaned on the railing.


    "Are you skipping class again? You know your dad blames this on me right..." Oliver spoke with a serious tone.


    "Oh don''t worry, I chose to skip," Arthur laughed.


    "That''s... Not my point..." Oliver squinted. "Ah well, not like Shinra was any different when he was young."


    "My dad skipped classes? Really?!" Arthur''s expression turned to one of disbelief.


    "Yeah, crazy right..." Oliver shook his head as he walked down the steps.


    "Is he in his office? I wanna show him something!" Arthur could barely hide the excitement in his eyes.


    "Hm, he seemed busier than normal..." Oliver put a thumb to his chin as he looked up in thought. "Why? What''s so important that you run up nine flights of stairs and skip class..."


    Oliver wore a white shirt with red decals, he was one of the current lieutenants of House Pendragon, a warrior who inherited a powerful weapon from the Celestial. The thin sword secured to his waist was a simple rapier, but highly effective with deadly precision. He pulled his blonde hair back and then rubbed his chin. Arthur just smirked with a toothy grin as he pointed his thumb at the pendant. Oliver leaned forward with a curious expression, his thin eyebrows rose as he realized. Arthur held up the silver pendant he had received from the Celestial.


    "No," said Oliver.


    "Yes," Arthur replied.


    "Oh! Oh shit!" Oliver jumped.


    "I can''t believe it either!" Arthur cheered. "I got it right before I sparred against Alexander!"


    "You what?! Wait, forget that- of course you''d get a gift, you are Shinra''s son after all!" Oliver threw his arm over Arthur, rubbing his head with his other hand. "That''s amazing! If you become a noble you''ll have two!"


    "It looks really cool right!"


    "Yeah it really does, it''s..." Oliver squinted as he looked at himself. "It''s like an amulet... That''s peculiar, it kind of looks like a snake? Balakin also looks like a snake... What can it do?"


    "I''m not too sure yet, the vision I received was a little hard to understand... I think it might be both a tool and spirit though," Arthur recounted.


    "Well I''ll be damned... A spirit?! You might actually surpass your father at this rate..." Oliver commented. "I think Shinra was in his office, but I''m not sure if he''ll see anyone right now... Has a difficult patient apparently..."


    "Huh, well, I''ll see you later, Lieutenant Blume," Arthur said with a snarky tone.


    "Huh..." Oliver paused for a moment. "Oh, you little- I know I said you''ll surpass your dad, but you''re gonna have to surpass me first!"


    "Haha! I''ll be giving you orders soon enough," Arthur laughed as he walked onto the top floor.


    "As if!" Oliver shouted as the door closed behind Arthur.


    "And how will you be giving orders when you''re skipping every single operation, hm?" A woman with a thick accent lightly hit Arthur''s temple with a stack of papers.


    Arthur turned and saw a woman with dark skin he recognized all too well. She had puffy, curly, black hair and was a little plump. She wore a white coat with red stripes on it that stretched down to her knees, underneath she had a teal shirt and black pants. She wore a black necklace that depicted a winged figure; it was a symbol of a church in lower Helios, Selenos Chapel.


    "Haha, hey Ako," Arthur greeted.


    "Again with the first names, i''m glad you remember, but you better be more formal when you get older!" Akovo walked by with a stack of strangely shaped papers.


    Akovo dropped the stack of papers on the desk and slowly made her way behind it, judging from how long it took her to get around, Arthur could tell she was getting old. He walked over and looked at the stack of documents, a lot of it looked worn out. The pages were all changing color.


    "Hey... What is that stuff?"


    "Some documents your father recovered a few days ago, I don''t know where he got them, but they are quite old, here, see this..." Akovo pointed at one of the pages.


    The page wasn''t white anymore, it seemed to be a translucent brown. As Akovo touched the page, he heard it crinkle. ''It''s so brittle... Didn''t know that could happen to paper...'' Arthur looked at the top of the stack, there was a calendar.


    "What''s this?" Arthur reached for the calendar.


    "Hey, this is classified by the way," Akovo moved the stack away from him.


    "It''s just a calendar," Arthur shrugged. "Does this have to do with the difficult patient Oliver mentioned?"


    "I''m not sure, that boy is odd to say the least... Cute kid, but he''s just about terrified of everyone... The only one who he opens up to is your father."


    "It''s a kid?" Arthur squinted.


    He looked down at the calendar once more, the top page had red letters written on it. The last entry was odd though. Rather than the usual X on the date, it was just a single slash that dragged past the borders of that day and became rather squiggly. As if the person who was marking the calendar had slipped while they wrote. Arthur quickly scanned through the days as Akovo wasn''t looking. ''The dates stopped being marked off a few days ago.''


    "Well, I have to drop this off at the records office, see you Arthur!" Akovo walked away with the documents.


    "You need a hand with that?" Arthur waved.


    "Thank you, but I''ll be fine."


    The nurse continued down the hall, Arthur looked the other way as he continued on. ''I wonder if that patient is still here... Should be...'' Arthur made his way toward the head office, his fathers office. As he got closer, he noticed a woman standing by the door. It was his fathers second in command and the spy of House Pendragon. Arthur tried to lighten his steps over the carpet, and approached without making noise.


    The black haired woman was just shorter than him, she leaned against the door to Shinra''s office with her arms crossed. She wore a similar shirt to Akovo and Oliver, but she had a black leather coat overtop, with golden buttons and stitching. The woman had lazy red eyes, but Arthur knew she was sharp. There were offices on either side of the hallway, benches for sitting, and trolleys with intricate machinery on top. Common equipment hung on the walls, and there was a bottle of sanitizing liquid. Her red eyes glanced at him. ''What? How did she know!?''


    "Oh, hey Arthur," Leia turned back to the room, she looked at the vest Arthur still wore. "Skipping class again?"


    "Yeah," Arthur replied with an annoyed tone. "Is dad in there?"


    "No, he asked me to keep watch outside the room while he went to the treasury."


    "Why is he going to the treasury?" Arthur asked. "Doesn''t he usually send you?"


    "Yeah, he insisted he go this time though," Leia sighed.


    Arthur tried to enter the room, but Leia lifted her foot and blocked the door with it.


    "I''m sure I said I was keeping watch," Leia raised an eyebrow at Arthur.


    "Didn''t know you were also a guard," Arthur stepped back. "I heard that patient is being a huge problem."


    Leia snickered, which made Arthur tilt his head.


    "He''s really not, Oliver must have told you if you think it''s that bad..." Leia shook her head.


    "Heh, sharp as ever..." Arthur complimented. "That''s why dad trusts you though."


    "Oh? Do you trust me too?" Leia asked.


    "What? Of course not," Arthur laughed. "It''s common knowledge not to trust a spy."


    "Pfft, quit pulling my leg," Leia shook her head.


    "I''ve known you so long I don''t even think it matters," Arthur added.


    "Aw, that''s sweet," Leia turned to Arthur and smiled.


    The two stood outside the room for a moment. Arthur could only see his fathers desk, there was a white book on top of it. The label on the spine was somewhat familiar, ''The Legend of Ragnarok.'' Arthur squinted at it. ''I''ve seen that book before... Isn''t that a children''s story?'' A cough came from inside the room, it sounded like a child. Leia glanced inside the room, then walked in.


    "Hey, do you need anything? You don''t have to go pee? You''re not hungry?" Leia asked with a very soft tone.


    Arthur poked his head into the room. The boy had loose white hair, he shook his head in response to Leia. The boy glanced at the door and noticed Arthur. His blue eyes widened as he saw him, he immediately tensed up. ''Huh...'' Arthur looked away, scanning the room for anything out of place, but finding nothing.


    "How is this kid difficult?" Arthur asked as he stepped into the room.


    Leia glanced at him for a moment and let out a sigh. She shook her head.


    "Arthur, I thought I told you not to come in," Leia groaned as she looked out the window.


    "Well, too late now," Arthur walked over to an open pill bottle next to the boy.


    Arthur walked past him, getting a better sense of his age. ''He really is a kid...'' The boy tensed up as Arthur passed by, even leaning away.


    "I''m... I''m just closing this..." Arthur mentioned.


    "Yeah you don''t have to worry, he''s the nice doctor''s son," said Leia. "Unless you make a mess, then his inner neat freak comes out."


    "Oh shut up, there''s nothing wrong with being organized..." Arthur chuckled slightly under his groan.


    "The doctor is your dad?" the boy asked.


    Leia squinted as she noticed the boy open up just a little.


    "Yeah..." Arthur replied, the question puzzled him.


    "Oh. Huh..."


    "Hm?" Arthur tilted his head.


    The boy just squinted as he looked at the ground, he was clearly thinking about something. He continued to look around the room, then squinted at the window.


    "Why is... The sky is orange? Why?" the white haired boy asked.


    Arthur turned and looked out the window, the sun was setting. A gradient of orange was pulling back the dark blue. ''What?'' Arthur raised an eyebrow as he thought about the question. What was even more bizarre, was how genuine the question sounded. Leia continued to observe next to the window.


    "Because... The sun is going down?" Arthur squinted.


    "What? Isn''t the sky supposed to be blue?" the boy asked another seemingly obvious question with genuine ignorance.


    "Yeah... When the sun is around the horizon..." Arthur nodded, his tone insinuating this should be obvious.


    The boy just looked down again, squinted and then held his head. A fast pair of steps came down the hallway. Shinra stepped into the room, and scanned it from left to right in less than a second.


    "Arthur," Shinra squinted, then looked at Leia for a few seconds. "I thought I said, not to let anyone in..." He walked to the desk and moved ''The Legend of Ragnarok'' into his desk drawer. "Or... Did my son just put up that much of a fight."


    "I couldn''t stop him sir, it was a desperate effort," Leia replied while yawning.


    "And what about the other? No problems right?"


    Shinra had white hair slicked back, a thick mustache and goatee covering his mouth. He was in his late sixties. He wore a white shirt, and held his white and red coat in hand. Arthur noticed his forehead shine, ''What''s he sweating for?'' The boy jumped off the bed and looked to the head doctor. Shinra''s breaths sounded a little fatigued.


    "No, no he''s been behaving... He''s just an odd kid..."


    "Uhm... Sir..." The boy called Shinra.


    "Give me a moment, lad," Shinra asked while flipping through some files on his desk.


    "Did... Did you end up finding my-"


    "Wait, just a moment, my brain isn''t as good as it used to be..."


    "Oh, sorry," the boy spoke with his head low.


    Leia kept her eye on Shinra, before leaning off the wall and turning toward the door.


    "You do your thing doc, I''ll go write my report," Leia waved as she walked out the door.


    "Yes... Oh! Wait just a moment Leia!" Shinra called and Leia turned. "I asked Ako about the construction happening on the first floor, but she didn''t know about it, who ordered that?"


    Arthur thought back to the men he saw when he entered the hospital. Leia tilted her head.


    "Are you sure you didn''t call them?" Leia asked.


    "Yes, I''m sure... Besides, a construction warrant requires approval from me... I don''t recall approving any construction on the first floor for the last few months..."


    "I''ll look around, might have been a mistake, see you later, bye Arthur," Leia walked out of the room.


    Shinra walked over to the door, poking his head out and observing Leia as she walked down the hall. Arthur turned back to the child. Shinra let out a drawn out sigh as he closed the door and turned to Arthur.


    "You shouldn''t be in this room either. I saw Knight Captain Bahar outside on the way out and back to the building, you weren''t there both times..."


    "I was there the first time?! Just... Out of your sight.." Arthur glanced in other directions to avoid his eyes. "Besides, I know everything already."


    Shinra sighed.


    "Well, I am of the belief that intelligence does not require institution, however, there is more to it than acquiring knowledge and skill," Shinra spoke as he closed the windows and shut the blinds.


    "Huh? What else could there be to school?"


    "Those students will be your colleagues Arthur, for years to come, it''s best for you to get along with everyone and build strong bonds."


    "Well, I''m good friends with all of your lieutenants..."


    "That''s fine, however I want you to have friends around your age," Shinra opened the door for Arthur. "The perception of the world is different for people of all ages, and understanding everyone is difficult. Anyways, we''ll continue this discussion later, I cannot continue my consultation with you here."


    Arthur pursed his lips as he walked to the door. "Most people in class just hang out with me because I''m smart, or because I''m a noble... It''s really annoying..."


    "Ignorance isn''t something we should avoid or punish, Arthur. When we were growing up, your mother wasn''t very bright, she''d bombard me with questions all the time," Shinra laughed.


    "Mom was a nurse here before she passed away though..." Arthur tilted his head.


    "Exactly," said Shinra. "People can change Arthur. They may be ignorant now, but that''s exactly why they are in school. They seek to change and better themselves, only a fool wouldn''t acknowledge that effort."


    "Hm..." Arthur thought about his fathers words. "I guess you''re right... It''s still really annoying though..."


    "You''ll get over it," Shinra patted Arthur''s shoulder twice, but then raised an eyebrow as he looked down. "What''s this?" he held the pendant up.


    "Oh, that''s why I came up here! Take a look! I got my own gift!"


    "By the Celestial... Arthur, that''s incredible!" Shinra gushed.


    "Right!" Arthur laughed.


    The little boy watched with wide eyes. He didn''t seem to understand, but he had shifted on the bed and crawled toward them to get a better look.


    "Woah..." the little boy whispered, he looked surprised.


    "I''m not too sure how it works yet, but check this out," Arthur held the amulet up in his palm.


    "Is it safe? Don''t blow up my office!" Shinra warned.


    "Yeah, yeah, its fine," Arthur stepped past his father.


    Shinra stepped back as Arthur took a deep breath. ''Reiu...'' The pendant unwounded, then brightened in its color. The silver became a white glow, the small snake-like dragon slithered around Arthur''s neck and rested its head on his shoulder.


    "That''s so cool!" the little boy shouted with his hands on his head.


    "Huh? I didn''t even do anything with her yet," Arthur laughed.


    Arthur pointed to the boy.


    "Protect," he commanded.


    A white barrier appeared around the boy.


    Arthur glanced one last time at the young angel. He watched Arthur and Shinra with a dazed expression.


    "What''s his name anyway?" Arthur asked.


    "Eos," Shinra answered. "His name is Eos..."


    "Eos?" Arthur repeated as he glanced at the boy.


    "It''s... Definitely not a common name..."


    "Huh... Well, his family should be in Helios... Which district did you find him in?"


    Shinra stared at the ground with a blank expression, Arthur tilted his head as he waited for an answer.


    "Where''d you find him? Dad?" Arthur repeated.


    "I haven''t told anyone this, I really don''t know who to go to... But..."


    Arthur tilted his head, his father seemed tense. It was uncommon for anything to make him worry. The silver dragon floated toward Eos, tilting its head as it observed the boy. Eos reached forward to touch it, but then felt the surface of the barrier Reiu had conjured. The boy was mesmerized by the sight.


    "A dwagon?" Eos uttered to himself.


    "Told anyone what?" Arthur asked.


    "Nevermind what I just said..." Shinra turned around. "I''ll get something nice for dinner tonight, it isn''t often someone receives the Celestials generosity. And a spirit at that! Your mother would be proud."


    "Oh... Alright, no problem..." Arthur waved as he turned around, as he stepped outside, the door closed behind him.


    Arthur made his way down the hallway. He looked down and pondered the last few things his father said.


    "I wonder what''s got him so worked up..." Arthur asked himself.

 Act 0 - Chapter 3

    Chapter 3; Nova; Hemhir 25th; 329SR; 12:05


    The bedroom was quiet, the bright white sunlight lit the room. Nova rested on her stomach between her quilt and a beige pillow, flipping through the pages of a book titled: ¡®The Legend of Ragnarok.¡¯ The rich, savory scent of pancakes from breakfast still permeated from the kitchen downstairs and crept into the room. The jolly laughter of her three brothers outside flooded through the window. ¡®How can they be so energetic after all that food¡­¡¯ Nova shook her head and continued to read.


    The sky was blanketed by the tiny specs in the distance, each was a massive aircraft carrying hundreds of brave soldiers into battle. The giant was at least twelve miles from the city. It was massive, tall enough to loom over Silsta. Despite all of our discoveries, all of our research¡­ Looking upon the maw in the giant¡¯s stomach made it hard to breathe. The otherworldly face on the creature¡¯s torso grunted and roared, its voice sounding like a brass horn even caused the land to shake violently. Its individual teeth were easier to see than the battleships that faced it. The giant stopped outside the borders of Silsta, and glanced up, revealing its orange blazing eyes filled with rage. Two on its face, and two on its torso.


    ¡°Fire! Fire upon that monster!¡±


    A ballad of weaponry echoed through the sky, the thunderous sounds incited hymns of excitement down below in the streets of Helios. The giant was engulfed in a flurry of explosions, it raised its arms and protected its face. An ominously strong wind washed over castle Patheon and the rest of the city. From behind the drifting smoke, I saw the end. A flash of orange, bright enough to light up the sky from behind the dust. The massive grit teeth on the giant¡¯s stomach was visible for a moment, outlined by orange light.


    ¡°Attack! Destroy Ragnarok before it has a chance to-¡±


    Its maw opened, firing an orange beam directly upon the kingdom of Silsta. In that moment, it gripped me like a cold hand, the fear, regret, and uncertainty. In that moment, our fate became clear to me, and it was inevitable. Ragnarok roared as the beam intensified. The steadfast hymn of our people, came to a sudden stop. The giant tilted its stomach upward, and the beam followed. It cut straight through the land and sea, obliterating half of the approaching fleet in a single attack.


    ¡°Re¡­ Retreat-¡±


    I choked on my spit. Like an ant, trying desperately to avoid being stepped on¡­ For the first time in my life, I felt puny in this world. The beam came back down, striking the sea far to the west. As the beam was just beginning to fade, Ragnarok whipped its body to the left. The beam dragged through the ground, and-


    ¡°Hey, Nova! Come play!¡± Eos called from outside, breaking her immersion.


    Nova looked out the window, peering up at the baby blue sky behind the spiky trees. She looked down and continued on to the end of the page. ¡®I wonder why he ever made the giant mad¡­ Wouldn¡¯t everything have been avoided if they just left it alone? Idiot¡­¡¯ Nova shut the book and looked at the cover, it depicted the grey giant Ragnarok, battling a warrior with white wings, and another with black horns. The young girl rubbed her eyes as she looked at the clock, it was a quarter past noon. An excited cry came from outside, Eos had been making the sounds all morning as he played with his gift. ¡®I¡¯ve been reading all day¡­¡¯ Nova closed the white book. She shifted herself off the bed, then walked to the window as she rubbed her eye.


    "They''re still playing¡­ They''ve just been doing that everyday for the past four days¡­" Nova shook her head, but then noticed her mom.


    Her mother¡¯s black hair had a red tint that often went unnoticed, but in the white sunlight, it was very vivid. ¡®Ever since Eos got his gift, mom has been watching us play¡­ She never did that before¡­¡¯ Nova walked out of the room and into the second floor hallway. She turned left and looked down the stairs, the front door was open and the screen door visible. There was only one pair of sandals by the door. Nova looked at the dent in the wall, dragging her finger over it. ''The first thing Eos does with his gift is run head first into a wall¡­ What an idiot¡­ He''s going to end up dumb like Zeus at this rate¡­ Still, I didn''t even see it happen¡­ His gift makes him really fast¡­ One second Eos was in the room, and then there''s a thud, and then he¡¯s on the ground¡­ And then mom panicked again¡­ '' Nova turned right and walked down the hall, walking past the storage rooms and then toward the bathroom. Before she entered the bathroom, she glanced at the room at the next corner. ''Mom''s office¡­'' Nova opened the door but stopped as she remembered what had kept her up late. The expression on her mother''s face as she gazed upon Eos''s gift. ''Mom didn''t look like that when I got a gift¡­ Or when Zeus did¡­'' Nova recalled a day some time ago as she closed the bathroom door.


    ***


    ¡°Woah¡­ I want a gift like Yami''s!¡± said Zeus.


    Zeus sat on the porch, his elbows resting on his knees as he held his chin. Nova looked up at Yami, whose gift gave him a pair of wings bigger than his entire body. ¡®I should be able to do that too, right? Do gifts work like that?¡¯ Yami jumped, and his wings flapped at the same time. Zeus and Nova raised their tiny arms as the wind blew by. Yami continued to flap his wings, each time he pushed himself higher. Nova was bewildered by how easy it seemed for him.


    ¡°How are you making wings?! And moving them?! I can¡¯t even get the shape right¡­¡±


    The three kids were in front of their home, on the bright green grass next to the porch. The house was surrounded on all sides by a dark forest, directly above their house was the bright white sun and blue rigid sky. Yami looked down from above, he put a hand on his chin while he floated in front of the sun. ¡®Is he even focusing on the shape? He¡¯s making it look so easy?! I¡¯m getting annoyed¡­ Okay, let¡¯s try again! Loomy, come out!¡¯ A red foxes head rose out of her shoulder, snout first, it dragged itself up and leaned out of Nova¡¯s shoulder, as if leaning out of a window. The red fox looked around quickly, but then seemed to get bored just as fast.


    ¡°Alright Loomy, make me wings like those ones!¡± Nova pointed up at Yami.


    The fox just looked at her, then rested its head. Zeus tilted his head as he looked at the fox.


    ¡°Hey! I gave you an order!¡± Nova shouted. ¡°Make wings like those ones!¡±


    Loomy let out a squeak of denial.


    ¡°Huh?! Why?¡± Nova asked the fox.


    ¡°Rrf¡­¡± Loomy grumbled, as if annoyed by the constant requests.


    ¡°I am not annoying! And I am not asking for too much!¡± Nova stomped angrily.


    Zeus tilted his head as he watched Nova and Loomy bicker.


    ¡°Maybe you should try something else? Like¡­ Something smaller¡­¡± Zeus suggested.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Zeus looked around, then made his way over to the flowers growing in the dirt.


    Nova squinted as she watched her little brother grab a yellow tulip with both hands. ¡®Is he about to-¡¯ He snapped the stem, and then turned to her. He held it up and just looked at her. Nova was dumbfounded by his decision just now, even Yami landed and looked at him with wide eyes.


    ¡°Try and make this¡­¡± Zeus suggested.


    ¡°You idiot!¡± Yami scolded.


    ¡°Zeus, you dumbo!¡± Nova held her head.


    ¡°What?¡± Zeus shrugged, confused as to what he did wrong.


    ¡°How many times has mom yelled at you for ripping her plants?! You just did it again?!¡± Nova reminded him.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Yeah¡­¡± Zeus scratched his head. ¡°But, it¡¯ll come back, so it¡¯s okay!¡± he grinned with his sharp teeth.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just¡­ Point at it?!¡± Yami asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to break it?¡±


    Nova took the flower from Zeus and shook her head. ¡®If mom finds this she¡¯s going to scold all of us again¡­ All because of Zeus¡­¡¯ Loomy inched his snout forward, sniffing the tulip and observing it closely. Nova moved some of the dirt under a bush, then buried the yellow tulip. She shoved the dirt over. ¡®Last time we all got yelled at because he kept making bets about who could get the furthest into the forest without chickening out¡­ Mom was so mad she grounded us for a month¡­ I don¡¯t want to get- Huh¡­¡¯ Something sprouted off the back of Nova¡¯s hand. Small red bubbles of light floated off her arm, collecting into a single shape. A tulip, made from her red energy.


    ¡°Hey, look!¡± Yami pointed at it.


    ¡°Loomy you did it?! And so easily?!¡± Nova skipped a breath.


    ¡°Well¡­ Didn¡¯t he say you were asking for a lot¡­¡± Zeus mentioned.


    Nova brought the tulip close and observed it. The edges of the shape were jittering ever so slightly, Nova could see more of the red bubbles collecting on the shape. It landed on the flower like a raindrop, and almost seemed to get absorbed into it. The shape wasn¡¯t nearly as stable as Yami¡¯s wings, but it was something. ¡®I have to show mom¡­¡¯


    ¡°I have to show mom!¡± Nova grinned excitedly.


    The little girl quickly stood up, stumbling to her feet in a hurry. She ran past Zeus and Yami, and then up the stairs of the house. She didn¡¯t even take her shoes off, sprinting up the stairs with the red tulip on her hand. Loomy looked at her all the while, closely observing her excitement. She reached the top of the stairs, ran past her bedroom and then turned left at the end of the hall.


    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Nova laughed as she ran.


    Upon reaching her office, Nova threw the door open and ran in. Her mother, Theresia, was deep into books again. She had at least three open all at once. Her hair was greasy, and her eyes sunken. The shadows under her eyelids made her look very angry. Nova didn¡¯t consider it, she walked forward and held her hand up.


    ¡°Mom! Look! I managed to make something! I made something with my gift like Yami!¡± Nova held the glowing red tulip up.


    ¡°Nova¡­¡± she rubbed her eyes, then smiled. ¡°That¡¯s great Nova. But i¡¯m a little busy right now, and you can¡¯t be here when I''m working.¡±


    Theresia looked down and continued to write something down in a black and white notebook.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Okay¡­¡± Nova nodded.


    Nova turned and quickly left the room, she didn¡¯t want to make her mother upset. But her mothers lack of response, made her feel empty.


    ***


    Nova spat her toothpaste into a cup. ''Mom''s never looked like that when she saw our gifts¡­ But when she saw Eos¡¯s¡­ She looked¡­ Like¡­ Like...'' Nova continued to ponder as she brushed her teeth. She gazed at her reflection''s red eyes, until they were drawn to her red hair just barely reaching her shoulder. ''My hair is getting kind of long, I want to grow it out more¡­'' Nova leaned forward and spit out a glob of toothpaste, then turned the faucet handle. The water ran over the brush, Nova made sure to clean between the bristles as well. She stopped as she remembered Zeus''s most recent birthday, the faucet continued to run.


    "Wait¡­" Nova raised an eyebrow as she remembered it. "When we made Zeus a cake shaped like a sword¡­ He had a similar expression¡­ But he was really happy¡­"


    ''Happy? Mom didn''t seem happy¡­ I think? Mom smiles when she''s happy¡­ Zeus was¡­ Zeus wasn''t smiling¡­ So was he really happy about it? Do people need to smile to be-'' Nova was shaken out of her thoughts the moment water hit her feet. She looked down to see the sink overflow with tap water.


    "Oh no!" Nova shouted and lost her train of thought.


    Nova quickly turned the knob and stopped the running water, grimacing at the filled bowl. It slowly started to decrease in volume.


    "That was close¡­"


    A red orb jumped out of her core and landed on the counter. It stood on four legs, as eight tails spread out of its back, twirling together tightly. It resembled a fox with red fur, black eyes and a very long snout. Loomy walked across the counter and looked into the filled sink.


    "Loomy, why did you come out now?" Nova asked. "I didn¡¯t even call you out¡­"


    Nova tilted her head as Loomy stared into the water, then suddenly dived in. Nova shielded her face as water splashed over the counter.


    "Hey! You''re making a bigger mess!" Nova scolded.


    The fox simply floated above the water and closed its eyes as it drifted. It appeared relaxed as its eight tails spread out. Nova let out a sigh, pulling a towel off the rack next to the sink and pushing the water back into the sink. As she looked down and saw the drenched carpet, she shook her head and dropped the towel over it. The water in the sink slowly drained.


    "Mom''s going to be upset at me for this¡­ And it''s your fault¡­" said Nova.


    The fox yipped with a relaxed tone. It then attempted to dive into the small pool of water.


    Nova sighed. "You don''t even care¡­ Why did I end up with the oddball for a gift¡­"


    The fox couldn''t get its head under the water, then looked around frantically. Loomy suddenly seemed confused. The last of the water went down the drain. Nova was about to walk out of the room until the fox started thrashing around.


    "Hey! Stop!" Nova scolded.


    "Awrwa!" Loomy snapped back for once, startling Nova.


    ''Huh¡­'' The fox ran towards her. Nova didn''t expect the sudden aggression, quickly cowering and shielding her face. The fox landed on her head and then jumped at the door, slamming into it. ''Huh!'' Nova turned at the same time that Loomy ran between her feet. She crouched down and shut her eyes, suddenly afraid of her own gift. Glass shattered, and Nova looked up. Loomy wasn¡¯t in the room anymore, and the window was broken. The room fell silent, the only sound came from the water steadily dripping to the floor.


    "Loomy! Ah!" Nova panicked as she realized her spirit jumped from the second floor of the house.


    Nova ran to the window and looked out to the back of the house. The red fox was running away from the patio, toward the forest. ''Ah no! Loomy don¡¯t go that way!'' The red haired girl stormed out of the washroom and then down the hall. She hurried down the steps and charged through the front door.


    The bright light stung her eyes, she raised her palm and squinted through her fingers at the large circular light directly overhead. The sound of Nova''s brothers cheering and playing drew her attention for a moment, it came from the left side of the house. Theresia was sitting in the shade, at a bench against the wall next to the hose, watching the three boys play. Nova walked towards Theresia, but then Eos appeared right in front of her. He came to a sudden stop, the air popped as particles of his light blue energy floated in the air. Eos waved his hands in front of himself as he tried to not fall over.


    ¡°Safe!¡± Eos planted both his feet as he balanced himself. ¡°Hi Nova!¡±


    ¡°Oh my!¡± Nova¡¯s heart jumped out of her chest, ¡°Don¡¯t startle me like that! And¡­ Don¡¯t hurt yourself again!¡± Nova scolded Eos.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry, I got it this time! I just have to control how fast I go!¡± Eos raised one foot, stepped forward and kicked off the dirt.


    Nova and Theresia both shielded their eyes, the wind sent their hair all over the place.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t he going to get hurt?!¡± Nova turned to her mom.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, he seems to have a good handle of it¡­¡± said Theresia.


    ¡®She¡¯s okay with this? He slammed his face into a wall a few days ago¡­¡¯ Nova was puzzled as she watched Eos outrun and outmaneuver the other two. ''He¡¯s even faster than he was yesterday¡­ He¡¯s like a blur¡­'' The white haired boy hopped up and down with a bright smile as Zeus and Yami huffed repeatedly. Their clothes were drenched in sweat.


    "Shit¡­ Is this seriously happening¡­ Are we losing to the youngest?!" Zeus shouted at Yami.


    "He''s insanely fast¡­ It''s unreal¡­ And he''s showing off¡­" Yami laughed.


    "Haha! Hahaha!" Eos laughed like an idiot as he watched their bewilderment.


    Nova squinted as she noticed the golden horn protruding from the side of Eos''s head. Zeus shook his head and ran forward, Eos stopped laughing and stepped backwards, Nova squinted as he suddenly moved back faster than Zeus ran forward. Zeus lunged forward and tried to swipe at Eos, only for him to vanish from sight. ''Huh!?'' Nova looked left and right, her little brother was suddenly gone.


    "Where did he go?!" Zeus shouted. "Get back here! You aren''t a chicken, right Eos? Real tag players don''t hide! That''s what you do in hide and seek!"


    Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ''What...'' Nova squinted at that statement. But she felt someone tug the back of her shirt.


    "Chickens!" Eos mocked them as he hid behind Nova, he barely pronounced the word correctly.


    "Woah!" Nova turned in surprise.


    Nova turned around to see Eos tapping his feet against the grass as he excitedly marched in place. Eos stuck his tongue out, before turning, lifting one foot, and then taking off like a spark of light. Nova''s hair rose as the air popped again.


    "Mom! Are you seeing this shit?!" Yami shouted.


    "Haha, you better let Azure out if you wanna catch him," Theresia encouraged Yami.


    Nova looked at her mother, she had a pleasant smile on her face. ''Did Yami just swear¡­ In front of mom?''


    "Really? I can!" Yami jumped up excitedly.


    "Yami, he''s over there!" Zeus pointed at the forests to the front of the house.


    Eos was all the way at the other side of the field, waving to let them know where he was. Yami raised his hand as he crouched slightly, a blue bird appeared out of thin air in his hand. Azure flew into Yami''s chest, and two massive blue wings sprouted off the boy''s back. Yami ran forward and flew low, slowly picking up speed toward Eos.


    "Get that butthead! He¡¯s being a real punk today!" Zeus cheered Yami on.


    Nova turned to Theresia again, waiting for her to scold Zeus or Yami for their choice of words. But she didn''t, she laughed as she stood up.


    "Alright, that''s enough relaxing¡­ I better go and make brunch¡­ Aren''t you going to play as well?" Theresia asked Nova.


    "I-Uh, I¡­" Nova stammered over her words, looking down before she remembered why she came out. "Loomy! Ah I almost forgot!"


    "Forget about Loomy, he''s officially last place in terms of coolness," Zeus approached with his hands in his pocket.


    "Forget about Loomy? You little- Mom!" Nova snapped.


    "Huh?! I didn''t even do anything!"


    Nova turned to where her mother just was, but she was no longer there. Instead, the squeak of the screen door opening was all she heard. The door shut as the air popped again from the opposite side of the house.


    "Tsk¡­ Ugh¡­ Forget it¡­" Nova ran past Zeus toward the backside of the house.


    "Hey, what''s up? Where''s Loomy?" Zeus asked.


    "Just leave me alone! Doofus!"


    "Doofus?! You''re a doofus!"


    Nova reached the back and looked around the wide open yard. The circular clearing of grass around the house was surrounded by the tall forest of trees. Nova sighed as she heard Zeus''s footsteps behind her. ''This guy never listens...''


    "I thought Loomy doesn''t come out often, he usually never wants to play¡­" said Zeus.


    "Why are you still following me?!" Nova shouted.


    "Well¡­ I¡¯m not as fast as Eos¡­ And I can¡¯t fly¡­ So I''m kind of just losing over and over, and that gets boring¡­ I need a minute to figure out my strategy to win¡­"


    Nova''s eyebrow twitched as she looked at Zeus. Nova shook her head and turned back to the trees. Yycan appeared in front of Zeus and walked in front of the two. Nova looked down at the white wolf, it looked up at her happily with its tongue out, she sighed.


    ¡°Loomy got really mad at me¡­¡® said Nova, she knelt down to pet Yycan.


    ¡°Why?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ He suddenly just got angry, and jumped out of the window¡­¡±


    ¡°Out of the window?! Okay, that''s pretty cool¡­¡± Zeus nodded.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± Nova tried to walk faster.


    "What?" Zeus shrugged. "Being cool is a good thing!"


    They walked past the patio and reached the backyard. Zeus looked up at the broken window, and then around the patio. The patio had some planter boxes and chairs set up near the back door to the house. There was a spot where the reddish brown wood was darker, and a trail of water led directly away from the house.


    ¡°Where is he?¡± Zeus asked as his eyes followed the trail.


    ¡°He was just here¡­ Loomy! Loomy!¡± Nova called.


    "Hey Yycan, find Loomy," Zeus ordered sternly.


    "Oh, that''s right! Dogs and wolves have really good senses of smell! I didn''t know you read books?"


    "Huh? I don''t, books are boring and stupid¡­" Zeus replied without looking at her.


    "Huh¡­" Nova squinted with one eye.


    Yycan sniffed around the splattered water, before following a trail, and then sniffing over the grass. Yycan walked towards a particular spot, then started towards the forest as it continued the search. Nova was puzzled by its movements, ''What is it smelling¡­'' Nova glanced toward the house, noticing the open bathroom window at the second story of the house. She looked down and noticed the trail as well. ''Oh¡­ That''s where Loomy landed¡­''


    "Wait, Yycan is really smart¡­" Nova complimented.


    "Obviously, Yycan is the coolest," Zeus said nonchalantly.


    "He''s even smarter than you!" Nova followed after the white wolf.


    Nova and Zeus hurried down the grassy plane, running through the obstacle courses that her brothers often played with. There were stray tires, small crawl spaces, and even a rope net hanging from a small wall. Nova wasn¡¯t as interested in the obstacle course, she was usually more interested in reading her mothers books. As they reached the forest, the two of them stopped as Yycan ran right in.


    "Oh no! Yycan wait!¡± Nova shouted, but the wolf didn¡¯t turn. ¡°Mom says we can''t go into the forest!"


    "Well, Yycan just went¡­" Zeus shrugged.


    "Yeah¡­ But¡­ What if we get in trouble¡­" Nova asked quietly.


    "So?"


    "So?!"


    "Yeah, I mean¡­ I''ve been in trouble¡­ It''s not that bad¡­ Mom just makes me do something really boring¡­" Zeus walked forward, passed the first tree. "Look, I did it, no ones stopping me."


    "Ugh, I mean¡­ Obviously that''s fine¡­ But if she-"


    A howl came from further into the forest, Nova and Zeus looked up as they heard Yycan call to them.


    "He found him this way!" Zeus ran between the trees.


    Nova hesitated, but she followed after him. ¡®We have to go into the forest, it¡¯s the only way!¡¯ She watched Zeus''s back as he jumped over branches and logs. ''Zeus is being really helpful... I didn''t think he could be like this¡­'' Zeus looked around before pointing to the left.


    "Where?" Nova asked as she caught up to him and peeked over his shoulder.


    Loomy laid on the ground, in front of a large grey wall of rock. Yycan nudged him, but the fox didn''t move. Nova hurried past Zeus and toward Loomy, upon getting closer, she immediately felt like something was wrong.


    "Is he dead?" Zeus asked.


    "What? No! Don''t say that!" Nova snapped.


    Loomy sniffled as its head rested on the ground, Nova was taken aback by the poor state of the fox. ''He looks so sad¡­ Why?'' Nova looked at the wall of rocks, she had never been this far away from the house before. Along the lower part of the wall were several scratch marks, some of them even glowing a faint red.


    "He was scratching the rocks¡­" said Zeus.


    ¡°But, why? Loomy, what''s wrong?¡± Nova asked her own spirit.


    "Maybe he was upset?" Zeus asked. "Loomy isn''t usually mad, did you do something to make him angry?"


    "What? No? He just jumped into the sink and I yelled at him¡­ Then he didn''t like the sink and he yelled at me!"


    Zeus knelt down next to the fox and just stared at it. Nova tilted her head as Zeus just stayed like that for a few minutes. Loomy laid on the dirt with his tongue hanging out. The little fox wheezed as it huffed repeatedly.


    "He looks thirsty¡­" Zeus pointed at Loomy as he looked up at Nova.


    "What?" Nova replied.


    "Yeah¡­ His throat sounds dry and he looks exhausted¡­ I mean, look at him, his tongue is hanging out... And he sounds like mom when she''s sick¡­"


    "But¡­ Mom said spirits don''t need food and water?" Nova replied as she scratched her head.


    "Well¡­ Why did he jump in the water then? He usually just sits around looking up at the sky¡­"


    Nova and Zeus thought about it for some time, but it was no use. The fox opened its mouth and yawned, it rolled onto its back. Its chest heaved up and down.


    "Why are you sad, Loomy? Try and tell us, maybe we can help," the little girl asked with a concerned look as she rubbed the fox''s belly.


    The two children who normally bickered stood together in silence as they thought hard about a solution. A bright blue light zoomed through the tree''s behind them.


    "Ooo-" Eos''s cheer was cut off as he zoomed by quickly.


    After several seconds, a blue light from Yami''s wings followed through the tree''s. He was nowhere near as fast.


    "Eos is really happy¡­ I''ve never seen him like this¡­" Nova commented as she stood by.


    "Yeah¡­" Zeus replied awkwardly as he squinted at her. "He was really happy now that hes finally winning..."


    "Mom is really happy too¡­ She didn''t even scold you for swearing¡­"


    "Oh yeah," said Zeus, "Huh, I didn¡¯t even think about that¡­ That¡¯s weird¡­"


    "Wait¡­ I wanted to ask¡­ Remember your last birthday?" Nova suddenly brought up.


    "Yeah¡­?" Zeus dragged his words as he tried to recall.


    "When you saw the cake we made, you know, the one shaped like a sword¡­ Why did it make you sad?"


    "Sad?"


    "Yeah."


    "I¡­ Was not?"


    "What¡­ But¡­ You looked sad?"


    "I wasn''t¡­ I really liked the cake? Did I look sad? I don''t remember¡­ That was a while ago¡­" Zeus shrugged.


    "Mom made a similar face a few days ago¡­ She looked really sad when she saw Eos''s gift¡­"


    "Really?"


    "Yeah¡­"


    "She didn''t seem sad¡­ And like¡­ She wasn''t sad today? She even came out and watched us play, she barely ever does that¡­ She wasn''t sad, dumby. I mean, she looked shocked... I was also shocked when you guys somehow turned a sword into cake..."


    "Who are you calling dumb¡­" Nova''s expression softened as she thought about it.


    "You?" Zeus said with a confused tone, he turned around. "I mean, no one else is here but- What the... What is that..."


    Nova just stared at her brother and shook her head. ''Think¡­ Loomy came out after I let the water fill the bowl by accident¡­ And he wasn''t mad about it at first¡­ He even went into the water¡­ But... If he was thirsty wouldn''t he have drank it?''


    "Hey Zeus¡­ I think I might¡­ Zeus?" Nova turned and noticed that he was gone.


    Nova looked to the wall and noticed Yycan. The dog was walking along the wall, and further down she saw Zeus running toward something. ''Huh?''


    "Come on Loomy, you can''t stay here¡­" Nova knelt and picked up the fox under its arms.


    The spirit groaned, but didn''t even try to resist. Nova hurried along the wall, looking up at the sky as she did. ''Why does mom say we can''t go into the forest anyway¡­ It''s just a mountain over here¡­'' As Nova followed after Zeus, she stopped and looked at the wall of rock again. ''How big is this wall? Is it curving around the forest?'' Nova noticed Zeus and Yycan further down the path, they were both staring at the wall.


    "Hey¡­ Why''d you run off?" Nova asked, however she stopped as she looked at the wall.


    The wall of rock, which had been various shades of grey up until now, suddenly had a maroon rectangle embedded into it. Zeus and Nova just stared at it for a few minutes.


    "I wonder why someone painted a brown square on the wall¡­" said Zeus.


    "Zeus¡­ That¡¯s a door¡­" Nova corrected him.


    "What? No it ain''t¡­ Where is the door knob?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­ But it has hinges¡­ Someone made that door¡­"


    Nova walked up to the door and pushed against it. It was cold, and made of metal. Zeus also tried to push it open. The texture was rough, and slightly rusted. ''He has a point though... The door has no knob... It''s a pretty bad door if it has no knob... How do you open it?''


    "How are we going to get behind it?" Zeus asked.


    "Wait¡­ Maybe we shouldn''t¡­ Maybe we should tell mom first¡­" Nova cautioned.


    "What? Then she''s just going to yell at us for being here¡­" Zeus objected.


    "I mean¡­ Yeah¡­ That¡¯s true¡­"


    "Yycan, hand," said Zeus as he raised his arm.


    The wolf suddenly morphed its shape, flowing like liquid towards Zeus and wrapping around his arm. Nova watched as he tried to push against the door again. Then he got down on all fours and laid on his stomach.


    "What are you doing?" Nova asked.


    "Don''t tell mom but¡­ One time when she took away our toy¡­ I snuck into her room like this and got it back," Zeus explained as he laid on the ground. "Since Yycan can change his shape, I just make him slip through the cracks, and then he opens it."


    "Yycan knows how to open a door?" Nova reared her head back, slightly surprised.


    "Yeah¡­ He''s good at a lot of stuff!"


    "Wow¡­"


    "What?" Zeus asked with a squint.


    "Uh¡­ Nothing¡­"


    ''I always assumed Zeus was just an idiot¡­ But he''s being really helpful¡­ And he gets along better with his spirit than me¡­'' The door clicked and opened up, Yycan pressed his weight against the door and managed to open it.


    "Oh! Good boy!" Zeus rubbed Yycan''s back, the spirit wagging its tail happily.


    Nova pulled the door open and looked at the other side. The light from outside shone through and illuminated a bit of the interior.


    "It''s dark¡­ Really dark¡­" said Nova.


    "What¡­ You scared?" Zeus teased.


    The two of them froze as they heard a droplet splash further inside. However, Loomy''s ears suddenly rose, the fox jumped out of Nova''s hands and ran in.


    "Huh! Loomy wait!" Nova shouted as she ran after the fox.


    Zeus and Yycan followed as the fox as it dived into the darkness. Its red fur seemed to glow in the dark, Nova followed it for a few seconds before the fox suddenly stopped. The darkness was slightly lit by the red glow of the fox. Nova looked down and stopped as she noticed the light from Loomy reflect off puddles on the ground.


    "Huh¡­ A puddle?" said Nova.


    Loomy sniffed the water, then jumped in. The fox landed on all fours and paused, looking around quickly. However the fox just started to grumble, then began thrashing at the puddle.


    "Rawah! Rah!" Loomy jumped up and down angrily.


    Zeus and Nova stood by as the fox had its tantrum. It slammed its tiny paws into the puddle, repeatedly barking and growling. Yycan looked up at Zeus and whimpered. The fox''s tantrum lasted several minutes, before it got fed up and walked slowly toward the door they entered from. Loomy held his head low, huffing before it returned to laying on the ground.


    "Wow¡­ I''ve never seen him that mad before¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen mom get that mad¡­" said Zeus.


    "Loomy¡­" Nova knelt down next to the fox. "How am I supposed to help?"


    "He wants to swim¡­" Zeus answered quickly, his tone making it sound obvious.


    "What?" Nova turned to him. "Swim?"


    "Didn''t you see that? He didn''t drink the water in the puddle, he dived into it¡­" Zeus pointed out.


    "Being thirsty is one thing... But..." Nova stopped and thought about it.


    "He isn''t even mad at you... He tried to swim, and it didn''t work... Because it''s not deep enough to swim in... That''s why he''s mad..."


    Nova squinted, ''Wait¡­ That makes sense¡­'' Nova was shocked at the intelligence displayed by Zeus. Less than ten minutes ago she''d never have believed there was any intelligence inside his brain. ''Come to think of it¡­ Loomy was relaxing in the sink¡­''


    "Where can we go to let Loomy swim?" Zeus asked.


    "I have¡­ An idea¡­" said Nova.


    ***


    Yycan repeatedly kicked the dirt out of the hole, the wolf dug as far as it could. Zeus and Nova held toy shovels, digging a wide hole behind the house. Nova rubbed the sweat off her eyes, her arms hurt, and she was hungry. She looked down at Zeus and Yycan, the two of them were rather dedicated to this.


    "Yycan is making this a lot easier¡­" Nova huffed.


    "What do you mean, ah¡­" Zeus huffed. "Digging¡­ Is easy!"


    Loomy sat outside the hole, its head slumped against the grass as it looked up at the darkening sky. Nova and Zeus were covered in dirt, Yycan''s white coat was riddled with brown stains. Nova dropped the shovel and fell back, leaning against her arms as she looked up at the white sun directly above the house. As night came, the circle in the sky darkened, the bright blue sky slowly became navy blue. The lights around the house turned on, illuminating each side of their home.


    "Okay¡­ I think that''s enough¡­" Nova sighed.


    Nova climbed out of the hole and ran to the right side of the house. There were rows of planter boxes arranged evenly. Along the wall adjacent to the planters, was a wheel with a hose attached to it. The hose line led back to a pipe with a red knob on it. ''I turn this to turn on the water¡­'' With a bit of force, she turned the red knob, the water flowed through the hose. She could hear the steady stream  travelling through the tube, a splash came from the other side of the house.


    "Yes!" Nova smiled as she grabbed the hose and pulled it off the wheel.


    "Arf!" Nova heard Loomy yip at the splash, the little fox ran around the corner.


    Zeus climbed out of the hole as Nova came back around the corner with the running hose. Loomy stopped in his tracks and watched with wide eyes as Nova pulled the hose. Loomy¡¯s tail started to wag back and forth, the fox jumped and yipped in excitement. The little red fox followed her to the hole, then stood outside it as Nova dropped the hose end inside.


    "Okay¡­ Now¡­" Nova fell onto her rear and leaned back. "We wait¡­"


    "Kids! Dinner is ready!" Theresia called. "Zeus! Nova! Come get it while its hot!"


    "Me and Zeus are back here, we''ll be there soon!" Nova tried to shout as she listened to the water flow, but she was too tired.


    Nova wanted to lean back and lay on the ground, but she didn''t want to get her hair dirty. However, her red bangs were stuck to her forehead, so Nova just rested her head on the grass anyway. Loomy stood over the hole, watching with wide eyes as the water filled the small divot. The little red fox wagged its tail, it continued to look between the hole and those who made it. Yycan ran circles around Loomy, sharing the excitement the fox had.


    The puddle started to rise, Loomy continued to press its feet down excitedly. ''He''s¡­ He''s so different¡­ He¡¯s so happy¡­'' Loomy ran around in a circle, before majestically jumping up and diving into the water. The water splashed out, hitting Nova and Zeus.


    "This guy is a show off too, hehe¡­" Zeus snickered.


    The little fox thrashed about in the water, then laid low enough to submerge its whole body. Nova watched in awe as the red tails started to glow under the water. They spread out and flowed around gently. Loomy closed its eyes and rolled over at the bottom.


    "Huh¡­" Zeus uttered with a thumb to his chin.


    "What is it?" Nova asked.


    "Loomy is a fox¡­ But the way it likes water, and the way its tails look, he is kind of like a fish¡­"


    "A fish?"


    "You know, like a squid?"


    "That''s not a fish¡­ And Loomy has eight tails Zeus¡­ I think you mean octopus."


    "What''s the difference?"


    "This is why you should read more¡­" Nova uttered as she sighed.


    "They are at the back, come on let''s go!" said Eos, the energetic boy''s could be heard from around the corner.


    "Where did they even go while we were playing?" Yami asked curiously.


    Nova and Zeus stood up as the two other children rounded the corner, Eos and Yami paused for a moment. Theresia followed, her face was immediately puzzled by the scene.


    "Why are you two digging here? Mom plants stuff on that side of the house¡­" Yami tilted his head.


    "You''re looking for treasure!" Eos assumed.


    "It''s not for plants¡­" said Nova.


    Yami walked over and peered down at Loomy relaxing in the water. Eos knelt down and touched the water.


    "You shoulda just called me, I can shovel quickly," said Yami.


    "Huh?" Nova and Zeus both looked up at their older brother as a blue bird appeared on his shoulder.


    "Azure, wings," said Yami.


    The blue bird jumped off Yami''s shoulder and flew into him. Two bright blue wings sprouted off his back, he jumped up and flapped his wings. He flew above the house, and then looked down.


    "You¡­ Probably¡­ Should ask me before you dig a big hole in the yard¡­" Theresia muttered with a raised eyebrow. "What if someone trips..."


    "Move a little back, or the dirt is going to hit you!" Yami warned. "Azure Rain!"


    Yami spread his wings in mid air, then released bright blue pellets of energy from them. Each one hit the ground and left a small divot where it impacted. Thousands of blue droplets showered over the ground. Each pellet struck the ground, leaving small impact craters all over the yard.


    "What¡­" Theresia uttered at a loss for words. "Yami¡­ Were you even listening?"


    "Oh, hey mom!" Nova waved. "We''re making a pond for Loomy!"


    "A pond?" Theresia repeated.


    "Yeah, Loomy really wanted to swim, he''s always grumpy when he doesn''t get to¡­" Nova explained.


    "Oh. Well, that''s very sweet of you," Theresia patted Nova''s red hair.


    Nova''s eyes sparkled, she felt joy unlike anything else.


    "Hey! I helped!" Zeus ran forward and stood between them.


    "Yeah, Zeus helped me figure it out!" Nova added with a smile.


    "You two worked together? Without fighting?" Theresia raised her eyebrows as she knelt and patted both of their heads. "That''s a surprise."


    "Don''t forget Yycan! We wouldn''t have even got passed that weird door without him!" Zeus added.


    Nova immediately grimaced, she looked between her mom and Zeus quickly. ''Huh! Idiot! We weren''t supposed to tell-'' Nova froze as she saw her mothers eyes, it was really hard to breath all of a sudden. Theresia''s hands both stopped, she looked at the two of them with piercingly wide red eyes. There was a thousand emotions being communicated through that single glare.


    "What door," Theresia asked, her tone switched to a cold one.


    Nova''s heart skipped a beat, she didn''t know what to do or say. Her eyes wandered toward the grass.


    "The- door to the house," said Nova.


    "Don''t lie. You''ve been out of the house since this afternoon!" Theresia''s red eyes locked onto Zeus.


    The boy with green eyes noticed Theresia''s angry look, however, he didn''t phase. Eos was laughing as Yami continued to fire down at the grass. The sound of blue pellets repeatedly striking the ground was all Nova could hear as she looked up at her mothers bright red eyes.


    "Loomy ran off into the forest, if we didn''t chase him we would have lost him¡­" Zeus squinted at his mother.


    ''Eh?! Why would you-'' Nova shook where she stood.


    "What¡­" Theresia twitched.


    "We didn''t do anything wrong," Zeus declared. "It''s just some rocks over there anyway¡­ Who care-"


    A slap echoed over the yard, Yami stopped firing. Nova and Eos both covered their mouths in shock. Zeus''s green eyes were wide as he held his face with both hands. Yycan whimpered, the wolf whined with a worried tone.


    "How many times have I told you! The forest is off limits!" Theresia yelled.


    "Loomy was the one who went in! Why''d you hit me!" Zeus shouted back, a tear collecting at the corner of his eye.


    "I don''t care! If I tell you not to do something, don''t do it, no ifs ands or buts! If Loomy runs in the forest, you call me, do you understand!"


    Zeus shook his head as he looked to the left. Yycan whimpered frantically, the spirit almost looked like it would cry. ''Please stop¡­ It''s my fault¡­ Not Zeus''s¡­'' Nova grimaced as her legs shook, her throat was too dry to say it herself. The intensity in her mothers glowing red eyes frightened her.


    "Zeus! Do you understand!" Theresia shouted.


    Zeus didn¡¯t answer. Both Eos and Nova¡¯s legs shook in fear.


    ¡°Hey, eyes up here! I''m talking to you! Do you understand, Zeus!¡± she shouted again.


    "No! I don''t understand! I didn''t make anyone cry! I helped Nova! I helped Loomy!" Zeus snapped. "All I did was open a door! So no! I don''t understand what I did wrong, you idiot!"


    The water rising in the small hole overflowed, flowing into the divots Yami had made. The sound of the water droplets from the hose was the only thing that broke the silence. Theresia twitched, then stood up and looked down at Zeus with scorn.


    "Yami, Nova, Eos¡­ Your dinner is on the table," Theresia spoke sternly. ¡°Go, eat.¡±


    Yami promptly followed, he didn''t want to upset her right now. He nudged Eos, and the white haired boy followed. Nova gazed at her mother. Theresia and Zeus glared at one another.


    "What¡­ What about Zeus¡­" Nova asked nervously, it felt like there was a metal ball stuck in her throat.


    "Zeus doesn''t get to eat dinner today," Theresia stated.


    "Huh?! How does that make sense!" Zeus complained.


    "But¡­ But mom, I-"


    "Nova! Go inside! Eat! And then go to bed!" Theresia commanded.


    Nova wanted to tell the truth, but she was far too scared to. The young red haired girl ran inside as tears ran down her face. Loomy followed after her, yelping with concern all the while.

 Act 0 - Chapter 4

    Chapter 4; Arthur; Hemhir 32nd, 329SR; 6:45


    With the tips of his fingers, he rubbed Reiu¡¯s smooth silver scales. The tiny dragon bit Arthur''s hand but didn''t lock its jaw. He continued to scratch the bottom of its chin, but he felt its blue teeth lightly prick his skin. Arthur stopped petting, the dragon released its jaw, and then he proceeded. Its horns and teeth were also made of a blue crystal with a bright blue glow deep within. The small white dragon wasn''t nearly as mighty as the black dragon, Balakin. However, Arthur didn''t mind. He was reading an encyclopedia, and the small dragon Reiu curiously scanned the pages on its own. There was a sketch of a sword on the page, as well as a metal golem. The figure was very blocky, and it had a barred hatch in its stomach where books were being stored.


    ¡­ when compared to Hirian gifts, they display extremely fascinating differences. Hirian gifts are much more distributed across their population, a staggering forty five percent of all Hirians possess Celestial gifts. This is with a population at least ten times the size of Helios. One might assume this makes Hirian gifts inherently better, but the higher number results in a lack of variance when it comes to form and capability. The gifts of the angels are much more variable in this regard.


    While gifts have been categorized by their distinct forms: tools, powers, spirits. They should not be defined by them, there still remains the chance of overlapping or multitudes of abilities. For example: Mistress Fost¡¯s Cleric Golem, a gift bestowed in 134 SR, at Vrarus, capital city of Vrankria. The spirit with an aptitude for electrical work, is a special gift belonging to members of House Fost, a small bipedal golem made of metal, capable of discharging a barrier over a perimeter, also possesses a storage unit built into its torso, which users have used to store important tools. This gift alone already displays a much more advanced level compared to anything seen from the Hirian peoples.


    The most advanced gift by comparison that we are aware of, would belong to the natives of Dorad. Their gifts, the teeth of the Celestial beast Ginpa, are only bestowed upon women of the clan. The tooth of Ginpa is already an unbreakable sword, with the power to create spatial rifts in thin air. On top of this, their arms and face will appear to have blue scars that are easily mistaken for tattoos. However, these symbols always appear on the right side of their body, and when they glow, imbue the user with a strength unlike anything else. Their muscular strength increases over tenfold while retaining size and shape, they only need to hold the sword for this power to activate.


    Arthur nuzzled the dragon. ¡®Vrankria? I¡¯ve never heard of that place¡­¡¯A knock echoed from down the stairs of the tower, the sound pulled Arthur out of his book. ¡®What the? Visitors this early, please don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s Angela¡­¡¯


    "Arthur, who is that?" Shinra yelled from somewhere up the tower.


    "Hold on," Arthur shook his head as he shifted off of the sofa and continued to pay attention to the book. ¡°I haven¡¯t even had time to get to the door and he¡¯s asking me who it is¡­¡±


    Shinra was at the upper floors of the tower, the sounds of his footsteps hastened as he got changed. Arthur yawned, he was annoyed with the sudden end of his relaxation. He took a sip of coffee he made, the bitter taste dancing across his tongue and giving him a slight kick. He set the glass down as he stretched his arms and took a deep breath. The knock came on the door again, a bit faster this time. The orange light from the rising sun washed over the two cups of coffee, casting two long shadows over the wooden table. Arthur set the book down and rubbed his eyes. He walked out of the living room, and entered the tower stairwell. The knock came again.


    "I¡¯m on the way¡­" Arthur groaned with an annoyed voice.


    Arthur sighed as he took hold of the handle, and opened the door, only to find two royal guards, and Lawrence Lightbringer on the other side. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ His golden blonde hair was tied back into a ponytail, but it was a little unkempt. He wore a black and white mantle over his white shirt, it covered half of the Lightbringers emblem on his chest. He looked down at Arthur with lazy eyes, then took a deep breath. The guards behind him wore the infamous gold masks with two oval shaped holes for eyes


    ¡°Hey¡­¡± Arthur greeted them with a look of confusion.


    ¡°Arthur,¡± Lawrence nodded, his eyes glanced over to the right, toward the stairwell. ¡°Where is your father¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s¡­ Getting dressed? I know, I know¡­ Must be rather late for him to be getting dressed¡­¡± Arthur laughed.


    Lawrence¡¯s expression didn¡¯t even move, Arthur gulped as he smiled awkwardly. ¡®He¡¯s only a year or two older than me¡­ But even when he was a kid he walked around acting like an adult¡­ Well, it''s better than his siblings though¡­ Those two are genuinely awful¡­¡¯


    ¡°Uh¡­ How¡¯s Leanne and Laris?¡± Arthur continued trying to make small talk.


    ¡°House Pendragon has received direct orders from the king, please see to it that Shinra gets this letter,¡± said Lawrence.


    Lawrence opened his palm, and one of the guards handed him a beige envelope. A yellow wax sealed it, shaped like the Lightbringer¡¯s symbol. A double helix sword, with an eye at the cross between the blade and the guard. Lawrence handed him the letter, and then turned around. The guards with golden masks followed him. Arthur reared his head back. ¡®Couldn¡¯t you just¡­ Drop it in the mailbox or something?¡¯ Arthur closed the door behind him, then jogged up the steps of the tower. He walked back into the living room, and picked up his coffee. A few creeks came from his fathers room higher in the tower, a door closed, followed by the growing sound of steps down the stairs.


    ¡°Who was at the door?¡± Shinra walked in quickly with an undone collar, and his uniform hanging over his shoulder.


    ¡°Lawrence Lightbringer¡­ And two guards¡­¡± said Arthur.


    Shinra lifted the coffee Arthur had made him, and was about to take a sip, but upon hearing that, he stopped. Arthur placed the beige envelope on the table, the light from outside reflected off gold sparkles in the wax. Shinra set the coffee down, its shadow casted over one half of the eye on the symbol. He slowly picked under the wax, and peeled it off. He scanned the letter quickly, his eyes darting back and forth as he read. Arthur noticed his eyes stop, he was about to speak up, before his fathers eyes started moving again, this time much slower.


    ¡°They told me to give you this letter, he said it''s something about an assignment for House Pendragon, it''s coming straight from the king,¡± Arthur explained, a hint of curiosity in his voice.


    ¡°Yes¡­ They want me to assist in Welis, chemical weaponry was deployed on the rises north of the jungles¡­ By the Celestial, there are villages there¡­ Who would do such a thing¡­¡± his father sounded short of breath.


    "You''re being called to serve in a civil conflict?" Arthur asked with a concerned tone.


    "It¡­ It seems so¡­" Shinra answered slowly. ¡°I''ll be leaving for Hiria¡­ Tonight¡­"


    "Tonight? So soon?" Arthur asked. "For how long?"


    Shinra stared at the letter with wide eyes.


    "Who''s going to run the hospital while you''re away?" Arthur shook his head, ¡®This is ridiculous?!¡¯


    "The lieutenants of House Pendragon will also be joining me¡­ This seems very serious¡­" said Shinra.


    Shinra closed the letter and passed Arthur, he hurried up the stairs quickly. Arthur looked down at the ground, it was a lot to suddenly take in. He turned and followed his father.


    "But, hold on," Arthur stuttered as he ran up the steps.


    He turned into his father''s home office, his eyes drawing to the bright red rug in the middle. The room was the same size as the others, but felt larger due to the tidiness of the space. In the left corner was a table and shelf with an assortment of glass containers and flasks, the only part Arthur recognized was the pestle and mortar. Along the wall were paintings or posters with medical information on it. On the right side of the room was a fireplace with two sofas and a table set up in front of it, with bookshelves and cabinets to either side. Arthur watched as Shinra stacked up some documents, and then left them inside of a table drawer on the other side of the room. The vase on the table shook as he slammed it quickly.


    "Will the hospital be fine without you?" Arthur asked.


    Shinra took a deep breath as he leaned over the table. "I want you to look after the hospital while I am away, Arthur."


    "Huh¡­"


    Arthur shook his head back at the sudden decision, he squinted as he felt a strange tension in the air.


    "M- Me? Are¡­ You sure- I mean, I remember everything you told me, and I think I can do it¡­ But¡­"


    "Good, I''ve trained the practitioners there to operate with or without me, so they''ll assist you if necessary¡­"


    Arthur blinked repeatedly, he had never been so confused before. Shinra was in a hurry, quickly pacing back and forth through the room. He shoved papers into drawers, and others into files.


    "Don''t trust just your own judgement, get second opinions, consult experts, never assume the answers, ask for help if you need it," Shinra dropped a page, he quickly crouched for it, struggling to get a grip under the page on the floor. "And, and¡­"


    "Slow down¡­" said Arthur.


    Shinra looked up at Arthur, his expression was hard to read. He looked concerned, afraid, and stressed all at the same time.


    "If you leave, what about that kid? He doesn''t really respond to anyone but you¡­" Arthur asked.


    "The boy¡­ The boy from¡­" Shinra paused as his hands lowered, he took another deep breath. "It¡¯s fine, I''ve taken care of that."


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "What? You found his parents?" Arthur asked with a concerned tone.


    Shinra stared at Arthur for a moment. Arthur tilted his head once more at his fathers uncanny behavior.


    "Don¡¯t worry, the boy¡­ His parents-" Shinra stuttered. ¡°His parents showed up. You don¡¯t need to worry about him¡­¡±


    Arthur turned as he held his head, his thoughts were racing. He noticed the white book on the table and froze. ¡®Huh¡­ Wasn¡¯t that¡­¡¯ Shinra walked toward the table in the corner of his office, grabbed the white book and placed it in the drawer. Crackles from the fireplace came to a sudden stop as a strong wind whistled through the cracks in the window.


    ¡°Arthur, go get dressed¡­ I don¡¯t have much time today, and I have much to show you before I go¡­ Get dressed, now!¡± Shinra ordered in a strict tone.


    Arthur stepped back, a little intimidated by how serious his father sounded. He quickly hurried out of the room, up the stairs, and then into his room. He looked left at the bookshelf on the left side of his room, and then toward the closet on the right. Arthur quickly grabbed his white dress shirt and black pants, then made his way over to his bed and set it down.


    "Why is he so stressed¡­" Arthur asked himself.


    ¡®The title of that white book¡­ I¡¯ve read that before¡­ The Legend of Ragnarok¡­ But¡­ That one seems different from the one I read¡­¡¯


    ***


    Arthur held his forehead as he tried to think back on the things his father told him. "What more do we need¡­" He asked himself for the fourth time. The head office of the hospital was lit by a single lamp next to the desk. Arthur gazed out the window, seeing other angels his age training, then looked forward at the two chairs in front of his desk. His eyes slowly drifted, but he shook his head back. He looked at the calendar, it had been fourteen days since his father left.


    "Ah!" Arthur slapped his head with both hands. "Focus!"


    ''What more do we need¡­ Everything should be covered, but¡­ I hope I''m not forgetting something¡­'' Arthur pondered, but feeling the breeze from outside sent a lonesome chill down his back. ''Ah! It''s so hard to-'' The sound of a horn echoed from outside. ''Huh¡­''


    "Arthur, Arthur!" a woman shouted from down the hall.


    "Yeah, I heard it, Yuria!" Arthur felt a wave of relief come over him.


    ''Father has returned!'' Arthur stood up and walked out of his office. He made his way through the hall, turned into the stairwell and ran down all the way down. He turned right as he got to the first floor, then ran straight out of the building. The wind soared past his ears as he ran, the orange sky slowly becoming a gloomy blue as the night approached. Arthur crossed the plaza in front of the hospital, and walked up the stairs onto the overpass. He followed it until he reached the road to the port, then turned and followed it straight to the north side of inner Helios. As he got closer and closer, the road started to angle downward, and he got a better view of the sea past the tops of the buildings. The boat had already docked. Arthur started to run as he heard the cheers of people. He reached the docks and finally broke the focused silence of his thoughts. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ It was only two weeks, but it felt like a lifetime had passed. The ramp of the boat dropped, sailors threw rope down as the anchor splashed into the water.


    The first to step off the boat was Leia, she didn''t look at the citizens cheering and clapping for her. Oliver followed her, his expression seemed calm, but the intense look in his eyes said otherwise. Ako was about to walk down, but suddenly held the railing of the ship. She seemed to curl up, holding her own face with her other hand. ''What happened?'' Arthur asked himself as he expected to see his father next. There was a podium built on the docks. It was made of a dark brown wood, similar to the hull of the ships.


    The hospital staff hurried to greet them, however Leia shook her head. The hospital staff stopped, they looked to one another with concern. Leia''s vivid red eyes widened as she saw Arthur, she looked down quickly. ''Huh¡­'' A platoon of injured angels slowly made their way down the ramp. Arthur slowly walked forward, ''Where is father? Maybe¡­ Leia should know¡­ Right?''


    Oliver still looked bothered, his expression was filled with negativity. As he saw Arthur approach, that look softened into one much more remorseful. Oliver nudged Ako, causing her to turn as well. Her eyes widened, her expression terrified. Leia quickly walked past the hospital staff and hurried toward Arthur.


    "Arthur¡­" Leia let out a deep breath.


    "Leia¡­ Leia, where is my father¡­" Arthur asked hesitantly.


    Leia''s expression overflowed with pain, she suddenly walked forward and wrapped her arms around Arthur. ¡®Where¡­¡¯ She held him tightly, then he heard a sniffle. Her unsteady breath and the whimpers in her tone made his hope slowly shatter. A pair of footsteps on the wooden podium broke the silence. Arthur immediately turned away from Leia and looked up as he saw Lucifer Lightbringer.


    The blonde king in white robes looked down at Arthur, he seemed calm. His hair was long and straight, on his back was a white mantle. ''Lord¡­ Lightbringer¡­'' Arthur gulped. He adjusted the mantle, covering the golden shawl under it a bit more. He took the crown off and set it down on the podium. Behind him, two angels with gold masks held a black spear. The spear of Balakin. The king closed his eyes, and then looked forward confidently to the crowd.


    "Shinra Pendragon has died in combat, killed off the coast of Welis," Lucifer stated.


    ''Huh¡­'' The white robes flapped in the wind, but Arthur couldn''t hear it. A wave of water smashed into the port, a thin wall of water rose over the crowd, the beads of water rained over the ground. Lucifer''s yellow eyes were locked on Arthur¡¯s. The crowd of angels gathered at the port mostly silent, some of them gasping at the revelation.


    "A noble¡­ Has died?" Someone in the crowd broke the silence.


    "I''m afraid this news has been difficult to tackle¡­ For all of us," Lord Lightbringer gulped as he took a deep breath. "Shinra was a good friend of mine, and a mentor. I have known him since I was a boy. Please, allow me the honor of saying the final words of one of my most dearest friends."


    Arthur still looked at the boat. For some reason, he still felt like there was a chance his father would step down that ramp. ''It can''t be¡­'' Lucifer Lightbringer held up a white sheet of paper.


    "If you are reading this, I, Shinra Pendragon, have passed away," Lucifer read the first line.


    Arthur¡¯s heart started to pound, his thoughts raced back and forth rapidly. ''How¡­ Why¡­ What happened¡­ Father is¡­ Dead?'' Arthur took sharp breaths, Leia grimaced as she watched him. He didn''t notice the strength in his legs fade, his knees slammed onto the grey stone of the port. Some of the hospital staff nearby noticed Arthur, their concern written over their faces. Lucifer looked up as he noticed Arthur fall, but his gaze returned to the page and he continued to read.


    "As one of the forefathers of Helios and the hybrid alliance, I often tackled with my thoughts about life''s finiteness. Especially my own. House Pendragon''s generations of effort have ended the ravenous plagues of diseases, reversed seemingly irreversible injuries, and expanded the lives of angels, prolonging our undying servitude to our great Celestial," Lucifer read aloud.


    Arthur twitched slightly.


    "But, I knew, one day it''d be my time to pass on the torch. I anticipated my end would come, which is why I trained the great and helpful staff within House Pendragon, to reach medical expertise like mine," Lucifer spoke slowly, taking long pauses between sentences.


    ''Huh¡­¡¯ Arthur twitched slightly once again.


    "And this is especially true for my beloved son. Arthur Pendragon, whom I want to take my place, as Noble of House Pendragon."


    Lucifer closed the letter, he pursed his lips and looked down for a moment. The only sound came from the movement of the waves. The sky was grey, Arthur looked down to the stone port and only saw more. Leia approached Arthur hesitantly. ¡®That didn¡¯t sound like my father¡­¡¯


    "Arthur¡­" Leia approached.


    Arthur looked up at Leia, his expression didn''t change.


    "Leia¡­ What happened¡­ Who¡­ Why¡­" Arthur croaked as his throat tightened.


    Leia covered her mouth as she struggled to contain her tears. She walked forward quickly and crouched to Arthur, pulling him into her chest and tightly hugging him. She exhaled sharply, Arthur felt her teardrops against the top of his head.


    "Arthur, I am so sorry," Leia sobbed.


    Arthur felt a teardrop roll down his eye. It rolled down his nose, and dropped onto the silver amulet hanging from his neck.


    "Arthur, please come forward," Lucifer called.


    Arthur looked up to the podium, before separating from Leia, he wiped the one tear that fell from his eye. Leia looked up at him on her knees. She turned to Lucifer and then back to Arthur, her concern was embedded into her eyes. Arthur took a deep breath, the crowd watched him. He stepped forward, and to his surprise, it felt like just that. Another step forward, just like all the others.


    ''Why did my father have to die¡­'' Lucifer''s mouth hung open slightly as he noticed Arthur''s expression. ''Why did you order him to go¡­'' He looked away from Lucifer and walked to the right of the stand. ''Why¡­ Why-'' Arthur stopped in front of the king of the angels, he looked up at him with wide eyes. Lucifer looked away briefly, cleared his throat, and then turned to the noble of House Lightbringer by his side, Arid.


    "As the new noble of House Pendragon, the ancient gift, blessed upon the first noble of House Pendragon, Siba, who led the pursuit of knowledge in Ymir''s time, is rightfully yours," Lucifer explained with his back turned.


    The king turned back to Arthur. The black spear rested under a loose white cloth, held by Lucifer. Arthur got down on one knee, lowered his head, and raised his open palms to his lord. Arthur closed his eyes. The cloth unraveled, falling gently by the king''s feet. ''Father only ever helped people¡­'' The black spear entered Arthur''s grasp, the moment it did, the weapon started to shake.


    "Rgh!" Arthur grit his teeth as the spear shook violently in his hand.


    Lucifer took a step back. The tip of the spear lifted upward toward the sky. A red light flashed from the ground, and a long snake-like dragon materialized through it. Arthur grit his teeth, he pulled the spear down and grasped it with his other hand. The dragon''s twisting body continued to coil upward. The black dragon spread its wings and arms, letting out a painfully loud roar. Arthur''s eyes widened as a red light glowed from behind its razor sharp teeth.


    "Hrah!" the dragon let out a vicious roar.


    "Arthur! Calm the beast, what are you doing!" Arid scolded.


    Arthur continued to stare at its red eyes. ¡®Balakin¡­¡¯ The dragon''s red eyes quivered. He could feel part of the dragon''s rage. It hissed at the crowd, flying upward and then roaring once more toward the podium. ''He¡¯s grieving¡­'' Balakin let out another vicious roar, before spreading its jaws open wide. A ball of red energy collected, and darkened around the edges. The orb spiraled in the dragon''s maw, growing in size by the second, and waiting to be released.


    "Everyone! Clear the port! Get as far away as you can!" Arid shouted.


    "Reiu¡­" Arthur chanted, his voice wasn¡¯t loud enough for anyone to hear.


    Arid and Lucifer squinted at Arthur as they witnessed his pendant come to life. Balakin reared his head back to fire. ¡®Barrier¡­¡¯ Arthur raised his palm, the silver dragon¡¯s blue eyes flashed, and a pearlescent orb formed around Balakin and trapped him inside. The dragon released the blast, only to take the brunt of the explosion point blank. The orb filled with smoke as the black scales pressed against the surface. The crowd shielded their eyes when the red and white light lit the port. Arthur released the barrier, and Balakin fell from the sky, smoldering from the heat of its own breath.


    Balakin crashed into the stone port, a quake from the impact knocked citizens off their feet. Dust rose from where he fell, Arthur walked through it with eyes devoid of emotion. Balakin opened its eyes, it grit its teeth at Arthur, it almost looked like it was grinning. The dragon flipped its head over, and lowered his head to Arthur''s level, the heat from its maw drew sweat from his skin. Arthur didn''t look away from its eyes, several veins bulging around its pupil. The dragon snorted, the humid air knocked Arthur''s hair back, but he remained steadfast as he tightened his grip on the spear.


    "Grah!" Balakin roared right in front of Arthur.


    Arthur stood still, barely being phased by the ear popping roar. ¡°You can¡¯t take the fact he¡¯s gone either¡­ That makes two of us¡­¡±


    The dragon closed its maw as Arthur spoke to it, it slowly approached. The dragon sniffed the silver pendant, and its eyes widened. The dragon lowered its head and looked up at Arthur, gazing at him for several seconds. The angels that ran all stopped to turn, they looked up in awe as Arthur stepped onto the dragon''s head. Balakin rose up into the air, Lucifer squinted as he watched. Arthur peered down at the crowd of angels. He tightened his grip on the polearm, then lifted it into the air.


    ¡°The¡­¡± Lucifer uttered in shock. ¡°The new noble of House Pendragon!¡±


    The people whispered in shock amongst themselves. He listened to them as Balakin slowly turned, peering down at the king. The black dragon let out a low grumble as it gazed down at the king. Oliver, Ako, and Leia looked up in awe, but no one clapped or cheered. The black dragon lowered its head to the ground, then disappeared as Arthur stepped off and onto the stage. He looked up at the sky, and watched as the sun set. ¡®It¡¯s not fair¡­¡¯

 Act 0 - Chapter 5

    Chapter 5; Zeus; Hemhir 25th, 329SR; 22:05


    Zeus sat in his room, his head hurt, and his eyes felt dry. He could hear the clatter of silverware downstairs, the thought about what they could be eating crossed his mind, but he let out a sigh as he took his mind off it. ¡®It sure is quiet down there¡­¡¯ He couldn''t ignore how left out he felt. Yycan rested his head on Zeus, but rose as a grumble escaped from the boy''s stomach. Yycan whimpered. The house was so quiet, that even the sound of water running through the pipes could shatter the silence.


    "Be strong," Zeus commanded, he kept his eyes on the ceiling.


    Yycan whimpered at him.


    "I am not apologizing. I didn''t do anything wrong."


    The sound of a metal plate being placed on a rack, was followed by footsteps up the stairs coming closer. Yycan whimpered, the spirit lowered its head back down. The door opened and Nova peeked her head through. Yycan turned his head the moment she entered, jumping from the bed and running to her. Zeus looked down and saw Nova with a worried face. Zeus stayed focused on the ceiling, trying to ignore his stomach¡¯s grumbling. Nova nervously played with her hands, she looked concerned.


    "Did Loomy like the pond? I didn''t see¡­" Zeus asked.


    "Loomy? Uh- Yeah, yeah Loomy loved it¡­ But¡­ Aren''t you hungry?" Nova asked.


    "No."


    "Are you lying?"


    "No¡­" There was a hint of frustration in Zeus''s voice.


    Yycan whimpered at Nova, his tail low. Zeus squinted at the ceiling, but a drawn out growl escaped his stomach. Nova raised an eyebrow at Zeus, he avoided eye contact as he sighed again.


    "Zeus I am so sorry I got you involved¡­" Nova apologized while she looked down at her feet. ¡°Please forgive me¡­¡±


    "What?" Zeus¡¯s head whipped toward Nova.


    "I got you in trouble¡­" Nova said quietly.


    Zeus squinted as he looked at her, cringing at the sad tone his sister had. ¡®This utter doofus!¡¯ Zeus grit his teeth as he quickly got up, standing on the bed and looking down on Nova. She looked up at him, noticing his enraged expression, and stepping back. Zeus grabbed the pillow behind him and hoisted it over his head. Yycan noticed and barked at Zeus, Nova raised her hands in defense.


    "If I didn''t- Ah!" Nova cowered as Zeus threw the pillow at her face. ¡°I¡¯m sor-¡±


    "Stop apologizing!" Zeus spat. "You didn''t get me in trouble! You didn''t even ask me to help! I was just bored! None of us did anything wrong!" he stressed with clenched teeth.


    Nova was shocked at the sudden outburst. Zeus shook his head as he crossed his legs on the bed, bouncing slightly off the mattress. He let out another sigh as he leaned back, then returned to looking at the ceiling. Nova knelt down and picked up the pillow, then set it down on the bed and took a seat herself.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t do anything wrong,¡± Zeus huffed.


    "Well¡­ I mean¡­ We didn''t listen to mom¡­"


    "Who even cares¡­ Mom says don''t go in the forest, but then she barely watches us when we play, so does she even care? Can''t believe she slapped me right after praising me¡­"


    A loud pair of footsteps came up the hallway. Zeus squinted at the ceiling as his stomach growled again, Nova frowned. Yami walked into the room, he noticed Nova and then walked toward Zeus.


    "Yo, heads up!" said Yami.


    An aluminum package struck Zeus in the head and fell to the side of his bed. ''Huh¡­'' It was a pack of bite sized cookies, chocolate chip and ginger, his favorite flavor. Zeus gulped as he picked it up, the package crinkled as he clenched his fingers.


    "Why did you bring this¡­" Zeus glared at the oldest sibling.


    "Aren''t you hungry?" Yami said as he jumped into his bed, bouncing against the mattress.


    "No. I don¡¯t want it," Zeus tossed the package back to Yami.


    "Zeus¡­" Nova sighed.


    Yami caught it, then tilted his head at Zeus. "That''s a lie, you''re definitely hungry," Yami smiled as he threw the pack of biscuits back.


    The bag hit Zeus¡¯s hip. He sighed as he squinted harder at the ceiling.


    "No, actually, I''m not hungry!" Zeus grunted as he whipped the cookies back.


    "Zeus, Yami is just trying to-"


    "Eat the cookies stupid," Yami laughed as he threw it back again, cutting Nova off.


    "Why are you throwing it¡­" Nova uttered with a quiet tone as she shook her head at the two of them.


    "Stop. Throwing. The bag!" Zeus stood on the bed and whipped the package at Yami.


    Yami grinned as he cowered behind his quilt, peeking out at Zeus who stood on the bed. ''Ugh¡­'' Zeus fell back down and bounced against the bed as he pulled the sheets over himself.


    "Okay okay, I''ll stop throwing the bag¡­" Yami promised.


    Zeus sighed, closing his eyes and trying to sleep. Yami tore the package open, and fumbled through the bag. Zeus waited to hear the sound of a crunch, but instead felt a biscuit hit his head. Yycan whimpered.


    "Rah!" Zeus pounced out of bed and ran at Yami.


    "Oh shit! Haha!" Yami laughed as he jumped off the other side of his bed.


    Zeus ran around the bed, only for Yami to jump back on and run to the next side. Zeus was about to jump onto the bed, then he remembered that he was in trouble. ''Tsk¡­ Man¡­'' Zeus walked back to his bed.


    "Oh?" Yami commented as Zeus calmed down.


    "I''m just gonna get in trouble again for no reason¡­" Zeus pouted.


    Yami pursed his lips as he fell onto the bed, sitting on his lap. Zeus walked back to his bed, and picked up the small brown biscuit that was on his pillow, it was dry and brittle. He set the cookie down on the night table, then dusted the crumbs off his bed and laid down. Nova looked to the door with concern, she quickly ran over and put the cookies in a drawer. ''Huh?'' A pair of steps approached from the hallway, Zeus knew it was mom from the slow pace of her steps.


    "Light''s out, it''s time for sleep," said Theresia.


    Zeus didn''t look at her. Eos yawned as he walked into the room, he rubbed his eyes as he crawled onto the bed. Theresia stood by the door for sometime, then turned the light off and walked down the hall. Zeus closed his eyes, and just tried to fall asleep as quickly as he could. However, the sound of someone shuffling under their sheets caught his attention.


    "Yo¡­" Yami whispered.


    "Huh¡­" Zeus opened his eyes and saw Yami sitting upright .


    "What''d you do? Why is mom so pissed?" Yami whispered.


    "I didn''t do anything¡­ This is so dumb¡­"


    "We went into the forest," Nova whispered.


    "What? Really?" Yami repeated.


    "Yeah¡­ Loomy ran in and so we went after him¡­" Zeus shook his head.


    "Huh¡­" Yami uttered with a curious tone.


    Eos sat up and looked around the room. "Hey, why are you whisper-"


    "Sh!", "Shush!", "Be quiet Eos!" the three turned and snapped at the youngest.


    Eos quickly covered his mouth with both hands.


    "Wait¡­ That''s all you did?" Yami asked.


    "Yeah¡­" Zeus answered.


    "We also opened this door we found, it led into the mountains¡­ At the end of the forest," Nova added.


    "There''s a mountain back there?!" Yami''s eyes widened.


    "Yeah! It reaches the clouds I think¡­"


    "The clouds? That''s really big¡­" Eos whispered.


    "Huh¡­ So maybe it was opening the door that made mom so mad?" Yami suggested.


    "She only got mad after Zeus admitted we went to the forest¡­" Nova replied. "But¡­ before that he did mention the door¡­"


    "See that''s why it''s weird¡­" said Yami. "Me and Eos ran into the forest, she didn''t say anything to us?"


    Zeus stared at the ceiling as he listened, barely caring about the conversation. But those words hung on his mind like a hook. ''Wait hang on¡­ What?'' Zeus sprung up and looked at Yami with a shocked face. ¡®Yeah¡­ Yeah wait she did watch them go into the forest?!¡¯


    "The fuck?!" Zeus snapped, shouting loudly.


    "Sh!", "Idiot, don''t be loud!" Yami and Nova cautioned.


    "Shoosh!" Eos added with the strictest tone he could make.


    "Hold on¡­ That doesn''t make any sense!" Zeus stammered, still speaking with a room volume.


    "Be quiet!" Yami stressed with grit teeth.


    "This is so unfair, what!" Zeus shouted angrily.


    "Zeus! Be quiet and go to sleep!" Theresia shouted from her office down the hall.


    Zeus¡¯s entire body clenched, his anger making his head throb. ''Oh no fuckin- Oh my¡­ Ugh!'' Zeus just dropped back onto the soft mattress and tried to sleep. Yycan whimpered as it licked his clenched fist. Eos, Nova and Yami looked at each other awkwardly as Zeus huffed in and out. ''How the hell does this make any sense¡­ I get in trouble but Yami and Eos don''t?! All she ever does is praise them and yell at me¡­'' Zeus opened his eyes, meeting Yycan''s concerned gaze. ''What did I ever do to make her hate me! You know what! I don''t even care! I hate her!'' Zeus squinted, as he felt his eyes water, he shut them.


    "Hey Zeus¡­ You okay?" Eos whispered.


    "I''m fine¡­" Zeus choked on his spit, his throat felt tight.


    Yycan jumped onto the bed and then sat down next to Zeus, trying its best to comfort him. Zeus shifted over to the right and gave Yycan more room, the wolf nuzzled his way into a comfortable spot and closed its eyes.


    "I can¡­ I can try talking to mom about-"


    "I don''t care, don''t bother¡­ Mom is an idiot¡­" Zeus cut Nova off, his voice cracking slightly.


    "That really brought out the grump," Yami scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, I don¡¯t think its a big deal. I''m going to bed¡­ I have a race tomorrow with speedy over there¡­"


    ¡°Whose speedy?¡± Eos asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it tomorrow,¡± Yami let out a satisfied sigh as he closed his eyes.


    Eos pulled his sheets over his head and rolled over. Nova looked at Zeus for a few more seconds, but then laid back and closed her eyes as well. The room fell silent. Zeus sat with his thoughts as he held Yycan close. ''All she ever yells at me for is always stupid crap¡­ And what the heck is even so bad about the forest?! There was nothing there! Why am I the only one in trouble!''


    ***


    A few hours had passed. The light snores of Yami filled the room. Nova was silent. Eos would turn every few minutes, Zeus heard his pillow fall gently to the floor.


    ''And not to mention she doesn''t even watch us that often! It was only today because ooh Eos''s gift is so special¡­ It''s just a rabbit and he''s super fast! He''s barely different from the rest of us, so what gives! Ah, I''m so confused!'' Zeus turned onto his back, and stared at the ceiling. He had been going back and forth with his own frustration for the past four hours. The boy rose up out of bed, Yycan looked up at him.


    "Huh¡­" Zeus looked around the dark room, his eyes had adjusted to the pitch black darkness. "Why am I still awake¡­"


    Zeus leaned back down and closed his eyes. After several minutes, he just found himself opening them once again. ''Huh?'' Zeus rose up yet again, Yycan tilted his head at him.


    "Why can''t I sleep?!" Zeus whispered to himself angrily.


    ''Sleeping is like¡­ The easiest thing to do¡­ How am I struggling at this?'' Zeus looked to the left, Yami was fast asleep, so was Nova. ''They''re sleeping easily¡­ So what gives¡­'' Zeus laid back and looked at the ceiling. Zeus looked at the ceiling for several minutes. ''Man¡­ It''s really boring to be the only one awake¡­'' Zeus shifted himself out of bed and sat upright. Yycan jumped down and looked up at him with a happy smile, the wolf¡¯s black tongue hanging out of its maw.


    "At least you''re awake¡­" Zeus patted the Yycan''s head. "Well, we both sleep at the same time anyway¡­"


    Yycan whimpered at Zeus.


    "Stop it already¡­ You don''t have to worry about me¡­ I''m not sad that mom is being a huge idiot¡­" Zeus whispered.


    Yycan jumped up and put its paws on Zeus''s legs as he continued to pet it. Eos rolled over and his other pillow flopped to the floor. Zeus looked over at his little brother, sleeping peacefully with one foot off the bed.


    "No wonder we always find his pillow on the floor¡­" Zeus walked across the room to Eos''s bed.


    Zeus picked up the pillow as Yycan walked about the room. He put the pillow next to Eos''s head, however as he looked up, he peered through the window. ''Huh¡­''


    "Woah¡­" Zeus whispered.


    It was the first time he saw the front of the house at night so vividly. ''Shouldn''t it be dark?'' The color of the grass and the trees almost looked dark blue. Zeus stared at the trees in the distance for several minutes. ''What''s so special about the forest¡­'' Zeus shook his head, then turned back and saw Yycan staring at the door. Zeus rubbed his eyes as he took a deep breath, sitting down at the end of Eos¡¯s bed.


    Zeus peered out the window, his eyes still locked on the forest. ''What is so special about that door¡­'' Zeus glanced down and noticed the lock on the window, he turned back to the door. The only sound was from the soft breathing of his siblings. ''Wait¡­ I''m the only one awake¡­ Mom is asleep too¡­'' Zeus felt his heartbeat hasten, he turned back and breathed out. ''So¡­ No one would really know if I went to the forest right now¡­ Would they¡­'' He slowly stood, glancing at the door one more time as his hand reached for the windows lock.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Zeus felt the smooth plastic handle, turning it, and unlocking the window before slowly pushing it open. ''Yami used to do this¡­ Until he hurt himself and mom got upset.'' Zeus lifted his leg and stuck it through the window, putting his foot down on the slope of the roof. Yycan jumped onto Eos''s bed, and then over the window sill and outside. Zeus gulped as he listened to the ambient silence, the field of grass and the forest was incredibly dark. Zeus started to doubt himself as he sat with one leg hanging out of the house.


    "I can do this¡­ I can do this-"


    "Do what?" someone asked behind him.


    Zeus turned immediately, almost screaming but he held his voice. Eos walked up to the window as he rubbed his eye. His simple blue t-shirt seemed to blend into the darkness well.


    "Shut up! Stay quiet¡­" Zeus scolded Eos.


    "Huh¡­ Okay¡­" Eos yawned. "It''s so dark¡­ Why is Yycan jumping on my bed¡­ Why are you sitting on the window like that?"


    "Ah!" Zeus held the sides of his head as he looked at Yycan. "You woke him up!"


    Yycan looked away without making a noise, the spirit whimpered awkwardly. Zeus shook his head.


    "Listen, just go back to sleep if you''re tired¡­ I''ll be right back¡­" said Zeus.


    "Where are you going?" Eos asked with a lazy tone.


    "I''m going to find out what''s so special about that door¡­ The one me and Nova found yesterday¡­"


    "Didn''t that get you in trouble?" Eos scratched his white hair.


    "I don''t care¡­ I get in trouble all the time¡­ What''s one more grounding¡­"


    "Aren''t you afraid though? Of the dark?" Eos asked.


    "Huh? What''s there to be afraid of¡­ It''s just dark¡­"


    "But¡­ There could be stuff in the dark¡­ Stuff you can''t see¡­"


    "So? All of our spirits except Yycan light up, i''m not afraid. So why should you be?"


    "Nova''s books always talk about monsters¡­ And they love hiding in the dark¡­"


    "That''s just a stupid book¡­ It''s not real¡­" Zeus shook his head, getting slightly frustrated. "Eos the dark is just the world without light, it¡¯s no different¡­ There¡¯s just no light¡­ Now go to bed, I''ll be right back, I have to find out¡­"


    "Can I come?" Eos asked.


    "Huh?" Zeus looked at him again, then looked up with a squint. "Sure¡­ Why not?"


    Eos stepped through the window sill, holding onto it as he put his foot on the slope of the roof. The front deck was only one story high, but its roof reached the windows on the second floor.


    "Walk slowly¡­ Don''t slip¡­" Zeus instructed as he made his way down the roof.


    Upon reaching the edge, he looked off and saw some of the patches of dirt where flowers were planted. Zeus leaned off the roof, holding on to the edge as he dropped suddenly. He held on, his feet dangled in the air as he looked down. Upon letting go, he only fell a short distance, squatting to land.


    "Alright, you do the same¡­" said Zeus.


    "Uh¡­ Is it gonna hurt?" Eos whispered.


    "Not if you only fall a bit¡­ Just try to get your feet as close to the ground as you can."


    "Okay¡­" Eos replied nervously.


    The white haired boy sat down, then shifted himself to the side, and let his body drop. Eos held the roof, before letting go and falling. The second he hit the ground he immediately fell backwards onto his rear. Unlike Zeus, he didn''t break the fall or absorb the impact.


    "Oof¡­" Eos uttered, he stood up and dusted his pants off.


    "You should always break your fall¡­ Land by squatting or rolling¡­" Zeus instructed.


    "How does a fall break?" Eos asked with a squint.


    "That''s¡­" Zeus looked up. "Huh¡­ I don''t really know, good question¡­ Whatever, let''s go. This way!"


    Zeus jogged lightly toward the back side of the house, a bright light followed him. Zeus turned as he ran backwards, seeing the light blue flames flow off of Eos. The darkness around them intensified, the sudden light from Eos caused their eyesight to readjust.


    "Don''t start running fast, I can''t keep up with you¡­" said Zeus.


    "I just want the light," said Eos.


    "Weren''t you scared? Why''d you want to come all of a sudden?"


    "Well¡­ I changed my mind," Eos replied with a big smile. "I''m not afraid of anything! Because mom says I''m going to become the strongest!"


    "Huh?!" Zeus uttered with disbelief. "As if you''d ever be stronger than me! I can almost take on Yami!"


    ¡°But I am faster,¡± Eos said with a smug grin.


    ¡°Winning after losing so many times must feel great doesn¡¯t it,¡± Zeus squinted at him.


    "Hehe!"


    The two brothers reached the forest and stopped just short of it. Zeus took a deep breath before he continued forward. Eos was hesitant, but he followed behind. Zeus turned and looked up at the sun, the big white circle in the ceiling gave off a faint amount of light at this time. The inside of the forest was much darker.


    "I wonder if we''ll find castles and stuff on the other side¡­" Eos pondered.


    "All we found was a big mountain¡­ It was so big it looked like it was touching the sky," Zeus recalled.


    "Woah¡­" Eos whispered.


    After just a few minutes of walking, the rock wall came into view. Zeus started to jog forward, Yycan and Eos followed close behind. ¡®Here¡­¡¯ The rectangular cut out into the wall was dark, it almost seemed like a black hole, but as the light from Eos¡¯s flame grew closer, the rusted brown surface was illuminated.


    "Alright¡­ Here it is," Zeus exclaimed with open arms.


    "Woah- ho!" Eos gasped, laughing with childish excitement at the sight. ¡°Hahah, it¡¯s a rock! Haha!¡±


    "Alright, now let me try and open this¡­" Zeus crouched next to the metal surface.


    The golden rabbit named Wubble jumped forth from out of nowhere. It hopped up onto Eos''s palm and then into his chest. Eos jumped back and forth as he thought of what to do. Zeus approached the wall, putting his hands against the rock as he tried to feel for metal. A golden ear sprouted from the right side of Eos''s head, he suddenly dashed back into the trees.


    "Huh¡­" Zeus turned.


    The blue light lit up the forest, Zeus saw Eos, the source of the light, behind the bushes and leaves. Then the light moved forward, Zeus stepped back as Eos ran straight at the wall. ''Idi-'' Zeus paused as Eos ran up the wall instead of crashing, making it up five meters before his foot lost grip. Eos tried to kick up further, but turned as he slid down the steep slope of the wall and onto his rear.


    "Woah!" Eos laughed as he fell backwards to the ground.


    "That was pretty cool, I didn''t expect that¡­" said Zeus. "But be quiet, or else mom might hear us¡­"


    "Haha!" Eos stood up as he looked up the giant wall. ¡°That was awesome!"


    Zeus lightly smacked Eos''s head. "Stop, shouting! If I miss dinner because of you I''m definitely taking yours!"


    "Sorry!" Eos replied as he covered his mouth.


    "Now, give me a second while I get this open¡­"


    "Wait¡­ I wanna see how big this mountain is¡­ I''m going to run all the way around it!" said Eos.


    "Huh? Oh, alright, don''t get lost though," Zeus cautioned.


    Eos bent his knees, then leaned forward with a grin as he kicked off. Zeus was taken aback by his acceleration, Eos followed wall curving to the left. ''Holy shit¡­ I doubt he''d be stronger than Yami and me, but he really is way faster¡­ Eos is pretty amazing-'' Eos flew right by Zeus in the same direction he just ran. ¡®Huh-¡¯


    "Huh!" Zeus turned around, the blue light approached once again.


    Eos''s feet dragged against the dirt as he came to a stop. Zeus looked at him with disbelief, he turned his head back and forth as he tried to make sense of what just happened. ¡®He¡­ Went around it that fast?¡¯ Zeus looked in the other direction, then squinted as he realized it curved toward the right.


    "Well, it''s not too big¡­ I can run around it really quickly¡­" Eos examined. "Hm? Why are you making that face?"


    Zeus looked at Eos with a blank stare, his mind had gone blank.


    ¡°Did you¡­ Have to turn?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°No, I just ran along the wall¡­¡±


    Zeus stared at the wall with a dumbfounded expression. ¡®Wait¡­ But¡­¡¯


    "Uh¡­ Wait here¡­" Zeus instructed. "Yycan, let me on¡­"


    Yycan lowered itself, Zeus mounted the large wolf.


    "What are you doing? I thought you were going to open the door?"


    "Uh¡­ Just¡­ Gimme a second¡­ I need you to stay right there Eos¡­" Zeus instructed.


    Zeus tucked his legs in and leaned forward, Yycan kicked off the ground. Zeus''s hair bumped up and down with each step.


    "Wait!" Zeus suddenly ordered, Yycan slowed down.


    Zeus and Yycan paused in front of another door, it was just like the one they just came from. ''There''s more than one door?''


    "Keep¡­ Going¡­" Zeus gulped.


    As Yycan continued forward, Zeus was focused on the mountain the entire time. After a few minutes of running, Zeus noticed something high up along the mountain side. There was a flat surface, unlike the jagged rock around it, and larger than that of the doors. ''It''s¡­ What is that¡­ Is that also part of the mountain? It''s too high up and I can''t see it well in the dark¡­''


    "Keep going, Yycan¡­" Zeus instructed as he continued to ponder.


    Zeus didn''t even react as he saw yet another door, this one beneath the strange flat surfaces above. ''What is this¡­ Something about this isn''t right¡­ Mountains are huge aren''t they? And¡­ And¡­ There¡¯s supposed to be¡­ The stuff Nova always reads about¡­'' Zeus''s thoughts came to a stop as he passed another door. After a few more seconds, he saw Eos up ahead. Yycan came to a stop and turned its head to Zeus.


    "Oh hey, you ran all the way around!" said Eos.


    Zeus just stared at Eos with a blank face.


    "You didn''t do it as fast as me though, hehe!" Eos gloated, but tilted his head as he noticed Zeus''s expression. "What''s wrong?"


    "Where¡­ Where is it¡­" Zeus asked.


    "Where is what?"


    "The¡­ The world?!" Zeus shouted.


    "I don''t¡­ I don''t get it?" Eos raised an eyebrow.


    "Mom always says beyond the forest is towns and rivers and cities¡­ But this is just¡­ Just a wall?! This whole thing is a big- circular¡­ Wall!" Zeus shouted in disbelief.


    "What?" Eos replied. "I don''t get it¡­"


    "Mom lied¡­ But why?" Zeus asked himself.


    Zeus continued to look down, his thoughts raced rapidly as he tried to understand. He turned back the way he came and stared down the path.


    "If this is¡­ a giant wall¡­ The doors¡­ Wouldn''t that lead outside?" Zeus questioned.


    "Yeah¡­ I suppose?" Eos tried his best to answer.


    "Come on, there''s another door, I saw something weird down there¡­ Yycan! Go!"


    "Woah, hold up!" Eos called.


    Yycan suddenly took off around the wall of rock. A blue light caught up behind Zeus, he turned to see Eos keeping pace with Yycan. After about a minute, they reached the opposite side of the wall. Zeus looked up and saw the same strange flat wall.


    "Eos, see that?" Zeus pointed up.


    "Yeah¡­ Huh¡­ That''s weird¡­ It''s like¡­ A big square¡­"


    "Think you can get up there and check it out?" Zeus turned and asked Eos.


    "Yeah, no problem!" Eos flexed his arm.


    Eos zoomed off into the trees, the light from the golden ear on his head slowly faded into the forest. Then came back quickly as he ran forward and picked up speed. Eos charged out of the forest, his teeth grit as he ran up the wall. He made it just short of the flat section, then fell backwards.


    "Ah!" Eos grunted.


    "Yycan! Catch him!"


    Yycan ran for where Eos would fall, then suddenly puffed up and expanded its size. The wolf became plump, Eos landed against Yycan, falling into the folds of its fat before rolling off and landing gently.


    "Woah! Yycan got bigger!" Eos pointed.


    "I taught him how to do that a long time ago, after Yami fell and messed up his leg," Zeus explained as Yycan shrunk back down.


    "Oh, that''s really smart!"


    "Of course it is, I''m a genius," Zeus spoke like it was to be expected of him.


    "Let me try again, I can get up if I have more speed!" Eos shouted as he ran back to the forest.


    ''What¡­ Did he just say more speed?'' Zeus watched the golden light move through the forest and stop again. After a few seconds, the light brightened, Zeus gulped out of anticipation. Eos ran out of the forest in an instant and up the wall, easily grasping the ledge.


    "Ho-! You- You did it! Eos that was insane!" Zeus cheered from the ground.


    Eos hung from the ledge, his body giving off a white light. Zeus squinted as he noticed something around Eos''s back. ''What is that?'' There were strange rings around Eos, five in total. A small one around both ankles and wrists, and a larger one behind him.


    "When did you learn how to do that?!" Zeus shouted.


    "Huh? Ah!" Eos yelped as he hung from the edge, he slowly pulled himself up. "Wait¡­ I wasn''t going to show anyone this¡­"


    "Huh?" Zeus tilted his head.


    "It was going to be a secret technique in case I can''t win later¡­" Eos explained.


    "Huh- You''re already keeping secrets like that?!"


    Eos sat on the ledge, he tried to put his hand against the flat surface and felt around it. Zeus watched from the ground, eagerly waiting for some kind of assessment.


    "It''s¡­ A wall?" Eos stated unconfidently.


    "Yeah no shit!" Zeus shook his head.


    "This¡­ This kind of feels weird¡­ I don''t think its a rock¡­" Eos continued to feel around. "It''s smooth like glass?"


    "Like glass? You mean like, glass cups or glass bowls?"


    "Glass in general¡­ It''s even kind of shiny¡­"


    "Why is there a wall of glass in the mountain?" Zeus muttered to himself as he looked down.


    "Can Yycan do that thing again? I don''t know how to get down¡­" Eos asked.


    "Yycan, puff," Zeus commanded.


    The dog muttered slightly as it breathed in, then suddenly expanded like a balloon. Eos jumped off, landing on the dog''s stomach and then bouncing off again. Yycan opened its mouth as the air was pushed out of him.


    "That''s kind of fun," Eos giggled as he slid off Yycan.


    "He hates it, he might get mad if you try to do it often," Zeus mentioned. "Yycan, let''s get this door open!"


    Zeus knelt down next to the door as Yycan turned into a pale sludge. The strange mass moved towards Zeus and engulfed his arm, wrapping around it perfectly. Eos watched in awe. The wolf had transformed into a white glove, shaped to the size of Zeus''s hand. The nails tipped with sharp claws, and his wrist was shrouded in a mane of fur. Zeus pointed his fingers at the gap between the door and the wall. Yycan slipped through and the white substance moved to the other side. Eos and Zeus looked at each other for several seconds, before they both heard a click. Yycan leaned against the door and pushed it open.


    "Oh! That¡¯s sick!" Eos jumped.


    The door opened, and the two of them stood in front of the darkness.


    "It''s even darker in there¡­" said Zeus. "Make some light..."


    "Woah¡­" Eos uttered, he moved forward slightly and raised his hand.


    A white flame lit up over his palm, lighting up the dark interior. ''I feel kind of nervous¡­ Like I''m doing something I shouldn''t¡­ But I want to know why¡­ Why is mom so upset at me for opening this¡­'' Zeus glanced at Eos, who looked back at Zeus with determined blue eyes. Zeus nodded, then started forward into the dark.


    The interior was not what Zeus had expected. The floor was made of uneven rock, there were wires or roots littered about everywhere. Eos''s flame lit roughly five meters of the darkness around them. The ceiling was quite low, but at some point as they continued through it had gone much higher. A droplet hit the ground somewhere else in the cave, a splash echoed through the ambience.


    "Ah!" Eos took a short breath as he jumped, his voice echoed several times.


    Zeus squinted as he heard Eos¡¯s voice a few more times.


    "How''d you do that?!" Zeus asked, he was keenly observing every angle to make sure there was nothing in the dark with them.


    "Ah!" Eos shouted, his voice echoed once again. "Woah, it just happens¡­"


    "Seriously? Let me try¡­ Hello!" Zeus yelled, the sound echoed at least five times.


    Zeus turned as he continued through the cave, looking up to find metal grates acting as walkways. He stopped as he noticed doors at both sides of the path.


    "Yo, Eos, check it out¡­" Zeus pointed up.


    "What the? Is that another door?" Eos tilted his head.


    "There''s a way up¡­"


    Zeus pointed to a small ladder hanging from the side of the small bridge. They approached the wall, the light from Eos reflected off the rocks. Despite it being a ladder, it didn''t reach the ground. The first step of the ladder was several feet in the air above Zeus and Eos.


    "I can reach this¡­ Yycan, stretch," Zeus ordered.


    He extended his arm straight up, the glove hand stretched forward as Yycan extended off of Zeus''s arm. The claw grasped the side of the ladder, Zeus jumped and used it like a rope. Eos watched as he climbed slowly, reaching the ladder and putting one foot on it, he climbed up onto the bridge.


    "Alright, grab on, I''ll pull you up¡­" Zeus lowered his extended hand, it dangled in the air above the ground.


    Eos grabbed onto the hand, then pulled himself up with assistance from Zeus. Eos quickly reached the bridge as well. ''This platform is made of metal¡­ Are there supposed to be metal bridges inside caves?'' Zeus walked to one side, the doors on either side had a glass panel to see through. A red light on the other side dimly lit a corridor, with pipes along the ceiling and walls of evenly cut stone. A strange sensation came over Zeus, ''I don''t know what this is¡­ Where are we¡­ This isn''t what mom told us¡­''


    "Hey Eos¡­ I''m getting a bad feeling about this¡­ Eos?" Zeus turned and looked across the bridge.


    Eos was staring through the glass panel of the door on the opposite side. ¡®Where does that go¡­¡¯ Zeus made his way over, all the while keeping an eye on the other door. However, as he turned, and looked through the other door, he understood why Eos froze. Zeus pushed the door open. The two of them stepped forward and stood next to each other in silence. Zeus''s mind went blank as he saw it, ''What¡­'' There were three large glass windows spread out across a massive stage. Beyond the glass, were tall trees just short enough to be looked over. And in the distance beyond the tree, at the center of a field of grass, was the house they lived in. The white circle in the sky above the house was beginning to glow brighter, the morning was approaching. Zeus felt a strange sense of worry, as he looked at the window to his room from a distance.


    "It''s¡­ The house¡­" Eos broke the silence with a simple comment.


    Zeus looked around the wide open room, it was unlike anything he had seen. The walls and the floor were black, there were very dim spotlights along the ceiling, and a few on the ground. Zeus noticed them light a stairway that led down toward the stage. He started down the steps, his eyes locked on the house the whole time. There were pristine white tables set up around the massive hall. As Zeus reached the stage, he put his hand against the glass and looked down.


    "That''s¡­" Eos stuttered. "That''s the path¡­ The path we ran around¡­ If that''s the path then¡­ This is that glass part of the mountain¡­ It was a window¡­"


    "A¡­ Window¡­" Zeus repeated.


    "But how come we couldn''t see through it? I thought glass was supposed to be clear?" Eos mentioned.


    "I want to check that other door¡­ Eos, come on! It''ll be morning soon¡­ We have to be quick!" Zeus huffed, his heart was racing.


    ¡®This feels really wrong¡­¡¯ Zeus turned and ran up the stairs, he still didn''t know what to make of what he saw. As he reached the top, Eos zoomed behind him and followed close behind.


    "Why was mom keeping this a secret¡­" Zeus muttered to himself.


    Zeus placed his hands on the door, then looked around. ''Huh¡­ What kind of door is this? There''s no knob or handle? Why is there just a bar?'' Zeus pulled on the bar, it didn''t budge, but upon pushing it, it actually moved. The door opened, Eos walked through, but Zeus was even more confused by that. Zeus ran forward down the path, opening the next door and finding themselves in the hallway with the red glow. Eos gulped nervously as he looked at the strange surroundings. They were no longer inside of a cave.


    "This place is kind of creepy¡­ Why is that light red?" Eos stressed.


    "I''m not sure¡­ Nova reads about caves¡­ But this is nothing like what she rambles about¡­" Zeus muttered.


    "I wonder¡­ Does mom know about all of-"


    A door on the other side of the hallway suddenly opened, it was at least five meters away from the two. Zeus and Eos both jumped at the sound, tensing up as they both froze with wide eyes. A sniffle was followed by a white boot stepping into the corridor. They continued forward, revealing a person in white robes with a golden mask on their face. The golden mask had two holes to see through. Zeus and Eos were paralyzed with fear.


    "What the fuck! Holy shit, that scared me¡­ How did you two get down here? You aren''t supposed to be here," the man in white said casually, their tone sounded masculine.


    Zeus took a step back. ''Who is that¡­ That''s a person¡­ A person lives in the cave?! '' Eos was frozen in place, his legs shaking.


    "How''d you get down here?" the guard crouched and raised his palms. "Do you understand me? Can you speak? How¡­ How old are you two¡­"


    "Uh¡­" Zeus tried to speak, but he barely uttered a word.


    Zeus looked up and his mask and felt his heart skip a beat again. It was so soulless, unnatural, different. All of the warnings his mother had told him flooded back into his mind, and a sense of regret came over him. ¡®I have¡­ I have to protect Eos!¡¯ Zeus grit his teeth, a sense of responsibility gave him courage. Eos¡¯s voice quivered, he was shaking repeatedly.


    "Eos¡­ Run!" Zeus shouted.


    "Huh- Hold on-¡±


    The golden ear sprouted off of Eos''s head as he turned around. He kicked off the ground and ran as fast as he could in the other direction. The air popped as Eos stopped and took several turns, however, Zeus was paying attention to the man.


    "Woah, what the, where did he go?! Wait, wait it''s okay, just talk to me¡­" The man took one step forward.


    "Yycan!" Zeus raised his hand.


    The white sleeve stretched forward quickly, bouncing off the ground and jumping at the man with the gold mask.


    "What the! Ah!" the guard screamed.


    Yycan tackled the man in white robes to the ground, biting down on his shoulder. The guards'' screams of terror turned to cries of pain as Yycan clawed and bit at them. Zeus couldn''t take his eyes away, he backed up quickly.


    "Yycan, we need to get out of here!" Zeus shouted with uneven and rasp breaths.


    Yycan jumped off the man. Zeus turned and slammed his shoulder into the door, tumbling over after. His heart beat so fast he could barely think straight. Zeus scrambled to his feet. He grasped the rail, threw one leg over, and then let go. Yycan yelped, losing its form and stretching to Zeus as he fell. His feet hit the ground hard, a rippling sensation travelled through his knees.


    "Ah!" Zeus cried.


    The boy clenched his teeth, he barely thought of the pain as he limped to his feet. Zeus¡¯s eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the cave. He got to the door and shoved it open. ''Eos must have come this way! He''s probably already at the house!'' Zeus''s chest was heaving, but he kept running, a wave of relief flooding over him as he saw the white walls of the house beyond the forest.

 Act 0 - Chapter 6

    Chapter 6; Arthur; Hemhir 55th, 329SR; 18:22


    Arthur silently dozed off in the dark room, he looked down at the report in front of him, shaking his head to stay awake. The dingy amber light from his desk lamp was enough to read comfortably with. Arthur noticed a shadow to his right, and he quickly turned his head. However, it was just the plaques on the wall and his black coat, no one was there. Arthur blinked repeatedly as he breathed in and out. He looked down at the paper, but then looked up at the chairs in front of the desk. He looked at the one on the left, remembering the feeling of sitting in it. He would usually wait in this office and read while his father finished the paper work for the day. He remembered the white book his father had left in his office. Arthur shook his head again, dimmed the light, then looked down.


    ¡°The¡­ The girl expressed discomfort after the consistent usage of light steroid creams, rash also appeared inflamed upon presentation today. Their parents had applied the cream before¡­ Arrival¡­ I have advised them to stop using it until they¡¯ve met with a proper dermatologist¡­ I spoke with Dr. Ingrid to see if she could set up a consultation with this patient, but she is busy. As this family is from lower Helios, I recommended Doctor Raymon from the lower west district, and provided a letter of ref-¡±


    A knock on the door broke his focus. Arthur looked up and blinked, inhaling air quickly into his parched throat. Leia stood at the door, her red eyes locked onto Arthurs and froze. She walked in and looked around, twirling her pony tail in her hands. She wore a white sleeveless shirt and black pants, on her left arm was a red band tightly wrapped around her upper arm. A smooth scent came off of it, the faint scent of Leia¡¯s gift, a flower that grew off her arm. The band was dyed red by the petals, it suppressed the powerful anesthetic capable of rendering someone unconscious.


    ¡°Hey Arthur, here are the afternoon reports¡­¡± Leia put the stack of papers in a rectangular tray hanging off the wall.


    Arthur lifted his head, he didn¡¯t make eye contact as Leia walked past the desk. ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring me the reports all the time, it''s a short walk down the hall¡­ I can get it myself¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I want to lend a hand¡­ Spies don¡¯t get work often so I''m free right now¡­?¡± Leia pulled the blinds open.


    The orange light of the sun broke into the room, striking Arthur¡¯s face and stinging his eyes. He reflexively flinched, Arthur sighed as he rubbed his eyes. Dandruff flew off his brows and sparkled in the bright light. The contents of the room came into better view. Numerous awards his father had been given weren¡¯t hung, but stacked high along the sides of the room. Along the left and right sides of the room were various medical posters. On the wall next to the entrance of the room were pictures of Shinra, his family, and his friends. Leia put a flask of water on the table.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you something but¡­ You look like a mess¡­¡± Leia observed as she leaned against the table next to Arthur. ¡°Drink some water¡­ You¡¯re dried up like a prune¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you need?¡± Arthur asked as he took the cap off the flask.


    Leia looked away for a moment. ¡°I mostly wanted to check up on you¡­ But I was going to ask¡­ Did Shinra leave any reports regarding that boy? The one with the white-¡±


    A knock on the door interrupted her, and a large man in a suit walked in. He had a large belly bulging over his suit. ¡®The head of the research division?¡¯ His hair was very short, and he was balding. The man walked in with a grin, and behind him was a bald man with a thin moustache. The bald man looked into the room, but stayed outside.


    ¡°Arthur!¡± The large man walked in with his arms outstretched in a jolly manner.


    ¡°Wilson Marberg¡­¡± Arthur stood up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t had time to come down to the research clinic¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah don¡¯t worry about it, Shinra never had time either¡­¡± Wilson sat next to Leia and nodded toward her. ¡°Lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Marberg,¡± Leia waved.


    The large man sat down and leaned forward, he continued to nod while he rubbed his hands. The chair creaked as he leaned as far as he could. Wilson took a deep breath. However, as he glanced between Leia and Arthur his smile faded.


    ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m not interrupting anything am I?¡± Wilson asked. ¡°I can come back later if it''s alright¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I was just wrapping up for the day¡­ What do you need?¡±


    ¡°We, at the research clinic, have made a breakthrough¡­¡± Wilson smiled as he looked at Arthur. ¡°Imagine, instead of being cooped up in this office, you were enjoying the fresh air because you didn¡¯t have to deal with all the elderly patients who come in each week.¡±


    Arthur tilted his head and squinted at him, he glanced at Leia briefly and their eyes met.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°Dementia, arthritis, even cancer¡­¡± Wilson stressed. ¡°This breakthrough has the potential to stop all of it.¡±


    ¡°You mean that anti ageing cream? I know you were enthusiastic about it, but¡­ That sounds a little unbelievable¡­¡± Leia smirked doubtfully.


    Wilson pointed at Leia as he grinned. ¡°During our research into that, we tried simply making cosmetics¡­ This¡­ This can save lives.¡±


    ¡°What is the breakthrough?¡± Arthur sighed.


    ¡°Logorite therapy,¡± said Wilson.


    Arthur squinted at him, Leia did as well.


    ¡°Logorite¡­ Therapy?¡± Arthur shook his head.


    ¡°I know, I know¡­ It sounds crazy¡­¡± Wilson laughed. ¡°Like, why would you use such a toxic substance to help people, am I right?¡±


    Arthur continued to listen silently, Wilson gulped.


    ¡°But¡­ We¡¯ve had slaves mining this stuff for years, and not a single one of them experienced the same effects¡­¡± Wilson explained. ¡°Now¡­ Do you know what the difference in average life expectancy is between non-unified and the angels? Almost thirty years. Yet they live in significantly worse conditions, but somehow are less prone to disease compared to us? Why?¡±


    ¡°So if this is a breakthrough¡­ Have you confirmed it, or are you just observing a correlation?¡± Leia squinted at him.


    ¡°Well, in order to go further¡­ Arthur, I was hoping you would approve the research clinic¡¯s use of non-unified for human trials.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Arthur shut his proposition down without a second thought.


    ¡°On¡­ Slaves?¡± Leia tilted her head, her voice raised. ¡°Do you know how unethical that is?!¡±


    ¡°I know, I know! But we don¡¯t have to force them, I mean¡­ Yes, Alexander Rael probably would¡­ But¡­ Yes I agree, we should be ethical, and-¡±


    ¡°I said no,¡± Arthur glared at him.


    Wilson froze as he leaned back, he pursed his lips slightly.


    ¡°I am interested in the work though, if you¡¯re right, we could help a lot of people¡­ I want you to test on plants first, and if it''s successful and without major risk, we¡¯ll move to animals¡­ We do things ethically, Mr. Wilson. Bring me the paperwork as soon as you can, I''ll approve testing on plants. How much funding do you think you¡¯ll need?¡±


    Wilson looked down. ¡°For trials on¡­ Plants¡­ I don¡¯t have an immediate estimate¡­ But, I will get that to you soon. This was a great meeting though!¡±


    Arthur was still expressionless. ¡°Alright, get that to me tomorrow, and I''ll speak with the Lightbringers about the funding.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Wilson stood up, he had a sly grin. ¡°Oh and, I am very sorry for your loss. Shinra would be proud of the man you¡¯ve become.¡±


    Wilson exited the room, Leia kept her eye on the large man the whole time. The bald man with the thin moustache followed Wilson Marberg as he walked down the hall. Leia turned back to Arthur and shook her head.


    ¡°He came in here, really expecting you to be onboard with that¡­¡± Leia whispered as she pointed her thumb to the door. ¡°These idiots at the research clinic don¡¯t give a damn about morals¡­ I swear¡­ The Marberg family was also behind that opium scandal fifty years ago¡­ Guess the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree¡­¡± Leia shook her head.


    ¡°Dad told me about that¡­¡± Arthur looked up as he remembered. ¡°That was when Dorad cut a lot of their trade with us¡­ The economy must have been rough¡­¡±


    ¡°You know how much I had to pay for a meal?! Don¡¯t even get me started¡­¡± Leia groaned as she leaned back.


    ¡°You asked me if dad left anything about that kid¡­¡± Arthur rubbed his eyes. ¡°He didn¡¯t¡­ I don¡¯t know why¡­¡±


    Leia looked down in thought as she slowly nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried about the kid, hopefully Shinra managed to find his parents¡­¡± Leia sighed. ¡°I looked over the documents Akovo sent to the bureau¡­ But I couldn¡¯t find that book he had brought¡­¡±


    ¡°The Legend of Ragnarok?¡± Arthur reached for his pen. ¡°Oh, Shinra brought that to the tower¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Leia sounded confused. ¡°He didn¡¯t leave it with the rest of what he recovered?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Arthur sighed. ¡°I remember reading that book as a kid¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­¡±


    Leia looked down in thought.


    ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t think I can do much with the book¡­¡± Leia stood up and thought about it.


    ¡°I was planning on going to the library later¡­¡± Arthur yawned. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this, but¡­ I really feel like that book is different¡­ I wanted to go to the library and see if I could find a copy¡­ Compare the two¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Are you sure you want to? You look really tired¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ I¡¯m just gonna finish up these reports and get going¡­¡±


    ¡°I can take the reports to Akovo for you,¡± Leia offered.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Arthur thought about it, but he relaxed a little. ¡°Yeah, yeah that¡¯d be nice¡­ Make sure everything''s good for the night before you go though¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ve worked here longer than you¡¯ve been alive bud!¡± Leia smirked. ¡°I know how the show works.¡±


    Arthur''s eyes felt like they would tear open, but he dragged the pen with his aching hand. His lips were dry, and his back was starting to ache from sitting all day. He signed the page quickly with his initials. He slid the report onto a stack of papers, took a rubber band, and then wrapped it around the bundle. Arthur looked at his sheet on the table, and then analyzed the list of visitors today. ¡®One report missing from Oliver? This happened a few days ago too¡­¡¯ Leia slapped her hand on top of the stack. Arthur stood up, pressed his fingers against his lower back, and pushed his hips forward. Three loud cracks in succession released the tension in his back.


    ¡°Everyone I see in that chair gets back pain, keep stretching,¡± Leia smirked. ¡°If there¡¯s one thing that Wilson said was true, it was that your father would be proud of you. My daughter saw you at the port, and she hasn¡¯t stopped talking about you since. I know the whole town thinks it too.¡±


    ¡°You were there weren¡¯t you?¡± Arthur looked down. ¡°In Welis¡­ Did you see it¡­¡±


    Leia looked down for a moment, she gulped as well. ¡°No¡­ We were ambushed by the enemy in the north of Welis¡­ We were focused on keeping civilians away¡­ But then Shinra got separated from us¡­ All we saw from then¡­ Was Balakin¡­ Crying out in pain and falling from the sky¡­¡± Leia teared up and grimaced in fear.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ That must have been traumatic¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have ask-¡±


    Leia hugged him tightly. She shut her eyes tightly as her breaths became uneven.


    ¡°I have never felt so powerless¡­¡± Leia sniffled before pressing her face into Arthur¡¯s shoulders and sobbing.


    Arthur¡¯s eyes quivered, he grit his teeth, but he breathed in and opened his eyes. He looked up at the ceiling as he held Leia tightly. ¡®Throughout my entire life¡­ I¡¯ve never seen her like this¡­ And out of all my fathers lieutenants over the years¡­ I¡¯ve known Leia the longest¡­¡¯ Arthur gently pushed Leia away and wiped her tears with his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Arthur looked down with somber eyes. ¡°My father wouldn¡¯t want to see you like this¡­¡±


    Leia sniffled as she looked at Arthur, she wiped her tears. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    Leia sat down in the chair behind the desk, Arthur patted her shoulder and made his way out of the room. He pulled the black coat off the rack and threw it over his shoulder, then pulled the door closed. Before it shut, Arthur nodded at Leia, and she nodded back.


    He turned and walked down the hallway, he noticed the brown door to Oliver¡¯s office was shut. As he walked by, he looked through the window, the office was empty. ¡®He left without telling me? He¡¯s been missing reports lately too¡­ I wonder how he¡¯s holding up¡­¡¯ Arthur continued down the hallway until he saw Ako reading a document behind the reception desk.


    "Hey Ako," Arthur leaned against the desk. "Is Oliver still here?"


    "Oliver? No, he left in the afternoon¡­ Said he felt sick," Ako recounted as she continued to read. "This boy is quite smart for his age, Dr. Fost¡¯s son Liam¡­ Here, take a look at this thesis¡­"


    "Uh, yeah, I''ll get to it some other time¡­ You said Oliver felt sick? He didn''t tell me?"


    "Hm¡­ That¡¯s odd¡­ He usually would¡­" said Ako.


    "Huh¡­ He¡¯s been missing reports a lot recently¡­"


    "What?" Ako replied with a puzzled tone.


    ¡°The number of patients he saw doesn''t line up with the number of reports I¡¯ve received from him¡­¡±


    Ako squinted at Arthur. ¡°I counted that as well, it seemed fine¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Arthur tilted his head. ¡°Maybe I miscounted?¡±


    "Maybe, don¡¯t worry, I''ll check it again. Honestly, Oliver has felt a little distant¡­ Ever since he asked me about that boy, the one only your father could speak with, he wanted to know which foster home the boy went to¡­ But he seemed a little tense."


    Arthur squinted, something felt odd. ¡°Yeah, Leia is worried about that too¡­¡±


    "I''m not sure, Leia dropped his paperwork at your office yesterday¡­ There shouldn¡¯t be a discrepancy¡­"


    Arthur tilted his head.


    "Uh¡­ Huh¡­" Arthur looked around in confusion. "I''ll¡­ I''ll talk to him about it tomorrow¡­ Alright, I''m heading out, see you later Ako, thanks for everything!"


    "Anytime Arthur," Ako waved as Arthur pushed the door to the stairwell open.


    Arthur nodded and waved as he turned and walked into the stairwell. He made his way down quickly, the orange light from the setting sun was beginning to dim. Arthur reached the first floor and made his way down the hall. The people at the front desk looked up as he walked by.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out for the night, Leia will be wrapping up for the people on the night shift¡­¡± Arthur waved. ¡°Have a good night Lisa!¡±


    ¡°Oh, wait! Arthur! There was a letter for you!¡± the lady at the desk waved a sealed letter.


    Arthur squinted. ¡®A letter?¡¯ He made his way over to Lisa, the front desk attendant. She was an elderly woman who had been working at the hospital for at least twenty years. She had wavy blonde hair that was cut short, the color was too rich to be naturally dyed. She pushed her glasses up and set the letter down on the desk before she sat back down with a huff.


    ¡°Oliver dropped it off before he left, I asked him what it was, and he said¡­¡± Lisa smirked, and started to giggle. ¡°It was an invitation to his daughter''s birthday!¡±


    Arthur smiled, he held back a laugh as he shook his head. ¡°Hana''s birthday? Why would he need to give me a letter for that? He could have just asked¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh you know Oliver, he¡¯s crazy about his kid¡­¡±


    ¡°Alright, I better go gift shopping¡­ What do you think Hana is into?¡±


    ¡°That little girl? She is such a tomboy that I really have no idea¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ Alright, have a good night Lisa,¡± Arthur smiled and waved.


    Arthur walked out of the hospital, pushing the doors open and walking outside. He looked down at the white letter, flipping it to the other side. There was nothing written on it. Arthur pulled it open, and then pulled out a folded page. His smile faded. ¡®Huh¡­ This is¡­ A report?¡¯ Arthur turned around, he glanced at Lisa through the glass. Arthur turned and made his way to the side of the building.


    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Consultation with a royal guard¡­ Date of injury..." Arthur paused. "Hemhir twenty sixth¡­"


    Arthur stared blankly at the page, he recalled speaking to his father that day. Arthur shook his head and continued through the document.


    "A Lightbringer guard¡­ Was attacked during the night¡­ By a dog? This happened at the premises around House Lightbringer¡­ Deep lacerations to the left shoulder appear to be healing without infection, clawing around the middle of their chest has healed after seven days, no signs of infection¡­ I had reason to believe the dog was not normal. Worker was irate with me upon further questioning about the dog."


    ¡®Huh?¡¯


    "Was¡­ Not normal? What?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "He claimed the dog was a stray today¡­ As he was already irate, I didn¡¯t choose to press further on this. When asked to explain the dog''s physical appearance, they were hesitant, but claimed it was a black and white dog, but didn¡¯t know the breed. It should also be of note, that during our first meeting, he did not describe the dog as a stray. And he had mentioned the dog belonging to two children. At the time, he did not say where they came, or where they went. They appeared to be no older than ten, however he was unsure if they were related. The only features of the children he could recall¡­ One had black hair and green eyes, the other, white hair and blue eyes.¡±


    Arthur squinted at that line.


    ''Patient was given pain killers and prescribed antiseptic ointment for the wound. However, upon his presentation today, his wound was found to have trace amounts of ether present. The patient claims to have applied the cream for each day between the meetings. However, that should not have resulted in the presence of ether. They claimed to have not received any treatment via Celestial gifts, however that would be the only feasible means of ether depositing onto his wound. I will be referring him to Dr. Arthur Pendragon for a second opinion.''


    Arthur looked up, ''Wait¡­ What? But I never received this report?'' Arthur glanced to the bottom of the page. ''A dog bite wasn''t infected? That can''t be right¡­ Unless it''s a really clean dog¡­''


    ¡°Follow-up consultation conducted and written by Doctor Bloom on the 54th of Hemhir¡­¡±


    ''Oliver saw this patient yesterday¡­ Why is it dated for today? The consultation was yesterday, so why am I getting the report now? And¡­ As a letter¡­ Wait¡­ He saw this patient days ago? I never saw anything¡­'' Arthur folded the paper closed. ''Something about this doesn''t feel right¡­ Ether shouldn''t be in a dog''s mouth¡­ Unless the dog itself was a gift¡­ But I''ve never heard of something like that¡­'' Arthur stopped and looked up for a moment. ''Two kids¡­ One of them had¡­ White hair¡­''


    ***


    Arthur stood on the sidewalk as caravans passed by, he turned back and looked across the street. The library of Helios stood tall, it was the biggest building in the circle at the end of the boulevard. Arthur turned and looked up at the symbol of House Rover hanging from a banner outside. He¡¯d receive an occasional wave, or greeting from angels passing by, but even more concerned stares. As the road cleared of horses and caravans, Arthur made his way across. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I see that report sooner¡­ The kid with white hair¡­ Is it the same kid? It has to be¡­ That kid was the same¡­ No older than ten¡­ White hair¡­ Blue eyes¡­ And why did he have to hide the report like that¡­¡¯


    "Hey, Pipsqueek!" a woman called.


    Arthur didn''t stop, he kept his gaze locked on the library. ''And the book¡­ Where did that copy of the book come from¡­ I''m probably just overthinking things¡­ But everything that¡¯s happened recently is strange¡­''


    "Hey! Short Little, over here," the same woman shouted.


    Arthur stepped onto the curb and made his way toward the stairs of the library. However, before he reached the first step, someone tapped his shoulder.


    "Hey, Arthur! Called you like, three times, you deaf?" the loud woman he heard was behind him.


    Arthur turned and looked her head to toe, there was a blue insignia of a mask on her white shirt. The mask had three slashes over the left side. ¡®Angela Rover?¡¯ The noble of House Rover had icy blonde hair that reached past her neck. She stood with her hands in her pocket, about a foot taller than Arthur. She leaned forward and tilted her head, observing the bags under his eyes closely.


    "Oh, hey¡­" Arthur greeted her with a puzzled look.


    "I haven''t gotten a good chance to say hello, me and your dad used to talk a lot," Angela said.


    "House¡­ Rover handles public security right, you must''ve worked with him often¡­"


    "Yeah pretty much," Angela shrugged. "How are you holding up? Wanna get some coffee? Grab a bite?"


    "Uh, I''ll¡­ Pass¡­ I''m trying to limit how much of that I drink¡­ Dinner doesn¡¯t sound bad though¡­"


    "Hospital work must have you busy, your eyes are popping out of your head man¡­" Angela commented. "If you need a hand, just let me know, although I''m not sure if there¡¯s much I can do when it comes to health care."


    Arthur looked at her for a moment. ''She also seems concerned¡­''


    "It''s alright, really, the staff has been treating me well and being patient with me¡­" Arthur paused. "Wait¡­"


    "Hm?" Angela glanced at him.


    "You said Short Little earlier?" Arthur gave her a confused squint.


    "Uh, no, musta been someone else," Angela looked up as she looked up and pursed her lips.


    "You definitely did¡­"


    "Haa¡­" Angela looked away awkwardly. "What brings you to this part of the city? Unless you were just heading to class¡­"


    "I was going to¡­ Yeah, okay, real funny¡­ I''m almost twenty¡­ And I graduated early, shut up¡­"


    "Well, until you pass five feet I''m not stopping," Angela joked.


    "I''m five foot seven!" Arthur yelled. "I''m not that short¡­ I was going to the library¡­ I was looking for something¡­"


    "Hmm¡­ Can I join you?" Angela smiled.


    "Ugh¡­" Arthur groaned. ¡°Fine¡­¡±


    "I called you short once, it¡¯s not that big of a deal!"


    "Not once!" Arthur snapped.


    Arthur and Angela walked into the library, and continued to bicker, but quietly. However, that didn¡¯t last long, and they split up to widen their search. ¡®That book was pretty thick¡­ It should be on the top floors¡­¡¯ Arthur made his way up to the upper levels of the library. He looked around the section for books starting with the letter T, and then eventually found the myriad of titles starting with the word ¡®the¡¯. Arthur looked through each title, but didn¡¯t spot it. He looked through it again, but still didn¡¯t see anything. Angela walked up the steps and then approached him from behind, hitting him on the head with a black book.


    ¡°Legend of Ragnarok right? Why are you searching up here, it¡¯s a kids book¡­¡± Angela raised an eyebrow as she handed him the book.


    As Arthur analyzed the cover, Angela walked toward the window and looked at the setting sun. ¡®I was right¡­¡¯ Arthur looked down at the copy of a book. ¡®The Legend of Ragnarok¡­ This one is completely different¡­¡¯ The cover was different from the other one, this one depicted a white figure with the wings of an angel, holding a sword up straight upward. It stood on a giant skeleton. The yellow light from the sword illuminated the book, but the back of the cover and the spine was a black instead of white.


    "Hey¡­ Ain''t that, Lieutenant Bloom down there?"


    Arthur¡¯s head shot up, he turned to Angela. "What?!" Arthur looked out the window and saw Oliver¡¯s bright blonde hair.


    Oliver was outside of a daycare, he seemed to be speaking with the owner. The other children ran about in an enclosed playground.


    "What''s he doing at a daycare?" Angela asked.


    Arthur gulped. However, he squinted as he noticed Lightbringer guards approach the building from multiple angles. ¡®Huh-¡¯ The guards with golden masks surrounded the daycare. Oliver was still talking to the owner, however the closest guard put a hand on his shoulder.


    "Hold up¡­ Wait¡­ What''s going on?" Angela sounded confused all of a sudden. "That¡¯s the royal guard!?"


    "I''m going down there!" Arthur turned, his heart beating quickly.


    Angela glanced between Arthur and the scene outside, she followed close behind. Arthur hurried down the stairs, and then vaulted over a railing. He dropped about ten feet, and landed on his knee. The librarian that walked by was suddenly startled, Arthur quickly dashed by. He ignored the pain in his knee, and just kept running.


    "Hey no running in the-" the librarian paused.


    "Sorry!" Arthur yelled back.


    He quickly shoved the doors open and hurried toward the daycare, Oliver was arguing with the guards.


    "If you can tell me what I''ve done, maybe I''ll accept being taken in for questioning¡­"


    "We have suspicion and reason to believe you are involved in an ongoing investigation," the guard explained as he grabbed Oliver''s wrist.


    Arthur stopped at the bottom of the steps. ''Ongoing investigation?'' He glanced at Angela, who had paused as well with an equally confused look.


    "And that answer," Oliver ripped his arm away. "Didn''t answer shit! I ain''t going nowhere, it''s been a long ass day, i''m tired, I was about to head home, my daughter and wife are waiting, move."


    "Your family is also involved¡­" a man with a dry, uninterested tone spoke.


    ¡°What ongoing investigation? Do you know?¡± Arthur asked Angela.


    Angela simply shrugged with a confused look. The guards moved out of the way as a six foot tall angel walked through, his distinct white cowl hung off his shoulders. He had a blonde braided ponytail on the back of his head. A sheathed greatsword on his back revealed who he was, more specifically, its distinct oval shaped guard. ''That sword¡­ Lawrence Lightbringer!¡¯


    "What the fuck did you just say?" Oliver said with an utmost livid tone.


    "Your family is also suspected of conspiring with you in this matter," Lawrence said. ¡°Failure to comply may result in their arrest as well.¡±


    "What?! Is that a threat? Are you threatening my wife? My daughter!"


    "That''s¡­ What I said¡­" Lawrence nodded.


    "You rotten fucking punk!" Oliver lunged forward, only to get stopped by the guards.


    "Don''t make this worse for yourself¡­"


    Oliver raised his elbow, and brought it down on the head of a guard who held him back. ''Shit!'' Arthur suddenly sprung back into motion. The guards pulled Oliver to the floor, pinning him down on his stomach as they held his limbs down.


    "Arthur- Wait!" Angela tried to stop him.


    "Get off him! Right now!" Arthur shouted.


    "Arthur! Arthur, you can¡¯t trust these assholes! Don¡¯t trust anyone!" Oliver shouted on the ground.


    Lawrence glanced to his right and noticed Arthur, he squinted with a displeased grimace. A guard struck Oliver in the head with his elbow repeatedly.


    "Agh! Don¡¯t-" Oliver grunted, they forced his face against the concrete, cutting him off from speaking.


    "I said get off of him!" Arthur shouted once more.


    Before he could get close, Lawrence stood in his way.


    "Get out of my way, lieutenant!" Arthur yelled.


    Lawrence squinted at him for a moment.


    "I''d prefer if you called me by my name, thanks," Lawrence sounded slightly annoyed. "Oliver Bloom of House Pendragon, as well as the rest of the Bloom family are under investigation."


    "For?!" Arthur raised an eyebrow.


    "I''m not obligated to answer that¡­"


    "What did he do? Can we talk about this? Maybe even somewhere private?" Arthur gestured toward all the people who watched.


    "No, I don''t need to," Lawrence declined and turned around. "Let''s go, get him up¡­"


    "The law say otherwise!" Arthur raised his tone.


    Lawrence sighed and glanced back at Arthur.


    "Listen, i''m tired of this, and I wanna go-"


    "You cannot arrest someone without providing a cause! And my position as noble does obligate you to answer!" Arthur replied with a stern tone.


    "Wait¡­ Arthur¡­" Angela tried to get a word in.


    "Except that it doesn''t apply to me, so fuck off..." Lawrence turned and approached him. "But whatever, I''ll oblige¡­ He''s been accused of conspiring against the third noble of House Pendragon, your father!"


    "What?!" Oliver snapped, his tone spilling with disbelief.


    "That''s ridiculous¡­" Arthur shook his head. "Based on what evidence?!"


    "We''re done talking, piss off kid¡­"


    Arthur felt his blood boil, he was about to walk forward once more, but Angela stopped him.


    "Hey, let me go! He can''t just-"


    "He can Arthur¡­" Angela said with an intense look as she watched Lawrence walk away.


    "What? Arthur ripped his hand from her grip.


    He turned back to see them pull Oliver to his feet, he looked to Arthur with desperate eyes. The whole time, he was trying to say something, but couldn¡¯t, they had used a cloth to gag him. Arthur grimaced from how helpless he felt. Oliver was dragged into a black caravan. Arthur¡¯s rage bubbled within him as he stared at the symbol of a sword on the side of the caravan. The eye in the center of the symbol almost seemed like it stared back at him.


    "Isn''t House Rover responsible for the authority around the city!¡± Arthur turned to Angela, his teeth clenched.


    ¡°Yes¡­ And no¡­¡± Angela answered slowly, there was undeniably a hint of shame in her mannerism.


    ¡°You just stood there and did nothing!"


    "Because the city guard is trumped by the royal guard¡­ Trust me I get why you''re mad¡­ I hate to say it, but Lightbringers are above the law¡­ They don''t normally do this, but Shinra was directly from the Pendragon bloodline, one of the founding families, and people are demanding justice for what happened to him¡­"


    "But¡­ Oliver?! He''s been friends with my father for years!? There is no way Oliver had anything to do with my fathers death!"


    Angela bit her thumb as she tried to think. "Do you know why he was at a daycare?"


    Arthur turned back to the daycare Oliver had visited. The woman who ran it was outside, speaking to someone about what had happened. She was old, with dark wrinkled skin. She wore robes around her head that wrapped around her shoulders as well, the old lady was hunched over and had narrow eyes. Arthur briefly remembered his father¡¯s mannerism the day he left, and chose not to answer.


    "No, I''m not sure¡­ Let''s¡­ Go ask¡­" Arthur answered slowly, he breathed deeply in a pointless attempt to calm himself.


    Arthur pushed open a brown picket fence, he walked through and the landlord immediately went pale. She quickly looked left and right, before getting ready to bow.


    "No, no! There''s no need¡­ I just want to ask something¡­" Arthur waved both of his hands.


    "Mr Pendragon, It''s an hon-"


    "Arthur, is fine¡­"


    "That was your lieutenant right? Why was he arrested? You don''t think the Lightbringers child was telling the truth, do you?" the old lady asked.


    "Uh, no¡­"


    "What did Oliver want from you, if you don''t mind me asking?" Angela walked forward and leaned on Arthur''s shoulder. "Pretty sure his daughter doesn''t even go to this daycare¡­"


    "He wanted to know¡­ He wanted to know if Shinra had come by here a few weeks ago¡­ I told him no, but¡­ He got kind of upset, telling me that it wasn''t possible, and that he checked every other day care. Then¡­ The guards were suddenly upon him¡­" the old lady explained.


    "The heck? Arthur, you still go to daycares?"


    "Angela, I swear¡­"


    "Sorry, sorry," Angela laughed, scratching her head as she stepped back. ¡°Just¡­ Trying to lighten the mood¡­¡±


    Arthur stared at the old lady with a confused look. ''Why did Oliver try to find the boy, how come he didn''t drop off his report normally, what the hell is going on¡­''


    "Thank you, that''s all I wanted to know, have a great night," Arthur waved as he turned.


    Angela glanced between Arthur and the daycare, waving just before hurrying off.


    "Well, that''s weird¡­ He checked every daycare in Helios¡­" said Angela. ¡°But why?¡±


    "In one day¡­ Right after a long shift at work where he said he was sick¡­ Oliver is way too lazy for something like that¡­ This doesn''t make sense¡­"


    "I doubt he would plot against your father¡­" Angela mentioned. "He seemed the most angry out of the people who returned from Hiria."


    "He hasn''t really talked to me about what happened¡­ Leia said there was a great battle in Welis¡­ And they weren''t with Father when he was defeated¡­"


    "Wait¡­ Oliver wasn''t with him?" Angela tilted her head.


    "No¡­"


    "The second best warrior in House Pendragon wasn''t on the front lines with his noble?" Angela squinted at Arthur with a confused look.


    Arthur stopped, turning to Angela for a moment.


    "Yeah¡­ That''s¡­" Arthur looked down.


    He froze in thought. ''Something isn''t right¡­''


    "Angela, I¡­ I have to head back to the office!" Arthur suddenly hurried off.


    "Huh¡­ Wait? What about dinner? Weren''t you done with your shift!" Angela called.


    ***


    Arthur hurried up the stairs of the Pendragon bureau, sweat dripped down his head. ''I knew something felt wrong about those final words¡­ They definitely aren''t his! And none of them saw father''s defeat!'' Arthur stormed out of House Pendragon¡¯s Bureau, and ran across the stone bridge leading to the tower he currently stayed at. The celestial loomed over him ominously. However, a sudden sight made him freeze.


    "Huh¡­" Arthur uttered as he saw the door to the tower open.


    An angel with a gold mask and white robes stepped out, a second one also stepped through the doorway, but they both stopped as they saw Arthur. ''What the¡­'' The guard in front quickly turned to his comrade, their white cowls flapped in the strong winds.


    "What are you doing¡­" Arthur uttered with wide eyes.


    "Noble Pendragon, we¡­ Have been tasked with bringing in Shinra''s personal belongings for investigation," the guard said hesitantly.


    "What investigation?" Arthur asked quickly.


    The guards looked at each other for a moment.


    "We¡­ Aren''t allowed to-"


    "Arthur!" a familiar friendly voice called from behind.


    Arthur glanced over his shoulder to see Leia, she paused as she saw him with the guards.


    "I don''t recall¡­ Letting guards in¡­" Leia squinted at them.


    "B-but¡­" the guards stuttered.


    "No buts! You need a specially signed warrant to enter a noble''s home even if you''re a royal guard."


    "But, Ms. Kagam-"


    "I said no buts!" Leia suddenly shouted. "Now if you don''t want to lose your job, I suggest you give those files back and leave!"


    Arthur tucked the book from the library into his pocket, his fingers clenched on the hard cover''s surface. The two guards looked at each other, before complying slowly. ¡®Lightbringers are above the law¡­¡¯ The two walked past Arthur. They gave the stacks of files to Leia and walked through the door to House Pendragon¡¯s Bureau. ¡®Leia is the one who''s been bringing me reports¡­¡¯


    "You okay?" Leia put her hand on Arthur''s shoulder.


    Arthur was still glaring at the bridge. Leia patted his back.


    "I''ll help you take these back inside," Leia offered.


    Arthur''s grip on the book tightened even more.


    "That won''t be necessary," Arthur said quickly.


    Leia stopped, she returned with a puzzled face.


    "Oh¡­ Uh, you sure?" Leia smiled.


    "Yes¡­" Arthur answered with a dry tone. "Thank you for the help¡­ Go home and get some rest, Leia¡­"


    Arthur walked forward and took the stack of papers from Leia. He didn''t turn to look at her as he crossed the bridge. However, he heard the clicks of her heels follow him. Leia''s hand fell upon his shoulder.


    "Are you okay?" Leia asked.


    "Yeah¡­" Arthur replied as he held the book tightly. "It''s just¡­ Been a long day¡­"


    "Oh¡­ I see, well, make sure you rest! It''s not good to overwork yourself when you''re so young!" Leia waved as she walked away.


    Arthur didn''t reply, he kept walking. He pulled the door open and walked into the tower, making his way up the stairs slowly as he took in everything that had happened. Oliver¡¯s words came back to him. ''Don¡¯t trust anyone¡­'' Arthur looked down at the papers he held as he listened to the sound of his own breaths. He opened up the top file and observed the document. ''There were Lightbringer guards apprehending Oliver¡­'' Arthur''s hand shook as he held the book. He quickly ran up the steps and entered his fathers study. The room was tidy, as if no one was just here. ''Leia¡­ How did Lightbringer guards get past her¡­ Unless she let them in¡­'' Arthur shook his head, denying the possibility. ¡®No¡­ No Leia wouldn¡¯t-¡¯ He remembered how the guard addressed her, and his suspicions started to grow. ¡®This isn¡¯t right¡­ Something is seriously wrong here¡­¡¯


    Arthur set the stack of papers down, in the middle of the bundle, was the white book. Arthur reached into his pocket and pulled out the copy from the library. He held the two side by side, and confirmed his suspicions. ¡®The covers are completely different¡­ And this one my father had found is significantly bigger¡­ This one isn¡¯t a children¡¯s book¡­¡¯ Arthur opened the first page of the white book, and started to read. The first sentence made his eyes widen.


    ¡°This work is based on¡­ A true story¡­¡±

 Act 0 - Chapter 7

    Chapter 7; Yami; Hemhir 26th, 329SR; 8:05


    The room was lit by the morning sunlight, the clock ticked repeatedly. Yami slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the red dragon he used to play with sitting on top of a closet. ''Zeus isn''t up yet? Must be sleeping in because he''s hungry¡­'' Yami turned over, then took a deep breath as he got comfortable again. ''That might be a bad thing actually? Ah, he¡¯s probably okay. I can still hear him sleeping¡­'' Yami lounged in bed for a little while longer, listening to the silence in the room. The only other breath in the room was Nova. Yami¡¯s eyes shot open. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯


    Yami pushed himself up and looked at Zeus''s bed for a few seconds. The quilt was thrown to the side, the sheets were wrinkled, but there was no sign of his brother. Yami glanced to the other side of the room where Nova''s bed was, she was sound asleep.


    "Huh¡­ Zeus didn''t wake me up¡­" Yami said to himself as he pushed himself out of the bed.


    Yami walked through the room, he was rubbing his right eye as he passed Eos''s bed. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ Yami took three steps back, then turned to the left. Eos¡¯s bed was empty. ¡®Eos didn¡¯t wake me up either? Strange¡­ I bet he went out to practice before our race¡­¡¯ Yami scratched his head and yawned. He walked out of the room, took a right down the hall, and went to the washroom. There were no other sounds in the house. ''Is Zeus outside already?''


    ***


    The warm water flowed over his palms as he washed his hands. ''I wonder if Nova will let me swim in that pool¡­ It belongs to Loomy, so she might get upset¡­'' Yami dried off his hands, then stepped out of the bathroom. ''Wait¡­ I wonder if Eos can run fast enough to sprint on the water, that''d be pretty cool¡­'' A door opened to his left. Theresia stepped out of her office, she was slouched over, and her expression looked drained. Her black hair was a mess, she rubbed her eyes as she started down the hall.


    ¡°Morning¡­¡± Theresia yawned.


    "What''s for breakfast?" Yami asked lazily, his eyes were closed.


    "I''m not making you eggs, you had those yesterday and the day before¡­" Theresia said with a slight smile as she walked past Yami, entered the washroom and closed the door. "Especially if you don''t turn on the fan! Ugh!"


    "Oh, sorry!" Yami walked away as he laughed quietly to himself.


    As he approached the room, Nova walked out while rubbing her eyes. She looked more groggy than usual.


    "Mom took the washroom upstairs already," Yami mentioned as he walked by.


    "Tsk¡­" Nova kissed her teeth. "Ah, I hate going downstairs¡­"


    As Yami passed by the bedroom, he glanced at the empty beds once more. ¡®They must be downstairs¡­¡¯ Yami walked down the steps, expecting to see one of his brothers in the kitchen. But it was empty.


    "Huh¡­" Yami didn''t think much of it.


    Yami walked across the white tiled kitchen floor and reached for one of three cereal boxes on the counter. He set the box down next to the sink, the word ¡®Peanut Puff¡¯s¡¯ was written on this box. Yami stopped as he noticed the sink was empty. ¡®Hm¡­ Did Zeus and Eos even eat breakfast? They usually never wash their dishes¡­¡¯ Yami opened the cupboard, and all the large white bowls were still stacked. He reached up as far as he could, his fingers just barely touching the rim of the bowl. He managed to pull it, then got two fingers on it and pulled it out of the cupboard. Yami turned the knob of the sink and started to wash the bowl, he looked out the window and saw the yard. But he squinted as he noticed someone sprinting toward the front of the house. It was Zeus.


    "Huh?" Yami set the bowl down and then walked out of the kitchen, taking a right toward the front door to open it.


    Yami opened the door and stepped onto the patio with his bare feet. "Yo, what are you doing so early? Were you looking for food out-"


    Yami paused as he saw the frantic look on Zeus''s face as he came closer. The black haired boy had never had such a frightened look before. Zeus''s foot gave out, he grunted as he fell on all fours and panted heavily.


    "Yo¡­ What happened? Why are you-"


    "Where''s mom? Is she awake!" Zeus shouted.


    "Huh¡­ She¡­ Just went into the bathroom?" Yami noticed the sweat running down Zeus''s head. "You okay?"


    "Huh, me, oh, yeah, yeah¡­ I''m fine, no problem! We didn''t do anything! I gotta get up the stairs before mom finds me out of bed!" Zeus hurried past Yami.


    Yami stepped to the side, he watched Zeus run up the steps quickly. ''Why is he in such a hurry to get back to bed, I wonder if Eos is also outside¡­'' Yami turned and looked at the forest across the yard. Eos wasn''t there.


    "Was Eos with you?" Yami asked.


    Zeus had just turned into the bedroom, only to stop as Yami said that. Zeus looked between the room and Yami, and his face went pale. The black haired boy stepped back, a look of horror on his face. Yami had never seen his brother so shaken up before.


    "Or¡­ Did Eos go out after you woke up?" Yami asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Eos isn''t here¡­" Zeus uttered as he looked into the room.


    "I thought he was with you?"


    Zeus just stared at Yami for several seconds, his expression didn''t change at all. Theresia walked out of the washroom and started down the same hall. She saw Zeus at the top of the steps, then glanced into the bedroom. She noticed the two children, then looked at Yami with a raised eyebrow. Yami shrugged in confusion.


    "What''s going on?" Theresia dried her hair with a towel.


    "Fuck¡­" Zeus uttered, a hint of panic in his voice.


    Yami''s jaw dropped as he heard that. Theresia blinked in surprise as Zeus suddenly cursed. She looked more confused than mad.


    "Uh¡­ I''m standing¡­ Right here you know?" Theresia shook her head in confusion.


    "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Zeus bolted down the stairs and ran for the door.


    Yami moved out of the way again as Zeus stormed back outside.


    "What the hell was that¡­" Theresia muttered.


    "I¡­ I don''t know¡­ I just asked him if he went out with Eos¡­" Yami admitted.


    "What¡­" Theresia went pale.


    "I didn''t see Eos or Zeus in bed this morning¡­ And when I was making breakfast I-"


    Theresia ran past Yami and went outside as well.


    "Zeus!" Theresia shrieked.


    Zeus was already halfway toward the forest when Theresia shouted.


    "Where did you go?!" Theresia hissed angrily. "You went back to the forest didn''t you!"


    "I- I-"


    "Where is Eos! Did he go with you?!"


    "I don''t know, he was right behind me, and and-"


    "Wait¡­ Calm down¡­ Both of you¡­" Yami tried to ease the tension, he was confused himself.


    "I''m not talking to you right now, Yami! Go back inside!" Theresia snapped.


    Yami felt incredibly small behind her, his entire body shook with fear. He turned back toward the house, only to see Nova peaking through the door.


    "Zeus! Where is Eos! Answer the question!" Theresia shouted, louder than she''d ever shouted before.


    "We went through the door¡­ And then we saw someone¡­ Someone with a gold mask¡­" Zeus explained hesitantly, he looked like he was about to cry. "I told Eos to run¡­ I thought he came back here¡­ But¡­"


    "You idiot!" Theresia shouted. "Why would you- How many times have I told you not to go into the forest!"


    "But mom¡­ Me and Eos went in yesterday and you didn''t say anything¡­"


    "Yami! Not right now!" Theresia hissed.


    "No¡­ No, he''s right! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong!¡± Zeus suddenly grit his teeth at his mother. "What was that back there!"


    "You watch your tone this-"


    "You lied to us!" Zeus screamed.


    Theresia froze with wide eyes. Yami and Nova¡¯s lips felt like they were glued shut.


    "Why did you lie?! This whole place is just¡­ Some big¡­ Room!"


    "Huh?" Nova tilted her head.


    "We can go check right now! Me and Eos saw it for ourselves! This is just some massive room, with big windows, it''s not a mountain at all! You told us to always read those stupid books, and nothing in those books is out there! Where are the rivers? Where is the ocean?! Where are the cities and roads!"


    "Zeus, hold on-"


    ¡°And¡­ And¡­ There was¡­¡± Zeus stuttered. ¡°There was¡­ Something¡­ Some weird thing back there that me and Eos found! It looked like a person!¡±


    A red light started to crackle off of Theresia''s body. Yami noticed it and froze, he felt a wave of fear.


    "That''s not a mountain on the other side! It''s just a giant wall! Me and Eos went through the door! We saw what was there! What was that! Why did you-" Zeus suddenly fell forward, he looked drowsy all of a sudden, before landing on the grass, flat on his face.


    "Huh¡­" Yami uttered in silence.


    Nova stepped forward as Zeus laid on the ground motionless. His eyes were still open.


    "Zeus?" Nova called. "Zeus!"


    Nova ran past Yami and Theresia, kneeling down next to him and pushing him onto his back. Yami turned his head to his mother, her head was low as a red energy pulsed off of her body.


    "Zeus, Zeus! What happened! Mom what¡­" Nova stopped as she looked up at Theresia. "Mom?"


    "Go to sleep, Nova," Theresia spoke with a calm intensity.


    "What, but Zeus¡­" Nova suddenly seemed drowsy as well. "Zeus¡­"


    Yami watched as Nova leaned forward and fell asleep on top of her brother. ''What just happened¡­'' Yami asked himself as he stood behind Theresia, she raised her right arm. A small shield, similar to a buckler appeared on her wrist. What caught Yami off guard was the blood red eye on the face of the silver shield. At the same time, two red rings of light appeared behind her, one small and one large. The two circles overlapped, and almost looked like an eye staring at Yami.


    "Mom¡­" Yami uttered, hesitance in his tone.


    Theresia didn''t turn, her head was still low. A red spark flashed off of the eye embedded in the shield, and a black substance seemed to spill from it. Yami watched the thick black liquid fall onto the grass and spread out. The pool started to ripple. All of a sudden, two black limbs stretched forth from the liquid. It grasped the dirt and pulled itself out.


    It was horrific, like a nightmare given form. The thing''s hands pushed the rest of its mass out of the ground, the snapping and crackling of bone made Yami cringe. Its head struggled out of the ground, but despite its size, it had no mouth and made no noise. It possessed horns and dense muscle all over its body, but didn¡¯t have legs. It had one massive red eye fixed into the right side of its face. Its brain seemed to be ripping through its own exposed skull. The thing looked down at Yami, then spread its massive wings. ¡®What the¡­ What is that thing¡­ Where are its legs?!¡¯ The bottom of the creature''s chest started to bubble. At the base of its spine, where its stomach should have been, a pink translucent sack seemed to expand. It expanded like a bubble, before bursting into hundreds of small black specks. The specks seemed to float in the air.


    ¡°Find Eos¡­ Bring him back to me¡­¡± Theresia ordered, but her voice sounded like it reverberated.


    The strange black specks in the air started to move away, spreading out in every direction. ¡®Huh¡­ Her voice¡­¡¯ Theresia turned to Yami, her bright red eye sent shivers down his spine.


    "I''m sorry¡­ Yami¡­" she apologized.


    Yami took a step back as the massive creature approached his siblings. Azure appeared on his shoulders with its wings outstretched. Yami could feel the hostility from Azure, his spirit was trying to protect him. Part of him wanted to run, but he felt despair at the thought of leaving Nova and Zeus.


    "What¡­ What did you do to them!" Yami suddenly shouted, he breathed heavily.


    "Don¡¯t worry, they are just sleeping¡­ You¡¯ll be joining them soon¡­" said Theresia.


    "Mom¡­ What are you talking about¡­ What''s going on!" Yami demanded an answer.


    Azure pecked and pulled at Yami''s hair, urging him to run. Theresia looked down as she let out a sharp breath, her eyes were full of pain. Theresia''s finger moved slightly. Yami and Azure merged immediately, two bright blue wings appeared on his back as he jumped back. Yami breathed in and out repeatedly, his heart was beating rapidly as he soared backward. The figure of his mother grew further and further away, but her red eyes were still visible from a distance. ''I can''t leave Nova and Zeus! And Eos is somewhere too! Why is this happening!" Yami flew through the trees, then stopped and turned as his wings lowered.


    ''I have to keep that monster away from them¡­ Where did it even come from? It was massive! I have to avoid mom¡­ I don''t know what she did, but she put them to sleep without moving a finger! Did mom¡­ Did mom have a gift all this time?!'' Yami shook his head, but froze as he looked up and noticed Theresia was gone. He heard the sound of water behind him, and he turned to see Theresia rising from a shadow.


    "What the- Ah!" Yami fell to both knees and put his own hands behind him, his own body wasn¡¯t listening to him. ¡°What is this?!¡±


    "Don''t make this any harder for me than it already is, Yami¡­" Theresia spoke as she raised her palm and reached for his face.


    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Yami tried to pull himself free, but his limbs weren''t listening to him. His body felt numb. ''I can''t move! What is this!'' Yami shut his eyes and cowered, whimpering out of fear as her hand came closer. His heart beat rapidly, his teeth rattled against each other, he had never felt so scared in his life. However, he didn¡¯t feel anything. Yami opened his eyes slowly.


    Tears fell from Theresia''s eyes, her teeth were clenched with a guilty look on her face. Her hand shook, her red eyes faltered as she stared at Yami''s terrified expression. The young boy didn''t understand why she stopped. ''Azure!'' The blue bird flew out of Yami¡¯s chest, Theresia raised her shield to block. The impact sent blue energy outward, Theresia was caught off guard as she launched off her feet. Yami felt his arms again, and he was able to move. He stood up to run, but he turned as he heard her hit the tree.


    "Ah!" Theresia grunted, she landed on her rear.


    "I''m sorry!" Yami stepped back, but he remembered what he had to do.


    The wings sprouted off of his back, and he skipped backwards. His wings flapped as he jumped and he took off, the monster from before was gently lifting Zeus and Nova.


    "Azure! Rain!" Yami screamed as he charged forward.


    Yami stopped and spread his wings, releasing hundreds of blue pellets at the strange creature. It shielded its face with one arm, Zeus and Nova were laying on its other palm. Yami quickly flew under its left arm, and grabbed his two siblings out of the right. Yami grimaced as he felt their weight pull him down, but he kept flapping his wings like his life depended on it.


    "Ahh! Azure! Fly! Fly away!" Yami grunted as he struggled to carry his siblings.


    Yami flew directly upward, with each wing beat he went higher and higher. He approached the bright blue sky. ''Almost¡­ Almost there-'' Yami slammed face-first into the blue sky. ''Huh!'' He spread his wings out and readjusted himself to stay airborne. What he believed to be the sky, was simply just a ceiling painted blue. Zeus''s words came back to him as his thoughts were racing.


    ''This whole place is just¡­ One big¡­ Room!''


    Yami gulped nervously, a sinking feeling grew in his gut. ''How do I get out of here¡­''


    "It''s pointless," said Theresia. "Put them down, Yami!"


    Yami turned, his eyes widened. The creature from before was carrying his mother by the shoulders. Its massive wings flapped as they flew toward Yami. All of his senses screamed at him to run, but he didn''t know where to go. Yami just shook his head as sweat dripped off his chin.


    "You cannot defy me, I created you, all of you¡­" Theresia explained.


    "Why¡­" Yami uttered. "Mom, why are you doing this!"


    Theresia looked down. "It wasn''t supposed to be like this¡­ But, I''m afraid this was always inevitable¡­"


    "What¡­ Ah!" Yami yelped as a different creature grasped him.


    Its hands were bigger than his whole body, he looked up to see another strange creature with one eye. It stretched out of a black puddle on the ceiling. It had six hands, and a horrifying face with mandibles for lips. Its other hands grasped Nova and Zeus.


    "No!" Yami cried.


    The monster slipped out of the shadow, landing on the ground while it held the three children. Its body was different from the other, while the other had wings, this one was just two legs and six arms all connected to a torso. Yami kicked and struggled as much as he could. He looked at Nova and Zeus. ''I have to get them out of here! Azure! Come on, we need to break free!''


    "Ah!" Yami screamed as he tried to push free from the grip. ¡°Let! Go!¡±


    Theresia continued to look down, Yami could only see her red eyes beneath her bangs. Azure''s wings disappeared, then reformed between Yami and the creature''s hand. He pushed against its grip as hard as he could. The wings spread apart just enough for Yami to free himself. The wings dissipated, and he fell out of the monster''s grip. Yami immediately bolted for the hands that held Zeus and Nova. But before he could reach them, his entire body froze on the spot.


    "Damn! Aaagh! What is this!" Yami struggled.


    "I told you¡­ There''s nothing you can do to defy me," said Theresia.


    ¡°Azure!¡±


    The bird flew out of Yami once more, and charged at Theresia. ''While Azur keeps her busy, I''ll go for that door Zeus was talking about! There should be a way out from-'' A single lash was all Yami heard, followed by the Azure¡¯s pained squawk. He turned back to see his spirit on the ground, he wasn¡¯t moving. Yami''s expression sank as Theresia approached.


    "You''re protecting your siblings¡­ Even when it''s futile¡­" Theresia raised her hand. ¡°You¡¯re a good brother¡­¡±


    "Azure!" Yami cried, he grit his teeth and put all his strength into moving his right arm. ¡°Ah!¡±


    The swarm of creatures the monster released before returned. They flew in a cluster, like a cloud of dust in the sky. Thousands of the tiny creatures surrounded Yami and Theresia. Now that they were closer, he realized there was a small red light on each of them.


    ¡°Escaped,¡± Yami heard the word whispered from the cloud repeatedly all at once.


    ¡°What? No, search again!¡± Theresia ordered. ¡°He has to be in the facility! There''s no way Eos got that far!¡±


    ¡°Escaped,¡± the creatures repeated once again.


    ¡°Huh¡­ I said search again! Search as many times as you have to! Don¡¯t stop searching until you die!¡± Theresia ordered with grit teeth, huffing in and out as her eyes shook with fear. ¡°Leamas will¡­ No¡­ I can¡¯t start again¡­ I can¡¯t start everything all over again!¡± Theresia manically rambled to herself.


    Yami pushed his arms as hard as he could, but no matter how much he tried, his body didn¡¯t listen. ¡®Move! Move! Move! What kind of older brother are you! Move!¡¯ Yami grit his teeth, as he pushed with all his strength again.


    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Theresia whimpered to herself, she turned to Yami with a look of sorrow. "It¡¯s okay Yami¡­ You''ll wake up soon and forget this entire thing happened¡­ Nova and Zeus will be safe¡­"


    "Rgh!" Yami struggled as much as he could.


    "A man will be here in some time¡­ He will take you to the surface¡­"


    "Huh!"


    "When you¡¯re there¡­ Don''t cause people trouble, mind your manners¡­ And¡­ And¡­ Don''t stay up too long¡­ You need to sleep a lot¡­ And make sure you brush your teeth¡­ And¡­ And-"


    Theresia stopped, her eyes went wide as she put a hand over her own mouth. The look of confusion and fear on Yami''s face made her tears spill. Her eyes quivered, she shut her eyes as she skipped a breath.


    "What am I saying¡­" Theresia''s voice cracked. "You four were too pure to deserve a monster like me as your mother¡­"


    "What¡­" Yami uttered in confusion.


    "I''ve been here too long for my own good¡­ It was never supposed to be like this, but I can¡¯t help it¡­" Theresia sobbed as she embraced Yami tightly. ¡°You four¡­ Were everything I¡¯ve ever wanted¡­¡±


    Yami felt his eyelids suddenly fall. He shook his head, but lost the strength to keep his eyes open.


    "Goodbye," said Theresia. ¡°I love you, all of you¡­¡±


    ***


    "Ah!" Yami gasped as his eyes shot open.


    He found himself in bed, looking around the room for a moment. ''I slept in¡­ Shit! I was supposed to¡­'' Yami looked across the room to the one bed which wasn''t along the back of the room. Eos wasn''t there, his sheets were neatly folded. ''I slept in?'' Yami stopped as he looked at the clock. There were still four hours till noon. ¡®Or¡­ Not¡­ It¡¯s really early¡­¡¯


    "Why are you so spooked?" Zeus asked as he sat up.


    Yami turned to the right and saw Zeus, he stared at him for a few seconds. Yami looked past his bed and saw Nova slowly rise, she stretched her arms as she turned to her brothers.


    "Eos is already up?" Nova yawned as she shifted out of bed.


    Nova rubbed her eyes as she dragged her feet across the room. She took a right into the hallway, stepping down the creaking wooden floor. The creaks of the wooden floor were the only other noise in the house.


    "You have a bad dream or something?" Zeus asked Yami.


    "Huh¡­ Oh¡­ I¡­ I''m trying to remember but¡­ I can''t¡­" Yami muttered as he held his head.


    "Huh¡­" Zeus''s eyes wandered around. "What the?"


    Zeus bounced out of bed and picked up an aluminum package on the floor. He lifted it up and turned it around. The toilet flushed down the hall, and the sound of the door opening followed.


    "Huh¡­ What''s this doing here?" Zeus asked as he turned the package of biscuits.


    "I don¡¯t know¡­ I don¡¯t remember bringing it up, I think it''s yours¡­" Yami shrugged.


    "I don¡¯t remember that, but i''m not complaining¡­¡± Zeus squinted at the bag. ¡°Why is it so dusty¡­¡±


    "Maybe you forgot it there a while ago?"


    "Huh¡­" Zeus stared at Yami, at the same time he pulled the bag open. "Well, I''m hungry so¡­" He threw one biscuit into his mouth. ¡°Pleh!¡±


    Zeus spat the cookie out. Yami tilted his head. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ Yami noticed something different about Zeus, he pulled himself out of bed, but didn¡¯t expect his feet to touch the floor. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ Yami sat on the bed, and his feet reached the floor. ¡®Did I get taller?¡¯


    ¡°Eugh¡­ Tastes so stale¡­ How old are these?¡± Zeus looked at the package.


    "Mom?" Nova yelled throughout the house. "Mom!"


    Zeus and Yami turned to the door as Nova ran up the steps. She leaned against the door frame and poked her head into the room.


    "Where''s mom?" Nova asked.


    "Eos is already awake, she might be outside with¡­¡± Yami stopped as he noticed Nova seemed different as well.


    "What? He started playing without us?! That dork, I swear just because he''s fast he thinks he can leave us behind now¡­" Zeus walked out of the room and ran downstairs.


    Yami walked out of the room, turned right, and made his way to the bathroom. He stopped before he opened the door. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­ Really feel like I need to go to the bathroom¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡¯ Yami stopped as he looked down at the door knob. ¡®Did the knob get smaller?¡¯ Someone ran down the hall quickly, Yami expected Eos to come around the corner.


    "I almost forgot to use the washroom!" Zeus came around the corner. "Get out of the way!"


    "I wasn''t going¡­" Yami whispered to himself, but stopped as he realized Zeus¡¯s voice was deeper.


    The washroom door shut as Yami turned the corner. He turned and looked at Theresia''s room, the door was slightly open. Yami stared at the door for several seconds, but for some reason his body felt stiff. He continued down the hall, pushing Theresia''s door open.


    The room was empty, her bedsheets were neatly folded. Yami walked in, the books and files were still there. The table was clear. Everything in the room seemed neatly organized, it was usually messy.


    "Hey Nova! I almost forgot! Let''s fill that pool for Loomy!" Zeus shouted from the washroom.


    "She''s not here¡­" Yami whispered to himself.


    There was a calendar on the wall, showing the days for the current year. Yami walked out of the room, he walked back the way he came and down the stairs. It was oddly quiet. As he entered the kitchen, a layer of dust stuck to his foot. He looked at his feet, and was surprised to see such a thick layer of dust. ¡®I swear mom swept last night¡­¡¯ Yami walked over to the cereal boxes and picked out his favorite, the box was also covered in dust. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ Yami reached for the cupboard, pulling it open and seeing the bowls at eye level.


    ¡°I can¡¯t find mom or Eos¡­¡± Nova walked in as she rubbed her eyes.


    As Yami turned, he looked carefully at Nova. His sister tilted her head as Yami just looked at her from head to toe. He turned back to the cupboard, and then back to Nova. Loomy poked his head out of her shoulder, then looked at Yami. The red fox reared its head back.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Nova asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±


    ¡°Awa!¡± Loomy suddenly shook its head. ¡°Rawra! Arf!¡±


    Loomy suddenly went ballistic, the fox looked at Yami, and then Nova frantically. It jumped off Nova¡¯s shoulders and looked at its own paws. Yami¡¯s eyes widened as he realized it himself.


    ¡°What the heck has gotten into you¡­¡± Nova crouched down next to Loomy. ¡°Why are you so jumpy?¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡± Loomy barked and put his paws on Nova¡¯s knee.


    ¡°What do you mean something¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ No¡­¡± Yami skipped a breath. ¡°Nova¡­ You¡¯re bigger¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Nova looked confused, but then her eyes widened. ¡°Wait¡­ Wait, when did you get so tall!¡±


    Zeus came down the stairs while he yawned. ¡°Man, i¡¯m hungry¡­ I can eat a dozen eggs right¡­ Huh¡­ What¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Zeus is taller too! And his voice!¡± Yami pointed out.


    ¡°Huh? What are you¡­¡± Zeus looked down, then looked at his arms. ¡°Woah¡­ That¡¯s weird¡­¡±


    ¡°What kind of reaction was that?! Its more than weird!¡± Nova stood up. ¡°Where¡¯s mom?!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Zeus scratched his head.


    Yami walked past them, ran up the stairs, and then back to Theresia¡¯s office. He threw the door open, looked around, but no one was there. Yami heard the front door open. Yami looked at the calendar, it was still the correct date.


    ¡°Zeus check outside!¡± said Nova. ¡°Mom!¡±


    Yami touched the calendar, but pulled his hand back as he felt the grainy texture. He dragged his fingers down the page, a pile of dust collected on his fingertip. Yami left the room and went back downstairs, but Zeus and Nova weren¡¯t there. The front door was open, there was a faint voice coming from outside. ¡®Did they find them?¡¯ As Yami reached the bottom step, he saw something he didn''t expect.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Yami froze.


    There were men in white robes all over the field, at least over fifteen. Each of them wore gold masks, with just two holes to see through. They surrounded Nova and Zeus, slowly inching closer. ¡®Huh¡­ Who is¡­ Who are they¡­¡¯ Yami¡¯s confusion was amplified by the sudden sight of people. One of them grasped Nova¡¯s arm, causing Loomy to start barking viciously.


    "Let go of me! Who are you!" Nova shouted in a panic.


    "Don''t fucking touch her!" Zeus pointed his palm at the man. ¡°Yycan!¡±


    Yycan lunged forward from behind Zeus, tackling the masked man down and biting their shoulder. Loomy hissed at all the people, each of its tails pointed straight up. Nova looked back to the house and saw Yami. ¡®Azure¡­¡¯ The blue raven shot out of Yami¡¯s chest as he jumped off the deck, before he landed, Azure flew into his back. The two bright wings expanded.


    ¡°Rain!¡± Yami roared.


    Blue pellets of energy struck the left flank. The pellets of energy rained over the grass, leaving short divots in its path. The strange people in masks all dived out of the way, two of them who weren¡¯t paying attention were launched by the blue energy.


    "Ah! Get off me! Get off!" the masked man shouted in a panic, Yycan clawed and bit at their mask.


    "I said to subdue the ethereals, not to harm them! What are you people doing?!" A blonde man at the edge of the forest shouted.


    "But- Lord Lightbringer! They''ll kill us?!"


    "And?" the man to the left of the Lord squinted.


    ¡°But¡­ Sir Arid¡­¡± another masked man tried to speak up, but he was ignored.


    The one known as Lord Lightbringer had blue eyes and long blonde hair. His body was covered by a white robe with black details on it, under the robe Yami could see gold parts to his outfit. There was a circle of blue energy crackling behind him. As Yami saw the strange circle, his heart beat faster.


    Next to Lord Lightbringer was the one named Arid, he had short black hair. He looked young, but had a stern gaze. The collar of his grey robe covered his mouth. On his chest was the golden symbol of sword with an eye on its guard. The man looked Yami in the eyes as he stood in front of Lord Lightbringer. Two angels grabbed Zeus and pulled him back, putting the boy into a headlock.


    "Don''t touch Zeus!" Nova cried.


    "Let go of my brother!" Yami yelled.


    He flew forward quickly. The massive wingspan and light caught the attention of the men with gold masks. Yami slammed his foot into one of them, then flipped in mid air and kicked the angel who held Zeus in the face. Zeus got out of the man¡¯s grip, then grabbed the man''s legs and pushed him to the ground.


    "Nova! Zeus! Get back to the house!" said Yami.


    "There''s the third¡­ But it''s not the one we''re looking for¡­" Arid muttered to himself. "Search the house¡­"


    "Where is Theresia¡­ Letting them out on their own¡­ Does she think these are her kids or something¡­ That fool must''ve gotten comfortable¡­" Lord Lightbringer scoffed.


    Nova looked back over her shoulder, she squinted after hearing that. Two masked men tried to pry Yycan off the other, but the wolf suddenly morphed into a white liquid. The mass of thick white liquid bounced off the ground, taking the the form of a wolf once more as it pounced onto the man Zeus was trying to pin. Zeus jumped back as Yycan pressed both paws into their head, then clawed at their face. Another man tried to catch Yycan, only for Yami to slam his foot into their chest. Yycan pulled back, then looked up at Yami.


    ¡°House! Now!¡± Yami ran back to the deck.


    ¡°Arid, deal with this quickly please¡­¡± Lord Lightbringer groaned.


    "Light magic! Solid light cage!" Arid chanted.


    Yami and Yycan were about to reach the deck. But a golden wall of light suddenly surrounded them. Another one surrounded Nova and Zeus. Yami kicked the wall as Yycan tried to scratch through it. Yami looked past the translucent wall of light, and saw Nova cowering.


    "What the fuck is this?!" Zeus shouted.


    "Azure!" Yami called with a threatening tone. "Rain!"


    His wings stretched out and started to fire blue pellets of energy. The wall of light rippled slightly, but it wasn''t enough to break. Nova''s legs shook, she fell backward as she looked up at the walls of light.


    "Dammit!" Yami shouted as he punched the wall. ¡°What is this?!¡±


    "Stop! All of you¡­" Lord Lightbringer walked forward.


    Yami slammed his hand into the wall of light. Lord Lightbringer and Arid approached as he struggled.


    "You there, I take it you''re the oldest¡­" Lord Lightbringer addressed Yami.


    "Huh! Who are you! What do you want with us!" Yami hissed.


    "He asked you a question¡­" the black haired man mentioned.


    "Arid¡­ Let me talk to them¡­" Lord Lightbringer raised his hand.


    "Yes sire," Arid complied and stepped back.


    "I believe¡­ There has been¡­ A misunderstanding¡­ My name is Lucifer Lightbringer, king of Helios." the lord introduced himself as he stepped closer to the wall.


    "Huh¡­" Yami replied, he stepped back.


    "You three, you''re Theresia''s children, right?" Lucifer asked with a friendly tone.


    "What?" Nova uttered.


    "Mom?! How do you know mom!" Yami asked, his tone still defensive.


    "Theresia and I are¡­ Friends¡­ She invited us here today¡­ Where is she?" Lucifer asked.


    "Huh¡­"


    "Theresia, your mother¡­ She''s here, correct?"


    "What the fuck do you want with mom!" Zeus tackled the wall of light once more.


    "Mom¡­ Invited you here?" Yami asked hesitantly.


    "Yes¡­ Oh¡­ That, right there," Lucifer pointed to Yami''s right.


    Yami looked down, he didn''t see anything to his right.


    "No, no, in your pocket¡­" Lucifer laughed. "Only she could have made that¡­"


    Yami stared blankly at the sash in his pocket. He pulled it out and it unraveled. ¡®When did¡­ When did I put this in my pocket¡­¡¯ The light green cloth was embroidered with two interwoven curved lines on one side, and a straight line on the other.


    "She often made things like that, she loved to sew¡­ Ah, that takes me back. Theresia is inside, right?"


    "N- No¡­" Yami replied calmly.


    Lucifer looked at him with a blank smile, it was a little unnerving. He tilted his head and squinted. Arid looked at the house and squinted, he walked around the cage of light and toward the house.


    "Excuse me? What do you mean, no?" Lucifer asked with a confused tone.


    "She went out before we woke up¡­" said Yami.


    "Out¡­ Where?"


    Yami shrugged. "She was gone when the three of us woke up¡­"


    "T-Three of you?" Lucifer stuttered. "Are you sure?"


    "Yeah¡­ Our youngest brother Eos was also gone this morning¡­" Yami recounted, he felt a little less defensive.


    "Eos¡­ Eos is the youngest¡­" Lucifer repeated with a pale face.


    "Yeah¡­ That''s¡­ What I said?" Yami tilted his head.


    "Lord Lightbringer!" Arid shouted from the door to the house.


    Lucifer stood up with wide eyes.


    "The house is empty¡­" said Arid.


    Lucifer''s shoulders slumped. Yami looked up at him with puzzled eyes. The cages of light faded. Yami turned and looked at Arid, then back to Lucifer. Yycan ran to Zeus and Nova and stayed close to them. Lucifer looked at the house with a blank stare, for some reason, he looked afraid.


    "Hey¡­" Yami tugged at the back of his white robe. "Did you see mom on the way here?"


    Lucifer didn''t respond, instead, he just kept staring at the house.


    "Uh, mister?" Yami tugged his shirt again.


    Lucifer suddenly ripped his hand away. Yami stepped back, the sudden aggression caught him off guard.


    "Oh¡­ Uh¡­ I¡­ Yeah, we''ll find your mother and youngest brother, don''t¡­ Don¡¯t worry¡­"


    "You¡¯ll find Eos!?" Zeus looked hopeful.


    ¡°And mom?!¡± Nova added.


    "Yes, yes¡­" Lucifer laughed strangely. "For now, we uh¡­ Can''t¡­ We can''t have you three staying here alone¡­ Guards! Take them back to Helios! Make sure they are given proper living quarters, and all their needs are met."


    "Helios? What''s that¡­" Nova repeated.


    "Helios, the capital city of the angels¡­" Lucifer answered as he walked toward the house.


    "A city? We¡¯re going to a city?" Yami looked up excitedly.


    "Yes¡­ I don''t think Theresia ever told you," Lucifer turned.


    "Told us¡­ What?" Zeus tilted his head.


    "The three of you, and Eos, will be the strongest angels in history. It is the destiny that Theresia intended for you, it is the destiny that the Celestial itself cannot even hinder."


    Nova, Zeus, and Yami looked up at Lucifer with puzzled expressions. ¡®The Celestial?¡¯

 Act 0 - Chapter 8

    Chapter 8; Arthur; Hemhir 56th, 329SR; 06:43


    The warm water slithered down the back of his head, riding the edges of his face and hair. Arthur stood still in the shower, letting the water run off his nose, onto his feet, and then down the drain. His eyes were shut as he continued to think about everything that had happened over the last few weeks.


    ''Shinra Pendragon has died in combat...''


    The warmth of the water brought him comfort, but where it didn''t reach was ice cold.


    ''Arthur, I am so sorry...''


    He turned the knob and stopped the water flow, the chilly air engulfed him. He slowly opened his eyes, looking down at his own feet in the shallowing puddle. He stepped out of the tub and walked onto the soft carpet, picking up his towel rubbing it over his body. Steam drifted toward the open window, the wisps of smoke were illuminated on their path.


    ''We were ambushed in the North of Welis... Shinra got separated from us...''


    Arthur looked at the foggy mirror, his reflection obscured. Water slid down the glass, cutting a clear line through the opaque surface. His furious red eye stared back at him through the gap.


    ''Leia dropped his paperwork off at your office yesterday... There shouldn''t be a discrepancy...''


    He opened the door and stepped out of the washroom. He walked down the hall, passing by the dining room and kitchen. He made his way up the stairs of the tower.


    ''I have never felt so powerless...''


    He reached the top of the stairs and walked into his room, closing the door to his room and then opening his closet.


    ''I hate to say it, but the Lightbringers are above the law...''


    He tightened his belt, then lifted his coat off the back of his chair and threw it over his shoulders.


    ''I don''t recall letting guards in...''


    He pushed each button into its respective hole.


    ''He wanted to know if Shinra had come by here a few weeks ago...''


    Arthur stepped out of the room and walked down the stairs, stopping by the study. He looked at the desk and saw the white book.


    ''I don''t... Recall letting guards in...''


    Arthur walked over to the desk, and saw Reiu, the small dragon that was easily mistaken for a pendant. He picked up his gift and pulled it over his head, letting go and letting it hang off his neck.


    ''I looked over the documents Akovo sent to the bureau... But I couldn''t find that book he had brought...''


    Arthur looked at each cupboard and drawer. All of them were closed. Nothing on the desk had been moved.


    ''Noble Pendragon, we... Have been tasked with bringing in Shinra''s personal belongings for investigation.''


    The only thing that was different compared to yesterday, was that the guard had come and taken the documents. Nothing else was different.


    "Then why didn''t you take anything else... You knew what you were looking for..." Arthur muttered under his breath.


    ''Oh! Wait just a moment Leia! I asked Ako about the construction happening on the first floor, but she didn''t know about it, who ordered that?''


    Arthur stopped, his eyes widened.


    ''Are you sure you didn''t call them?''


    ''Yes, I''m sure... Besides, a construction warrant requires approval from me... I don''t recall approving any construction on the first floor for the last few months...''


    ''I''ll look around, might have been a mistake...''


    "The first floor..." Arthur skipped a breath, as he remembered the workers he passed by that day.


    ''We need more cement...''


    ''Why the hell can''t we just get Bruno to do this job... This makes no sense...''


    ''Stop complaining, the pay is good...''


    Arthur started to breathe heavier. ''No... It can''t be... That was before my father was sent to Welis...''


    ''Seal a broken wall of the building, but then they want us to bury the room in cement, like... What?! Where do we get that much cement, and the equipment?!''


    ''Trust me, this client is worth the extra work. There''s no one who would pay more.''


    Arthur''s thoughts all came to a stop. ''No one who would pay more... Lightbringers...'' He looked up in shock as he took everything in. ''Leia was working with them behind my fathers back... Even before he died...'' A sudden knock on the door broke Arthur''s concentration.


    "Arthur!" he heard someone yell from outside. "Arthur!"


    Whoever knocked, was rapidly slamming their hand on the door. The sound was echoing through the stairwell. Arthur made his way down the stairs, they knocked again, hard enough to shake the door.


    "Arthur!" a familiar voice.


    ''Angela?'' Arthur opened the door to see the noble of house Rover, she was out of breath. Arthur paused as he looked at her.


    "Hey... Why are you here so early?" Arthur asked, his thoughts from earlier still on his mind.


    "We need you at the hospital, right now!" Angela stressed.


    "What?"


    "It''s Oliver! House Lightbringer released him last night, but... But..."


    "But what?! What happened!" Arthur shouted.


    "He was on his way home... And... We found him... Collapsed a few feet from the door to his house..."


    Arthur stepped back, he froze as he looked at Angela''s pained expression. He shoved her to the side and hurried out of the tower.


    ***


    Arthur threw the hospital door open, and then ran through the lobby. He passed by the stairwell to the upper offices, and proceeded down the hall. As he turned the corner, he passed an old man on a bench. He made his way straight to the emergency rooms. ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'' Arthur cursed at himself the entire way. ''Why did I let the Lightbringers take him! Fuck!''


    "Aaaaha!" the sound of a young girl crying reached his ears.


    Arthur pushed open the door to the emergency department and turned, he stopped in his tracks with wide eyes. A lot of the hospital staff were there. All of them had grim looks on their faces. Akovo was on the bench, her eyes were shut tightly as she covered her mouth. Arthur looked around, but he didn''t see Leia.


    "Ako..." Arthur put his hand on her shoulders.


    Akovo opened her eyes, and Arthur froze. Her eyes were bloodshot red, but her tears shone in the light. She shook her head from left to right. Arthur looked up as he heard the painful wails of a woman and a child.


    "Oh, Oliver..." a woman sniffled from inside the room. "Why... What did he do to deserve this... We were faithful to the celestial! Why!"


    Arthur walked forward, even though he didn''t want to. He didn''t want to see what was on the other side of that window. He remembered Oliver''s bright smile. How Oliver wouldn''t take himself too seriously. How much fun he had every time Oliver visited the tower. How prideful Oliver was when he talked about his wife and child. Arthur took a deep breath, and opened his eyes.


    Oliver laid on the bed, a far cry from what he looked like yesterday. His mouth moved, but he didn''t seem to be speaking. The fingers on his left hand twitched, while a young woman with dark red hair held his right hand. A young girl with pink hair stood next to her by the bed with wide eyes. As he looked back at Oliver and squinted at the cloth over his face. It was stained red over his eyes. Arthur looked down and took a deep breath, he walked into the room. One of the doctors in the room approached Arthur, it was Dr. Fost.


    He had short black hair, and he wore a mask over his face. He put his hand on Arthur''s shoulder and pulled him to one side of the room. He was a foot taller than Arthur, wearing a white and red coat and black pants. He wasn''t a lieutenant, but he was one of the oldest doctors in the building.


    "Dr. Fost... What... What happened..." Arthur asked hesitantly as he kept staring at Oliver.


    "He''s... Unresponsive... He didn''t seem to have any injuries when he was brought in, but... But, there is internal bleeding... He''s not dead, but..." Dr. Fost paused. "Even if we managed to stop the bleeding-"


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    "Stop it then, we need to save him-"


    "Arthur, listen..." Dr. Fost tightened his grip on his shoulders. "We can save him... But he''s..."


    "But he''s what..."


    "We can''t repair nerve damage to the brain..." said Dr. Fost. "He would need to be on life support constantly... He..."


    Dr. Fost looked down as he skipped a breath, he shut his eyes.


    "Damage... To the brain?!" Arthur''s eyes twitched.


    "Even if we save him... He''s never going back to a normal life... I don''t even think we could let him leave this hospital..."


    "Then..." Arthur''s shoulders sank, his eyes quivered as he grimaced.


    "I''m sorry... There''s nothing we can do... His wife and child are aware of this."


    Arthur''s eyes widened, his fist clenched tightly. His nails dug deep into his palm, blood dripped down his fingers. He walked toward Oliver''s wife and child. He stopped as he looked at Oliver''s daughter. He gulped. ''I could''ve stopped this... I could''ve done something... I...''


    "I am sorry Ms. Bloom, we need to perform an autopsy immediately..." Arthur''s voice cracked. "You can''t stay here..."


    "Who would do such a thing..." Ms. Bloom sobbed as she stared at her husband''s face. "Why! Why!"


    Arthur''s fist clenched even tighter. Her daughter''s gaze was still fixed onto Oliver. Arthur grit his teeth, ''I''m so sorry...'' Ms. Bloom wiped her tears, but they kept falling. Akovo rubbed her shoulder, she slowly led her out of the room. Oliver''s daughter still frowned. Arthur was taken aback when he saw how angry she looked, she reminded Arthur of himself. The little girl with pink hair looked up at Arthur, her tears running down her face. Hana ran past Arthur to her mother''s side. Arthur took a deep breath as he turned back to Oliver.


    "Have you seen Leia around?" Arthur asked Dr. Fost. "She should be present for an autopsy..."


    "Leia was here earlier, she was the first to suggest nerve damage either to the spine or directly in the brain. Oliver... I mean- the patient was rather healthy though... And there are no signs of blunt trauma to the head... Or anywhere for that matter... But after some time, he started to bleed from his eyes..."


    "From his eyes? And Leia claimed it was nerve damage?" Arthur squinted at Dr. Fost.


    "Yeah, she was here earlier, but left in a hurry..."


    "Is that so..." Arthur took a deep breath as he reached for a pair of new gloves.


    ***


    Arthur stepped out of the room, it had been several hours since the autopsy began. He stood motionless as he looked up at the lights embedded into the ceiling. They flickered repeatedly, Arthur gulped nervously. The door behind him closed.


    "I... Sir Arthur-"


    "Just Arthur... Just Arthur is fine..." he replied with an exhausted tone.


    "I apologize, it''s just... After that... I..." Dr. Fost stuttered.


    Arthur could hear the worry and confusion in Dr. Fost''s tone. ''He''s known Oliver longer than I have, they studied together... To see him like that...''


    "Take a break..." Arthur ordered. "Get some rest if you need to..."


    "I... I apologize for my weakness..." Dr. Fost lowered his head.


    "You aren''t weak..." Arthur turned and proceeded down the hallway.


    ''I''m the one who is weak...'' Arthur walked out of the emergency department. With each step, he continued to regret. ''If I had just done something... None of this would have happened...'' Arthur turned the corner, and made his way toward the front lobby. He walked past a message board made from cork, several bulletins about safety and job postings for the hospital were pinned to it. He noticed Akovo seated on the bench in the corner, she wore a teal coat over her uniform. Across from her was another message board made from cork, this one was empty. ''Huh...'' Arthur paused as he looked at the second message board.


    "Arthur!" Akovo called as she noticed him walking down the hall.


    "Are you heading home?" Arthur asked, his voice was quiet.


    "I rushed here as soon as I heard, Ando and my husband weren''t even awake... I need to run some errands and come back... But I wanted to speak with you before I left..."


    Arthur walked toward her, he could barely raise his head, his shoulders felt heavy, and his feet dragged against the tiled floor. He took a seat next to Akovo on the bench and lowered his head.


    "What did you find..." Akovo asked.


    Arthur gulped, then sighed. It felt like there was something stuck in his throat. Arthur looked down at his own shadow, it was hard to breathe. As he felt his tears, he closed his eyes to keep it in.


    "Nerve damage... Originating from trauma in the front of his brain..." Arthur explained.


    Akovo pursed her lips, she cringed as her eyes quivered. "Leia was right then..."


    "The damage was done directly to his brain... There was no trauma anywhere on his body besides a few bruises he got... But it wasn''t enough to explain what happened to him... As of right now... We have no idea of who did this, or how they did it..."


    "Oliver..." she whimpered as tears flooded out of her eyes. "How could something like this happen... He was such a kind man..."


    Arthur grit his teeth behind his lips as he looked down. The tears welled up under his eyes, he looked up in an attempt to hold them in. Arthur skipped a breath, as he felt the tears under his eyes well up. Akovo held his right shoulder and hand.


    "I tried Ako, I did... I tried to..." Arthur skipped a breath and shut his eyes, and the tears he held back came pouring out.


    "Don''t blame yourself Arthur... You are trying your best, and we all understand the pain you''re already in..." Akovo replied.


    "I... I saw him just yesterday... The Lightbringer guards were apprehending him... And I tried to help... But just because its, fucking, Lawrence Lightbringer... I should''ve done something if I knew Oliver would-" Arthur gulped and took a sharp breath. "What the hell is the point of me being a noble!"


    "Did you just say... Lawrence Lightbringer?" Akovo asked with a concerned tone.


    "Oliver was at a daycare by House Rover last night... Then he just got arrested by royal guards... Lawrence accused him of conspiring against my father..."


    "Conspired against Shinra?! That''s ridiculous..." Akovo scoffed. "You said... Lawrence? Lawrence Lightbringer? When did you see this?"


    "Huh? Like a quarter after seven... I don''t remember exactly when..."


    "Leia was speaking with him outside the office when I was leaving... I left shortly after you did..."


    "When you were leaving..." Arthur''s eyes widened. "What?"


    "Yeah... There were also two guards... Royal guards..."


    Arthur froze, and slowly looked down. His fist clenched.


    "Arthur? Is something wrong?" Akovo asked.


    "Leia... Has she been herself recently?" Arthur asked.


    "Herself?"


    "Like, has she been doing or saying anything strange..."


    "Leia? No, she''s... The same as she always is... Why do you ask?"


    "There were two guards in the tower yesterday... I think those two guards you saw- no, I''m pretty sure they''re the same ones I ran into..."


    "What?! Guards were in your tower? They can''t do that..." said Ako.


    "When I was confronting them... Leia showed up immediately and scolded them... She claimed that she didn''t know how they got in..." Arthur looked at Akovo.


    "Then... What... What are you saying Arthur?"


    "Leia... I think Leia might have had something to do with what happened to Oliver..."


    Akovo stood up with wide eyes, she looked like she saw a ghost. The dark skinned woman clutched her handbag as she skipped a breath.


    "That can''t be true... You... You''re wrong... She couldn''t have! Arthur, that''s crazy!" Akovo shouted. "Leia and Oliver trusted each other... We all trust each other! Don''t say something like that..."


    "How did she know it was nerve damage..." Arthur asked. "I know she let the guards into my family''s tower Ako! I know she did, she had to-"


    "No... No! Leia is my best friend! There is no way she would do this!" Akovo yelled at Arthur, she shook her head as she wiped a tear from her eye. "I... I have to go... I''m sorry Arthur, but what you''re saying is crazy."


    Akovo stood up and quickly walked off. She wiped her eyes with her hand as she sniffled. Arthur leaned back as he took a deep breath, the back of his head touched the wall. He looked up at the ceiling, feeling exhausted. The buzz of the lights almost felt like they came from the inside of his brain. The sound of the door far down the hall echoed through the empty building. Akovo had just left, the door closed behind her.


    ''Arthur! Arthur, you can''t trust these assholes! Don''t trust anyone!''


    He thought about the last thing Oliver told him. Arthur stared blankly at the wall in front of him. There was a board with nothing posted on it. Arthur looked down the hall, back to the board with multiple pages pinned to it. ''The supply room is gone... I didn''t notice it when I ran by earlier...'' He remembered the construction that happened weeks ago. ''That day I got Reiu... This hallway was sealed for construction...''


    "Filled with cement..." Arthur uttered as he looked at the wall.


    ''There''s the point of putting a board here... There''s already one in this hallway...'' Arthur looked back at the empty board. He squinted again as he approached the board, he looked around. The paint on the wall was just barely a different color.


    "There''s no point... Unless... You''re trying to hide something..." Arthur deduced.


    ''Why? Why did you have to do construction here...'' Arthur stopped as he looked up. ''Leia left already... I''ll check her office...'' Arthur turned the corner and made his way to the stairwell. He sprinted up to the top floor and entered a similar shaped hallway to the first floors. He walked down the hall, and turned the corner. One of the rooms had a flat gold slab of metal bolted to it, with Leia''s full name on it. Arthur grasped the handle of the door and turned it, but it didn''t open. Arthur reached into his coat, and pulled out his key. It didn''t fit into the lock. ''My key should open every door in the hospital...''


    "Don''t ever trust a spy..." Arthur whispered to himself.


    Arthur stepped back, then raised his hand. A black halberd appeared in front of him, and he grasped it. He swung the pole arm around, then immediately thrusted it through the door. The blade jammed, and Arthur gripped it with both hands. He grunted as he pulled it down, the blade slowly broke through more and more wood. The spear dissipated as Arthur cut the lock. He slammed his foot into the damaged door. It swung open, only to be jerked back by a pair of golden chains. The sound of the chains rattled through the hall.


    "What..." Arthur put his hand through and released the chain. "When did... When did this door get an extra lock... A chain lock at that? Wouldn''t this mean she locked herself out?"


    Leia''s office was unlike others, it was rather messy. The shelves were filled with unorganized documents and binders. Arthur approached her desk, the only thing on it was a picture. Arthur lifted the frame and turned it. It showed a little girl with short black hair but bright red eyes, and Leia herself. They looked very similar. ''That''s... Her daughter...'' The two of them had bright smiles on their faces, and their eyes were locked with Arthur. He gulped as he put the frame down the way he found it.


    Arthur turned to the right. He looked at the wall and shelves carefully. ''I feel like I''m going insane...'' Arthur pulled some files off the shelf and flipped through them. ''These are just a manifest for equipment...'' Arthur pushed the file back onto the shelf and reached for another. He reached up to the top shelf, and noticed it wasn''t parallel to the wall.


    "Huh..." Arthur walked to the left of the shelf and tried to see behind it.


    His thoughts came to an abrupt stop as he saw a small hole in the wall. It was just big enough for an adult to squeeze through. Arthur stepped back. ''No...'' He quickly hurried back to the hallway and looked to the left of the door to Leia''s office. ''No... No. no, no...'' He walked back into Leia''s room, pulling the wooden shelf away from the wall, and managing to squeeze himself behind it. He crouched between the wall and the shelf, and crawled into the small hole. As he looked at more of the hidden room, he was taken aback by its design. The walls were unpainted, the floor was made of stone. Arthur stood up as he got through the hole.


    "A stairwell... There shouldn''t be a stairwell in this part of the building..." Arthur muttered under his breath.


    He started down the stairs. There was no light, it was pitch black. ''Reiu...'' The eyes on his pendant lit up as the dragon came to life, lighting the stairs with a soft blue light. Arthur reached the bottom. To the left was a room poorly filled with concrete, however, just enough to seal off the other side where the door out of the supply closet would have been. To the right, were metal shelves all cluttered together. ''These would have been the shelves in the closet... They didn''t fill this part of the room...'' Arthur noticed an open door past the shelves, he moved the shelves to clear a path to it.


    Arthur gulped, he looked down and noticed a block of wood that held the door open. He pushed it open and walked through, making sure to carefully place the wedge back where it was. Arthur looked down another long flight of steps. It was an even narrower stairwell than the last, but this one went far deeper. Arthur could see his breath in the air, it was very cold. He walked down the stairwell, he reached the last step and turned to see even more steps going straight down. ''How long has this been here?! How far down does this go?''

 Act 0 - Chapter 9

    Chapter 9; Eos; Hemhir 26th, 329SR; 7:52


    "Eos¡­ Run!" Zeus shouted.


    Eos¡¯s leg shook uncontrollably, his teeth rattling even faster. He looked at Zeus, who glared at the man fiercely. ''Wubble!'' A golden horn extended off of Eos''s head. He turned around and ran away at full speed. In just a few steps, he had zoomed through the hallway, he hit the wall on the right and tumbled. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Eos scrambled to his feet, skipping off the ground and running at top speed again. ''What the heck was that thing! Was that a person? No, it didn¡¯t have a face! It¡¯s a monster!?'' Eos¡¯s shoulder slammed into the wall at the end of the hallway.


    ¡°Yycan!¡± Zeus yelled out loud.


    Eos saw a door on the left, and ran through. He found himself on another metal bridge. He looked around, but it was dark to see anything. He breathed frantically, shaking as he ran across and through the next door. Eos stopped in shock and gasped. The door led to an identical corridor, but to his horror there was another tall monster wearing white robes. ¡®Huh!¡¯ The monster in white turned around, and his gold face came into view.


    "I told you I''ll check this- Huh¡­" the gold mask tilted, it frightened Eos so much he turned. "Hey-"


    Eos ran back the way he came before the door closed. At top speed he slammed his shoulder into the door, he kept going straight and burst through another door across from that one. ''Huh?!'' Eos felt his stomach sink as he found himself in another hallway like the last one. The only difference was the lack of a red light, the light in this hallway was white and the bulbs buzzed. ¡®Where do I go?! Where do I go?!¡¯ The four year old breathed in and out heavily as he felt like every hallway looked the same. ¡®How do I get outside?!¡¯ A strange thought gripped him, his chest felt tight as he had no idea how to comprehend it. The feeling of endlessness flashed into his mind, the idea that there was no way out haunted him.


    "Hey kid! How''d you get down here! This place is off limits!" the guard shouted from behind. "Huh¡­ Hey¡­ Roger! Roger what happened, are you alright!"


    The guard was about to pursue Eos, but instead, turned and headed down the previous hallway. Eos took a left and barged through another door, this time finding himself in a massive stairwell lit with similar buzzing lights. ''Keep running!'' Eos zoomed to the top in just two steps, reaching the door at the top and barging through. He found himself in yet another stairwell, this one much darker than the last.


    "Ah!" Eos yelped as he tripped on a stone step, his voice echoing through the stairwell.


    ¡®Ah! Ow!¡¯ Eos landed on his elbows, blinking repeatedly and catching his breath. It was difficult to see, he looked back through the lit stairwell, but as it closed he was left in the dark. Eos shut his eyes and cowered next to the wall. ''Where am I¡­ How do I get back to the house¡­ Is Zeus alright?'' Eos breathed in and out repeatedly. The darkness around him frightened him. Wubble left his body and landed in front of him, the gold rabbit tilted its head and squinted at him.


    "How are we going to get back there¡­ Wubble¡­ What was that thing¡­ It looked like a person¡­ But¡­" Eos shivered. "Was it a person? It''s face¡­ It had no nose or mouth¡­"


    Wubble suddenly jumped onto his shoulder, he almost looked angry. ''Huh¡­Ah¡­'' Eos winced slightly as the rabbit slapped him. It didn''t hurt, but he was confused as he looked Wubble in the eyes. Only for it to lift its tiny arms and start smacking him repeatedly over and over.


    "Ow¡­ Stop it¡­ Stop hitting me¡­" Eos pulled him off.


    Wubble slipped out of his hands and ran up his arm. ¡®Ah!¡¯ The rabbit kicked off his forehead. Eos stumbled backward, and his head hit the wall.


    "What the heck?!" Eos stood up and shouted at the spirit.


    As his heart beat quickly, he noticed wisps of white light float off of his skin. ''Oh!'' He looked down and released his energy, the white light lit the stairwell a soft blue. He didn¡¯t feel as cold with the flame around him.


    "Ah! I can see now!" Eos smiled.


    Wubble smacked its own forehead with both hands. Eos giggled and scratched his head.


    "I forgot this made me brighter¡­" Eos laughed. "Guess you couldn''t really say it¡­"


    Wubble ran up the steps, then jumped onto his shoulder. ''I went up some stairs, so maybe if I keep going down I''ll get back to the house¡­'' Eos walked down, his flames lighting the way. There were several unlit candles on the walls, as well as other doors that had no handles. He didn''t think much of them. As he reached the bottom, he noticed the ground felt weird. Small beads of dirt stuck to his foot, it was rough and grainy in texture. ¡®It¡¯s like dirt, but really really dry¡­¡¯


    "Huh¡­" Eos whispered to himself as he kicked the stuff around.


    He noticed a light on the floor, it came out of the window in a door. Eos hurried toward it, and looked through the glass. There was a strange structure on the other side, Eos opened the door to get a better look.


    "Woah¡­" Eos looked up in awe.


    The room was massive, far bigger than the one he had seen with Zeus earlier. Directly in front of him, hanging above a pit leading to a big steel wall was the strange structure. It looked like a sphere, surrounded by horizontal white pillars, three on each side. Eos and Wubble paused as they stared at it, but a noise echoed through the large space and made him duck under the closest railing.


    "Hey! Hey guys! I thought we were alone down here!" a familiar voice shouted.


    Eos poked his head out of the cover, along the right side of the room was a wide open walkway. Various boxes and trolleys surrounded a small group. They wore white robes. ¡®Monsters! There¡¯s more!¡¯ Eos could see their frightening gold faces from a distance.


    "What?" another monster replied, Eos couldn''t tell which.


    "We just ran into two kids and a dog!" he shouted in a panic.


    "Huh? No way¡­" someone else laughed.


    "Shut up Joe! The dog even bit Roger, you think I''m making this up!"


    "Eugh¡­ That looks bad¡­ Roger, where did you see them?"


    "I was outside the restricted area! I shit you not the door opened at complete random and these kids just wandered into the hallway!" the one named Roger shouted. "They looked like they''d seen a ghost, so I asked if they were okay! And the one with black hair sicked his fucking dog on me!"


    "The restricted area? What? That''s spooky¡­ No one should be back there¡­ And they had a dog?"


    ¡°Wait, hold on, if no one is back there, what¡¯s the deal with that weird theatre?¡± another asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I heard the Lightbringers hold events there sometimes¡­ But like, rarely¡­¡±


    ¡°Seriously? That makes it even creepier¡­¡±


    "Yo! I need someone to check my shoulder! It might be infected!" Roger yelled.


    "Okay, okay, calm down¡­ We should wait till the end of the shift though," said Joe.


    "End of the shift? You slug!"


    "It''ll take time to get back up, and our shift isn''t even done¡­ Also¡­ I don''t really know who to go to¡­ No one ever really gets injured on this job¡­"


    "And who do we even report this to? This place is classified info¡­" another added.


    "A fucking doctor?! Are you people stupid! Stop putting your contracts before my well being!" Roger shouted.


    ¡°Stop getting emotional, it''s your fault for getting hurt on the easiest job in the world¡­¡± Joe sighed.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± several of them bursted out into laughter.


    ¡°Oh piss off!¡± Roger cried.


    Eos slowly pushed the door open as the monsters argued, slipping back into the stairwell he came from. ''How do I get back to the house¡­ Maybe if I find those stairs from before¡­'' Eos ran up the dark steps, his blue light illuminating the way for him. ''Here¡­'' Eos reached a door on his left, he reached for the handle but paused for a moment. ''Where is the handle? There is no handle¡­ Why is there no handle!'' Eos¡¯s heart sank.


    "Maybe¡­ Maybe it''s further up?" he tried to remember.


    Eos ran up the steps, his heart beat frantically as he turned right at a corner. He sprinted up the next steps and took another right. All he saw was an identical set of steps, and another right turn. Eos breathed heavy again. He ran up the next set of steps, turned the corner, and to his horror, there was another door with no handle. Eos ran toward it, and smashed his fist into the cold metal.


    "Someone! Anyone! Zeus! Mom!" Eos huffed in and out.


    Eos ran up more steps. "I definitely passed the door! Did I?" After four more corners, he arrived at another door lacking a handle.


    "Ah!" Eos continued up the steps in a full sprint.


    Eos pressed on through the dark stairwell. ¡®There has to be a way out!¡¯ He kept going, sprinting up the narrow path as fast as he could. Confused and scared, he started to hyperventilate. Tears fell out of his eyes. ¡®Is this some kind of nightmare¡­ Am I gonna wake up?! Where am I?! Mom! Help!¡¯


    ***


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    It had been hours. Eos''s stomach growled as he limped up another step. His feet ached, his eyes were dry from the numerous times he had broken down into tears. Every few minutes he tackled with the despair of never finding his way out. Being trapped in the dark for the rest of his life. Eos breathed in, he looked up, and continued forward. But his foot refused to rise up the next step, and he stumbled on the step and fell.


    "Ah!" Eos''s chin hit a step, he held on to keep himself from sliding down.


    The golden horn and the light around his body disappeared. He knew he had passed the stairwell he had come from by now, but at the same time he didn¡¯t know how to get back if the door had no handle. ''How long has it been¡­ I''m so hungry¡­'' The touch of the cold stone was nothing compared to the chill of loneliness. Wubble bounced out of his body and landed on the next step. Eos glanced up at the rabbit. Even Wubble was exhausted, it wheezed just as much as Eos. ''I can''t stop¡­ I''m not alone¡­ I have to keep Wubble safe¡­ But¡­ I can¡¯t even walk up another step¡­'' Eos pushed himself up the step, then scooped up the rabbit, he gulped as cradled it close to keep it warm. He was barely hydrated enough to swallow his own saliva. It felt like he¡¯d been here for an eternity. Eos teared up, as he thought about being trapped here forever once again.


    ¡°Help¡­¡± Eos called out.


    His throat was too dry.


    ¡°Help!¡± Eos cried, but it wasn¡¯t loud.


    It hurt his throat to yell so loud, but the thought of losing Wubble because of his own mistake made him grit his teeth. He swallowed some of the tears that dripped over his lips, and then breathed in.


    ¡°Help! Somebody! Help!¡± Eos screamed at the top of his lungs.


    Eos huffed in and out, he coughed raggedly as he wheezed. His cheek planted against the stone, his eyes barely staying open. His throat hurt too much to breathe properly. A door''s latch clicked somewhere further up, Eos looked up as he gulped. It was the first noise he had heard that wasn''t his own steps or breaths. ''What was that¡­'' Eos held Wubble tightly to his chest. He heard a pair of steps coming down.


    Eos''s heart started to pound against his chest, he could barely muster the energy to turn and run. Even if he could, he didn''t know where to go. ''Someone''s coming¡­'' Eos hoped it would be one of his siblings, or his mom. But part of him felt dread at the thought of another person with a gold mask. Eos huffed as he released his energy. The dark stairwell lit up bright blue again.


    "What the¡­" someone spoke from around the corner.


    Eos didn''t recognize their voice. ''I have¡­ To run¡­'' Eos tried to get up, but stopped as the person turned the corner. It was a man, they weren''t wearing a mask, but Eos didn''t recognize him. He wore tight black pants secured to his waist by a belt. His full-sleeved shirt was white, with red details along the edges and a neatly folded collar buttoned up to the top. His face was slightly wrinkled, he had small sunken eyes and a thick moustache that covered his top lip. The two just stared at each other with nearly equal confusion.


    "A child?" he muttered to himself.


    "You¡­ You have a face¡­" Eos croaked, his throat was too dry to speak loud.


    The man reared his head back at Eos''s comment, even raising an eyebrow. ''Wait¡­ If he''s not a monster¡­ Maybe he can help Wubble¡­'' Eos slowly moved his hand down, revealing the exhausted spirit. He looked up at the old man who had become even more puzzled.


    "Is that¡­ A gift?" he uttered as he stepped back.


    "Wubble¡­ Wubble needs help¡­" Eos uttered.


    The man rushed down the steps, crouching next to Eos as he cowered. ''Ah¡­'' The man gently held Eos''s chin and tilted his head up. He had big hands, but despite their size he seemed gentle. He touched Eos''s head.


    "Young lad, how did you get down here? Where are your parents?!" the man asked with a concerned tone.


    "Mom?" Eos uttered.


    "Yes, your mother, or father, where are they? Did you get lost? How long have you been down here?"


    "I¡­ I was with my brother¡­ We snuck out¡­ And then¡­ We ran into someone with a gold face¡­" Eos slowly explained.


    "Gold face? You mean, a guard? You met with a Lightbringer guard down there? You have a sibling?! Where is he? Is he still further down? How far down?" the man asked as he looked down the dark stairwell.


    Eos nodded. The man stood up and took off his coat, he wrapped it around Eos instead. Eos felt a warmth from the clothes.


    ¡°When did you last eat? You look malnourished¡­ Which district are your parents from?" he asked quickly.


    "District?" Eos squinted as he looked at the man''s moustache. "We live in the mountains¡­"


    The man tilted his head.


    "You must be delirious, come on," the man lifted Eos onto his back. ¡°I''ll get you out of here¡­"


    Eos leaned against the man, practically falling on him. The man held Eos¡¯s legs up as he stood, easily lifting the child. Eos¡¯s arms dangled over his shoulders, his forehead resting on his back. The man turned and started up the steps.


    "It''s so dark¡­ But this place seems constructed¡­ There¡¯s even candles¡­ And the stone work resembles Owen''s¡­ Young lad, what was that light that came off of you¡­ Is it something to do with your gift? When did you receive your gift?"


    "Uh¡­ A few days ago?"


    "A few¡­ Days?" the man muttered to himself. "Are you an angel? You aren''t from Hiria right? Are you from Kamino? What is your name?"


    "What?" Eos groaned in confusion. ¡°My name? My name is Eos¡­¡±


    "Eos¡­ Eos¡­ I¡¯ve never heard a name like that before¡­ I''m responsible for the registry of all Celestial gifts, but I''ve never seen your gift before¡­" he explained.


    "All Celestial gifts?" Eos repeated.


    "Yes, I may be old, but my memory still serves me well enough to know I''ve never seen yours, haha¡­" the man huffed as he skipped a step.


    The man got to one of the doors that lacked a handle. Eos looked up and noticed a black rod, it kept the door open. The man pulled the door open, and the black rod glowed red as it fell through. He didn¡¯t hear the rod hit the ground, Eos was shocked to see it turn into a red light that bounced into the old man.


    "You¡­ You have a gift too¡­" said Eos.


    The man set Eos down against the wall next to the door. He crouched down and reached into his pocket.


    "Yes, of course I have a gift¡­ Wait¡­" the man looked at Eos''s blue eyes. "Hang on¡­ You don''t know who I am?"


    "No?" said Eos.


    "Oh¡­ Well, that''s¡­ Not something I''m used to, but you''re young so it''s not very far fetched¡­ My name is Shinra Pendragon. I am one of the four nobles of Helios."


    "Pen¡­ Dragon?".


    "Yes¡­ Here, eat this," Shinra pulled out a paper wrapped package and opened it. "This cereal bar isn''t much, but it¡¯s high in calories, it should fill you up for sometime¡­ Here."


    Eos looked down at the cereal bar as he held it. It was made of a light brown mix of sticky oats, and coated in smooth chocolate. He bit down on it, and chewed. The sweet and grainy cereal and chocolate coated his dry mouth, he shut his eyes as he swallowed it.


    "After I get you somewhere safe, I''ll return here to find your brother and family," said Shinra.


    "You''re going to find Zeus?" Eos asked weakly.


    "Zeus is his name? Zeus¡­ Zeus¡­" Shinra muttered to himself. "I don''t recognize that name either¡­ Nevermind that, I promise you, I''ll find him¡­"


    ''Wow¡­ I ran into someone really nice¡­'' Eos felt a wave of relief shower over him as he closed his eyes.


    ***


    Eos felt incredible warmth, all around him. But overtime, it became an overwhelming heat. He opened his eyes.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± he uttered.


    The sky was shrouded in dark grey clouds. The sun was nowhere to be seen. Eos blinked as he looked around. In every direction, there was nothing but grey stone pillars, charred black by streams of bright orange liquid that cut through the rock. The liquid was thick, but boiling viscously. It gave off a heat unlike anything Eos had ever felt before. The grey stone pillars were each placed upon differently shaped isles of black stone. Each isle was surrounded by the hot orange liquid. Everywhere he looked, there were more and more pillars. They seemed to go on forever. But in the distance, one pillar of stone was bigger than all the others. That pillar reached high into the sky, like a tower that pierced the heavens.


    ¡°Wubble¡­¡± Eos called.


    Nothing happened. Eos squinted and looked down. ¡®Wubble? Where are you?¡¯ Eos turned around, he saw a similar pillar. He walked around it, but couldn¡¯t find Wubble. Eos looked back to the tallest pillar. Something about it made him curious. However, the only way to reach it was beyond the streams of boiling orange liquid. Eos approached the edge. The jump was at least a meter long, he didn¡¯t know if he could make it. However, before he could try, a bubble of liquid popped near his foot, setting it ablaze.


    ¡°Huh? Ow, hot! Hot! Ah-¡±


    ***


    ¡°Ah!¡± Eos kicked his foot up.


    The quilt covering his foot, rolled down, showering his bandaged barefoot in soothing cold air. ¡®What the?!¡¯ He found himself on a comfortable surface, his head resting against a cotton pillow. A warm and inviting smell came from somewhere else, he could hear people talking in the distance outside of the building. Someone cheered, another person laughed. A woman called out a name. Eos held his ears to block out the noise, he breathed in and out as he only now realized his foot wasn¡¯t on fire. The ceiling was lit orange, as he turned his head he noticed a bright light spilling through a window, it was the brightest thing he¡¯d ever seen. He had to squint because of how bright it was. However, he noticed a familiar shape, someone else¡¯s foot.


    Eos looked up and noticed a man with silver hair tied back into a ponytail. He had a bit of hair on his face, a small layer of fuzzy hair under his chin. He had a long nose but small ears, his green eyes stood out. He was a lot older than Eos, and looked a lot bigger and stronger. He wore grey pants and a white sleeveless shirt. He held a black and gold book in his hands. He was staring directly at Eos with wide eyes, seconds away from biting into a red apple. ¡®Who¡­¡¯


    ¡°Let me guess¡­¡± the man broke the silence. ¡°You were underwater and a weird monster made of seaweed tried to pull you into the depths¡­ Then you kicked your leg free and woke up¡­¡±


    Eos just blinked at him for a few seconds. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Okay, second try¡­ A massive winged beast was outside your house, and everytime you tried to kick him out, it just kicked you out¡­ Much to your frustration¡­¡±


    Eos just squinted.


    ¡°And then you decided you¡¯d go talk to the neighbor about it, and then a giant angry mole pushed you back to the front of your house and forced you to kick the beast.¡±


    ¡°Who are you? What are you talking about? Where am I?¡± Eos whined.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Hahahaha!¡± the man bursted into laughter, he chuckled in his chair to Eos¡¯s confusion. ¡°Sorry, sorry¡­ I like trying to guess what people are dreaming about¡­ My name is Rukard, this is my family''s church, the Church of Lielos. Shinra brought you here a day ago¡­ You¡¯ve been asleep the moment you got here¡­¡±


    ¡°The¡­ What?¡± Eos¡¯s eyes widened as he remembered his dream. ¡°Wubble¡­¡±


    ¡°Bubble? What was that?¡± Rukard asked.


    A golden horn sprouted off Eos¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uh, I think I should say this now but-¡±


    Eos threw the quilt off, and rolled off the side of the bed away from Rukard. He stood up and fell backward. His feet were covered in bandages, still aching after hours of running. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran out the door.


    ¡°Hey! Slow down! You¡¯re still hurt!¡± Rukard shouted.


    Eos limped, his foot ached and he winced.


    ¡°Rukard! What was that?!¡± a woman somewhere else in the building shouted.


    ¡°The kid woke up, grandma!¡± Rukard yelled.


    Eos reached a door where the light spilled through, he ran to it. ¡®Outside! There¡¯s a way out-¡¯ Eos stopped as he saw what awaited him. The front of the building consisted of a yard surrounded by a small fence. The grass was a faded green, its hue dominated by the dying yellow strands tangled amongst them. The sky was a beautiful bright blue, Eos turned to the right and saw the bright sun. It looked so far away for some reason, but despite that, it was even brighter than ever. ¡®The sky is so bright¡­¡¯ What confused Eos more, was the lack of any trees in sight. There was nothing but buildings. Beyond the fence was a street, where multiple people were walking by, too many to count. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen so many people before¡­¡¯ Eos froze as he looked at the tallest structure. He blinked repeatedly, as he looked straight up. A giant tower stretched into the sky, it looked like it was passing through the clouds. It reminded Eos of what he saw in his dream.


    ¡°Hey! Come back!¡± Rukard called as he turned the corner.


    Eos turned and stepped back. Rukard raised his hands, he held an apple in one of them.


    ¡°Cool gift¡­ Pretty crazy for a kid your age to have a gift, but¡­ Shinra told us you shouldn''t use it often¡­ He said using your gift harms you¡­ And you¡¯re apparently a huge trouble maker¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Eos uttered.


    ¡°Oh yeah, here¡­ Shinra wanted me to give you this¡­ He said it belonged to you¡­¡±


    Rukard reached into his back pocket, pulling out an orange sash. Eos squinted at it. The tall man tossed it forward, and Eos cowered. However, nothing happened. He looked down and saw the orange fabric on the ground, he reached down and picked it up. It was smooth, the orange color was vibrant. The pattern was strange, but familiar for some reason. The pattern on the top was a single solid line, on the bottom it was two wavy lines intersecting back and forth across the length of the sash. Eos''s stomach suddenly growled. He curled forward as he felt the uncomfortable emptiness in his stomach.


    ¡°Are¡­ Are you hungry? We have some extras from breakfast¡­ And fruit¡­¡± Rukard pointed to his apple and smiled.


    Eos gulped. He didn¡¯t know where he was, or where his mom was. However, the hospitality from the man in front of him was inviting. The gold horn on Eos¡¯s head disappeared. Eos slowly nodded as he held his stomach. He felt too weak to even run, but at the same time he didn¡¯t feel like he needed to. ¡®He¡¯s not one of those monsters¡­¡¯


    ¡°Grandma is a great cook, you¡¯ll love it!¡± Rukard grinned. ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s get you a plate!¡±

 Act 0 - Chapter 10

    Chapter 10; Arthur; Hemhir 57th, 329SR; 01:36


    It had been hours since Arthur entered the stairwell, he was beginning to think it would go on forever. ''Why does no one know about this¡­ Father never mentioned this massive stairwell beneath the hospital¡­ I don¡¯t think he ever knew about it¡­'' Arthur stopped as he noticed the stairs come to an end, there was just a dry patch of dirt after the final step. This was the bottom. A steel door directly in front of Arthur had a square panel of glass to see through, light was on the other side. ''There''s working electricity down here?'' Arthur peaked through the window.


    "What¡­ The¡­" Arthur uttered in shock, he pushed the door open slowly and walked through.


    Arthur looked around in awe as he stood on a stone catwalk made of stone. ¡®This¡­ How long has this been here¡­¡¯ The room was gigantic, lit brightly with white lights. It almost resembled a factory with how industrial it looked. Several stories of steel grated platforms were evenly spaced around the room, all supported by pillars of metal trusses. ''How big- This is like two or three city blocks?!¡¯ On the left side of the room were three hangar doors similar to the ones at Helios¡¯s shipyards, however these were significantly larger. Each door connected to a pool of water.


    The pool closest to Arthur was empty, but the other two were not. Giant structures of some sort were within the other two pools. Arthur squinted at their shape as he walked down the catwalk, then looked up at the platforms above, slowly making sense of the vast surroundings. The massive pools made up more than three quarters of the room''s width. ''Judging from how long I was walking down¡­ This is miles under Helios¡­ What is this place¡­'' The right side was a massive walkway. Across from each hangar, was a three story structure extending out of the wall. At the second story of each, was a window that surrounded all three sides. The room was dark, but he couldn¡¯t see anyone inside from where he stood. Arthur approached the stairwell that led to the room, he stepped up the first step, but turned back to the hangar doors. He squinted at the size of the structures within the two pools.


    One of the structures was oddly round. Three white pillars horizontally curved around it on the left side, there were another three on the right. There was a portable metal staircase to the left, reaching about halfway up the structure and connecting a platform to it. Arthur squinted as he noticed that the platform led to an entrance on the round structure. He looked at the structure in the third pool, it wasn¡¯t as round, and it didn¡¯t have platforms leading to its entrance. However the back seemed to open up and act as an entrance. What stuck out the most, was the three white horizontal pillars curved around its left and right sides. However, Arthur¡¯s attention was stolen as a door opened at the top of the steps he stood on. He quickly darted under the metal steps. ''Shit! Someone''s here?''


    "Did you manage to see where he could''ve been sent?" Arthur heard Lawrence Lightbringer''s voice.


    "No¡­" Leia answered.


    Arthur''s heart froze as he heard her voice.


    "The kid was definitely not sent to a daycare¡­ And I think it''s because Shinra knew what he was¡­" Lawrence sighed.


    "Even on the day I saw the kid, Shinra was on edge. He seemed doubtful of me as well¡­" Leia explained.


    "Yeah, the guy was smart¡­ Probably one of the smartest people in Helios¡­ What still hasn¡¯t been recovered?"


    "I got the calendar out of the Bureau¡­ The notebooks were a bit harder because they had started being analyzed, but Arid managed to get them to me¡­ It¡¯s just the book now, and Arthur has it¡­"


    Arthur watched silently from under the stairs, listening to them alongside the violent beating in his heart.


    "You think Arthur will care enough to notice anything about the book¡­" said Lawrence.


    ¡°He already has¡­ He¡¯s just as smart as his dad¡­ He told me himself that the book was different¡­¡± Leia shook her head.


    ¡°Fuck¡­ There may be no going back from this¡­¡±


    ¡°May?¡± Leia scoffed with an angry tone. No, of course there¡¯s no going back. That was decided the moment you idiots had Shinra killed!¡±


    Arthur''s eyes widened, he clenched his fist.


    ¡°Me? I think you¡¯re forgetting you were the one who told Arid he found the path down here¡­ After Arid saw those notebooks he brought back, Shinra was done, there was no saving him!" Lawrence argued.


    ¡°I only reported that it was found! I didn¡¯t know Shinra was the one who found it! I didn¡¯t even know what the fuck was down here! If I knew they would have had him executed in Welis, I wouldn¡¯t have said a thing!¡±


    ¡°Yeah well then don¡¯t lump me in with them¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Oliver!¡± Leia added.


    Lawrence kissed his teeth.


    "He has a wife, his daughter just recently started going to school! Do you know how devastated they must be?! Especially Hana! At her age!"


    Lawrence didn''t say anything.


    ¡°If it makes you feel any better¡­ It¡¯s not as bad as what happened to the guard he saw¡­¡± Lawrence admitted.


    ¡°No, it fucking doesn¡¯t! I don¡¯t even know what you people did to Oliver! You turned him into a fucking zombie!¡±


    ¡°Microscopic lobotomy¡­¡± said Lawrence.


    Arthur¡¯s eyes widened. Leia let out a short gasp, she froze.


    ¡°Lucifer used the Lightbringer to send focused light into his brain through the eyes¡­ He burned the nerves in his brain¡­ He did it multiple times¡­ Each time¡­¡± Lawrence held his mouth as he spoke, he gulped and took a deep breath. ¡°Oliver was a fighter¡­ That¡¯s for sure¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± Leia shuddered.


    "How the hell was I supposed to know they¡¯d do that! Everything was fine until that guard said too much¡­ The second the Lightbringers found out he spoke about Project Archangel¡­"


    "You people are hopeless¡­" Leia shook her head. ¡°What even is Project Archangel? Why is a couple of kids so important that the Lightbringers would take this much precaution?¡±


    Arthur tried his absolute hardest to stay quiet. ¡®Project Archangel?¡¯


    "They don¡¯t tell me the details either¡­" said Lawrence. "It¡¯s been going on since before I was even born¡­ It¡¯s something they¡¯ve spent decades working on¡­"


    ¡°So let me get this straight¡­ They don¡¯t care about us knowing about the two ships over there¡­ Even have multiple guards maintaining them down here in secret¡­ But not that? Why?¡± Leia questioned.


    ¡°The warships aren¡¯t much of a secret¡­ Some of the Hirian¡¯s already know about it, even some of the Hydronians know of it¡­ It¡¯s one of the major reasons they don¡¯t even try messing with us¡­¡± Lawrence explained. ¡°They keep it guarded here, but there used to be three¡­¡±


    ¡°Used to be?¡±


    ¡°The demon king took one, leaving Helios with the rest of his people¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ I wonder why he¡¯d do that¡­¡± Leia rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Those weapons would be able to decimate any other nation¡­ But Lucifer is too much of a coward to risk it, Abaddon warned him that he¡¯d strike if they stepped out of line¡­ It¡¯s funny¡­ The demons are the ones we vilify, yet they are the ones holding the reigns of these tyrants¡­¡±


    ¡°Still¡­ How is Project Archangel worse than that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I thought it was a weapon at first¡­ Until I saw what was back there¡­¡±


    ¡®Weapons¡­ That could decimate a nation? The demons have one?! But, wait¡­ Is this what caused the war with the demons?!¡¯ Arthur held his mouth, trying to keep his heavy breathing quiet. Lawrence started down the metal steps slowly.


    ¡°What¡¯s back there?¡± Leia asked.


    ¡°A house¡­ I thought it might be some kind of lab, but¡­ That kind of equipment isn¡¯t sent there¡­ Only basic supplies¡­ Food, clean water, clothing¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it supposed to be some kind of private daycare? That guard did say something about kids back there, and from the description he gave, one of them was definitely the kid Shinra found¡­ Speaking of that¡­ Where are all the guards?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re hiring a new team¡­ The old ones have already been executed by Lightbringers in case they leak any information¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! Why?¡±


    ¡°They say they saw a monster¡­¡±


    ¡°A monster?¡±


    ¡°They all described some big thing that was apparently flying, it had hundreds of arms¡­ The guards ran out of here in terror¡­¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re only telling me this now!?¡± Leia glanced at the door behind her. ¡°Is it safe for us to be here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I checked the place a few times, there''s nothing here¡­ I¡¯m going to do a check up of the place one more time, you should head back to the surface¡­ You¡¯ve been here for too long anyway¡­ You¡¯ll attract suspicion¡­¡±


    ¡°What about Arthur?¡± Leia asked.


    Arthur held his head low, but as he heard his name he glanced up.


    ¡°Do you really need to ask?¡± Lawrence took a deep breath. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of what has to happen now¡­ He knows too much¡­¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t there another way?¡± Leia whispered, her voice hesitant.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Arthur grasped his silver pendant tightly. Lawrence turned to the right, then started down the walkway. His footsteps slowly faded. Leia was still on the platform next to the door, Arthur was directly underneath her. He watched as she held her head, a sharp breath left her throat. Arthur''s eyes widened as a tear fell through the steel grated platform, onto his cheek. Leia sniffled, then turned and walked through the door she came from. It gently trickled down his face, then off his cheek. He wiped the trail of tears off with his fist. Arthur slowly leaned past the stairs. Lawrence was halfway through the large room, in front of the second hangar door. Arthur crept up the metal steps, making sure to stay as quiet as he could, then slowly opened the door Leia had gone through.


    Arthur walked into the room, the first hangar door was visible past the window. Leia packed her bags at the desk, while Arthur approached her from behind. Behind him, was a door that seemed to lead deeper into the strange facility. The desk was covered in panels, a myriad of buttons, switches, and levers that Arthur didn¡¯t even bother to figure out.


    "Did you forget something?" Leia asked, she didn''t turn her head.


    Arthur walked behind her with wide eyes. The papers she put away were reports and logs from the hospital.


    "Well? Are you gonna say anything or¡­" Leia turned around.


    Their red eyes met, Arthur¡¯s full of fury, and Leia¡¯s full of fear.


    "Arthur¡­" Leia uttered as she stood up quickly. "What¡­ What are¡­"


    "Why?" Arthur asked.


    "Huh¡­"


    "Why was my father killed?"


    Leia looked down, frantically glancing left and right.


    "Leia¡­ Answer me¡­" Arthur seethed.


    "Arthur¡­ I can explain¡­ Just¡­ Calm down for-"


    Leia hesitated as Arthur conjured his spear and pointed it at her neck. Leia didn''t move an inch as the spears blade hovered inches away from her throat. The black haired woman shook with fear, her fingers trembling.


    "Calm down? Calm down?!" Arthur gritted his teeth. "Father trusted you! He trusted you more than anyone!" Arthur screamed.


    "Wait¡­ Don''t yell!" Leia glanced out of the window. "If they find you here, they''ll kill you!"


    "They¡¯re already planning to! I heard everything!" Arthur breathed in and out frantically, the spear shaking in his hand.


    "I''ll¡­ I''ll show you¡­ What your father found¡­ But Arthur¡­ Please¡­ I¡­ I have a daughter¡­ I''m all she has¡­" a tear rolled out of Leia''s eye.


    Arthur kissed his teeth, then lowered the spear. "Show me¡­"


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Leia gulped as she slowly stepped past the spear. Arthur kept his eyes locked on her as she walked forward. ''How did it get to this¡­'' Arthur asked himself as he kept his eye locked on the red sash around Leia''s arm. ''Why did any of this have to happen¡­'' Arthur followed her to the door they both came through. ''What did my father find¡­ What was so important that he had to be killed just for knowing¡­'' Leia opened the door, and then turned to the left and went through the next. Arthur slowly closed the doors behind him, making sure no one would hear it. Leia walked in front, but she turned. They walked through a long narrow hallway, it was well lit with similar lights to the ones he saw before.


    "I suppose you''ve probably been confused since the day we returned¡­" Leia broke the silence, Arthur couldn''t see her right hand. "I swear¡­ None of us knew Shinra would be killed¡­ I can promise you, I didn''t want any of-"


    "Hands where I can see them¡­" Arthur lightly poked her with the blade.


    "I won''t do anything Arthur¡­ I''ve known you since you were a baby¡­" Leia spoke softly, but there was a hint of fear in her tone.


    "You knew my dad longer¡­" Arthur hissed.


    Leia looked down as she put her hands on another door handle, and pushed it open. They walked into another hallway, it was the same length. However, the lights in this room were red.


    "What the fuck¡­" Arthur whispered to himself as he felt the heat in that hallway.


    ¡°You heard everything right¡­ He said there was a monster¡­ Are you sure you want to be back here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking at one right now¡­¡± Arthur said coldly.


    "Heh¡­" Leia laughed, her raised arms lowered slightly. "I didn¡¯t want any of this you know¡­"


    "But you did nothing to prevent it¡­" Arthur poked her again.


    "There was nothing I could do¡­ And please stop poking me¡­" Leia asked.


    "Never trust a spy¡­"


    "Huh?"


    "That''s what my father told me¡­"


    "Hm¡­ I suppose he''s right to some degree."


    Leia opened another door, and it led to a steel grated bridge. They continued over the metal grate, it led to another room with a bright light. Arthur looked down, the room seemed damp, and the sound of their footsteps echoed off the walls in the distance. ¡®This seems like a cave¡­¡¯


    "I could see a monster living here¡­" Leia whispered nervously.


    Arthur glanced at the light in the next room, it almost looked natural. Leia pushed the door open, and Arthur followed. The inside of this room was massive. The walls were a dark grey, but the floor was painted black. There were white porcelain tables and chairs arranged across the entire room. ''Is this¡­ A theater?'' Across from Arthur and Leia was a massive window. Beyond it was a small forest, and further beyond that, was a white house at the top of a hill.


    ¡°Lawrence wasn¡¯t kidding¡­ It really is just a house¡­¡± said Leia.


    Arthur looked up, and was surprised to see the source of light. "That''s the Celestial¡­"


    "We should turn back¡­" Leia advised. "Whatever is in that house¡­ The Lightbringers keep it a bigger secret than even their warships¡­"


    ¡®It¡¯s just a house¡­ ¡¯ Arthur walked down the steps, then toward the glass and put his palm against it. ''Just beyond this glass¡­ Is the answer I''ve been looking for¡­'' Arthur looked left and right, checking both sides of the room for an entrance.


    "How do I get in there?" Arthur asked.


    "What?!" Leia snapped. "You heard Lawrence!? Arthur, whatever is in that house, is more dangerous than anything we''ve seen before!"


    "I don''t care¡­ Father saw what was in there, I have to know too¡­"


    "What will knowing change?!"


    "Because I can''t accept this as the reason!" Arthur screamed.


    Leia¡¯s eyes widened.


    "Father¡­ He only ever helped people¡­ He was the best Doctor in Helios¡­ People trusted him, the nobles trusted him¡­ You trusted him! He was the only family I had left¡­ So why¡­ Why! Why did he have to die! There has to be a reason! There has to be-"


    Arthur¡¯s voice cracked as he slammed his fist into the glass. Leia took a step forward, he turned and pointed his spear at her. Leia cowered as she looked down at the spear. She gulped as she took a step forward.


    "Please, Arthur calm-"


    "Don''t tell me to calm down, you fucking traitor!" Arthur huffed.


    "If someone hears you, or someone realizes i''m missing¡­ They''ll come for you next¡­ Arthur, please just-"


    ¡°I¡¯ll kill every last one of them! All of the Lightbringers! I¡¯ll run my spear through each and every one of them! Over and over!¡± Arthur seethed viciously.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t what Shinra would have wanted¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare say his name! I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll kill you too!¡± Arthur threatened.


    ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ I know you wouldn¡¯t kill me¡­¡± Leia stated confidently.


    Arthur''s teeth rattled as his eyes widened. He pointed his spear forward as he huffed in and out frantically. Leia stepped forward, the tip of the black spear was pressed against her throat. Arthur reflexively pulled back, he huffed repeatedly as he fell to his knees. ¡®What am I¡­ What am I doing?! This is crazy¡­¡¯ Arthur fell to his knees, Leia wrapped her arms around him. He stopped as he felt her gentle embrace, his eyes quivered. She held his head close to her chest.


    ¡°We can¡¯t be like them¡­ We need to do things right¡­ How Shinra would have wanted¡­¡± said Leia. ¡°No more bloodshed¡­ You¡¯re a doctor Arthur, not a killer¡­ This isn¡¯t you¡­¡±


    Arthur paused for a moment. He started to breathe heavily again, Leia¡¯s eyes widened as she looked down. Arthur pushed her away as he stood.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to kill them¡­¡± said Arthur, his tone livid.


    ¡°Arthur, I-¡±


    ¡°You¡­ You really think they deserve to live?¡± Arthur huffed.


    ¡°Please, just listen-¡±


    "Balakin!" Arthur roared.


    The black dragon materialized behind him, it took up most of the room. As Arthur turned, so did the black dragon. Leia looked between the dragon and Arthur, shaking on the ground. He pointed the black spear at the window, Balakin started to roar. ¡®Reiu¡­¡¯ The silver pendant unraveled, and the snake-like dragon came to life. Its blue eyes flashed, causing a white barrier to appear around Arthur and Leia. Red light started to seep out of Balakin¡¯s maw, energy condensed into a ball within its mouth. As the ball of energy became larger, the black dragon opened its maw.


    "Arthur! Please, don''t!" Leia cried.


    ¡°Balakin! Fire!¡±


    Balakin released the blast, firing a devastating black and red beam at the glass. Leia shielded her eyes from the bright light, the force hit the barrier surrounding them, cracking it slightly. However, Arthur was surprised to see golden symbols appear on the glass. The symbols were circular, depicting a star surrounded by a ring of light, it somewhat resembled an eye. ¡®It¡¯s fortified with light magic?!¡¯ As the smoke cleared, he was shocked to see that the magic reinforcement didn¡¯t break. ¡®It withstood a blast from Balakin?!¡¯ To both Leia and Arthur¡¯s surprise, a siren went off. The sound was piercingly loud, a red light started to flash above them.


    ¡°Oh shit! They had security for this?!¡± said Leia.


    Arthur felt his rage boil. ''What is it! What is so important to them! The answer¡­ I need the answer!'' A red fog suddenly obscured his vision, it bothered his eye. Arthur turned, only to see Leia blowing that very fog toward him. She had taken off the red band on her left arm, revealing her gift. Plumes of red petals that grew off her arm, its red dye dripping down her white sleeve. The pungent scent filled the small space within the barrier. ''Shit!'' Arthur felt his eyes fall, it became hard to keep them open. He stumbled backward and fell out of Reiu¡¯s barrier, causing it to vanish. He tried to keep his eyes open, but the pungent scent of her plumes had stuck to his nose. Balakin noticed, then roared at Leia.


    "Shit!" Leia uttered as she tried to get to her feet.


    As Arthur closed his eyes, he watched Balakin dive.


    ***


    The sound of the siren rang all around him, the red light flashing from above made him squint. Arthur slowly came to, he stood up weakly, his eyes still drowsy from the gas. As he remembered what happened, his eyes widened.


    "Leia!" Arthur called, his head still felt groggy. "Rgh¡­"


    Arthur slowly rose, he looked back at the window of the room. It was still there. He looked forward, then behind him. ¡®How long was I out¡­¡¯


    "Leia¡­" Arthur called, his tone lowering.


    Arthur looked down, and saw a stain of blood on one of the white tables. His eyes widened even further. Each of his breaths became unsteady. He crouched down slowly, hesitantly staring at the blood stain. He reached forward, and touched it. He looked at his fingertips, the wet blood trickled down his hand.


    "Leia!" Arthur called. "Leia! Balakin!"


    The dragon materialized next to Arthur, its massive eye glanced toward him. The creature''s teeth almost made it look like it was grinning. The stains of blood on its maw made Arthur shudder. ¡®Leia¡­¡¯ He started to breath rapidly, a river of tears flooded out of his eyes as he grimaced.


    "I¡­ I¡­" Arthur clenched his teeth. ¡°I didn¡¯t want-¡±


    The dragon rose as it felt the spirit of its master fall. Arthur looked up at the glass, and his rage boiled once more. Tears fell from his eyes. He gripped the spear and charged forward, slamming his spear into the glass. The magic rune reappeared, but he charged forward anyway.


    "Raah!" Arthur screamed.


    "Hgraaah!" Balakin roared at the same time, charging the same attack as before.


    "Destroy it!" Arthur roared.


    The black and red blast shot forth, striking the glass window. Arthur shielded his eyes from the smoke as the force knocked the tables away. Arthur charged forward over and over again, the ear piercing siren continued to ring. As the smoke drifted out of the way, a yellow light glowed from behind it.


    ¡°Destroy it!¡± Arthur cried.


    Golden runes of some sort had appeared on the glass. After a few seconds, they faded away. Arthur flinched and shook his head.


    "Balakin¡­ Destroy it¡­" Arthur sobbed.


    The dragon roared, soaring forward and ramming its helm into the glass. The runes reappeared again. However, Balakin fell onto the stage, the dragon wheezed from exhaustion. ¡®I used up all my energy¡­ Balakin can¡¯t attack anymore¡­ He couldn¡¯t even dent it¡­¡¯Arthur looked up, the red light on the ceiling rotated as the siren continued. He gazed at the light, each time it passed over him, he felt the lump in his throat grow more and more. He looked down at the floor, and the dark red splatter reminded him of what he did. The door at the rightmost side of the room opened quickly. Someone entered the room, but Arthur continued to gaze at the puddle of blood on the floor.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± Lawrence uttered as he stood at the top of the stairs. ¡°Why are you¡­¡±


    Arthur glanced backward with a blank expression, glaring at Lawrence with wide eyes. ¡®Balakin¡­ Give me armor¡­¡¯ Red energy flashed around Arthur¡¯s legs as he got on one knee, forming black armor around his legs. Arthur leapt across the room, flipping in the air and landing behind him. The blonde man hesitated as he saw Arthur¡¯s eyes, quickly conjuring his silver greatsword in hand. Arthur picked up his spear and stood as Balakin lowered its head right next to him. Lawrence took a stance, holding the blade up while angling it to the ground. It was a six foot long blade, about a third of that length was taken up by the handle and mirror-shaped cross-guard. Arthur dashed forward and thrusted his spear. The blade slammed against the mirror shaped guard, but he felt the force of his strike get repelled. Lawrence was surprised as he was forced back a step.


    ¡°Rgh!¡± Arthur flew off his feet, hitting the ground and rolling over his back.


    ¡°How did you find this place¡­¡± Lawrence stepped forward slowly, he kept his guard up until he stepped on the blood. ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­¡± Arthur uttered as he stood up. ¡°You¡¯re the reason Oliver is dead¡­ And now¡­ Leia is dead too¡­¡±


    ¡°Leia¡­ You-¡± Lawrence stuttered. ¡°I thought it was strange that I couldn¡¯t find her¡­¡±


    Arthur slammed his spear into the ground and stood with grit teeth. Red and blue energy emanated off of his body as he thought about tearing apart the man in front of him. ¡®I used up too much of Balakin¡¯s strength earlier¡­ This is good, I''ll tear you to pieces with my bare hands!¡¯ Arthur suddenly sprinted with his spear in both hands.


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± said Lawrence. ¡°Just hear me out for a-¡±


    ¡°Die!¡± Arthur screamed as he lunged forward.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Lawrence uttered.


    Lawrence raised his blade to block again, but was unable to see the red light collected at Arthur¡¯s foot. He suddenly lunged to the right with his left foot, landed, then kicked off the ground again and appeared behind him, holding his spear with an underhand grip. As Lawrence turned, Arthur stabbed the spear forward. ¡®You¡¯re slow.¡¯


    ¡°Shit-¡± Lawrence dropped his weapon, then rolled forward, just barely dodging Arthur¡¯s stab.


    Arthur jumped over Lawrence, flipping the spear to an overhand grip and then stabbing down. Lawrence rolled out of the way, his arm just barely getting slashed. Lawrence stumbled to his feet, and conjured his greatsword at the same time. He swung around quickly.


    ¡°Hrah!¡± Lawrence grunted as he whipped his whole body around, and swung as hard as he could.


    ¡®Reiu!¡¯ The dragon¡¯s eyes flashed blue and deflected Lawrence¡¯s strike, his eyes widened. Arthur stepped into his range, then stabbed forward. Lawrence barely moved his head out of the way, the spear grazed his cheek. Arthur pulled the spear back and then stabbed forward again within a fraction of a second. His spear pushed through Lawrence¡¯s collar, just barely missing a fatal blow once again. Arthur pulled the spear back once more. Lawrence¡¯s eyes widened as he slipped off the step.


    ¡°Die!¡± Arthur yelled as he stabbed forward.


    Lawrence reconjured his greatsword right in front of him, blocking the strike aimed for his heart just in time with the mirror shaped guard. Arthur¡¯s eyes widened as he was launched back. He rolled off the ground, then pushed off with his hands. His black greaves slammed against the wall, he crouched against it as more of the red energy flowed off. The red light flashed around his left leg, then he kicked off once again. Lawrence blocked the strike in mid air, but without the guard. Arthur drove his spear into the surface of his blade, pushing back until he hit the glass, the golden runes appeared as the siren went off again.


    ¡°Ahagh!¡± Lawrence grunted in pain.


    He dropped onto the stage, his greatsword piercing into the ground right next to him. Arthur descended from above, spinning his spear and then grasping it with both hands overhead. Lawrence scrambled to his feet, desperate to survive. Arthur stabbed downward, but only grazed his shoulder, the second he landed, he charged forward with his spear held overhead. Lawrence turned the moment he thrusted the spear, catching it with both hands before the blade reached his neck. Lawrence fell onto his back, and Arthur slammed his left foot onto his stomach to hold him in place. He grabbed Balakin¡¯s spear with both hands, and pushed it toward Lawrence¡¯s throat.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Lawrence grunted.


    ¡°The rest of your family will join you soon,¡± Arthur promised.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be a fool Arthur! If you kill me¡­¡± Lawrence paused. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t, you¡¯re dead!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care¡­ So long as the world knows about the truth¡­ They¡¯ll know you for the bastard frauds that you are!¡±


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t care?¡± Lawrence asked with grit teeth. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t care about every person in Helios dying?!¡±


    ¡°What¡­ What does that mean!¡± Arthur hissed as he pushed the spear forward.


    The blade was just inches from Lawrence''s neck. However, the blonde man didn¡¯t break his gaze or flinch once.


    ¡°We¡¯re similar, you and I! I mean- I could give less of a shit if you killed my family, I hate them myself! You¡¯d be doing me a favor, honestly! But you don¡¯t know about my father¡­ That thing¡­ That thing will kill everyone to keep its status! And it has the means to do it!¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡± Arthur skipped a breath.


    ¡°If you kill me! They¡¯ll know! It won¡¯t take long for them to realize what happened to Leia!¡± Lawrence shouted.


    ¡°Shut your mouth! Don¡¯t say her name!¡±


    ¡°The Lightbringers are ready to kill everyone! At any moment! If you expose them! Thousands of people will die, thousands of angels! Men, women, children even! Lucifer doesn¡¯t care! Even if you kill Lucifer, it doesn¡¯t end!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking! And just die!¡± Arthur pushed the spear forward. ¡°You¡¯ll say anything to live you fucking rat! You¡¯d even cast aside your own father!¡±


    ¡°I hate him more than you!¡± Lawrence suddenly snapped. ¡°Why would I hold any value for the man who murdered my mother!¡±


    Arthur flinched as he heard that. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Lawrence pushed the spear back slightly.


    ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill the Lightbringers! You have to get past the Lightbringer itself, Alexander Rael, and those two warships! You have nothing! There is nothing you can do with all your power to combat that! Even by some fucking miracle, that you Arthur, come out victorious against them! They aren¡¯t the only ones behind your father¡¯s murder! There are Hirian¡¯s who assisted in killing him! You want vengeance! I am your best bet at getting it!¡±


    Arthur hesitated. ¡®Hirian¡¯s too?!¡¯ Lawrence breathed in and out frantically, but stopped as Arthur pulled his spear back. Arthur grabbed Lawrence¡¯s collar.


    ¡°What do you have to gain¡­¡± Arthur asked with wide eyes full of rage.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one who wants vengeance¡­ I hate my father¡­ All he does is drown himself in wealth¡­ My stupid step siblings, Laris and Leanne are being raised the same way¡­¡± Lawrence explained as he raised his hands in surrender.


    ¡°Step siblings?¡± Arthur repeated. ¡°You aren¡¯t blood related?¡±


    ¡°We have the same father¡­ But the number of whores that come in and out of House Lightbringer¡­ None of us may be blood related¡­ No one is supposed to know that¡­¡± Lawrence shook his head.


    ¡°How do I know I can trust you¡­¡± Arthur glared at Lawrence.


    Lawrence nodded as he looked at the ground. ¡°That kid, the one Shinra found¡­ The Lightbringer¡¯s don¡¯t know that he escaped¡­ They only know that Shinra found this place, and Oliver talked to the guard who worked here¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you getting at?¡± Arthur asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why Shinra kept it a secret but¡­ They still believe Project Archangel is proceeding as planned¡­ They believe they¡¯ve gotten rid of the threats to it¡­ I¡¯m gonna make sure they keep believing that¡­¡± Lawrence promised.


    ¡®If I have someone on the inside, that would prove advantageous¡­ But he¡¯s one of them¡­ I can¡¯t forget that¡­¡¯ Arthur looked down as he contemplated everything. Arthur pulled Lawrence to his feet, then let go of his collar. Lawrence touched the wound between his shoulder and the neck. Arthur looked him dead in the eyes.


    ¡°You only aim for vital spots or something¡­ Ah¡­¡± Lawrence winced. ¡°If I didn¡¯t dodge, I''d probably be screwed, you know¡­ I have to get this patched up¡­¡±


    ¡°Let it be a reminder, that if you betray me too, I''ll kill you on the spot,¡± Arthur warned him. ¡°Without hesitation.¡±

 Act 1 - Chapter 1

    Chapter 11: Arthur, Vagril 6th, 343SR; 06:00


    The winds passing by broke the silence of the night. Arthur stood by the window in his room, tapping his foot against the stone floor. The short hand on the clock in the room hit six, Arthur yawned. He leaned out the window and looked toward the Lightbringers tower, it was at the adjacent corner of the inner wall. ''Where is he... He''s usually on time...'' Arthur took a deep breath as he turned to the desk in his room. He took a seat, leaning back into the creaky wooden chair. He opened his drawer, and pulled out a stack of files. The one on top was a large stack of applications, specifically to House Pendragon. Arthur reached to the back of the drawer, and found a small gap he could just barely fit a nail under. Under the false bottom was the white book, ''The Legend of Ragnarok''.


    Arthur squinted at its cover, still pondering its odd differences to what he found at the library. ''Lanaris... Silsta... I''ve searched for records of those places, but I can''t find anything...'' A knock at the door made Arthur flinch, he pushed the drawer closed then walked across the room as he glanced back at the window. Upon opening the door, he saw his lieutenant, the current spy of House Pendragon. A chill ran down his spine.


    She had lustrous black hair just passing her neck, deep red eyes like her mothers, and small facial features. She wore a sleeveless white nightgown, but there was a thick layer of bandages wrapped over her left arm. It concealed her gift, the red petals embedded into her arm, passed down to descendants of the Kagami family. The velvety scent always reminded Arthur of what he did to Leia, it made him feel guilty. She moved her bangs behind her right ear as she looked down the tower''s stairs with an annoyed expression.


    "Freiya, what''s the problem," Arthur asked.


    "Oh, sorry if I am... Bothering you..." Freiya peaked into Arthur''s room. "Were you sleeping? I''m sorry, I''ll deal-"


    "It''s fine, I''ve been up for an hour already... What''s the problem," Arthur sighed.


    Freiya gulped with wide eyes. ''Unlike her mother, she''s always nervous around me...''


    "Uh... Liam came out of the washroom last, but... He''s angry that the sink was blocked... And it flooded..."


    Arthur raised an eyebrow, he felt his shoulders slump slightly. "Doesn''t Liam know how to fix it?"


    "He doesn''t want to because he thinks Hana blocked it..."


    "Oh... I see..."


    Arthur stepped out of the room and let out an extended sigh. ''Those two just can''t get along...'' He shut the door to his room behind him and walked down the curving staircase. As he got further down, he started hearing his other two lieutenants bickering. ''I hope Lawrence doesn''t send the signal right now... I better solve this quickly...''


    "You were in there last, now just own up and fix it!" he heard Hana shout.


    "Nah, nah, not this time! Last time too, it was blocked before I got there! And you were in there last! Taking your sweet ass time as per usual!" Liam yelled back.


    "Well, I have to wash my hair? What are you, stupid?"


    As Arthur passed the door that led to the top of the wall, he reached the bottom of the steps. He entered a tight hallway which led into a wider living room. The floor, walls and ceiling were also made of stone. The rooms around the inner wall were mostly tight corridors, but each of the nobles towers had similar living rooms, which included a kitchen, and a washroom. Across from the kitchen was a circle of couches where his other two lieutenants exchanged glares that could probably pierce steel.


    "I''m stupid?! Exactly how many papers have you published?" Liam asked, smiling with grit teeth.


    The five foot nine slim man stood with his arms crossed, and his long face tilted as his nose repeatedly twitched. He had dense black hair that was barely combed, sideburns down to his jaw line and a bit of acne. His light blue narrow eyes switched over to Arthur as he walked over. He wore black pants and a white shirt, as well as slippers to avoid the cold stone.


    "Oh here we go again..." Hana rolled her eyes. "You published one paper and hold it over everyone constantly! You probably got a lot of help from your father with that study anyways!"


    Hana was just shorter than Liam, standing at five feet and eight inches. Her pink hair was usually tied back into two braided tails, but she usually let it free before she slept. She stood with her hand on her hips, her lip twitching and just barely flashing her grit teeth. Her eyes were a darker pink than her hair, she had small facial features and nearly perfect skin. She wore a bright beige nightgown that covered her down to her ankles. A thin gold string tightened the gown around her waist.


    "Everybody? No no no, I only hold that over people who think I''m stupid! And it''s only you who just loves calling me an idiot?!" Liam shook his head.


    "Hey... You two, you shouldn''t be yelling at this-"


    "Hold on Freiya! If Liam''s so smart maybe he should just fix the damn sink instead of complaining to me about it!" Hana stomped.


    "I have! And the same problem happens over and over because of you! It''s always messed up after you use half of your fucking soaps!"


    "None of those block the sink. They were made to be washed down a sink! How is it me?!"


    "Well..." Liam, flinched as he looked up. "That''s a good point actually... But I didn''t break it either!"


    Arthur took a deep breath and walked toward the washroom that was located to the right of the kitchen. He opened the door and entered a small room. The sink was on the left side, next to the toilet. The window across from the door was slightly open, the glass was murky and the room felt damp with steam. To the right was a bathtub, with a glass panel separating the shower from the rest of the room. Freiya peeked into the room as Arthur looked for the problem, the sink was drained. He turned the knob, but nothing came out. ''The faucet''s blocked? That wasn''t any of us then...'' Arthur turned and walked out, Freiya moved out of his way at the same time.


    "Then don''t come yelling at me!" Hana hissed, before turning with a huff. "I''ll accept your apology in writing, and I better see your best handwriting, or I''ll know you aren''t sincere!"


    "Huh?!" Liam''s head snapped to the right.


    "And all the apology letters you still haven''t written to me," Hana turned and shot a sharp glare at Liam.


    "Haha, yeah, keep waiting, I''ll most certainly spend my time writing letters for you, yeah, definitely Hana, go have a great night!" Liam sarcastically shouted during the last part. "Rich kids... They''re always jerks..."


    "The water line is blocked or closed... It''s not an issue with the drain..." said Arthur. "I''ll go ask Angela if her sinks are also blocked, she''s usually awake at this time..."


    "Can I come?" Liam asked. "I need some air..."


    "I''ll, I mean..." Freiya stuttered. "Can I accompany you as well?"


    "You really don''t need to," Arthur yawned. "But I don''t mind... It''s your choice..."


    Arthur walked to the door he had come from, climbing up two steps at a time and taking the first door on the left. Upon opening it, he was met with the cold winds of the night and two perpendicular pathways. The one on the left led to House Rael, and across the pathway on the right, was the tower House Lightbringer''s squad stayed in. The tower House Rover stayed in was at the opposite corner of the wall surrounding the Celestial.


    Arthur glanced to the right, the strong winds pushed his hair to the right. The northern side of inner Helios was built on a hill. The rooftops of buildings got lower the closer toward the ocean they were. The blue ocean was silent at that distance, the light from the moon casted shimmering sparkles along its surface. To the left of the path was the Celestial, stretching straight into the sky.


    "Hey sir, can I ask you something?" said Liam.


    "What is it?" Arthur replied.


    "You''re only a few years older than me right? My dad said you were the youngest person to become a noble in history..."


    "Liam..." Freiya elbowed Liam.


    "What? It''s amazing isn''t it? No ones ever-"


    "Liam, please stop-"


    "It''s alright Freiya," Arthur sighed. "I only became the noble to fill in for my father after he died. I''m not that special..."


    "Oh... Right..." Liam kissed his teeth as he smacked his own forehead. "My bad, I forgot about that... It''s been so long, I was a kid when that happened... But, you are pretty special... I mean you have two Celestial gifts..."


    "The Celestial blessed me with Reiu when I was seventeen..." Arthur recalled that day, and smiled. "Right before I beat Alexander Rael in a sparring match... This pendant is the only reason I won, I think he still hates me to this day because of that..."


    "You sparred with Alexander?! And won?! He''s almost twice your height!" Liam shouted.


    "I was lucky if anything... I don''t think I''d survive an actual fight with him..."


    "Even with Balakin?"


    "Heh, not a chance... Father always told me he is probably the strongest angel, no questions asked..."


    Arthur lifted the pendant hanging on his neck, his fingers rubbed over the rigid silver surface. His smile faded as he reminisced, remembering how much joy he used to have. The three of them made their way across, Freiya broke the silence.


    "Did they... Ever find out what happened to House Pendragon''s last squad? The only one left is... Akovo Musagi, Ando''s mother..."


    Arthur looked down, his heartbeat quickened. "No... We still don''t know the culprit..."


    Liam looked around as he started to scratch his head. The silence became even more awkward. Freiya''s sniffle cut through the cold winds. Arthur gulped, he felt disappointed in himself.


    "I''m sorry for bringing that up..." Freiya apologized timidly. "I shouldn''t have said that..."


    "It''s alright, I understand..." Arthur said under his breath as he glanced to the left.


    Between the wall Arthur and the others walked over, and the Celestial itself, was a large gap. It was at least one hundred meters wide. Arthur looked down, there was nothing but a sea of darkness between the inner wall and the Celestial. But Arthur knew, at the bottom of that darkness was the secret his father found. The revelation that caused everything.


    "Everytime I look down there, I just feel nervous..." Liam shuddered as he peaked between the bricks on the left side.


    "Then why do you keep looking?" Freiya asked.


    "Mostly curiosity..."


    "I doubt there''s anything down there, Liam..."


    They were almost at the tower to House Lightbringer. Arthur glanced up at the window he had been looking at before. His eyes widened as he noticed the light in the room turn on and off three times. ''Why did he have to signal now of all times! Dammit... I shouldn''t have brought Liam or Freiya along...'' They reached House Lightbringers tower, the path forked left, or into the tower. Arthur went left, it was another stone path over the wall, but this time House Rover was at the other side.


    "Or maybe like, a really big insect!" Liam sounded excited.


    "Why do you sound so giddy for that..." Freiya cringed.


    "Hana hates bugs, so I can use that against her," Liam grinned as he rubbed his hands together.


    "You''re gonna go down there just to find something to scare Hana?" Freiya sighed. "That''s silly..."


    "It''ll be so worth it, trust me! Remember when she was screaming threats down the hall because I left a spider in front of her door? Heh, hahaha!"


    ''I still have no leads on where that kid Shinra found is... Could the Lightbringers have found him by now? Could Lawrence be hiding that?'' Arthur continued forward, staring blankly at the stones in front of him as he walked. He glanced back at the two lieutenants. ''I have to hurry up, then meet with Lawrence...''


    "What''s with that laugh..." Freiya raised an eyebrow. "She was literally chasing you with her rapier... Why do you want that to happen again?"


    "It was probably the hardest I''ve ever laughed," Liam chuckled just thinking about it.


    "Hm..." Freiya stared blankly at Liam''s face. "Liam, do you like Hana?"


    "Huh?!" Liam suddenly snapped to the right. "Like... Hana?!"


    "Yeah."


    "She''s such a nag! How could I ever like someone like her?! I like my ears where they are!"


    Arthur looked ahead, he saw Angela leaning against the brick wall. She was reading something from a folder, but turned and looked up as she heard Liam. Her short and icy blonde hair blew strongly in the wind, she was still in uniform. The button on her blue dress shirt collar was unbuttoned.


    "It seems like you want her attention sometimes..." Freiya poked.


    "Huh?! Arthur, are you hearing this?!" Liam''s face warped to one of disgust.


    "Well if you get so defensive, it seems like it might be true..." Arthur added.


    "What?!" Liam scowled.


    Freiya laughed slightly under her breath, she even pursed her lips and looked away. Angela took one more draw from her wooden pipe, the substance within it crackled from the heat. Angela pulled the pipe out and exhaled, before stretching her arms and letting out a yawn.


    "Well if it isn''t doctor little," Angela greeted Arthur.


    "You aren''t funny," Arthur smiled. "Why are you out right now?"


    "My lieutenants hate it when I smoke inside, especially Leo. Hey Freiya, Liam. you two seem well," Angela said with a soft smile.


    "Yo," Liam raised his palm to greet her.


    "Good evening, how are you?" Freiya bowed her head slightly.


    "Same old... Kinda wish I was still in Hiria though..." Angela sighed again as her shoulders slumped.


    "Oh yeah, your squad was sent to Blue County four weeks ago, right? Ando told me about it..." Liam asked.


    "Yup... That place is just... Something else..." Angela leaned back and recounted her journey. "You gotta go to Tempa''s Woods sometime Arthur, the whole forest is literally shrouded in blue leaves. And when they burn..."


    Angela pulled on her pipe, looking down at the inside of it in front of her. She pointed at it and lowered her head, revealing the contents. As she inhaled, the ash seemed to glow a bright blue.


    "Woah! That''s cool!" Liam leaned over and looked over Arthur''s shoulder.


    "Hm," Arthur squinted. "Painting your lungs blue, rather than black isn''t much of a difference, don''t you think?"


    "Pft, hahaha!" Angela choked on the smoke, before bursting into a coughing laughter. "That''s funny! But trust me, it''s cleaner than what we got here in Helios."


    "Yeah well, I wouldn''t know..." Arthur shrugged.


    "What brings you three out? You get one of these?" Angela fanned the paper in front of them.


    "An application?" said Freiya.


    Arthur squinted at the paper she held, it was a single document. He could just barely make out the name on it.


    "Actually, I was meaning to ask if your sink was working... We''re not getting water on our side..."


    "Huh... Well..." Angela turned as she dragged the word, she looked up at one of the windows of House Rover''s tower. "Nope, still got water... One of my lieutenants is taking a shower..."


    Arthur looked up at the window, steam bellowed out from the lit room.


    "Huh... Might just be our side then..."


    "You''re going to have to make a request to the Lightbringers to get that fixed..." said Angela. "Unless you know how to do it, Freiya."


    "Huh- I am not doing any plumbing, nope, no way..." Freiya suddenly jumped where she stood.


    "Don''t worry, I''m kidding! I was kind of hoping you would though," Angela smiled.


    "Why do I have to ask the Lightbringers for that?" Arthur asked.


    "Helios uses two separate sewage systems, one is accessible by the public and used around most of the city, but the other is only connected to buildings we nobles use," Angela explained. "I think it''s to keep people from sneaking in through there."


    "Someone''s tried?" Arthur raised an eyebrow.


    "Well... Maybe not in my lifetime... Our sewer systems have been like that for as long as I can remember..."


    "Huh..." Arthur squinted upon hearing that.


    "Anyways, back to what I was saying, you''re getting a fourth lieutenant too right?" Angela asked.


    "Fourth?" Liam reared his head back.


    "Yeah... I talked to Alexander about it this morning, every squad seems to be getting an extra lieutenant. Alexander didn''t think much of it, but this is weird to me..."


    "I... Have no idea what you''re talking about? I didn''t get a letter like that?" Arthur leaned forward and looked at the application a bit closer.


    "You didn''t get one? That''s really weird... Maybe because House Pendragon got new lieutenants not too long ago?"


    "But... Every house has had three lieutenants... Why the sudden change?"


    "I''m not sure... Even weirder, it''s not an application, it''s kind of just a letter saying... This is how it is now," said Angela.


    Arthur squinted at the name of the new recruit. ''Zeus? What kind of name is that...''


    "Where is his last name?" Arthur asked.


    "That''s another weird part... Apparently the one joining House Rael doesn''t have a last name either... Well, whatever, the more the merrier I suppose." Angela yawned again. "I''m gonna get going, I have to go to the office for something..."


    "Alright..." Arthur handed the letter back to Angela. "I''m going to head back... I''ll see if I can get it fixed today..."


    "Have a great night!" Angela waved as she entered the tower.


    "Fourth lieutenants?" Freiya pondered. "Why the sudden change?"


    "Who knows... I wish we could get a fourth member... Why are we being left out?" Liam complained.


    "Well, the three of us joined House Pendragon over the last two years... Most of the other squads have been around for a bit longer..."


    "Well... It''s only like one more year for House Rover? They''ve replaced their squads recently too..."


    Arthur, Freiya, and Liam continued back along the wall. ''The Lightbringers are assigning new squad members? Why isn''t House Pendragon isn''t getting one, unless they are just slow with the mail... Wait... No last names...'' Arthur squinted as he remembered the boy his father found. ''That kid didn''t have a last-'' Arthur''s thoughts stopped as he looked up at House Lightbringers tower, there was a figure by the window. ''Huh...'' A green light flashed in the hands of the black silhouette. Arthur took a deep breath as he glanced back at Liam and Freiya. The two of them continued to discuss the new changes as they passed the Lightbringers tower, and made their way across and back to the Pendragon tower.


    "You two head back up. I''ll put in that request right now," said Arthur.


    "Now? It''s really early isn''t it? Will anyone be available?" said Freiya.


    "It''s urgent, so I''ll go ask right now, I''ll be back soon."


    "O-Oh, yeah that''s probably a better idea," Freiya smiled.


    "Hopefully it gets fixed by tomorrow," Liam yawned as he stretched his arms. "I hate going all the way through the bureau just to take a shower..."


    They entered the tower, Liam and Freiya went left up the stairs. Arthur took a right and went down. At the bottom, he reached a small corridor, to the left was a balcony at the bottom of the tower. Arthur turned right and walked through a door, entering a long hallway. The ground was made of stone, rigid shapes of moonlight were formed by the windows and evenly spaced down the length of the hallway. Just like above, the hallway split into two paths, both with a pair of guards keeping watch, their gold masks sparkling in the light.


    "Over here..." Arthur heard a voice behind him, it came from the balcony.


    Arthur turned quickly, he looked back at the guards, they were still staring out the window and into space. Arthur went back into the corridor, closing the door behind him and slowly crept through to the balcony. He poked his head out and noticed Lawrence leaning on the railing.


    "What... The fuck are you doing?!" Arthur swore as quietly as he could.


    "Yeah, I know, not the usual meeting place..."


    "Were you seen by the guards?"


    "Of course not, who do you think you''re talking to..." Lawrence sighed. "I was trying to send you a signal... Then noticed you and your lieutenants outside... Figured it''d be faster if I just met with you here..."


    "Yeah, you were late..." Arthur leaned against the railing and looked over the north east side of Helios. "We shouldn''t use this spot... Any of my lieutenants can walk down right now and they''ll see us..."


    "Yeah well, this is the last time..."


    "What?" Arthur reared his head back. "What do you mean? You told me we''d stop the Lightbringers! We''ve waited all this time for that!"


    Arthur felt a violent anger stir within himself. Lawrence took a deep breath as he scratched his blonde hair, then rubbed his neck. He didn''t wear the black and white cloak the Lightbringers usually wore, just a white shirt and black pants. ''He''s usually calm and collected...'' Lawrence''s eyes furled as he looked down.


    "All we''ve done is stall! You told me you were my best bet at revenge, but we''ve done nothing!" Arthur whispered angrily. "You really were just trying to save your own skin! Weren''t you!"


    "There was nothing you could do! And there was nothing I could do either! All we had to do was wait till they made their move... And... The Lightbringers made their move..." Lawrence shook his head.


    Arthur froze. "Huh... What do you mean?"


    "Lucifer and Arid made an expedition down there recently, about a week ago... Down to the place your father found... And... I don''t know what happened but..."


    "But what?"


    "To put it bluntly... They are freaking out..." Lawrence nodded.


    "Huh..." Arthur squinted. "You mean?"


    "Yeah... They know the kid went missing... They don''t go too often... Last time I remember was over fifteen years ago... But only Arid went at that time... If Lucifer and Arid both went..." Lawrence sighed. "Something had to have been different this time... But I think something went wrong..."


    "Does this have to do with those new squad members being assigned? I saw one of their names... Just like the kid my father found, the one joining House Rover doesn''t have a last name..."


    "That''s the odd part... I was eavesdropping on them as I usually do... I thought they''d just try again... But they''ve deemed the entire project to be a failure... And they can''t continue it..."


    "What?"


    "Project Archangel was a failure... Not only that, I think something else happened down there... I overheard the king while he was throwing a tantrum..."


    "A tantrum?" Arthur squinted harder.


    "He kept saying things I didn''t understand..." Lawrence looked up as he recounted what the king said. "He kept talking about someone named Leazra... Screaming and cursing her name out loud like a wild animal... It was... Disturbing to say the least..."


    "Leazra?" Arthur tilted his head. "I''ve never heard a name like that..."


    "Whatever she did... I think she had something to do with Project Archangels failure... He kept screaming about how much time and resources have been wasted... And... The last thing he said was..."


    "What? What did he say?"


    "He said... It won''t be long... Before Alexander Rael comes for their heads..."


    Arthur paused. "Huh?! Alexander? Why would Alexander do that?"


    "I... I don''t know... I''ve never heard them like that, but when the topic came to Alexander... They sounded... Very afraid..."


    "I mean... Alexander is intimidating... The guy''s eight feet tall and freakishly strong..." Arthur looked down in thought. "But he''s completely loyal to the Lightbringers? He hates me more than them if anything... It makes no sense that the Lightbringers would be so afraid of him..."


    "I don''t know... I wish I had a better answer but..." Lawrence turned to Arthur and looked past him. "That''s all I-"


    A pop was heard in the distance, Arthur and Lawrence turned toward the south. ''What the... What was that...'' Despite the strong winds, Arthur knew he heard something.


    "Did you hear that?" Arthur asked.


    "Yeah... It sounded like an explosion... Really far away..." said Lawrence.


    As Arthur and Lawrence leaned off the railing to try and look south, they both noticed something in the night sky. Arthur''s jaw dropped as a bright light descended from the clouds. ''What... Is that...'' A whistle followed a strong flap as two white lights descended through the black night sky..


    "Am I seeing things?" Arthur turned to Lawrence, whose expression was equally dumbfounded by what they were witnessing.


    Lawrence didn''t say anything, he just stared up in awe. There was a silhouette behind the small lights. The thing came down quickly, too quickly. It was like the entire world had stopped moving for a moment. His previous concerns about the Lightbringers became irrelevant, as he watched the falling object glide through the sky.


    "A meteor? No... It can''t be..." Lawrence uttered.


    "Hey... That''s coming this way..." Arthur uttered.


    Lawrence and Arthur were motionless as the thing crashed directly into the peaks of the mountain south of Helios. The thing pierced through the mountain like it was nothing, massive boulders were hurled over Roverswood. It spun off its course, ruthlessly smashing the trees in its path.


    "Holy shit..." Lawrence uttered.


    The object crashed into the forest, sending a quake through the land unlike anything the two of them had ever felt. The tower shook, causing Arthur and Lawrence to duck. Several more quakes followed as the boulders smashed into the forests, the snaps of tree''s could be heard behind the rumbling. Lawrence stood still for a moment, but then reached into his pocket. He pulled a small glass panel from his pocket with a golden sphere embedded into it, and handed it to Arthur. The glass was about a centimeter thick, its edges surrounded with silver.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Arthur... Take this, and go!" said Lawrence as he handed him.


    "Huh..." Arthur replied, still taking in what he had witnessed. "Is this one of Lector''s communication devices?"


    "Yeah! I have the other end, I''m going to go inform the Lightbringers of this! It''s constantly transmuting sounds that come near it, if you keep it in your pocket, it shouldn''t pick up much, but don''t say anything too loud, I''ll let you know if it''s clear first, don''t talk about anything you shouldn''t speak of until you know I''m alone! Go, now! Find out what that is before the Lightbringers do! You can get there faster than anyone!"


    Arthur gulped, he hesitated for a moment, then put his foot on the wall. The lights across the city all turned on slowly. Arthur climbed up, then jumped off. The wind blew past his ears, his hair rose and his cloak flapped.


    "Balakin!" Arthur called.


    A red light flashed beneath him, the black snake-like dragon''s head materialized out of it and slithered forward quickly. He landed on the metal helmet covering its head, crouching as the rest of the dragon''s body slithered out of the red light. Arthur glanced to his right as he passed House Rael. Alexander and his squad were already outside their tower, staring right at him. ''Shit... They''re pretty fast themselves... I have to hurry up!'' Black armor surrounded his legs, clicking into place as each piece arranged itself. After a minute he passed the inner wall of Helios. ''They''ll most likely use Bruno''s gift to get across the city... It''ll take them about ten minutes to reach the crash site...'' A red light flashed under Arthur''s feet, the energy fluxed as he prepared to jump. Balakin was just passing the outer wall of Helios, its scales glowed red as Arthur released him.


    "Dragon driver..." Arthur chanted.


    Arthur kicked off Balakin''s helmet as the dragon disappeared. He launched himself straight into the sky over Roverswood, a stream of red light following his path. The wind blew past his head, pressing against his face as he squinted. His hair rose as he began to descend at the peak of his height, he looked over the land. A pillar of smoke rose from the middle of Roverswood, and another rose from the mountain''s peak. Arthur soared past the crash site, landing on the side of the mountain. His black greaves pressed into the cliff face, he stopped for a moment as he breathed out. Arthur looked back toward the clearing, then kicked off again with less force. He landed in the forest, rolled against the ground, then sprinted through the forest. Arthur breathed heavily as he hurried, but as he got close, he heard a voice near the crash site. ''Someone got here first? That''s impossible! Who-'' Arthur crouched behind the bushes next to a fallen tree.


    "It has bolts and screws... Did someone build this?" a man asked.


    ''How the hell did someone get here before me?!'' The object that came down from the sky was embedded in the dirt, multiple trees in the area had fallen. Two people circled the strange object, observing its features closely. ''Dammit... The other houses will be here soon... Should I just reveal myself? They didn''t notice me... I can probably make them leave...'' Arthur stood up and left his cover, he crept towards a tree that still stood.


    One of them walked around the front of the object, a woman with short black hair. Around the back was a man, he looked young. The man had brown hair, hesitantly touching the surface of the object. ''Dammit... Why did you two have to be here! No, I can''t wait, i''ll-'' Arthur heard a steady whistle as something clicked in place, he looked up to see the man hesitantly run from it. ''What-'' Arthur quickly hid, he gulped as he peeked out, the man had crouched behind a fallen tree.


    "Jack! What was that?!" the woman yelled.


    "Carol, it''s moving!" the man shouted back.


    ''Jack... And Carol... Are they from Logos? They''re dressed like miners... Wait... What the hell is that...'' The back of the object seemed to open as steam released from inside of it. The woman walked around to the rear end of the object. She paused for a moment, observing the inside, then walked in.


    "Carol, wait! That might be its mouth!" Jack cried.


    ''I don''t think that''s a mouth... But then again I don''t even know what it is...'' The male slave crept out of his cover, still completely unaware of Arthur hiding just a few meters behind him.


    "Jack! Come here! Quickly" the one named Carol yelled.


    Jack stepped over the log he hid behind, then slowly crept toward the object. ''What happened... Should I go and check... What if there''s something in there...'' After a few minutes, Arthur became anxious. It was silent.


    "I knew it! This is the mouth! We should go, or else we''ll end up like him!" the man shouted from inside.


    ''Is someone in there?!''


    "Wait... He''s breathing! This guy is still alive... How?!" the woman sounded shocked.


    ''He''s alive too?'' Arthur looked around at the fallen trees, then up at the part of the mountain that broke off. ''It''s already amazing that it didn''t shatter after hitting the mountain... But... Someone was inside while it crashed? Where did it come from?!''


    "Hey, wake up! Hey! Jack, what the hell! Give me a hand, this guy needs help!" Carol yelled.


    After a few seconds, Arthur heard heavy footsteps against the metal interior. The two non-unified left the object, carrying a third person on their shoulders. It was a man, and he was huge. Despite the two slaves being just under six feet tall, the body they dragged was at least the same height as Alexander Rael. His entire body was muscular, almost like he had no trace of body fat on him. He had a dense mane of black hair, Arthur couldn''t see his face behind it. He was shirtless, wearing nothing but a pair of black pants and boots, his feet dragging through the mud. What struck Arthur as strange, was the injured state the man was in. He was riddled with wounds, a lot of blood was dripping from his body. The two non-unified carried him off, grunting and struggling while they slowly walked away.


    Arthur''s head slowly inched to the right, he noticed the object that crashed at the end of a long line of fallen trees. Smoke still rose from the crash site, Arthur looked between the ship and the two slaves walking away. ''Wait... This might work in my favor if they stay hidden...'' As Jack and Carol disappeared into the forest, Arthur jumped over the tree and ran towards the crash site.


    The thing was blue in color, with the text ''#MC-78 Imperial Dragoon'' written on it. ''Writing? Is this thing a Hirian weapon? No... It looks... Weird...This isn''t Hirian... Cerulean or Jakaran? A dragoon? I don''t know what that means... This is fascinating...'' Arthur circled the strange thing, it had thick slabs of metal jutting out of its top, and was definitely the work of some unknown craftsman-ship. ''It can''t be Hydronian... It came out of the sky... But... This... Seems different... Could it have been from Pandora? Whoever came out of it would be my answer...'' Arthur reached the back and noticed a cavity in the object. ''They entered here...''


    The crackle of electricity on the object popped before fading out, leaving only the sound of the nobles'' hesitant breaths, and what sounded like someone stepping on tiny shards of glass with hard boots. The sound came from something in front of him. ''What is that...'' There was a purple crystal, growing out of the metal surface. ''Huh...'' Arthur stepped on something hard and noticed the crystals were littered all over the floor. It made him feel uncomfortable just looking at it, he shuddered as he stepped back.


    "Is this stuff safe to be around..." Arthur covered his nose. "It reeks of blood in here..."


    Arthur looked around the wider room, noticing strange tools mounted along the wall. ''Weapons?'' Arthur assumed they had to be weapons of some sort due to a few of them having blades attached. He looked at the sides, the stairs, the painting, even the seats. Arthur heard the wheels of caravans, and the approaching gallop of horses through the firm dirt. He walked further inside the vessel and tried to avoid stepping on the crystals. The most of it was in the centre. ''There''s no way I can keep the ship from the Lightbringers... But whoever was inside it...'' Arthur reached up, hesitantly feeling around the edge of what seemed like a door frame, he held on and hopped over the crystal. The narrow hallway filled with crystal, had multiple rooms on either side. His nose blocked suddenly, and he had to breath through his mouth. ''I''m not used to this... No... This stuff might be toxic, my nose feels itchy in this place... It blocked so quickly...'' Arthur pulled his shirt up and covered his nose and mouth.


    Each of the rooms seemed to be clear, just some bedrooms which looked mostly void of belongings. But he was a little more relaxed knowing he was alone, he progressed forward. Arriving at the front of the vessel, he found a small room with two seats. But in front of it was a panel of buttons, knobs, a wheel, and several switches all covered in the shards of a glass. Arthur looked down and noticed a broken bottle on the ground, he picked up a shard of it, reading the label ''Melrosa''s cherry spirit? Product of... Junipus? Picked in... The rainbow hills of- Anrac?'' His head started to get numb, Arthur stood up and looked out the front window, then stopped for a moment as he looked out the front of the vessel. ''That''s tinted glass...'' Past the stains of dirt and cracks on the glass, Arthur could see angels clad in white robes hesitantly approaching the scene. Arthur turned and promptly made his way out of the vessel.


    One of the angels wore a white shirt with blue decals, a lieutenant from House Rover Arthur easily recognised. He got off the back of a black cougar, its fur was patterned with silver spots. On all fours, the beast was half the height of his rider. It was a Celestial gift that was only bestowed very recently like Arthur''s silver pendant. The rider was just around Arthur''s height, he was decently well built, but very slim. He had dark brown skin and short puffy black hair.


    "Scouts of House Rover! Welcome! You took your sweet time, lieutenant Ando," Arthur greeted them with a smirk.


    "You''re nuts! Mom always said you were fast though!" Ando laughed as he greeted him and shook his hand.


    "I''m kidding... You got here pretty fast as well..." Arthur smiled.


    "What is this thing?" an angel asked.


    "It''s- a vessel of some sort I think... It possesses an interior... Do not go inside the vessel without protective equipment, the bacteria may be foreign, I feel sick from just being in there..."


    The galloping of a horse on stone could be heard, but the steps felt hefty and came from above. Arthur turned and looked up to see Alexander Rael and his two lieutenants ride in on a stone chariot. One of them was a slim man with blonde hair, he looked half asleep. The other was a large man with naturally grey hair, he was a little fat, but very muscular. ''Lector, Bruno, and...'' A pair of quick flaps came from above as the third lieutenant descended from the sky, a slim woman who was just taller than the slouched over Lector. A black pair of wings receded into her back, she adjusted her hair quickly and efficiently as she stood. ''Vivian...''All three of them wore white shirts with green decals.


    The largest in the group was Alexander, who immediately shot a hateful glare at Arthur. The eight foot man looked down at him with furled eyebrows, his nose twitching repeatedly. His short spiky hair was bright green, and his face was well built. ''It''s like he''s stabbing me with his eyes... Is it seriously that big of a deal that I beat him one time...'' One of the scouts crouched down and started to analyze something on the ground. ''I need to catch up to those two non-unified... I can''t lose their location...''


    "Uh, Sir! What about this? What is this..." the angel called out with a curious tone, he held a purple crystal, similar to the one inside the ship.


    Arthur squinted. ''How is it growing outside of the ship... There''s more... It''s leading to the ship''s entrance.... Wait, no... Oh no... It''s the path those two took! The body is leaving a trail!'' Arthur pursed his lips and took a deep breath. Alexander''s menacing stomps could be heard behind him. The eight foot man towered over the other angels as he observed the scene.


    "Gather all of that crystal substance and take it to the Lightbringers for analysis," Arthur ordered and then turned to the members of House Rael. "Good morning Alexander, lieutenants of House Rael. I''m sure none of us were expecting something like this..."


    "No need for the formalities, runt... This... Thing... What is it? Where did it come from?" Alexander asked. "This thing took off a decent portion of the mountain, perhaps we should make the people of Logos mine for logorite up there too..."


    As Alexander spoke, Arthur''s mind trailed off. ''Runt... Yeah, I don''t know how dad and this guy were friends... I can''t do this... As it is he hates me, but I don''t even like the guy that much myself... The number of brutally injured slaves we''ve had to treat... All caused by him....'' Arthur sighed as he turned away.


    "Something struck me as odd. Please, follow me," said Arthur.


    Arthur heard Alexander kiss his teeth, before following to the rear-end of the crashed object. They both stopped outside the opening to the interior. Alexander walked forward as he observed the architecture. ''I can''t keep wasting time here... How can I get away... The trail... I''ll follow the trail...'' Arthur gulped as he looked at the back of Alexander''s head.


    "Do you think this is some kind of demon sorcery or one of those damn resistance members from the gutters of Torovince?" Alexander asked.


    "I doubt the non-unified could do this... Hey, there are footprints," Arthur pointed out.


    Alexander turned and followed the steps, then noticed a smeared trail in the mud that led out of the ship towards the woods. Alexander stood still for a moment, his eyebrows furled as he looked at the trail.


    "Arthur... What did the scouts from House Rover discover inside?" Alexander asked.


    "I got here first... This is how it was when I found it..." Arthur replied.


    "Thirteen years as a noble, and you''re still this much of a newbie aren''t you," Alexander sighed. "Someone was here before us. There''s a trail leading out of the woods towards Logos!"


    "Huh, you''re right... Good observation," Arthur nodded.


    ''Why is he assuming Logos...'' As Arthur thought this, an explosion rippled through the air. A purple light lit up on the other side of the mountain for a brief second. Arthur turned and looked up. ''Shit, what happened! Did that guy wake up?!'' Black greaves formed over Arthur''s legs, they clicked together and started to glow.


    "What the hell, that was bright... Someone did get here before us you-" Alexander stopped as he noticed Arthur equip his gift.


    Arthur crouched down and put his palm on the ground. ''Dragon driver!'' A red light fluxed off his legs, and he pressed off the ground. Arthur launched himself two hundred meters into the air, just over the peak, then descended. Arthur conjured his black spear, dragging his feet against the cliff face as he landed on the other side. Arthur stabbed his spear into the rock, stopping his descent. He looked around, trying to spot the two non-unified from earlier. A pillar of smoke rose from the entrance of the mines. Arthur looked to the farms north of Logos where another pillar of smoke rose, then noticed a purple light glowing at the center of a circle of flattened crops. He saw the two non-unified, and they continued to drag the body. He lost sight of them as they moved into the crops. ''Why would they...'' Arthur noticed orange lights approaching the purple flame. ''Are they avoiding the others from the town? Good... Good... I have to get in contact with those two... I''ll-'' Arthur looked down, and was surprised to see Alexander sprinting down the path between the mountain and the forest.


    "Shit... If Alexander finds those two... Who knows what he''ll do... But if they move through the crops... It should cover the trail... Maybe I can relax... I''ll just have to find those two after... It shouldn''t be too hard..." Arthur sighed as he pulled his spear from the mountain.


    A foul scent lingered in the air as Arthur slid down the slope of the cliff face, he jumped off the last bit and descended a short distance. ''That smells like ignited Logorite... Why does it smell like that...'' Alexander stopped in front of the mines, Arthur landed behind him. He was surprised as he looked at the entrance of the mines. Chunks of black rubble filled the hole into the mountain, some large, some small. ''What the... The crash couldn''t have caused this... It looks like it was blocked from the inside... Was this the sound before the crash happened? Someone sealed the mines again? Didn''t this happen like... A couple of weeks ago?'' Arthur watched as Alexander clenched his fist, he grit his teeth as the veins on his forehead bulged. ''I imagine most of the people of Logos hate the angels, but... What does this even accomplish...''


    "The shards of the mountain''s peak all got sent to the other side, there''s no reason the mines should be blocked off on this side though... Something else happened here..." said Arthur.


    "Was there a similar scent at the top of the mountain?" Alexander asked.


    "No?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Something strange is going on though that''s for sure... When I was on top of the mountain, a purple fire was burning north of Logos," Arthur added.


    "Purple fire... Could the demons be making their move..." Alexander pondered.


    "I doubt Abaddon would invade without sending an army, and the mines being closed... It''s an oddly specific target... It doesn''t accomplish much either... Please handle the situation in Logos, I''ll inform the Lightbringers of this right away..."


    "You punk... What are you trying to pull!"


    "Huh..."


    "We''ll just make the slaves do it! They did it! They should be held responsible! But no! You want to use this to discredit me, don''t you!"


    Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Alexander, with all due respect... After the mines had closed three weeks ago... The Logorite supply fell heavily... We can''t afford to waste time, this directly impacts our allegiance with Hiria, they need that Logorite... You know this..."


    "You-" Alexander grit his teeth.


    "I''m not doing this to discredit you, it must be done... I know you don''t like me but, I hold you in high regard, Sir Alexander. While, I do find your methods in Logos, brutish... My father respected you, and I trust in my father''s faith."


    Arthur turned and followed the wall of the mountain. ''I get that he doesn''t like me... But is it that serious? I beat you in one sparring match after catching you by surprise...'' Arthur shook his head. He heard the flap of wings behind him, glancing upward to see Vivian land near Alexander. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the glass device Lawrence had given him earlier. Arthur quickly looked back once more, Vivian and Alexander started toward Logos. He held the device up to his mouth as he moved behind a tree.


    "Lawrence... Can you hear me? Where are you?" Arthur spoke into the device.


    "Arthur, I''m with Arid..." Lawrence responded.


    "I''m calling to inform you of something important, it''s not in regard to the crash..."


    "Go on..." Lawrence''s tone sounded confused.


    "The mines have been sealed again... Alexander and I found it like this just now..."


    "What did he just say?!" Arthur heard someone else, their voice sounded like it echoed strangely.


    ''That sounded like Lucifer... But...''


    "What, how- Nevermind, I got it... I''m with them right now... Arid is on his way, wait there..."


    "Thank you..." Arthur lowered the device and put it into his pocket.


    Arthur sighed as he turned around and walked back toward the mine''s entrance. ''Could it... Have been those two slaves... There''s no way they went from Logos to Roverswood so quickly... But, if they were here... It''s a little more believable...'' Arthur pulled his hair back as he sighed. ''What a morning...'' Arthur started in the direction toward Logos. ''While Arid is on his way i''ll-'' Arthur stopped as he heard a strange sound approach from above. He turned, only to see a bright light shine over the area. Arthur shielded his eyes, ''What the hell?!'' As the light faded, he lowered his arm, his eyes widened.


    A man in a white shirt with yellow decals on it stood in front of the entrance to the mines. There were two circles of blue light behind him. ''H- How... That wasn''t even one minute?! How did he get here so fast?! Was that magic!'' The man had short black hair, shaved around the sides of his head, but a bit taller on top. His fist was clenched around a scepter, at its crown was a blue orb. Around both his upper legs were holsters commonly used by mages to store paper talismans. The circles of light behind him almost looked like an eye, it moved on its own to Arid''s right, facing Arthur.


    "Those pieces of trash..." Arid seethed, his voice sounded odd, like it was echoing despite them being outside.


    "Arid... That was... Fast..." Arthur didn''t know what else to say, he felt intimidated.


    "Arthur... You did well today... I heard from Lawrence, he told me he saw you act within seconds..." Arid spoke without turning his head, his eyes still on the mine''s entrance.


    "Oh... It''s- I was just doing what I had to..." Arthur shrugged.


    "Yes... You''ve always been exemplary... Ever since you first became a noble... You are very much like your father..." Arid complimented him, but his tone sounded skeptical. "Where is Alexander..."


    "He continued to Logos..." Arthur paused for a moment. " For some reason there were tracks from the crash site leading back to the town. After he had seen what happened to the mines... I believe Alexander might be enraged."


    Arid glanced at Arthur, his eye was a bright blue. ''What the... Is that caused by Nilrem''s Wisdom? I know the crystal orbs created with that gift change color based on its user, making them ideal catalysts, but I didn''t know it changes the color of the wielder''s eyes...'' Arid stabbed his scepter into the ground, the orb at the end started to glow, before igniting with blue flames.


    "I want you to go and make sure he doesn''t do anything stupid... Let me know if he exhibits any other odd behaviour..." Arid ordered.


    Arid opened the holster on his left leg, he pulled out a talisman with a cloud drawn on it. He held it between his fingers, then raised his scepter in his other hand. It glowed brightly as blue flame fluxed out of it and spiralled around Arid. ''Hold on... Is he planning on clearing it right now?!'' The cloud on the talisman started to glow a bright white, before vanishing from the page. A bubble of water formed in front of Arid, and was surrounded by rings of blue flame. The wind created by the talisman whipped around the fire and water, spinning the flame into a tornado. Sparks crackled off the mass of magic, Arthur stepped back as his hair rose, the force coming from Arid was incredible. ''This guy isn''t the head of the School of Magic for nothing... He''s a prodigy, to be able to harness opposing elements without them cancelling each other out is impressive... To be able to use something as powerful as Particle Magic at a whim, paired with his basic affinities which grant him mirror magic... He could be a serious problem if he figured me out...'' An orb of light surrounded the mass of magic, condensing it down into a ball. As he clenched his fist, he condensed the orb more and more.


    "Step back..." Arid warned.


    The energy inside the orb started overflowing, but it had nowhere to go. Arid continued to fuel it with ether from his catalyst. The orb grew, sparks of electricity within it violently tried to escape, but simply expanded its container more and more. Arid lowered his scepter and raised his hand, controlling the orb with his hand instead. It moved forward, the orb of violent energy pressing against the sealed entrance of the mines.


    "Particle magic... Particle Burner!" Arid chanted.


    Arthur continued to step back, looking up in awe at the display of skill in front of him. It was hard to look away. ''I only know the basics of magic myself... But... This makes me want to learn more...'' As the orb burned the wall of rock, it dug itself deeper, and deeper. Its core glowed brighter, shining out of the hole it made until reaching a blinding point. Arthur reflexively hid behind a tree as the orb exploded outwards, engulfing the entire entrance of the mines in a blue explosion. The two circles behind Arid moved in front of him, shielding him from the blast. Arthur stayed behind the tree, listening to the searing sound of rocks being burned to ashes. As the sound stopped, he peeked out of his cover. ''Huh...''


    Arthur walked forward, completely perplexed by the site. The entire entrance of the mines had been completely vaporized, all of the rubble was burned down to nothing but sand. Bits of molten remained on the dirt, some of it falling from the ceiling. Weakened chunks of rubble fell, landing softly in the sand that was once solid rock. At the back of the expanded opening was a narrow tunnel that led into the heart of the mountain. ''That... What the... Balakin can''t even make that much firepower with its blasts... This is the power of a level five spell? And he can fire multiple of these...''


    Arthur skipped a breath. "Aren''t you worried about glassing several pounds of Logorite?"


    Arid sighed, his voice started to echo again. "It doesn''t matter... This mountain is full of it after all... And soon... We won''t even need it..."


    "What do you mean?" Arthur asked.


    "Do not speak about this with anyone other than the Lightbringers, but we have plans to harness an even larger cache of logorite, located in Hiria..." said Arid.


    Arthur squinted at Arid. "Logorite in Hiria? I thought logorite was specifically located on Kamino... That''s why the Hirian''s come to us for it..."


    "The minister of communication, Jerm Ragel, recently went to Dorad with Angela. His agents have recently made a breakthrough during the trip... Minister Joseph wants to capitalize on it immediately, and the ministers Edna and Lawlose are more than willing to fund it..."


    "Aren''t the Hirian''s our allies..."


    Arid nodded as he squinted at Arthur. "While we are allied to them, an alliance simply goes as far as what both parties get out of it... And at the moment, they have much more land than we do, despite almost half of it being used by the filthy resistance... If we can expand our borders into Hiria... We won''t be so cornered..." Arid''s voice echoed slightly. "Then, we expand further... Protor and Pandora..."


    Arthur gulped. ''This guy... The Lightbringers really mean to take everything... I still don''t get it... How can there be a logorite cache in Hiria, that the Hirian''s don''t even know about? That doesn''t make any sense...''


    "If it''s supposed to be a secret, why are you telling me all of this?" Arthur asked.


    Arid turned around, he looked down the path at Logos. Arthur raised an eyebrow, his teeth jittered, and his hand was flexed, ready to summon his spear at a moment. ''I don''t trust this guy one bit... I feel like he''s onto me...''


    "Do you think it''s wrong of me to trust you?" Arid asked.


    "It''s not that... There is a saying passed down in my family, my father once told me... One will not see the reason to search, until they have realized there is something to find..."


    "Hm... Those are wise words... It even brings back memories..." Arid smirked. "The Pendragon and the Lightbringer families are two of the earliest houses to hold power in Helios, we''ve been allied for generations, and couldn''t have made it as far as we did without each other... You are one of the last of their line, and a wise man, like your father... Laris will most likely take the seat of the king after Lucifer, it''s fortunate that we have you two... In order to keep our legacy alive... We need to preserve our... Best roots..."


    "Heh... So you people want me to get married and have kids... Got it..." Arthur smirked.


    He hid his grit teeth. ''You people had my father killed though... And why Laris instead of Lawrence... They are night and day in terms of competence and strength...''


    "Yes, and specifically with Lucifer''s daughter... Leanne..."


    Arthur''s eyebrows raised. "You... Want me to..."


    "Yes... Is she not to your liking?"


    "That''s... That''s the king''s daughter Arid... Don''t joke around like that..."


    "It''s not a joke, he wants this as well. You need not wed her, simply give her a child."


    Arthur twitched. The way Arid said it made him shudder. ''What the fuck... How the hell can he say that with such a deadpan tone... And... A child of Lightbringer and Pendragon blood... Are they trying to secure Balakin... Lawrence is right... These guys are losing it... They want to shift the entire paradigm?! What the hell happened with Project Archangel''s failure?! Did it really cause all of this?!''


    "You seem tense... Are you loyal to someone else?"


    "No it''s... Just a lot to take in... But I''d rather not if I''m being honest..."


    "Why?"


    "It just... You know... Morally..." Arthur shrugged.


    "Morales, and faith, means nothing in this world compared to power..." Arid''s voice echoed once more. "I trust you will underst-"


    The two nobles flinched as the sound of a massive explosion reached their ears. It came from the direction of Logos. ''What the fuck?! Did those two get caught?!''


    "That sounded like an explosion... We''ll speak about this later! Hurry to Logos! That fool Alexander is rampaging, again!" Arid seethed, the echo in his voice was much louder that time.


    ''Shit! Shit I wasted too much time here!'' Red energy surrounded Arthur, he squatted down to the ground as black greaves formed around his calves and feet once again. He jumped backward toward the mountain, and pressed his feet against it. ''Dragon driver!'' Using the slope of the cliff face, he jumped straight over the trees and toward Logos, soaring almost one hundred meters into the air. ''I can''t keep jumping like this... I''m running low on ether, I already summoned Balakin once, which I can only do three times at most before running out completely... After the last three long jumps, I''ll have a little less than half my total ether left...''


    As Arthur got a better view of Logos, he noticed a pillar of smoke rising from a green flame at the southeastern side of the town. ''Ah! Dammit Alexander!'' Arthur grimaced as he soared over the town. A crowd of non-unified surrounded a wooden house smothered in green flames. He saw someone on the ground, and a short distance away was someone burning in flames. ''No!'' Arthur landed in the farms, his feet dragging to a stop as he toppled several stalks of corn. As he stood up to sprint, a purple explosion bursted into the air. Arthur shielded his face as a shockwave brushed past him.


    "Huh..." Arthur uttered as he looked up at the massive pillar of purple flame.


    It rose straight upward, appearing like a cone of pure flame, the shape and density of it was majestic. But its peace was disturbed as a second explosion rippled outward. Arthur shook his head, then ran forward toward an alleyway between a burning house and one that was untouched by the green flames. As he got closer, he heard someone wailing in pain. Their screams were that of an adult, someone with a deep voice. At the end of the alleyway, he saw a silhouette against the flames. They hoisted their arm back, holding a purple crystal in their hand.


    "Just die!" they yelled as they threw the crystal.


    Arthur walked forward slowly, squinting at what he was looking at. ''Where''s Alexander...'' He was careful not to make too much noise, worrying that the assailant would turn on him next. As he got closer, he noticed the figure of an eight foot man burning in the pillar of purple flames. Arthur blinked repeatedly, shocked at the sight of Alexander burning alive at the hands of a non-unified. Arthur looked back to the boy who threw the crystal, reaching into his pocket for another. It was one of the non-unified at the crash site, the one named Jack. He hoisted up yet another crystal, and pulled his arm back. However, before he could throw it, Arthur grasped his arm, causing him to look back in shock and anger.


    "Huh!?" Jack huffed.


    Jack had furious red eyes, but his eyebrows furrowed as he noticed a noble had grasped his arm. Arthur pulled the purple crystal out of his hand, then looked up at Alexander. ''It''d be for the best if I let someone like Alexander die here... He''s too much of a risk... But...'' Arthur remembered Lawrence''s words. ''No... There has to be a reason the Lightbringers fear him so much...'' Jack struggled to break from his grip as red energy collected around Arthur''s black greaves. He suddenly jumped forty meters into the air, pulling Jack with him. Jack stopped struggling, and instead held onto Arthur''s arm tightly.


    "Balakin!" Arthur called.


    A red light flashed behind Arthur, and the snake-like dragon with wings materialized out of thin air just like the armor. It flew high into the air and circled him. Arthur landed on the Balakin, and then let go of Jack, the slave grasped its jagged black scales and held on desperately. ''Blow away the flames!'' Balakin dived straight down to the ground, then opened its mouth and let out an ear-piercing roar. The flames surrounding Alexander were pushed away, revealing the unconscious noble. His skin was charred black and his jaw wide open, Arthur had never seen him this injured before. Smoke rose from the burnt parts of his skin.


    "Vivian! Head back to Helios and alert my squad and House Lightbringer''s squad to get down to Logos, Alexander needs treatment immediately, tell them it''s an emergency and it''s my order!" Arthur ordered, then turned to the slaves. "All of you get to work! You''ve wasted enough time standing here, go! Any farmers assigned to the northwest farms, avoid the burned crops for now!" Arthur ordered strictly!"


    Arthur stepped off Balakin. His greaves, and the dragon all dissolved into red particles of light. ''I barely have any ether left... I didn''t expect I''d need Balakin again...'' Jack fell a short distance, landing hard on his side as Arthur landed softly on his feet. Vivian covered her mouth as she looked at Alexander''s body.


    "S-sir..." Vivian uttered.


    "Vivian, I gave you an order!" Arthur scolded.


    "Y-Yes, sir!" Vivian snapped out of her shock.


    She pulled out a black feather, and it faded away as she turned. A pair of black wings sprouted out of her back, and she flew north towards Helios. The crowd of people scattered as they looked back at the noble''s burnt body. Arthur turned to the house burning in green flames, only to see the other slave from the crash site. ''Shit...'' They were in the worst condition. Her skin was charred black from the stomach, and her face was covered in blood. Alexander''s greatsword was embedded into her torso, Arthur cringed as he looked away. ''Dammit... I...'' He glanced at Jack, and understood what happened immediately. ''I could have stopped this...''


    Arthur turned back to the crowd, making sure they each left the scene. However, he heard a scrape against the dirt behind him. Arthur glanced back, only to see Alexander Rael on his feet, his veins lit up green and his skin was healing. ''What... Why are his burns healing so fast... Hold on... What...'' The sight of Alexander standing tall after being injured like that was something he didn''t think possible.


    "There you are," Alexander uttered with a rasped throat, his eyes wide with rage.


    Alexander Rael''s skin was charred from head to toe, scraps of his clothing drifted in the wind. His hair was burned off completely, and his face was scarred with a deep red burn that traveled down his neck and burned most of his chest. His skin was still slightly lit purple along the burnt parts of his skin, but his veins pulsed green. Even though he looked like a corpse, he still walked forward. ''This... This shouldn''t be possible...'' Jack was frozen in fear, even Arthur felt a little afraid. Alexander raised his hand weakly into the air, and his greatsword appeared.


    "Jack!" Alexander roared.


    ''Shit?!'' Arthur conjured his spear with the last of his ether. Alexander charged forward and swung his blade. Arthur got in front of Jack, and blocked the strike with his spear. ''Rgh!'' The force was as unreal as he remembered, but with the weighty greatsword, this time it was far harder to block. Arthur''s feet dragged against the dirt, he grit his teeth, grunting as he put his shoulder against the spear. Alexander let go of his blade as he fell to the ground, he could barely stay up on all fours. Arthur looked down at him with wide eyes.


    "Arthur... You fool, that boy... Kill him... Kill Jack... Or he''ll kill... All of us," Alexander uttered as he struggled to keep his head up.


    ''What...'' The noble fell face-first into the dirt. Arthur knelt next to Alexander and put his finger on his neck. ''Is he delirious?'' A faint pulse lingered.


    "He''s still alive... Why did he say that just now... No, there''s no time for that," Arthur turned to Jack. "You... I know what you did, don''t bother trying to hide it. Where is the body?"


    Jack froze. "H-how do you-"


    "Shut up and tell me if you want to live! The other angels will be here soon, hurry up and tell me!" Arthur shouted impatiently.


    "H-He''s in the cellar... A-at my house... My friend... Carol she..." Jack stuttered.


    "Show me," Arthur ordered.


    Jack stood up, shaking in fear as his eyes were glued to the young noble. The slave inched back, continuing to look at the noble from head to toe. Arthur let go of his spear, it faded into red dust. ''I am really out of ether now... Hopefully nothing else happens...'' He looked up at Jack, who was still shaking in fear.


    "I''m not going to kill you now, please hurry up, you''re embarrassing yourself," Arthur shook his head.


    Jack continued to glance back at Carol''s body as they walked away. Arthur looked back at the body on the ground, her smile was strangely haunting. ''Shit... These two really tried to kill Alexander... They almost did it too...'' Arthur glanced back at the noble of House Rael laying flat on the ground. ''I think...''


    "That girl... Was she your friend?" Arthur asked.


    "Yeah..." Jack''s voice cracked.


    Arthur observed the damages on the houses, making sure the green flames weren''t spreading anymore. ''Balakin''s roar managed to extinguish those as well... They''ll need repairs though...'' The two of them reached the wooden house labelled ''03''. Jack led Arthur to the alleyway between the houses, and around the side to the cellar. He opened the cellar doors and walked in, however Arthur was met with a damp scent of mold he wasn''t used to. ''Ugh... They live in a place like this? How are they not sick...'' It could barely even be called a cellar, it was more like a hole under the house.


    "The moment the first purple explosion happened, I saw you and the girl dragging a body through the fields from the mountain, and you left tracks back at that thing in the woods," Arthur explained.


    Jack lifted some jackets and a cloth, revealing the unconscious man. Arthur tilted his head as he crouched next to him. He was just as big as Alexander, and almost just as muscular. ''What in the world...'' The veins on his body had a faint purple glow to them, however, Arthur couldn''t take his eyes off the horrible wounds on him. ''What happened to this guy... Was this done during the crash? It looks more like someone tried to kill him...''


    "The crystals, where did those come from?" Arthur asked.


    "They came out of his blood... But his wounds closed while we dragged him here..." Jack explained.


    "While you dragged him here? There was blood all over the place back in the forest with crystals sprouting out of them, how bad was the wound?" Arthur asked.


    "I don''t know how he''s alive... We could see right through him earlier. What are you going to do with him, is he an angel?" Jack asked with a nervous tone.


    ''Definitely... Not... I think? He looks just like us... Except for his monstrous height... No one other than Alexander is this huge... And how is he even alive...'' Arthur put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment. "Did anyone else see him?"


    "No..."


    "If those crystals are that powerful, and they are coming out of his blood, he has a gift from the Celestial and a powerful one at that. It''s good you got him here without being seen," said Arthur.


    "What? What do you mean that''s good?" Jack tilted his head.


    "You''re going to help me, and you don''t have a choice in the matter..." Arthur suddenly declared. "You''re going to keep this guy here, and make sure no one finds out he exists. No one. Not even other slaves."


    "Huh..."


    "I''m sorry, this all must be very sudden... I don''t have time to explain why I am doing this, but just know... I am on your side..." Arthur turned toward the exit of the cellar.


    "What? Wait... You''re working against your own?! Do you know who- Or what he is?" Jack asked.


    "No, but it''s for the best if he''s out of the angel''s hands... More importantly... I was never here, you never threw the crystal at Alexander, I saved you from the explosion, and no one ever finds out about him." Arthur pointed at the body. "I assume you did what you did to see these corrupt bastards fall. That''s what I want as well. Go back to your usual life for now... And maybe... Just maybe we can change this twisted world... I''ll come back and check up on him once in a while, you check on him daily, if he wakes up, I''m the first person you tell! Now go... I don''t want you here when the other nobles show up..."


    Arthur climbed out of the cellar, leaving the slave named Jack alone in the cellar. ''Is this wise... Can I really trust this kid...'' He walked back to the street, and turned left. As he approached the gruesome scene from earlier, he saw the corpse and the noble on the ground. ''Chances are... Alexander will just get patched up, then come back to Logos and kill him... Then when they search the house they''ll find the body... If I try to take him to Helios... I don''t have a safe place to keep the body... And... I don''t know what this guy is going to do when he wakes up... Unless...'' Arthur looked down at Alexander on the ground. ''Unless... I was Warden of Logos... Then Alexander can''t do anything...'' Arthur reached into his pocket, and pulled out the glass device with a sphere of gold embedded into it.


    "Lawrence..." said Arthur.


    "I''m alone right now, what happened..." Lawrence''s voice came through the device.


    "A lot... I''ll tell you when I get back... But I need your help with something right now..."


    "What?"


    "I''m going to take the position of Warden from Alexander... I need your help getting the Lightbringers to agree..."

 Act 1 - Chapter 2

    Chapter 12: Yami; Shauran 10th, 344SR; 07:40


    A faint light was cast over the green grass, its subtle luminescence was once bright to him, but now something felt wrong. It lacked the warmth and lustrousness of sunlight. ¡®Is it almost night time? We should get back to the hotel soon¡­ We¡­¡¯ Yami stopped as he looked up. The pale blue sky almost looked close enough to touch. He reached for it, but squinted when he saw how tiny his hand was. A giant white circle in the ceiling casted a gentle light over the area, despite how close it was. Yami stared at what he believed to be the sun for several seconds, while confused at its lack of warmth. He turned around, and looked up at the house he remembered so well.


    From where he stood, he could only see the front, and the left side of the house painted white. The side was covered in shade, with just a small bench and a hose winded around a metal rod stuck in the wall. The front had a small porch two steps above the ground, a door directly in front of the stairs. To the left and the right of the entrance were windows for the kitchen and living room. Pillars on the porch supported a small overhang about one story over the ground. ¡®Before I got my gift¡­ I used to climb out my room window and try to get on the roof¡­ Mom always yelled at me for it¡­ Now that I have Azure I-¡¯ A squawk drew Yami¡¯s attention to the nearest corner of the roof, it was Azure.


    The blue raven looked down at Yami, then angrily squawked again. Even though he couldn¡¯t understand his spirit, he could feel its disappointment. ¡®I wish I was as talented as Zeus¡­ He was able to understand Yycan so easily, in just a few weeks of being blessed too¡­¡¯ Azure lowered his head, and preened the feathers on his wings. The raven shook its head, fluttered its wings, then flew off the roof and toward the forest. ¡®Wait¡­¡¯ Yami reached forward, but his fingers curled in as he sighed. Suddenly, he felt someone grasp his other hand.


    ¡°Yami! Hey, we need your help! We can¡¯t catch that little rascal!¡± said Nova.


    ¡°Huh- Rascal?¡± Yami squinted, but his eyes widened as he saw eight tails spread off her shoulder.


    Nova¡¯s Celestial gift, the red fox named Loomy noticed his gaze, then peered back at him. The fox tilted its head. ¡®Nova is amazing too¡­ I can¡¯t even get Azure to stay around without him getting sick of me¡­ Yet Loomy is always perched on her shoulder¡­¡¯ Nova turned, causing Loomy to stretch its head all the way around to keep staring at Yami. Nova was just a couple of inches shorter than Yami, her short red hair bounced as she pointed off in the distance toward their younger brother. Zeus scratched his messy black hair in confusion as he turned around frantically.


    ¡°Eos! We can¡¯t catch him! It¡¯s gotta be you!¡± Nova suggested.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Yami reared his head back.


    ¡°Eos is way too fast with his new gift! But with Azure, you also go really fast!¡± Nova clenched her tiny fists with a determined look. ¡°You have the best shot!¡±


    ¡°Hey! Idiots! Hurry up and help! He¡¯s making a fool out of us!¡± Zeus shouted angrily.


    ¡°Stop swearing!¡±


    ¡°Huh?! Don¡¯t tell me what to do!¡±


    As Nova and Zeus bickered, Loomy continued to gaze at Yami. ¡®Even Eos is outdoing me¡­ It¡¯s no wonder mom likes them more than me¡­ I can¡¯t do any-¡¯ Someone¡¯s hand hit his back, but he felt no pain. He looked up to see Eos zoom by quickly. He smacked Nova¡¯s head and then Zeus¡¯s as well. The two of them flinched, but then looked equally upset.


    ¡°That little-¡± Nova seethed.


    ¡°Eos when I get my hands on you!¡± Zeus seethed.


    ¡°Haha! Hahaha!¡± Eos laughed like a maniac as he ran off behind the house, each stride of his step carried him several meters.


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Yami grinned.


    The arrogant confidence of his youngest brother made him envious. ¡®Azure! I need you!¡¯ Yami looked around, but Azure didn¡¯t show up. ¡®Azure! I can¡¯t keep up with him, and¡­ And¡­¡¯ Yami¡¯s gaze lowered to the grass, the light in the room became dimmer. ¡®Who am I kidding¡­ Even with Azure¡­ I can¡¯t do it¡­¡¯ He felt like going back inside and crawling into bed, until someone¡¯s hand pressed into his back, and nudged him forward.


    ¡°Come on! Stop staring off into space you dud!¡± Zeus shoved him again. ¡°If you aren¡¯t going to chase him yourself, we need a plan!¡±


    ¡°Yeah! Let¡¯s make a plan!¡± Nova stressed, her eyes locked on Yami.


    The two of them didn¡¯t say anything, they just stared at Yami, awaiting what he would say. ¡°Why are you two looking at me¡­ You¡¯re the ones who can actually use your spirits¡­ You¡¯re the amazing ones¡­¡±


    ¡°Because¡­ You¡¯re the oldest?¡± Zeus shook his head, as if this should have been obvious. ¡°You think I''d take orders from Nova? It¡¯s you or I''m on my own, and I can¡¯t catch him on my own!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help make the plan, but they only really work well if you help, Zeus is too dumb to follow my plan, he¡¯ll ruin it¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because your plans are lame and girly!¡±


    ¡°Huh?! What was that second reason for?!¡±


    Yami watched the two of them continue their endless conflict, and a slight smile spread on his face. ¡®I guess¡­ These two suck at working together, they need me as the leader¡­¡¯ Yami smiled, he felt like he was good for something. ¡®And maybe¡­ With all three of us working together, we can do it, we can-¡¯ Azure flew into Yami¡¯s back, he didn¡¯t expect it at all. Two bright blue wings sprouted off his back. ¡®Azure¡­ You¡­ Heh, maybe I am just overthinking things¡­¡¯ The light started to glow, a warm orange hue embraced him.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this! Operation catch the golden rabbit!¡± Yami grinned as he playfully named his plan.


    ¡°An operation! Cool!¡± Zeus¡¯s eyes glowed in excitement.


    ¡°First, I''ll distract Eos!¡± said Yami.


    Nova and Zeus looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.


    ¡°Then, Nova¡­ Loomy can make those red flowers¡­ Cover the whole field in them! And Zeus will hide in them!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Zeus laughed.


    ¡°Awa,¡± Loomy seemed to agree.


    ¡°Haha, and then! Zeus, me and Nova will lead him to you, and you¡¯ll use Yycan to wrap him up or hold him down! Then he won¡¯t¡­.¡± Yami¡¯s smile faded as he remembered something. ¡°Wait¡­ Eos isn¡¯t missing? When did he come back?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Nova tilted her head.


    ¡°I mean, Eos was missing right? And so was mom?¡± Yami explained.


    ¡°When did that happen?¡± Zeus reared his head back.


    ¡°Mom is right over there¡­¡± Nova pointed to the house.


    Yami turned, then froze as he saw her. The children¡¯s mother sat on the bench on the left side of the house, shrouded in the shade. Her eyes were shrouded in darkness, from that distance, he couldn¡¯t tell if they were open or closed. The moment Yami saw her, he felt fear freeze his feet to the floor. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t take his eyes off of her, he couldn¡¯t move, he couldn¡¯t even speak. ¡®Why- Why am I so afraid¡­¡¯ Her eyes suddenly glowed red, and the shade around her spread out. The shadow was followed by a pitch black darkness. It engulfed his mother, and then came for him and his siblings.


    * * *


    ¡°Ha!¡± Yami suddenly gasped.


    He blinked at the ceiling, his back was covered in sweat, he looked at his hands as he grasped his quilt. His hands were no longer small, his knuckles pushed against his skin as different bones in his hand flexed. Yami pushed himself up, and immediately felt an uncomfortable chill over his back. The warm orange light came through the window and hit his eye, its warmth was soothing. The sun was rising over the city, it was just a tiny ball floating through the sky. Yami briefly remembered what he believed was the sun during his childhood, he still wasn¡¯t used to this new life. ¡®That dream again¡­¡¯ Yami leaned back and fell onto the soft bed still damp with sweat. He glanced back to the window at the side of his bed, the sky was nothing like what he remembered as well. It was all a soft blue, lacking any rigidness or darker parts which had a different hue, it would even change color throughout the day. To the left on the nightstand, a small clock¡¯s shorter hand pointed to the number eight.


    ¡°Shoot¡­ I slept in¡­¡± Yami muttered as he slowly rose.


    Yami pulled himself out of bed, his feet touched the cold floor, his toes curled in. ¡®Temperature is going down too¡­ It¡¯s been over a year since we left mom¡¯s house¡­¡¯ Yami looked at his hands as he stared at the ground. He clenched his fists, flexing the muscles in his forearms. ¡®I¡¯ve gotten a lot stronger, Zeus and Nova have too¡­ I wish we could show Eos¡­ Or mom¡­ I hope they¡¯re okay¡­ It feels like an eternity has gone by without them¡­¡¯ Yami continued to stare at the light brown wooden floor, but heard someone coming from downstairs. They hurried up the steps, sliding to a stop at the door and holding the frame as he leaned into the room.


    ¡°Yo, they made bacon for breakfast!¡± Zeus announced excitedly, he had a wide smile on his face.


    Yami briefly remembered how Zeus looked in his dream, his voice was much higher, and he was less than half as tall as he was now. His dense black hair was slicked back, but his bangs still covered the sides of his face. Zeus wore an unbuttoned white shirt, a black shirt and pants, and white socks. Zeus was slim, standing at just under six feet. There was a light blue sash wrapped around his waist, on the top half was a straight line, on the other was two wavy lines overlapping. ¡®That¡¯s all we have left from mom¡­¡¯


    ¡°Yeah, I''ll be there in a second¡­¡± Yami replied.


    ¡°Hm,¡± Zeus continued to stare at Yami. ¡°You slept in again, and where''s your shirt?¡±


    ¡°I just woke up¡­ And I sleep with my shirt off¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± said Zeus.


    ¡°You still throw yours in a fight¡­ You even did that when you were a kid. You''re the weird one,¡± Yami laughed.


    ¡°No, there¡¯s a difference, I was using my brain.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yami tilted his head.


    ¡°Yeah, I had no weapon, and my shirt was useless to me. So I made it my weapon!¡± Zeus grinned.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ Just don¡¯t do that during training though¡­ The others laugh at you¡­¡±


    Yami tilted his head further, then just stood up and walked toward his drawer. He pulled out a large white shirt and put it on. Zeus turned around and waited outside as Yami brought out a pair of pants to change into. He stopped for a moment as he looked at the size of his clothes, they were far bigger than what he was wearing in his dream. However, they fit perfectly. He looked into the mirror and pulled his messy blue hair back. Everytime he looked at his reflection, he¡¯d wonder when his jaw line became so rigid, when his muscles became so much bigger, when he got so much taller.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if they laugh, I''m stronger and better than all of them¡­ But you know, if you sleep with your shirt on, it¡¯s warmer,¡± said Zeus, his tone making it sound like this was not obvious.


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I take it off¡­ I can barely sleep in the heat¡­¡± Yami snickered as he buttoned up his shirt.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zeus tilted his head.


    Before he left the room, Yami stopped and looked down at a pale green sash hanging on the door knob. It had a similar pattern to the one Zeus wore. ¡®Can¡¯t forget that.¡¯ Yami grabbed the sash as walked out of the room and closed his door, tying it around his forehead as Zeus followed him. The hallway of the hotel had a red carpet floor, the walls were a shiny dark brown. A window at both ends of the hallway illuminated the space. Light reflected off the dull gold edges of the furniture and pictures. Zeus and Yami started down the steps, walking past a sign that read ¡®No animals or pets¡¯. It had a red circle on it, surrounding the black silhouette of a dog.


    ¡°You and Nova are weird, always saying it''s too hot in the room,¡± Zeus sighed, walking down the steps with his hands behind his head.


    ¡°It is two people versus one when it comes to this¡­ But, you do you¡­ Not like it¡¯s anyone else¡¯s problem¡­¡± Yami shrugged.


    ¡°Yeah, but I am a genius, so I''m right.¡±


    They reached the bottom of the stairs, and entered the lobby. Yami pushed open the doors to the hotel''s cafeteria. The wide open space was full of tables. Some of them were occupied, but the ones that weren¡¯t had nothing on it. All except for one empty table was already set with gold plates and cutlery. It was closest to the kitchen where the hotel staff served food. Zeus smiled as he smelled the aroma of bacon sizzling in the kitchens. Yami was always curious about the different faces he¡¯d see, he wasn¡¯t used to seeing so many different people.


    ¡°Nova is significantly smarter than you, then both of us really¡­¡± Yami laughed under his breath, still observing the different people in the dining area.


    ¡°No?!¡± Zeus scoffed. ¡°You think Nova is smarter than me?¡±


    ¡°Everyone is smarter than you Zeus,¡± a familiar voice came from the right.


    Yami and Zeus both looked down to see Nova reading a large red book, seated on a small bench by the entrance to the dining area. Their sister was hunched over with one hand on her knee and the book in her lap. She was dressed in her usual blue robe, wearing a white dress shirt and black pants underneath. On her head was a light red sash, almost pink. Just like Yami and Zeus, the sash she received also had the same pattern.


    ¡°Advanced Properties of Magic?¡± Yami read. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it a blue book last week?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was the Intermediate Properties of Magic, I finished that one,¡± Nova said as she turned a page.


    ¡°Oh no, book talk¡­¡± Zeus grumbled, but then turned to the hotel staff and hurried over to grab a plate.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t your class¡­ Still on the green coloured book? The one for basics?¡± Yami tilted his head.


    ¡°They read so slow, so our instructor also goes slow¡­¡±


    ¡°Or¡­ You know¡­ It¡¯s tough to learn¡­¡± Yami blinked repeatedly.


    ¡°If they think that''s bad, the math in the second book is going to take them a really long time¡­ I don¡¯t wanna wait,¡± Nova set the book down and yawned, she stretched her arms into the air and walked toward the table set for them. ¡°How is military training¡­ Seems like a lot of work¡­¡±


    ¡°Honestly, it''s not that bad¡­ Me and Zeus are advancing quickly in our own right,¡± Yami pulled out a chair and took a seat.


    ¡°Damn right,¡± Zeus set his plate of bacon on the table. ¡°We''re way tougher than the others, we¡¯ll be chosen for noble houses in no time.¡±


    ¡°If you keep calling everyone idiots, they might not let you join a house¡­¡± Yami mentioned as Zeus sat down


    ¡°Why though? It¡¯s true¡­¡± Zeus raised an eyebrow.


    Nova and Yami squinted, then looked up at Zeus with a raised eyebrow. Yami glanced at Nova across the table, but she looked just as dumb founded. Zeus picked up a piece of bacon with his hand and ate half of it in a single bite. The brittle meat crunched in his mouth as he chewed with his mouth open. He stopped chewing when he noticed Yami and Nova staring at him with disbelief.


    ¡°Why are you two looking at me like that?¡± Zeus mumbled as he kept chewing.


    ¡°Zeus, you are the definition of irony¡­¡± said Nova.


    Zeus swallowed his food with a look of confusion. ¡°What does that word mean?¡±


    Nova sighed as she shook her head. She set the book down and raised her palms away as she stood up. The chair creaked as it dragged over the wooden floor. She took off her coat and put it on the chair.


    ¡°If I keep talking to you, I might become just as dumb¡­¡± Nova sighed as she walked towards the kitchen.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work, because you already are dumber than me?¡± Zeus replied as she walked away.


    Nova stopped, looked down, blinked repeatedly for a moment, then continued forward. Zeus squinted at her behavior, before looking at Yami as if he should understand. ¡®Sometimes I wonder if this is some running joke he¡¯s kept going on since we were kids¡­ Or if he is genuinely serious¡­ It¡¯s getting harder to tell¡­¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s with her?¡± Zeus picked up another strip of bacon.


    ¡°Not sure,¡± Yami raised his eyebrows as he smiled awkwardly. ¡°I''m gonna go get a plate¡­¡±


    Yami stood up and turned. The room was slowly filled by the waking hotel attendants. They had to get their plates and utensils from the side of the room before they sat down. Most of the attendants were adults or elderly folk, Yami didn¡¯t ever see many kids or teenagers when it was time to dine. He walked between the white tables and stood behind Nova at the line.


    ¡°Sometimes I think he¡¯s serious when he says that¡­¡± said Yami.


    ¡°No, no he is definitely serious¡­¡± Nova nodded. ¡°We should ask one of those doctors to check him out¡­¡±


    ¡°Sure they solve a lot of problems people have, but I''m not sure if they can even do anything about him¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right¡­ He has a different kind of sickness¡­¡± Nova looked at Zeus. ¡°I heard this one girl in my class has it, her name is Dina¡­ It¡¯s called narcissism¡­ Apparently it makes you obsessed with yourself, and how important you are¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ Not sure about that, is that really a sickness?¡±


    Yami and Nova picked up plates and looked back to the table as they waited in line. Zeus happily munched on a large spoonful of eggs and bacon but then he looked around to see if anyone was watching him. He put his arm on the table, and a white strand of goo came out of his sleeve. ¡®Uh¡­¡¯ The strand stretched into the head of a wolf, it was Yycan. The spirit bit down on a piece of bacon, and then retreated back into Zeus¡¯s sleeve with it. Zeus continued to look around, then noticed Yami and Nova staring right at him, he shook his head with his mouthful.


    ¡°If he¡¯s going to break the hotel rules, he might as well do it in a less obvious way¡­¡± Nova groaned. ¡°Dumbo¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­ With how much he cares about Yycan, I find it hard to think he¡¯s obsessed with just himself¡­¡± Yami smiled


    ¡°Well, since he shares his body with Yycan¡­ It kinda still fits¡­¡±


    Yami and Nova turned toward the server, and noticed her expression. The woman¡¯s eyebrow twitched as she had noticed Zeus too. The staff all wore the same black shirt and pants, and a white apron on top. The five staff members each stood behind trays of savory scented foods. Nova and Yami picked up warm white plates as they awkwardly stared at the server¡¯s slightly annoyed smile.


    ¡°Uh, sorry about him¡­¡± Yami sheepishly nodded.


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Alright¡­ For now I think¡­¡± the server awkwardly smiled.


    ¡°Good morning to you, Yami, Nova,¡± the head chef walked out of the kitchen to greet them. ¡°Please, take as much as you¡¯d like, you need to eat to get big and strong!¡±


    ¡°Thanks Regi,¡± Yami smiled.


    He had white hair combed back, and a light amount of scruff on his face. There was a pin secured to his chest with the name Reginald Loyar written in white. Nova walked in front of the first tray, where bright yellow scrambled eggs were served. The woman behind the counter scooped a big helping of eggs up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want any egg¡­ Thanks¡­¡± Nova declined.


    ¡°But, you possess a spirit from the Celestial¡­ You need to eat a lot¡­¡± the chef advised.


    She tried to put the eggs on her plate, but Nova pulled it back. The chef frowned and simply nodded awkwardly, then turned to Yami. ¡®She has a point¡­ But both Nova and Loomy really hate eggs¡­¡¯ Yami put his plate forward, and the server dropped the large serving of protein. He blinked at the pile of eggs. ¡®When it was in the spoon it didn¡¯t look like that much¡­ But that¡¯s a ton¡­¡¯


    ¡°Would you like more?¡± the chef asked, scooping another spoon before Yami could even answer.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s¡­ Already a lot, thank you though,¡± Yami smiled as he walked past her.


    ¡°You still having that dream¡­¡± Nova asked curiously.


    Another guest in line behind Yami took a step. Nova looked at Yami with wide eyes, she seemed eager to know. He remembered how afraid he felt when he saw his mother. Nova¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as she noticed Yami¡¯s expression.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Yami replied. ¡°It¡¯s just a dream though, so I don¡¯t really want to think about it¡­¡±


    ¡°Did the same thing happen?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Everytime I see mom¡­¡± Yami spoke under his breath, he swallowed his spit as he remembered what he saw. ¡°She looks really scary¡­¡±


    Nova looked down, she pursed her lips. ¡°There was something else I heard from the people in my class¡­ Dreams are like reflections of our mind, and what we¡¯re feeling¡­¡± Nova suddenly mentioned.


    ¡°What?¡± Yami raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Like-¡±


    ¡°Can¡­ Can I get some more eggs?¡± the man asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡± the server froze as she looked at the man.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Yami and Nova both turned. The man held his plate with both hands, he looked rather old. His gaze was sternly locked on the hotel attendant. Yami looked at his plate, then squinted. He had barely even received a quarter of what Yami was served.


    ¡°Can I have some more eggs?¡± the man asked with a haughty tone.


    ¡°Oh¡­ Uh¡­ Yes, yes you may have more,¡± the chef replied.


    ¡°Why did I have to ask, and they didn¡¯t¡­ You just gave it to them¡­ That¡¯s disrespectful don¡¯t you think¡­¡± the man asked with narrow eyes.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry sir, I should¡¯ve offered-¡±


    ¡°I paid for this hotel just like they did, so I want the same service¡­ Is that so hard to understand?¡± the old man continued forward as he shook his head.


    Yami kept walking, he stood in front of the chef serving bacon, who was also looking at the old man who was in line behind Yami. The chef picked up four strips of bacon and put it on Yami¡¯s plate. He turned to Nova, making an awkward face as he raised his eyebrows. He turned back and looked at the server. He picked up two strips of bacon, but placing it down he looked at the old man. His face was already tense, his nose twitching as he waited for him to pick up more. The head chef came out of the kitchen, then quickly walked over and put his hand on the server''s shoulder. He whispered something into his ear, before taking the tongs away. The head chef picked up a single piece of bacon, placed it on his plate, then smiled right at him.


    The old man shook his head with an infuriated look. ¡°I¡¯ve worked in Helios my whole life, just to get disrespected like this, everyday! Is that what this hotel wants, they just want their patrons to starve to death?! Give me more! I¡¯m hungry!¡±


    ¡°Sir, everyone needs to eat. Now stop being selfish, and accept what you paid for,¡± the chef seethed.


    ¡°Heh¡­ Shoulda known better to stay at a residence owned by the Lightbringers!¡±


    The old man scoffed, dropped his plate, and then walked out of the dining area. Nova and Yami stood at the end of the line awkwardly as a server nervously put toast on their plate. Loomy poked his head out of Nova¡¯s long hair, making sure to stay out of sight of the hotel staff. The curious red fox looked intrigued by the man¡¯s anger, but Nova pushed his snout back under her long hair.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Nova whispered as she watched the old man slam the doors on his way out.


    ¡°Not sure¡­¡± Yami shrugged. ¡°What were you saying earlier?¡±


    The two went back to the table, Zeus had already left his first plate spotless and was back in line. Yami pulled the chair out and sat down, he looked at the clock quickly. ¡®Training starts in thirty minutes¡­¡¯ He poked his fork into the yellow scrambled eggs, lifted up a stack of it, then ate it all in one bite. The savory salt danced on his tongue as the soft eggs melted in his mouth, the pepper gave it a mild spice. Azure quickly poked his head out and looked at the plate of food. The blue raven picked up several chunks of eggs, ate them, then retreated. ¡®Hey!¡¯ Yami looked around, but no one seemed to see Azure. Nova lowered a spoon of red jam under the table as she stared blankly at her plate. Loomy quickly grasped the spoon with one tail, and started licking the jam.


    ¡°Not trying to sound sappy or anything, but, maybe you just have that dream because you miss mom and Eos¡­¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± said Yami. ¡°There¡¯s not a day that goes by that I don¡¯t¡­¡±


    Nova frowned. ¡°I get what you mean, but¡­ Me and Zeus also miss them¡­ But we don¡¯t have that dream¡­ Maybe those girls in my class are wrong¡­¡±


    Yami lowered his fork. ¡°Every time I have it¡­ Mom¡¯s face is always¡­ It makes me scared¡­¡±


    Nova¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Strange¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Yami uttered quietly. ¡°The sooner we join noble houses, we might be able to find her¡­¡±


    ¡°I know but¡­ That might be years from now¡­ I am way ahead of my class, but I can¡¯t graduate until I finish each subject¡¯s tests¡­ I tried to ask if I could just do it without waiting, but they won¡¯t¡­¡± Nova explained.


    ¡°It¡¯s the only way I can really think of¡­ If we become nobles, everyone will know our names¡­ Eos and mom are bound to hear about us eventually¡­ If that doesn¡¯t work, I won¡¯t stop at just the noble houses¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll work until I''m a noble, or even the king himself,¡± Yami declared. ¡°I¡¯ll turn the whole city upside down to find them.¡±


    ¡°The king?¡± Nova¡¯s eyes widened, she looked down for a moment. ¡°I think that¡¯s a bit overboard, but I can see you doing it.¡±


    ¡°You mean it?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, mom said it herself, we can become anything we set our minds to,¡± Nova smiled.


    ¡°Thanks Nova,¡± Yami took another bite of food. ¡°What about you? You got a plan for your future?


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nova looked down, her face turned a little red. ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Yami listened as he chewed.


    Zeus pulled his chair back and took a seat, setting his food on the table. His plate was once again filled to the brim with protein. Nova shifted in her seat as she continued to withhold her answer. Yami tilted his head at her odd giddiness. Nova smiled with pursed lips, and rocked back and forth in her seat.


    ¡°This sucks, they¡¯re out of bacon,¡± Zeus sat down at the table with another full plate of bacon and eggs.


    ¡°I wonder why¡­¡± Yami rolled his eyes.


    ¡°What is she staring into space for?¡± Zeus nodded toward Nova.


    ¡°Oh, I was asking her if she had any goals?¡±


    ¡°Goal? Why is she thinking so hard then?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as grand as Yami¡¯s, but¡­ I really like learning about magic¡­ And, I heard the noble of House Lightbringer is an extremely skilled mage¡­¡± Nova explained.


    ¡°So you want to be a noble too?¡± said Yami.


    ¡°Obviously¡­¡± Zeus put another slab of pork in his mouth.


    ¡°Not¡­ Exactly¡­¡± Nova squinted as she tried to explain. ¡°All the other girls in class are obsessed over him¡­ Arid Lightbringer.¡±


    Zeus looked up, he immediately stopped chewing.


    ¡°And here I thought it was going to be something cool¡­ You just like the guy¡­¡± Zeus sighed.


    ¡°Like?! No, I want to learn magic from him, you dunce!¡± Nova snapped. ¡°Magic isn¡¯t all about being strong! It changes a lot depending on who the mage is, so it¡¯s really interesting to see other magic types. And I heard¡­ I heard he can do some of the highest forms of magic!¡±


    ¡°Then say you want to surpass him then¡­¡± Zeus shook his head. ¡°And you¡¯re an idiot¡­ Not me.¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Nova shook her head. ¡°You¡¯re hopeless¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Yami cracked a smile. ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    Nova and Zeus looked to their older brother as he chuckled happily with a mouth full of food. Yami covered his mouth, he tried to chew his food as he giggled. Zeus squinted as he bit another piece of bacon. Nova frowned with flushed cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh, I''m serious!¡± Nova groaned.


    ¡°No, no¡­ It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Yami waved his hand as he swallowed another bite of food. ¡°You two are just hilarious together¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Nova slammed her hands on the table.


    ¡°Hm?!¡± Zeus turned with a mouthful of food.


    Zeus gagged for a moment, then raised one finger on his right hand. He hit his chest with his left hand.


    ¡°What¡¯s hilarious¡­¡± Zeus swallowed the rest. ¡°Are both of you forgetting the first goal we made¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Yami turned with a confused face.


    ¡°After the king said we¡¯d be the strongest in Helios¡­¡± Zeus shook his head, surprised that they had forgotten. ¡°We decided¡­ We won¡¯t just stop at being the strongest angels! We¡¯ll be the strongest in the entire world!¡±


    Nova and Yami looked up as Zeus stood with a wide grin.


    ¡°Zeus¡­¡± Nova shook her head as she took the last bite of food and stood. ¡°Were you even listening to what we said? Ugh¡­ You are the last person that should call others idiots¡­ I gotta go, class is starting soon.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Zeus scoffed. ¡°Why should I wait to say it last?!¡±


    ¡°We have to get going Zeus, finish up,¡± Yami stood up as he took his last bite. ¡°Training starts soon¡­¡±


    * * *


    ¡°Hah!¡± the angel jumped and slammed his wooden staff down.


    Yami raised his own staff, clashing with the other student he was sparring against. The sound joined the other wooden clatters across the room. Yami held his ground as another spearman in training sparred with him. Yami stepped forward, pushing the other student back slowly as he held his ground. He picked up speed, and started sprinting forward. His opponent stumbled backward, but quickly lost his footing as Yami shoved him off.


    ¡°Huh- Woah!¡± the other spearman in training panicked as he lost his balance.


    Yami quickly stepped forward and grabbed his collar to stop his fall. ¡°You alright, Arlin?¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Arlin gulped as he looked at Yami.


    Arlin was two years older than Yami, a foot taller and a bit bulkier. He had a light skin tone, brown hair, and green eyes and a very round nose. His hair was cut short on the sides but the top was left a bit longer, emphasizing the length of his face. Yami knew he was from upper Helios from prior conversations, but the pride he carried with that barely showed itself anymore after so many losses. As his opponent hung above the ground, he grit his teeth, catching Yami off guard.


    Arlin suddenly raised his staff and pressed it under Yami¡¯s arm, then quickly shifted his grip and pushed it so that it pressed from above. The staff and Arlin¡¯s arm caught Yami¡¯s arm like a blunt pair of scissors. ¡®Huh-¡¯ Arlin put one foot back to balance himself, then turned the staff quickly to strike him in the head. Yami saw the edge coming, reflexively pulling his head back, and just barely dodging as his arm was freed from the lock. But as he dodged, Arlin quickly stepped toward him to stay in range, then turned the staff like before and caught Yami¡¯s arm again. ¡®What!¡¯ This time, Arlin turned and pulled Yami over his shoulder. Yami was stunned as his feet left the floor and he was flipped over. ¡®Woah!¡¯ He quickly grasped Arlin¡¯s shirt to hold on, but let go as he lost his grip and his back hit the floor.


    ¡°Ack!¡± Yami gasped, his whole body rattled from the impact.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡±, ¡°Arlin took down Yami!¡±, ¡°That was loud!¡± The other trainees stopped and watched in awe as two of the best in the class sparred.


    ¡°If you lose, I''m gonna kick your ass!¡± Zeus shouted angrily.


    ¡®Grh!¡¯ Yami quickly grasped his staff with both hands. Arlin raised his weapon, aimed it downward, then thrusted. Yami deflected it, then pushed the spear against the front of Arlin¡¯s knees, forcing Arlin to pull the spear back. Yami took the opportunity to press the tip of his spear against the ground as he planted his feet. ¡®Ah!¡¯ Yami put his strength into his left arm, using the spear to push himself up as he kicked off the ground. He jumped to his feet as Arlin slammed the staff down where he had fallen. Desperate to win, Arlin turned and continued his pursuit, stabbing forward with his staff. Yami grasped his own wooden staff with both hands, then quickly twisted it upward, striking Arlin¡¯s staff upward and catching him off guard.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Arlin cursed behind grit teeth.


    With the momentum, Yami spun his staff around quickly with both hands. The crowd of young men around them cheered at the intense back and forth. Zeus grinned as Yami stepped toward Arlin and entered his range. Arlin raised his staff to block. Yami pivoted a step back as he twirled the staff, then held it firm as he took a stance. ¡®Rah!¡¯ Yami lunged forward, jabbing the wooden staff into Arlin¡¯s guard at the same time. The crowd gasped as the wood snapped, chips and bits of the training staff hit the ground. Arlin moved his head to the left, just barely dodging the heavy thrust. Yami pulled the spear back, then stepped forward and pointed the end at Arlin¡¯s face.


    ¡°Ah-¡± Arlin gasped, his eyes widened as he felt the tip of the wooden staff lightly poke his chin.


    Yami huffed with grit teeth. He swallowed his spit, his throat felt parched. Yami pulled the staff back, blinking as sweat dripped down his head. The crowd was fixated on the broken spear on the ground, one of them lifted a half up and presented it to the others with an expression of shock. The silent room suddenly erupted into a storm of cheers. Arlin shook his head as he blinked repeatedly, still taking in his defeat.


    ¡°What was that!¡±, ¡°He smashed through the spear?! What is he!¡± the crowd of trainees roared.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Arlin sighed. ¡°I hate sparring with you¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Sorry-¡±


    ¡°No, no, don''t apologize¡­ I appreciate the opportunity¡­ You''re strong man¡­ Seriously, how are you this strong¡­ What do you eat?¡±


    ¡°A lot of eggs?¡± Yami answered with a raised brow.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Arlin huffed. ¡°It¡¯s not even just you¡­Your brother is strong too¡­ Seriously, whose genes do you guys have¡­¡±


    ¡°Jeans?¡± Yami tilted his head.


    ¡°I think I prefer sparring with you over him though¡­ That guy doesn¡¯t even use his spear properly¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Zeus is really competitive, and likes to do his own thing¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s a mad man!¡± Arlin scoffed. ¡°How in the name of Grelt do you live with that guy¡­¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not that bad at home¡­ Usually complains about being bored and just wants to go out all the time though¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you¡­ At all¡­¡± Arlin laughed as he stood up. ¡°At this rate you two are bound to be recruited by noble houses¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, that thing you did there¡­ Where you locked my arm and threw me¡­ That was cool¡­¡± Yami nodded as he offered his hand. ¡°I wasn¡¯t expecting that¡­ Can you teach me that?¡±


    ¡°Ah that? Yeah it was a grapple¡­ I suppose you didn¡¯t learn it since you joined the class so late, i¡¯ll show it to you in a second¡­ I had to find some way around how much power you pack¡­ Seriously though¡­ I¡¯m bigger than you and your brother, but you two push me back like im nothing¡­¡±


    The two of them firmly shook hands. Yami looked around the wide open gymnasium within House Rael. In small groups, recruits in training and knights, both male and female sparred with wooden staffs, some of them trying the last move Yami used. Zeus sparred with another student, aggressively closing the distance and swinging his polearm like a huge sword rather than how he was taught. ¡®He¡¯s been told not to do that like ten times now¡­ I think they gave up on him¡­¡¯


    ¡°You know, I heard Mr. Bahar talking with lieutenant Bruno¡­ They haven¡¯t seen anyone with as much potential as you two since Sir Arthur, he was the ace of the class more than ten years back¡­ But I doubt he had your strength¡­¡±


    ¡°The noble of House Pendragon? Wait¡­ He was only in training that long ago¡­ But he¡¯s a noble now?¡± Yami tilted his head. ¡°I thought it takes way longer to become a noble¡­ And don¡¯t you have to be a lieutenant first?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ After his father passed away, he kinda inherited it¡­ I can¡¯t even imagine¡­ All that responsibility on his shoulders at that age¡­ He seems like he¡¯s handling it just fine though¡­ He inspires me a lot. I heard he used to do a move like that one you used, but like, multiple times at once¡­ The guy had insane control over his spear¡­¡±


    ¡°Yami! Zeus! Stop what you¡¯re doing and come here,¡± the instructor suddenly yelled.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re in trouble! Breaking a training spear gets you expelled!¡± Arlin snickered.


    ¡°Huh?!¡± Yami quickly turned his head with a worried look.


    ¡°Nah, I''m joking man¡­¡± Arlin chuckled.


    ¡®Oh¡­¡¯ Yami let out a sigh of relief. ¡®I thought I messed up¡­¡¯ He looked across the gymnasium, towards a catwalk on the second floor where the instructor, Mr. Bahar sat. The man had brown hair slightly turning grey, and slightly tanned skin. He was dressed in a white shirt with green decals along the shoulders and edges. He watched Yami closely. ¡®I feel like I''m in trouble from how he¡¯s staring at me¡­¡¯ Yami started toward the staircase in the corner of the room. Zeus quickly ran over to his right.


    ¡°Are we in trouble?¡± Zeus whispered.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­¡± Yami shook his head.


    Yami walked up the stairs one step at a time, Zeus stepped over two at a time. The right side of the catwalk looked over the gymnasium full of people sparring, on the left was a window. Beyond the glass in the next room was a pool being used by troopers. Yami turned to the instructor and looked down at his desk. There were two envelopes, both had the seal of a golden sword with an eye on its guard.


    ¡°Yami, Zeus, how are you doing?¡± Mr. Bahar asked.


    Zeus glanced at Yami with a squint.


    ¡°Good¡­ Is there a problem sir?¡± Yami asked.


    ¡°What did I do this time?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°No Zeus, you aren¡¯t in trouble¡­ Neither are you Yami,¡± said Mr. Bahar. ¡°Quite the opposite in fact¡­¡±


    Yami and Zeus both exchanged confused glances.


    ¡°This¡­ May.. Be a little informal¡­ But¡­¡± the instructor stood up from his desk with the two envelopes. ¡°Congratulations, both of you, your skill and expertise has been recognized by the noble Houses of Rael and Rover.¡±


    Yami felt his heart skip a beat. He took the envelope while looking the instructor in the eye. On the back, Yami¡¯s name was written. Zeus¡¯s envelope had his name as well. ¡®What? But¡­¡¯ Yami looked through a window to his left, where troopers were diving into a pool with bulky white suits. ¡®We haven¡¯t even started learning how to use those yet¡­¡¯


    ¡°Seriously¡­ Seriously?!¡± Zeus suddenly froze as he looked forward intensely.


    ¡°Yes, Yami, you will be joining House Rael. Zeus, you will be joining House Rover. I know this isn¡¯t a formal grad-¡±


    ¡°Fuck yeah! Yes! Aaahhahaha!¡± Zeus cheered.


    The people training on the floor below all looked up at the sudden noise. Yami was taken aback by Zeus¡¯s excitement, he smiled as he looked down at Arlin. Arlin simply tilted his head, then laughed to himself as he shrugged and shook his head. Yami looked down at the envelope, it was made of a thick paper unlike any other he¡¯d touched. ¡®This feels like a really big deal¡­ But¡­ What about the others? They¡¯ve learned way more than me and Zeus¡­ Is this really fair?¡¯


    ¡°You are to report to your respective nobles before the end of today, they are expecting you. Also, now that you will be honorary members of the noble houses, you will be living with the rest of your squad.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Yami uttered.


    ¡°I know it''s sudden, and you¡­ Haven¡¯t received all of the required training, but this is an unprecedented opportunity for the both of you. Yami, I saw your last fight¡­ You have incredible potential, and you command respect from others with kindness. Zeus¡­ Uh, I wish you¡¯d listen to my instructions more¡­¡± Mr. Bahar laughed as he put his hand on Zeus¡¯s shoulder. ¡°But, in my experience, I''ve learned that some people learn things best in their own way¡­ I¡¯m honored to have taught a noble, and now three noble lieutenants.¡±


    ¡°Tha- Thank you for everything, Mr. Bahar,¡± Yami bowed his head. ¡°I learned a lot over the last year¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Thank you- For everything¡­¡± Zeus nodded awkwardly.


    ¡°Zeus, House Rover is located in the south west district of Inner Helios. You will report to Angela Rover from now on. Yami, you¡¯re lucky, we¡¯re currently at House Rael. The office is built on top of this barracks, please report to Alexander Rael at once.¡±


    Zeus had a wide smile on his face as he started toward the door. Yami followed, but had to walk faster as Zeus quickly hurried out of the gym. Yami held the door, glancing back at Arlin as he left the room. All of the members of their class watched in silence and disbelief as the two made their exit.


    ¡°Dude! We did it!¡± Zeus whispered with a look of excitement.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Yami answered.


    ¡°I wanna meet the noble! I''m heading straight over there right now!¡± Zeus repeatedly jumped where he stood, but slowed down as he observed Yami¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s up, why aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ I am happy¡­ I¡¯m just confused¡­¡±


    ¡°Dude, we were wasting time there anyway¡­ We''re way stronger than the rest of those guys!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not even the whole point of the training though¡­¡± Yami shook his head. ¡°Like, we spar so that we can get to know each other better¡­ And¡­ We didn¡¯t even use drop suits yet¡­¡±


    ¡°I guess we didn¡¯t need to, I mean, I am a genius after all so, i''m not surprised,¡± Zeus smirked as he put his hands behind his head.


    ¡°But¡­ I didn¡¯t know joining the houses meant we can¡¯t live together anymore¡­¡±


    Zeus¡¯s smile faded.


    ¡°We were all together just a year ago¡­ And then all of a sudden¡­ Eos and Mom just vanished¡­ Now me, you, and Nova are getting separated¡­¡± Yami explained.


    ¡°Well¡­ We would end up on our own eventually¡­¡± Zeus shrugged.


    Yami looked up with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°And besides, they are still out there¡­ We just got to find them,¡± said Zeus. ¡°And¡­ Even if we''re separated, at least you, me, and Nova know where each other are, right?¡±


    ¡°Y- Yeah¡­¡± Yami shook himself out of his concern. ¡°You¡¯re right¡­¡±


    ¡°Get a grip man, which one of us is the oldest here?¡± Zeus laughed as he punched Yami¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°What, are you not a genius anymore?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said idiot!¡± Zeus smiled.


    ¡°Thanks though, seriously¡­ I¡¯m gonna go find Alexander Rael¡­ At least I don¡¯t have to walk across the city. You know the way there right?¡± Yami asked.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ How hard could it be to find¡­¡± Zeus shrugged. ¡°I kind of wish I got House Rael though¡­ Alexander seems like the strongest of the nobles¡­¡±


    ¡°I was hoping for House Lightbringer¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, whatever¡­ I¡¯m gonna get going!¡± Zeus turned and started toward the entrance of House Rael. ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ We gotta tell Nova tonight! She¡¯s got the hotel to herself now!¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Yami waved as he saw Zeus off. ¡°If we just got into houses, she¡¯ll definitely join one soon.¡±


    Yami turned and walked toward the hallway at the left corner of the lobby. The ceiling hung lower in the hall, but he turned toward the staircase. Yami took a step forward quickly, then jumped up two stairs at a time and made his way up. ¡®Alexander Rael is upstairs¡­ I heard he¡¯s been a noble for the longest time out of the current four¡­¡¯ Yami huffed as he passed the third set of stairs. ¡®We¡¯re one step closer to finding Eos and mom¡­¡¯ He stopped at the sixth floor, then leaned over the railing and looked up. ¡°This building feels a lot bigger on the inside¡­¡± Yami made it to the top floor after a few minutes. He took a deep breath as he grasped the door knob, but his eyebrows furrowed as he heard someone yelling.


    ¡°Like I said, I can¡¯t do that¡­¡± a man spoke with a dismissive tone at the end of the hall.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you can¡¯t, we are running low on logorite because that stupid fuck thinks he can run Logos like a saint!¡± another man who was much bigger cursed.


    ¡°There''s barely enough of a difference in the quotas¡­ You¡¯re overblowing the number¡­¡±


    ¡°And you seem to be incapable of basic mathematics! Besides! There are more pressing issues than the Logorite! What of the slave who attacked me! Is he still mining away in Logos? Well Lawrence!¡±


    ¡°You murdered the slave responsible for that, get over it already and stop asking! You think you can just go kill another on a whim? What? You think they grow on the fucking trees or something? They are our assets Sir Alexander, each of them,¡± Lawrence raised his tone.


    The shorter one was around the same height as Yami, he was a blonde man with his hair tied back into a ponytail. He had a wide frame underneath the black and white cloak that hung off his shoulders. ¡®A¡­ A member of House Lightbringer!¡¯ His stance oozed confidence, he didn¡¯t even seem to hesitate in front of the massive angel in front of him.


    ¡®That¡¯s Alexander Rael?! It¡¯s my first time seeing him¡­ Holy shit he really is huge¡­ I¡¯ve never seen anyone that tall!¡¯ Yami felt a little intimidated. Alexander was at least eight feet tall, the tallest person Yami had ever seen. His muscles were barely contained in the white dress shirt decorated with green decals. He had short green hair, and large eyes of a similar hue. Yami walked toward the two, but they didn¡¯t notice him approaching.


    ¡°Why are you refusing to listen!¡± Alexander grunted impatiently. ¡°I know what I saw in my dream! It was not some coincidence! It was a vision from the Celestial!¡±


    ¡°Here we go again¡­¡± Lawrence sighed.


    ¡°Look at me when I''m talking to you, brat!¡± Alexander snapped his fingers. ¡°What of the object recovered in the forest? Why did two sets of tracks lead back to Logos! Why did that girl have armed explosives in her house! And I know it was Jack who was responsible for my wound! I know that for a fact!¡±


    ¡°Ok, and?¡±


    ¡°You better watch your tone boy! I detest your siblings, but I only have a modicum of respect for you since you know how to actually hold your own!¡±


    ¡°Thanks? I guess¡­ But I''m not saying this to piss you off, I''m saying this because you¡¯re pissing me off with how many times I''ve had to hear you explain the same thing!¡±


    Yami slowly approached the two, nervously creeping forward. ¡®I think¡­ I showed up at a bad time¡­ But¡­ I was told to come see Alexander¡­¡¯ He took a deep breath, then walked forward with his shoulders pushed back and his chin up high. However, he was still nervous.


    ¡°Then bring the damn king here yourself! And no, I didn¡¯t say Arid! I want to speak to the king directly!¡± said Alexander.


    ¡°Just go there yourself¡­¡± Lawrence groaned as he rubbed his forehead and grimaced.


    ¡°Then I have to talk to Arid! That fucking deadpan freak-¡±


    Alexander stopped as he noticed Yami stiffly walk forward, his lips pursed as he listened to the noble curse. ¡®And I thought Zeus swore a lot¡­¡¯ He raised an eyebrow at Yami¡¯s head band, then eyed him up and down. Lawrence turned and squinted at him. ¡®I really should have waited¡­¡¯ The lieutenant from House Lightbringer cleared his throat.


    ¡°Alexander, I''m sure you¡¯ve heard about the fourth lieutenant¡­ This is-¡±


    ¡°No! No, no, no, no, no, no!¡± Alexander growled. ¡°You are not using him as a crutch to get out of this!¡±


    ¡°Oh my fucking god¡­¡± Lawrence shook his head as he looked up. ¡°Set a damn example man¡­¡±


    ¡°I will after this!¡± Alexander turned to Yami. ¡°You! State your name!¡±


    Yami blinked several times as he hesitated. ¡°Uh¡­ Yami¡­ Sir¡­¡±


    ¡°Have you ever used a drop suit! A shock suit? Any?!¡±


    ¡°Uh-¡±


    ¡°No, because this punk!¡± Alexander gestured toward Lawrence. ¡°And the rest of his house think it''s a good idea to recruit absolute novices like yourself! Don¡¯t be like them! Now! Report to Lieutenant Vivian on this floor, and have her take you to the machine shop so you can start working on assisting those useless recruits downstairs! We¡¯ll speak later!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Yami nodded, then turned and walked off as fast as he could.


    ¡°Listen! The Hirian¡¯s are upset too, especially Carala and the traders! They¡¯ll probably bring it up at the upcoming council meeting, so just wait-¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll hear it from me if they don¡¯t!¡± Alexander cut him off.


    ¡°Let me finish! Lucifer doesn¡¯t want to keep Logos with Arthur anyway! So stop yelling my ear off, when they get here, I''m sure it¡¯ll sort out for you! But if you go around and start murdering slaves again! You won¡¯t keep it for long!¡± Lawrence stressed.


    ¡°Is that a threat!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a promise!¡±


    As Yami turned the corner he stopped and put his back against the wall. ¡®Holy shit! That guy¡­ Is angry!¡¯ He shook his hair as he peaked back through the hall. ¡®But¡­ I think they finished talking¡­ Maybe I could go talk to him now¡­¡¯ Lawrence walked down the hall. Yami waited for him to pass by, but felt a hand fall on his shoulder.


    ¡°Woah!¡± Yami jumped.


    Yami turned to see a woman around his height standing next to him. She had straight black hair neatly tied back into a bun. She had thin cheeks, black eyes with long lashes, and small ears pierced with studded silver. There was a light gloss on her lips, but her nose was a little long. She had a small slim frame, but it looked wider in the white dress shirt with green stripes around the edges. ¡®One of Alexander¡¯s lieutenants?¡¯ Her trimmed eyebrow rose as she saw Yami¡¯s nervous reaction.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t talk to Alexander right now¡­¡± the lieutenant advised. ¡°He¡¯ll most likely scold you¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Hey¡­¡± Yami cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ The new lieutenant for House Rael¡­ And yeah, he¡­ Already yelled at me¡­ Uh, he told me to find lieutenant Vivian? She¡¯s supposed to show me where the machine shop is¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re in luck,¡± she tilted his head and put a hand on her hip. ¡°I¡¯m Vivian. Vivian Kyonorav.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m Yami¡­¡±


    ¡°Last name?¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡± Yami blinked in confusion.


    Vivian tilted her head. ¡°Your last name, what is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Not sure how to answer that¡­¡±


    Vivian squinted harder. ¡°What is your father¡¯s name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t have a father?¡± Yami scratched his head.


    ¡°Is this¡­ A joke?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not. He really has no last name¡­¡± Lawrence came around the corner and sighed. ¡°And I don¡¯t know why either¡­¡±


    Yami turned to the lieutenant of House Lightbringer. Vivian looked dignified, but it was nothing compared to the regal discipline Lawrence exuded. It was like he was a completely different person compared to how he spoke to Alexander earlier.


    ¡°You have to have a father kid¡­ That¡¯s just how life works¡­¡± Lawrence sighed, he still looked incredibly annoyed from his previous conversation.


    ¡°Well, do you at least have a mother? You have to have been born of a mother¡­¡± Vivian asked. ¡°Where in the city is your mother from?¡±


    ¡°Yeah I do, have a mom¡­ But I don¡¯t know where she is¡­ She went missing¡­¡± Yami glanced toward the ground.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    ¡°What was her name?¡± Lawrence asked. ¡°If you really don¡¯t have a father, shouldn¡¯t you use your mothers last name?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Uh¡­ I mean her name was Theresia¡­ But¡­ I don¡¯t¡­ Actually, I know what her last name was either¡­¡± Yami answered.


    ¡°You seem hopelessly forgetful¡­¡± Lawrence sighed.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Didn¡¯t know we¡¯re recruiting people with low intelligence nowadays¡­¡± Vivian shook her head. ¡°Anyways, we can figure that out later¡­ It¡¯d be good if I took you to the machine shop before Alexander see¡¯s us¡­ I don¡¯t want him getting angry again¡­¡±


    Vivian turned toward the stairwell and started walking. Yami followed her, keeping an eye on Lawrence, specifically staring at the symbol on his chest. ¡®The symbol of House Lightbringer¡­¡¯ Lawrence had a raised eyebrow as he looked back at Yami, but then his mouth hung open as he squinted.


    ¡°There¡­ There was another recruit that should have been sent to House Rover today¡­ He didn¡¯t have a last name¡­ Just the name Zeus¡­¡± Lawrence pondered.


    ¡°Ah, Zeus¡­ He¡¯s my brother!¡± Yami grinned.


    Lawrence looked up at Yami and squinted harder, despite looking and sounding aloof earlier, he suddenly appeared very concerned. ¡®Why is he looking at me like that?¡¯ Vivian tilted her head, still unsure if Yami was joking.


    ¡°Come again?¡± Lawrence shook his head. ¡°Wait¡­ You and the other recruit¡­ Are siblings?¡±


    ¡°Yeah! We were both really shocked today when we got the news, haha!¡±


    ¡°Do¡­ Do you have any other siblings?¡± Lawrence asked.


    ¡°Yeah, two others¡­ Our youngest brother is named Eos, and my younger sister is named Nova. But Eos went missing at the same time mom did¡­ The three of us are trying hard to find them¡­¡±


    ¡°E-Eos?¡± Lawrence hesitated, he paused for several seconds. ¡°When did¡­ When did they go missing?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Like a year ago¡­¡± Yami¡¯s eyebrows furrowed as he noticed sweat around Lawrence¡¯s head. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°A year?¡± Lawrence muttered the words as he looked down in thought. ¡°That¡­¡±


    ¡°Is something wrong Sir Lawrence?¡± Vivian asked.


    Lawrence suddenly looked up with a bewildered expression. ¡°I¡­ I- I think I can try to help you find them¡­ I¡¯ll enlist the guard to search the city. They couldn¡¯t have left Helios I assume¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d do that?!¡± Yami exclaimed, then bowed his head. ¡°Thank you, seriously! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I''ll¡­ Get right on that¡­ Uh, Vivian, sorry for disturbing your task¡­ I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll get going¡­¡± Lawrence nodded.


    The lieutenant of House Lightbringer quickly walked through the doors, then hurried down the stairs. ¡®Wow¡­ He must really want to help¡­ That¡¯s what I expected from the people who joined House Lightbringer!¡¯ Vivian tilted her head as she watched him leave.


    ¡°Man¡­ What a nice guy¡­¡± Yami smiled. ¡°House Lightbringer must be full of the best angels¡­¡±


    ¡°Pft-¡± Vivian snickered for a moment, but cleared her throat and returned to her prior demeanor. ¡°That¡­ Lawrence is probably the best in his squad, but trust me¡­ Everyone hates the other Lightbringers¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! Really? Are they bad people?¡±


    ¡°Bad is an understatement¡­ It is weird though, he almost never apologizes to anyone for anything¡­ This is the first time I''ve seen Lawrence Lightbringer like that¡­ He looked really concerned for once...¡±

 Act 1 - Chapter 3

    Chapter 13: Nova; Shauran 10th, 344SR; 14:10


    ¡°So, once wind makes contact with steam¡­¡± the old man drew an equation, his chalk scratching against the board as he explained slowly. ¡°The¡­ Water molecules present in a gaseous form¡­ Cool back into liquid form, returning us to¡­¡±


    The classroom fell silent, a few people giggled as Nova continued to read. ¡®Unlike the law of combination in regard to elements and disparities, primitives cannot be combined. This also includes combinations between the same types or different types. Mind and mind, cannot create a mind of greater magnitude in the same way life, and death, or any of the tangible elements- Ah!¡¯ A piece of chalk hit Nova in the head, then fell onto the page of the textbook. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ She quickly looked up and noticed the teacher¡¯s gaze.


    The teacher had receding gray hair, and a thick beard that covered his entire neck. He rubbed his beard while he looked at Nova, smiling as his eyebrow twitched. His skin was wrinkled and he had droopy narrow eyes. He wore a blue robe covering his body down to his ankles. He opened his hand for the piece of chalk, Nova handed it back to him.


    ¡°Is my lesson so boring you would rather read a textbook, Nova?¡± the teacher sighed.


    ¡°N-No Mr. Laurenzo! It¡¯s not! I¡¯m just-¡±


    ¡°No excuses, it¡¯s important you continue to listen¡­ After all, this content will be important for the upcoming test¡­¡±


    ¡°Another test?!¡±, ¡°When!¡±, ¡°Auugh¡­ No¡­¡± multiple students in the room moaned in agony at the sudden revelation.


    ¡°Yes, yes, did you think there wouldn¡¯t be another test? How foolish of you all¡­¡±


    ¡°But Mr. Laurenzo, we can¡¯t possibly remember all of these combinations between elements?!¡± Dina asked.


    ¡°Oh please¡­ As if it¡¯s hard to understand¡­¡± Mr. Laurenzo laughed.


    ¡°It is hard!¡± the girl next to Nova groaned.


    ¡®Seriously? Come on Lisa¡­ I thought I helped you enough with this stuff...¡¯ Nova raised an eyebrow at her friend to her left. She had blonde hair and light skin tone. Her eyes were brown, she had light freckles over her cheeks, and a small chin. Just like everyone else in the class, she wore a blue hoodie with a grey cloak underneath. Nova shook her head and continued to read from her textbook.


    ¡°Dina, Lisa, think about it this way¡­¡± Mr. Laurenzo went back to the chalkboard.


    ¡°Of the basic four elements, water and earth are the only ones that actively change their state of matter¡­ Fire and-¡± Mr. Laurenzo sighed, the room fell silent again. ¡°Nova¡­ Please continue what I was just explaining?¡±


    Nova looked back up with wide eyes and pursed lips. ¡°Uh¡­ The¡­ Law of condition, it¡¯s stated that fire adds heat, while wind removes heat, thus changing the state of water and earth accordingly¡­ Of course moisture is also a factor¡­¡±


    Mr. Laurenzo blinked repeatedly, looking surprised at her answer. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct¡­ You even remember the name of the law, very good. But, do pay attention.¡±


    Mr. Laurenzo went back to writing on the chalkboard. ¡®Ugh¡­ But this stuff is so simple it''s boring¡­¡¯ Nova looked down at her textbook as the lesson continued. Loomy popped out of her shoulder, his tongue hanging out of his mouth while panting weakly. ¡®Might¡­ Have been better to drink more water at breakfast¡­¡¯ The girl next to Nova scooted closer to her.


    ¡°Hey, how¡¯d you remember all this stuff? You¡¯re reading the intermediate book right?¡± Lisa lifted the cover, and noticed it was red. ¡°You finished that one too?!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah, I didn¡¯t have anything else to do so I just¡­ Read it all¡­¡± Nova shrugged.


    ¡°Can you help me study after class?¡± Lisa asked.


    ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± Nova nodded and smiled.


    ¡°Hwuu¡­¡± Loomy groaned.


    ¡°What happened to him?¡± Lisa pointed at Loomy.


    ¡°He just gets worn out quickly when he¡¯s dehydrated¡­ And it¡¯s really dry in the school¡­¡± Nova explained.


    ¡°Aw¡­ Poor little guy¡­¡± Lisa reached forward to pet Loomy.


    ¡°Wa¡­ Awa!¡± Loomy suddenly tried to bite Lisa¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Lisa pulled back.


    ¡°Loomy!¡± Nova whispered as she pulled the spirit back in.


    ¡°Nova¡­ Now you¡¯re interrupting my lesson¡­¡± Mr. Laurenzo sighed. ¡°Does the spirit require more water¡­¡±


    ¡°I think so¡­ Sorry, could I¡­ Be excused for a moment¡­¡± Nova asked.


    ¡°Hm¡­ Very well, can¡¯t have the little fox croak from dehydration now, can we¡­ But consider bringing a lot of water to the class, it would save you a lot of trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡± Loomy suddenly jumped out and yelped, Nova¡¯s eyes widened.


    ¡°What did he say?¡± Mr. Laurenzo tilted his head.


    ¡°Uh¡­ He¡­ Said you make a good point,¡± Nova nodded with a sheepish smile as she stood up and set the textbook down on her desk.


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Mr. Laurenzo squinted at the book as Nova walked through the aisle.


    ¡°Sorry!¡± Lisa whispered as Nova walked past.


    Nova quickly made her way to the front of the room and walked out of the door. ¡®You can¡¯t call people that Loomy! That¡¯s worse than what Zeus says!¡¯ The height of the narrow hallway paled in comparison to the classroom. There were benches and lockers set between the occasional door, each one she walked past housed a classroom of students being taught. As she passed the school library, she took a left and continued down a similar hallway. Just before reaching the front office, Nova turned into a small corridor that led to a door outside. On the right was a water fountain, and a bit further down the hall was a man in a white shirt and grey overalls dumping a mop in a filled bucket. Loomy ran down Nova¡¯s arm, jumped into the fountain¡¯s sink basin, then opened its mouth eagerly. Nova turned the valve, and a stream of water shot upward and fell into Loomy¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°Loomy, you have to stop getting angry for no reason¡­¡± Nova shook her head.


    Loomy blissfully drank the water from the fountain, even letting it fall over himself so it could soak his red fur. ¡®He¡¯s ignoring me¡­¡¯ Nova glared at the small fox, he rolled over in the sink basin without a care about how dirty it could be. The janitor pulled the mop out of the water, held it over a bucket as a stream of droplets fell off, then dropped it to the floor. While Nova held the valve open, she glanced past the janitor wiping the floor with soapy water, and noticed a black caravan outside. Two horses with brown fur were tied to the front, while a driver with a top hat held the reins. She could just barely see a gold symbol embedded into the side of the caravan. ¡®That symbol¡­ Isn¡¯t that¡­ The Lightbringer¡¯s sym-¡¯


    ¡°Excuse me young lady, can I get by you for a moment?¡± said the janitor.


    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± Nova stepped to the side.


    The janitor mopped the floor under the fountain. He was an old man with dark brown skin and a lot of wrinkles. He had loose curly hair under his dark blue cap. Loomy looked at soapy water in the bucket, then looked up at Nova with an excited smile. ¡®No! No, no! Don¡¯t jump in there¡­¡¯ Nova shook her head, the janitor noticed and giggled.


    ¡°Is he taking a bath or drinking the water? He¡¯s giving my bucket a greedy look¡­¡± the janitor laughed.


    ¡°He¡­ Likes to swim¡­¡± Nova nodded.


    ¡°This little guy is your Celestial gift?¡± the man asked. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a spirit so close¡­¡±


    ¡°Ar?! Wa!¡± Loomy groaned, he sounded fed up.


    ¡®Stop getting mad!¡¯ Nova¡¯s eye twitched while she smiled awkwardly. Loomy grumbled, then used his tail to flick water in at Nova. The janitor laughed at Loomy¡¯s outburst, then reached forward to pet him. However, Loomy quickly darted to Nova¡¯s shoulder. ¡®First you hit me with water¡­ Then you climb on me when you¡¯re wet¡­¡¯ Loomy looked at Nova with his usually closed eyes, then suddenly shook his fur to dry off. Nova shut her eyes as water sprinkled over her face. ¡®Jerk¡­¡¯


    ¡°Uh, yes, this is Loomy,¡± Nova smiled and rubbed Loomy¡¯s head, however Loomy pulled away as he kept his eyes on the janitor.


    ¡°Loomy huh, sounds like gloomy, he seems like a moody little guy,¡± the janitor nodded.


    ¡°You have no idea¡­¡± Nova¡¯s words trailed off as she smiled awkwardly and looked down. ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ Gotta get back to my class¡­¡±


    ¡°Good luck, if you¡¯re enrolled in this school when you''re this young, with a Celestial gift that¡¯s also a spirit, you must be quite blessed, I think you¡¯ll go far, don¡¯t get stuck in some boring job like mine, haha!¡±


    Nova smiled sheepishly, bowed, and then went back on her way. Loomy continued to look toward the man while they got further away. She went back down the hall down the way she came.


    ¡°He seemed like a nice person, ¡± said Nova. ¡°Why¡¯d you call him a meat bag? What does that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Rr¡­ Awa!¡± Loomy grumbled.


    ¡°Wait? You don¡¯t like that he called you little?¡± Nova squinted at the fox.


    ¡°Rr¡­ Hrf,¡± Loomy sneezed.


    ¡°Loomy, what do you mean? You aren¡¯t even a foot tall¡­ You¡¯re tiny¡­¡±


    ¡°Wara!¡± Loomy¡¯s head snapped toward her in response to the comment. ¡°Aar¡­¡±


    Loomy slumped over Nova¡¯s shoulder, the fox looked genuinely saddened by the comment.


    ¡°Aw¡­ Hey, don¡¯t be sad¡­¡± Nova tried to comfort him. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll get big, as big as Yycan one day!¡±


    ¡°Awa¡­ Hr, Arf!¡± Loomy groaned.


    ¡°Okay fine, we¡¯ll go to the port a bit earlier if that makes you feel better¡­ Wait¡­ This has nothing to do with the port! You¡¯re just trying to get your way!¡± Nova snapped.


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡±


    ¡°You are such a little rascal you know that¡­¡± Nova shook her head. ¡°At least that guy said something to us¡­ Most people just look at us weird and keep their distance¡­ Is getting a spirit for a celestial gift really that special?¡±


    ¡°Awa,¡± Loomy yipped with a smile.


    ¡°No, not you¡­ Ugh, go back inside¡­ You¡¯re not supposed to be coming out during class anyways¡­ Also the school is dry and cold, so you¡¯ll dehydrate quickly again¡­¡±


    Loomy travelled back into Nova¡¯s body. ¡®That made him listen in no time¡­¡¯ She reached the library, gazing through the front window as she turned right. ¡®I should return that last textbook later today¡­ Ah, wait I left it at the-¡¯ Upon turning the corner, she bumped into someone going the other way. ¡®Ah-¡¯ Nova stumbled backward, her foot slipped as it slid on a bit of water still on her shoe. Nova lost balance, her arms waved helplessly, reaching for anything. But the person she bumped into grasped her collar and stopped her descent.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Are you okay, I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Nova paused as she looked up at the man.


    Upon noticing his clothing, Nova¡¯s expression sank. He wore sleek black pants fastened to his waist by a fancy silver belt. His cloak was white with black edges. He had blonde hair tied back into a ponytail with a few strands falling over his forehead. His wide yellow eyes pierced Nova with a strange intensity. There were yellow decals on his shirt, and the symbol of a golden sword with an eye on its guard on his chest. ¡®A lieutenant of house Lightbringer?! I almost forgot, their caravan was outside!¡¯


    ¡°Uhm, I, uhh¡­ Sorry-¡±


    The blonde man let go of her collar. ¡®Eh-¡¯ Nova¡¯s eyes widened as she continued to fall backward. Nova¡¯s hands flailed helplessly, before landing on her rear. It didn¡¯t hurt very much, but she was taken aback by his sudden decision to let go. ¡®Why¡¯d he do that?!¡¯ The man walked by in a hurry.


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Watch where you¡¯re going next time¡­¡± the lieutenant muttered as he shook his head. ¡°Idiot¡­¡±


    ¡°How rude!¡± Nova yelled. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to drop me!¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t even care, he kept walking down the hallway Nova came from. She twitched as she pouted. ¡®Darn it¡­ I want to ask him about House Lightbringer but¡­ He seems mean¡­ Ah! No, I have to do this if I want to move forward!¡¯ Nova got to her feet, then hurried after him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ You¡¯re a member of House Lightbringer, right?¡± Nova asked.


    The blonde man didn¡¯t stop. ¡°Yeah, first lieutenant.¡±


    ¡°First lieutenant?!¡± Nova grimaced.


    ¡°Yup¡­ Now leave me alone¡­ I¡¯m busy¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, I want to join House Lightbringer one day! How did you join? What do I have to do to join!?¡±


    The man stopped, looked away for a moment, then took a deep breath. He turned around and looked down on Nova. His eyes twitched repeatedly. ¡®He seems¡­ Mad¡­¡¯ Nova felt slightly worried. She stepped back, skipping a breath, and gulping.


    ¡°Are you stupid or something?¡± the lieutenant suddenly asked.


    ¡°Huh-¡±


    ¡°No, seriously, are you an idiot? The members of House Lightbringer are all the family of King Lucifer. You will never join House Lightbringer if you aren¡¯t of his bloodline. And besides¡­ You don¡¯t have what it takes to be a Lightbringer¡­ You might as well just give up and settle for something more classy¡­¡± the man turned and walked away.


    Nova stood there for a moment, Loomy sprung up from behind her shoulder as the man entered the stairwell. The red fox looked to the stairs, and then to its master. Nova felt like a lump had formed in her throat. Her feet felt cold. She blinked repeatedly. A tear dropped out of her eye.


    ¡°Owa?¡± Loomy nuzzled Nova¡¯s cheek.


    Nova looked down. ¡®The sooner we join noble houses, we might be able to find her¡­¡¯ She recalled Yami¡¯s words. Tears rolled down her cheek even faster. Loomy opened his eyes as Nova turned and started toward the class. ¡®I¡­ I¡¯ve been gone from class for too long¡­ I¡­¡¯ Her jaw quivered, a small gasp escaped her throat as her heart beat rapidly. She couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what the lieutenant said. Nova sniffed as she tried to hold her tears. Loomy looked around nervously, unsure of what to do to help.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Nova wiped it off, but felt more flood out of her other eye. ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Arf! Awa! Rrr!¡± Loomy poked Nova with his snout as he yapped. ¡°Wao!¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ If a first Lieutenant said it¡­ It must be true¡­ I¡¯m weak¡­¡± Nova looked down. ¡°Why would a noble house recruit a weakling¡­¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­ He said I don¡¯t have what it takes¡­¡±


    ¡°Arr!¡± Loomy groaned and smacked her with a tail.


    ¡°Hey¡­ You don¡¯t have to-¡±


    ¡°Wa!¡±


    She turned into the hallway where her classroom was, but stopped as Loomy scolded her. ¡°I know there are other noble houses¡­ But¡­ I like learning magic, and I wanted to learn from Arid Lightbringer¡­¡±


    ¡°Rrr! Arf!¡± Loomy tried his best to encourage her.


    ¡°You think so¡­ Well, it¡¯s nice to have someone believing in me¡­¡±


    ¡°Awa! Ra!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yeah, Yami does too¡­¡±


    ¡°Wa¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know about Zeus¡­ I mean he always calls me an idiot¡­¡±


    ¡°Awa¡­¡±


    ¡°Heh¡­¡± Nova snickered. ¡°Yeah, maybe I am an idiot if I think he¡¯s smart enough to be the judge of that¡­¡±


    Nova reached her classroom, she wiped the tears off one more time before walking in. A voice could be heard inside. Nova sighed as she turned the door knob and walked in. Her eyes were glued to the floor as she tried to take the quickest route to her seat.


    ¡°...after all, this is a new field offered in Helios, and it''s a dire one due to the ever enhancing capability of Hydronian science. In order to aid the study and advancement of magic, House Lightbringer is providing us funding¡­ So, make sure to show them your utmost¡­¡± Mr. Laurenzo stopped all of a sudden.


    The class was arranged like a small theatre, the tables were arranged on four elevated levels. On each step was a long table, stretching from the left side of the room to the right. Each row was seated with about ten students, except for the first. Nova walked between the desks and chairs, making her way back to her seat next to Lisa. The other students were looking at her with wide eyes as she tried to stay as quiet as possible.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Nova whispered as she worried about disturbing the lesson.


    She walked by Lisa, who looked at Nova like she had seen a ghost. Upon taking her seat, Nova squinted at the empty table. ¡®Huh¡­ Wait, who took my textbook¡­¡¯ Nova looked at Lisa, who was staring at something ahead of her. Nova looked in the same direction, and her eyes widened immediately. The noble of House Lightbringer, was standing in front of the class, and he was looking directly at her. The noble held the textbook Nova was reading.


    ¡°Hii!¡± Nova gasped quickly, she looked back down as her face turned red.


    Her heart pounded quickly, she felt even worse than after she had been criticized by the first lieutenant. ¡®Arid Lightbringer?! Why is he here¡­ Why is he in our class?!¡¯ The noble whispered something to Mr. Laurenzo, they¡¯d both glance at Nova repeatedly while they talked.


    ¡°Lucy, how much did he already talk about? What did I miss?!¡± Nova asked frantically, not hearing the footfalls coming toward her.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Uh¡­¡± Lucy stuttered as she pointed forward.


    Nova¡¯s heart sank, she turned and noticed Arid at the front of her desk. His blue eyes pierced Nova¡¯s soul. He was just like she remembered from a year ago. Short black hair, a stern and unflinching expression, and yellow eyes. He wore similar clothes to the lieutenant from earlier, sleek black pants and a white shirt. But over it he wore a coat that reached down to his knees, it had yellow decals around the edges and the Lightbringer insignia over his chest. He set the book down, then slowly pushed it toward her.


    ¡°You¡¯ve gone ahead of your class¡­¡± said Arid.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I¡­ I really like to read, and- and learning magic is really interesting, and-¡±


    ¡°You finished the book on the basics¡­ And the intermediate level content¡­¡±


    ¡°I-¡± Nova froze as she frowned, she felt like she was about to cry again.


    ¡°Stand up, and come over here¡­¡±


    Nova shivered at the sudden command, she stood up and walked to the other side of the table. She kept her head low, glued to the nobles shoes on the carpet floor. Arid raised his own hand toward her, a small amulet hung off a silver chain on his wrist. Nova squinted as Arid held the talisman between his palm and thumb. It was circular in shape, with increasingly smaller circles inside of it. It almost resembled a single ripple in a pond. ¡®Huh¡­ Is that¡­ A gift?¡¯ A circle of white light started to spread between his hand and Nova¡¯s stomach. The circle started to spin forward, it was so fast it almost looked like it split into two, then even more. Loomy poked his head out of Nova¡¯s shoulder and looked at the mesmerizing sight.


    ¡°What¡­ What are you doing?¡± Nova asked


    ¡°The orbs of Nilrem is the gift passed down in my family, it allows me to draw energy from someone, and condense it into a catalyst...¡± Arid explained.


    ¡°A¡­ Catalyst¡­ You mean¡­¡±


    ¡°But, Sir Arid! None of the students have begun learning how to apply magic themselves?¡± Mr. Laurenzo tried to advise.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so sure of that¡­ Especially with this one¡­¡± said Arid.


    The white circles of light spun faster, fast enough that it started to look like a white orb of light. The light dimmed, revealing a sphere with a deep red color. It fell into Arid¡¯s hand, and he raised it to his face. He squinted as he peered into the orb, looking surprised for some reason.


    ¡°Your affinity is of¡­ Pure light, fire¡­ And¡­ Mind? A triple affinity¡­ Interesting¡­ Here,¡± Arid nodded.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Nova looked up.


    ¡°Tell me, what is the nature of light, at all its various disparities?¡± Arid suddenly asked.


    Nova¡¯s eyebrows furrowed at the sudden question. ¡°Corrupt light¡­ Is known as black light magic, it absorbs light¡­ Neutral light is light that is simply light rays, often ranging in colors, and pure light is white light magic¡­¡±


    ¡°Very good, you even know the types it creates¡­ Then, tell me¡­ Pure light, and fire, what magic type does this create?¡±


    ¡°Star magic?¡± Nova shrugged, answering the question like it should have been easy.


    Mr. Laurenzo looked shocked, even the students in the class looked amongst themselves as Nova easily explained what they hadn¡¯t even learned yet. Nova shuffled where she stood awkwardly. ¡®Why is he asking me all of this?¡¯ Arid handed the catalyst to Nova, she gripped the red sphere. It was a little heavy, but felt very dense.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have this embedded on a scepter¡­ Your skill and talent is wasted here. Join House Lightbringer, and I''ll train you myself¡­¡± said Arid.


    Nova¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Huh¡­¡¯ The other students'' jaws all dropped. Even the instructor was taken aback. Her head slowly rose toward the noble. ¡®What¡­¡¯ She blinked repeatedly, looked at Lisa, then to Mr. Laurenzo, and then back to Arid.


    ¡°W-What¡­¡± Nova stuttered.


    ¡°You will join House Lightbringer, as a new lieutenant. I will continue to train you in the arts of magic, and then you will aid in the advancement of this field. Mr. Laurenzo, please send me her records, I expect them before the evening.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah¡­ Okay¡­¡± Mr. Laurenzo agreed. ¡°But¡­ You said you were looking for some-¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright Mr. Laurenzo,¡± Arid nodded.


    ¡®What¡­ Hold on¡­¡¯ Nova didn¡¯t even move or flinch. She was still taken aback by the sudden decision. ¡®Did I hear that right?¡¯ Arid turned and walked toward the door of the classroom. ¡®But that lieutenant said¡­¡¯ Nova stood completely still, looking around in a daze. Arid reached the door, and then paused for a moment, he glanced back at Nova.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Arid asked. ¡°Don''t forget your bag¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yes sir!¡± Nova nodded.


    Nova turned, reached over the table and grabbed her bag. She stuffed the textbook and catalyst inside it, then waved to Lisa. The students whispered between themselves, they were just as perplexed as she was. Nova turned and hurried to the door, but stopped before she left.


    ¡°Th-thank you for teaching me Mr. Laurenzo!¡± Nova bowed her head.


    Nova hurried out of the room, turning right and seeing Arid walk down the hall. She followed after him. Loomy popped his head out of her collar and raised an eyebrow at the sudden shift in Nova¡¯s mood.


    ¡°Awa?¡± Loomy asked.


    ¡°Uhm!¡± Nova stammered over what she wanted to ask, her emotions were all over the place. ¡°I- I thought House Lightbringer only accepts people of the royal bloodline?!¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± Arid glanced back. ¡°Normally, yes, but exceptions can be made. I myself am not a blood relative to the king either,¡± Arid revealed.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Nova twitched.


    ¡®Then¡­ That rude lieutenant?! Why did he¡­¡¯ After walking through the hallway, they reached a stairwell that led down to the front lobby. It was a large open room, even larger than the classroom. To the left was a desk where a lady acted as the receptionist. There was a row of seats on both sides of the room. Past the benches and the front desk, was a large window which oversaw the front of the academy, separated by large pillars and doors made from glass.


    Nova approached the front desk as she took her bag off and pulled her entry card. She gave the card to the receptionist at the front desk, who immediately adjusted her glasses in confusion. The receptionist was a middle aged woman with brown hair and large puffy cheeks. She wore a white shirt with white and green floral patterns, the edges of her short sleeves were frilled.


    ¡°Uh, hey- I mean¡­ Bye? I¡¯m leaving early Ms. Rinpi,¡± Nova scratched her head.


    ¡°Uh- Sir Arid¡­ You¡¯re leaving already?¡± the receptionist raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes. Nova will no longer be attending Lumencraft Academy. Remove her name from the attendance, but keep her records...¡± Arid explained as he opened the front door and walked outside.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Ms. Rinpi replied.


    Nova looked between Arid and Ms. Rinpi with wide eyes. She pursed her lips and waved at the receptionist. Ms. Rinpi waved back with an awkward look, then raised both her thumbs and smiled. Arid opened the front door and stepped outside, Nova followed quickly.


    Arid walked down a set of stone stairs then past the fountain in the center of a courtyard. Nova and Loomy continued to look back at the academy. The school almost resembled a small castle from the outside, there were even multiple guard towers around the front courtyard, a statue was at the top of the steps between two doors. It resembled a hooded man, however the hand of the statue had broken off. Nova paused halfway down the steps as she looked at the statue''s missing hand.


    ¡°But¡­ Wait, sir, this is really sudden. And¡­ Earlier- I met a lieutenant in the hall, and he said¡­¡± Nova stammered. ¡°But¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t mind, I''m honored to have the opportunity, but, but¡­¡±


    Nova paused as she looked at the Lightbringer¡¯s carriage. The first lieutenant was leaning against it, his eyes widened and his teeth clenched as he saw Arid and Nova. She almost felt like he was furious to see her, but she also felt a little angry when she saw him. Loomy grumbled at the sight of him, his fur standing up.


    ¡°The first lieutenant? You mean Lawrence?¡± Arid looked at the blonde man for a moment. ¡°Heh, what did he say?¡±


    ¡®Oh, where do I even¡­ Start¡­¡¯ Nova suddenly recalled how angry it would make Zeus when she told on him. Loomy looked between Arid, Lawrence, Nova, and the academy. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds.


    ¡°He- told me that I need to- graduate from Lumencraft first. And called me an idiot¡­ For not knowing that¡­¡± Nova looked down.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Arid smirked. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he doesn¡¯t matter. You are an incredible scholar if you¡¯ve already learned the content of the intermediate book in just a few months. You may even replace me one day, and then he¡¯ll be your first lieutenant to belittle. Now then, come, I''ll give you a tour of where you will be living from now on.¡±


    Nova stared at Lawrence, he looked a little confused himself as he squinted back at Nova. He shook his head and entered the caravan. Nova gulped as she stepped toward the black wooden vehicle. She stepped inside and was greeted with a compact, but cosy interior. The seats were woven with an elegant gold fabric, small but stylish curved patterns were embroidered into it. Nova paused as she saw two other people already in the vehicle.


    ¡°You¡¯re in the wrong caravan, peasant¡­¡± A woman in the caravan.


    ¡°Shut up Leanne, that¡¯s the new recruit,¡± Lawrence groaned under his breath as he rested his elbow against the window and stared at the ground outside.


    ¡°What?¡± Leanne sounded puzzled all of a sudden.


    ¡°Someone this young?¡± a blonde man said, he was seated next to Leanne.


    ¡°What''s the problem, Laris¡­ You were a member of House Lightbringer in your fucking underwear, is it really so surprising¡­¡± Lawrence growled.


    ¡°N-No brother¡­¡± Laris looked down.


    Leanne and Laris both wore similar clothes to Lawrence. Their faces were very similar too, but Laris wore glasses. They both had a braided ponytail on the side of their head, Laris¡¯s on the left, Leanne¡¯s on the right. Laris looked Nova up and down, he seemed a little awestruck. But Leanne looked upset at the very sight of her.


    Nova gulped again as she took a seat. She had no idea what to say, or how to act at the moment. She was still confused by the events within the last twenty minutes. Leanne continued to glare at her, until Loomy popped his head out from her collar. She blinked repeatedly as Loomy sniffed the air.


    ¡°What- Is that¡­ Laris, Lawrence! What is that little thing?!¡± Leanne slapped Laris¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Arf?!¡± Loomy barked upon being called little again.


    ¡®Aah!¡¯ Nova groaned in her own head as Loomy growled. Lawrence¡¯s eyes widened at the sight before he let out a sigh. Laris leaned forward, he raised his hand to touch Loomy, but hesitated as the small fox quickly shifted his gaze.


    ¡°You¡­ Have a spirit for a gift?¡± said Laris. ¡°What is your last name?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Last name?¡± Nova replied.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t have one¡­¡± Lawrence answered, still looking out the window. ¡°She was gifted by the Celestial directly¡­¡±


    ¡°What?! The Celestial granted her a gift?!¡± Leanne looked shocked by that.


    ¡°Well, that explains a lot¡­¡± Laris leaned forward to observe Loomy.


    Nova kept her hands under her legs as the caravan started moving. Loomy observed the two Lightbringers for a moment, then turned to Lawrence. The red fox¡¯s fur stood up slightly as it glared at Lawrence. ¡®No¡­¡¯ Loomy looked back at Nova, his eyes full of anger as he suddenly smirked. ¡®No!¡¯ Loomy hopped off Nova¡¯s shoulder, then walked across the seat. Lawrence glanced down to his left and noticed the fox¡¯s glare.


    ¡°Loomy!¡± Nova whispered nervously, pulling the fox back.


    ¡°What is that thing looking at¡­¡± Lawrence glared at Nova.


    ¡°Awa.¡±


    ¡°Loomy! Inside, now!¡± Nova commanded, the fox dissipated into a red aura and entered her body. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Nova pursed her lips and looked down, her heart was pounding rapidly. Lawrence shook his head and his gaze returned to the ground outside. ¡®Maybe¡­ Maybe I should be counting my blessings¡­ I mean¡­ I did it¡­ I got into a noble house¡­ I¡­ Didn¡¯t think I would¡­¡¯ She glanced at Lawrence. ¡®Because of you¡­¡¯


    ¡°The user of the gift can understand the spirit, right? What did it say?¡± Laris asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­ He just said¡­ You¡­¡± Nova answered nervously. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, he has a huge attitude¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha! It might get along with you Leanne,¡± Laris laughed as he nudged his sister''s elbow.


    ¡°Me? Why would he-¡±


    ¡°Can you two just shut the fuck up¡­ You annoying, useless, frauds¡­ Can¡¯t do anything but run your mouths¡­¡± Lawrence shook his head as he muttered the last part.


    ¡°S-Sorry brother¡­¡± Laris¡¯s voice cracked.


    Nova pursed her lips even more as she looked down awkwardly. Leanne and Laris did the same. ¡®Why did he say that?! Aren¡¯t they in the same squad? Wait, aren''t they siblings?!¡¯ The inside of the caravan went silent, the only sound came from the wheels rolling over the cobblestone streets. ¡®Me and Zeus don¡¯t even fight like this¡­¡¯

 Act 1 - Chapter 4

    Chapter 14: Zeus; Shauran 10th, 344SR; 1:30


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± Zeus scratched his head as he gazed at the massive building.


    It was the tallest building on the boulevard. Birds lined themselves along the edge of the roof. There were people inside, visible through the windows on the higher floors. Zeus walked up the few steps in front of the building, then looked at the sign once again. ¡®Helios Grand Library¡­ Hm¡­ It should be this one¡­ House Rael was huge¡­ And this is the biggest building in the area¡­ But that does say library¡­ A place where Nova went to find¡­ Books¡­¡¯ Zeus cringed. ¡®But House Rael didn¡¯t have its name written on it¡­ So maybe House Rover doesn¡¯t either¡­¡¯


    Zeus rubbed his chin as he looked to the left. There was a daycare with a playground in front of it surrounded by a gate. Kids cheered as they slid down a slide, or swung on the swings. ¡®That can¡¯t be it¡­ What are those kids even cheering about?¡¯ Zeus shook his head as he turned to the right. Across the plaza, at the other side of the road, was a small building with blue banners hanging off the walls. The blue banner had the insignia of a mask, but with three slashes over the left eye. ¡®That¡¯s definitely not it¡­¡¯


    ¡°It has to be this one¡­¡± Zeus walked through the front door. ¡°I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°Oh for the love of¡­¡± the lady at the front desk slapped her forehead. ¡°For the last time! This is not, House Rover!¡±


    ¡°No! It has to be!¡± Zeus retorted confidently.


    ¡°This is the fifth time you¡¯ve walked in here! I told you! It¡¯s the building across the road!¡±


    ¡°That building is way smaller than this one though?!¡±


    ¡°How would that make it any different from what it is?!¡±


    ¡°Ugh, dammit¡­ Maybe it''s on the other side¡­¡± Zeus turned and stomped out of the library.


    ¡°No! No one can be this stupid!¡± the lady stood up.


    ¡°Who are you calling¨C¡±


    Zeus froze as he saw the lady¡¯s enraged expression. She stomped around her desk, grasped his wrist, and then pulled him outside. People inside and outside of the library watched as the normally calm librarian seethed. She pointed to the building with blue banners, then looked at Zeus with a glare of hatred.


    ¡°What about it?!¡± Zeus pulled his hand away.


    ¡°That¡¯s House Rover! I told you five times already!¡± the lady''s fingers curled as she screamed.


    ¡°So¡­ It is that small building?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Are¡­ You sure? House Rael is way bigger¡­¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because House Rover was built atop Whitestone Jail! It¡¯s Helios¡¯s primary police station! Over half the building is practically underground- because it¡¯s a jail! What does the size of the building even matter, it''s still the same size as House Pendragon''s office on the outside?! Agh! Annoying green eyed rascal¡­¡± the lady turned and shook her head as she walked away.


    ¡°But!¡±


    The young librarian turned around and looked at Zeus with wide eyes, her fist clenched tightly as if she was ready to throw it. Zeus froze again as he saw her expression. Her black skirt swayed in the wind, her face was redder than her shirt. Zeus gulped, and chose to stay quiet. ¡®She gets angrier than mom did¡­¡¯ She walked back into the library, muttering about the current generation of angels. ¡®I mean¡­ If half the building is underground¡­ I¡¯m still not wrong¡­ You¡¯re stupid¡­¡¯ Zeus shook his head and sighed. ¡®What¡¯s a rascal?¡¯ Zeus started toward the building with blue banners. ¡®Half the building is underground? What kind of weirdo builds underground¡­ Just build up higher¡­¡¯ Zeus walked onto the road, and then a horse whinnied immediately. The caravan behind it came to a sudden stop as the man holding the reins stood up.


    ¡°What are you doing?! Watch where you''re going!¡± the man shouted. ¡°I almost smoked you! If I hadn¡¯t stopped, you¡¯d be dead!¡±


    Zeus reared his head back and smirked. ¡°What? No I wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Wha- What¡­¡±


    Zeus walked toward the building and looked up at the roof, it was about two stories above the ground. Between the building and the sidewalk, was an iron grate. Through the gaps in the grate, Zeus could see barred windows. The sound of someone singing with a low tone could be heard somewhere below. The blue banner flapped against the wind, the symbol of the mask occasionally looked like it was staring at him. ¡®At least their emblem is kind of cool¡­¡¯ He turned and looked at the library one more time. Yycan poked his head out of Zeus¡¯s right shoulder and whimpered at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, not going back there¡­¡± Zeus scratched the fur on Yycan¡¯s head, as he walked into House Rover, Yycan retreated into his collar. ¡°She was probably mad because she¡¯s around books all day, just like Nova¡­ Still, I thought she¡¯d hit me from how mad she looked¡­¡±


    ¡°You should be thanking her for not,¡± a voice advised from the right.


    ¡®Huh?¡¯ Zeus turned to see a man sitting on a couch by the window. He had dark brown skin and short curly hair, wearing a white dress shirt with blue decals and black pants. The blue insignia of a mask on his chest was the same as the one on the banner. He took a deep breath as he looked down at the large sheet of paper on the table in front of him. On his right was a black cheetah with silver spots on its fur, it narrowed its bright white eyes as it yawned.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°The name¡¯s Ando, first lieutenant of House Rover,¡± the man nodded without making eye contact. ¡°I don¡¯t think I''ve ever seen the new librarian lose it like that, I''m a little impressed.¡±


    ¡®First lieutenant?¡¯ Zeus squinted.


    ¡°Is that the highest rank?¡± Zeus asked sternly.


    ¡°Highest?¡± Ando replied with a puzzled tone. ¡°Well¡­ No¡­ That¡¯d be the noble, first lieutenant is directly under the noble¡­ You¡­ Don¡¯t know this?¡±


    Zeus grinned. ¡°So, that makes you second strongest! I challenge you to a duel!¡±


    Ando blinked at Zeus repeatedly. ¡°Come again?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s fight!¡±


    Ando looked at Zeus for several seconds. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ Pass? Uh, is that all you came here for?¡±


    ¡°Ando! Is that the new lieutenant!¡± a voice called from somewhere else in the building.


    Zeus looked up to a balcony on the second floor, where a lady with brown hair leaned over the railing. She looked quite tall, and was very slim. She wore a similar outfit to Ando. ¡®She¡¯s a lieutenant too? She looks really weak¡­ This guy looks weak too¡­ I could probably beat both of them if they ganged up on me¡­¡¯


    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t think this is the guy Kiril, this is just some kook.¡± said Ando, his gaze returned to the map.


    ¡°Kook?¡± Zeus repeated.


    ¡°Did you ask Angela yet?¡± Kiril asked.


    ¡°Nope,¡± said Ando.


    ¡°Are you here to report something?¡± Kiril asked while raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to join House Rover,¡± Zeus declared confidently. ¡°I¡¯m gonna become the noble of his place one day, and make it three times bigger!¡±


    ¡°Ando he is the new recruit¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Apparently so¡­ Unfortunately he challenged me to a duel instead of telling me that first¡­.¡± said Ando, he sounded confused.


    ¡°He did what now?¡± Kiril squinted.


    ¡°You too! I challenge you too!¡± Zeus shouted and pointed up at Kiril. ¡°I¡¯ll be the noble if I''m the strongest, right!¡±


    Kiril raised an eyebrow at Zeus. She simply turned and walked out of sight.


    ¡°Angela! The new recruits here! But I think he has a screw loose!¡± Kiril shouted.


    ¡°Screw loose?¡± Zeus tilted his head.


    ¡°So¡­ Isn¡¯t military school graduation late into Vagril?¡± Ando asked.


    ¡°It was, but me and my brother are just that strong, so we were both promoted to noble houses today!¡± Zeus grinned.


    ¡°You graduated early? What¡¯s up with that? You don¡¯t seem very¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t seem very¡­ What?¡±


    ¡°Forget that, uh¡­ You got siblings huh?¡± Ando changed the topic to try and make conversation. ¡°You the oldest or youngest?¡±


    ¡°Second youngest, I have an older sister and an older brother. My older brother is the one who also graduated, he¡¯ll be joining House Rael today. Oh, I also have a younger brother, but we are trying to find him, my mom and him went missing.¡±


    Ando reared his head back as he blinked repeatedly, he put his pen down and leaned forward. He tapped on the desk as he squinted at the floor for a moment. He rubbed his temple, while his eyes wandered back and forth as he thought about what he heard.


    ¡°That was¡­ A lot to take in¡­ Where do I start¡­ You and¡­ Your oldest brother, both graduated at the same time? Two seasons early? How much older is he?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m two years younger than Yami,¡± Zeus nodded.


    ¡°Right, and you said¡­ Your mom¡¯s gone missing? And your younger brother? I¡­ Feel like I should¡¯ve heard about that¡­ Have you contacted authorities about this?¡±


    ¡°Authorities? Who is that?¡± Zeus replied.


    Ando¡¯s eyes widened, he smiled awkwardly as he tilted his head.


    ¡°Sorry, I was in the back! You must be the new lieutenant!¡± A blonde woman stepped down the stairs with her hands in her pocket.


    ¡°Uh, ma¡¯am¡­ This guy is a nut job¡­¡± Ando said as he pointed at Zeus.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Angela tilted her head.


    ¡°Nut job?¡± Zeus repeated.


    Angela looked at Ando for a moment, and he simply shook his head with wide eyes. She was a bit taller than Zeus, with icy blonde hair and yellow eyes. While she wore similar clothes to Ando and Kiril, she had a white coat with blue decals reaching past her waist and down to her knees. Zeus analyzed the shape of her face, her shoulders, and her waist. ¡®She looks strong¡­ Shouldn¡¯t she be the first lieutenant instead of that guy? Maybe I underestimated that guy¡­ I wonder what the actual noble is like¡­ ¡¯


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Angela asked as she tilted her head.


    ¡°Zeus.¡±


    ¡°Last name?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve only had one name? Also, where''s the noble of this house? I wanna challenge him to a duel!¡±


    Angela blinked repeatedly, her blue eyes slowly turned to Ando with an awkward smile. The first lieutenant sighed as he held his forehead. Kiril walked forward and leaned against the wall.


    ¡°I am the noble of House Rover¡­¡± said Angela. ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t know this already?¡±


    ¡°What?! Are you¡­ Are you a guy?¡± Zeus pointed at her. ¡°I thought you were a girl¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Am¡­¡± Angela raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯re right Ando, he is a nut job¡­ But¡­ He is the guy¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even like peanuts¡­¡± Zeus cringed as he tilted his head.


    ¡°He said his older brother just graduated at the same time as him¡­ Even though there''s a two year gap between their age? Also said his little brother and mom went missing, and¡­ I don¡¯t think we have a search going on for a mother and her youngest son? Should we ask Arthur to check his head out?¡±


    ¡°Do you have a certificate? Something they would have given you when you graduated?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Zeus reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded envelope. ¡°This is what they gave me¡­¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he just start with that¡­¡± Ando muttered to himself as he groaned.


    Angela took the envelope, her eyebrows quickly rose as she saw the seal. She looked up at Zeus in disbelief before she opened it. Angela¡¯s eyes scanned the contents of the page as she put one hand to her chin.


    ¡°Wait¡­ That seal¡­ The king ordered for this?¡± said Ando.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ He isn¡¯t lying¡­ He really did graduate today¡­¡± Angela nodded. ¡°Well¡­ That¡¯s really sudden¡­ So, Zeus¡­ I don¡¯t really know what job to give you right now¡­¡±


    Zeus'' eyes widened. ¡°How about fighting demons! Me and Yycan are really strong!¡±


    ¡°You and who?¡± Angela stuttered.


    Zeus stretched out his arm, a black and white liquid flowed off of him. Ando and Angela were once again surprised, as the mass of liquid splashed against the ground. It slowly rose, taking the form of a wolf. Yycan¡¯s black and white fur stood up as it looked at all the new people in the room.


    ¡°And¡­ He has a gift¡­¡± Angela nodded as she squatted in front of Yycan. ¡°This¡­ You didn¡¯t conjure it¡­ And how did it do that, it looked like¡­ Goo?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Yycan can change its own shape.¡±


    Yycan made a lap around Angela and started to sniff her. She crouched down and analyzed Zeus¡¯s fur, scratching him at the same time. Yycan happily allowed it, wagging his tail and letting his tongue hang out while he enjoyed the attention. The black cheetah next to Ando rose, pulling its head back, analyzing the wolf curiously.


    ¡°Not just shape¡­¡± Angela pulled Yycan¡¯s upper lip and observed the black teeth underneath. ¡°It can alter its own density too¡­ This gift is amazing?! How haven¡¯t I heard about this?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s almost as big as Silver Shadow¡­ And I''m surprised how well behaved he is¡­ Compared to¡­ His owner- Mhm!¡± Ando coughed.


    ¡°Silver Shadow?¡± said Zeus.


    ¡°Ando, have you gone out for your scouting run?¡± Angela asked, her eyes still on Zeus.


    ¡°No, I was just about to go,¡± Ando replied.


    ¡°Take Zeus, show him the basics of scouting.¡±


    ¡°On second thought¡­ Can you go with him?¡± Ando smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°It''s your job, that isn¡¯t changing¡­ But if Zeus has a similar gift to yours, he could help.¡±


    ¡°Patrol? That sounds boring¡­ What does that even mean¡­¡± Zeus butted into the conversation.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what that means?¡± Ando muttered to himself. ¡°Uh¡­ Patrol just means we''re going to make sure there''s no criminal activity or enemy forces behind our borders¡­ Check up on-¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ We''re gonna fight demons?! Already? Yes!¡± Zeus¡¯s eyes lit up.


    Zeus jumped as he pumped his fist. Ando and Angela stared at each other again. Kiril sighed and walked back up the stairs as she shook her head. Yycan looked excited as well, they both turned to the door. Ando shook his head, silently expressing his reluctance to go with Zeus.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Well, let me know how it goes,¡± Angela waved as she walked back up the stairs.


    ¡°Come on Andy! We got asses to kick!¡± Zeus excitedly ran outside.


    "It''s Ando you dunce!"


    "Dunce?"


    * * *


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Zeus muttered as he looked up at the cloudy sky. ¡°Holy crap, I think¡­ I think I''m really going to die¡­ I can¡¯t do this¡­ Yycan¡­ I didn¡¯t think it would be like this¡­¡±


    Yycan walked over to him and licked his face, whimpering at Zeus¡¯s weak appearance. He laid back on a stack of hay. He leaned forward and sighed, Yycan tilted his head before prancing around the patches of grass and dirt. ¡®I¡¯m actually going to die of boredom at this rate¡­ Holy crap¡­ We¡¯ve just been going from place to place across the city for hours¡­ Man, how are you even able to have fun right now¡­¡¯ He was perplexed at how easily Yycan managed to entertain himself. The black and white wolf rolled around in the dirt, dug holes or pounced onto weeds.


    ¡®I haven¡¯t been this far out of the city though, today was the first time I saw the outer city as well¡­ It¡¯s been a while since I''ve seen grass¡­¡¯ The outskirts of Helios were nothing like the inner or even outer city. The houses were widely spread out, usually surrounded by an abundance of farmland. The fields were full of evenly spaced crops, each field seemed to have a unique kind of crop. The one closest to Zeus had a spiky yellow fruit growing at the top of it, while many of the others he saw just seemed to look like green or red foliage. ¡®And the noble of House Rover is a girl?! What¡­ Here I thought Nova would be the first girl to be a noble¡­¡¯


    A man carrying a bag of seeds on his shoulder walked past Zeus, smiling as he noticed his bored expression. He approached Ando, who was leaning against a small wooden fence not too far away. The fence surrounded a coop full of turkeys and chickens, clucking and chirping in fear of Yycan. Everytime the curious wolf tried to get closer to observe them, they¡¯d run to the other side.


    ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to collect this yield¡­ I know the answer, but I have to ask anyway¡­ Do you see any suspicious individuals around here? Any demons?¡± Ando tried to sound imposing.


    ¡°Heh, haha¡­¡± the man shook his head. ¡°The crops aren¡¯t doing so well, last wet season didn¡¯t last too long¡­¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Ando sighed. ¡°Least we have a lot of potatoes from the last harvest¡­ Can¡¯t stand pickles¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡± the man laughed. ¡°You should try out one of my new sandwiches, I''ve been putting pickles in them to make it a bit nicer on the gut, you won¡¯t even notice it.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea Amalun, I hate pickles¡­ Speaking of that, how''s the business in Logos doing?¡±


    ¡°Pretty good, there¡¯s not many regulars, but this one guy really loves sandwiches. I thought he¡¯d get tired of it by now, but he just keeps coming back¡­¡± Amalun shrugged. ¡°I better get ready, I¡¯ll be heading to Logos in a few hours to set up shop.¡±


    Ando nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be heading to my last checkpoint. Yo, Zeus, get up.¡±


    ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Zeus yawned as he pushed himself up. ¡°Yycan, let¡¯s go...¡±


    The five foot black and white wolf hurried over, then lowered itself. Zeus climbed onto its back. Ando walked toward the shade of a tree where the black cheetah with silver spotted fur rested. He put the paperwork and reports into his bag, then mounted the four foot tall black cheetah. Ando started toward the trees. Yycan followed behind.


    ¡°I thought we would be fighting demons¡­¡± Zeus groaned.


    ¡°No¡­ If that¡¯s what you hoped for, you might have joined the wrong house,¡± said Ando.


    ¡°Which one should I have joined?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°Probably Rael, or Pendragon¡­ Or you could have just joined the military¡­ Not sure how often they fight demons but¡­ They are usually called to the front lines to combat the Hirian resistance¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah damnit! Then Yami got lucky! Aaugh!¡± Zeus groaned to the sky.


    The wall of inner Helios could be seen just over the rows of buildings that surrounded it. The outer wall was only half the height of the inner one. Ando and Zeus rode their mounts parallel to the city, they approached the forest quickly. Zeus¡¯s hair was pushed back by the wind, he gazed at the Celestial looming over everything from the center of Helios. ¡®I¡¯ve never been this far from Helios¡­ It¡¯s kind of nice, feels less stuffy out here¡­¡¯


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the next checkpoint is the last¡­¡± Ando reassured him. ¡°Yami¡­ That¡¯s your brother, right? What are your sister and younger brother¡¯s names?¡±


    ¡°My older sister is named Nova¡­ And my younger brother who went missing is named Eos¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ Interesting names¡­ Never heard them before actually¡­ Which part of Helios are you from?¡± Ando asked.


    ¡°The mountains,¡± Zeus answered casually.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Hm? I grew up in the mountains.¡±


    Ando slowed down to a halt as he passed under the shadow of the Celestial. ¡°The mountains? Which mountain?¡±


    ¡°In Helios? Where else¡­¡±


    ¡°There are no mountains in Helios? I mean maybe the cliffs on the west end, those have some small caves but¡­ But no one lives there¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zeus tilted his head. ¡°But¡­ I clearly remember growing up there? We even had a house, it was in the middle of a forest, and there were mountains all around us?¡±


    ¡°Okay. Point to it,¡± Ando asked simply. ¡°Point to this mountain¡­¡±


    Zeus looked up, he turned all the way around. There was a grey pillar of smoke beyond the forest, and just past that, were the large grey walls of the Logorite mines. It was the only mountain in sight, but it was south of Helios. Further to the east, beyond the straits that separate Hiria and Kamino were another set of mountains. Zeus looked toward Helios, scratching his head as he squinted. ¡®Mountains are supposed to be big right? I don¡¯t see anything in the city though¡­¡¯


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Right¡­¡± Zeus scratched his head as he looked down, his head started to hurt as he tried to remember where it was.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Members of House Rover are expected to know all of the different districts in Helios, and trust me, I''ve never once heard of anyone living in any mountains¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ But¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± Zeus shook his head.


    Zeus scratched his head. He looked around once again, but there were no mountains near Helios. ¡®Am I forgetting where it was? Was it even in Helios¡­¡¯ Zeus squinted at the massive city while he held his head. Ando looked down, then reached forward and patted Zeus on the back. It shook him out of his daze.


    ¡°You seem like you¡¯re telling the truth, that''s for sure¡­ Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter too much¡­ I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find your mom and Eos¡­¡± Ando pointed at Yycan. ¡°You name this guy yourself?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Zeus tilted his head. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯d the name Yycan come from?¡±


    ¡°It¡­ Didn¡¯t come from anywhere¡­ When I got my gift, I just knew his name¡­ Isn¡¯t that how it works for everyone?¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­ I didn¡¯t get a name when I was gifted¡­¡±


    ¡°It was the same way for my brothers and sisters¡­ When we got our gifts we all knew their names immediately¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait¡­ You and all your siblings got gifted spirits?¡± Ando raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay, now I think you¡¯re lying!¡± Ando laughed.


    ¡°What about your spirit, what¡¯s his name?¡±


    ¡°She, not he¡­ I named her Silver Shadow,¡± Ando nodded with a smile.


    Zeus choked on his spit. ¡°Heh- hahahaha¡±


    ¡°What¡­ Why are you laughing?¡±


    ¡°That name is so lame it''s funny!¡±


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you name her that?¡± Zeus''s shoulders shook as he chuckled.


    ¡°It sounds cool?! You¡¯re the first person who called it lame! I knew you had a screw loose!¡±


    Zeus laughed cheerfully as he shook his head, he struggled to breathe. ¡°I have no idea what that means!¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, what does Yycan even mean?! It sounds like you¡¯re saying- I, I can!¡± Ando mocked him with an accent.


    ¡°It¡¯s- It¡¯s still better than Silver Shadow, haha!¡±


    ¡°Nah, no way¡­ We¡¯re settling this with a race¡­¡± Ando shook his head and grinned.


    ¡°A race?¡± Zeus¡¯s eyes lit up, the offer of competition caught his attention. ¡°To where?¡±


    ¡°Whoever is first to reach the east outpost wins, it''s passed the forest, at the left side of the Logorite mountains. See that pillar of smoke across the forest?¡±


    There was a pillar of smoke rising from the other side of the forest. It was in front of a low peak on the mountain where the Logorite mines were. Across the field of grass ahead of them, the forest looked dense as the peaks of the trees seemed to descend down the hill, only to rise back up closer to where the factory was. To the left were the edges of the cliffs, beyond it the sea.


    ¡°Alright, I think I know where to go¡­¡± Zeus nodded.


    ¡°Are you sure? You had a hard time finding House Rover earlier, don¡¯t go back to the library now!¡±


    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t have a hard time! I was just¡­.¡± Zeus paused. ¡°Disappointed.¡±


    Ando pointed south, ¡°It¡¯s that way, if you just go straight in that direction, you¡¯ll end up seeing it no problem. Loser is on cleaning duty!¡±


    Silver shadow kicked forward and started in the direction Ando pointed at. Zeus hesitated as the cheetah suddenly shot into full speed. ¡®Holy shit- They¡¯re fast!¡¯ Silver shadow¡¯s arms and legs almost became a blur as it repeatedly kicked against the ground. Ando leaned forward, holding tightly to the fur, allowing Silver Shadow to go even faster. Silver Shadow had accelerated to her top speed in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Hey! You didn¡¯t count down!¡± Zeus shouted.


    ¡°I know!¡± Ando yelled back.


    ¡°Shit! Yycan, let''s go!¡±


    Yycan pressed its feet into the ground and pounced forward. His paws skipping against the ground as the wolf sprinted toward the dense thicket of trees. Zeus lowered his head as he held on tightly to Yycan¡¯s fur. Ando and Silver Shadow disappeared behind the tree¡¯s. ¡®Damnit!¡¯ Zeus cursed as he descended down a short hill, he continued to gaze at the smokestacks of the outpost across the forest. However, as Zeus reached the foot of the hill, he couldn¡¯t see past the jagged tips of the tree¡¯s. ¡®You might be fast! But you¡¯re nowhere near as fast as Eos! And I won¡¯t accept losing to anyone but him!¡¯


    ¡°Yycan that way!¡± Zeus pointed forward in the direction he last saw the smoke.


    Zeus grit his teeth, grinning as he forced his eyes wide open against the strong winds. As his mind was further absorbed into the thrill of the competition. Yycan felt his drive, and sped up. The two zoomed through the field of grass, and into the forest. The rhythmic stomps of the spirit''s paws were broken as Yycan passed over the edge of the hill. They flew off the ground as they soared over the hill''s descent. Zeus¡¯s heart skipped a beat, the only thing he could hear was the wind being left behind as they descended. ¡®Don¡¯t slow down! We need speed!¡¯ As Yycan¡¯s paws reached the dirt, the wolf immediately started kicking. The two hit the hill, accelerating with the descent, carrying the momentum as they hit the bottom.


    ¡°Huh-¡± Zeus uttered as he noticed the trees directly in front of him.


    Ando was nowhere to be seen, and that thought made Zeus anxious. ¡®That lame spirit of his is pretty fast! But not faster than Yycan!¡¯ Yycan continued at that speed, the spirit¡¯s paws were barely making contact with the ground. They zoomed past tree¡¯s, collided with bushes, crushed roots and branches. Yycan entered a focus of his own, his paws tearing through the dirt with each kick forward. However, his feet dragged against the dirt to a sudden stop. Zeus almost flew forward, but two tendrils extended out of Yycan¡¯s body and wrapped around his waist, keeping him mounted. As they stopped, Zeus opened his eyes and blinked repeatedly.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Zeus squinted at the wall in front of him.


    Yycan and Zeus were on a faded dirt path that separated the forest and the mountain. Zeus looked around in a hurry. ¡®This isn¡¯t right¡­ The outpost was¡­¡¯ He looked to his left, and then up, and noticed smoke stacks in that direction beyond some more trees. He looked at the black smog rising into the sky as his brain processed what went wrong.


    ¡°Ah fuck! We went the wrong way?!¡± Zeus shouted as he held his head, Yycan yipped as Zeus realized. ¡°That way! We can still win!¡±


    Yycan took off once more, Zeus kept an eye on the rising smoke. ¡®We can still win! We can still win!¡¯ However Yycan stopped as they reached a bend in the path. The path led away from the mountain, and around a massive dirt hill. There were a multitude of trees on the slope, some of their roots visible amongst the trees that appeared to be sliding down. Zeus squinted for a moment. ¡®We can climb this¡­¡¯ Yycan barked nervously.


    ¡°We can! We can do anything Yycan, now sharpen those claws!¡± Zeus roared.


    Yycan paused for a moment, and then looked down. The black claws stretched forward and bent towards the ground. Three jagged, talon-shaped claws grew out of the wolf¡¯s paws. At the top of the hill, was a single tree that obscured the smoke stack. ¡®It¡¯s just past this hill!¡¯


    ¡°Yeah! Attaboy!¡± Zeus cheered. ¡°Now, go! As fast as you can!¡±


    Yycan jumped forward, digging its claws into the dirt and latching on, then jumped once more to get higher. With each jump, the wolf scaled the hill. About halfway up, Zeus tucked his chin and held on tightly, they were almost completely vertical. Yycan kicked up once more, but just a few meters from the top, his claws cut through the ground and lost their grip.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Zeus felt his heart sink as they started to descend.


    Two more white tendrils sprouted from Yycan¡¯s back and latched on to the tree at the top of the hill. Zeus held on tightly as Yycan remained vertical. The wolf grunted, then kicked against the ground, tearing through the piles of leaves and dragging through the dirt. His speed picked up, and they returned to their original speed as they climbed the hill


    ¡°Ha¡­ Haha! See, you can do it! Why didn¡¯t we just do that to begin with¡­¡± said Zeus.


    ¡°Arf!¡± Yycan barked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not cheating! But he cheated already so who cares!¡±


    Yycan pulled itself up the hill, climbing up the vertical wall of dirt and roots. As they got closer to the top, the slope of the hill was no longer as steep. Yycan opened its mouth, firing a black bladed tongue connected to a white tendril forward. The blade stabbed into a tree, only to retract and pull Yycan forward. Yycan ran to keep his speed, the moment he reached the top, the wolf lunged forward as it released its tongue. Zeus raised his arms high as the two flew over the top of the hill at high speed.


    ¡°Woo!¡± Zeus howled as Yycan descended.


    The outpost was in front of them, a building made mainly of stone. It sat at the top of a hill, right next to the cliff¡¯s edge where the mountain appeared to drop off. A large gate surrounded the stone building, beyond the gate Zeus noticed a large garage door and several smaller buildings around the main one. Yycan landed in front of the building, and with enough speed to send Zeus flying off his back. Zeus tumbled against the ground, tucking his arms in and rolling to a stop.


    ¡°Haha!¡± Zeus laughed as he rolled onto his stomach with wide eyes.


    ¡°Ruf!¡± Yycan ran over in a mix of worry and excitement, jumping on Zeus.


    ¡°That was awesome!¡± Zeus scratched the excited spirit''s fur.


    ¡°Yeah! That was quite the sight to see!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know right! Huh? Who said that?¡± Zeus turned toward the gate.


    In front of the gate was a guard, wearing white robes. He waved toward Zeus to get his attention. Their face obscured by a cloth with two holes in the front to see through. He stood alone in front of the outpost. A gust of wind blew against the cloth and revealed his green eyes and wide grin. He quickly held the cloth to keep his face covered.


    ¡°That''s your gift?¡± the guard asked Zeus.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± Zeus stood up and looked down the hill, he couldn¡¯t see Ando anywhere. ¡°Alright! He¡¯s not here yet! We won!¡±


    Zeus turned to Yycan, but Yycan was still staring at the guard. The wolf¡¯s tail was completely still. His excitement from earlier was replaced with a keen focus. ¡®Huh? What happened? You were really happy just now¡­¡¯


    ¡°Yycan, what¡¯s up?¡± Zeus asked as he huffed.


    ¡°Hrgh¡­¡± Yycan grumbled.


    ¡°He does not look like me¡­ What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Is that what he said? Heh, maybe he''s onto something, we both have black hair and green eyes, I''m way skinnier than you though¡­¡± the guard mentioned. ¡°By the way¡­ Were you looking for someone?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I was in the middle of a-¡±


    ¡°Arf!¡± Yycan barked at the guard, interrupting Zeus.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Zeus turned to Yycan.


    The guard turned away from them slightly.


    ¡°What do you mean he smells weird?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°Uh¡­ I¡­ Had some bad food recently, uh¡­ Been¡­ Really doing a number on my stomach, haha¡­ Been farting all day,¡± the guard laughed. ¡°That might be what he smells¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm¡­ If that was the case he usually just walks away¡­¡± Zeus tilted his head.


    ¡°Uh, besides that¡­ You said you were in the middle of something? A guy from House Rover just came by riding his spirit¡­ It was black and silver.¡±


    ¡°Huh¡­¡±


    Zeus stood there for a second as he put the simple information together.


    ¡°Fuck! When did he get here?! ¡± Zeus whined.


    ¡°You went the wrong way didn¡¯t you?¡± Ando walked past the gate with two more guards.


    ¡°You! You cheated! That means I win by default!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, whatever, let''s go, we''re done here,¡± Ando stretched as he started down the hill.


    Zeus shook his head, then sighed and followed Ando. Yycan stood still, looking at the guard they spoke with. ¡®Dammit! It must have been because I went the wrong way¡­ Dammit, dammit, dammit!¡¯ Zeus stomped as he twitched, but stopped as he noticed Yycan was still watching the guard.


    ¡°Hey, Yycan, come on, we¡¯re leaving¡­¡± Zeus called. ¡°What¡¯re you standing around for?¡±


    Yycan turned, but kept his eyes on the guard.


    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary I assume,¡± the other guard asked, he sounded older.


    ¡°Yeah, nothin¡¯ but the wind¡­ I have to use the bathroom, I''ll be right back¡­¡± the other guard replied, the same guard Zeus spoke with.


    ¡°When the heck did you get here!¡± Zeus asked with a fierce tone.


    ¡°Like¡­ five or ten minutes ago? I waited for you, but then I figured I might as well just finish up what we came here for¡­ You¡¯d have probably found it boring anyways¡­¡±


    The two of them reached the bottom of the hill, and they continued back through the forest. Zeus couldn¡¯t stop glaring at the back of Ando¡¯s head, he was still annoyed at the fact that he lost. Yycan walked next to Zeus, but he kept looking back at the factory. ¡®Can¡¯t believe I lost¡­ I knew something was wrong when I couldn¡¯t see him anymore¡­¡¯


    ¡°You cheated¡­¡± said Zeus.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Sorry¡­ I guess? I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d take it so seriously¡­¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it any better! You said you got there five minutes ago, right!¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°Well if that''s the case I basically lost even if you didn¡¯t cheat! And that''s not okay! We need to have another race, you and the lame named cat!¡±


    ¡°Lame? Come on man, it can''t really be that lame¡±


    ¡°It is lame! And now I feel lame because I lost!¡±


    ¡°How¡¯d you fly over the hilltop earlier? I wasn¡¯t expecting that¡­¡±


    ¡°I used it as a shortcut to try and win,¡± Zeus grumbled. ¡°But it didn¡¯t work¡­¡±


    ¡°You used a shortcut? Isn¡¯t that cheating in a way?¡±


    ¡°Yeah but¡­¡± Zeus paused as he looked to the left. ¡°Shit¡­ Okay fine, you won¡­¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Ando broke out into laughter.


    ¡°What¡¯s so funny!¡± Zeus shouted.


    ¡°You¡¯re unnecessarily honest, haha!¡±


    ¡°How is that? What- Ah nevermind¡­¡± Zeus shook his head.


    ¡°Yeah yeah¡­¡± Ando waved his hand as he chuckled. ¡°But since you also cheated, that makes it fair and square, so you lost and I won.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know, that¡¯s what I am trying to say¡­¡± Zeus squinted.


    ¡°Yeah, I just want you to know¡­ You lost,¡± Ando pursed his lip, trying his best to hold back his laughter.


    ¡°Again, I heard you¡­¡±


    They walked in silence for a few seconds. ¡°Loser¡­¡± Ando whispered.


    ¡°You wanna race again! I¡¯m ready! Yycan is even faster after that last race-¡±


    A green light shone through the gaps in the leaves above. The light suddenly smothered the trees and ground in front of the two of them, and the booming roar of an explosion cut Zeus off. The ground suddenly rumbled, a strong gust of wind hit Zeus and Ando, causing the two of them to crouch instinctively. Yycan barked nervously, the wolf¡¯s pitch sounding more frightened and unsure of the sudden noise. Zeus blinked repeatedly as the green light seemed to fade, the forest returned to its normal colours. ¡®What!¡¯


    ¡°What the fuck?!¡± Zeus skipped a breath.


    ¡°Oh shit¡­¡± Ando uttered as he turned and looked in the direction they had come, the same place where the explosion was heard.


    ¡°That was loud!¡± Zeus exclaimed with wide eyes, his heart beating out of his chest, a mix of excitement and nervousness rushed through him at the same time.


    A massive pillar of grey smoke rose from the outpost, reaching into the sky. It was even larger than the pillars of dark smog coming out of the smokestacks at the outpost. ¡®Something exploded? Weren¡¯t we just there? Everything seemed normal?!¡¯


    ¡°Zeus, you head back to House Rover and report this right now! I¡¯m gonna go see what happened!¡±


    ¡°The hell? I¡¯m coming too! This is what I''ve been waiting for!¡±


    ¡°Zeus, I am not playing around right now, this is serious! I am ordering you to-¡±


    ¡°Yycan, let¡¯s go!¡± Zeus commanded as he mounted his wolf.


    ¡°Hey, wait-¡± Yycan took off before Ando could finish. ¡°Yo!¡±


    Zeus went back along the forest path, and then reached the bottom of the hill the outpost stood on. The building still stood, but green flames could be seen rising from the back of the back, before joining the dense black smoke creeping into the sky.


    ¡°Zeus! We don¡¯t know what we¡¯re dealing with! Don¡¯t just rush in until-¡±


    A strange sound could be heard at the top of the hill. It sounded like the grumble of a massive beast. The sound seemed to whistle, before a bright green light flew into the sky. The two of them watched in awe as it rose over the peak of the mountain. ¡®Holy shit¡­ It¡¯s flying¡­ But¡­ It has no wings? What is that?!¡¯ Whatever it was bursted through the smoke, climbing even higher into the sky. It was too hard to tell what it was from so far away.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Ando was at a loss for words.


    ¡°Is- that a demon?!¡± Zeus asked, his voice trembling.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯ve never seen one myself¡­ But¡­¡± Ando squinted at the figure in the sky. ¡°It looks like a¡­ Like a person¡­¡±


    The figure in the sky flashed green once again, and then soared to the west. Zeus was taken aback by the speed at which the figure crossed the sky. It had to have flown over all of Rover¡¯s wood in just a few seconds. Ando and Zeus sat at the bottom of the hill, trying to make sense of what they just witnessed. ¡®That¡­ That was way faster than both of us¡­ What the hell was that?!¡¯


    ¡°Zeus¡­ I need you to report this to Angela¡­¡± Ando ordered.


    ¡°What about that thing?¡± Zeus asked.


    ¡°Zeus, that is an order. I am going to see what happened at the outpost¡­¡±


    ¡°But, I can help-¡±


    ¡°Zeus¡­ This could be a declaration of war! Letting the nobles know, is top priority! Go, now!¡±


    Ando hurried toward the outpost. Zeus stood there, dumbfounded by what he witnessed. Yycan looked back at him, whimpering. ¡®Dammit¡­ Dammit, dammit¡­¡¯ Zeus looked at his hands, he couldn¡¯t stop shaking. ¡®Even if I was there to help¡­ It made that huge explosion, and flew at that speed¡­ Would I even be able to stand up to that thing?¡¯


    ¡°Arf!¡± Yycan barked.


    ¡°I hear you¡­ He is probably right¡­¡± Zeus turned, but looked back up as he passed under the trees.


    Zeus looked down as Yycan ran through the forest, an uncomfortable feeling rose within him. ¡®The world is¡­ A lot bigger than I thought it was¡­¡¯ The sight of that thing made him feel something he wasn¡¯t used to. He grit his teeth as he felt ashamed of that feeling. The fear gripped his heart like an icy hand, but something about it bothered him. ¡®Why do I feel like this¡­ I¡¯m afraid¡­ But why does it feel so familiar¡­¡¯