They backed away from the Onyx, leaving its eerie whispers and heavy presence behind. The air outside was cold and thin compared to the suffocating energy within the hideout. Nicholas spared the crystal one last sharp glance before urging, "This place won't stand much longer. We're leaving."
EJ nodded silently, following him out.
The corridors were already beginning to collapse, cracks spiderwebbing up the walls, dust raining down from above. Together, they slipped through the ruined hall, the faint scent of smoke and ash clinging to every surface.
At last, they emerged into the open air. Dawn was just a faint glow at the edge of the sky, a pale light struggling to warm the world.
But before either of them could take another step, the sky above them split open.
It was not a deafening roar nor a grand display, rather, it was like a blade quietly slicing through silk. A thin golden rift opened high overhead, spilling a shaft of light that cut across the ruins.
From it descended a dozen Legacies clad in white and gold, their armor glinting faintly in the newborn light. They landed with quiet precision in a loose circle, their weapons drawn but steady, their faces set and watchful.
EJ froze where he stood, feeling the weight of their arrival settle over the square like a net.
Of course. His Celestial Path must have been severed when Arthur captured him. And when he failed to report back, Captain Will had sent backup.
The soft sound of boots on stone pulled his attention. Across the square, Arthur staggered into view — disheveled, desperate, his book clutched in one hand as he tried to flee.
But he didn't make it far.
Light flashed, and in the next breath a chain of celestial flame snaked around his legs, pulling him to the ground. Another Legacy moved forward, their blade pressing into Arthur's throat.
EJ turned slightly to glance behind him and found Nicholas already retreating.
K and Jo emerged from the shadows at his sides, silent as wraiths, their weapons drawn but held low. Nicholas paused, though, sensing EJ's gaze, and looked back at him.
For a moment, the world went still.
The cries of the captured Arthur and the faint murmurs of the Legacies seemed far away. It was just the two of them, the weight of their shared past, and everything unsaid between them, hanging heavy in the air.
EJ stepped forward despite himself, his fingers tightening around the hilt of his sword.
"The next time I see you," he said, his voice low, steady, but sharp, "you have to tell me what happened. Everything. Or else…" His words faltered only for a breath before he finished. "…or else we'll be enemies."
Nicholas studied him for a long moment, his expression unreadable under the soft gray light. Then, slowly, faintly, he smirked but his eyes did not smile.
"Fair enough," he murmured.
And then he turned, his cloak catching the wind, and he and his men dissolved into shadow and gone before the golden light of the Legacies could touch them.
EJ stood there alone for a few breaths longer, staring at the place where he'd vanished, his chest tight.
Only when the faint rays of dawn finally broke over the ruined square did he turn back to face the Legacies waiting behind him.
It had been three days since EJ returned to the Center and resumed his usual duties.
After Arthur's capture, Captain Will and the high-ranking Legacies took over the interrogation themselves, shutting everyone else out. And because the hideout had collapsed before anyone else arrived, The Onyx remained unseen and unmentioned. EJ kept that secret to himself.
Now he stood in the Center's training room, the faint scent of metal and sweat hanging in the air. He was sparring with Taki for the first time in what felt like months, and he realized just how much he had let himself grow soft. His sword felt heavier in his grip than it used to, his stance just a little less sharp.
Taki lunged at him, their blades ringing out as they clashed.
"You're in deep thought again," Taki observed, pushing forward, the edge of his blade just grazing EJ's shoulder. "You should focus more when you're sparring with me, E."
EJ smirked faintly, adjusting his footing. "I can handle you even like this," he shot back, and with a swift step forward, he pressed the attack, his blade flashing toward Taki's side.
Steel bit against steel as their swords locked again, the force of the clash reverberating through their arms.
"You say that," Taki grunted, pushing back, "but you've been… different lately. Ever since you came back from that mission."
EJ didn't answer, his eyes narrowing as he launched another strike, sharper and quicker this time.
But even as he fought, his thoughts strayed to the whispers of the Onyx, to Nicholas's shadowed figure vanishing into the dawn, to the words he hadn't yet dared to speak aloud.
After the sparring session, Taki tossed a bottle of water toward EJ. Without missing a beat, EJ caught it and twisted the cap open as the two of them sank onto the cool floor in the corner of the training room, still catching their breath.
Beads of sweat trickled down their foreheads, and the faint clatter of swords being sheathed elsewhere filled the air.
Taki leaned back on his palms, watching EJ out of the corner of his eye. "There's going to be a big meeting tomorrow," he said between breaths. "All the Legacies are expected. Are you coming?"
EJ took a long drink from his bottle before answering, his chest still heaving slightly.
"Mhm. Of course," he finally said, resting his arms on his knees. A wry smile ghosted across his lips. "Captain Will would have my head if I skipped. Besides…" He let out a low chuckle. "It's not like I've got anything better to do."
Taki snorted softly at that but didn't press further.
"But you know what," Taki began, stretching his legs out in front of him, his gaze fixed absently on the floor. "The higher ranks… they're a little shaken after what happened recently."
EJ twisted the cap back onto his bottle and nodded faintly, leaning his head back against the wall. "Yeah. I noticed it too," he said, his voice low but steady. "Even Yuma hasn't been showing up lately. Which says a lot. If he's keeping quiet, then he must have something on his plate, too."
Taki glanced at him, a faint smirk playing at his lips. "That guy? When even he disappears, you know something serious is going on."
"By the way," EJ said suddenly, breaking the quiet between them. "Can we access the Celestial Library today?"
Taki shot him a quick glance, one brow raised. "Yeah, I think so," he replied after a beat. "Why?"
EJ allowed himself a small, almost mischievous smile. "Just need to check on something," he said lightly, as though it were nothing at all.
Taki eyed him for another moment but didn't press the matter. If EJ didn't want to talk about it, there was no point in prying. Instead, they let the conversation drift to lighter topics, chatting idly about sparring techniques, upcoming missions, and whatever nonsense came to mind, the faint clang of swords from another training pair filling the silence around them.
Later that day, after changing into fresh clothes and gathering himself, EJ made his way to the Celestial Library.
The grand doors loomed tall, etched with constellations that glimmered faintly as he passed through. Inside, the air was cool and hushed, thick with the scent of ancient parchment and faint celestial magic. At the center of the foyer hovered a Celestial Guide — a soft, golden orb of light ringed with a faint yellow circle.
EJ stepped closer.
"Input a keyword," the Guide chimed in a faint, melodic tone.
He didn't hesitate. "The Onyx," he said.
The orb pulsed, then floated ahead of him, weaving silently through endless rows of shelves, deeper and deeper into the heart of the library. EJ followed in silence, passing towering stacks of books, their spines worn from centuries of hands and eyes.
Finally, the orb stopped at a dim, secluded corner and settled above a single shelf. A leather-bound tome rested there, thick and black, its cover unmarked save for a faint shimmer of silver script that simply read:
The Onyx.
EJ reached for it and carried it to a quiet corner where the light was soft but steady. He sat on a cushion, letting the quiet of the library settle around him, and opened the book.
The first page already answered part of his question:
The Onyx is one of the Seven Pillars of the Realm.
It symbolizes Shadow and Death.
It is black as midnight, humming with a chilling power, and carries faint whispers of the departed.
It governs endings, the necessary shadows that define light, and the silent balance between all things.
EJ frowned slightly, tracing the words with his eyes.
"Is this… an object?" he murmured to himself, flipping the page in search of more clarity.
On the next page, written in delicate, slanted script, it explained:
The Seven Pillars of the Realm do not have a single, fixed form.
Some manifest as objects, some as pure essence, some as powers flowing unseen, and some simply… exist, without need of shape or name.
EJ stared at the page for a long moment, his thoughts swirling. So the Onyx could be anything, a stone, a force, even just a concept. Yet he had seen it in that dark chamber, glowing and whispering, undeniably real.
He closed the book gently but didn't put it back yet. Instead, he leaned back against the wall, eyes still fixed on the page as if it might yield more answers if he stared hard enough.