"A prisoner? A refuge? Allies?" Akero repeated the words, his voice full of unmasked skepticism. He stood motionless, the temporal shield still lightly vibrating around him. "Those are big words. How am I supposed to believe that you are who you claim to be?"
Lucius gave a faint, weary smile, perfectly measured to evoke sympathy rather than suspicion. He raised his hands in a gesture, and his staff with the purple crystal shimmered lightly. "You can't. And you shouldn't. In this world, distrust is often the only way to survive. All I can ask is that you question yourself: if I were here to harm you, would I really have come alone? In this state?" He gestured to his tattered robes and the scratch on his forehead.
The logic was tempting, and Lucius's demeanor struck a perfect balance between vulnerability and dignity. Akero slowly lowered his hands, and the temporal distortion receded. He wasn't convinced, but he was willing to listen. "Fine," he finally said. "You can come with me. But stay ahead of me. And don't try anything…"
"Understood completely," Lucius finished for him, nodding. "Thank you."
The path back to the sanctuary was quiet, filled with tense silence. When they entered the atrium, everyone turned. Kael stopped his training, and the flame in his hand vanished. Nea stood beside Alabaster, her gaze full of concern. Serin and Kaelion shifted, their presence suddenly heavier, more cautious.
"Akero?" Nea asked, questioning with her eyes.
"He says his name is Lucius," Akero explained. "He says he escaped from the Unknown. He seeks refuge."
Alabaster, who had been sitting calmly until then, abruptly rose. His pale face grew even paler, and his eyes widened in recognition and horror. "Lucius…" he whispered, his voice breaking. "Lord of Manipulation." Everyone stiffened, and Kael immediately reached for his sword.
Lucius didn't move. He simply fixed his crimson gaze on Alabaster. His fingers tightened slightly around his staff, and the red crystal shimmered faintly, emitting a barely perceptible, ominous light. No sound was made, but Alabaster jerked suddenly, as if an invisible hand had struck him in the head. He closed his eyes, pressing his hands to his temples, his face contorted in pain.
"No… this isn't…" Alabaster murmured, his voice distant and confused. When he opened his eyes again, he looked at Lucius, but now there was only empty confusion in his gaze. "Forgive me… I thought… you look familiar, but… my memories are… hazy." He shook his head, as if trying to swat away a fly. Lucius's small, satisfied smile was almost imperceptible.
"Lord of Manipulation?" Kael said sharply, his sword pointed at Lucius. "Akero, what have you done?"
"Wait," Serin said, her voice calm, but her gaze sharp as a diamond as she studied Lucius. "You claim to have escaped. How?"
"Through luck and cunning, ma'am," Lucius replied, folding his hands in a submissive gesture. "Their attention was elsewhere, engaged in some other conflict. I took the opportunity. I believe it was your battle." His gaze swept over Kaelion and Serin, recognizing them. "You are the Guardians. Survivors. An honor." His tone was respectful, but not overly so.
"Why did you come here?" Kaelion asked, his voice like subterranean thunder.
"Rumors of resistance spread, sir. I heard of the young man with the gift of time and of your returns. It seemed the only place where I could find… understanding." He turned to Akero. "And gratitude."
Akero observed his friends grappling with their suspicions. He saw Nea's uncertainty, Kael's anger, Serin and Kaelion's deep caution, and Alabaster's confusion. But he also saw Lucius's outward sincerity. "We'll let him stay," Akero said, surprising himself and the others. "Under guard. If he lies, we will uncover it."
Lucius nodded, accepting the terms. "That is all I could ask for."
---
Late that night, as the sanctuary sank into deep sleep, Lucius lay awake on the mat they had provided him. His mind traveled through the darkness, toward his master.
*Master, the cowards are suspicious. I need proof. Something that will convince them of my feigned loyalty.*
The reply that came was cold and immediate. *It will be done.*
A few hours later, the silence was broken by ominous rustling and rasping from the hallway. Two Shadowborns, their faceless forms gliding through the stone walls, their empty eyes fixed on the sleepers.
Kael was the first to wake, his soldier instincts on high alert. "Alarm!" he shouted, drawing his sword.
Chaos ensued. The Shadowborns rushed toward Nea and Akero, who were just waking. Kael threw himself before them, cutting through the dark shapes, but they were numerous.
Then Lucius "jumped" into action. "Forward!" he shouted, his staff glowing red. He did not use his true power but created the illusion of energy, directing it toward the Shadowborns. His attacks were convincing enough to "repel" the Shadowborns, but not powerful enough to raise suspicion. Fighting alongside Kael, the two quickly neutralized the threat. When the last Shadowborn dissipated, Lucius remained, breathing heavily, leaning on his staff, looking exhausted but resolute.
Everyone watched him. Akero saw that Lucius risked himself to protect them. Nea saw "courage." Even Serin and Kaelion seemed less suspicious.
"You seem to have proven your worth tonight," Kaelion noted, his voice still cautious but not hostile.
Lucius nodded, brushing sweat from his brow. "I only did what was right."
---
In the dark village of Grimvield, where despair was thin as ice, Lex moved through the streets like a shadow. His eyes, capable of seeing the very essence of things, found what he sought: two youths, Vexion and Ariela, huddled in a cold alley. They were skin and bone, eyes hollow from hunger, each other's only warmth in a world that had abandoned them.
Lex stopped before them, his tall figure casting a long shadow over them. "Two starving," he said, his voice flat, without judgment.
Vexion, the older brother, tried to stand in front of his sister, but he was too weak. "Leave," he murmured, his voice breaking.
Lex ignored him, looking directly at Ariela. "I see a spark in you. Both of you. Frozen, hidden. Perhaps fire, perhaps ice. Perhaps soil waiting to bloom." He bent down, his face remaining in shadow. "My master offers strength. Food. Purpose. You can die here, anonymous, or you can come with me and become something more."
"At what cost?" Ariela asked, her voice barely audible.
"Your loyalty," Lex replied simply. "To the very end."
They exchanged a look, despair stronger than fear. Wedge between death and the unknown offer, they nodded.
Lex led them to the Citadel of the End. Standing before the Unknown, they trembled with fear and subterranean excitement. "Will you serve me to the very end?" Unknown asked, his voice cold as a grave. "If not, you die this moment by my hands."
"Yes," Vexion murmured.
"Yes," Ariela whispered.
Unknown raised his hand. Dark energy pierced them, violently unlocking their hidden sources. Vexion screamed as the ground beneath his feet cracked, and Ariela shivered as ice crystallized on her skin. Unknown suppressed every trace of light within them, covering their hearts and sources with pure darkness. When he was done, they stood changed. Their eyes were now tannosive, and their bodies radiated cold, twisted energy.
As soon as Unknown lowered his hand, Vexion fell to his knees, clutching his chest. He felt his insides unravel and weave anew, his eyes listlessly staring at his hands. What had once been merely dirty and exhausted, now his fingers effortlessly sank into the stone floor before him, leaving scars as if the stone were soft as butter. He felt dark, heavy power coursing through his veins, and the light that once warmed him—memories of his parents, care for his sister—was like an extinguished candle, replaced by an icy sense of power. "What… what have you done to me?" he whispered, his voice now deeper, rougher.
Ariela did not scream anymore. She stood upright, trembling, still unable to shake the physical trauma of the transformation. She raised her palm and stared at it. Without intent, without movement, thin, sharp icicles sprouted from her open hands and snapped onto the floor. Her breath turned into mist in the cold air, and in her chest she felt emptiness—not hunger, but a complete lack of the warmth she once felt for her brother, for life. Now she was only silence and cold. She looked at Vexion, and in her eyes no longer flickered childish alarm, but stunned fear and alien coldness. "Vexi…" she tried to speak, but her voice broke, and the tears that welled froze into tiny crystals on her lashes. They were still there, but everything they felt was overwhelmed by the dark energy now pulsing in their hearts like a second heartbeat.
"Vexion. Ariela. Welcome to the ranks. You are now Rank 4."
Lex nodded with rare satisfaction. "Promising resources."
Unknown then received Lucius's message. *Trust has been gained. Next step?*
Unknown's reply was swift. *Tell them you heard of two captives in the Dungeon of Death. Take them there. That will be their next destination.*
Lucius confirmed.
Upon entering the capital, Vorath appeared, his bloodied armor echoing in the quiet chamber. "Master?"
Unknown turned. "Vorath. Akero and his group are going to the Dungeon of Death. I want you to meet them there. Personally."
Vorath's smile was wide and bloody. "With the greatest pleasure."