[Alaric's Pov]
The massive purple portal snapped shut, plunging the chamber back into the dim light of the runic etchings. Alaric stumbled away from the mana turbulence.
He stood hunched over, breathing heavily, before turning to face Lyra.
"Thank you." Alaric muttered, the words filled with shame and a reluctant sincerity. "Thank you for... pulling me out of there."
Lyra didn't return the gratitude. "We both knew exactly how that fight would have ended, Alaric." Lyra stated simply.
"Yeah." Alaric conceded, his voice cracking with humiliation. He bowed his head, unable to meet her gaze. "I know."
Lyra began to pace slowly, her fingers steepled beneath her chin. "But I really wonder. How does the Game give a human that much power?" she mused. "I don't know if you felt it back there when he cracked the bolder, but he didn't use his Arc Seal."
Alaric lifted his head, a chilling certainty in his eyes. "I felt it. He was probably not even using thirty percent of his power when we were trading blows. He was toying with me." He slammed his palm down again, grabbing his face in genuine stress.
Lyra walked over. "Come on, Alaric. You can't be stressing yourself about a mere human."
"It's not him I'm stressing about... but hell his part of why I'm stressing! Cause he's so impossibly strong he wouldn't have a problem killing the Anomaly."
Lyra stared at him but ignored that. "Have you ever considered killing the Anomaly yourself, Alaric? You also have the power to do so." she said.
Alaric dropped his hands, staring at her as if she had uttered a blasphemy. "Except we can't, remember? That's why the Executioners exist! And I cannot make exceptions, Lyra. If the Grand Matriarch finds out about me directly killing a Candidate, she'll kill me too for not reporting the matter."
"Then what is your other plan?" Lyra asked, as she stopped directly in front of him.
Alaric walked weakly over to a stool and sat down. "That was it. That was my last plan." he replied, and gestured dismissively toward the exit. "You can take the matter to the full Council now. I don't care."
Lyra watched him for a long moment. "I'm not going to take it to the Council, Alaric." she said.
Alaric looked up, startled. "What?"
"I only said I was going to so I could push you into acting fast." Lyra revealed. "We both know what the Grand Matriarch will do when she finds out. So she might as well find out only when the matter is either completely solved or not at all."
"But... I still don't have a plan." Alaric stammered. "And the Game about to commence in a few days."
Lyra walk near the wall and channeled purple mana to open her portal. She turned before leaving.
"There is still time, Alaric." she said. "And I believe that we will figure this out."
She stepped through the portal and it closed instantly, leaving Alaric alone.