[Damien's Mansion]
Damien was sitting alone on the edge of a massive stone fountain in the courtyard of his mansion.
Suddenly, a shimmering purple portal opened and Alaric stepped out.
Damien turned, seeing the Instructor. Alaric smirked, looking around the lonely yard. "So this is what's left of your little squad, boy? You know, I really had high hopes for you guys. You had some potential in you."
Damien returned his gaze. "Things don't always go as planned, sir. And for a god, I expected you to know that more than anyone else."
"Oh, I do." Alaric replied, his smirk widening. "More than you know."
"If I may ask..." Damien asked, sitting back. "Why are you here?"
"I'm glad you did." Alaric said, pulling out the silver-edged Gauntlet from his coat. "I'm here to give you a chance to become a participant. Yes, you didn't live up to your side of the deal but I'm a god and I won't do what human did."
Damien laughed softly. "You're lying. There's something you're getting out of this. I know you're not giving me that out of the kindness of your heart."
"Well, of course." Alaric conceded. "But it's not like you won't be getting anything out of this too. It's a win-win."
"So what am I supposed to do?" Damien asked, a weary skepticism in his voice. "Use that to kill the Anomaly?"
"You already failed that one." Alaric snapped, growing impatient. "Now all I need is for you to have the power to become a participant. There are already two other Candidates stronger than him now. You'll be the third. A perfect Thrine of power. And the Anomaly and his squad will be eliminated, ensuring the integrity of the Game."
Damien stared at the Gauntlet, then at Alaric. "I'm sorry." he said, standing up. "But I think I'll pass."
Alaric froze. "What?"
"Yeah." Damien repeated, his voice gentle. "There's already a perfect Thrine. One that isn't forced by anyone. So, you can keep that thing to yourself."
Alaric's control snapped. He blurred forward, grabbing Damien by the throat and lifting him easily off the ground. He squeezed, his eyes burning with fury. "I feel like we got off on the wrong foot here, boy. This wasn't an open discussion, it was me giving you an order."
Damien struggled, his face turning purple but he forced the words out: "M-my answer is still no."
With a roar of frustration, Alaric threw him. Damien crashed against the fountain's stone base.
And just as Alaric prepared to finish the boy, a volley of fire spheres shot at him with incredible speed.
Alaric effortlessly deflected the spheres with a casual sweep of his hand.
"Get away from him!" Luna shrieked. She appeared in a flash-step from above, descending with a powerful, flaming crushing kick.
Alaric blocked the kick with one hand, bracing himself slightly. The force cratered the earth beneath his feet.
Luna immediately jumped back, her fists igniting with renewed flames, prepared to unleash everything she had.
Alaric simply looked her in the eye. And he opened a portal and disappeared without a word.
Luna rushed to Damien, who was struggling to stand up. "Who was that man?!"
Damien coughed, finally finding his voice. "He's the Instructor of our city..."
"What is an Instructor doing here?" Luna asked, helping him stand. "And why was he choking you?"
"He wanted to give me some sort of Relic." Damien replied, leaning on her for support. "I think it was automatically going to give me the power become a participant. All caus he doesn't want you and your team to become one."
Luna was stunned. "What did we do? Why would he target us?"
"Ravyn." Damien whispered. "He's actually the real reason he visited us in the first place."
"Us?" Luna scoffed. "You mean when you still had your team?"
"Yeah." Damien replied softly. "And he gave us an offer to kill the Anomaly, then we get to be participant." He looked down at the ground. "Looking back, I wanted to do it so bad but now..."
Damien suddenly gasped, his body going rigid. Dark light began to emanate from his chest, forcing him to let go of Luna.
"What is going on?" Luna asked, watching the dark energy swirl around her brother.
DING!
[ARCANE GAME INITIATION PROTOCOL]
[CANDIDATE: LUNA LONGFORD]
[THE ARCANE GAME HEREBY INVITES YOU TO BECOME (1/3) PARTICIPANTS IN THE CITY OF BRENFORD.]
[CONFIRM PARTICIPATION]
[ACCEPT] [DECLINE]
Luna, stumbled back confused.
Damien was staring at her, his eyes wide and mixed with deep sadness. "The Game..." He managed a pained smile, ignoring the dark light surrounding him. "Guess, I won't be joining you in the Game, Luna."
His body started to crackle. "I'm sorry for always being hard on you." Damien continued, his voice barely a breath. "I just wanted to keep you as far as possible from this Game. But I failed and now everything is in your hands."
He reached out, touching her cheek one last time. "Kick some ass for me, sis. And bring Mom back." He smiled, as the dark light intensified, tearing his body.
Luna's eyes were fixed on him, filled with tears and she screamed as his body dissolved completely into a shower of dark sparks.
When the light faded and her brother's completely vanished into nothingness, she sat there quietly for some time. Then she rose up slowly, clenching her fists and shouted.
"I ACCEPT!"