3 hours ago…
A figure was walking across the roof of one of the nine buildings arranged in a circle. At the center of which was something massive, a castle-like building, Khonshura.
Now he walked along the rooftop, heading toward a white figure who was sitting there, looking up at the sky. Her pale, luminous skin almost seemed to glow, as if it could light up the entire world.
"Hey, Gwen… we need to tell you something," Emil said, momentarily lost in her beauty.
Behind him, Emily and Dr. Turner stood as well. Dr. Aria was still behind, walking up on her own.
Gwen noticed their presence. She turned her head toward them, then rose from where she had been sitting.
"What happened?" Gwen asked in a calm, composed tone.
Dr. Turner stepped forward and showed her a link bracelet and a communication device.
"It seems Lysander… he's been taken prisoner by Sneha in Khonshura," Dr. Turner said in a grim tone.
She frowned. Taking the bangle and the communication device from his hand, she studied it for a moment… then slowly turned her gaze back to Dr. Turner.
"Any idea how they found out about this?" she asked, clutching the bangle and the communication device tightly.
"I do have a theory," Dr. Turner said. "It seems that the report about the second abomination was not sent to the main headquarters, which raised some serious concerns with the Essential. And that may be the reason they sent Lysander here. And for the people of Khnoshura, if they are all being controlled by Sneha, the one who will pose the biggest threat is Lysander. Not only is he nearly as powerful as a warden, though being a difference in ranks. He is also one of the few people that the Essentials trust."
He paused for a moment, trying to recall the details.
"They took him about an hour ago, telling him that he can now give the full report directly to the Essential from the Khonshura's direct communicator," he added.
She was still frowning, processing everything Dr. Turner had just said.
After a brief silence, she asked, "Did he say anything before going there? I'm sure he's not the kind of person who would just go wherever he's called."
"Actually… that's why we came here now," Emily spoke. "It seems Lysander had already calculated that this would happen. So he informed the Essential about everything beforehand."
She gestured toward the bangle in Gwen's hand.
"That bangle is actually a communication device to contact the Essential. And the other device… that's something the Essential made specifically for situations like this. Even if they use any kind of signal jammer, we'll still be able to communicate with him—but only if we're close to that building. Though the bangle communication without Lysander is only going to work once, he said to use it wisely."
She paused briefly.
"So before leaving… he handed all of this to Dr. Turner."
"There was one more thing he said…" Dr. Aria, who had just reached them, spoke in a huffing tone. "He said, Khonshuru… ninth stall of the washroom. That's where I'm going to put it—inside the flush tank. Ground floor."
'I guess he's smarter than I gave him credit for,' Emil thought.
"So I guess there's no point holding it back anymore… it really seems your vision is coming true," Gwen said, her head lowered, eyes fixed on the ground.
"Yeah… but I do want to make one last attempt to stop her from destroying everything all of us built together for years." Dr. Turner said. Anyone could see he was tormenting himself just to say it.
Then there was silence.
Maybe it was the calm before the end of something.
Or maybe it was the inability to accept the inevitable.
All of them were looking down. No one seemed willing to speak.
"So what do we do? What's the plan?" Gwen finally broke the silence, now looking more composed than ever.
"I haven't thought of one," Dr. Turner said, a frown settling on his face.
"Actually… I do have a plan," Emily cut through the conversation.
Now everyone was looking at Emily—except Emil. He already knew she had a plan. Not just one… two.
'You're really doing this, Em…' he lowered his gaze.
Gwen gave her a confused look. "Yeah, sure, Emily. You can share your plan… what is it?"
"Yeah, I think it's better if she devises the plan than anyone else here," Dr. Aria said, supporting both Emily and Gwen.
As Emily was about to open her mouth, suddenly a crumbling sound of black lightning began to roar.
'What is that sound? What is going on? Did they already attack us ?' These were the thoughts racing through the head of Emil as he began to shudder with cold and fear.
He looked around in a frenzy. His eyes were darting everywhere, that's when he saw inside the hand of Gwen, something was emitting light and darkness at the same time.
Her hand began to shake violently. With a gasp, she collapsed onto the ground. Emil ran before a thought could form in his mind.
He rushed to her, dropped to his knees, grabbed her hand, and tried to pry open her tightly clenched fist.
As her grip finally loosened on the things with the help of Emil. All of them were shocked to see a veil of darkness towering over the whole roof and also over all of them. Swallowing everything that stood in its way.
They were all confused but had different reactions to the thing. Doctor Aria was scared. Doctor Turner was confused, frenzied, and he stood paralyzed. Emily was looking over the growing shadows in the darkness with no expression on her face, but she was frowning. Gwen was in pain. And Emil was erratic, trembling, but still looking out for Gwen.
When the shadows finally stopped spreading, a strange fear gripped them all. As if something or someone commanded them not to move. They didn't dare to move. The veil had fully formed now. Not even a single photon of light from outside could enter.
The only things Emil could see were the faint white glow in Gwen's ethereal eyes… and his sister's glowing hazel eyes, barely visible in the suffocating dark.
They were looking out for whether someone or something was going to unleash a devastating attack on them.
And as both of them waited to watch out for the threats.
A chilling realization came into their mind.
Emil was the first one to say it," Did that Lysander sell us…out?"
The words echoed inside the eternal darkness of the veil, with no end to the distance they travelled.
Gwen's grizzled eyes shifted towards him.
"No matter what kind of person he is, he will never betray someone." Gwen's eyes were brighter than usual, and there was a subtle hint of restraint in her voice.
A string of light appeared in the middle of the dome. Announcing its presence in the kingdom of darkness.
One string of light became two, then four, and then continued till there were thousands of them floating in the air. And as if to ratify their presence, the darkness around them began to scatter.
Finally, those strings of light began to merge. One string stacked on top of another to first form the feet, the white glow continued to move upwards, forming the legs. They structured themselves into the waist.
They moved upward and finally formed the torso and the head. The hands were formed, trying to reach forward, removing darkness as they took shape.
The head and the two eyes, completely made up of light, appeared. And the hair, it was flowing, from the head made up of light to the top end of the dome of darkness.
From the moment that string of light appeared to the time it took that celestial form, no thoughts, no words, or even a gasp escaped from any of the five measly beings standing there in the awe of that higher being.
It was as if that being noticed the weight of its presence on the bystanders. The radiance and warmth that it was enunciating decreased.
'Who is that? Why am I shaking? Why do I want to bow down?' Emil struggled to control his legs, who just wanted to give up.
Trying to place his feet right to support him, he turned his head towards Gwen. There were times when one could see her emotions seeping through her normally very calm demeanour. But right now her eyes were clearly preaching fear.
He was no better; it felt as if he couldn't utter even a single word right now, as his body won't survive the implications.
He turned his head to check on Emily, even her hazel eyes were clearly enouncing terror of that being. It was the same girl, who wasn't even slightly concerned when someone like Lysander was threatening them.
Dr. Turner andDr.r Aria were already on their knees, their head lowered as if they were praying for forgiveness from that sublime being.
He tried to force his way up, helping Gwen to be stable.
"Tell me, child… what fate has claimed Lysander?"
The voice rippled through the veil of darkness, vast and suffocating. Yet, as though it had heard the silent prayers trembling in the hearts of its devotees, its presence receded. The crushing weight of his presence lifted, just enough for all of them to finally lose their trembling.
Though many questions were lingering in all of their minds.
Gwen couldn't resist the urge to answer that particular question that was asked.
"My Lord," those words just escaped her mouth without her meaning to, "Lysander has been taken prisoner." She added without any delay.
"Prisoner… was it not he who assured us that all threads lay obedient in his grasp, the last time his voice dared reach us?" The air around them began to tighten.
"No, my lord, it seems that we have somewhat underestimated the scale over which we have lost control in the facility. It seems that only 3 of the 9 buildings are under their control now. And the Khonshura is acting as their base." Gwen lowered her head, trying to endure the pressure.
The being observed all of them for a while.
"That our own should fracture and turn… how deeply unfortunate."
The voice descended like a verdict already carved into the bones of reality.
"Lysander did not withhold the truth. Even Xaoc was spoken of. And yet… to see control unravel so swiftly." A pause lingered, heavy, deliberate. "It is… disappointing."
The unseen presence pressed closer, vast and patient.
"Do not falter. We will arrive in two days."
A faint stillness followed, as if something immeasurable had just taken a step nearer.
"Xaoc cannot yet cross into this world. That limitation is the only mercy you are afforded. Had it not existed, this would already be over."
The words settled without comfort.
"Lord Solnyx will not come until the final day. Until then, you will hold your ground." The command was not raised — it simply was. "He is engaged elsewhere… an ambush, within the Town of Sun."
"And if your ground is taken from you…"
For the briefest moment, even time seemed unwilling to move.
"…you will tell Lysander to complete the task he was given."
His voice echoed, even though the way he spoke remained calm and elegant.
"But my lord, what should we do? Xaoc is still a threat we will not be able to handle once he arrives here. We won't be able to stop him." Gwen asked the presence with her utmost respect.
"You need not do so, my child."
The voice flowed with quiet authority, gentle yet immovable.
"The most fitting course for you is to strike them unawares. If what that golden child has witnessed holds, then to subdue them without delay is… the wisest path forward."
"Yes, my lord, we will save that," Gwen showed promise in her resolve.
"Then it seems my purpose here has reached its end… perhaps that is why Lysander entrusted those things to you."
A quiet pause settled between the words, measured and deliberate.
"You will release him first."
"By the way, my lord, can we know who you are?" Emily asked, she was serious yet respectful.
'When did she feel comfortable talking to him?' Emil was confused; his head was throbbing with pain.
"Me? I am merely a memory… of Lord Solnyx." That godly being smiled at them.
There was that lightning sound again. The threads of light that had formed a human-like body started coming apart, one by one, until they were just threads again.
Then those threads began to merge back into one. The single thread slowly grew thinner, fading bit by bit, until there was no light left at all.
It was darkness again.
Emil was having a sharp pain in his head that he could not quite understand. He would have dismissed it as the aftereffect of the accident, but it was something different. Gwen had already used her healing powers on him, along with Emily. There was no way he should be feeling anything by now. And the pain, it was not as if he had some kind of injury, it was as if his brain was forcing its way for him to focus on something.
'Why do I feel like crying? Am I forgetting something?' Emil's eyebrows were tensed, and his head was lowered with his hand on his head.
Dr. Turner noticed him immediately. He moved closer to him and placed his hand on his shoulder while leaning towards him.
"Emil, is there something wrong?" Dr. Turner's voice was a bit shaky.
"I don't know, doctor, but I feel like someone is forging needles into my head." Emil gasped in pain.
"That can happen when you are in the presence of someone like an Essential." Gwen pointed out.
"Yeah, she is right, Emil, that was a lot even for us. The Terma vibrations of his are too much for anyone. If it weren't for his generosity in lowering his Terma signals, we would have survived."Dr. Turner said with a little concern in his voice.
'I don't know about that doctor, I was definitely fine until… wait until something they said I can't remember.'
His mind was in shambles as he tried to remember what it was he had forgotten. And on the other side, he didn't want them to worry over him.
"Oh, I think it's fine, doctor, maybe Gwen is right, maybe it was too much for me." Emil laughed it off.
Dr Turner looked at him for a while, then touched his head around the injury.
"It's still… the wound has closed, I guess. Thanks to Gwen. But you should try to stay away from all this for now." Dr. Turner looked away from him.
Emil nodded, but the frown on his face was still there.
"So what's the plan, Emily?" Gwen looked at Emily, now calm and composed as always.
"I think the involvement of the Essential has made the plan a little bit easier for us. Though it's not easy for us to hold the ground for two days. So, we have to ambush them today."
"But how are we going to convince the people from three buildings that we will have to go against our own people somehow?"Dr. Aria raised a genuine question.
"I am going to do the same as Sneha did with the others," Emily said without a shadow of doubt on her face.
There was a loud silence. Emil was the most surprised.
"What does that mean, Emily?" Emil asked, expecting the answer.
"This is war, Emil. We don't have time to motivate people to go against the ones they have been for years. And I don't think, apart from Dr Turner, any of us has the authority or charisma to win them over. It is either we strike them first or just die waiting for our deaths."
Indeed, whatever Emily said made sense. Not only did it make sense, but it was the most optimal way for them to handle the things in their hands. But somehow an unease crawled up in his heart. But he chose to remain silent.
"She is right, while I'm not really a supporter of these strategies of manipulating people. We don't really have a choice for someone like Sneha. But Emily, I do have that same request. Dr. Turner said in a solemn tone.
"Yes, Doctor, I will plan according to that. We have come to know that there is one Warden with the ability to be invisible. So, when you are conversing with her, they will definitely try to sabotage us. I don't really have a plan for that situation."
"You don't have to worry about that," Gwen said with a commanding tone.
"Why?"Emil asked out of curiosity.
"I have the power of invisibility, too," Gwen said with confidence.
'Just how many abilities does she have? It's good that she is on our side.'
"I somehow expected that from you. I guess then our problems are solved. So here's what we are going to do. Emil, your task is going to be to get Lysander out of that building. Dr. Turner, yours will be to engage her or change, whichever you choose. Gwen, be ready for any kind of attack. Always have your omensight in check; they will do the same. And Dr. Aria, it's for you to be the troops ready when we attack them."
"You sure are very smart for a 15-year-old." Dr. Aria was impressed.
"Then I guess, we are done done with the plan."Dr. Turner concluded.
"I do have a concern, what if I fail? And also, we are so small in comparison with their great force. Is there even a chance for us to win? And wouldn't Sneha, with her omensight, have learned about the talk with the Essential?" Emil raised a valid concern.
"For My lord's domain part; I don't think any omensight holder in the world would be useful to look inside or outside. We weren't able to do so. But…" Gwen answered one of his doubts.
"And about the troops part, it is not like we are going for an all-out war. We just want to free Lysander. For your part, I am sure you will be able to do it." Emily said in a dark tone.
Emil couldn't doubt the words of her sister, especially when she could see the future. But he still had a lingering question.
"But what if, after freeing Lysander, they decide to get rid of us?"
"It won't happen. Because before that, I will make sure to finish Sneha off." Gwen's eyes started to glow as she looked ominously into the night.
Dr Turner lost his balance. He opened his mouth to say something, but something made him lower his head, and he stopped. Even Dr. Aria's cold oceanic eyes were teary.
'I guess the plan is pretty clear then, save Lysander, get all the details from Sneha, and then… kill her.' Emil lifted his gaze into the eternal darkness and looked at that tower in the middle.
'But why do I feel like a big chunk of something is erased from my mind?'
***
In the middle of the facility, on the hundredth floor of the castle, a figure noticed a dark veil form over one of the buildings, only for it to disappear moments later.
The brown, clay-like face caught the moonlight, letting it trace over her skin and reveal a quiet, striking beauty beneath.
"I guess it's finally time. For the end of everything we created." A drop of tears fell from her eyes.