208. The Revelation of Dread
Fingers extended, a crackle of bright light pulsed from his skin.
“Astrapyion~Bolt!” Zetius shouted, snapping his fingers.
A surge of mana erupted into branching tendrils of erratic lightning. The cavern flashed with an ominous glow before darkness reclaimed its territory.
“Did you get it?” Cubie zipped over in a ribbon of light to inspect the target: a magical projection of an Armatus hand making a peace sign.
“Apparently not…” Zetius grimaced at the scorched rock where the target had been, subconsciously waving his stinging fingers before rubbing them on his arc coat.
Despite its raw power, Astrapyion proved to be both painful and unreliable. It’s as if the essence isn’t meant for me to use, he thought with a familiar stab of frustration. Or perhaps I’m just not using it correctly.
He had grappled with that doubt countless times. Every experiment with this essence, every attempt to adapt it for his long-range arsenal, had ended in failure. Zetius studied the molten rock, which still bled trails of smoke into the air.
Suddenly, a section of the slab exploded with a sharp crack.
“AH! Rock demon!” Cubie zipped behind him. “What was that?!”
“Cubie, look closely,” Zetius said calmly, pointing at the fractured stone. “It’s just an air pocket in the rock that overheated to the point of overpressure.”
“Oh…” Cubie gasped, peeking out from behind his shoulder.
“Anyway, why would you be scared of a rock demon? What even is a rock demon?” Zetius asked, massaging his tingling fingers.
“I don’t know! Phantoms exist, you know!” Cubie retorted, her voice high-pitched. She was becoming almost indistinguishable from a human.
Slouching, Zetius exhaled deeply. “You’re acting like a kid.”
“Well, precisely,” Cubie mimicked his tone. “I was born, like, six months ago.”
“Fair…” he drawled, finding a smooth slab of rock to sit on. A faint green glow of Iasis enveloped his hand, and the burning in his fingers subsided.
“What next?” Cubie probed, her curiosity palpable.
Then she recalled, and the blue target practice of a fully-functional Armatus arm disintegrated into thin air.
“I truly have no idea… I’ve even incorporated the technical knowledge of large-scale electrical discharges.”
“The sprite phenomenon you mentioned?”
“Yes… It was this reddish, jellyfish-like flash that occurs high above thunderstorm clouds,” Zetius explained, a spark of passion in his eyes.
Cubie almost chuckled at how scholarly he had become. “But why that phenomenon specifically?” she asked, encouraging him.
Leaning back, Zetius glanced towards the cavern’s ceiling, imagining the colossal, crimson abomination of electricity. “Because sprites can discharge over tens of kilometres in the atmosphere,” he answered with a grin.
“Wow.”
“Imagine if I had the power to outrange Lancer tech itself,” he exclaimed, his heart picking up its pace.
But the speck of enthusiasm lasted only a moment.
“Something seems to be missing in the arcane equation… I can’t get it right,” Zetius admitted, his expression dimming.
His fair skin was illuminated by a makeshift torch flickering on the wall. The flame danced a ritualistic jig, making shadows shuffle and writhe against the cavern’s far side.
“Why are you so hung up on the idea of Astrapyion as a ranged spell?” Cubie asked.
“Huh?” Zetius looked at her briefly before his gaze fell to his feet. “Because Empyrion couldn’t penetrate higher-tier Adamas.”
He recalled how a durability-enhanced Rhok had simply blocked his ranged attacks with his bare hands. His face soured at the mere thought.
“See this?” He urged, a sharp concentration forming in his mind. “Epopteia!”
The runic spell circle formed in his mind’s eye, its twelve slots arranged in a perfect radius. Once, those slots had been filled with Primordial Essences, granting him unimaginable power.
As the Prime Disciple of Aries, Zetius had barely known the struggles common to all Arcanists. Back then, mana had been his only limiter; now, with only four essences, everything was a struggle. And that wasn't even counting Cubellina, who barely slotted in.
“Greater Empyrion, Greater Phoros, Lesser Iasis, and an unidentified Astrapyion,” Zetius mumbled, letting out a dry, pathetic laugh. “And I thought I could go on par with the Celestius of War? How foolish.”
“Zetius…” Cubie whimpered, nudging his cheek gently.
He held her in his palms, the strange sensation like holding solid, warm air. “It’s fine. I’m not known for giving up. Some even doubt if I know when to quit.”
“That’s good, Zetius,” Cubie said, her glow brightening.
Dawn broke as morning light crept over the mountains. A few rays filtered through an opening at the top of the cavern, illuminating specks of dust dancing in the air.
“It’s morning again,” Zetius whispered, touching his forehead to her.
“Mm~hm!” she hummed softly, and they shared a quiet moment. After a long while, they parted, and Cubie bolted around him with renewed energy.
Springing to his feet, Zetius glanced up. “It occurred to me… how was Frain’s axe able to strike you?”
“Why wouldn't it?” Cubie asked, rotating in confusion.
“I mean, you don’t have a physical form. A physical attack shouldn’t be able to inflict damage on you, should it?”
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“Hmmmmmmm…” she let out a long, pondering hum.
“Go on?” he urged.
“I have analysed it,” she said in her more monotonic, analytical tone. “Perhaps when I hyper-focused on the manifestation of the shield, I accidentally manifested my body into the physical plane as well.”
Rubbing his chin, Zetius nodded. It seemed the most sensible answer with the available information. Another reminder that her entire existence was an anomaly.
A sentient essence innated within Jack, conceived by Aurelia’s limitless mana, and fully manifested alongside his own rebirth.
“We’ll need to work on that, Cubie,” he warned, his eyes filled with concern. Another thing to research another day.
“I know.”
He ran his fingers atop her. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt, ever again. Besides, you’ve had a great breakthrough with your power.”
“Hehe,” she giggled, twirling left and right in a flutter of light.
A little praise always lit her up like a firework.
He had learned to interpret her emotions through the rhythm and brightness of her glow, her only means of non-verbal communication.
“My mechanical hand is pretty handy, wouldn’t you say?” Cubie manifested the robotic limb, extending it as an offer.
Zetius gladly reached out and shook it. “Couldn’t agree more.”
“Come on, Cubie. We can’t miss this meeting,” he said, waving her to follow. Boots scraping against pebbles, the two made their way out of the rocky cavern and into the morning light.
Occasional patrols of Armatus squadrons streaked across the sky, leaving trails of white smoke in their wake.
An upbeat rhythm with repetitive lyrics blasted through the hovercar’s stereo. The so-called ‘techno disco’ and ‘cyber jazz’ music was Cubie’s new obsession. Zetius let her play it, so long as it didn’t make his eardrums bleed — not that she had any to worry about for herself.
Propping his cheek on his fist, Zetius checked the time. “Tsk… she’s late,” he grumbled. “And she’s the one who keeps nagging me to be on time.”
Blowing out a frustrated breath, he swung the car door open. “Stay here, Cubie. I’ll go find our princess.”
The tall, slender man strode from the car, heading towards Aurelia’s apartment. He raised his knuckles to knock, but noticed the door was already ajar.
“Huh. So much for security,” Zetius commented, pushing the door open.
“Hmm, yes, mmm…” A series of responses reverberated from the living room, where the red-headed princess stuck out like a sore thumb against the room's dull colours.
She was dressed in a cream suit with matching trousers — stylish, yet tomboyish. A golden butterfly hairpin was perched prominently in her long, red hair.
She’s worn that since we were little, Zetius thought, approaching her.
“Eeeek!” Aurelia shrieked, spinning around. Her eyes darted left and right. She seemed suspiciously nervous, and Zetius narrowed his eyes.
“Wha~what? Zetius, how did you get in here?” Aurelia stammered, patting her chest.
“It’s late,” he clipped.
His words prompted her to check the time. Her eyes widened in shock. “You’re right!” she exclaimed, already taking him by the arm and pulling him towards the door.
Who was she talking to? He didn’t want to pry. If she wanted to tell him, she would have.
As the two settled into the passenger seats and buckled in, Aurelia spoke with an apologetic clap of her hands. “Cubie! Could you please make haste?”
“Affirmative! But the music must slay!” Cubie replied, and the hovercar lurched upwards, merging into the stream of aerial traffic.
The recon mission report meeting awaited them at the Yamamoto, and Zetius shuffled in his seat, agitated and excited in equal measure.
***
Officials gathered inside the large seminar room. Aurelia, Cubie, and Zetius took their seats in the front row. Thanks to Cubie’s mastery of navigation, they had arrived with five minutes to spare.
High officials in the brown uniforms of Thylin, a newly elected representative of Tabit, and the navy blue of Solis Aeternum, filled the seats, their expressions unreadable.
Admiral Sandria, Admiral Lume, and President Ryusei arrived precisely on time. They waved the royal guards to their posts outside before taking their respective seats.
Ryusei wore a white and satin gold suit, with ornate chains draping from his chest pocket to his shoulder. His white tie was adorned with a sun-sigil clip, and his white hair was combed into a slick-back. He appeared to have barely aged a day, ever majestic and regal.
The two admirals stood beside him in crisp uniforms, not a single crease on the fabric.
“Father,” Aurelia dipped her head in reverence. Zetius followed with a bow from the waist.
Her father simply gave a slow blink of acknowledgement before turning to speak with another official.
A gentle poke on his shoulder made Zetius glance over it.
“Lunarius?” he exclaimed in a hushed tone.
“Lunarius Willhelm!” Aurelia exclaimed before cupping her mouth, realising she had blurted it out loud.
The tall, elven mage leaned forward from the second row. He had emerald monolid eyes and long brown hair, and though his usual wide-brimmed hat was absent, his brown, long arcanist robe was unmistakable. Willhelm smiled amicably before gesturing towards the podium.
There they stood, the main highlight of the meeting.
In the middle was the Celestius of Sagittarius, Jovian Xan Zepharion. He was a tall, athletic man in his forties, his messy black hair tied into a ponytail, and his purple eyes just like his niece’s. Draped in a dark purple cloak, he proudly displayed the writhing sun sigil on its fabric.
“Quite a crowd we’ve got,” Jovian commented, his tone relaxed, even playful.
Ryusei rose to his feet. “Welcome back, Celestius Jovian Xan Zepharion. We wholeheartedly appreciate your efforts in personally leading this mission.”
“No need to be so formal, Prime Minister,” Jovian said, raising a hand. His slumped posture might look carefree, but Zetius knew that, make no mistake, he was one of the deadliest men alive.
He could be scarier than Master Ignius, Zetius thought, swallowing hard.
Next to him stood Friederich Eir Regis, clad in a strangely dark attire that didn't match his usual style. He stood poised with his hands clasped behind his back.
Zetius swept his gaze across the stage, and eventually, a pair of amethyst eyes locked onto his.
Ziyue’s.
How long has she been looking at me? he asked himself. Dressed in traditional Shadowbringer attire, she looked exactly as he remembered, yet her hair had grown out, revealing its natural dark colour at the roots.
After a few seconds, she turned her attention to the crowd. “We have completed our recon mission…” She paused as a ripple of hushed gossip spread through the room.
“Unfortunately, we have not found Ignius’s whereabouts,” she announced clearly. A collective, disappointed gasp filled the room.
Despair was at an all-time high.
“Figured,” Zetius mumbled, feeling heat rise in his cheeks.
Jovian raised both hands. “Listen, people. That doesn’t mean it was all for nothing.”
The room fell silent.
“Friederich, if you would,” he gestured.
On cue, Friederich nodded and rotated his Stellius ring. “Warning. What I am about to show you is dreadful,” he spoke, his tone commanding.
With a gentle click, a holographic projection filled the centre of the room.
A collective gasp of shock and terror rang out.
The image showed a pile of dried corpses, hundreds, if not thousands of them, left to rot in cells.
“Such nefarious actions!”
“Just like Germund… It’s happening again.”
“What should we do?! We need to stop him!” A mixture of rage and desperation charged the air.
Clearing his throat, Friederich continued, “This was Quagmire, an old—”
SLAM!
Zetius slammed his hands on the table in front of him. “Ignius. How could he?!” he growled through gritted teeth, his eyes twitching with searing rage.
His gaze was so intense it scared even Aurelia. She pulled at his sleeve. “Zetius…”
On the podium, Friederich quickly masked his surprise. Acting as if nothing had happened, he raised his voice. “The old prison, north-east of the capital city…”
But Friederich’s voice faded into an inaudible murmur as Zetius’s world narrowed to the horrific image and the burning rage in his heart.