"Welcome to Star's Dominion," Kar announced, his voice resonating in the impossibly vast chamber. The room was circular, hauntingly artificial, with a massive glowing symbol etched into the floor. Four towering pillars stood around it, cracked and weathered, but pulsing faintly with energy.
Clusters of beings—diverse in size, shape, and color—gathered across the room, their alien features illuminated by the eerie glow. Voices murmured in unfamiliar dialects of Kol-nic, blending into an unsettling hum.
Aether's gaze locked onto Kar, whose composure was as unnerving as the room itself.
"This ship," Kar began, "is the only one of its kind, sanctioned by the District Council."
Anna shifted uneasily, her eyes darting across the chamber. "This is my first time here," she said softly, her voice tinged with apprehension. Her hands clenched at her sides, betraying the fear creeping through her. The oppressive design of the space—cold and industrial—felt as though it were meant to smother them.
Kar gestured toward the door. "It has no formal name, so 'Star's Dominion' will suffice," he said, leading them toward the only exit. The massive gray-black door looked as though it had been carved by a madman.
As they followed, Aether glanced at the beings they passed. "Large ears, shorter than my knee, and others twice my size," he muttered, his tone laced with awe and disquiet. The sheer diversity overwhelmed him. Life below had been far simpler. He wondered briefly, the thought slipping in before he pushed it aside.
"They're from my city," Zahra interjected, nodding toward a hulking gray creature with a spiked back and massive claws. It emitted a low, rhythmic purring that seemed to vibrate in the air.
Aether stared. "What city is that?"
"A war-torn one," Zahra replied curtly, her somber tone ending the conversation. Aether studied her for a moment, noting the sadness in her expression. He didn't press further, instead murmuring quietly to himself, "And how did that happen?"
Kar interrupted as they entered a long, dimly lit hallway. "The teams here serve various purposes—spying, assassinations, retrievals. Your team will be tasked with mediating hostilities."
"That's a lot of trust to place in us," Elara said sharply, surprising Aether with her boldness.
"Trust is not the issue," Kar replied evenly. "You are one of many teams—some more... seasoned than others."
"They want allies," Aether mused aloud. "I really don't see the point of this so-called 'war.' It doesn't even feel like one—more like a mirage for something bigger. Thirty years of this, and..." His thoughts trailed off as they stepped through the door into another massive chamber.
At the end of the hallway loomed another enormous door. Beyond it, they entered a chamber dominated by a massive circle, similar to the one they'd teleported through. Dozens of teams sat on bleachers in tense silence, their attention fixed on a lone figure at the center. The atmosphere was suffocating, thick with anticipation. Every gaze turned toward the newcomers, piercing them like blades.
The man at the center turned slowly. He was imposing—tall, tanned, and bearded. One of his arms was cut off and, like Aether, replaced with a prosthetic gleaming turquoise under the dim ceiling light.
Anna grabbed Aether's arm, her trembling fingers betraying her fear. "He has no aura," she whispered, her voice shaking. "Nothing. It's like he's... empty."
The man's voice cut through the tension like a blade. "So, these are the new recruits," he said, his words dripping with disdain. His gaze settled on Kar. "From the Stem, I presume?"
"Yes, Ugilovich," Kar replied coolly.
A sinister grin split Ugilovich's scarred face, the gashes along his neck becoming prominent. The sight made Mirakos recall Altan's fingers and instinctively step back. "Welcome," he drawled, his tone laced with mockery. "I trust you'll bring something... exceptional to the table."
The room's silence deepened, and Aether felt every eye fixed on him.
Kar broke the tension, speaking firmly. "I think it would be fortunate if they joined the session to hear more about their upcoming role in the war." His eyes, however, avoided Ugilovich, staring at something unseen.
But Ugilovich's grin faded, replaced by a cold intensity. "Don't you think, perhaps, we should first inquire about the well-being of our dearest exquisite guests?" His tone turned sharp as his attention shifted to Aether, who stood silently beside Kar.
"What's your name, boy?" Ugilovich demanded, his tone suddenly sharp. His eyes showed no color—pure white.
Aether met his gaze without flinching. "Are you unable to see?" he asked, his voice calm and measured. Keep it together. Don't let him see you sweat.
The air seemed to freeze. Ugilovich's expression darkened, and an almost imperceptible ripple of fury passed through him. "Your name," he repeated, his voice low and menacing.
"Aether," he replied at last, his tone steady. The name sent murmurs rippling through the crowd.
"Wasn't he the guy who just fought the Dragon of Ferocity? And yeah, that's the other kid…"
"No way, is he really trying to join Space Dominion?"
"Unbelievable. What's a kid like him doing here?"
"He doesn't look like much..."
The murmurs rippled through the crowd, a mixture of disbelief and mockery, but the room fell into an abrupt silence as Ugilovich began to speak. "You are our uninvited guest, as you see... we aren't ready for your arrival," Ugilovich said again, his tone dripping with disdain.
Ugilovich's grin returned, colder this time. "Aether," he said slowly, savoring the syllables. "You've already made an impression." He turned back to the crowd. "Alright, then. A vote!" he suddenly shouted, his voice booming. "Do we send them through the initial ceremony—the usual route—or make them 'special'?"
The murmur of voices grew louder, but before a consensus could form, Aether's gaze flicked toward the crowd.
Amid the stillness, a woman stood out. Her long orange hair cascaded down her back, contrasting sharply with her deep brown skin. She wore a dark coat adorned with golden buttons and a striking red insignia. A jagged blade was embedded in her stomach, the crimson edges of the wound glinting faintly. She exhaled, steady and resolute, her deep brown eyes unyielding. "Not yet," she murmured.
The crowd fell silent.
"Next time, reply," Kar muttered, tugging a grey string from Aether's cloth. It burned faintly as it left the fabric. "If they'd voted you 'special,' you'd be dead."
"I've died twice. I'll manage," Aether replied with a faint smile. Though I'm not sure how many more times I can cheat death.
Kar's six eyes widened momentarily, his expression unreadable. "Dangerous," he murmured to himself, filing the observation away.
Ugilovich clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Standard initiation, then," he declared, his voice booming. "Let's see what these recruits are truly capable of."
He began again, his tone cryptic. "Who leads the Apotheosis Covenant?"
"Now, that's a question," Aether said, stepping back instinctively, making room for Anna to walk forward. He was retreating—ready to let her take the spotlight—but a force suddenly jerked him forward. Huh? He froze mid-step, realizing it was Anna. She was the one pushing him.
"Anna?" he muttered under his breath, disbelief coloring his tone. But she didn't stop, her hands firm on his back. When he turned his head slightly, she met his glance with a beaming, almost exaggerated smile, followed by a small, embarrassed wave as if to say, Sorry, not my turn.
Aether sighed, his shoulders slumping as he stumbled forward. "Great. Just amazing," he muttered under his breath. Why does it always have to be me? he thought, a flicker of exhaustion breaking through his usual defiance.
"Oh, Aether, is it?" Ugilovich's gravelly voice cut through the space like a whip, dripping with mockery.
"Far from it. My leader just ordered me to fight. I'm sure I can do that." Aether straightened and dragged his feet forward, trying to compose himself. He tilted his head slightly toward Anna one last time, but she only grinned, waving at him again like a proud bystander.
Behind them, Elara watched the scene, tension clear in her stance. Her gaze flickered toward the orange-haired woman at the edge of the chamber, her presence impossible to ignore. The woman tilted her head slightly, locking eyes with Elara. Blood continued to seep from the jagged wound in her abdomen, yet none of it fell to the floor. Her expression remained eerily composed as her hand gripped the hilt of the sword that pierced her back. It appeared to dissipate when she leaned on her chair and reappear when there was space.
Elara mirrored the woman's subtle head tilt, curiosity and unease warring in her expression. But her body betrayed her calm facade—her legs trembled, a faint wobble breaking her stance.
"Aether..." Ugilovich's voice drew her attention back to the center of the room.
Aether, now only a few steps away, stiffened. "Salvius Nox," he said after a pause, his voice low and deliberate. "Aether Salvius Nox."
The room dulled around him, the noise fading into the background like a forgotten dream. The moment stretched into eternity as his senses distorted. All he could see now was the withered old man before him, a single figure standing at the end of what felt like an endless path.
To his left, Zareth Valeborne hovered just above the ground, an ominous presence of unparalleled precision. His indigo hair was stark against the bandages wrapped tightly around his torso, his attire a vivid blue that matched none of the room's muted hues. Twenty-one swords suspended around him in mid-air, tips aimed inward, as though held aloft by an invisible force. Each blade gleamed faintly, an extension of his being. Zareth watched Aether with a peculiar expression—a mixture of curiosity and measured disdain.
"You're going to do a short presentation, per se," Ugilovich continued, his voice reverberating through the vast, shadowed chamber, its brutalist architecture amplifying the agony to Aether's ears. "Prove that you're worthy of representing the leader of your team." He stepped forward, gesturing at the massive symbol etched into the floor—a chaotic design, like the frantic scribbles of a mad genius.
"Only one simple objective," Ugilovich said, his lips curling into a smirk. "Pull my finger, any."
The crowd burst into murmurs, laughter bubbling up among them.
"Can he do it on the first try?" Ugilovich shouted, his voice rising above the noise.
From the crowd, Zareth smirked, shouting back, "You're growing old, Chief!"
"He's not wrong," the orange-haired woman called out, her voice sharp but light with amusement.
Another voice joined in—an older man, his tone dry and sardonic. "If he's old, what does that make me, hmm? Careful now, Zareth Valeborne."
"Definitely older!" Zareth quipped, his grin widening.
Ugilovich shook his head, waving them off. "You're all underestimating me—or overestimating the boy." He paused, his gaze narrowing. "What has he done? Won a few school fights? I won't even need to use any of my skills."
"Mining skirmishes, dodging monsters, in the Body of Rigor, and learning the moves of the Dragon of Ferocity... yeah, that's the sum of it," Aether muttered. His train of thought derailed. But is that enough? The flicker of doubt became a cold ember in his chest.
From the back of the room, a voice rang out, piercing through the crowd's chatter. "He fought the Dragon of Ferocity, Chief!"
The room fell silent.
Ugilovich's face darkened, his expression a storm of barely contained fury. "Do not mention that deranged maniac's name here," he snarled, spitting onto the floor for emphasis.
Oh? Aether thought inwardly, then smiled. Is that how he lost his arm?
Ugilovich gestured for Aether to step forward. "Come," he commanded, his tone brooking no argument.
Aether surveyed the space around him. The crowd loomed, their faces expectant and predatory. There was nothing in his immediate surroundings to use, nothing to throw, nothing to shield himself. This is it. No tricks, no backup. Just me, he thought, a flicker of vulnerability breaking through his usual bravado.
"Fine," he muttered under his breath. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "At least he won't use any skills. I guess I'll use mine."
"An uninvited guest in a blind man's home," Aether remarked, his tone sharp and deliberate. "Can you sense me, truly, when I stand right under your nose?"
Ugilovich tilted his head, surprise flickering across his features. "Oh? Throw everything you've got at me," he said, tapping his nose with an amused grin.
"Gladly," Aether replied flatly, his voice devoid of the same enthusiasm.