Atlas took one last look around the dim classroom. The broken windows let in a cold breeze that tugged at Serena's hair. He straightened, his expression firm.
"We can't stay here. Hold onto me."
Serena didn't hesitate to grab his arm, and Clara and Alaric crowded close. Alaric tried to sound casual despite the tremor in his voice.
"So…where are we going? Somewhere with fewer creepy monsters, I hope?"
Atlas didn't answer. He lifted his hand, his bright blue eyes flecked with gold reflecting a cold, inner light.
"Space Element—Wormhole Portal."
A ripple spread through the air in front of them, then a swirling oval of shimmering darkness unfolded. It looked like the surface of deep water reflecting no light.
Clara's green eyes widened. "Atlas, that's…that's incredible."
"Step through," he said. "Quickly."
They walked into the darkness. For a breathless moment, it felt like floating in a void. The smell of old earth and cold metal replaced the classroom's stale air.
When their feet touched the ground again, they stood in a cavernous chamber of polished obsidian. The walls glowed faintly with lines of shifting runes. It was utterly silent.
"What is this place?" Serena whispered.
Before Atlas could reply, a voice rolled out of the darkness. Deep, calm, almost amused.
"Who is there?"
Alaric jumped. "Not more monsters—please."
Atlas raised his chin. "You can come out, Zane."
A tall figure stepped from the shadows, draped in a black mantle. He looked like he had stepped out of some ancient legend—long silver hair tied back, pale skin faintly marked by swirling sigils, and eyes like molten metal.
He studied them with quiet curiosity. "I didn't expect to see you so soon, Atlas."
Serena swallowed. "Who…who is that?"
Atlas's tone was oddly respectful. "Zane Caelum."
Zane inclined his head. "I am many things, but most recently a prisoner of the Emperors."
Clara tucked her hair nervously behind her ear. "The Emperors—you mean the Universal Mirage Emperors?"
"Yes." Zane's gaze drifted over the four of them. "I fought them, once. In the old war between the Demon Kings and the Emperors."
Alaric's jaw dropped. "You fought Emperors? And lived?"
Zane almost smiled. "Lived, died, and lived again. Immortality isn't a blessing, if you wonder. It was…bestowed on me when I sealed away an ancient Mirage with my own soul. My body cannot perish so long as the seal exists."
Atlas crossed his arms. "He was captured after the war ended. Imprisoned for centuries. Only recently did he manage to slip their notice."
Serena turned to Atlas, her hazel eyes searching. "How do you know him?"
Atlas let out a breath. "After I escaped the Emperor Realm…I spent years searching for answers. I studied everything I could find—legends, hidden records, names most people never hear. Zane's was one of them. He was a warrior the Emperors themselves feared."
Zane crossed his arms over his chest, his ageless face impassive. "And then you found me. A boy who'd survived what no one else could. You were clever enough to follow the trails the Emperors left behind."
Alaric blinked. "So you…hunted down this immortal hermit in the dark just to ask him questions?"
"More than questions," Atlas said quietly. "He taught me things no living human knew."
Serena frowned. "But you didn't know who saved you."
"I still don't," Atlas admitted, "and neither does he. But Zane understood what I'd been through, even if he never saw me there. That was enough."
Zane's gaze moved to Atlas's friends. "And you bring mortals here. You must have good reason."
Atlas nodded. "I do. But first, I need something."
Zane tilted his head. "Name it."
"Black Will."
Zane lifted a silver eyebrow. "I don't have much, you know."
Alaric couldn't help it—he blurted, "How much is 'not much' for someone immortal?"
Zane considered, then said in a perfectly serious tone, "Only around six or seven million."
Clara's mouth fell open. "Only?"
Atlas allowed the faintest smile. "I only need one point five million."
Zane raised a hand. Dark motes swirled in the air, pooling into Atlas's palm. "Done."
"And there's an item I want you to purchase."
Zane inclined his head again. "Say it."
"The Element Generator."
Serena looked up sharply. "What's that?"
Atlas glanced at her, his expression softer. "It awakens your Element before the two days pass."
Alaric cleared his throat, trying to sound brave. "You mean…we get powers…right now?"
"Exactly."
Zane gestured, and a dark portal flickered open in the air. A holographic interface of the Shop rippled into view—dozens of icons for weapons, armor, talismans.
"Shop," Zane said with a tired sort of fondness. "A marketplace only Element Controllers can access. You earn Black Will by defeating Mirages or monsters."
Clara looked like she was about to faint. "We're seriously buying powers. This feels illegal."
Atlas chuckled under his breath. "It's not."
The transaction took only seconds. A smooth, crystalline sphere hovered between them, emitting a low hum.
Atlas picked it up and turned to his friends. "Place your hand on it. One at a time."
Serena went first. The crystal flared bright silver, then settled into a cool glow.
"Water Element," Atlas said quietly. "Fitting."
Clara was next. The light shimmered pale green.
"Plant Element. Also fitting."
Alaric hesitated. "If this gives me the Soap Element, I'm going back through the wormhole."
Serena elbowed him. "Just touch it."
He did. The glow turned bright blue.
"Lightning Element."
Alaric grinned in relief. "I can work with that."
Atlas set the sphere aside. "These are powerful Elements, even if they're not at the highest ranks. They'll grow stronger as you train."
Serena stepped closer, her voice low. "Thank you. For…for everything."
Atlas met her gaze. "I'm not doing this for gratitude. I'm doing it because we don't have time to be ordinary."
Zane's metallic eyes glinted. "You never were."
Clara cleared her throat. "So…now what?"
Atlas closed his hand around the last of the Black Will motes. "Now…we prepare. And there's a place I need to take you all."
Alaric raised both brows. "You're not going to say something cryptic and vanish into a portal again, are you?"
Atlas almost smiled. "I'll say something cryptic and then vanish into a portal."
He turned toward the darkness at the far end of the chamber.