Nas staggered forward, veins of golden light crawling beneath his skin. His sapphire eyes flicked widely from one friend to another. He clenched his fist, his breath ragged.
"Nas...?" Phoebe's voice trembled.
But he didn't hear her. His magic clawed at him, whispering rage, feeding on fear and hate. He lurched forward, each step heavier, more violent.
"No..." Nas whispered to himself, nails digging into his palms. "Not them... I won't..."
His body betrayed him, lifting a hand towards his friends.
Then —
A giant hand, unseen by all but Nas in that split second, smashed across his face with earth shattering force. He was driven into the ground, the impact spider webbing cracks through the earth. His body went limp, unconscious in an instant.
The others froze. They hadn't seen the hand. To them, it was as though Nas had simply collapsed under the weight of his own magic.
—
Far above the city, the truth was laid bare.
"So, what's your conclusion?" a calm voice asked.
"It was convincing enough" warren said, stroking the hair of a small girl at his side, "using number nine's illusion to mimic the villains... brilliant. It kept them believing."
They stood in the highest floor of the ACE TOWER, the command heart of the Assembly. A massive table carved with ironwood stretched before them, it's surface alive with projections. Holographic silhouettes of cloaked figures filled most of the seats, their identities obscured. In the center of the table, a pool of rippling water displayed the images of Nas and his friends, still reeling from their ordeal.
"The plan," warren continued, "was to uncover what the intellectual wanted from young Michael. Instead, we discovered something else entirely."
The little girl tilted her head, eyes gleaming. "So what magic was that, number one?"
"I'm not sure yet," warren admitted, turning towards the towering window, the sprawl of the city glittering beneath him.
Several of the cloaked holograms shifted. Notably, three chairs ramained empty - two reserved for absent members, and one reserved for the girl herself.
"Where is number two?" She asked, a playful curiosity in her tone.
Warren's jaw tightened. The question was too casual, but the weight it carried was not.
"And the lightning empress?" another voice cut in, male, sharp.
A woman leaned forward, her hologram rippling with static. "I sensed her magic not long ago. She's lost her Grace — or gave it up. Equivalent exchange, if you will. But why?"
"One would assume that since she's out of hiding and finally used her grace, she'd be here. At least to explain why or how she lost her Grace." Another added.
Warren let out a low growl. The warning was clear: do not press further.
"What will you do about it?" The woman persisted. "The spirituals should be hunting her already. Without her Grace, there's no telling what could go wrong."
"She's... doing something that must be done," warren said at last, his voice a walk. "She asked us not to Interfere. And we have other matters."
"Grace or not," another man cuts in, "Idia is till Idia. Witch-mage hybrid, the first of her kind. She can draw mana from witchcraft and call upon her ancestors to amplify her spells. Even the spirituals wouldn't dare move blindly against her. She'll be fine. She is still the most powerful woman on the planet. Even after 16 years."
That silenced the table, though unease lingered in the air.
Finally, another woman shifted the topic, sensing Warren's darkened mood. "Then let us return to the boy. That magic he used - does anyone know what it is?"
Silence fell.
Even among the gathering of the most powerful mages on the planets, no one dared claim understanding.
"I'm not sure, but it was evidently very old and potentially very powerful. He's not one of yours. Not part of the ACE assembly I mean, he's some kid from Igodo, his mom's a poor janitor in a hospital and he's on a scholarship to a private school." A man said, holding a tablet.
"God, I love that information gathering abilitu of yours " a woman stated.
Every supernatural is mine. And if you're worried about him not being a part of the Assembly, it's about time we change that. It's that time of the year, isn't it?" Warren said.
"You can't be serious" the man laughed. "The spirituals would never approve of this."
"I've taken a liking to the lad. Moreover, it's just a three month Internship, before he writes the exam for the academy. Having him intern in the Assembly would allow me understand his type of magic. He might turn out to be an asset." Warren smirked
"You're the number one, so do what you think is best. As long as it's an inconvenience to those old bags of bones, you're free to have your fun with this kid." Another said
"Lord one, how about I take care of youkai boy?" the little girl begged warren, referring to Nas because of his change in appearance.
"Why do you still act like a child? You know you're older than him" the healer woman from before stated, shooting her a deathly stare as the little girl blew her a kiss. The woman pretended to throw up.
"Don't worry about it, I'll assign him to someone myself" warren stated, shocking everyone. "Having the knights move now will draw unnecessary attention."
"You sure about this, number one? I know you're a sucker for new magic, but getting too invested in this kid might come back to bite you in the behind. History might end up repeating itself" another said, a sad look on his face.
At that, one of the older knights leaned forward, his voice dropping.
"That light... Those changes in his body... I've heard of something like it, once. In a record buried three thousand years ago. A force so rear, it was said to burn the world from the inside out if ever it resurfaced."
He paused, shaking his head. "But... Those were just stories. Surely it cannot be that."
Silence followed his words - a silence thick enough that no one dared to break it. Warren only smiled, as if he hadn't heard.
"Absolutely " warren finally said.
"And about finding out why the intellectual wants the element or?"
"Oh that, I'm not sure either" warren answered nonchalantly
"I'll have someone keep an eye on them" he added before the knights could say anything.
"Then we'll leave it to you" a female knight said
"You'll be leaving soon, right?" Warren teased
"I think not, we'll be sticking around for a while, just to see the sights" another woman said
"It's not everyday we get to see Earth so peaceful. Call us if you need anything " another knight said.
"Don't hold your breath" warren whispered
"Having all the knights on earth all at once... seems like something is moving, something is about to happen. ORIOLE, what are your plans? Is this your doing?" Warren thought.
Kendra is seen sitting atop a mountain in the dead of night, the moon full, it's beautiful light illuminating the entire area, as a man in a black three-piece suit appeared behind her, his face concealed in the shadow
"That was fast. How was the meeting?" Kendra asked with a smirk
"I didn't expect you to come see me this soon. You really couldn't hold yourself" Kendra teased as she laid on her back looking at the man's face before looking at the moon.
"You're still as handsome as ever."
"And you're as beautiful as your were 16 years ago" the man said, taking a sumeat beside her.
"The meeting was fine. The same as always." The man sighed "why didn't you show up?"
Kendra only smiled, no response.
"You were able to hide for nearly sixteen years, and now you're fighting?" He asked
"This wasn't the plan. You know this." Kendra said.
The man just chuckled. "So what is your plan now, Idia nẹ ovbiẹ ogiso?"