Chapter 78: 13

  “How can he be in two places at the same time?” Alice muttered in disbelief.

  Riven looked even more stunned than her, speaking to himself. “That…explains a lot.”

  My curiosity was piqued, but I didn’t share their shock. Compared to everything I’d learned during this day—the time loop—Vorrick’s apparent ability to be in two places simultaneously was just another piece in the puzzle. Either way, I’d wager it had something to do with Dolos.

  “Explains what?” I asked.

  “Libra stuff,” Riven replied cryptically while narrowing his gaze on me. “Let’s just say that in the past, we always wondered how Vorrick managed to move so quickly around Solvane. We’d attack one location knowing he was on a different platform and yet he’d always show up somehow. Turns out he wasn’t actually moving fast or anything. There’s just another him.”

  He turned to Alice. “How is he doing this? Who’s the other Vorrick?”

  Alice’s frustration became apparent as she responded, her expression hardening in anger at the implication. “How would I know? Can’t you see I’m just as surprised as you?”

  “So much for being Casten Vorrick’s ward…” Riven muttered, shaking his head. Before Alice could retort, he continued. “Well, putting that aside for now, our task just became much harder. The Enforcers we’d seen earlier had surely alerted him about us. Once they won’t find us in the cafeteria, they’d start searching the floor for us.”

  “That doesn’t change much,” I said. “We were already heading back to the elevators.”

  “That’s true,” Riven agreed. “But I doubt Vorrick didn’t leave some Enforcers to guard the elevators just in case. I’ll just have to deal with those while you two stay safe and watch our rear.”

  “What about the detonator?” I asked, instinctively thinking about how we could use it as a possible distraction if things went south.

  Riven’s eyebrow arched in surprise. “Did it – “ He paused, his expression shifting as the realization dawned. Without another word, he reached into the inside pocket of his uniform jacket and pulled out the small device.

  “I assume I used it last time?” he asked, handing the detonator to me.

  Now I was the one caught aback. “Why are you giving it to me?”

  He simply shrugged. “It’s your plan.”

  Plan? What plan? I was just thinking aloud.

  Either way, I took the detonator from him. Ultimately, I preferred to have control of the device myself rather than leaving it with him, since I did not trust him fully. I slipped my hand into my pocket and sent it to the Inventory.

  [Item Acquired: Detonator – Added to Inventory]

  Then, we made our way back to the elevators.

  Surprisingly, no one was waiting for us.

  The unexpected emptiness only set Riven on edge as he kept glancing over his shoulder.

  “This can’t be right,” he muttered, his gaze darting around the corridor. “It’s not like him to be this sloppy.”

  He was right. Something felt wrong.

  Still, despite our unease, we continued forward, pushing through the metal doors that led to the elevator shafts.

  Once inside, Riven wasted no time. He quickly scanned his COG on the terminal to summon the elevator, then immediately rushed back to the doors. He pressed himself against it and cautiously peeked outside, clearly expecting someone to appear and confront us.

  “No one’s coming,” he whispered, almost panicking. He turned to Alice. “What is he planning?!”

  Alice exploded. “I told you I don’t fucking know! Stop thinking I know everything about Casten!”

  Meanwhile, my attention shifted to the elevator. I could hear it getting closer as the mechanical sounds grew louder with each moment. Suddenly, it hit me.

  “What if they’re coming from the elevator?” I said, voicing my concern.

  Both Riven and Alice immediately turned toward me.

  Riven nodded. “Good call.”

  He slid a Cryora into the Channel Core of his COG, positioning himself directly in front of the elevator. With his right hand raised, he prepared to release a frost blast at the exact moment the doors opened, ready to freeze anyone who might be coming for us.

  As the elevator drew closer, Riven kept glancing anxiously over his shoulder at the doors, alert for a possible threat from that direction.

  I stood ready as well, debating whether I could use crystals against humans if it came to that. Yes, the Enforcers would not hesitate to kill me, but they were just doing their jobs. Had I killed anyone in any of the previous loops?

  Suddenly, a sharp click echoed around us, signaling the elevator’s arrival.

  The doors opened slowly—my breath was caught—then a blur.

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  Everything happened too fast.

  In one moment, the elevator appeared to be empty. In the next, Riven was impaled on the armblade of an Obsidian Crow because he jumped to cover me from his strike.

  “Thirteen…” Riven muttered through a mouthful of blood. “Who are you…?”

  But Obsidian Crow #13 wasn’t talkative. He yanked his blade free, throwing Riven aside with the same motion, then fired his armgun at him to secure the kill.

  Then he turned to me and Alice.

  “W-What are you doing here?” I stammered, panic rising. I didn’t even watch a Memory Fragment. Why did he show up?!

  He ignored me, his gaze shifting to the stunned Alice.

  “Well…who do we have here?” he drawled, his tone slightly mocking.

  “Thirteen? But you should – “ Alice began, but he cut her off with a loud BANG, shooting her in the head with his armgun.

  Alice’s blood sprayed across my face as she collapsed, her body pulling me down by the handcuffs still binding us. I fell back, landing hard on the floor.

  The Crow crouched in front of me.

  “I know what you’re thinking,” he began, turning his head toward Riven’s corpse. “You’re surprised to see me here.” He faced me again. “Understandable. You were used to me appearing after a certain something happened. And now, I changed the rules.”

  My mind raced, scrambling for a way out.

  Would the detonator’s explosion reach here? I’d rather gamble on the blast and rubble not burying me alive than let him kill me again.

  Meanwhile, he kept talking. “But things change all the time. Around us, patterns shift constantly. Some might call it evolution, but that feels a bit too grand for me. I prefer to call it chaos."

  I shook my head in confusion. “So what, you’re saying you have a different way to track me?”

  He shrugged. “Maybe. I’ll let your mind drown in that puzzle too.” He paused. “You’re also probably wondering why I left you alive after you were my initial target, right?”

  I nodded, keeping him talking, buying myself more time as I still calculated my best plan of survival. Though honestly…what did surviving even accomplish now? Riven was dead, and without him, reaching Valdemar was nearly impossible.

  I could still try to get to the Blood Storage—Valdemar was there, supposedly. But would I even be able to? Without Riven, won't Libra insurgents just gun me down on sight?

  “Well, I could lie and say I knew he’d try and save you, but that…yeah, that’d be a lie,” the Crow went on. “In other words, you’re lucky. Lucky to still be breathing for another five minutes.” His gaze shifted to Alice’s body beside me. “And her? Well, she and I…we have history. She might not know it, but I…really hate her guts.”

  He seemed to grow thoughtful—or at least as thoughtful as someone in full armor could look.

  “Had you noticed I sound different? Livelier?” he asked, sounding almost earnest. “I just noticed that. Surely you had, too. Maybe I did go through an evolution. What do you think?”

  “I – I – “

  I tried to summon the detonator to my hand.

  A mistake.

  He caught the subtle twitch of my finger and that was enough for him to activate his Kinetra and react. His armblade slammed through my forearm, pinning it to the floor.

  I screamed in pain.

  He detached the blade from his suit, leaving it impaling my arm and the floor.

  “That’s on you,” he said scoldingly. “Should’ve just kept lying there and answered. I told you that you have five minutes. Now, you won’t have even that.”

  “Who the fuck are you?! Why do you keep killing me?!” I snapped, trying to get him to answer the question I already asked him before.

  He was right. He was crazy but he was also right. He was far more talkative this time and I hoped that it would play in my favor.

  He chuckled—soft but unmistakable—then raised his armgun to my forehead.

  “The audacity…” he muttered softly. “As if I need a reason to kill someone as vile as you.”

  Then, he pulled the trigger.

  ***

  I woke up to the sharp smell of hay filling my nose.

  I clutched my forehead, heart still pounding from yet another painful death.

  My eyes darted around, trying to understand where I was.

  There was no ‘Loop Count’ message, and the ground beneath me wasn’t the familiar grass of Chronos’ realm. Which meant there was only one place I could be at—Dolos’ realm.

  Sure enough, he was quick to greet me.

  “Viktor! How are doing, my boy?” the old farmer called out, voice annoyingly cheerful.

  The last thing I wanted now was to see him. I knew he’d only add even more chaos into my already broken mind.

  I didn’t even respond to him but that didn’t stop him.

  “Let me just say how happy I am that you kept our agreement and didn’t tell Chronos anything,” he continued. “And I’m also glad you used that tungsten I left you. There’s more where that came from.”

  “Who is Obsidian Crow #13?” I decided to cut the crap and focus on what mattered.

  The Crow’s behavior this loop rattled me. He managed to track me without me even watching a Memory Fragment. And then, the way he sounded…he was suddenly so unhinged. Like someone on the edge of insanity. Maybe already past it. It was nothing like the cruel, yet collected, hunter I was used to.

  He wasn’t a Champion. So how in the world could he change between loops? He shouldn’t be able to retain his memories.

  Dolos’ smile faltered—an expression I didn’t think he was capable of. “I wish I could tell you. Truly. But I’m bound by a divine pact with someone far stronger than me to keep this person’s identity a secret.” He suddenly raised a finger, almost pleading. “But! I swear I have nothing to do with the Crow. In fact, Crow Thirteen is the very reason I decided to change my plans and include you in them."

  I must’ve looked skeptical, because he continued immediately.

  “There’s no easy way to say this,” he said right before his form shimmered, shifting into that of a warrior clad in bronze armor. “But things had gotten slightly out of control.”

  “Out of control how?”

  “You see,” he began. “My plan for this Battle was meticulously crafted. I placed every piece on the board. Each one had a purpose in the grand scheme of things. I knew I couldn’t control them perfectly—arrogant bastards, the whole lot—but even their attempts to deviate were accounted for. Every rebellion, every surprise…all of it still fit within my design.”

  “Can you get to the point already?” I said, patience running thin.

  He chuckled. “There are two pieces on the board that are not mine. One is you. The other is our dear Crow. While I prepared for Chronos’ Champion, I did not for a wildcard like him. He brings in too much chaos. Truthfully? He ruins everything I worked hard for. And even more truthfully? We share a common enemy here. My plan can’t progress with Crow Thirteen meddling around, but so can’t yours. That was when I decided that by having you on board we can all get what we want.”

  “Who are the other players?” I asked, fishing for more.

  “That I can’t say,” Dolos replied, smiling like it amused him.

  “Then how do you expect me to help?”

  “You don’t need to know that.”

  “I want to know if you want my help,” I said, hoping to use what little leverage I thought I had.

  Dolos just laughed. “I admire the effort, but no. I won’t tell you. You need my help as much as I need yours. Besides, once the Crow stops being a thorn in both our sides, you might very well decide to turn your back on me. I'd much rather help you save Solvane, but for the possibility of your betrayal, I must keep my cards close.”

  I let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Nothing is easy with you.”

  He shrugged, still smiling.

  “What about your Champion?” I asked. “Why can’t he deal with the Crow? Valdemar should have the influence to eliminate one. Yet it turns out he doesn’t even know who Thirteen is.”

  Dolos nodded. “As I said—my pieces are rebellious. Unless my Champion is directly affected by the Crow, he won’t act.”

  I studied him carefully. I knew I couldn’t trust a single word coming out of his mouth. But if Chronos was still blind to Solvane, what choice did I have? If the Crow could now find and kill me without any way for me to prepare for him, I was doomed. Solvane was doomed.

  Against my better judgement, I decided to hear him out.

  “What do you suggest?”