The ranking didn’t seem quite right, and the count of Camp Coins was probably wrong too.
My lips parted and closed on repeat, which seemed to amuse Scott.
“Was I right? I knew it! Like they would ignore anyone showing more potential than the Scions.” He laughed. “It would have been the stupidest thing in all of Razarn to ignore a Journeyman strong enough to defeat a Mid-ranked Expert. Even better, the Journeyman is a literal infant when it comes to the world of Blessed.”
His eyes shimmered as he inquired, “How is it? Are you in the 100?”
I laughed mirthlessly. “Not quite.”
My training with Ruler Kazriel had already pushed my rank, but I had been in the top 3000 at my peak. And as happy as my rank and half a million Camp Coins should make me, I felt a void instead. And that void made way for frustration as I scrolled down to check the ranking log.
“500,000 coins for searching, locating, and tricking the Caldera, and the Emperor beast,” I growled quietly enough to go unnoticed. The exact wording was not that bad, but it still hid the truth.
There was nothing glorious about my “mission,” as they called it. If anything, the coins felt like silencing money.
Fucking nonsense. I managed to curse in my head rather than shout at the top of my lungs as I opened the message attached to the coin transaction.
They praised me for my talent, reassured me that they caught on to my bold move to befriend the Caldera to help the Rulers, that they acknowledged my sacrifice, and that I had a promising future.
The message couldn’t have made less sense, yet it made me feel like shit. Did the Council really think I befriended the Caldera for their sake, to find and trick the Elemental Phoenix? If so…did the Caldera think the same of me?
No, they didn’t. I shook my head as the words of the Spiritcaller and the Elemental Phoenix rang in my ears.
They did not blame me, so neither should I. Still…
“What’s your rank?” Scott asked, all smiley.
I turned to him, not sure whether I wanted to hit him or thank him for distracting me.
“28th. I don’t know how, though.”
“Damn, that’s crazy.” Daniel whistled. “I only just made it into the top 300.”
“I’m 109th.” Scott snickered in Daniel’s direction. “Looks like you have a lot of catching up to do.”
Daniel huffed and released a tiny electric current to shock Scott. A little banter ensued between my friends until a groan from our fourth roommate made us freeze.
“It’s a little late, isn’t it?” I pointed out. After all, it was the middle of the night when I left the research facility. “Sorry to bother you, Spencer.”
He didn’t answer and pulled the blanket high above his head instead.
“Anyway, I will surpass the two of you.” Daniel pointed fingers, voice low, eyes filled with determination. “The Katrak inflated your ranks. It will go down soon enough!”
Scott responded with something, but I turned to my bed, removed my clothes, and collapsed in the soft folds of my bed.
Sleeping on the hard banks in the research facility had been a nightmare, but that might have been for the best. I wouldn’t have been able to sleep a lot either way. Now, however, I was as good as dead.
The exhaustion of the last few days unloaded on my mind and body when my head hit the cushion, and the world around me grew dark once more.
***
My plan had been simple. So simple it was almost impossible to fail. Almost.
Talking to Daniel and Scott was great and all, but they met up with the rest of our old team. I would have loved to join them, but I knew Sophie and Fabienne were going to ask questions. They’d want to know all about our time with the Caldera, about my point of view, and I was not comfortable with that. I…didn’t think I could talk about it yet.
But as much as I missed my friends, I avoided them and focused on training instead, trying almost desperately to get rid of those horrifying memories haunting me at night.
However, no matter how much I avoided questions, it was impossible to escape them. Ignoring the Camp’s lectures–and my friends–was a nuisance, yet it was the imposing figure of legends towering in my doorway at the crack of dawn that made it impossible to forget what happened.
“Good morning, Adam Savier.” A two-meter-tall wall of bulging muscles and a dazzling smile greeted me early in the morning like a ghost of the past. “Isn’t it a little bit too early to start training? Then again, I was just like you at your age.” Blazing eyes met mine. “The early bird catches the worm, right?”
My mind froze as I stared up at the Ruler of Fire’s massive frame, and my body followed. Goosebumps spread over my skin before my body stopped responding to my screams. I wanted to run, to escape the fangs of the predator standing before me, but my body wouldn’t listen.
Only when a muffled shriek echoed through the room and into the hallway did I finally regain a semblance of control over both mind and body. Glancing to the side, I caught a glimpse of Spencer staring at the Ruler of Fire with wide eyes. More sounds rang out behind me, telling me Scott and Daniel had woken up as well.
Did he come here because of the Phoenix? Where did I mess up? Was it because I left the research facility?! I should have stayed longer. I was halfway to a panic attack when my bonds filled me with warmth and reassurance. Nox went as far as to tell me to slash the Ruler of Fire’s throat right here, right now, and the absurdity of it made me laugh. It was so ridiculously stupid–how could I not laugh?
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The Ruler of Fire tilted his head as I chuckled, yet the panic evaporated. If even I couldn’t see the sacred beast hiding in my World, how could the Ruler of Fire? Raffael Torch certainly had a trick or two up his sleeves, but so did the researchers, and they had failed too.
As the panic settled, anger took its place. I wanted to shout at the Ruler for using me and the others like pawns, or for starting a war with a race that had been nothing but kind to us, but I was mute–too afraid to speak up.
“Weird reaction.” The Ruler of Fire’s smile receded a little. “Not that it matters. I will be quick about this.”
As he uttered the last bit, his eyes turned into golden-crimson orbs. The orbs sought something, and then they locked onto me. Our eyes met for no more than a split second, but that was all it took to unravel my World. It felt like someone tore through my soul’s defenses with practiced ease to inspect my World.
The World within me rippled and resisted the Ruler’s pull. It held strong for what felt like an eternity–but couldn’t have been longer than a second or two–before it caved and opened to the Ruler’s piercing eyes. Heat entered my body in waves, pain spread, and blood and ether boiled in unison. It only grew more intense as the Ruler of Fire searched deeper within me.
Although only a few seconds could have passed before the golden-crimson orbs receded, I felt like years of life had been sucked out of me. My legs caved in, and the only reason I didn’t collapse was the Ruler’s arm blurring forward, his hand coiling around my shoulder.
Raffael Torch sighed deeply as our eyes met again, and he quickly put on a smile and patted my shoulder. “That was a necessity. A protocol I had to follow, if you will.”
I was certain he was bullshitting me, but what was I supposed to do about it? A Ruler’s words held as much weight as the law. Worse even, Predator triggered naturally after detecting the fury burning beneath the Ruler’s fa?ade. Then there was anger–not directed at me, but at the world instead. That confirmed it; he had concluded I carried the Elemental Phoenix. No, it couldn’t be more than a guess–a guess that turned out wrong. He didn’t find the Elemental Phoenix.
I…was safe.
Although it did not look like I was really safe. Not with an angry Ruler standing in my doorway.
Raffael Torch was furious. His emotions pierced through the fa?ade momentarily, and the temperature on the floor increased by a dozen degrees instantly.
“Looks like this was a waste of time.” He cleared his throat. “I am a little bit late, but I was kept busy with other… more pressing issues.”
Shaking his head, Raffael lowered his body to meet my eyes once more. I flinched, expecting the worst, but the Ruler didn’t inspect my World again.
“I am sorry for your loss. Kazriel was proud of you,” Raffael Torch said with a sincerity that did not fit my impression of him. However, what shocked me most was when the Ruler of Fire lowered his head a little.
What in the…?
“You were his first Scion. He never would have picked anyone with an unfitting World. For him to pick you and train you into a Scion with the means to rival the other Scions, you must have great potential–enough potential to stand among our ranks in the future,” he explained seriously, retrieving a small, onyx-colored ring from his pocket. “I am sure he would want you to have this.”
“Ruler Kazriel did not have any family. Not after the Outsiders kidnapped and killed his wife and daughter more than a hundred years ago.” Raffael waved dismissively. “Regardless of the circumstances, Kazriel’s belongings belong to the next of his kin. That leaves you, his Scion, as the only inheritor.”
That…didn’t make any sense. First things first, Ruler Kazriel never said I was his Scion. But while he never mentioned anything, several people did end up calling me his Scions recently.
Am – was – I actually his Scion? I wondered, attention lingering on the onyx ring Raffael Torch placed into my hands. Is that why he invested so much? Because he considered me his Scion?
If he’d been promised a reward generous enough to excite a Ruler for training the Scion responsible for winning the Katrak–for leading the Rulers to the Emperor-ranked beast – that would make sense. Not that it mattered any longer. He was dead, and his inheritance rested in my hands.
And as much as I wanted to decline anything related to Ruler Kazriel, I couldn’t help but think about Daniel. He needed a few million Camp Coins to purchase a specific World Aspect from the Grand Camp’s shop. Without help, my friend would probably fail…but with the Ruler’s belongings? No matter how wasteful someone was, there was no way a Ruler who’d lived for centuries would lack valuable items. Selling a few of them for a good amount of coins would help Daniel.
I couldn’t afford to reject the inheritance, even if it was only for Daniel’s sake.
“It belongs rightfully to you,” the Ruler of Fire said again when he caught onto my hesitation.
That, too, was something I couldn’t afford to question. The Council and others thought I knew about the plan to trick the Caldera all along. Although it was a misunderstanding on their part, I didn’t want to correct their misunderstanding. Lest they had a reason to suspect me.
“The spatial ring’s contents should help you nurture the Sacred Flame. The authority key to the Beast Pagoda has been included as well, although Ruler Kazriel has long since resigned and is no longer the Pagoda Master. It may come in handy with that versatile World of yours, nonetheless.”
My heart skipped a beat and my hair stood on end when the Ruler of Fire mentioned the Sacred Flame. He didn’t speak in a way that suggested he had any idea the Elemental Phoenix was right in front of him, but his presence alone made me panic. His arrival hinted at doubt. Or maybe he had simply made a detour and had other business to tend to in the Grand Camp.
No, he thinks the researchers are mad and have no idea what they’re doing, I told myself, which Aureus only confirmed.
“I do have some other business to attend to.” Raffael Torch straightened his back, his eyes shifting to golden-crimson orbs once again. It lasted only a moment, but my World unfolded once more.
Reverting to normal after an instant, I was confronted with a wave of frustration. I stumbled backward, and when I looked back at the door, I watched Raffael Torch leave.
“Feel free to reach out to me once your Sacred Flame is larger. I can teach you a thing or two.” His words hung in the air for a long time, but the Ruler did not return. He left for good, and I could only hope he would never return.
You have not yet convinced him. He still harbors doubts.
Aureus said in my mind, and I agreed with him.
His invitation to teach me in the future sounded like an exciting opportunity, but it was a problem. I didn’t know how long I could hide the Elemental Phoenix, which is why I suspected the worst. That the Phoenix would rise soon, and that it could no longer be hidden after that. Parading in front of…literally any Grandmaster or Ruler would be a problem. I’d be exposed within moments, my World torn apart to retrieve the Elemental Phoenix.
“What in the Rulers’ Names?!?” A scream rippled through the room, pulling me out of my thoughts. Shy Spencer hurled his blanket aside and leaped to his feet, pointing at the doorway. “Was that Raffael Torch just now? How do you know the Fire Ruler? That is so cool!!”
Shy Spencer was not so shy anymore. Or he was still tired and his brain failed him.
I said nothing, unable to think of anything other than the onyx ring and the chaos that awaited me.
A Ruler’s inheritance rested in my hands, an Emperor beast that had yet to be reborn nestled in my Soul, and an ancient Ruler searching desperately for said beast showed interest in me.
How the fuck did I end up in this mess?
