Merlin Zerog greeted us with a flat smile as we entered his office. It was not large by any means, but it looked immense given the lack of furniture. A wooden shelf ran along the wall behind Daniel’s uncle, and a desk that looked far too small beside Merlin’s towering figure completed the sparse room.

  Even as Merlin sat there, regarding us calmly, he looked massive. His hair was cut short, his features sharp and shaped by the ghosts of combat. Old and fresher-looking scars covered his arms and face, some reaching up to his neck–several of them lethal by appearance, making me wonder how he had survived long enough to tell their tale.

  He appeared calm, but a storm brewed beneath the surface. His eyes, dark as a starless night, lingered on us, sizing us up from head to toe. Yet as tough and heartless as Merlin Zerog appeared, I felt at peace. He hadn’t changed much, aside from the new scars, and that was comforting.

  I hadn’t seen Daniel’s uncle for quite a while now, but he was still the same. Honestly, I had not expected to see him here. He would have been much better off in the Ninth Bastion, supporting the army. Seeing him in the flying ship was surprising, to say the least.

  “You arrived on time,” Merlin said, as if our punctuality were unexpected. “Sit down.”

  With a flick of his wrist, the air split, and a set of chairs appeared on the other side of the desk.

  The motion was nothing special, yet it caught my attention. There had been no movement of ether within Merlin as he split the air.

  How strong are you? I wondered.

  Merlin Zerog had been fortunate enough to bind a fully grown brown Wyvern as his Soulkin. That alone elevated his status to a Master. Or was he already a Grandmaster? Brown Wyverns were non-elemental beasts. Their physical attributes surpassed most other Wyverns, but that was the extent of my knowledge.

  As far as I could tell, Merlin Zerog was more dangerous than the Scions. Whether that came from combat experience, the killing intent he exuded naturally, or something else entirely, I did not know.

  “Why did you want to see us, unc?” Daniel asked, pulling back one of the chairs to slump down into it.

  There was not the slightest trace of tension in his body. He sat overly relaxed, smiling almost bored.

  Merlin narrowed his eyes at his nephew. “You never learn. Outside the house you should speak more respectfully.”

  He shook his head at Daniel’s antics and sighed in defeat as his nephew only shrugged, looking as though he couldn’t care less. That was odd even for me. The last time I’d seen Daniel and Merlin together, my friend had treated his uncle with far more respect.

  “You’re a little bit over the top, don’t you think?” I whispered, sitting beside him.

  Daniel smiled smugly, the mischievous glint in his eyes impossible to ignore.

  He’s trying to get on his uncle’s nerves. Why now?

  Merlin glanced at me. “I read the reports. You both did well. I’m sure my sister did not expect any of this.” A faint smile played on his lips, although it vanished a moment later. “You pushed this fool to try his hardest, and that he did. However, without you, he would not have acquired the Species Expansion Aspect. For that, I would like to thank you in the name of the Zerog household.”

  “Good afternoon, Mr. Zerog,” I said, nodding toward Merlin. “I only did what I promised I would do.”

  “You kept your word.” Satisfied, Merlin flicked his wrist again, materializing a thick stack of papers.

  “I should have done the same. Kept my promise to my sister.” He pressed his lips together, a streak of discomfort crossing his features. “But I failed.”

  Daniel sat up straighter at the mention of his mother. “What exactly did you promise Mom?”

  “To protect you. To keep you out of the Council’s schemes,” Merlin said, looking at the two of us. “Both of you.”

  Clearly, that had failed miserably. Daniel had not been in as much danger as I had, but he too was pulled into the mess with the Caldera. If not for Scott, Daniel and the others would have sustained some serious burns – if they had been fortunate enough to survive Volix’s fire at all.

  The Elemental Spires’ underground caverns and tunnels had been a complete disaster, a testament to the Elemental Phoenix’s power.

  “I know I failed.” He read the looks on our faces. “But I could not go against the Council. Even now, I can’t. I should have done something a bit earlier, but we were forbidden to talk about it. That is no longer the case. I was given more clearance from both sides.”

  “Both sides?” Unsure what he meant, I exchanged a confused glance with Daniel.

  “What exactly do you want from us, unc? I mean, I get that you’re scared of Mom. You don’t want us telling her how you messed up, right? I understand that, but how are we supposed to keep that a secret? Do you want Adam to lie about how he got a sacred flame, or how we reached the Top 250 in the rankings? Don’t try to make us lie to Mom, unc. If she finds out…” Daniel shuddered at the thought.

  “I don’t want you to lie.” Merlin waved dismissively. “I’m already prepared for your mother’s wrath. I don’t like it, but I know there’s nothing I can do about it. However, I can make it up to the two of you before it’s too late.”

  Several screens popped up, each depicting different humanoid figures. I recognized two as Fijas and Tarthons from the Fithar Alliance. Then an image appeared of a blue-skinned Caldera, ocean-blue veins running through their body, ending at a glacial-blue gemstone embedded in their chest. It looked impressive, but my attention moved on as a blade of guilt pierced my heart.

  Another projection depicted a grotesque humanoid figure, more bones than flesh, with bony wings, alongside an image of a small, green-skinned humanoid creature. The green-skinned creature resembled a goblin, its razor-sharp tusks jutting from a lower, elongated jaw, tiny clawed fingers curling around a black steel blade.

  The bony figure I faintly recognized as a Bakurean, whereas the goblin creature was an image of the Bekar race.

  “The Bastions are at war with five races. Six, if we include another race, but I left them out since mankind’s relationship with them is still unclear.” Merlin gestured toward the Outsider races. “I don’t expect you to understand everything that’s been going on behind the scenes, but I want to help the two of you understand at least a little better. I know that might not be enough, nor may you understand the Council’s reasoning any better once I’m done, but knowing the truth is better than trudging through the unknown. Don’t you think so, Adam?”

  My blood froze as Merlin’s dark eyes locked onto me. It felt as if darkness itself stared into my soul, but I nodded anyway.

  Can he sense something? Does he know…? No, I doubt it.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  Stay calm. Listen and form your own opinion from the experiences, facts, and information in your hands.

  Volix thundered in my head, suppressing my frustration through the bond.

  But how could the Elemental Phoenix stay so calm? Merlin was just about to tell us why the Council’s Rulers decided to attack the Caldera!

  I lived for a long time. Many lives, some shorter than others. Anger is a great outlet, but letting it consume you will not help anyone.

  “Some of those races are allied with Monarchs, several wielding power far surpassing the average Ruler. Until a few months ago, the Council managed to keep the wars a secret from the public, but too many things have changed. The frontlines shifted as the Monarchs and Outsiders pressured mankind’s elite forces. Grandmasters were removed from the battlefield, Rulers were severely harmed, and too many Soulkins succumbed in failed attempts to protect their Blessed. Yet all the damage did was fan the Rulers’ fire.” Merlin scooted in his chair, his eyes drifting to the door subconsciously before adding, “That was also when the Grand Camp came across the Caldera delegation in the Elemental Spires.”

  He looked up at us. “When you guys met them during the coming-of-age ceremony?”

  “The Council planned to befriend the Caldera at first. To negotiate with them, knowing that their tribes can be reasoned with. As much as they love combat, they were not as aggressive as our other enemies, so the Council sought their support: the aid of their Primal Spirit and their Named Spirits. Dracos approved of that plan and promised to support the Bastions if they succeeded with the Caldera delegation.” Merlin grimaced, a small, ridged glass filled with a syrupy liquid materializing in his hand.

  He emptied the glass with one large sip. “As you can probably tell, the Council failed miserably. It didn’t work out. Not even the Caldera wanted to face the Bakurean. They were also not particularly happy about the war with the Fithar Alliance. As much as the Caldera are warriors, they fought the Fithar Alliance for years before finally agreeing to a ceasefire. They would not break that treaty to support us, which is more than understandable if you look at it from their view. But the Ancient and his pool of old fucks did not agree with that sentiment. The Oracles located an Elemental Phoenix inhabiting a place far from home.”

  The glass refilled itself, and Merlin emptied it once more. “Then, as if fortune finally shone upon mankind, the Oracles located another lone Emperor–the Tundra Behemoth. Information about two Emperors with overwhelming power in their own territories, but severely weakened under certain circumstances, fell into the Council’s hands. That was enough for the Ancient. He changed his mind, and so did the old fucks following him like mindless idiots. A plan was set in motion… and the rest is history.”

  A plan to bind two Emperor beasts and turn the Ruler of Fire and the Ruler of Ice into Emperors themselves. It wasn’t a bad plan. At least, it wouldn’t have been if they hadn’t messed up that badly. Even the Elemental Phoenix agreed with that. The plan was sound, as long as it didn’t involve betraying the Caldera.

  Raffael could have challenged me openly. The Caldera would have praised him, maybe even revered him, if he had won against me–without any dirty tricks, of course. I would have submitted to him if he felled me during the challenge, and the Caldera’s opinion of the Bastions’ humans would have changed. They would have helped with the Bekar and the Bakurean.

  That would have been good to know beforehand. It was probably something we could have known–learned from the Caldera, who had welcomed us into their homes with open arms–if we had wanted to learn from them. If we had been interested in getting to know the Caldera for who they truly were.

  I hadn’t known about the Elemental Phoenix or any of the Rulers’ plans at that time, and maybe knowing wouldn’t have changed anything, but what did they expect to happen?

  Was mankind’s situation really so bleak that we ended up with the first plan available? The more I listened to the voice in my head and to Merlin, the more I wondered just how twisted the mesh behind the scenes actually was.

  “Why exactly are you telling us that? Do you want us to hate the current Council?” Daniel frowned deeply, his nonchalant attitude forgotten. “You’d never tell us about… just about any of this, if you didn’t have a plan up your sleeves. You don’t waste words on nonsense. That’s unusual for you.”

  Daniel was right. I remembered Merlin as a quieter guy as well. For him to say this much was odd, to say the least.

  “It is simple, really. You, both of you, are no longer cadets. Daniel, your World’s restrictions are no longer the same. You snatched a precious Aspect, bound it to you, and unlocked several new species in the process. As far as I can tell, your Species Expansion Aspect is permanent and will grow with you, unlocking more species as your World grows.”

  Daniel’s eyes widened and his lips parted. “H-how do you–”

  “I know because everyone with high enough clearance was informed. Grandmaster Heros has received several messages from Rulers trying to find out how much your World has changed, and it would not surprise me if they visit you for a light chat. Your achievements in the Grand Camp, combined with your World’s loosened restrictions, are reason enough for the Bastions’ powers to scout you. They will lure you with gifts and promises, transforming you into the second Scion among the next generation of Pillars,” Merlin stated matter-of-factly–not without refilling his glass with hard liquor and emptying it a second later.

  “If Grandmaster Heros wants to keep you, he’ll invest heavily into your growth as well. In fact, my sources tell me that he’s already promised you something. He will help you evolve Coco, won’t he?”

  Daniel didn’t even get to say anything before Merlin turned away, his dark eyes settling back on me.

  “And you, Adam, you are already a Scion. Although you no longer have a Ruler to call master, Ruler Kazriel registered you as his Scion. You inherited his greatest possessions, which will not only help you grow significantly, but also attract a lot of attention. Don’t look at me like that. Many powers have heard about your inheritance, and it is only a matter of time before problems come knocking on your door. You do not have to fear the Council, since they believe you were in on Kazriel’s scheme, but that is all the more reason for the forces aiding the Outsiders to go against you. After all, some believe you are the sole reason mankind is at war with the Caldera tribes.”

  The whole conversation contained a lot of information to digest. Some of it I had already learned in the last few months, but it was still a lot to take in.

  “But that’s nonsense!” Daniel growled, leaping to his feet. “Adam would never betray his friends. The Caldera were our friends! Sure, we might have needed the Emperor to fend off the other races, but was that really the only way to end the wars? What if we just talked to the Elemental Phoenix?”

  He glared at his uncle, pushing the chair aside and sending it tumbling. “Aren’t beasts interested in our Worlds? Surely, we could have found a Blessed or two with suitable Worlds to nurture the Emperor beasts. That way, both sides could have gained something. The Emperor beasts would have been nurtured as the Blessed grew further, and the Blessed would have learned to wield the power of an Emperor. That’s the win-win situation we should have gone for!”

  I stared at Daniel, flabbergasted. He had been rather silent when it came to the Caldera, the betrayal, and the Rulers’ attack. The few times he talked about it, I felt like punching him in the face, but now… now I was quite happy with him. He was a good friend.

  Merlin’s eyes widened ever so slightly as well, clearly not expecting his nephew to act this way, but he nodded in agreement. “We could have helped each other. Unfortunately, politics are never that simple. Some people are impatient, others are far too greedy for their own good.” He sighed in defeat, refilling his glass again. But as he looked at it, he dismissed both liquor and glass with a grim expression.

  “Your worldview has changed over the last year. A lot has happened, but I hope you can set aside your hatred to protect mankind–not the old Council, but the innocent lives that rely on our strength. Graduating from the Grand Camp is a great honor and a great achievement that will open many doors, yet it’s just the beginning.”

  I agreed with that. Wholeheartedly. Our view of Razarn was no longer the same. Other races existed, and Rulers were no longer the heroes we thought they were as children. Daniel had great potential, especially if his World Aspect was as powerful as Merlin claimed, and I was a prime target for… just about everyone. Those greedy souls ready to kill me for Kazriel’s spatial ring, and those who sided with the Outsiders. And that didn’t even include the Elemental Phoenix bound to my World. That was yet another can I didn’t want to open.

  Do not focus on the danger ahead. Read between the lines. He mentioned people, humans, siding with other races. What does that mean?

  Volix asked.

  It meant that some people were somehow connected with other races.

  Right. And how can that be if the public didn’t know about other races until a few months ago?

  The works and wonders behind the scenes were frustrating. They offered far more to digest the more I thought about them. But maybe, just maybe, there were ways to escape total annihilation.

  “Just focus on growing for now.” Merlin looked back up at us, his attention drifting to the door once more. He had more to say, I could that much, but Daniel’s uncle said nothing.

  “Are we done here?” Daniel asked, irritated, storming toward the door.

  I stayed for a moment, my eyes seeking answers in Merlin Zerog’s, yet all that remained were doubts and more questions. Could he be one of the people siding with the Outsiders? The way he spoke was suspicious. Was he trying to recruit us for something? It certainly felt like that, but I couldn’t be sure.

  Uncertainty was eating at me, and I hated that feeling more than anything.

  Author Note: Is the chapter too confusing? Too much “chatty” without anything happening, or is it fine. Don’t be shy and throw your opinion at me. I appreciate it! P.S Should I change something? Add clarifications somewhere?

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