The city beneath the Sector V-9 was called Zaylion. At night, the commanders of the S units—S meaning Superior—arrived. But instead of the four like the Elder had said, only three were present. They walked through the halls with their own set of personal guards. None of them spoke to each other, but they gave a nod to each as a sign of respect; however, it was clear that not one of them liked each other at all.
Three of them boarded the Void and entered the second-to-last layer of Sector V-9. It was a huge, vast open space with a long table laid out. It was a room designed for planning and a meeting spot. At the end of the table, there was a glass structure, and inside it was a large metallic structure with a pointy tip: a warhead.
Their sightseeing was short as Aura Mayloff entered the hall. "We all meet again. Perhaps for the best this time," she said as she slowly made her way to sit at the table with tall seats. Many of them were vacant, as if there were many more of them who had vanished.
"Look who it is! Aura Mayloff, The Great!" said one of the figures as he took his hood off. He was wearing a patch to cover up his left eye. His skin was dark, his hair thinning, and his muscles were visible through his cloaks.
"Markin Seft, Commander of Unit S4," Aura whispered, releasing a sigh as if she was annoyed by him.
The others took their hoods off too and made their way to their seats. The tension in the room was rising. Another man—short, skinny, with a bald head and no eyebrows—was Softlock, the Commander of Unit S3. He looked at Aura and asked, "We came to know you lost the mission? Failure from you is surprising."
Aura didn’t nudge back, speaking with no tension or disappointment in her words. "That is true. But it was not a failure."
As she said this, Markin Seft quickly stood up in a rage and hit the table with his hands, yelling, "LIKE HELL YOU DIDN’T FAIL! MY BROTHER ELPIS IS DEAD!"
Aura was not even a bit bothered, but she stared at him, making Markin even more enraged. "You bitch! You only got the position of S5 because Elpis disappeared! You don’t deserve it and you know it!"
He was about to walk to Aura and beat her until the third figure in the room quickly held Markin's hand. Markin's hands were big because of his muscles, but these hands wrapped around it with a great grip—long, dead fingers with pale skin. Markin quickly felt the cold fingers on his muscles and the eerie grip; he tapped those hands off him as he sat back in his chair.
"Calm down. The Elder is arriving," the figure said.
"Both of you fuckers are weirdos, especially you, Orion Smith..." Markin gripped his teeth as he said it. Orion was the commander of the second most powerful unit of Nemesis, S2. He had six hands, each of them looking dead, as if they were stitched onto him. He had an eye on his forehead as well—bloody and almost rotting.
"Look at yourself," Orion mocked Markin. Markin quickly tried to punch Orion, but one of Orion’s six hands caught the punch in his palm. Suddenly, a huge noise echoed around the room.
"HALT!"
Every one of them stood up and looked at the entrance of the hallway. It was the Elder. The clones made their way to the main seat at the table. The clone Elder in the middle sat while the other two stood by him closely.
"My sincere apologies for causing a scene," Markin said with his head held low, but it wasn't sincere at all. The Elder completely ignored Markin's apology.
"Sit down. We have important matters to attend to," the Elder commanded. Markin smiled and sat back, but the annoyance he felt was visible by the grip he had on the table, almost breaking the obsidian.
"Can we know why we were summoned?" Orion asked. He knew the answer well before the Elder spoke.
"The former S5 Commander Elpis Valer has fallen in battle. The mission to retrieve him was a complete failure," the Elder said, while the two clones beside him started to leave the room.
"We don't have time to grief for someone who left on his own accord. That is not why we were summoned... is it?" Softlock said, scratching his bald head and looking unbothered by the fact Elpis had died. Markin's grip tightened on the obsidian, but he did not speak, though it was evident he was at his limit.
The Elder stood up as the clones returned holding a small chest. "Yes, you're precisely correct. His death was not the reason I summoned you all here today." He put his finger through the lock and opened it, carefully grabbing the artifact inside. It was the Nidhi.
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Everyone stood up other than Aura. "Impossible," came a whisper from Markin. Softlock was shocked, but he started smiling right after. "That old bastard really did steal it, huh? Maybe I was too harsh."
Softlock then leaned in. "I also heard that he sacrificed himself to save a kid. Is that true, Elder?"
The Elder nodded his head. "Yes, very well. The kid has the Echoes, and he could be the real Redeemer from the prophecy."
The Council went silent for a few seconds before it erupted. "Are you bull-shitting me? Have we not learned from our past mistakes?" Softlock said, as if he was offended. "Yes, how can we be so sure if he is indeed the Redeemer?"
The Elder looked over at Aura, who slowly took a breath before standing up and speaking with determination. All eyes lay on Aura.
"I am not fully sure myself either. But I can say one thing... he is not by any means a normal person. He saved me from certain death; he saw into the future. He indeed has the Echoes."
Softlock laughed, his nerves popping up as he spoke. "You're telling me he’s like that fucking bastard? He has the same curse?" Softlock slowly grabbed his knife as he stood up. "Then I'll terminate him."
"Calm the fuck down, baldy. Aura hasn't stopped speaking."
Markin stared directly at Softlock. Softlock had visible annoyance, but he knew he had to calm down. Aura took a small breath again before looking over at Markin and nodding—a sign of thank you.
"He is our greatest asset right now," Aura continued. "The entire Kingdom and the King are in fear. He’s the most wanted inside and outside those walls."
"You're saying we should 'use' him?" Orion Smith asked.
"Precisely," Aura replied. Markin was genuinely confused and asked, "How so?"
Aura looked at Markin Seft. She saw his anger toward her and thought to herself, Did he get attached to the kid even before he met him? Is he angry at me for thinking about using him? Markin was torn; he couldn't choose if he should be angry at the kid for being the reason for his brother's death, or be a protector because Elpis sacrificed his life so Kael could live on.
Aura took a breath to continue, but the Elder interrupted. "You have said enough, Aura. I'll explain from now." Aura quietly sat down.
The clone on the right of the Elder started speaking. "Nemesis started off as a secret organization to destroy the kingdom and the entire quota system. But the prophecy about the redeemer and catalyst still lingered on. Nemesis under the first redeemer slowly had a cult of people idolizing him. It's known as the Church of Faith. Back then it boosted our operations so much we almost won the first war. We will transform Kael into a religious figure."
Everyone in the room understood exactly what the Elder meant. They would weaponize the religious myth of the Redeemer and force it onto Kael, using him as a bridge between the rebellion and the desperate people living within Zaylion and the Citadel walls. There was no tool more powerful—or more manipulative—than a cult of faith.
Softlock was clearly fond of the idea. A smirk played on his lips, though the raw hatred in his eyes remained as he thought of the boy. Orion Smith, ever the analyst, gave a slow nod of approval; he saw the logic in the Elder’s cold calculation.
Aura remained silent. She had helped the Elder orchestrate this plan, but as the weight of it settled, a visible flicker of guilt crossed her face. Markin Seft, however, looked disgusted. He didn't raise his voice—he knew this was the only way to gain freedom from the Kingdom’s oppression—but the cruelty of the plan sat heavy in his gut. He had no choice but to follow.
The Elder stood up, his white robes rustling in the silence. "I believe this is where we conclude our meeting. Do any of you have final questions?"
Markin opened his mouth to speak, but Softlock cut him off. Softlock’s expression was murderous, poorly hidden by a sharp smirk. "Is the Nidhi connected to Kael? Like it was to that previous bastard?"
The Elder nodded. "Yes. The Nidhi is drawn to the child."
Softlock’s smile widened. "And where is the child currently residing?"
The air in the room shifted. Everyone present realized the same thing: Softlock was a genuine threat to Kael’s safety.
"He is currently near the backside of the Zaylion markets," the Elder revealed.
Aura and Markin both stiffened. Is he crazy? Aura thought, her heart sinking. Why would he give up the location?
"Thank you, my Lord," Softlock giggled as the Elder turned and began to walk out of the room.
The moment the Elder was out of sight, Markin exploded into motion. He lunged across the table and grabbed Softlock by the back of the neck, slamming his face toward the obsidian. Softlock let out a sharp groan of pain.
"I know what you're thinking," Markin growled, his voice like sharpening steel. "You better not fucking lay a single hand on that kid. That's a command."
A loud, mocking laughter erupted from Softlock’s throat. "You're seriously trying to protect the kid who caused Elpis's death? Your brother would be so ashamed of you."
Markin’s grip tightened until the skin turned white. "How dare you speak his name, you imbecile. I will fucking murder you right here."
Before Markin could strike, Orion Smith intervened. Four of his long, dead hands clamped onto Markin’s torso and arms, lifting him bodily and throwing him across the room. Markin hit the wall hard, rolling back onto his feet instantly. Softlock tumbled to the floor, his face hitting the stone with a dull thud.
"Markin, have you still not learned to control that anger?" Orion said, looking disappointed. "Leave him be."
Softlock stood up, wiping blood from his lip and grinning like a maniac. "I'll tell you what... as long as that fucking kid lives in Zaylion, he will always be under threat from me."
"Then I’ll fucking kill whoever you send after him," Markin spat back.
Aura let out a long, exhausted sigh. "It’s time to leave."
Softlock and Orion exited the hall without another word. Aura and Markin stayed behind. Aura began to head for the exit, but stopped when Markin’s voice cracked the silence.
"Did Elpis really do it? For the kid?"
Aura turned. Markin wasn't looking at her; he was staring at the massive warhead behind the glass.
"Yes," she replied softly. "He did."
"But why?" Markin whispered. "He was the type of person who would sacrifice his life, sure... but he had so much left to do."
"The kid must have been that important to him," Aura said. "But we’ll never truly know."
Aura walked out, leaving Markin alone in the vast, cold hall. He turned his head, giving one final, lingering glance to his brother’s empty seat at the table.
"I don't know why you did it," Markin whispered to the empty air. "But I'll keep that kid safe. You hear me, brother?"
With a final nod to the ghost of Elpis, Markin Seft turned and headed directly into the heart of Zaylion to find Kael.