Epilogue: Haco

Haco, ostensibly focused on the speech unfolding on the floor, found her attention drifting toward Ann and Adir. The two had only just joined the meeting of The Twelve, days after the conflict in Randar, their delayed arrival sparking a flicker of irritation in her. Despite the lapse, she kept her composure as they settled into their places around the presentation floor. She empathized with their likely bewilderment navigating Lampasa's labyrinthine architecture, but a curious detail gnawed at her mind—Ann’s peculiar decision to bring a plant along.

"Nearly three-fourths of the city is now ensconced within barriers," Zera reported from the center of the room, her voice brimming with conviction. "The destruction brought on by Zel'alor is staggering—seven refuges in Randar have been annihilated. Still, the city remains resilient, holding against The Darkness without our direct intervention. Gij has already rebuilt two refuges and remains behind to continue the effort. With Trina’s enhancement to the barrier’s reach, we anticipate nearly full city-wide protection. However, Zel'alor’s return looms as an ever-present threat."

Haco’s gaze flickered back to Zera, noticing how Ann’s attention had focused on her, the shift enough to drag her focus back to the report. A nervous habit surfaced, and Haco bit lightly on her nail, her thoughts swirling. Carda, standing to support his wife, spoke up.

"Valtor believes Zel'alor may not return for some time, suspecting that Vina has inflicted injury upon it. Meanwhile, The Kalenar is actively working to sever his people's loyalty to what he now calls a deceitful Valchara. We hope this will prevent any uprising from his followers against us in the coming days."

Zera continued, “In regards to The Darkness, it continues to empty glooms at a startling rate. Border towns are being torn down before we can evacuate the people who do not have access to a refuge. In an effort to stem the number of creatures The Darkness has access to, we have destroyed sixty-eight assemblers, with the daily count increasing, but remaining around four per day. At the current rate, we believe we can eliminate all known assemblers within the next two years, save for a few that we have never been able to approach.”

Nodding in acknowledgment, Haco weighed the gravity of the situation. “So, for the moment, The Darkness' attempt to seize Randar is thwarted. The entity known as Zel'alor could be injured. The reach of our refuges has expanded significantly, and Trina has acquired two new aspects. At the same time, the number of creatures we face is guaranteed to diminish over time. Is this all promising news then?”

"Not… entirely," Zera responded, hesitating. "The runed swords that Vina provided us are causing us to run low on blood, despite our soldier’s dedication to them. We discovered blood from animals works as well, but at a reduced rate than if we use our own blood. Stigandorian blood does not work at all. Also, Sylena, now known as Seassa, has vanished from every battlefield. We don’t know what caused her desertion or why she’s hiding. I’ve tasked some agents to find her. We had hopes that she would significantly enhance our progress against the assemblers."

Haco raised a hand, halting Zera. "That won’t be necessary. I know where Sylena resides and will speak with her myself. Is there anything else, Zera?"

Zera gave a slight shake of her head before returning to her seat beside Carda.

Adir, tapping his fingers on the table, rose with purpose. "I propose we hear from our newest member about her encounters with The Glooms."

Haco, with a subtle wave, gestured for Ann to take the floor. "Please, Ann, enlighten us," she teased, her tone containing a playful edge.

Ann, visibly uncomfortable, approached the center of the circle, the plant held firmly in her grip. "Before I begin, I’d like to show you something. I’ve learned more about my aspect, but I need a volunteer. Don’t worry, it’s harmless—actually, it’s a little bit rewarding."

Zera volunteered with surprising eagerness, despite Carda’s whispered objections. Ann gave them both a reassuring smile. "I promise, Zera will come to no harm. The plant, however, won’t be as lucky." She touched the plant, and in an instant, a blinding light filled the room. The plant disintegrated into a fine ash as she wove the remaining strands of light through her fingers. "This light is a byproduct of my aspect. I extract something essential from the plant, which I can then bestow onto others." She gestured toward Zera, sending the light into her.

Zera frowned as she glanced at the ashes, then back at Ann. "I’ve… received some experience. But from what?"

"Exactly," Ann replied, nodding. "My sister called it vibrance, but it’s actually experience. The reason this demonstration matters is that The Darkness operates in a similar fashion. The Glooms are harvesting experience from our world, converting it for their own purposes. Our enemy isn’t just living shadows—it’s experience itself. Their touch exacts a toll on us, like bonding sickness. When they’ve drained enough of our experience, their experience takes control over us."

Haco leaned forward, her interest piqued. The true nature of the Aspect of Light, and the shadows’ workings, had remained mysterious until now. Even Shan’s poetry only hinted at Lady Phare’s abilities. Witnessing the aspect in use was nothing short of enthralling. Deep inside, she wondered: Had Shan always known of this power?

"Can you control these shadows? Convert them back?" Haco’s voice, though calm, carried a sharp edge of curiosity.

"Not yet," Ann admitted, her tone heavy with the weight of failure. "But I can intercept the experience before The Glooms convert it. I’ve managed to temporarily stop one gloom. Still, I fear that my actions may have triggered The Broken Balance. It’s a risk… but I believe I must try again."

Haco’s breath caught in her throat. The Broken Balance had devastated their forces for days. It had taken a massive, concerted effort to restore their warriors to health, using every remedy and resource they had. And yet, with Trina now reinforcing the refuges, allowing Ann to pursue mastery of her aspect felt like a risk they might have to take.

“What do you propose?” Haco asked, her voice filled with anticipation and intrigue.

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Ann’s face brightened, relieved at not being outright dismissed. “Someday I'd like to shut down a gloom, but I think we have a more pressing matter to deal with first. I believe that Vina acted in self-defense against Tacey and subsequently confined her within Prosit’s Refuge. My hope, shared with Etana, is to embark on a rescue mission for Tacey. Perhaps, in doing so, we can start to mend past grievances.”

Haco nearly agreed at once, but caught herself. She was part of a council now, and couldn’t allow her personal feelings to guide the decision. Yet, despite her doubts about Vina, she knew Tacey’s strength. If Tacey was alive and could tame another creature, she’d be back at full power almost immediately. Still, the removal of the Aspect of Perception left lingering doubts. Haco raised the matter to a vote, and it passed unanimously.

"We will provide the necessary resources," Haco affirmed, motioning Ann back to her seat beside Adir. "Is there any other business?"

Nil rose, his voice resonating with a deep understanding, demanding their attention. “One need not possess my aspect to discern the patterns now influencing our world. First the clarity of truth was slain in our home, followed by our freedom of travel. When inaction prevailed, our capacity for shaping the world was stolen. Now, finally, our abilities to perceive and communicate are suppressed. It’s clear—Vina is dismantling our organization”

Haco caught the distressed murmur from Ann, but Adir calmed her with a gentle hand.

Nil turned toward Ann, his tone acknowledging her efforts. “Lady Phare’s initiative in healing our wounds deserves commendation. Yet, we cannot overlook the persisting danger. Vina, crafted by Shan as a weapon against our cause, presents a clear threat. Even Trina acknowledges it with her most recent attempt to warn us. The question remains—what did Vina do that Trina did not want done?” He pivoted to face Haco. “Lady First, is Vina still willing to assist us with Trina's rescue?”

Haco pressed her lips together. Her efforts to get Vina in front of Trina had backfired disastrously. She had hoped Trina’s disdain for blood users was exaggerated, but Trina had stripped Vina of her title, even while she had not recovered. Despite their agreement, Vina refused to return to Trina, even accepting the bounty on her head when Haco threatened to terminate their contract. "Vina has suffered from something we don’t yet understand after her encounter with Trina. In time, she may tell us everything, but for now, she’s refusing to return any more aspects. Nil, I advise caution. Have you forgotten Langternem?"

Ann made another noise as she pushed off from Adir. “Just wait!” Adir growled as he tried to restrain her, his own considerable strength suddenly seemed challenged to keep Ann seated and quiet.

Nil nodded as if agreeing with Haco. “The Shaper, Kaliq and Siany, sacrificed their lives to trap Vina. Just before she killed them, they bound her with a quest to destroy Langternem with the help of the The Kaliters in Norfany. In turn, Vina was inspired to trap Tacey as revenge. However, citizens of Randar have reported seeing Oyna caring for the crystal containing Langternem during Vina’s absence. This suggests alternative means exist to control Langternem and Vina's abilities are not unique. Right now, her movement is limited only to refuges to survive. I suggest we should not waste the opportunity that our fellows died to make for us.”

Nil turned back to the people seated at the tables, presenting his back to Haco. “Even Vina’s ability to restore those controlled by The Darkness is no longer restricted to her. Nyaire has been able to rehabilitate dozens of our people.”

He nodded once more toward Ann. “Rescue Tacey, certainly. Use her Aspect of The Hidden to track Vina’s location and have agents ready to intercept her at each refuge in which she hides. Carry her outside, and let Siany and Kaliq’s promise exact its revenge. Recover Langternem and Oyna, and have her teach us how to care for the entity that has plagued our world for so long. Let us vote to extend Annalina’s plan and eliminate the threat Vina poses. The refuges have bought us enough time to continue searching for Trina.”

Haco took a deep breath, torn. Part of her relished the idea of Nil’s plan. Her immortality had been ripped away, Shan’s betrayal still stung deeply, and part of her wanted vengeance on Vina and her kin. But there was something else—a spark of hope. For the first time in centuries, real progress was being made toward reviving Trina. She couldn’t let that hope die.

"I am bound by a contract of cooperation," Haco said evenly. "Regardless of the outcome, I will inform Vina of this vote, as it threatens our agreement. I abstain." She gestured to the rest of the council.

Zera, visibly shaken, stammered, "N-No! I wasn’t aware of the original plan! Why did Kaliq and Siany go after Vina?"

Carda shook his head, as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “You were indisposed, dear. I vote more hesitantly than Zera. Vina is unstable at best. It would not take much for her to turn on us as she likely did on Tacey. If she did turn on us, I worry she might use Langternem against us if she were desperate. For that reason, I am voting no. Let her rest.” He gestured toward Ann. “Let her see her sisters.”

Ann, momentarily released, vehemently opposed the plan with a resounding “NO!”

“I’m also a no.” Adir said before Haco could gesture toward him. “We’re overlooking Etana’s potential reaction. We saw what she could do on the battlefield earlier. If we even try to hurt Vina, we may receive an even greater retaliation. It’s insane to be thinking like this anymore. We should be begging Vina for the location of Trina so we can help her ourselves.”

Haco turned to the final member at the table. “Exemplar, I fear your vote will not matter. I wish for it to be heard anyway.”

The man stood from his seat and clasped his hands before himself, taking a slight bow of his head before speaking. “It seems to me that if Vina is a danger to others and will not avail herself of the tools necessary for her mental, emotional, and physical recovery even after we have offered them to her, the only sensical solution is her removal for our own safety.” He gestured toward Ann, “I normally do not believe anyone to be beyond rescue, but the binding quest and her voluntary seclusion in Valanire limits even my options to help her. I am sorry Lady Phare. I would have sought out your sister sooner, but my request to do so was similarly denied. With the heaviest of hearts, I vote yes, alongside Nil.”

Haco nodded slowly. “Gij and our last member are unfortunately absent. Even if we exclude Ann for her bias, your request has not been carried, Nil. Vina will remain undisturbed in Valanire.”

Nil, silent for a moment, then spoke. "All of you, please consider the implications of Divinity’s removal from our attributes without notification. We’ll revisit this at the next meeting."

As he returned to his seat, Adir released Ann, who exhaled in a mix of relief and frustration. "Thank you!" she said loudly. "Just leave Vina alone. We don’t need to beg her for anything. Etana already told me where Trina is. She’s in The Gloom near the ruins of Stralnar."

Haco’s heart skipped a beat in her chest as her mind raced through the history of her life. She knew they had searched that gloom once, but the entire area was overrun with creatures. That had not dissuaded their attempt, however. The real deterrent had been the devastating counterattack by The Darkness, enslaving an entire city—Stralnar—in a brutal sweep. That was when she first clashed with The Darkness. None of them had been in the right state to continue their search after that tragedy. "Just as Stine intended…" she realized bitterly.

"You said it was checked!" Adir growled, leaping to his feet.

"It was!" Haco, Nil, and The Exemplar responded in unison. Haco continued, "However, the events in your homeland may have influenced our assessment. Let’s reconvene, Adir. There’s more to plan."