The supervisor, still reeling from shock, looked up at Aria. His eyes widened in terror as he saw her lift her foot, then bring it down with vicious force. He shrieked and flinched back, the foot missing him by inches and colliding with the stone floor instead.

Crash!

A spiderweb of cracks spread out from the impact point.

Panic overtook the supervisor as he scrambled backwards on all fours, desperate to put distance between himself and the menacing Punisher. He scurried back to where the Collective members were now huddled, all looking equally anxious.

'S-she really meant to kill me there,' the supervisor thought in horror.

Aria just snorted in disdain, her eyes cold as she watched him retreat.

Meanwhile, Seren gracefully dismounted from the beast as he got on his usual horse and started observing everyone with a keen eye. Theo, on the other hand, practically fell off, his legs shaky and his face drenched in sweat as he tried to make sense of the scene before him. 'Why are there so many Enforcers and Punishers in one place?'

"Theo!" Oliver's eyes lit up as he rushed to Theo's side, relief evident in his voice. "You're okay!”

Theo, still looking bewildered, said, "I'm fine, but... what's happening here?"

Oliver glanced at Theo and Seren with an awkward expression, unsure where to begin. He gave a quick rundown of the events, concluding with, "And then I got caught by the Enforcers before the Punishers arrived."

Theo's eyes widened in disbelief as he processed the wild series of events, from Zane's hidden strength to Jace's misfortune.

Suddenly, Oliver seemed to remember something. "Wait, where's Javier?"

Theo hesitated, exchanging a glance with Seren.

Seren simply stated, "We're not sure."

"What? What do you mean you're not sure?" Oliver asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

Seren sighed before he started explaining. "It's like this..." He gave Oliver a quick summary of how they were ambushed and only managed to escape because Javier stayed back to hold the supervisor off until the Lullaby went off.

Oliver's face paled as he listened, his eyes widening with each detail. When Seren finished, Oliver was dead silent as he looked down at the ground.

Theo, noticing Oliver's distress, quickly added in a hopeful voice, "We still don't know what happened to Javier. He could still be alive."

Oliver took a deep breath to calm himself down. Even though he wasn’t particularly close with Javier, it was still unsettling to see your long-time teammate be gone just like that.

"...Okay,” he said, in a barely audible tone.

On the other side, the supervisor, still shaken from his earlier encounter, struggled to his feet. He glared at Aria, trying to muster some courage. "You... you almost killed me!"

Aria's cold eyes locked onto him, a cruel smile playing on her lips. "Almost? What a pity. I'll have to rectify that oversight."

She took a menacing step forward, her aura flaring with killing intent. The supervisor stumbled backward, his face pale with fear. The Collective members huddled behind him with terror in their eyes.

Just as Aria was about to close the distance, Mia's voice cut through the tension. "That's enough! A fight here wouldn't benefit anyone."

Aria didn't even bother to look at Mia, her focus entirely on the cowering supervisor. "Oh, I think it would benefit me greatly. We can discuss who gets Dorian after I'm done killing off these insects."

As Aria advanced, the supervisor's panic reached its peak. In a desperate move, he shouted, "Don't come any closer! Or... or we'll blow up our Mind Cores!"

Aria froze, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "You dare threaten me?"

"W-what, you think I'm bluffing?" the supervisor stammered.

A Lexarch's Mind Core is their source of power and it contains a set amount of Heaven's essence based on their rank. If a Lexarch overloads their Mind Core with soul energy, it can collapse under the pressure, causing the Heaven's essence inside to mix with the soul energy. This results in a deadly explosion. The power of this explosion will correspond to a Lexarch's rank - a Rank 1 Lexarch's explosion would be equivalent to an attack from a Rank 2, and so on.

If the supervisor wasn't bluffing and were to actually destroy his Mind Core, the resulting explosion would be equivalent to an attack from a Rank 3 Lexarch.

Aria's killing intent spiked, "Do you have any idea what would happen to you if you did that?"

The supervisor's face paled even further, but he stood his ground. "I-I don't care! If you come any closer, I'll do it! I'll take us all out!"

Just as the tension reached its breaking point, Mia stepped forward "That's enough, both of you."

She turned to Aria, her expression stern. "Aria, stand down. Destroying these Lexarchs won't solve anything, and if he's not bluffing, we'll all suffer the consequences. I don’t care about you but I don’t want my men to be injured needlessly"

Aria's eyes were blazing with murderous intent. For a moment, it seemed she might ignore the threat and lunge at the supervisor anyway.

Finally, with a snarl of frustration, Aria took a step back. "I will let you live for today," she spat, her voice dripping with venom.

As Aria retreated, the supervisor's tense posture relaxed slightly. He let out a shaky breath, relief washing over him. In truth, he had been bluffing about exploding his Mind Core. The thought of certain death was far more terrifying than taking his chances with Aria's wrath. He'd rather face her fury than a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

On the sidelines, Dorian suppressed a smirk. 'Hehe, good one,' he thought, impressed by the supervisor's bluff.

Mia, sensing the slight de-escalation, seized the moment. "Now that we've all calmed down, we can finally proceed now"

Aria, still seething, crossed her arms. "Fine. Let's talk. But I warn you, my patience is wearing thin."

Mia began first. "Let’s start with what we’re willing to offer. For Dorian, the Enforcers can provide two Rank 3 relics, five Rank 2 relics, and two Cursed Category Rank 2 relics with both relics having a Tainted Essence 1."

A Cursed Category Relic!

These relics were no ordinary relics. Cursed category relics are unique existences that offer extraordinary powers far beyond those of ordinary relics, but they come with a dark twist. These relics are imbued with Tainted Essence, which grants them immense abilities while also inflicting severe drawbacks on their users. Unlike regular relics that offer abilities without consequence, cursed relics demand a price—be it physical, mental, or spiritual. As the taint level of a relic increases, so does its power and the severity of its curse, making these items both alluring and dangerous.

A tense silence fell over the group as both the Punishers and the Collective considered the offer. Cursed relics were hard to come by but they were one of the cheapest and most cost effective ways to increase a Lexarchs power without raising their ranks.

The supervisor's heart raced as he waited to see if Aria would accept.

After a few seconds, Aria scoffed. "You think a few trinkets are worth the information Dorian holds? And who knows what type of curse the Lexarch will be inflicted with. Try again."

Mia's eyes narrowed, but she maintained her composure. "Very well. How about this: the Enforcers will back down if the Ravens provide us with information on the Elysium Consortium."

Aria’s expression shifted momentarily, surprise flickering in her eyes before she regained her stern demeanor. "I don’t have the authority to discuss that, nor do I know anything about it. Stick to what’s relevant here."

The supervisor felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead as he listened. 'If the Black Hand finds out we lost Dorian, I'm as good as dead. He’s irreplaceable with the information he holds, but I’m... expendable.' Panic clawed at him, and he desperately searched for a way to salvage the situation.

He knew that if either the Enforcers or the Punishers were to back off then the other force could easily eliminate him and his fellow collective members without fearing the other party.

Aria's impatience grew palpable as she interjected again. "Enough. The Punishers are willing to offer Two Cursed Category Rank 2 relics with Tainted Essence 2 for both. We’re also willing to throw in a Rank 3 Relic. Hand over Dorian now, and we can avoid any further... unpleasantness."

Mia crossed her arms defiantly. "And what guarantees do we have that you won’t just try to eliminate us once you have Dorian? This is a negotiation, not a slaughterhouse."

Just then, an unexpected voice broke through the tension. "Wait! The Collective can offer twenty Rank 2 relics and fifty Rank 1 relics!" The supervisor blurted out, surprising even himself with his boldness. "We... we might even be able to throw in a Rank 3 relic if necessary."

Both Mia and Aria turned their gazes toward him, caught off guard by the unexpected offer. For a moment, silence enveloped them as they exchanged glances filled with contemplation.

Mia raised an eyebrow, intrigued but skeptical. "That’s quite an offer from a group that seems to be on its last legs," she said slowly.

Aria's expression hardened again. "You think we’d accept such a paltry sum? we can just snatch those relics from you if we really want to." She smiled as if she was about to attack the supervisor.

Desperate to regain control of the situation, the supervisor attempted to revive his earlier bluff. "If you don’t accept," he stammered, his voice shaking slightly, "we’ll... we’ll detonate our Mind Cores!"

This time, both Mia and Aria fixed him with icy glares that sent a chill down his spine. He felt himself shrink back under their combined intensity.

Mia's eyes narrowed, her voice carrying a mix of disappointment and warning. "You're treading on thin ice," she said, her tone low and measured. "Let me be clear: The only reason you're still standing is because the tension between the Enforcers and the Ravens is already at a breaking point. If even one of our members gets injured today, it could spark a conflict that neither side wants. We're all balancing on a knife's edge here, and your empty threats are only making things worse."

The supervisor swallowed hard.

On the sidelines, Seren glanced at Oliver, who stood anxiously, his eyes darting between the imposing figures of the Enforcers and Punishers. The tension in the air felt suffocating, and Oliver seemed small and feeble against their might. Seren sighed, realizing he would have to take action himself if they were to regain control of the situation.

The supervisor, his face pale, pressed on desperately. "I'm telling you! If Dorian falls into your hands—"

"Excuse me," Seren interrupted, silencing the supervisor mid-sentence.

All eyes turned to him, confusion evident on their faces.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Who is this upstart?" someone from one of the groups muttered in confusion.

Another chimed in, "How dare he interrupt our Vice-Captain?"

The supervisor sneered at Seren. "Piss off, boy. This is no place for children."

Casp, who was Aria's most trusted aide, leaned in closer to her and whispered, "Miss Aria, he's Seren, the newest member of the Odd Squad. He’s currently taking a test assigned by their Captain to see if he will officially join them."

Hearing this, Aria’s lips curled into a contemptuous smile. 'Just a nobody trying to score points to join the Ravens,' she thought dismissively. The idea of a mere Lesser Rank 1 trying to assert himself among them was laughable.

Mia, attempting to regain control of the conversation, turned her attention back to Seren. "Young man, this is a delicate matter. Perhaps it's best if you—"

"I know what I am doing," Seren interjected calmly.

"Give it up, you fool," Aria sneered as she looked at Mia. "Seren is just a Lesser Rank 1 Lexarch trying to play a part in this negotiation to build points for himself. Are you really so stupid as to entertain his interruption?"

Mia's eyes flashed with anger. "Watch your tongue, Aria. Your arrogance blinds you to potential allies. Perhaps that's why the Ravens are always a step behind."

Aria's face contorted with rage. "How dare you! The Ravens have accomplished more in a month than your pathetic Enforcers have in a year!"

The supervisor then jumped in as well. "Enough of this pointless squabbling! We need to focus on Dorian's fate. The Collective has the rightful claim here!"

It seemed all three parties had completely ignored Seren's presence once more.

Theo patted Seren's shoulder in an attempt to offer support. "Let it go, man. There’s no way we’ll get credit for catching Dorian now that the Punishers are here. You’ve already done more than enou—" But Theo's words were cut short when he suddenly caught sight of the ominous look in Seren's eyes as he looked at the 3 groups. Unease prickled at his skin when he saw that look as he instinctively took a step back.

Meanwhile, Dorian observed the arguing factions with a contemplative gaze, his mind racing as he formulated an escape plan. 'If I can just create a distraction... maybe I can slip away while they’re occupied.'

Suddenly, Dorian felt someone grasp his wrist and lift it forcefully. He turned just in time to see Seren looking down at his hand with a cold glare that sent shivers down his spine.

“Oh yeah?! Well I can kill all of you here if I wan–”

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air. "UGAAAHAHAH!" Dorian's voice echoed, raw and filled with agony.

All heads snapped toward the source of the sound.

Their eyes widened as they saw Seren standing motionlessly above the kneeling Dorian with blood dripping from his hand.

"UGHHH! My hand! What have you done?!" Dorian cried out, his voice trembling with agony. "I can't... I can't feel it!" The kneeling figure of Dorian clutched the stump where his right hand had been severed, screaming in agony.

"Listen," Seren said coolly, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "You've all been squabbling like children over a toy. But you've forgotten who brought this toy to the playground."

For a brief moment, even Mia and Aria felt their hair stand on their skin at the sight of Seren standing there with an unsettling dark look on his face while Dorian writhed in pain at his feet.

"You… you insolent little shit!" The supervisor was the first to recover from shock. “I will kill you for this!” he roared, fury radiating from him like heat waves.

His outburst seemed to snap Mia and Aria back to reality before they erupted in anger.

"How dare you!" Aria snarled. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

Mia struggled to maintain her composure amidst the chaos. "This is unacceptable! You’ve just escalated a delicate situation into a potential bloodbath!"

"You psychotic little bastard!" the supervisor roared, his face contorted with rage. "You don’t realize how much of a problem this is going to cause for me!"

For five minutes, the air was filled with a cacophony of angry voices—threats flying from all sides as they vented their outrage at Seren's audacity. He stood silently amidst their fury, letting them blow off their steam.

He knew that neither of them could touch him right now. The Punishers couldn’t attack a fellow member of the Ravens, the Enforcers were vary of starting any conflict with the Ravens that could result in an escalation of tensions between their forces, and the Collective was too weak to be able to do anything to Seren in the presence of the Punishers.

After their shouting finally began to die down, Seren spoke again, his voice cutting through the remaining tension like a knife through flesh. "Are you all quite finished? Now that I have your attention," he continued with chilling calmness, "let me remind you of something you've all conveniently forgotten."

He paused before continuing. "The Odd Squad was the one to capture Dorian. We have every right over him, unlike you vultures squabbling over someone else’s carcass"

For a few seconds, no one spoke as they stood there in silence staring at Seren. Theo and Oliver on the side were still reeling in disbelief at why this kid was going so far as to pick a fight with these big shots.

Aria was the first to break the silence as she turned her attention to Seren, her eyes narrowing with disdain. "Listen, Seren," she sneered, "why don't you run along and play with your toys? The grown-ups are talking now."

Seren met her gaze unflinchingly, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Toys? Interesting choice of words, Aria. I wonder, do you see Dorian as just another toy to add to your collection?"

Aria's face contorted with anger. "Watch your mouth, brat. It’s ‘Miss Aria’”

Seren chuckled slightly at this as he apologized in a light-hearted tone. “Sorry, sorry, it’s a bad habit of mine”. Then his voice turned sly as he said, “But before you dismiss me, Miss Aria, perhaps you should consider something crucial you've overlooked."

"And what might that be?" Aria asked with impatience.

"Think about it," Seren said calmly. "My team was ambushed by the Black Hand when we tried to capture Dorian. Doesn't it make sense that they'd take precautions in case their ambush went wrong?"

Aria's expression shifted from dismissive to attentive as Seren continued.

"What if Dorian is actually bait? A trap set by the Black Hand?" Seren's voice took on a more serious tone. "In reality, Dorian might have no value at all. We could be leading ourselves right into their hands."

Aria's eyes widened, her confidence visibly shaken. The implications of Seren's words sank in, and she realized she had completely failed to consider this possibility.

"I..." Aria started, then stopped, at a loss for words.

Seren pressed his advantage. "So perhaps, Miss Aria, it's not about who gets Dorian, but about who avoids falling into a potentially deadly trap."

Aria stood there, stunned into silence, as she grappled with the new perspective Seren had presented. For the first time, doubt crept into her mind about the wisdom of pursuing Dorian so aggressively. What if it was all a trap? What if the information that Dorian holds is false? Wouldn’t this mean that they were the real idiots fighting over a vial of poison?

Seren then turned to Mia. "And you, Miss Mia, would you still like to compete over Dorian, even with the risk I've mentioned?"

Mia looked at Seren scrutinizing him for a few tense seconds, her gaze sharp and calculating. Then finally, she spoke in a low voice. "We will still pursue Dorian, regardless of the risk."

Seren's eyes narrowed at this unexpected response. hint of amusement in his voice. "Hmm... the Enforcers are this desperate to get Dorian” There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “...I wonder what could be the reason." He observed Mia closely.

To an untrained eye, she appeared calm, but Seren noticed the slight tension in her jaw.

"...But too bad I don't plan on giving Dorian to the Enforcers," Seren continued with his tone casual yet loaded with implication. "There's still a chance that what Dorian knows isn't a trap, after all."

Mia didn't respond verbally, but her intense gaze spoke volumes. She was reassessing Seren, clearly realizing he was more than just a simple Lesser Rank 1 Lexarch.

Turning to the supervisor, Seren smiled.

The supervisor felt unsettled by that smile as he then nervously attempted to regain control of the situation. "Now, see here, Seren" His voice quavered slightly, "You will hand over Dorian immediately, or face severe consequences!"

Seren's lips curved into a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

For some reason, the supervisor felt more anxious talking with Seren than when he was dealing with the Enforcers and the Punishers. ‘Shit, please just hand him over already. I know we’ve had our bad blood but please just do this one favor for me. I promise I will leave you alone in the futu–’

"Sure, I'll hand him over,"

“...”

“...What?” The supervisor said, thinking he had heard it wrong.

“I said, I will hand him over” Seren repeated himself.

Everyone present was completely shocked when they heard this. Why are you giving him up that easily? If you do this, then why were we fighting over Dorian so hard?

Then they heard Seren say as he pointed at the supervisor, "But I want you in his place."

A new wave of gasps of surprise echoed as Seren continued, his voice taking on a somber tone. "You gave us a really hard time, supervisor. You even killed one of our mates. Dorian is useless to me, but I at least want to take revenge for my fallen teammate."

Theo and Oliver exchanged stunned glances at hearing this before their expressions softened, touched by Seren's loyalty and care for his teammates.

'No, I don't give a crap about Javier. I just needed an excuse to sound reasonable,' Seren thought, maintaining his facade of righteous anger.

The supervisor's face paled as his eyes darted to Dorian's severed hand lying on the ground. "Now, let's be reasonable," he stammered. "I-I'm just following orders from my higher-ups. Dorian still has some critical intelligence! If you think about it, taking me isn't going to hurt the Collective at all! How about this, I will give twenty Rank 2 relics so there's no need for you to go this far for someone lik–"

"I can't believe this," Seren interrupted, his voice dripping with mock surprise. "You'd rather sacrifice your boss to save your own skin? My, my, what a loyal subordinate you are."

"W-what? What d-do you mean?" The supervisor stuttered, sweat beading on his forehead.

Seren's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Oh, come now. Don't play dumb. It doesn't suit you... or does it?" He chuckled darkly. "Are you saying you're more valuable than Dorian? That's quite the ego you've got there, supervisor."

He then turned to the Collective members behind the supervisor, his voice laced with feigned concern. "I wonder what your subordinates think about having a leader doing something as shameless as this? Tell me, do you all aspire to reach such... lofty heights of cowardice?"

Seren's eyes glinted with amusement as he added, "Perhaps we should take a vote. Who here thinks their esteemed supervisor is worth more than Dorian? Don't be shy, raise your hands. I'm sure your brave leader would do the same for you."

The supervisor's subordinates shifted uncomfortably, exchanging uneasy glances. The supervisor himself stood frozen, caught between his fear and the sudden scrutiny from his own people, his face a mask of horror and embarrassment.

Then suddenly Seren's demeanor shifted, his voice taking on a more helpless tone. "If the supervisor doesn't want to hand himself over, then there's nothing I can do. I guess I'll just have to kill Dorian to avenge my teammate," he said with a sigh.

Without warning, Seren activated his Luminar Crystal with full force, and a blinding light erupted from his fingertip. A 5-meter long laser, shimmering with an otherworldly intensity, materialized before their eyes. The energy radiating from it was palpable, causing the hair on everyone's arms to stand on end.

Gasps of shock and awe echoed through the air. Mia and Aria, reeled back the most with their eyes wide with disbelief.

One of the Punishers, his voice trembling, exclaimed, "I-isn't that a laser? But how...?"

'I didn't realize this before, but this kid's talent is out of this world!' Mia thought incredulously. 'This feat... it's beyond anything I've ever seen.'

Seren might not know but his feat of creating a laser through the Luminar Crystal was something that all Lexarchs in Glowhaven had been striving to achieve. The sheer concentration and control required to focus such a large amount of light into a single point was immense, let alone forming an entire laser.

Even peak Rank 2 Lexarchs with support relics couldn't accomplish this, much less a Lesser Rank 1!

Laser at the ready, Seren menacingly approached Dorian, who watched with terror in his eyes. Dorian attempted to flee but found his legs frozen in fear. "H-Hey!" he yelled, looking at Collective's members. "Are you really going to let me die?! For that useless supervisor!"

His words sparked a fire among the Collective members. The Collective's members' whispers grew like a rising tide, their once-loyal faces morphing into masks of doubt and contempt.

"Maybe we should reconsider..." The words slithered through the air, poisonous and treacherous.

The supervisor's world began to crumble, each murmur cracking his fragile authority.

"The supervisor's never stuck his neck out for us." Another voice, another betrayal.

As Seren inched closer, the whispers erupted into a cacophony of shouts. "Be a man, supervisor!" The words struck like physical blows, each one chipping away at his resolve.

"Don't let Dorian die for your cowardice!" The accusation echoed in the supervisor's mind.

His heart thundered in his chest. The world in his eyes seemed to tilt and spin as he looked back at his subordinates, their faces now a sea of scorn and disappointment. He felt as if he stood at the edge of a cliff, their collective will pushing him towards the abyss.

The supervisor's gaze darted frantically between the angry mob and Dorian's pleading eyes. Seren's slow approach felt like a countdown to his doom, bringing him closer to an impossible choice.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, trickling down his temples. His body felt hot and his vision blurred at the edges. The world around him began to fade, colors bleeding into a dizzying swirl of chaos.

In that moment of utter despair, the supervisor's wildly darting eyes unexpectedly locked with Seren's who was now gazing at him.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The shouts faded to silence and time seemed to freeze.

The supervisor found himself trapped in Seren's gaze, those cold, crimson eyes silently boring into his very soul. They held no warmth, no mercy - only a lifeless cruelty that chilled him to his core. These were not the eyes of a human, but of something far more sinister, terrifying, and ancient.

As he stared into those ghastly orbs, the supervisor felt a primal fear grip him, far worse than the threat of death. It was as if he gazed into the abyss itself, and the abyss stared back, promising horrors beyond imagination.

Then suddenly, he saw Seren moving his lips. He subconsciously translated the message.

’Time’s…up…'

The supervisor's eyes widened.

'...Your…life…has…reached…it’s…last…chapter’

In that moment, the supervisor's mind simply couldn't cope. His eyes rolled back, synapses misfiring as his brain shut down.

Thud

With a dull thud, his body collapsed to the cold floor, eyes still open but unseeing.

He died from a heart attack.