Axel injected the antibiotics into King Kurtis and Shadow with precision. A faint smirk played on his lips as he set the syringe aside.
"Life saved by yours truly," he muttered to the unconscious men, "Though walking's off the table for a few days—your bodies are still battling the poison. Guess the party will have to wait."
His voice echoed in the quiet lab. Talking to himself had become second nature in the absence of company.
He began to pace around Pi's laboratory, his sharp eyes scanning the shelves, tables, and glowing vials for anything of interest. His attention was soon captured by five glass vials neatly arranged in a case. Each vial glowed with a vivid orange hue, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat. Axel's curiosity got the better of him.
"Hax," he muttered, his fingers brushing the vials. With a soft glow, he activated his angelic magic, analyzing the composition of the liquid within.
A frown crept across his face as he pieced it together, "My blood…" he murmured. "But it's altered. Condensed to stimulate my DNA, forcing it to merge with other cells. Most of the blood isn't mine, though—it's a blend of multiple donors. But two of these DNA sequences… they're related to mine."
He straightened, his thoughts spinning, "When did Pi or the Lost Brotherhood even get a sample of my blood? And why?"
The question hung in the air as he placed the vials into his shadow for safekeeping.
His curiosity now piqued, Axel continued exploring.
Hidden among the shelves, he found a collection of gearwork weapons—intricately designed tools of war that bore resemblance to the Gearwork blasters.
One, in particular, caught his attention: a golden blaster etched with strange symbols.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
"This," he whispered, turning it over in his hands. "This is something special. Maybe Lunar can help me figure out what it does."
Without hesitation, he stored the weapon in his shadow alongside the vials. He had uncovered enough for now, but a new question burned in his mind—what lay above this hidden city?
With a gust of wind magic, Axel ascended the crater, his winds carrying him toward the surface. As he emerged, the air changed, thick with energy and vitality.
His eyes widened at the sight before him. The landscape was breathtaking, alive with colors and shapes he had never seen. Towering trees with leaves like gemstones sparkled under a sky painted in shades of gold and violet. Mythical beasts—some as large as mountains—roamed freely, their majestic forms blending into the pristine environment.
"This… this is Arianeth," Axel whispered, awe-struck.
He had heard whispers of this land, a place untouched by outsiders. Home to the elves, spirits, fairies, and giants, Arianeth was considered sacred—a place where even the boldest invaders dared not tread.
His excitement, however, was short-lived. A presence stirred in the distance.
Axel's gaze sharpened as he sensed it: Vi, the guardian of this holy land. A colossal figure, part beast, part divine sentinel, emerged from the mist. Its eyes glowed like molten gold, locking onto Axel.
Axel's heart quickened. Though he was half-born, Vi would not hesitate to attack a non-native intruder.
As if to confirm his suspicions, the air around Vi thickened, a dense mist coiling toward Axel like a living thing.
"You boring, aren't you?" Axel muttered, taking a step back.
The mist tightened its grip, closing in. Axel clenched his fists, his instincts screaming to fight, but his mind held him back.
If he engaged here, even if he won, it would trigger consequences too dire to imagine.
Arianeth was no ordinary land, and a battle here could spark a blood war between its inhabitants and humanity.
"I'll be back," Axel said, a smirk playing on his lips. Then, with a sharp gust of wind, he retreated, descending back into the crater before Vi could trap him entirely.
When he returned to the Undercity, the weight of his discoveries lingered. He wasted no time, gathering King Kurtis and Shadow over his shoulders. Their bodies were weak, but they would survive.
As he took to the skies, carrying the two men to safety, his thoughts lingered on Arianeth, the vials of Hax, and the strange truth hidden in his blood.
"Whatever game Pi and the Lost Brotherhood are playing," Axel murmured to himself, "I'm going to find out."