Well, this seems all very official, Mr Lowe. Nice to see you, by the way.

If Lowe thought there was anything unusual in the supreme being of Soar being pleased to see him, too many panicked emotions were running through his head to process it properly.

The room they had entered was, as it had been when he had last been there, completely pitch-black.

Not dark.

Nothing as mundane as that. This was not the absence of light. Rather, they had stepped into the deepest black. It was as if they had moved beyond the boundaries of their universe and into another where such an unnecessary frippery as 'light' had long stopped being a consideration. Mind awash with questions, Lowe briefly wondered where that was true.

Whether, in entering this room, Arebella and he had left the world they knew behind and stepped into an alien realm.

Before we start what I am sure will be an illuminating conversation for all of us, I think I will quickly switch off Ms Telut's abilities.

Lowe heard a soft gasp from beside him and felt Arebella collapse to her knees. He reached out, groping in the blackness to find her, then helped her gently back to her feet. She was shaking.

"Are you okay?" he asked, almost scared to hear the answer.

"I don't know!" Arebella's voice was filled with distress. "It's like all my senses have been covered in a blanket. Everything is . . . greyed out. I don't know how else to explain it. Am I Classless?"

Nothing permanent, I assure you. It's just I like to maintain an air of mystery in all my conversations, and having a parse my words feels as if it would somewhat cramp my style. Not that I am planning to lie to you, you understand. But - well - it's more fun if you are unsure about that, isn't it?

"Oh, it's a riot. Do you promise she'll be okay? Her Class will return once we leave this place?"

Oh, Mr Lowe. I rather feel that if you were genuinely concerned about Ms Telut's wellbeing, you would not have embroiled her in a scheme that is the definition of a suicidal endeavour. To my understanding, you were informed - in no uncertain terms - that your investigation was likely to place her in significant danger. And yet you continued to meddle in matters that really should have been left well alone. And now, as if that recklessness with her life was not enough, here you are, dragging this poor girl into my overwhelming presence. Some knight in shining armour you have turned out to be, Mr Lowe. And I had always found you to be so wonderfully chivalrous.

"Fuck you, you formless twat!"

Lowe had a moment of horrified regret that he had just sworn at the avatar who dwelt at the top of the Celestial Temple. But then he realised it wasn't him, but Arebella who was spitting the invective. He wasn't sure if this recognition made it better or worse.

"Jana hasn't dragged me anywhere. He's my friend, and he was in trouble. So I'm here to help. That's what you do when you care for someone. Not that you'd know anything about that, you invisible wanker! And don't think I need my Skills to be active to know when someone is lying, either!"

Worse. Definitely worse.

Expecting them both to be immediately disintegrated, Lowe screwed up his eyes, before he realised the futility of doing so in the darkness of the empty space in which they were existing. Opening them back up again made no discernable difference.

Mr Lowe. You have quite the firecracker here, don't you! Maybe knights have no meaning in this game. Perhaps it is not a game for knights.

Wanting to take Arkola's attention away from the bristling ball of indignation next to him - he always did find Arebella to be at her cutest when she was angry - Lowe decided to crack on with his plan of putting his head in the lion's mouth.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Look, let's get right down to it. Did you kill - or give orders that led to the killing of - Gianna d'Avec?"

Oh, we're finished with the small talk, are we? Very well. What a shame. I get so few interesting visitors. The answer to your question is that it depends on your point of view.

Lowe shook his head in confusion, "How? You either did it or you didn't. Point of view has nothing to do with it!"

Ah, I wish it were so simple as that, Mr Lowe. You see, with great power comes great responsibility. For absolute clarity - for I see you require such a thing - I can confirm I did not personally descend two floors of the Celestial Temple and pull the High Priestess of Gravalk to pieces like the insignificant insect she was. Neither, for the removal of any doubt, did I make it known - tacitly or otherwise - that the removal of that turbulent priest would please me.

"So you are saying you were not involved in her murder?" Lowe tried to keep the disappointment from his voice. This was his big play, and he couldn't believe he'd misread the situation so badly.

It all made sense for Arkola to be at the heart of things. It could only be the dweller of the First Floor that would have Mdamic stepping so carefully in his attempts to 'support' Lowe's investigation - and yes, Lowe did absolutely accept that the Speaker of Yolgorth would view motivational beatings as 'support'. Likewise, whoever was holding Mr Law's leash and was pulling enough strings in the Council to bully Cuckoo House had to be a being of immense power. There really was not anyone else that fit the bill.

You are not very effective at reading between the lines for a man who wishes to make his living as an investigator, are you? Would you like to help him, Ms Telut?

Muttering 'patronising dickhead' under her breath - Lowe did not think he'd ever heard Arebella swear so much during their whole relationship as she had in the short time they had been in this chamber - Arebella squeezed his hand tight. "I believe Arkola is hinting he was aware the murder would be taking place, was pleased when it did, but did not - actively - take part or agitate for it."

Well done, my dear. Even without your abilities, you are simply delightful. Should I decide to let you both live following this audience, Mr Lowe, I would recommend you seek to make amends for whatever stupidity has led to your estrangement.

Lowe pushed all of that to the back burner - pleased the darkness hid the deep blush that bloomed on his face. "You knew it was coming, you did not do anything to stop it and are happy it happened? You expect me to believe all that is true, and - powerful as you are - you didn't expedite proceedings?"

I really could not care less what you believe, Mr Lowe. However, I am - just about - finding this meeting to be diverting enough to waste a few more moments in elucidating you. Gianna d'Avec was an irritant. Not a major one, but bothersome enough to have reached my notice. Gravalk is an entirely unforgiving deity, and - across the broad branch of the unending realms - his rise to prominence is always accompanied by death, destruction and chaos. It may have escaped your notice, but those are not particularly enjoyable states in which to exist.

Lowe nodded, unsure of whether this was going - or even if Arkola could see the gesture.

Fortunately, such are the challenges of worshipping such an unstable being that it is rare for anyone of true power to remain sane enough to reach any real prominence. His cult blazes hot, extremely brightly and usually burns itself out with only minor collateral damage.

Thinking of his own experience in trying to commune with Gravalk, Lowe could believe it. "But that didn't happen with Gianna d'Avec, did it? Somehow, she was able to reach Level 67 and was all set to bring the Fire Demon to the Second Floor. If what you say is true, that gives you a clear motive to want her dead. You can even argue you did it for the good of Soar. So how can you prove to me you did not do it?"

Arkola's laugh was genuine. Are you asking me for an alibi, Mr Lowe? I am not sure how that would work for someone who - at least to your sense of time and space - is omnipresent. In any event, I do not need to 'prove' it to you. My word is more than enough.

Lowe felt a soft pressure in his mind, and he suddenly knew that to be true. Arkola was not his man, deity, avatar. Whatever.

Was I concerned that Gravalk on the Second Floor would be destabilising to the common good? Yes. Was I delighted to learn such a thing would not come to pass due to her imminent murder? Also, yes. Since her death, have I been inclined to meddle in your investigation to ensure the person who alleviated my concern is not brought to justice? Again, a very loud 'yes'. Did I take the opportunity of your wrecking ball fumbling about to settle a few scores with those in Soar whose activities irritate my friends? Yes, yes, yes. But did I kill that blasted woman? That would be a resounding 'no'.

"And I suppose you are not going to tell me who it was that killed her, are you?"

"No, little man. Arkola is not."

Then light flooded the chamber, revealing an entirely empty room. One with a bloodied and battered Latham standing at the entrance of its open door.