The group of four stepped up white stairs leading to guarded, black ceiling-high doors. They were opened at the mere sight of Captain Wasihl, leading them into an antechamber with a unique design Vadeen took a moment to inspect.

The Magnate's Headquarters' main vestibule consisted of two levels with open centers which allowed them to see other high-level military officers above. The dark-colored interior bore symbols of the military and colorful banners were draped in nearly every available space. There were other people within the vestibule, namely messengers and judicial officers. A spacious area, it didn't appear to be guarded.

A group of captains, bracket lieutenants, and high-ranked second lieutenants could be seen ahead in the vestibule. They stood near a staircase leading downstairs, and all the lieutenants stood some paces behind their captains who were clearly in animated conversation.

Just paces inside, Vadeen, Laokar, and several passing messengers stumbled by the abrupt and powerful force of Captain Wasihl's ire. The action did its duty of bringing all attention to them as heads turned in their direction.

Captain Arauśō approached first, obviously aware of the situation. The kindhearted captain and friend of Captain Wasihl wore a grave expression, his grey eyes wrought with sympathy. "Wasihl-sebu—"

She brushed passed him. "Where the fuck is he?" she demanded.

Vadeen and Laokar simultaneously slowed in their steps, heads bowing in respect to the captains as they followed theirs further into the antechamber. Vadeen felt uncomfortable inside, yet Haniban didn't seem to share the sentiment, standing just an undaunted pace behind their captain.

"Wasihl-sebuan," warned the captain of the 1st Bracket, Tiên Kulko, his expression a dark, narrow-eyed frown. "You aren't supposed to be here."

She ignored him, stopping considerably close to them. "When did this happen? Where did the Sanyerō go?"

"She is on her way," Captain Arauśō explained, coming to her side. "Wasihl-sebuan, please, we understand your outrage, but there is undeniable proof—"

She turned a livid glare on him. "Proof?" she spat with a razor-sharp snarl. "He's my son. Dare you tell me next I 'don't understand'?"

"Yes. You do not understand the situation, Wasihl-sebuan."

Immediately, a wave of power that contended with hers swept through the entire space. The bracket and second lieutenants lowered to a knee with their heads bowed at once, chorusing the Sanyerō's title.

General Commander Wukai suddenly stood among the captains. She quite literally appeared out of nowhere to Vadeen's senses.

"Rise," she commanded.

He stood with the others who had bowed, eyes locked on the commander as she stared his captain down. It made his heart sink.

The rage of his captain had slowly receded, but only by a bit. "What do you mean, Sanyerō?" she asked, her voice calmer but still carrying an edge.

Exhaling softly, the commander briefly closed her eyes. "You alone may visit him. Then you will see."

Adrenaline and anxiety grew within Vadeen at her frighteningly ominous words.

Her words also gave his captain pause. He didn't need to see her face to know she hated herself for it.

She turned her gaze back to them but didn't meet their eyes. "Return to the bracket."

He didn't like her sudden subdued mannerisms.

"Understood," Haniban responded.

Laokar, like Vadeen, said nothing. Haniban turned around and nodded at them as she approached. They moved aside to let her pass, then slowly followed behind her.

Vadeen dared a slight glance back to see the General Commander's steely expression, her mouth moving as she said something to his approaching captain. The other captains were parting for her. Vadeen's gaze then met another's, Captain Kulko's, and he immediately looked forward.

Painful silence permeated the return trip to their bracket. Thoughts and worries sped in Vadeen's mind, worsening his high anxiety. He found himself twitching by the time they arrived at their bracket's entrance.

"Wuan."

He shut his eyes. "I'm okay...I'm just...concerned," he muttered to his lieutenant.

He felt her gaze on him, and it lingered. "If you need time off, don't hesitate to ask for it."

His upper lip twitched, but he gave in to her concerns with a stiff nod. He only opened his eyes when he knew her gaze went elsewhere. He continued following her but caught Laokar gazing at him out of the corner of his eye.

Once he realized he had been caught, the older man gave a nod. "It's not true," he said softly. "Kabuyun-wakil wouldn't have contemplated such a thing."

His words took a slight weight off Vadeen's consciousness, and he cracked a small smile of thanks. "Yeah. Something else is going on..."

He trailed off upon seeing several investigative officers in the court of their bracket. They appeared to be speaking to their disgruntled comrades. Ahead of him, he heard Haniban grumble.

"While I also agree, Laokar, Wuan...we have to survive the day, first," she softly sighed. A hazel eye glanced back at them, and she gave a nod. "Cooperate with the officers."

"Understood, Wakilek," Vadeen and Laokar said in unison.

She left them, approaching the leader of the investigative team, and they moved to enter the court. Upon entering, Vadeen immediately noticed several whites as people glanced at him out of their peripherals. The unsaid words they passed to him weren't meant for him to hear, but he heard them anyway:

Mahilasi attacking Mahilasi...Unheard of!

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Eyes narrowing, he turned a glare onto an unranked soldier who immediately bristled and bowed their head. He stared hard at them until they began to fidget, then raised his gaze to graze his scowl over several others who parroted the first soldier's actions. Heads bowed. Stayed bowed. Fidgeted.

So, that's how it's going to be?

A low growl built up in his throat, but he swallowed it and glowered his way through the court onto the hooded concourse. His dark expression clashed with his seemingly calm demeanor.

I can't...I can't deal with this right now.

He returned to his bracket room with haste. The moment the door closed, his body shook as an even deeper growl grew from within his chest and throat. It resonated throughout his entire body, causing him to clench his rattling teeth and shut his eyes from the intensity. He felt the tilting internal heat rise within, forcing his eyes open as he began to panic.

He never had a reaction like this before. It worried him.

Swallowing, he rigidly moved to a pillow on the floor in an alcove bare of anything. He sat upright and crossed his legs, compelling his ira to calm. Taking deep breaths, he let his eyes shut, and he didn't stop his heavy breathing until the heat within him merely simmered.

There he stayed, meditating in his room, for the remainder of the morning while awaiting his captain's response. He only left his stasis when a single investigative soldier came to take his sword, as protocol demanded.

Minutes stretched on until they were hours, and lunchtime came as the light in the plane neared its peak. He remained in his room, lacking an appetite.

Hours more passed. Nightfall soon fell, yet still there lacked a single sign of Captain Wasihl.

When he finally left his room, he had all intentions to pass the bracket's mess hall. He knew he should eat dinner but felt unusually off about the whole situation on a metaphysical level, preventing him from being hungry.

First the indrahti woman...now...this.

As he walked through darkening halls, his ears twitched. He could hear the hushed conversations when he passed his comrades or caught them staring at him. He didn't need to hear what they were saying to know what they said. They were speaking ill of Lanad.

Worst of all, he understood why.

If it were anyone else, he would be right with them, and he knew this in his heart.

The situation was familial. That's what made it different. He would laugh at someone else if they told him that. That shouldn't prevent him from doing his job or knowing what the laws were as a soldier and member of his dynasty.

But...

He knew his brother. They all did—should. Much as Vadeen's reasonable (or hopefully reasonable) mind tried to tell him otherwise, Lanad wouldn't have done something so reckless, something worthy of immediate and righteous death even in Vadeen's eyes.

His body twitched.

"You should eat."

"Don't want to," he muttered. He took a glance into the mess hall to see his friends and comrades speaking quietly amongst each other under the eyes of the investigative soldiers and scowled. "Definitely don't want to."

He continued through the halls, intending to visit the only place where none of the investigations would be. Or so he hoped. The possibility some other comrade would be there did exist, but he doubted it; the normally active halls were subdued, lacking more than a few bodies at a time.

"When did you last eat?"

He huffed, then glanced around to make sure no one could see him before answering, "Why are you asking me that when you know the answer?"

"To hopefully remind you to eat something," came the simple reply. He sensed something oddly like a scoff. "I can see that was for naught."

"Oi, I have reason to not have an appetite."

"Yes, but you need to keep up your strength in case that reason leads to other, far more unpleasant situations."

Scrunching his mouth, he hated the sense that made. He opened his mouth to speak when it sighed.

"But, I know you're still young and stubborn, little chick."

His eye twitched at the endearment, and he growled low from exasperation but ultimately denied the voice a response.

As if it knew this, it softly chuckled at him. Snorting, he glanced back towards the mess hall but continued walking forward.

The voice remained silent, if not with an undertone of faint amusement that he completely ignored.

The wide exit at the end of a corridor led directly into the bracket's backcourt and garden. He tentatively glanced in upon arrival, stretching out his senses for any presence within.

After a moment, he continued with a small smile of thanks for the empty space. He closed his eyes, inhaling more of the cool air. The more he inhaled, however, the smaller his smile became until his visage lacked all cheer.

A large pond existed towards the back of the garden. His eyes fixated on a random spot near its edge and he moved to sit there. Crossing his legs, he entwined his fingers together and leaned forward to touch them while shutting his eyes.

"He is innocent."

He remained quiet but gave a small nod.

When he heard nothing else, he emitted a short exhale. "What was that, before? Why did you act that way when you saw the eagle?"

Much to his chagrin and worsening worry, the voice said nothing.

For the moment, he decided to let it go. He had worse things to worry about.

He hoped.

He slipped into a meditative trance after a while of sitting, a habit of his to keep his ira quiet. While doing so, he stretched his senses out.

Inhale...

Exhale...

He remained by the waterside for an indeterminate amount of time, but his eyes snapped open the second he sensed someone behind him. He turned to look, then jumped to his feet and swiftly approached.

"Sebuan—!" He came to a dead halt when Abramu stepped from behind her, confused and worried.

She didn't look at him. She didn't look at either of them or at anything it seemed, staring listlessly with an expression entirely foreign to his memory.

Abramu also noticed, and he briefly glanced up at her before approaching him. "Diditō..."

"Wh-what happened?" Vadeen asked, trying to keep a monotone and failing miserably. When his brother stopped beside him and said nothing, he quickly looked between them before fixing his gaze back on her. "Mokā?"

She blinked and focused her emerald eyes on them. The momentary glance cut as she shut them with a soft exhale. With that exhalation, her shoulders fell.

"Mokā," he demanded, brows furrowing with confusion and worry for her than what her silence may have meant. Her mannerisms were strange to him. "Are you...alright?"

Slowly, she approached. He and Abramu exchanged glances.

"She wouldn't tell me what's wrong," his brother softly explained. "She just grabbed me and..." He looked back at her with distress.

Vadeen opened his mouth to call her again when she made another exhale, louder and wearier.

Softly, she began, "Lanad..."

Beside him, Abramu tensed. "What?"

She opened her eyes and looked at them. "He pled guilty..." Her lips tightened. "On his own volition."

"And you believe that?!" Vadeen spat. "He wouldn't dare do that! It's so unlike him, it's laughable!"

Their mother remained painfully reserved, her eyes looking away from them. "A credible witness saw him with...the Dōl-Rangī, who he also admitted to working with." She closed her eyes once more. "He furthermore admitted to being a spy for the indrahti."

Mouth opening as if to retort, Vadeen simultaneously took a step back with wide eyes. An unwanted but familiar sensation stirred within him that made him violently shudder.

An image entered his mind, one so old and hazy and dreamlike, he couldn't be sure it even happened.

"Vadeen..."

A withered croak escaped him as his vision glossed over.

"Vadeen."

He wouldn't...

"Vadeen."

Lies...

"Vadeen!"

LIES!

His body moved on its own, speeding towards the direction of the Magnate Headquarters.

Or it would have, if not for the impossibly powerful arms that wrapped around him, preventing him from taking any more than a few steps from where he had stood.

He struggled madly in the grasp, unable to see anything more than red. Red, yellow-red orange-red. The heat from a fire. So much fire. He screamed in a mindless rage as the old images repeated over and over in his mind.

"Vadeen!"

"Diditō! Calm down!"

Two voices, distinctly different, but he couldn't quite tell them apart.

Who spoke?

Didn't matter.

He continued floundering his legs, then his arms, which were grabbed by hands that prevented him from flailing further. He tried but failed to twist them and emitted an animalistic growl.

A wretched pain abruptly snapped to his neck. It traveled like a spark to his brain, making him convulse as clear vision returned. Abramu stood in front of him, tears pouring down his face while holding his hands in a tight grasp.

It was the last thing he saw.