(Theron POV)

Lately, things have been quiet at our base in Arthernos. The production and sale of our cosmic batteries have been going off without a hitch. The rise of our guild's power and influence within the city and continent has been largely due to our growing economic impact. They always said the best way to destroy something is from within. Soon, this entire region will be under my control—and the continent, if Kael can handle his share.

Since our last meeting, I haven't heard or seen many reports from the Valador region. I hope to God that Kael hasn't done anything stupid to mess things up. But he's a hardheaded fool—it can't be helped. If he chooses to seek out Ezra, he will suffer the same fate as many before him. His lust to be acknowledged as one of the most fearsome warriors of our time will be his downfall. "Only a fool would seek out such an accolade," I murmured to myself.

I wanted to shake this thought away, but the mere fact of Kael's silence bothered me. The loudmouth titan never goes this long without communicating. Breaking out of my meditation, I decided to call one of my contacts in the Valador region—someone who could give me a solid lay of the land. It was part of our mutual agreement. My guild gave him a discounted price on cosmic batteries, and in return, he provided me with information on the Twilight Obsidian Guild, along with updates regarding Kael himself.

I clicked on Adam's name, and the call rang longer than usual. Did something happen in his town, or is he still mining? A few more moments passed before the call was finally picked up.

"Lord Enzo, to what do I owe the pleasure of speaking with the leader of the Eclipsing Dawn Guild?" Adam said, his tone frantic and uneasy.

The name Enzo still caught me off guard at times. Only members of Lux Tenebris know my true name, the rest of society know me as Enzo the leader of the Eclipsing Dawn.

"It's been a while. I haven't gotten my regular check-in from you. Is everything all right?"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to call and fill you in on everything that's been happening. Things have gotten hectic over here in our small town," Adam responded.

"What do you mean by hectic? Was there another large astral behemoth attack?"

"Yes, but that's not really what I meant. That's something I'd consider normal for this town. But to say the least, we've had some interesting visitors recently."

"Such as?" I asked, gripping my phone tighter in anticipation.

"The fugitive Ezra Solaris and his son happened to stumble upon our town while we were under attack by astral behemoths—right when we were receiving our shipment of cosmic batteries."

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"Adam, is he still there now?" I asked.

"Yes, Lord Enzo. I have him trapped in the Astral Realm."

"You did?"

"Yes. You see, I don't know if you're aware, sir, but Ezra and I were old comrades—both in school and in the last war. I led him to believe he could find sanctuary here, but the man became too curious about my operation with mining Celestium. He discovered the flaw in the batteries and threatened my entire operation. I never would have thought that the very batteries we use were his own creation. Just my luck, I suppose. But I had no choice—I killed the miners who learned the truth and trapped Ezra along with their corpses. In doing so, I destroyed the gate so no one could ever find the evidence. So here we are."

"I see. You did well. I can send some men down there to help with the situation, along with the authorities in Arthernos. They owe me a favor anyway."

"Thank you for the offer, sir, but Kael said he would take care of it. He said he had a debt to settle since Ezra brutally injured someone from the Twilight Obsidian Guild. He wants justice, and I'm not in a position to object. As you may know, he's much stronger than me."

"I understand, Adam. And what about his son? Do you have him trapped as well?"

"No, he's currently at large—missing from the town. We're searching for him."

"Find him for me. The people of Arthernos would be delighted to know their prince is alive and well. If you can do this, you'll receive a constant shipment of cosmic batteries from me—for free."

"Wait, are you serious, Lord Enzo?"

"Yes. It's the least I can do."

"All right, I'll be on it and fill you in soon."

"Good. Goodbye, Adam."

I knew Kael was up to something. He hadn't informed anyone about this situation, but it wasn't my problem to worry about. I was surprised our master was so unfazed by the potential loss of a general and didn't force him to stay put or put an actual plan together. But his words from that day rang in my head. 'I have a replacement in mind already.'

Who could he be talking about?

Shaking the thought away, I immediately called our master. He had to know what was about to unfold. He picked up immediately.

"What is the matter, Theron?" my master answered calmly.

"Sir, it's about Kael. He has cornered Ezra in Valador. I found out he's going to engage in battle—with no backup."

"Oh, is that all? Let him do as he pleases. I no longer have a need for him."

"Are you sure, master? If he fails, who will take over the operation in Valador?"

"You will. The person I intend to take his spot is not ready or strong enough to be a general. It will be some time before he's prepared. What about the child?"

"He is currently missing, master. I have my contact searching for him. I believe if we bring him back here as the rightful heir to Arthernos, we will have deeper control over the land."

"I fear you spend too much time with me. I was going to suggest the same thing. That boy will be a crucial part of our mission. We need to secure him."

"I'll get it done. If my contact can't capture him, I already have fail-safes in place."

"Good. Thank you, Theron. I will see you at the next meeting."

After our phone call ended, my theory was coming together. During the last meeting, I noticed something different in my master's expression when the boy's feats were brought up. They were impressive, yes—even for a member of the Solaris clan. But the boy had only just become a Starbound.

Why would master have such an interest in him?

Is that who he plans on replacing Kael with?