Frost’s hand slithered onto the table.

“There is nothing I want more than to destroy everything he’s built.” The Nexus momentarily shook as she gruelingly spoke, her thirst for vengeance being made clear. “I came into this world knowing nothing. He was the first person I met, and the last person before I knew death’s embrace. I was blamed as the reason why his world fell apart. For the loss of his sister, his kingdom… everything.”

Frost’s agonizing tone disappeared immediately. An invisible wind had taken it away as he became ominously silent. The Nexus didn’t shake, yet they felt a tremendous amount of rage boiling within her golden eyes, enough to make Satania smile dearly.

“We all know I did nothing. It’s irrefutable. I don’t know why I’m blamed. Cinder’s Prophecy doesn’t even encapsulate the loss of Paradise. If anything, he’s created a self-fulling prophecy, because I will stop at nothing until Iscario dies by my own two hands. Until I can impale him on the same stakes that I was once riddled with.”

Frost declared before them all, lost in her turbulent thoughts as she began to salivate. Jury brought a tail to catch her drool, wiping it clean from her lips as Galia then spoke:

“Iscario’s motives are unknown. He was always a loyal one. Always heeding the words of the Nexus. I do wonder what led him astray.”

“The Fallen Star has ambitions not dissimilar from the Impuritas.” Michaela added. “To become complete. To recover what was lost. Marduk had similar woes. The Replication Cycles had turned him into something less than human, after all.”

“Do we know if Iscario is one who plotted against the Nexus, or was he led by someone? Such as Marduk?” Jury questioned.

“No one knows for sure. Maybe he heard someone whisper something into his ears.” Satania closed her eyes, smiling to herself. “You know, I find it strange that he’d target you. That’s if we ignore you’re the Amalgam for one second.”

“If you weren’t the Amalgam, I imagine things would have played very differently.” Galia said, confusing Frost.

“What do you mean?” She urged them to speak.

“Your face. It looks similar to his sisters. Not exactly, but close enough where wearing a white wig would fool him.” Galia revealed, causing a dangerous chill to run down Frost’s spine.

She recalled his cold touch, as well as the words that left his lips.

‘You remind me of my sister.’

A part of Frost wanted to thrash and yell. The fact that so many people found familiarity in her was dangerous for her psyche. She was already confused about her multiple past identities as it was. To hear this again and again frustrated her to no end.

The Arbiter’s tail coiled around Frost’s ankle, as did Jury’s to calm her down. The Alter Frosts stared up at her with concern. Meanwhile, another tail coiled around Galia’s neck.

“I do not recommend you wear a white wig.” The Arbiter’s tone was different this time, but no one could put a finger on what it was. “His sister was his price of paradise. The sacrifice made to stop the Icon of Judgement. Because of her, Puritas still exists.”

“Puritas, but now rebranded as Impuritas.” Magus wanted to lighten up the moon, although what he said was also true. “Frost.”

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His tone then swiftly changed to a serious one.

“Grandis is open season. I believe that a connected topic should be the way the Nexus handled that Region. For fifteen years it was abandoned. I strongly believe that the Nexus is also partially at fault for allowing a known Corrupted like that giant bird to roam.”

Magus brought up a good point. The Nexus ought to be ashamed of how they handled Grandis. Rather than intervening and ridding it of the Corrupted, they prohibited all forms of entry. Not even Beholders and their Ateliers dared to set foot there.

Her magician friend was insinuating something that she failed to clasp, the anger still clouding her mind until Anna briskly raised a hand, her eyes widened with disturbance.

“What if that was intentional!? The Icon of Judgement disappeared. Galia knew! Same as the Beholders! So how come they didn’t do anything about it!?” Anna was furious, as was Frost.

And the explanation Satania gave nearly threw Frost over the edge.

“Because there was nothing to gain. Archetypes. Do you think the Blessed intervene out of the goodness of their hearts? The Nexus must feed.”

“That is only half the truth. Do not forget that the Nex Megalopolis required the combined efforts of the Ateliers. Other major incidents also dragged the Ateliers away. I was unfortunately blind to many of these happenings.” The Arbiter explained, right before Galia reasoned with:

“My 12th Branch was planted in Grandis, right beside my 1st Branch. Justica Arms has always had a presence in Grandis. I am incomparable to the others. It’s unforgivable. But know this – Scarlet Logic’s presence was also at large in Grandis. Information was provided by them.”

“But if you had a presence, then why the fuck didn’t you say anything!?” Frost suddenly lashed out, causing Anna and the Alter Frosts to jump from their seats as they reached out to bring her back down.

Galia was unfazed, but she chose her words very carefully.

“Amalgam. You’ve seen how they view me. Do you believe that the likes of Caldera Indurates would heed my words? Moons of the Nexus would not survive either. A ban was justified to keep the only Moons the Nexus had alive.”

Frost wanted to refute, but the moment she was about to speak a certain wolfwoman jumped in.

“Galia’s not spouting bullshit for once. If there one’s Beholder that gave a shit about us, then it was her.” Cer defended Galia. “She’s the same snake that sent us in to fetch you! Galia trusted us the most. Besides…”

Res the continued off Cer.

“… the Fate Mechanism is probably the thing we need to look at. It knew to send us to you. We can’t rule out that abandoning Grandis is a step towards the Tenth Act.”

“Only Act X worship the Fate Mechanism. The other Ateliers found Grandis to be a lost cause.” Satania became tired of this charade, wanting to move on from the past. “Amalgam. What’s your plan? Invade Grandis?”

“I want to find Iscario.” This was all Frost wanted. “We can do more than just that. But Iscario is my priority. What we do here and there will take us a step closer to him.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Magus perked himself up, interested to hear what Frost had to say.

Frost put up four fingers.

“We search Grandis for anymore Main Sequence Corrupted. We’re currently two away from completing the Book of the Price of Paradise. The second is to search for the Apple Advent while were there. I don’t expect our visit to be long. The ruins of Paradise is where I intend to go. Because that’s where I saw something shaped like a giant tree.”

Frost recalled the tree of light that sprouted over Paradise. She had consulted Aster and noticed that her eyes saw a pillar of light erected over those ruins. It would be their first clue in this mad world before they could move on towards other pillars of light.

She continued:

“The third is to locate the Piece of the Fallen Star. It must not fall into Iscario’s hands. And the fourth is simple – to find and eliminate Iscario once and for all.”

It was a guideline more than a plan because they had no idea what to expect from Grandis moving forward. Not to mention that things could easily change.

Frost dreaded returning to those lands, as did the others. But they were fiercely armed this time around.

She was not going to sit and wait any longer. As soon as her tasks were completed here in the Nexus, then she’d begin her relentless march across Elysia in search of Iscario, the Advents, and the Main Sequence Corrupted.

She needed to have the initiative on her side to disrupt their plans before they could even see her coming.

Frost vowed to finally give them a true reason to fear her aside from asinine prophecies.

The Amalgam’s Summit came to an end, with all party members leaving with renewed vigor as Frost led the way out with her head held high, and her appetite whetted by the talk.