Chapter Twenty-Eight

Ten Months After the Amlovos Uprising

Sitting at a round table with the council for our daily meeting, I ask, “And how is progress with our military going?”

“They’re getting there. Almost all of them can carry iris weaponry now. However, most are still having trouble advancing to the emergence stage,” replies Tori.

“It’ll take time. We only instituted our military ten months ago, and this isn’t like Soulbell. These people have lives. They can’t devote everything to training like we did.”

“The Amlovos were right, though,” says Tori. “We’re already seeing nations take advantage of us because of our weaker military. Acirat especially has made us fork over a lot of technology.”

“The twins won’t wait for us to catch up,” adds Joey. “And while still divided, Taliarusa has birthed several capable wielders. Most of the world has, and our technology will always be coveted.”

“And we’ll protect our assets,” I state. “For the time being, we can afford to keep giving away meaningless and outdated technology as we continue to stall for our military to catch up. Anyway, is it even true that the Acirat twins have reached mastery? Isn’t the fifth stage still technically a myth?”

“Their gemcores were so bright that people were blinded,” replies Ayden, lounging back in his chair. “That’s enough proof to tell me they’re a level above us.”

“None of us have broken into mastery, and you think those twins did it in only a year?” I counter. “If the twins were confident they could beat us, Acirat would’ve attacked by now. Every single one of our gemcores has reached evolution, but if mastery is as powerful as we’ve heard, they’d have no reason to hesitate. Even the five of us might not be able to take them.”

“Perhaps they have other interests. Acirat now controls a sizable chunk of the black market, and maybe they’re trying to expand their influence there,” says Ben. “We haven’t heard of Sorel since the uprising, and his technology is frightening. Suppose he’s taken what he learned at Soulbell to other nations, including Acirat or Taliarusa. In that case, we need to be prepared to… negotiate.”

“Are you saying we should start building bridges?” I ask.

“Not yet, but our previous largest trade partner, Maracise, is no longer around. We still have connections with most nations in Taliarusa, so we need to consider the possibility of an alliance.”

“An alliance?” asks Ray. “Taliarusa has fallen into anarchy. Investing any more than we already have could backfire.”

“The world is changing faster than ever,” I say, leaning forward on the table and intertwining my fingers. “And we’re doing everything we can to avoid falling behind. We’re all aware of the threat Acirat imposes, but our technology is still far more advanced than theirs. It's a bargaining chip, which means we still have leverage and time. There’s no need to do anything reckless.”

“That’s what I tried to tell myself, but look at this,” says Joey, clicking a button on his watch.

Above the table, four identical news reports digitally materialize into view. Each holographic report is facing a different direction, and the title reads: ‘The Clash of Two Legacies’ with a drawing of me and Deniz fighting below.

“If we go off history, there should be seventeen legacy abilities spread out around the world,” says Joey, scrolling down the report. “Mateo, you have the Halos Avian, and as we learned from some of the Amlovos, Deniz wielded the Siege of Kadillan. Additionally, we can suspect that Tryoid is the Halos Shogun, as he wields the ancient katana. And then here…”

He clicks another button, and the reports vanish. A moment later, a giant holographic map headlined ‘Thera’ appears behind Joey. It is a map of our world.

To the northwest, there are two distinct continents very close together. One is a large land bent around the back toward the western side, and the other is a smaller landmass more central to the world. The letters that spell out ‘Acirat’ span across both.

To the northeast, we are the only visible continent. Since Opuree consists of many floating islands, tiny specks are visible instead of a landmass. In terms of size, we are by far the smallest continent in the world from a bird's eye view. Unlike Acirat, our land is extremely central to the map, but we still belong to the northeastern quadrant.

To the southwest, two other continents exist: ‘Iasa’ and ‘Racafi’. They aren’t as close together as the two continents Acirat now reigns over, but they are closer to each other than to any other continent. The two continents furthest from us... Iasa is only a little larger than we are, while Racafi is similar in size to the land that used to belong to Maracise.

And finally, to the southeast is the largest continent in the world, Taliarusa. Taliarusa is by far the most populated and largest continent in the world, nearly double the size of Acirat, and the nations or clans existing within have been at war for almost half a century.

As Joey gets out of his chair, red dots with correlating images appear around the map. Tapping on a dot planted on the inner continent now belonging to Acirat, the image expands with additional text.

“This is Maracises’ late leader, Nova,” says Joey. “He was the Halos Soldier who wielded the ancient hammer. After his death, the wielder of his legacy power is now unknown.”

Walking to the other side of the map, he taps on Taliarusa, and the continent of Taliarusa expands, four red dots dispersed around the country. Tapping on one, the image of Nova minimizes as a new panel expands. It’s of a black man probably in his early twenties, and just from his crude, hardened gaze, I can tell he’s been through hell.

“As we all know, Taliarusa is in anarchy, but this man has risen to the top of their feuding society. His name is Colt, and he wields the ancient brass knuckles, making him the legacy of the Gladiator of Kadillan.”

Swiping the image of Colt out of the way, Joey taps on another dot, and a new image expands. This image doesn’t have a person but rather an anonymous silhouette.

“It’s rumored that the Halos Ruler is also somewhere in Taliarusa,” explains Joey, minimizing the image and gesturing to two other dots. “As well as the Halos Artist and the Beast of Kadillan, but there hasn’t been any confirmation of their identities yet.”

Walking back across the projection, Joey swipes the map to the west to exhibit Iasa and Racafi. There’s only one red dot, and it’s inside the land belonging to ‘Iasa’.

“As for the last two continents, the Halos Guardian has supposedly ended up in Iasa, but there’s been no sightings or rumors of any legacy wielders in Racafi.”

“So, counting myself, the existence of six legacy wielders have made themselves known to the world, with the status of the Halos Soldier, Halos Shogun, and Siege of Kadillan a complete mystery.”

“You six are the only ones that all of humanity is aware of,” says Tori. “I’m willing to bet more legacy wielders are hiding inside Racafi, Iasa, and Acirat.”

“But legacy abilities aren’t special,” says Ayden, and the two of us lock eyes.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you man. I just… sure, they behave differently, but mythics aren’t inherently stronger than the other classes. Mateo’s Halos Avian is a powerful ability because Mateo has trained it just like we have ours. His flames still have strengths and weaknesses, times where they aren’t as effective, and there’ve been many times where Mateo hasn’t beaten us.”

“Damn,” I say jokingly. “I’ll remember that next time we spar.”

Ayden smirks before addressing the rest of the group, “Seriously. Are we really worrying about where these legacy abilities are when we know we can fight them?”

Zooming out to show the entire map, Joey says, “I’m not worried about fighting them. I bring up the topic of legacy wielders because they are a wild card in any combat situation. We know how Mateo’s abilities work because he’s told us. Still, like everybody who faced him in battle for the first time, they’re forced to learn with their backs against the wall that he’s not a Tochi wielder but a Los wielder.”

Tapping on one of the red dots at Opuree, an image of Deniz wearing his knight armor is thrown into view, “Take Deniz. With his trident, he was not only able to command vast amounts of water, but he could also harden water into steel or evaporate it into gas. Those are traits of both a Tochi and Ano wielder. And let’s not ignore that he can become thousands of feet tall.”

“I get your point,” says Ayden, putting his hands up. “So, where are you going with this?”

Joey taps on Colt’s dot, “As I mentioned earlier, we know there’s at least one legacy wielder in Taliarusa who’s in an influential position of power. That means he’s strong, probably in the evolution stage or higher. And if rumors about the other three legacy wielders are true, then as a continent, Taliarusa is incredibly formidable.”

“But all of these smaller nations are at war with each other–” I start to say.

Holding up a finger, Joey continues, “I’m not saying we align with Taliarusa as a whole. If we can, we definitely should. I’m just offering the idea that we reach out to every nation that we know a legacy wielder exists and look to build a relationship with them. The same goes if we learn of an advanced wielder. Nobody from another continent has attempted such a thing with Taliarusa in the past, but like Mateo said… it’s a new era, and now that we’ve gotten a little fame, I say we at least reach out to the nation of the Gladiator.”

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Sitting back in my seat, I contemplate Joey’s proposition along with everybody else.

“While you sit on that, there’s something I want to inform you all about,” says Joey, scrolling over to Acirat before pressing something on his watch.

A moment later, a green dot appears in Acirat.

“Along with the seventeen legacy abilities, there’s recently been a discovery of a new type of iris wielder,” states Joey, tapping on the dot, and another anonymous image pops up. “This individual is being called a ‘pure wielder’. Pure wielders are incredibly rare, even rarer than legacy wielders. And what’s more, it seems they can be infinitely more powerful.”

After a few seconds of anxious silence, I ask, “And this… pure wielder… is located in Acirat? Are you sure this information can be trusted? Where’d you hear about this?”

“A leak. But it’s classified intel to us, and us alone,” replies Joey.

“Sounds like a hoax,” says Ray. “Creating this idea about the existence of a ‘pure wielder’... they know everybody’s watching them. Acirat could be bluffing about this, so the world's nations will hesitate and stay away. Even with the twins, the fear of a global alliance nowadays definitely scares ‘em.”

“You might be right,” says Joey. “But it’s not a lie that they have a pure wielder. Think about it. Iris abilities belong to three classes, further split into seven distinct categories.”

Joey taps on his watch, and a visual of the seven categories materializes, “Tochi, Ano, Resu, Soma, Myalo, Los, and Kadil. As wielders, we know it’s impossible to inherit two cores from the same category.”

Joey taps on his watch again, and the model of a three-dimensional human takes shape, iris visually flowing through them, “But pure wielders follow a different set of rules than us. When a person awakens a pure core, they awaken tenfold the amount of iris within their bodies than an average iris core would awaken. Even legacy abilities. This awakening process is far more strenuous than a normal one, as the person is forced to carry the purest form of one of the seven categories of iris.”

An orange gemcore inside the model’s chest starts to glow, “After a pure wielder is fully awakened, they cannot awaken or inherit another ability from a different category. This means they are stuck using whatever category their pure ability is classified as. Elemental, Realm, Mind… you get the idea.”

“That sucks,” I say. “Even with a lot more iris, doesn’t this just mean they’ll always be at a disadvantage to certain abilities? What happens if the pure wielder of the Ano category fights against somebody who has a Resu ability? They’ll probably lose if they’re stuck with just one ability.”

“That’s just it. Pure wielders aren’t limited to a singular ability. They can steal and inherit any ability under the same category as their pure ability. For example,” says Joey, visuals starting to show on the projection behind him. “Let’s say the pure elemental wielder originally inherited the power to control earth. But later on, they come across a person with a different elemental ability, the power to manipulate lightning. If the pure wielder tries to steal the power to manipulate lightning, their body will allow it. There is no limit to this either.”

“So that means…” I trail off, noticing Tori looking at me.

“They can technically steal as many abilities as they want… they aren’t restricted to only three like us. If the pure elemental wielder wanted to, they could wield the ability to control fire, ice, electricity, earth, wind, water… any ability that classifies as elemental,” says Tori, shifting her gaze to Joey. “And you said there can be a pure wielder for every category?”

Joey holds up his hand, “I’m not sure. That’s just a theory.”

“This… this isn’t possible. Since the iris shards fell, nothing has bent the rules like this,” says Makani. Ray adds, “How are you sure this exists? And why would Acirat brag about knowing this information to the rest of the world? Especially the fact that they have a pure wielder?”

Joey taps on the projection, closing the map, “They didn’t. The Clovers may have been cynical, but they also gathered useful intel about other countries. Our spies discovered the existence of the pure Ano wielder in Acirat over a year ago. We don’t know their name or what they look like, but we know they exist.”

I scoff, “Why are you so sure these pure wielders exist? What proof do you have besides that?”

Tapping a few buttons on his watch, a few seconds pass before the door to the room slides open.

As a pair of guards enter the room behind a young teenage girl, Joey says, “Because we have one of our own. For how wicked the Clovers were, they had at least a little decency for not handing this girl over to Sorel. Everybody, I’d like you to meet Parvati, the pure wielder of realms.”

***

Abruptly waking up in a cold sweat, Deniz finds himself lying in bed, taking long, deep breaths. Bandages are wrapped around his head and upper body, a dull ache plaguing his muscles. Slowly sitting up with a long groan of agony, Deniz looks around the room. It’s dimly lit, and the bed he's on is in the corner of the room. Ahead of him is a long wooden desk with a nearly empty glass of water, a carafe, messy papers, medicine containers, and needles scattered all over. A door with a foothold is kept open in the corner across from him.

Putting a hand to his throbbing head, Deniz asks, “Where… am I?”

Peeling off some of the bandages around his stomach, Deniz is surprised to see his skin isn’t charred, remembering how the battle had ended. Out of nowhere, Raven runs into the room with tears in her eyes and hugs Deniz.

As Deniz emits another tormented grunt, Raven says, “You’re awake! You’re finally awake!”

Giving her a little hug, Deniz asks, “Where are we? How long has it been?”

“Off the grid at an abandoned Groundland. Opuree hasn’t recognized this island as part of the country for a while, so we’ve been safe. You’ve been asleep for about ten months.”

Deniz's eyebrows raise, not able to believe what he just heard.

Unraveling more bandages, Deniz asks, “Did you heal me?”

Raven nods a few times, wiping away a tear, and Deniz becomes conflicted with his emotions.

“Rave, your lifespan…” says Deniz, and Raven shakes her head before kissing him.

“It’s okay. This was the only time I’ve really had to use it,” says Raven, getting up and walking over to the desk.

As Raven pours Deniz a glass of water, Deniz asks, “But still… even with your ability, how did I survive that?”

“Because you’re strong,” replies a much deeper voice, a man dressed in a black trench coat, black glasses, and a fedora entering the room.

“Who are y–?” starts Raven as the man slashes his arm out to the side, slicing right through Raven’s neck, killing her instantly.

Taken aback by what he has just witnessed, Deniz’s eyes dart back and forth between Raven on the ground and the man standing above her, his breathing immediately becoming erratic.

As the man turns toward Deniz, Deniz demands, “Why– why’d you do that?!”

“The boss only asked for you,” replies the man, stepping over Raven’s trembling body.

Activating orasi, Deniz can’t determine the stage of the man’s core.

Realizing who it is, Deniz starts to ramble, “I– I know you. You’re one of the two twins from Acirat. Arcane, the pitch crimson phoenix…!”

As Arcane takes a few more steps toward Deniz, Deniz crawls himself back into the corner.

“How– how’d you find us?! Find me?! Why are you here?!”

His eyes glinting a devilish red behind his glasses, Arcane replies, “The boss has a special way of finding people. I just had to go where he told me to go. As for why I’m here, the boss also has a keen eye. He sees potential in you.”

“But… but I lost!” stammers Deniz. “Why not go after the other guy?”

“I don’t question what he says. I just follow orders.”

After a moment of thought, Deniz says, “You… but you’re known for your unrivaled strength! Why work for somebody else?”

Arcane leans forward, “Because he’s stronger than I am. You see, Siege, the boss and I struck a deal, and I plan to follow through on my end so he will be on his own.”

“Who's your boss? You said he saw potential in me? What’s he plan on using me for?”

“That… is for him to tell you. This new age of iris holds many secrets. Let’s just say the entire world is on the verge of reshaping itself again.”

Glancing at Raven, Deniz painfully voices, “And he wants a loser like me among his ranks?”

“It’s exactly because you lost that you’ve been chosen. You lost your honor, your dignity, your status, and the respect of your country. Not a single person in Opuree even cares about what you stood for. Percival, the man you fought, made it seem like you were working for us. Are you really going to lie down and die now after falling so far? Or will you rise, redeem yourself, and ensure your name goes down in the history books as a legendary, honorable warrior for the rest of time?”

Staring at Arcane’s outstretched hand, Deniz briefly closes his eyes and resolves himself. Climbing out of bed, Deniz stands before Arcane and firmly grasps his head.

“You know… when I was there, watching you and your sister conquer Maracise, I never thought back then that I’d one day be joining forces with you.”

Arcane breaks off the handshake, “Like I care. The boss is waiting. Let’s go.”

***

“Tattered in mind, body, and soul, the tarnished man fell. As he watched red rain still in the sky, he finally accepted what had become of both himself, and the world. Unlocking the key that had long been absent, wings spread from his back, and he rose to repay humanity for what was lost.”

After finishing the last page, I close Dad’s favorite book and return it to the steel box in front of his headstone. Closing the box and reaching over to my left, the makeshift umbrella over my head that I created with my elastic flames continues to be pelted by rain. Retrieving mom’s favorite book next out of her box, I stare at the dry cover and smile at the title.

“Hi Mom. I know I… already said hi to you earlier when I got here… but this is your favorite book… so. You know… I never actually thought I’d find those friends you were talking about. The ones where I’d be willing to do anything for them… even go to war and somehow become a nation leader. And somehow… I think I might even ask this girl out soon,” I chuckle. “But I think I’m still a little different from the main character in this book.”

Replacing the book back into Mom’s box, I gaze at the tarnished mitered square inside, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be able to read anymore today. I’m tired. I’m just… so tired. And I miss you both… for different reasons… but I wish you were both still with us. Our home got destroyed during the uprising, so we don’t have anything from you guys anymore. This is it…”

I sigh, “But I saved Opuree. They all call me a hero. So why… why don’t I feel happy? Why don’t I feel… sad that you’re gone? When I’m alone, I’m just… frustrated… confused… and angry… all the time. And I can’t show it to anyone. Eric is still recovering, so I don’t want him to bear any extra burdens and my friends… I don’t think they’ll get it. I know it’s not normal to feel this way, and… I’m scared. I’m actually terrified of what I’ll become because the last time I felt good… like actually good… was that fight I had with Deniz. And even victory didn’t taste sweet.”

Staring at their headstones, I take a deep breath and stand up. Deactivating my ability, raindrops start to soak my hair, face, and jacket.

“I’m sorry. I can’t stay any longer today, but I think I talked a little more than usual. I hope that makes up for it. I’ll try to be back soon.”

On my way out of the graveyard, I take the long way to stop by Kavi’s headstone.

Thinking back about how much he had helped me, I smile. If it weren’t for him, I never would’ve pushed myself to be better… and I never would’ve gone to prison. I still wish he was here, but I also know that if he was... I wouldn’t be where I am today. And for that reason, I’m content.

“Kavi, you can rest easy now. I’ll be okay.”

Continuing on, I know Deniz’s headstone is only a few more rows down toward the exit. Weaving around different graves before turning onto the path, I gaze at Deniz’s grave until my mouth finally decides to speak.

“I think we humans may all be selfish monsters. You lived and fought for your beliefs, and I did the same. It’s like you said, we were just on different sides that day. If our battle is spoken about like some ancient legend in hundreds of years, I wonder if either of us will be called a hero."

Exhaling through my nose, I continue onwards out of the graveyard, “Maybe some kids might give us that title, but I’m sure others will only see us as humans. And... I guess it’s up to them to decide if we’re monsters from there.”

The End