"Well, Mr Everett? We are waiting on you after all." the Acting Grandmaster, no scratch that, the monster affably asks while I shrink further into my hiding spot.

"Everett is at the observation deck?" Latour jumps in alarm over the intercom and I can hear Excelsior barking orders somewhere in the background, "Sir, we'll be there as soon as -"

"Take your time." the monster sighs, "Everett seems in no particular hurry to show his face anyway."

"I'll come out when you put your trousers back on!" I shout back at the monster, hoping to buy myself some time.

"Fine." the monster clicks his tongue and I hear the rummaging of clothes. There's an awkward silence in the air before Latour hesitantly speaks up again over the line.

"Sir? What did Everett mean when he said -" Latour starts to mumble but I cut in.

"The Acting Grandmaster was showing off his crotch to the Grand Duchess." I snap, "It was pretty gross."

"Everett, shut up and stay out of this." Latour shoots back, "You're in more than enough trouble already."

"Well, our wayward employee isn't wrong." the monster freely admits as he buckles his belt and I hear a strangled groan coming from Latour, "All done. You can come out now Everett, there's no need to fear for my modesty."

Latour has clearly had enough of the conversation and the intercom goes dead. Regardless, I'm now on a time limit. The two captains and all the muscle they can rustle up are probably storming their way up to the observation deck right now. I emerge from behind the pillar, Love drawn and aimed squarely at the monster. Off to the side of the room, Ms VVIP remains curled up in a fetal position next to a puddle of her puke.

"You really know how to impress a lady." I remark, taking in the sight of the neatly put together Acting Grandmaster. Points to him, the monster is completely unfazed by his current situation.

"Education is important." the monster stares evenly at me, "No matter how unsightly the lesson is."

"No shit." I grimace at the memory of the monster's mutilated crotch, "Should show more consideration to the lady. She did recently survive an assassination attempt."

"Her Grace was in no danger." the monster scoffs, "After all, I did assign an Awakened to retrieve her from the Winter Rift."

"So you knew about my nature all along." I blink, taking in this information.

"Of course." the monster nods, "You're not the first Awakened the Guild has encountered. You were under constant, if low key, observation ever since you helped Latour fight the primal ape."

"I see." slowly digesting this information, James's weird phone call with me now makes sense. Plus how Latour knew I was at the orphanage.

"My senses are pretty sharp." I point out to the monster, "How did you manage to track me without me knowing?"

"Ah yes, the senses of an Awakened." the monster smiles gently, "We simply followed your electronic trail to get around it. The Guild's system was logging all the times you used your cash card. Easy to track your movements once we know which bus out of Crossroad City you were taking, which shop you bought your new armor at and the address of the motel where you checked in."

"Damn it." I facepalm, realizing that I was not exactly a shining example of opsec.

"And you were still drawing a salary from us when you disappeared." the monster tuts disapprovingly, "So really Everett, you were asking for trouble at this point."

Shit, that's all on Breath. He was funneling payments to me through the Guild's accounts. Stern words are going to be had between me and him if I ever make it out of this mess.

"There was no guarantee I would have used my abilities as an Awakened to protect the Grand Duchess." I quickly change the subject to something more palatable, "Why not approach me directly about the mission at that time?"

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Because it would have revealed that we knew of your identity as an Awakened?" the monster shakes his head, "At any rate, the Guild's role has always been one of neutrality between the heiresses of Delacroix. No matter how many of us seem to have forgotten that fact."

"I fail to see how letting a VVIP's escorts walk into an assassination attempt is somehow being neutral." I point out with the flattest expression I can muster.

"Mark pressed his finger on the scale by placing Disciples of Baiji at the scene," the monster shrugs indifferently, "I evened things up having an Awakened there as well. Balance had been restored."

"All very interesting." I nod steadily, "And how does this all this business square with Delacroix's Third Path?"

"All Awakened seek the path to Salvation." the monster eyes me critically, "You should know this better than I do."

"But the way to Salvation is closed." I make a stab in the dark, hoping not to appear too ignorant about the finer points of Awakened existence, "We know Salvation exists but can't reach it."

"Closed yes." the monster contemplates quietly, "Both the Sensorium and the Disciples are dead ends. That is what Delacroix had surmised from his research. So a new way forward was needed. A Third Path."

"And his daughters are the key to the Third Path, because they survived their fated end?" I query, eyeing up the comatose Grand Duchess.

"Potentially can survive their fated end." the monster corrects, "Which is why the Disciples wanted the Grand Duchess dead. Their cleansing flame and occulted one would have no place in a world with the Third Path."

"And the other heiress? I know she's missing." I bite my lip, considering the implications of what the monster is saying.

"You tell me Everett." the monster smiles thinly, "Isn't that why you went off to Pay 2 Win the first place? No luck in your search so far?"

Whoa. Is that why Breath hired me? Is Moira the missing second heiress of Delacroix?

"Pay 2 Win is crawling with Disciples." I quickly shoot back, hopefully covering my loss of composure, "Its hard to find leads."

"You don't seem to be shy around them." the monster's eyes flick to the small bag of "sacred" ashes I bought as a souvenir from the Disciples.

"They didn't seem too fond of me." I grunt and empty the bag onto the floor. The rifle round spills out as well, hitting the ground with a loud clack. At least I now know why there was a bonus gift included with the ashes.

"Indeed." the monster agrees with mild amusement, "Everyone seems to have their eye on you, Everett. Maybe covert work is not quite your forte."

"So we have touched base with each other and laid our cards on the table." I slightly lower my gun, "What happens now?"

"I don't understand?" the monster stands at ease, gently nudging the drooling Grand Duchess with the toe of his shoe.

"You call off Latour and friends while I disappear from this place." I wag my eyebrows, putting all my charisma to use, "We're both enemies of the Disciples. There's no need for us to fight."

"Unfortunately Everett," the monster makes a gesture approximating regret, "The Guild isn't a friend of the Sensorium either, as you well know. We can't have you interfering with the Third Path."

"You let me work at the Guild." I droll back.

"True, when knowledge of your status as an Awakened wasn't so widely known." the monster explains, "With Latour and Excelsior on the hunt, I can't let you go. It would compromise my own position. I hope you understand."

"Whatever. I've got a better plan." I smile nastily.

"Oh? Do tell." the monster still seems relaxed, as if this whole affair is a game to him.

"I take you hostage and you lead me out of this facility." I thrust my gun out threateningly, "Doesn't matter how many adventurer levels you have over me, I'm an Awakened. Levels don't quite matter when I get serious."

At least I hope levels don't matter. Things could get ugly quick. Honestly, I'm just trying to scare the monster into submission.

"And I'm not a regular adventurer either." the monster pats his crotch, "I'm afraid your offer is unacceptable to me."

"Be that way." I snort.

And open fire with a burst from Love.

The gun roars in anger, the noise echoing off the room's walls. I brace myself for whatever the monster has up his sleeves, but all he does is make a swiping motion with his hand. There was no surge of magic, no skill activation. Just purely mundane motion.

The monster opens his hand and lets the slugs fall from his palm. No wounds whatsoever. The monster had caught bullets out of the air without the use of any skills.

"The moment of invincibility." I take a cautious step back, "You know how to use it as well."

"Interesting." the monster narrows his eyes, "An Awakened who can see one of the fundamental truths. Did you engage in self abolishment as well?"

"Fundamental truth ..." I murmur, letting my voice trail off. So the moment of invincibility isn't an Awakened power. Its something else. And from how the Grand Duchess had reacted to the monster, these "fundamental truths" are deeply profane to most Awakened.

The monster casually takes a step toward me and my hackles rise.

"Let's pit our understanding of the fundamental truths against each other." he intones, "Or are you still blinded by the lies of the cosmos?"

You are not ready.

You must run.

"I totally agree." I mentally agree with the voice of my heart, "This is way more than I bargained for."

Love roars in anger again. And the glass floor beneath my feet shatters into a thousand pieces.

Sending plummeting into the depths of the tower.