“Where are we?”

Samuel swung his blade in a horizontal motion, its speed egregious with its bloodlust even more so. He sent a flurry of stabs , slices and more but it missed. To put it more accurately, it was dodged.

The man he attacked looked on with an indifferent expression, his temperament not even changing despite the blades being swung with the purpose to kill.

“What a rude one you aren't you.”

“Shut up. Answer the question.”

He stabbed at his face, with the man sidestepping it. At that moment Samuel saw an opening and took it. Clones of Samuel started appearing in every direction, each one indistinct from the other, yet all of them attacking very differently from each other.

The man didn't blink despite the startling situation. He sighed and did not dodge, and instead gazed towards one of the multiple Samuels, with Samuels ' eyes almost popping out. Samuel instinctively felt something wrong and backed out at the last second but it was too late.

The man smiled, dashing at that specific Samuel faster than the blink of an eye. Without even being able to react, the man was already in front of Samuel as he reached out his hand. Samuel wanted to escape, yet the hand he saw approaching seemed titanic in size, its pressure seemingly being heavier than the heavens.

His thinking, for the first time in the heavens , knows how long, froze. And in that hesitation, the man touched his shoulder and the moment he did. Chains of unknown origin started wrapping around his body, like sentient vines stretching out to constrict its prey.

“Enough. There are more important topics to be discussed.”

Amanda did nothing as she watched the situation, still gazing at the uninvited figure with a complicated look. The man knew it but did nothing about it. He sensed that she seemed to know who he was, how was that possible he didn't know.

“Alright then.”

He snapped his fingers, with the now indifferent and calm Samuel and the gawking Amanda sitting around a table. Cups appeared in front of them and were filled to the brim, its relaxing scent calming their tense nerves.

Amanda finally stopped staring at the man and admired the tea before her. She had tasted almost every tea flavor imaginable in the continent. Yet she was shocked by how splendid the aroma of it was.

She picked up her cup and started taking in its scent as she took a sip. The tea made her feel like she was in a plum blossom viewing, gazing at the beautiful scene under the night sky. She felt her body relax, sinking in the chair she sat.

Peace.

Her chaotic and whirling mind calmed down, yet it was still by no means completely peaceful. Just peaceful enough to have a conversation. She glanced at Samuel and saw that he was still binded, chains wrapping around him as small flickers of black lightning occasionally snaking through it.

“Mr… Um, how do I call you my Lord?”

Amanda started the conversation, not knowing how to address the man before her. She didn't even know if this person could still be considered a man.

There was a limit to how much she knew about the person in front of her. Any knowledge pertaining to this ‘being’ was almost non-existent, with records of his existence only being mentioned in passing. And even then, he was not painted in the most pretty light. She even suspected that any mention of his existence was either scrubbed or forbidden to even write or speak.

“No need for overt formalities, I'm not that guy. He was the one who likes it not me, you can relax Amanda. ”

Amadna was surprised that he knew her name, but she let it pass and nodded meekly.

“You may call me Lucius.”

“I see.” Amanda replied, a look of realization dawning on her.

“So back to the topic. You must all be worried sick for Cosmo, am I right?”

Both people nodded yet Samuel was still glaring daggers at the man. Lucius saw it and snapped his fingers again. His binds vanished. Samuel massaged his wrists but he was still staring daggers at the man. He glanced at Amanda but she only shook her head.

Samuel stared at the tea in front of him with satisfaction, yet he tried not showing it, but it was pointless as Lucius saw it already. A glass of Sorel appeared before him, its content filled to the brim with even some foam overflowing from it.

Lucius nodded at him before continuing.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“You have questions. Probably pertaining to who I am, and what my purpose is.”

“Who are you anyway?” Samuel questioned anyways, often glancing at Amanda. But she said nothing and only observed.

“It doesn't matter who I am. And it is best you never know who i am. Moving on, about Cosmo.”

Samuel noticed that he forcibly moved to another topic and just when he was planning to bring it back, he saw that Amanda raised her hand as if she wanted to ask a question.

Lucius saw it and sighed, but still said what do you wish to ask. Amanda stood up and the atmosphere suddenly tensed, she asked.

“Will you do it again?”

Samuel was confused, not knowing what she meant by it. But Lucius seemed to have understood it and gave a heavy sigh. He thought for a moment, deliberating on his answer and so he said.

“I didn't do it.” he answered simply.

There was disbelief and doubt on Amanda's face, but she knew better than anyone than to push the issue. She sat back down and went back to enjoying her tea.

“Let's talk about what's important, okay? Enough about who I am.”

Both nodded, though reluctantly as Lucius nodded.

“He will be fine,” he said.

Doubt crept into the minds of both people, questioning secretly if there was even any truth to his words. There was no way of knowing, and there was no way that they were going to trust some guy who showed up out of nowhere.

He saw through it and just simply said.

“We will not save him. In fact, we will do nothing.”

Samuel stood up and pulled out his weapons again, crackling with black lightning.

“Who are you to decide whether he will be saved or not.”

“I'm his Progenitor.”

Samuel gaped, slightly shaking as he nodded and sat back down. Amnda became even more keen, realizing the ramifications of what he just said. She still had some doubts regarding her previous prophecy but now, a majority of it was wiped off.

“As I have said, we do nothing. Because all we can do is nothing.”

“Why? You may be his Progenitor but aren't you supposed to be the most worried of all? His current state is unknown with even the cure being even more so. So how can you tell us, that we do nothing.”

“I never said his state is unknown.”

Samuel was wide eyed, with Amanda slightly being the same as well, she twirled the ring in her hand and quietly listened to his words. Samuel stayed silent and waited, not bothering to strike up a fuss like a child again.

“His [Lexicon] is a little unique, you see. He is in a state of repairment, the consequences of one of his skills are dastardly to say the least. Should anyone else use it, they will die without a shadow of a doubt.”

“Then why isn't Cosmo dead yet?”

“It's because of his [Lexicon], a little unique you see.”

Samuel had a look of confusion on his face, still not understanding how it correlates. Amanda though had a different reaction, the thoughts in her head swirled like a whirlpool, coming to one final conclusion as she pieced it all together.

She stood up in a flurry of rage, her staff materializing as the very stars dropped down into the scene. Her eyes contained that of a star going supernova, with the room visibly shaking as cracks started spreading.

“What did you do!” she cried out, ignoring the fact that she might die for her actions.

Samuel was shocked, even more confused as to what happened. Last second they were talking somewhat peacefully, and now Amanda gathered an unfathomable amount of energy, so much so that he doubted whether he could make it out alive.

She looked at the man with rage, knowing full well what the consequences of his actions are. The boy does not know his future yet the man in front of him does. Lucius replied.

“I did what I had to do. He agreed to his own volition.”

“You- you didn't tell him did you, you didn't tell him that-”

“Thats enough.” Lucius snapped his fingers and suddenly, the room was calm once more. The stars summoned were erased as if they never existed, Amanda's violent aura that thrashed around was calmed down. Yet the person herself was not so calm.

“Wait, what did you not tell him?”

Lucius looked at him and said, “Begone.” And so it did, as Samuel vanished without a trace. Amanda looked on, calming her storming rage and tried taking deep breaths. Charlie might scold her for making a fuss, she thought.

“Tell no one. Not even to him.”

“I may know who you are but I am not afraid. Why should i follow your orders.”

Lucius didn't reply and deeply looked at her, before turning his back and gazing around the white room. Memories flooding into him of the past long gone. He uttered only a sentence.

“%&##@&%&*$###“

Amanda visibly shook, her eyes almost popping out from her eyes. She suddenly felt something else rising within her, as the way she held her staff indicated that it was not good. Far from good.

“But-but it's over. It's over right? That story has ended!”

“A story always has an end, and yet none at the same time.”

She was about to ask more questions when she heard a snapping sound, and when she glanced around her vicinity, she noticed she was back. Samuel was in the corner of the room drinking Sorel from god knows where, while Charlie was looking over Cosmo.

Samuel looked at her with visible confusion and just as she was about to tell him what happened, she stopped. She knew that saying anything about it will cause consequences that are beyond her imagination. She may know a lot about the future, some certain yet some uncertain, with this, she does not know.

She only smiled and said to him that Cosmo will be fine, and went outside as Charlie, who watched everything happen from start to finish, followed Amanda out.

They stood outside, gazing at the lush and vibrant forest. Slightly regretting that there were no birds chirping, or any hint of life at all.

“Ms. Amanda, may I ask what happened?”

Amanda looked at Charlie, a white beard on his chin as well as glasses that seemed too big for him. She sighed and thought of a reply, as she said.

“I don't know Charlie, I don't know.”

Charlie visibly shook yet said nothing, only standing beside her as they watched nature unfold.

…

I wonder what I should do when I wake up? Or if I ever wake up in that manner. I laughed but there was no sound of laughter, only the sound of nothingness as I drifted on this empty place.

How long have i been here? I asked that question to myself. Yet I didn't know the answer. There was a feeling of centuries passing here yet only a second seemingly passed by, i don't know how that's possible but okay.

At first, the feeling of being submerged deep underwater was an uncomfortable feeling, with only my whirling thoughts keeping me company. Now I got used to it and had plenty of time to think about some things.

Like savagely murdering the one who hurt Amy, drinking a lot of Sorel when i get back, and training even harder than usual. I realized some things due to recent events. I realized how being weak sucks.

So let's get strong.