Stepping out of the portal, Sero found himself in a dimly lit chamber, the floor and walls a smooth, polished black marble. A single obsidian throne dominated the center of the room, its cold, unyielding surface somehow reflecting the light of a pair of flickering torches mounted on either side. A figure sat upon the throne, its features hidden in shadow.

"Ah, the Graven Three," the figure boomed. "You've secured the Scholar." Sero twitched, recognizing the voice.

"We managed to capture another Ascendant and a regular human," Kael nodded to Brunn and Tendra, who pushed Amaya and Elizabeth forth to stand next to Sero. "Figured that you could use them for sacrifices or whatever it is you're planning."

The figure on the throne chuckled as it rose, stepping down. "Indeed, Kael. Your attention to detail does not go unnoticed. However, I have other plans for the Scholar. As for the other two, they shall serve as collateral."

Sero's jaw clenched tightly as the figure revealed itself to be Thaddeus, the Culling Pillar that had ambushed him and Amaya the first time. Thaddeus grinned, revealing his jagged yellow teeth.

"You're the one who set up those pendants?" Sero growled, struggling against the cold restraints. "You're the one who killed all those people!"

"I didn't personally set them up, but the Graven Three were more than happy to execute my idea. They may be Vultures, but I find it quite easy to work with their obsession for money and riches," Thaddeus explained casually, stepping closer to Sero. "As for the deaths... it was necessary to ensure that the Scholar would be brought to me. You, Sero, are an unexpected bonus to the Culling's goals."

Sero snarled, struggling against his restraints again, but to no avail. Beside him, Amaya cursed under her breath, her eyes darting between Thaddeus and the obsidian throne. "What do you mean to do with us?" she demanded.

"You two will merely serve as mana sacrifices to invoke the Catastrophe," Thaddeus gazed at Amaya and Elizabeth with disdain. "The Scholar has a more important role than you."

The Culling Pillar nodded to Kael and his allies. "Your work here is done. I will compensate you three later."

"Don't forget about our bonus," Tendra snarled.

Thaddeus raised an eyebrow. "I don't believe I've agreed to anything of the sort."

"What? You double-crossing-"

"Let it go, Tendra," Kael held her back with an arm. "Thaddeus. We hope to receive our payment soon."

"Of course, of course," Thaddeus waved his hand dismissively. Kael dropped another cube on the ground, allowing the Graven Three to exit through the portal.

After they left, Thaddeus snapped his fingers, beckoning several cloaked Culling members out of the shadows. They surrounded Sero, Amaya, and Elizabeth, their faces hidden beneath hoods. The Culling Pillar gestured toward a nearby altar, where several strange artifacts lay scattered about.

"I'm... sorry guys..." Elizabeth croaked hoarsely beside Sero and Amaya, her throat raw from the whip still wrapped around her neck. "I ended up weighing you down."

"Don't apologize, Elizabeth," Sero growled through gritted teeth. "Don't you dare apologize." He struggled against the obsidian restraints once more, but they held fast. All of his skills and mana seemed to be locked away by the handcuffs.

"If it helps," Elizabeth took a deep and shaky breath. "I managed to send out a distress signal to Jack and Yelena. Whatever happens, the alliance will at least be able to know what went down."

The Culling members dragged Sero, Amaya, and Elizabeth toward the altar. Thaddeus watched impassively from his throne. "It's too bad the Scholar couldn't have joined our cause," he mused, "but I suppose his death will serve as a powerful sacrifice all the same."

The three dropped to their knees in front of the altar, where several other members brought out smaller, similarly cloaked figures to stand before the structure. Amaya gasped in shock as the three of them realized they were the missing children.

"You monsters!" Amaya screamed, struggling against her captors. "Let them go! You have no right!"

"Right? True rights do not exist in the world we live in, Amaya." Another familiar voice called out.

As Dr. Malek came to stand behind the children, Sero's blood boiled. All of his thoughts were replaced by an unyielding rage as he stared into the eyes of the man he once trusted.

"You're insane!" Amaya screamed, tears streaming down her face. "You've destroyed everything! You've ruined lives!"

"Ruined lives?" Dr. Malek replied quietly, almost sadly. "No, the lives I chose to bring here were already ruined. The bodies exhumed from the hospitals were afflicted with the Outbreak Plague; a disease I'm sure you three know very well is close to impossible to cure. As for these children, they were brought from horrible environments, ranging from homelessness, abuse, neglect..."

Dr. Malek pushed one of the cloaked children forward, the hood falling off to reveal the boy the three of them had been desperately searching for.

"...and isolation."

"Casey!" Sero yelled out to the boy. Casey's pale orange eyes seemed unfocused as they came across the three, faintly lighting up as he recognized them.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

"Mr. Sero... Miss Amaya..." Casey whispered, his voice barely audible. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't know what they were going to do to me..."

"What did you do?!" Sero roared at Dr. Malek. "What the fuck did you do to him?!"

The doctor, a sad resignation filling his eyes. "I did what I had to, Sero. The world isn't kind, and it doesn't help that both Ascendants and non-Ascendants perpetuate the evil in this world. You, of all people, should know this."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Sero spat back. "I don't get anything you're saying!"

"Sero," Dr. Malek sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Your parents were unfairly taken away from you. You've grown up, ostracized by your peers simply because they were jealous of how intelligent you were."

"That's not-" Sero growled, but Dr. Malek cut him off.

"I know that's not enough to explain, so allow me to tell you the truth. Why do you think your mother passed away a few years ago?"

Sero stiffened. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What do you mean?" he managed to choke out. "She had stage 4 colon cancer. There wasn't any hope for her."

Dr. Malek nodded sadly. "That's what we told everyone, of course. But the truth is, we could have cured her. We had the means to cure her."

Sero could feel Elizabeth's and Amaya's eyes on him as he reeled from the information. "What?"

"As her doctor, I wanted to cure her, of course. But, your family was poor and couldn't afford it. I... I didn't have the heart to tell your father about it, either. I didn't want to give you false hope."

Sero felt as if the world had been yanked out from beneath him. He stared at Dr. Malek, unblinking, struggling to comprehend the magnitude of what he was hearing. "But... why would you do that?" he managed to choke out. "Why would you let her die?"

"It wasn't my choice," Dr. Malek said quietly. "It was theirs. The government, the hospital, whoever was higher up in power. You didn't have the goods for them to lend you the aid you needed. The reality is that those in power do not care for the ones suffering. That's why I need to do this."

Sero felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He could feel the anger rising within him, the need to lash out and hurt someone for the pain they had caused. But at the same time, he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of relief. Relief that he wasn't alone, that someone else understood the pain he had been going through.

"The way you're going about this is wrong!" Amaya cried out, struggling against her obsidian cuffs. "Why drag innocent people into this? Why would you slaughter countless lives? Is the goal of invoking a Catastrophe just to rid the world of the evils you speak of?"

"I admit, what you've seen of Culling so far may cause you to assume we only want destruction," Dr. Malek began. "But those who share the same mindset as I are able to see further in the future. Yes, invoking the Catastrophe to wipe this world clean is a bit extreme, but now think about what happens after. The ones who will rebuild the world from the ground up will be Culling."

Dr. Malek paused, lifting Casey up onto the altar. "Without the evils of this world to hold us back, the survivors will be free to create a better world. One without the suffering and pain that Ascendants and non-Ascendants alike have endured. We will be able to cure diseases, eliminate hunger, and provide for everyone. We will be equals, and we will create paradise on Earth."

"You're... insane!" Elizabeth choked out. "Did you... forget that... Catastrophes are unimaginably powerful? How will you... deal with them?"

"We won't," Dr. Malek admitted with a grim nod. "Not at first. At first, we'll be nothing more than survivors. But survivors with knowledge. We will study the Catastrophes, learn from them, and adapt. We will create a world that can withstand them, and even harness their power for good. The Savior will ensure this."

"Besides," Dr. Malek glanced at Amaya sadly. "For the most part, we did take those that were beyond saving as sacrifices. They were either on the verge of death from the Outbreak Plague, or were incompatible with the mana-enhanced organs. The other citizens were merely... collateral damage. The ones who truly deserve to suffer will be the ones who had the power to stop us and didn't. The ones who could've made a positive impact on the world and decided to corrupt it instead."

Sero suddenly found it hard to breathe. "Wait, my dad... he had the plague... and mana-enhanced organs..."

The doctor smiled sadly at Sero. "Again, I'm sorry for your loss. I wish there was another way. But the sacrifice had to be made."

Sero was dimly aware of Amaya trembling next to him, but he couldn't focus on anything but the realization in his mind. "You... knew my dad was going to die either way..."

"Truthfully, I was very hesitant to interact with you ever since you acquired those dragons of yours," Dr. Malek admitted with a dry smile. "I was certain you would've began to grow suspicious of me."

"My dragons?" Sero thought back to Moss and Lime, recalling how Dr. Malek was the only person they were always hostile towards. "Wait, I thought it was because they smelled death on you-"

He blinked, the entire picture dawning upon him. "They knew. They knew from the start." Sero stared at Dr. Malek. "The patients you were in charge of... you led them to death?"

"Not at all," Dr. Malek insisted. "They were already doomed, one way or another. It was only a matter of time. I merely... sped up the process. And in return, I gave them a chance to make a difference. A chance to do something truly great."

"What chance?" Amaya demanded, her voice rising in anger. "They never got a chance to decide to be a sacrifice or not! Tiero never-" She choked on her words, unable to continue.

"I know this must come as a shock to you," Dr. Malek looked at the three one by one. "But, to fight the wrongs of the world, you must challenge it with the same strength. You must be willing to make sacrifices, and sometimes, those sacrifices must be great. But remember, it is for the greater good. For the survival of humanity. For the creation of a better world."

"What's wrong... with the world right now?" Elizabeth rasped, loosening the whip around her neck before a Culling member dashed up to tighten it. "Sure... I can see it... from your point of view... but there's far more good... than the evil you've talked about."

"Perhaps," Dr. Malek allowed, though he didn't sound convinced. "But it's not about seeing the good or the bad. It's about balance. Right now, the world is out of balance. The strong prey upon the weak, the corrupt rule over the virtuous. A majority of humans fear both Ascendants and monsters. There are a growing number of Ascendants who deemed themselves more powerful than others, and therefore should be given the right to rule the weak. World powers, both blessed and mortal, clash with each other for superiority. You three may be ignorant of it, but we are just one incident away from a world war."

"And you think the Savior will fix that?" Sero scoffed. "Instead of letting us fight it out, you're willing to bring in a nuclear bomb to level the Earth?"

Dr. Malek raised an eyebrow. "Yes, he will be the one to bring about the change. He will be the one to reset the balance. He will bring peace, not by force, but by example. He will be the one to unite humanity, not by fear, but by hope. He will be the one to lead us into the future, stronger and wiser."

With a quick flourish, Dr. Malek conjured an obsidian knife, similar to the one Thaddeus attempted to use on Sero.

"I hope I've explained enough for you to see reason, Sero. I desperately pray that you will see the truth in my words and join Culling."