Isaac enveloped Gabriella in his arms as she leaned onto him, seeking comfort and releasing her sorrows.

“Gab…”

“I’m sorry.” Ejiro brushed his forehead and looked down at Gabriella. He took a deep breath.

“We shouldn’t have used you, Gabriella. Abducting you was wrong, even if you’re a vampire who’s killed thousands of people. I realize I can’t hold it against you. Your parents were the ones at fault, and I killed them both.”

Gabriella looked at him, unsure if she should be directing hate or forgiving him. ‘Can I even forgive myself? With all I’ve done in my 14 years, I’m not any better than my parents,’ she thought.

Ejiro breathed in again. “But, while we could have been more moral, I don’t regret killing your father. He was a bad guy. You can resent me and my master, but at the end of the day, it isn’t the how that matters; it’s the what. We accomplished something great today.”

Gabriella sighed. She needed time to let what had happened over the past few months sink in. While the Vampiric Queen had lost her parents, she gained two new friends and possibly a place to belong in the West DA.

Ejiro knew what he said wouldn’t earn Gabriella’s forgiveness, nor Isaac and Aaron’s. He figured this type of thing needed time.

Seth Rayn gently tapped his staff to the ground with a stern expression.

“My disciple is correct,” he told Gabriella. “I originally wanted to kill you- don’t take it personally- the vampires are the Dark Faction’s pawns, but perhaps you could join the DA and do some good.

“Although we brought you here, we didn’t put any restraints on you, and you could have easily escaped at Tech-Think, but you didn’t. Maybe it was foolishness, but- I think, deep down, as you had left the Obscure Guild for a while and came back, it felt different than you remembered, foreign.

“There isn’t any place for this cruel guild in the continent. I mean, do you know how it was founded?”

Gabriella contemplated. Of course, she knew the answer. It was during her father's youth. He had just become a vampire and follower of the Dark Faction. But she knew the master-rank magician was trying to tell her something else.

Aaron sat down next to Gabriella and Isaac. "During the Second War, Orbarium fell, and it became the Obscure Guild."

"You're correct,” Seth nodded. “But there are topics your history books avoid.”

He proceeded to explain the past as if he had lived through it. Orbarium, the place of orbs, was the largest regrouping of natives. At the time, there were about a billion citizens spread all over the South. Their territory occupied nearly a third of the West Continent. Apart from the Central Continent, Orbarium had one of the biggest economies, constantly ranking in the top 10 wealthiest countries.

The big cities were full of magical objects, light, and pointy towers. To the capital, in the centre of the Obscure Guild, there was a giant stadium. Mages would fight in grand tournaments and obtain luxurious prices. People from all over came to spectate or to compete, and the Western Continent’s natives proved they could live just fine without being colonized.

What allowed this luxurious lifestyle was a prospering trade-oriented economy. Half a decade back, the residents had found large magical fishes in their waters. Previously, these fishes had only gotten found and bred in the South Continent.

A gold rush came: the fishermen and breeders jumped into the ocean, and the new industrial sector prospered. The guild followed the South Continent’s example and started trading the orbs with the central guilds. Money flowed into everyone’s wallets, and the residents voted to change the Guild’s name to Orbarium.

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But, while trade was their strong point, the Dark Faction saw it as a weakness. They hadn’t diversified their economy enough. The Second War arrived, and the Dark Faction cut most of the guild’s trade routes.

During the first decade, Orbarium took advantage of its reserves, but the war waged on. The city’s economy wasn’t diversified enough to survive such a long blockade. Twenty years later, Orbarium had exhausted its resources.

With the Cusred, the Dark Faction attacked and seized Orbarium’s capital, bringing a siege over the entire guild. It didn’t even bother feeding the citizens who were sick and starving. Most of the southwest had fallen to the faction in a few months.

However, the other guilds managed to fight back the Dark Faction in the eastern and northern parts of Obarium and claimed the territories for their own. Some survivors also preferred staying independent and joined the Wandering Lands’ alliance. At the end of the Second War, only about a fifth of the guild’s citizens had survived.

Ejiro, who had listened attentively to his master’s lesson, shook his head. “The Obscure Guild never cared about anyone. The rulers are all a part of the Dark Faction’s cult.”

Gabriella wiped her eyes. She understood Seth wanted her to see the Obscure Guild for what it was and not blindly remember it as the haven where she was born.

Seth and Ejiro turned their backs and walked toward the vehicle to find Luo and Jenna.

The three teenagers were seated on the hard, concrete ground. Aaron looked at the brimming sunset. “Let’s go back to the West DA, Isaac, Gabriella. We need a break after all that happened. We even killed Rico and…

“...him.” He glanced at Theodoric.

“Wait, Aaron,” Isaac interrupted him. “I need to tell you this: I don’t think your brother is dead.”

“What?!”

“I couldn’t confirm it, but now I’m sure. What we killed didn’t have a soul. I’ve never seen that before.”

Aaron looked at Isaac. “But, how is that possible?!”

Isaac opened his mouth, but then a distinct, burning smell interfered with his thoughts. He looked around.

“Dad?!” Gabriella wailed.

Her father, Theodoric, a high vampire, had disintegrated to ashes. “NO!!!” she screamed as they dissipated into the sky.

Far away, Ejiro noticed this. If it weren’t for Gabriella, he would have laughed. “I guess he couldn’t fully resist the sunlight after all.”

After a long minute, Isaac spoke again, “Aaron. From his death -as well as from the other vampire’s death- I can feel the souls he consumed that got freed. There’s also his soul lingering around. Normal humans like your brother should’ve had a single soul, but there was truly nothing. With experience, I can even feel people’s souls when they are still breathing.

“I’m sure of it: what we killed… it wasn’t your brother.”

Aaron stayed silent and observed the sky, seeking a hint, but there was no way of knowing the truth about his distant younger brother.

A few seconds later, Gabriella asked Isaac not to eat her father’s soul.

To which Isaac responded as he gently wrapped his arm around her, “Sure, Gab. But I’ll take the other ones. I can’t pass up this opportunity to grow my powers.”

…

"We're done here. Let's go," Seth said over at the armoured vehicle.

"Go where?" asked Luo respectfully.

"We're going back to the West DA. Our job here was to gather intel and kill this vampire. We've done both. You two can follow us if you want. I’ll repay you at the DA for helping us."

Jenna examined him. “Sure. What’s the evidence, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Ejiro Sani grinned, proud of his accomplishment. "An invaluable map- the most detailed map of the Obscure Guild anyone has ever gotten their hands on."

"Then I might have something that could steal your spotlight." Jenna brought her large map out of the car and showed it to Seth and Ejiro.

"These are secret passages hidden throughout the guild," she clarified.

Seth looked closer. “Does it say how we can get out of the guild?”

“Yes. We trapped one of the Five Cursed right over here. I propose we take him with us and leave through this blue trail.” Jenna skated her finger across the blue trail on the map. It marked an underground route which left the Obscure Guild through the eastern part and ended at the contested territory between the West DA and the Obscure Guild.