[One week later…]

[Dining Hall, Tower of Nexus]

Sam stirred the bowl of cream mushroom soup with a spoon. He stared blankly at the vortex, pondering about the Opal Sun’s incidents. Fortunately, the Council of Eight remained oblivious to his and the Nightingales' involvement with the Empyreans, thanks to Jason.

“What’s the matter?” asked Lucy from across the table. “Does your arm still hurt?”

“I’m fine. It’s just…I remembered the moment when we returned to the Edge. All those people screaming at Jason and Aria, blaming them for what happened.”

“It can’t be helped. Aside from us, the denizens of the Edge had no idea the trio was mind-controlled by someone,” said Lucy.

“How about we vouch for their innocence?” Rupert jumped in while chowing down on his roast beef sandwich.

“Then, Thomas will know about our little mishaps in the Opal Sun Kingdom, and believe me, he will not take that news lightly,” Lucy replied.

“When has he taken any news lightly?” Rupert huffed. “Remember the first time Sam came to the Tower? The old man’s face paled at the sight of him.”

“Rupert!” Lucy scolded her brother.

“It’s fine, Luce,” Sam dismissed his friend’s concern. “It’s just as both of you said. Things will only get uglier if we tell Thomas about everything that has happened. For now, we should follow Markus’s advice to lay low.”

“Another ‘wait and see’, huh? Greeaaat,” Rupert rolled his eyes.

“Speaking of waiting,” Lucy paused to take a pentagonal badge out of her pocket. “Have you decided which Division you’re going to join? I’m thinking of either Ghost Mantis or Swallowtail.”

“So, you want to either be a spy or a teaching instructor?” said Rupert, scratching his head. “Well, a spy is kinda cool, but a teaching instructor?”

“Why not? Mom was a Swallowtail. Wait, what are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything. I’m just saying that patience is not one of your strongest attributes-OW!” Rupert yelped as Sam elbowed him in the chest, a gesture that made Lucy smirk.

All of a sudden, the dining hall swung open and a robed figure briskly walked in. Lucy jumped from her seat; both of her eyes widened. “Valerie?”

“Lucia?” said the robed figure before casually approaching the trio. “It must be a good omen to see all of you here.”

“You’re quite early. Is there trouble at the Gaze of Lux?” asked Sam.

“Trouble? Well, that is one way to describe it,” Valerie sighed, her face darkened. The trio glanced at each other, equally curious by the young woman’s reaction. “Apologies. I did not mean to ruin your moment of peace. Anyways, congratulations on your promotion to a full-fledged Faceless. I’m surprised Thomas allowed you to become one despite the Wailing Forest incident.”

“Wow, news sure travels fast and far,” said Rupert proudly.

“So does your notoriety.”

“What do you mean?” Lucy inquired.

“The residents near the Wailing Forest were…unhappy on how you handled the Mangler. Some of them even requested for the three of you to be dismissed from the Order or worse,” Valerie explained. “Celebrate your victory but the next time you’re out in the field, make sure to be more discrete with your approach.”

“Thanks, we’ll keep that in mind,” Lucy replied, “Um, are you waiting for someone?”

Valerie looked over to the front door, and her eyebrows snapped together. “I am, and it seems my partner is running a bit late.”

The dining hall door creaked open, and a tall, black-robed figure entered the room. Despite his lanky appearance, his heavy footsteps echoed throughout the chamber. Poking out from underneath his hood was a white leather plague mask; its glass eyes quietly settled on the four.

“Lord Ghoul,” said Valerie, slightly bowing her head down.

“Lady Rivea. For what purpose did you summon me back to the Tower?” replied the man named Ghoul.

“Perhaps it is better we discuss this privately. It is about you-know-what.”

Ghoul began to grumble. Then, he spun around, heading toward the door without a word. Valerie turned her attention to her friends and quickly apologized to them, “Sorry, I’m afraid the things we’re about to discuss are considered confidential.”

“No worries. We understand,” Lucy retorted.

“Thanks. If you’ll excuse me,” Valerie quickly chased after Ghoul, leaving the trio alone again in the dining hall.

“Don’t,” said Sam after noticing the glint in Rupert’s eyes. “Remember the last time you stick your nose in other people’s business?”

“Come on, man. Don’t you at least feel a bit curious? The guardians of the Isle suddenly convening in the Tower? I don’t know about you guys, but I smell adventure,” Rupert grinned.

“Like that time when you swallowed the ashes of the dead?” Lucy interjected.

Rupert looked at her sister with disgust. He could still taste the bitter black sand in his mouth now and then but the taste grew stronger when his sister reminded him of the tragedy.

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Lucy smirked proudly to be able to shut her brother up. She hoped she could tone down Rupert’s enthusiasm a little considering he nearly got himself killed numerous times. As she pressed her cup of hot chocolate against her lips, the front door swung open followed by Marie casually entering the hall.

“Well, well, well. What a pleasant surprise,” said Marie before walking up to the trio. “It looks like Pascal and Morgana did a superb job patching you up.”

“Yeah, in spite of the lecture they gave us. Won’t they tell the Council of Eight about our activities?” Sam asked concerningly.

“Nah, you don’t have to worry about them. Those two are far more preoccupied with their jobs than sucking up to Thomas.” Marie took a seat next to Lucy and began to sigh heavily. “What a chaotic week.”

“Woah, we never seen you this tired before, Miss Strelitzia. What happened?” Sam asked.

“Hm, not sure if I could tell you…just kidding, of course I can,” Marie giggled mischievously. “There have been troubles around Discordania lately. Up in the north, the Fenrir broke free from the Prison of the Four Winds.”

Lucy choked on her hot chocolate while a grimace appeared on Sam’s face. Rupert looked at both of his teammates confusingly, wondering what the fuss was all about.

“Rupert dear, the Fenrir was the perpetrator of the Northern Onslaught; the 70 Years of Winter War between the Order and the Distorted of the Krio Zone,” Marie explained.

“Oh….sorry, it didn’t ring a bell.”

“The Fenrir is a bad guy. A really bad guy,” Sam simplified. “That would explain why Adam was in the Infirmary. I’m also guessing the fight did not go smoothly for him.”

“Your guess is correct. Fortunately, the Fenrir decided to rather reside in his old palace than terrorize the locals - though I’m not sure for how long. We’ve sent a few scouts to recon the area and to evacuate the people of the Wintry Valley.”

“What about Adam? Won’t he be helping with the evacuation?”

“He will, in time. Interestingly, the north is not the only place that caught our attention. In the east, specifically in the Land of the Sapphire Star, we’ve obtained news about suspicious activities in the Sapphire Star Village. The Ghost Mantis Captain leader was subsequently sent to investigate those activities, and he said soldiers of the Liberation were smuggling armaments into the village.”

“Smuggling armaments? How much?” Lucy inquired.

“Enough to start a three-year war against the Opal Sun Kingdom,” Marie said grimly.

“Smuggling that many weapons is not exactly inconspicuous…nor cheap,” Sam commented. “It seems the Liberation has an outside help and my guts tell me it is someone in the Opal Sun Kingdom, particularly those in a position of power.”

“The Inner Circle?! Lucy exclaimed but gasped after realizing how loud she was. “Sorry, you think the Inner Circle is involved?”

“Come now, dear. We know the Inner Circle has been lusting for the throne ever since the previous King went into a coma. A war is an effective way to get rid of both heirs to the throne. After that, one of the Inner Circle will be chosen as the savior of the people and will strike a truce with the Liberation. Thus, the world will be at peace once more. Devious, isn’t it?”

“It’s horrible,” Lucy remarked.

“You need to be more optimistic, love,” Marie chuckled. “It will take more than an evil conspiracy to bring down Jason. You know what, I think I’ve spent enough time away from my duty. Laters.”

After Marie left the dining hall, Lucy started chewing the inside of her mouth. After everything the Empyreans had been through - now they're faced with the possibility of war. ‘Perhaps…”

“No, we’re not helping them,” Sam cut her off.

“Why not? Friends are supposed to help each other, right?” Rupert interjected.

“This matter is beyond our friendship with the Empyreans. There are a lot of…variables to be considered. All that you need to know is that Jason personally asked me to not be involved with their states’ affair from now on,” replied Sam before rising to his feet.

“Where are you going?” Lucy asked.

“The Training Hall. I need to…test something.” Sam turned to his friend and continued, “You don’t need to follow me if you don’t want to.”

Rupert grinned and quickly responded, “Are you kidding me? Of course, we’re going with you.”

***

[Meanwhile…]

[Land of the Opal Sun]

It had been nearly an hour since he stood in front of the large ivory door. He received a message from the Inner Circle in the morning, demanding him to be present at the Ministers’ Quarter as soon as possible. No doubt their intention was to discuss the last week’s massacre. His right hand instinctively reached for the bandage across his forehead. It still throbbed from time to time but, he deserved it. Unsurprisingly, the people of the Edge were furious when he returned and they greeted him with a barrage of stones and dirt.

“Your Radiance.”

Jason turned his head to the right and watched as Theo lightly limped toward him. “Afternoon, Theo. How are you today?” said the prince.

“Better than yesterday and the day before,” Theo replied swiftly. “I’ve heard about your upcoming meeting with the Inner Circle. If it is possible, can I escort you inside?”

“That’s a generous offer, but I’m not the one who needs your support the most right now.”

“The princess remains adamant with her isolation ever since our return. I doubt I could persuade her to leave her chamber,” Theo said gloomily.

“You mustn’t underestimate yourself, my friend. You’ve helped Aria overcome various obstacles since we were little, and I thoroughly believe this time will be no different,” Jason assured.

Theo glowered at the floor, pondering on Jason’s words. Then, he looked at the prince and said, “Very well. I’ll try my best but I can’t guarantee I could get through to her.”

“You will,” Jason responded confidently. “Oh, before I forget, what of the men detained by my sister?”

“They are well. I interrogated them a few days ago and obtained…intriguing information.”

“Well, you’ve certainly piqued my interest. Do tell,” the prince smiled.

“First of all, they admitted they were a part of the Liberation, sent to the Edge to recruit potential soldiers. So far, they managed to convince a number of people into their cause – enough to form a small army.”

Jason sighed heavily, clearly troubled by the news.

“There’s more,” Theo added. “They spoke of a person in charge of supervising their operation here. Interestingly, they never met him face to face – the only means of communication they have with this mysterious presence is through a piece of paper. Blackbird, they called him.”

“This Blackbird sounds like a pretty secretive person,” Jason remarked. “It’s safe to assume he was also the culprit behind the Imperial Treasury missing fund.”

“If that’s true, then the Blackbird must be one of the Inner Circle, including Daedalus himself.”

“It is an unfortunate turn of events which means we need to be careful with our next approach,” said Jason.

“Meaning?”

“We have to lure out the Blackbird without him suspecting a thing. If he knew we were searching for him, there is a possibility that we’ll be facing the Liberation early. So, keep this between us, and if you manage to coax Aria out of her chamber, let her know as well.”

“Understood,” Theo retorted, shortly before the golden door swung door, revealing a dark hallway.

The prince took a few deep breaths to calm himself. After making sure he was ready, Jason nodded his head and said, “It’s time to face the music.”