"People like him?" All those present pointed at Lith with a tone filled with so much disbelief that it irked him to no end.

"People like you." Tyris giggled while waving her hand to encompass from Faluel to Solus.

"Lith Verhen, the destroyer of the Black Star, the youngest Spellbreaker and Archmage of his generation. You are a beacon of hope for all mages of humble origins and the drive that forced the ancient noble bloodlines to work hard instead of boasting their past glories.

"Your latest feat will stop the infighting between ancient and modern magical bloodlines, making them focus on achieving results that benefit the Country to not let their name be overshadowed by yours."

"Phloria Ernas, a valiant Captain that even after becoming a political scapegoat and falling from grace with the army, kept pursuing the good of the Kingdom. You will set an example for all those who have been wronged and show them that revenge is not the only path."

"Tista Verhen, a mage who aside from a glorious family name has little of her own. Your involvement will prove to everyone that what a really talented mage needs to shine is an opportunity and not a fancy title."

"Faluel the Hydra, an Emperor Beast who has taken as her disciples members of the human race to whom everyone else had turned their back…" Tyris pointed at both Phloria and Tista.

"…and with their help, she managed to destroy one of the horrors that plagued the Kingdom from ancient times. Your example will bridge between humans and beasts, making both factions realize how much they need each other, especially with the Undead Courts knocking on our doors."

"When you put it this way, it sure has a nice ring to it." Phloria nodded. Tyris's version of the story, although fictionalized, would have brought fresh water in the stagnant swamp of Court politics.

"I'm very sorry to leave you as an unsung hero, Solus." Tyris said while looking at the stone ring on Lith's finger.

"But there's still no place for you in this world. Between the Lost Cities and Baba Yaga's Hors.e.m.e.n, the existence of another powerful living relic like you would strike fear in the hearts of people rather than inspire hope."

"Did you know about me?" Solus asked with surprise.

"I knew about you ever since I first met Lith and I've seen everything that has happened inside Kolga." Tyris implied that she knew about the Hands as well.

'Yet I didn't recognize you, Elphyn, and for that, I'm sorry. For what is worth, Valeron loved you like a niece. Be careful of what you do with your legacy and to whom you share your identity.' She said to Solus via a mind link.

'Menadion survived as long as she did after revealing to possess a tower only because of her unmatched power and her influence as Commander of the Royal Forgemasters. Right now, you lack both the personal and the political prowess to resist the storm that Menadion's name would cause.'

"Farewell." Tyris stepped through the Gate and disappeared before anyone could ask her another question.

"If Tyris knows about Solus, then it's likely that the other Guardians know as well." Tista said after a while. "At least there is one trustworthy faction."

Then she remembered about Leegaain's manipulation and Fenagar's disregard for the suffering that Kolga had inflicted for centuries on two continents.

"I stand corrected, they are not trustworthy, just not as power hungry as the others."

"Indeed." Faluel nodded. "The only Guardian I fully trust is Tyris because she never intervenes in worldly affairs whereas Salaark takes what she wants and Grandfather plays puppeteer from the shadows."

"I can see how tired you still are and I've arranged transportation to your respective houses. I warned your relatives of your arrival so don't be surprised if you find them waiting for you." Faluel opened two Warp Steps.

One led outside the Ernas Mansion and the other outside the Verhen household. They both closed the moment after Tista and Phloria stepped through.

"I suppose you have matters you want to discuss with me in private." The Hydra had noticed that Lith didn't move a muscle, letting the others go first.

"Indeed. I need to know what is your role in what happened to the both of us." Lith let Solus slip out of his finger and assume her stone doll form.

It had slightly grown since their departure yet the deep sadness in her eyes left no space for celebrations. Even though Lith and Solus had become stronger during their short stay in Reghia, they had also returned with a broken spirit.

"I'm afraid you need to be more specific. Whatever you and Solus did is not mentioned in the mission records and I'm sure you two worked an angle of your own." Faluel conjured three padded armchairs.

Lith told her about his tribulation and Solus regaining her body. He glossed over his meeting with Carl and Menadion's legacy because they were both private matters that would have deep consequences if revealed to anyone.

"I'm not going to lie. I sent you to Jiera in the hope you would be sent to Kolga, but that was it. I never planned on hurting either of you." Faluel said.

"What did you think that we could achieve by visiting that horrible place?" Solus asked.

"Wisdom. I'm aware of your condition and of how deep your bond is. With Lith's crippled life force, only an idiot wouldn't know that you are planning to use Forbidden Magic to prolong his existence." Faluel's reply shocked them.

"Reghia is full of Awakened, so it was only a matter of time before someone noticed your cracks and sent you to the lost city as a scout. My hope was that entering Kolga would have cured both of you for good.

"My wish was for you to get what you wanted without having to soak your hands in blood and risking to get on the Council's hit list. Worst case scenario, the experience would have shown you the terrible price that Forbidden Magic requires and make you think twice before employing it.

"I never wanted you to suffer, you've already gotten more than enough of that in your short life. F.u.c.k you, Grampa." Faluel snarled.

"The silver lining is that my next world tribulation should also be my last." Lith sighed deeply.

"When I merged with all those shadows, I rose to a size and a power that I never experienced before. Something almost clicked inside of me as I reached for the skies. Either I die or succeed, I'll be done with this crap."

"Don't say that." Solus's small hand grabbed his. Despite being made of stone, it was soft and warm. "What we have is far from crap. I refuse to let you go down without a fight."

"Also, I think you might be misunderstanding your condition. Do you realize that you're now half-step to a violet core?" Faluel asked.

"What does it mean? I've undergone no breakthrough and my strength is unchanged." Lith didn't use Invigoration as a diagnostic tool on himself for a while, but he knew his body too well to have missed any of its changes.

"Yes and no." Faluel conjured a mirror in front of them as she used her breathing technique, Lifestream, to make Lith's mana flow and his life forces visible.