I deserve this.

Michael’s thoughts were muddled a bit, but this he could still think on clearly. Alex betrayed him to Narana and Kelunad by association, but he did it because of what Michael put him through. After being robbed of his status as a Martial, was it any surprise he turned to another backer?

Well, maybe. Michael had no idea why Alex turned to Narana, who was in league with the orc. Maybe it was a ploy to get reinstated as a Martial? Even so, the young man seemed like the most upstanding individual Michael had met so far. That he hit him with poison and went behind their backs did surprise him.

But him turning away after being humiliated in public? No.

He struggled to move, even an inch, but to no avail. The poison was powerful. He could breathe and blink. Move his face a little, but nothing more than that. All he had left was to wait and listen, as his plans crumbled around him.

“-a magnificent piece of work.” Naran said. “I am no |Enchanter|, but even I can appreciate the craftmanship. See the glittering edges, Alex? Right around the sides of the doors.”

“Yes, Maga Narana.”

“Those are microscopic runes. Inlayed with melted gems, I believe, to have them active at such a minuscule scale. And even the backlash is repurposed.”

“I can feel it in the air too.”

“Yes, you can feel it, but only because you are a mage. If you were a monster or construct or even magically enhanced animal, you would feel pain and discomfort instead of this tingling sensation. I suspect even normal animals would be naturally weary of its aura. Hmm. I wonder if ghosts would be affected?”

“Ghosts?”

“They’re real. As are spirits. Yet they’re mostly susceptible to magic or at least some kinds of it. The elf and its ilk removed them as a threat centuries ago.”

“I see.”

Michael heard a tapping foot, followed by a renewed commentary by the mystery mage.

“If we could keep them intact and their magic undisturbed, I suspect we could make use of them. They’re practically creating a safe zone on the sixth floor just by existing. And if the room beyond is livable once the artifact is removed then this could become a safe-haven. An outpost for exploring the higher floors. Even more so, if the magic inside is similar to this. This… could be valuable.”

There was greed in her tone, but Alex latched on to a different detail of what she said.

“Removed, Mage Narana? I was given to understand this artifact is poorly understood. Could it be moved?”

“Well.” She said, sounding amused. “Little as we know of it, what we know is that it acts was a wish-maker. And if my wish if for it to move to a more secluded location, than it may do just that. After all, no one said it could accomplish only one wish.”

So that’s her plan. Whisk away the artifact and get a free base in the process. And if the mystery faction obtains such a valuable base from Narana… Yeah. I can see her becoming the new leader.

“But wouldn’t Mage Kelunad’s plan… interfere with yours.”

“Not really.” She said serenely.

Her tone was light and Michael wondered if it was only an affectation.

“Incoming.” Narana said after a second, so soft Michael barely heard it.

He waited some more, because what else could he too and after a few seconds of silence, he was rewarded with the sounds of footsteps.

“Oh, wow. I have to say, Mage Kelunad, going by the state of how you look, that amulet really didn’t add up to much.”

“It is only because of the amulet that I am here.”

Michael felt a force picking him up, his body his slacking. It raised him to his feet and kept him there, before slowly turning him around. Michael would have gasped if he had been able.

Kelunad looked like he had passed through a meat grinder. His body was burned, cut and melted in parts. A lot of fresh scar tissue covered his body, but oddly enough, some wounds refused to close. They didn’t bleed, but they did look like they caused the orc no small amount of pain. But he still stood tall, a hand on the Sinestra’s shoulder.

The gorgon was looking at Michael with fear and panic. It was clear she didn’t want to be here. She would have probably bolted for the stairway, had Kelunad’s iron grip not held on to her. She kept opening her mouth to speak, before closing it back again.

“Really? They put up that much of a fight?”

“Regitris might be weakened by the loss of his former Class and Gnosis’ magic. But he can now fight unrestrained from the moral bindings of the academy. It was he who inflicted most of the wounds you see.”

“Mhm. And is he the reason why those wounds aren’t closing?”

The orc looked particularly peeved at this question.

“Mage Ravena was there as well. Along with most of her faction. She used a ritual, one afforded to her by her |Deepwood Mage| Class. Poison. Her faction’s linked magic helped her enhance its effecs.”

“I wasn’t aware of any other but the Bloodlinked using linked ritual magic in Gnosis.”

“Neither was I.” he rumbled.

Nara let out a laugh.

“Well, I guess you don’t know your beau nearly as well as you thought. Or is she Regitris’ beau now? I forget.”

A flicker of emotion passed on Kelunad’s face, but he didn’t rise to the bait. Sighing, Narana continued.

“I trust they will not be coming after us?”

“They are handled. After securing Sinestra, I phased us straight here.”

“Good. The obstacle I’ve removed should be replenished by now. Even if they recover, we have time.”

“They will not. Not quickly.”

“Excellent. Well then, Mage Kelunad. I’m very interested to see your attempt.”

The orc frowned, peering at Sinestra.

“Is she truly needed?”

That seemed to be the moment the gorgon woke up.

“I- I don’t want to be here. Please. I- I just want to leave. Take Michael with me. We won’t get in your way.”

“|Silence|.” Narana cast. “You believe you can pass through those doors? Well, that amulet certainly seems powerful. Why don’t you try.”

Kelunad hesitated for a second, but nodded. After freezing Sinestra in place with a Spell, he started to walk forwards. Tentatively, until he was mere feet away from the doors. And that was when Michael heard it.

|Class Rem-

In a blink, Kelunad was back where he started, a startled look on his face.

“That thing can affect Classes?”

“It can affect souls.” Narana nodded. “And the link between the two has long been debated by |Scholars|. The amulet you’re wearing should protect the soul to an extent, but it seems not enough. Well, it was worth a try.”

So that’s why nobody dared it until now. They’d have been in risk of losing their Classes.

But… wait.

“I see. But then, I do not understand how the artifact has been observed in the first place.”

“Ah.” She smiled. “That is a little detail me and mine covered up. It is in our ability to erase knowledge, like Sinestra and others could attest. That particular effect of the doors must only be active when they are closed. The students who found it managed to reach the threshold and peer at what lay inside. Even cast appraisal Spells. That is how we have found out what we now seek. But now they are closed.”

“You pervert the truth, Mage Narana.” Kelunad seriously said. “I have read the report of the mage teams send to investigate this place after it was first found. |Chronomancers| analyzed it too and they’ve reported that the doors have always been closed, since their inception.”

“I am not lying to you, Mage Kelunad. Yes, the time mages were correct. The doors have always been closed. And yet when the exploring team found them, they had been open.”

“You are saying… these doors affected the Spells cast on it.”

“I am saying these doors lead to a room housing an artifact capable of changing reality. Of which time is a component part. The doors have been opened. And the doors have been closed. Simultaneously.”

“I see.”

So, the artifact is capable of creating paradoxes. Cat in a box. Great.

“In that case, Mage Sinestra will attempt it. And you are sure the effect will not rob her of her Class?”

What?

Sinestra looked similarly distressed at hearing that.

“Fairly sure. Because what she has isn’t a Class. Merely a placeholder. Her true Classes have already been taken.”

“Very well.” So saying, he gestured and the Gorgon started to walk forwards.

But either his magic interfered with Narana’s or Sinestra’s distress grew to large to be silenced, because her voice started to be heard, a whisper increasingly growing in volume.

“Please, no! I never wanted this. I just wanted to learn. To help Michael. Please, let me leave! Let me take Michael and go!”

She struggled and she cried, but like a marionette, she was guided forward.

“Please. Please!”

“Pathetic.” Narana murmured.

“Pl- …oh.”

She… stopped moving?

Michael’s eyes turned to Kelunad, but the orc looked just as surprised as him.

“My Spell just broke.”

“|Bindings|.” Narana cast and Michael saw the Spell disintegrate when nearing the door.

“|Remote Muscular Control|” Kelunad cast.

Nothing worked. Sinestra must have sensed this, because she backed up even more, nearing the doors.

“Active magic fails. Either that or the doors have limited sapience.” Naran said, sounding troubled. “Which only means she needs to open them.”

“Sinestra.” Kelunad called out. “Open the doors. Do it and you may go.”

“And take Michael with me? And the other boy.”

“Michael can go. Mage Alex is here under his own volition.”

She wavered, but she didn’t open them.

“If you get the artifact to work… what will you do with it?”

“That is not your concern.”

“Is it true you’re going to kill part of the students.”

“Not your concern.” He repeated. “Mage Sinestra, when I make my wish come true, I will ask that your Classes be reinstated. Or have you choose what Class and Level you want.”

She inhaled deeply. Michael knew she must be tempted. Her Classes was gone and here was the salvation to all her problems. But to her merit, the Gorgon might be a sneaky sort, but she was a true mage of Gnosis.

“N- no. No, I can’t. You- you robbed me of my Class. You and her!” she shouted. “And if you have your way, you’ll wreck Gnosis apart.”

“Mage Sinestra-“

“I said no!”

Good.

“Mage Sinestra.” Kelunad spoke slowly. “You have twenty seconds before Michael loses consciousness. A minute before he dies.”

Wh­­-

He didn’t even get to finish his thought, as a force started to apply pressure to his throat. He wanted to gasp, but the poison was still in effect. And weak as he was, he started to black out almost immediately. He must have, because once he could draw in breath again, the scene had changed.

The doors were now open. From his vantage point, Michael could see only part of the room. But the little of it that he saw was completely covered in glowing glyphs.

“Troublesome.” Narana muttered. “They’ll have to be removed.”

“I sense no ill intent from their magic. They must only be there to stabilize the artifact.”

The woman froze for a second, before shrugging.

“As you will. Then, are you going in?”

“Yes.” The orc grinned.

And forwards he went. Sinestra was locked in place by a glowing halo. Alex was standing behind Sinestra, both of them watching with interest. And Michael could only look on, powerless to stop Kelunad.

“Mage Narana, shouldn’t Mage Kelunad hurry?” Alex quietly asked. “The others could have recovered by now, couldn’t they?”

“Probably. Both the elf and the wild mage are resourceful. Yet Kelunad is almost there. And if I need be, I can delay them.”

“I see.”

A wet spurt was heard, before a gasp. Michael turned his eye and saw Alex with his hands on a glowing sword.

Buried hallway through Narana’s spine.

“Mage Kelunad.” He spoke, all anger and retribution. “The Martials send their regards. Release!”