Siana's carriage slowly made its way back to the estate of the Wessor family, a lone castle in the city of Altridge. Like many noble families that existed in the nation of Alberdos, the main branch occupied the largest residence and related bloodlines carrying a significant trace of the progenitor of the Wessor line occupied relatively smaller residences nearby.

Although Sirelec was the acting head of the House of Wessor, he had chosen to reside in his personal estate back in Altridge. From here did he carry out the majority of his affairs. He only made his way to the capital of Merister when his sickly father beckoned for him to come, or he had to meet with the Emperor or other noble families friendly with the Wessor clan.

As Siana looked out in the distance, she could see the Alberdos Mountains, the giant rock formations that separated the Madrag continent's three major countries. The mountain hosted many Beasts and the battlegrounds of Aura experts of days past. To say that the region emanated a frightening pressure was an understatement. In the shadows of the Alberdan Mountains stood Sirelec's castle, a pale shade of blue standing above a populace.

What am I going to do? Siana thought back to the auction in Alduin, where that relatively minor servant of the Faulkner family had tricked her into betting heavily on the Shadow Armor. Although she could try to use the Armor and the Aura Pills, as well as the painting Of Arts to appease Sirelec for her failure in not securing the 1000 Wisdom Mushroom, she knew it was no use.

The peak Warrior ranked Aura Pills and Saint ranked Shadow Armor, along with the other items she had bid successfully on, were items and resources she had bought for herself. As Wessor always promised that the remaining funds could be considered her payment for completing such a mission, she always chose to buy items that gained her attention ahead of time. Before this auction she never had any problems.

That servant boy tricked me into spending too much on this piece of armor and this painting. Then he gave me no face when I tried to gain the item Lord Wessor desired. Siana thought back to how she felt pleasure suppressing the servant of the Faulkner family with her wealth. Thinking she was bound to gain Sirelec's graces, she had unknowingly fallen into Mona's trap. To make matters worse, she didn't even complete the simple mission that Sirelec Wessor had sent her out to do. Not only did she fail Sirelec, she brought shame to the House of Wessor in the process.

Greeting Marblur the driver goodbye, Siana believed that at best she could apologize and offer what she bought for herself as compensation for her failure. But knowing Wessor, she knew that such an act of appeasement wouldn't be good enough. The 1000 Wisdom Mushroom was a key to Sirelec's grand plans, a plan Siana partially knew thanks to being an envoy.

Siana's steps echoed throughout the hall, the servants of the castle running back and forth within. A few were carefully activating Creations for illumination; it was already late in the evening.

Walking up the grand staircase of the castle, Siana looked cautiously at the large set of doors that led to Wessor's main hall. Stationed in front were two guards, each giving off a thinly veiled strength of an Aura Warrior level 9.

"Envoy Siana," the two guards standing in front the entrance greeted her, "Lord Wessor is waiting for you." The two half-knelt on the carpeted stone floor, their postures showing their respect of Siana's identity. Although they were each 4 levels stronger than her in Aura, her status as Wessor's main envoy was enough reason for these experts to get rid of their arrogance.

Siana didn't respond, her thoughts shifting back and forth on how Wessor will respond to her actions. Maybe if I explain it was the Faulkner family, Lord Wessor will forgive me. She faintly hoped that such a situation would arise. Returning back to reality, Siana slowly pushed open the doors, making her way inside.

The space of the main hall was rather large, with columns holding up the ceiling tens of feet high. At the other end of the hall was Sirelec Wessor's throne, at the moment empty. Sirelec Wessor was standing in front of his throne, looking at the wall with stained glass windows. Several figures were highlighted in the stained glass, many of great importance to the House of Wessor.

"Welcome, Siana." Sirelec spoke, his gaze still on the stained glass windows. Light entered from them, filling the hall with calm rays.

Siana walked a few feet, her body trembling as she half-knelt just in front of Sirelec. Her face faced the floor, her thoughts quickly drifting for the worst.

"Lord Wessor, I have failed you." Siana squeezed out these words from her throat, her face pale. Before her time Wessor had more than ten different envoys. After inquiring about why her lord had these many with servants of the castle, she found out each envoy had failed in a critical mission given to them by Wessor and were instantly ended on the spot.

Sirelec Wessor was an Aura Warrior Level 7, a rather skilled Aura manipulator who trained in the Wessor Shadow Arts, reaching grand completion of the Warrior level. His Aura Technique was a bit special as well; the Lord ranked Seamless Existence Technique was activated, steadily improving his Aura Core and hiding his presence as well.

"Siana, do you know what these windows are?" Sirelec stared at the windows, his hands gesturing from one figure to another in the stained glass windows. Siana looked up, watching Wessor's hand motion from one prominent window to another.

"Lord Wessor, they are the past heads of the House of Wessor." Siana remembered the figures she had memorized from years ago. To become an envoy of the House of Wessor, Siana had to memorize practically all of the history of the Wessor bloodline, as well as have significant talent as an Aura cultivator.

"Yes. These are my ancestors." Wessor spoke, a sense of pride in his voice.

"That is the beginner of the Wessor bloodline, the genius Marlei Wessor in the Wars of Madrag. He had made a Lord ranked Dragon Beast submit to him and had been emperor for 100 years." Wessor pointed towards a heroic figure standing atop a dark brown wyrm, atop his head the crown of Alberdos.

"That is the second genius of the Wessor bloodline, commander Alvia Wessor, in the Great Desolation. She was trained in fighting with virtually any weapon, but she died. Died to the accursed broad swordsman Gregor Faulkner." Wessor pointed to another set of stained glass, featuring a maiden wielding a war hammer fighting against a man wielding a blade, only to be beheaded in a grisly stained window nearby. Wessor's voice carried a trace of sorrow and anger near the end, hinting at how he felt of his ancestor's untimely passing.

"And that is my great-grandfather, Martu Evalion Wessor, slaying Patorius Faulkner and Alvin Merister and becoming the most recent Emperor of Alberdos. He died 210 years later, an Aura King of Level 7." Wessor looked to Siana, his face carrying a slight trace of a smile. He enjoyed looking at the generations of history of the House of Wessor, knowing he had to at least try to be as awe aspiring.

"Yes, Lord Wessor." Siana replied calmly, her body still trembling in fear. Her memory of how her predecessors had quietly disappeared in the night before being found in graves, quartered with shock and horror across their faces. She didn't want her body to be found in this manner by the ostler and the gardener of the estate.

"I already know, Siana, you don't have the Wisdom Mushroom. You should know that my spies are all over in Alberdos, but I'd still like to know what happened from you." Sirelec Wessor looked at Siana, calmly sitting in his throne. Sirelec instantly seemed to be an aged head of a noble house, not a twenty-three year old man.

Siana inwardly felt relief overtake her. This was her chance to avoid that twisted fate. Siana slowly spoke of what occurred, emphasizing her actions as defending the House of Wessor and Mona's actions as arrogant and overbearing. Although she didn't leave many details out, if a person was to hear her speech it would seem as if she was being continuously wronged.

"I see. So the reason why you couldn't buy the 1000 Wisdom Mushroom is because this servant of the House of Faulkner had taken it instead by outbidding you?" Sirelec looked at the items laid in front of Siana. He could see a box of Warrior ranked Aura Pills, a Saint ranked Shadow Armor, a prodigy's Warrior ranked Painting, among other things.

"Yes, Lord Faulkner." Siana spoke humbly, completely opposite of how she acted in front of the merchants and other bidders in Alduin. Among the common people she may have a prestigious status but in front of Sirelec she was quite easy to replace. And her failure was enough grounds to rid of her entirely.

A long pause filled the main hall. Each second bore into Siana's thoughts. Will I be punished or not? If Siana was in Sirelec's shoes, she would punish her envoy immediately. Her actions showed a lack of skill, and a lack of self-restraint in the public, let alone she had smeared the prestige of the Wessor clan in that auction.

"Siana, I've decided that I will not punish you for your failure." Sirelec spoke calmly, as if the entire scenario did not affect him.

"Milord?" Siana couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Although the Wisdom Mushroom was a vital component to my plans, it can easily be replaced. There are other resources similar to the 1000 Wisdom Mushroom in effect, and I have methods of attaining them as well."

"Not only are you my main envoy for several years, Siana, you haven't tried to lie to me about this event. My past envoys hid their actions from me, and my spies gave me a story similar to yours earlier. Although this rumor will affect us, rumors can easily be silenced." Sirelec spoke once more, watching Siana.

"Thank you, milord." Siana couldn't help but smile at adverting her demise. Although this situation was a mark on her record, it could easily be removed by avoiding errors again. Her earlier sense of terror rapidly disappeared.

"I have only one question, Siana. The servant that had undermined your efforts, can you describe how he looks?" Sirelec responded, his interest piqued.

"Lord Wessor, he was a young man, not yet an adult. His face was rather ordinary, except he seemed aloof and cold. His hair was a light green, and somewhat messy as well. His eyes were careful, and seemed to observe even the smallest specks of dust passing by." Siana remembered Mona's looks, her tone not one bit friendly about Mona. Her gaze flickered to Sirelec as she noticed something change.

Listening to Siana's description, a rich amount of anger filled his every actions. Sirelec rose from his throne, taking one heavy step after another towards Siana, his gaze unkind. This woman!

"Lord Wessor, did I say something wrong?" Siana looked to Sirelec, confused. She described Mona's face as carefully as she could remember. A frightening pressure was emanated of of Sirelec, as if trying to end her life where she stood.

Sirelec soon released his level 7 Warrior Aura. It quickly enveloped Siana, forcing her to kneel to the floor. She didn't dare to fight back, only for her body to suffer in the process. Her heart began to beat rapidly as that sense of horror returned and filled her whole.

"Milord!" Siana cried, the pressure overwhelming her thin frame. A mere mortal in her position would have died immediately. Thanks to the passive effects of Aura cultivation her bones, flesh, and organs could last this long. However, she was beginning to have trouble breathing, and could only cry out this single word

"Tell me, Siana. When I mentioned the description of a young man named Mona Aurum, what did I say?" Sirelec's voice sounded cruel, as if he was talking with the murderer of his family. His eyes glinted with displeasure as his Aura pressured Siana in waves.

Siana thought back to the briefing she received from Sirelec on a former noble of the Leafwind Kingdom. When she realized that not only did Mona match her earlier description but that he also had worn the crest of Faulkner, Siana's eyes grew wide as she questioned what she had done. She wanted to apologize, but she could only sputter to try and catch her breath.

Sirelec didn't give Siana a chance to speak, his Aura rapidly launching her against the entrance doors. As Siana wasn't actively channeling Aura, her body felt the full force of the impact, her leg broken in the process. A thin trace of blood left her lips, adding a bit of color to a face devoid of life.

"I had given you clear instructions to capture Mona Aurum upon seeing him, and yet you allow him to not only outdo you, but also give Eric Faulkner the one item I needed for my dreams! It's already kind of me to let you live. Leave." Sirelec spoke harshly at Siana, his gaze unkind to her pathetic figure.

Siana revealed pleading eyes, but seeing that Sirelec gave her no face, she only felt a deep sense of regret. Sadly there was no medicine in the world for such an illness.

"As you wish, Lord Wessor." Siana struggled to sound these words, before slowly leaving the main room. She knew that this mistake was too grave to be forgotten.

Sirelec watched as his main envoy left the main hall, limping out of the entrance. His face quickly became grim after finding himself alone. Tracing his hand back into the pocket of his robes, he pulled out a Transmission Creation, clearly activated by Aura.

"Your Majesty, I'm sorry." Sirelec spoke into the small device, his voice apologetic to the listener.

"Ho...you dare to apologize? I gave you strict instructions to have you capture the Aurum child, and you failed me, Sirelec. If I hadn't called you earlier, chances are I wouldn't have known of how easily you allowed Mona Aurum to live. You would have hidden it from me, right Sirelec Wessor?" The voice on the opposite end was cold and threatening, displeased with Sirelec.

Emperor Evani was seated on the third terrace of his gardens, his free hand swish a glass of Enchanting Heavens wine. The region was dimly lit by small Creations, giving plenty of light for Evani's face to be seen. His servants and guards walked to and fro in the gardens, distancing themselves to avoid giving the impression of eavesdropping.

"No, your Majesty, I wouldn't. I would have told you shortly of the occurrence. The House of Wessor is of a noble kind, and I would never keep this crucial information away from your Highness." Sirelec replied to Evani's words, trying to ease the situation.

"Noble kind? You truly are your father's son, Sirelec. Not only a rat, a calculating rat, but a rat that can mix truth and lies with eloquence. Don't try to hide your inner nature, Sirelec. I already know." Evani took a small sip of his wine, his face rather calm in the situation.

"Your Majesty..."

"Enough of that. We both know who you are. You let Mona Aurum fall through your clutches, and yet were so willing to "help" me in this situation, hrm?"

"Your Majesty, I have failed once, and this is due to my envoy's incompetence. Surely there will be more chances to take care of the remaining child of the Aurum bloodline."

"Surely? You speak as if I would trust you after failing once. What can you even offer me to allow you another chance?" Evani's voice came out the Transmission Creation, Sirelec's brow furrowing.

Trust? You have taken a part of my soul? If I fail, can't you just kill me whenever you please? Sirelec thought back to when he agreed to Evani's demands, wishing he could return to that time and do things differently.

Back then he was in the city of Merister taking care of work left by his father Aviance, and thought of possibly meeting the prince Ethone as well. The two had somewhat friendly relations, and many times prior Sirelec would appear to build that relationship. Although the three major families would fight against each other often, Sirelec understood that if he built a strong connection with the future prince he could one day see the House of Faulkner truly disappear. After all, if the Wessor and Merister bloodlines became allies, it would be difficult for the Faulkner family not to die out.

Sometimes he would appear officially, gaining an audience with the prince. However, to avoid eavesdroppers of the emperor, the two eventually agreed to meet in secret as well. Sirelec would use his Shadow Arts to sneak his way into the royal palace, and Ethone would use one of his many treasures to hide the duo's conversation from prying servants of Emperor Evani.

Following routine, Sirelec used his Shadow Arts to steadily make his way to the prince's chamber. On his way, however, he couldn't help but get curious of the emperor's conversation, stealthily making his way behind a column in the throne room. Sirelec, however, didn't think that Evani would detect his presence so easily. Fearing the worst, he made himself known. What he thought would save his life only sealed his fate.

Being the head of the Wessor family and entrusted the well-being of the noble family by his father, Sirelec wasn't willing to die for trespassing the royal palace. Who would think that Evani instead made Sirelec give a portion of his soul, eventually becoming a puppet for Evani to control? Sirelec knew that now that his life was in the emperor's grasp, he could only bend to Evani's will, even if he dies in the process.

"Your Majesty, there must be another chance to take care of the Aurum child. We know that Eric Faulkner is sending Mona on missions back and forth, so there will eventually be a time to capture or kill Mona Aurum. We both know that I have informants all over. Once an opportunity presents itself, I can send my men to take care of Mona Aurum." Sirelec paused, then began to explain his ideas.

"Your men? Don't even think of trying this alone, Sirelec. I have a great distrust of you, just like your father Aviance. The man was quick to switch sides, several times over, if the reasons were good enough. If you are your father's son, you will shine the same way he had."

"I will be sending a small group of my men to your castle later. Receive them, give them lodgings, and await for that opportune moment. When it arises, send both our forces to capture Mona Aurum. Understand?" Evani spoke into the Transmitting Creation, awaiting an answer.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Sirelec replied, his voice exiting from the Transmitting Creation in Evani's right hand.

"Good." Evani turned off the Transmission Creation, looking out into the distance as he took another sip of his rare wine. Mona Aurum, you will be mine!

Off into the distance, a lanky figure stood by a window, staring at Evani from afar. His ears were trained on the emperor's ears, as if the man could hear them. If someone compared the lanky, youthful man to the emperor, they would find a great deal of similarity between the two.

I was right after all. Prince Ethone watched as his father drank his wine from the balcony, his father seemingly unaware of his presence. The royal palace was surrounded by several gardens and a beautiful forest, but Ethone had his chambers moved to this part of the palace for one reason only: he knew that here his father felt safe enough at this terrace to have conversations in secret, or so the Emperor thought.

Hearing that Sirelec was captured by his father, Ethone made no calls for his freedom. He knew Sirelec, the man three years his senior, was crafty and only kept up a conversation with him for benefits. Ethone couldn't care less about Sirelec, except Sirelec played a great importance; not as a friend, but as a pawn.

Ethone walked through the balcony entrance, down the hall and into his chambers, shutting each door quietly behind him. He didn't want to alert anyone to his actions, anyone that didn't need to know. His thoughts returned to his father's conversation, remembering what he had heard. Although Ethone seemed like a gregarious and thoughtful individual to all he met, his true aim were hidden from everyone. Everyone but one.

Ethone walked into his private study, opening a small chest to reveal a Transmitting Creation. Compared to his father's, however, it was clearly higher in quality. Ethone injected a small amount of his level 8 Warrior Aura into the device, waiting for it to come to life.

"Yes?" A voice responded back, a fiery nature hidden deep within. If the voice was to get angry, it seemed that it would only grow more ferocious.

"You were right, Adralai. My father is trying to capture that leftover noble of the Leafwind Kingdom. His greed for the fortune left behind by dead Leafwind nobles exceeds his desire to end all threats to the peace of his reign. How moronic." Ethone replied into the device, the other voice snickering in reply.

"Of course I was right, Ethone. The last generation has grown too comfortable, and do not wish to lose their cushions and wine and wealth. Our lives are the examples of what happens when ambition skips a generation."

"Madrag is a continent with a rich history of war and bloodshed, but no one since time immemorial has united all as one. It is now our turn to carry that dream and make it into a reality."

"Those ancient myths of Heavenly Plumes must be true. Why else would they exist in every corner of the land? Why would so many ruins feature a scarlet phoenix in their holy shrines? There must be truth to the legend, and we can surely find it together."

"Ethone, although our fathers may be failures, together we can find the true reason of this commonality and seek what the legends call "divine wings of fire." Have you thought of my offer?" The voice on the other end spoke quickly, the fiery nature within slowly growing. It seemed to give his words a strange ability to accelerate the heart.

"I have, and I agree. There is no use for there to be so many nations. It is better off there is one, for now and eternity. If our goals lead to the "divine wings of fire" that will be our greatest benefit. The power of an Aura Emperor, if such a thing is possible, it shouldn't be given up." Ethone spoke into the Transmission Creation, his voice strangely indifferent.

"Good, good. I hope you keep you're side of our agreement in order, Prince Ethone of the Alberdan Empire." The mysterious Adralai's voice came out of the Creation, having clearly enjoyed the conversation.

"To you as well, Adralai." Ethone spoke again, not a shred of emotion in his words. He carefully placed the Creation into the chest, using his Aura to reseal the storage device before setting it aside in his room.

Prince Ethone stood in front of his bedroom mirror, looking at his face. Within the mirror he saw parts of Evani, but also parts of his mother.

A chain of memories entered Ethone's mind but he quickly suppressed them. He could no longer change the past, and could only shape the future as the next Emperor. Only then could he find what he longed for: internal peace.

For that wretched woman he left us alone, only to steal me away when my blood proved true. Hiding the truth all along, limiting my chances of finding out the truth.

Evani Merister, I may be family by blood, but I am the biggest mistake you made. A sinister smile arose on Ethone's face. He couldn't wait to see his father experience what loneliness truly was.