“Back so soon? Seems you’ve already found a use for the inheritance.” Balthazar faded into existence as his voice sounded to my rear.

“Could you quit with the jump scares?” I turned to see the same old yet mysterious man donned in a fancy robe. I couldn’t tell whether he wanted to sleep or attend a private meeting.

“And yeah, thanks. It has made encounters a lot easier plus sol…-, This black set I’m wearing doesn’t seem to be working correctly.” I changed the topic mid-sentence hopefully, he didn’t catch it. Last thing I wanted was to be scolded for pawning his inheritance for some extra money.

“Hmm, yes... That is quite the outfit isn’t it?” Balthazar circled me as he inspected.

“You don’t know either, do you…” I took his silence as a sign of cluelessness.

“Everything’s been collecting dust for a long time. You expect me to remember immediately?” I waited in silence for what seemed to be him priming for an answer.

“Nope, no idea… Are you sure it was in the ring along with the other equipment? What did the details say?”

“Uh…, the same typical info posted on the other sets. Body enhancement, magic defense and amplification, and then one that differed from the rest. Stealth.” I still had no idea what the last differing ability entailed.

“Stealth!” He laughed loudly, then continued. “That is why I forgot, who needs stealth when power rules above all. There is no need to hide when you can defeat any that stand in front of you.” Balthazar kept a stance of ignorance against the idea of stealth.

‘Maybe stealth was something, that could have helped you in the past.’ I dared not saying that aloud.

“Well, at least tell me how to activate it.” I felt like the answer was obvious but figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.

“Just like any other magic equipment. Infuse mana into it and the spell will activate.” He made it sound so easy and he knew I had issues using my magic.

“Great…” The outfit suited my tastes and the automatic benefits from the other enhancements were enough of a bonus to continue wearing it. It would only be a matter of time until I could utilize the stealth ability.

“I’ve run into some trouble lately.” I spoke about the official Ethan, followed by the government I.D. appointment and the pain shortly after, in addition to the Aurisavem that laid at the center of everything.

I attributed the pain and having to drink Eris’s blood to recover, to the appointment. The couple minutes of memory lapse inside the room held the biggest suspicion. Though the pain only settled in after attempting to use my shadow magic, so it could very well be related to that alone.

“Ethan, I don’t know the name but officials I am aware of. Your best bet is to find out what allowed him to acquire the title from nobles. There is something only he excels at compared to billions of others.” Balthazar addressed the first issue, having settled into a seat for us to discuss matters. The empty white room now had two relaxing lawn chairs along with some greenery to enjoy.

Sounded like I needed to do some digging into Ethan’s power but that alone was more difficult than said. I’ve only met him once so far and there wasn’t any inclination as to what he could do.

“What about the Aurisavem then, I have a good idea of its location but capturing it doesn’t seem to be the solution.” It was mere speculation though confirmed from his next words.

“Offspring of the Ice Phoenix. It's still waiting to be hatched inside the lake of beasts. Should be any day now.” My guess stemmed from the unnaturally crystal clear lake and from the actions of the surrounding beasts. It was like they were protecting the lake and staying on constant guard against us.

“First, let’s address your memories from the check-up. That may aid in resolving your issues. Be still and close your eyes.” Balthazar interrupted my response, teleporting behind my chair and placing both hands onto my head.

A mass of images flooded like there was a video playing in my mind, sped up by times a hundred.

“Don’t try to focus on the images all at once. They are nothing but a distraction. Calm down and you will see it.” Balthazar’s voice came through while I remained stuck in this trance-like state.

I wasn’t too sure what he meant but his voice acted as a grounding mechanism for my mind. Now that I took a moment, these images seemed to be repeating and eventually something odd started popping out.

“You. Will. Serve. The. Government. Obey. And. Live.” It didn’t take long to see and hear the hidden message wrapped into the repeating footage.

This was joined together with my senses at the time. I heard the voices of the three government employees inside the room during the procedure. They were going over my file aloud as a sudden sharp needle pricked into my thigh. The shot went completely unnoticed with no soreness accompanying it after the visit. It led me to believe they healed it or something before finishing up.

Things seemed routine as they carried on with their discussions. “Subject has been placed on the watchlist by Official Ethan. Falsified background information will be overruled until further notice. Reforcer unit will be notified directly by the Official in charge.” There was no more talking as an electronic beep signified the completion of the device and my actual memory of the event, synced up to what was missing.

“What the hell was that!” I forced my eyes open to see Balthazar lounging back in his lawn chair, enjoying the grassy plain and artificial sun-baked breeze.