Chapter 33: Antares

“Stuff him in here,” Eclipse said, pointing to a wooden wardrobe in the corner.

Antares pulled the guard by the arms as he lay unconscious, the crown of his head already beginning to swell. Another guard to knock out and stuff away, an addition to his continuously growing list.

At least it’s better than killing them.

Eclipse swung open the doors of the wardrobe, her fingers clasping the spherical handles. With a heavy grunt, Antares dragged the man closer to the closet, his body a dead weight at Eclipse’s feet.

“Help,” Antares managed to say between pants.

Eclipse reached for his legs, and shakily lifted him up. Together, they shoved him into the wardrobe, his body landing at the bottom with a heavy thump. Thin Guard coats and uniforms hung from the rungs, partially masking the guard’s face and torso.

Antares gently shut the doors, locking the man inside.

“Do you think he’ll be all right?” he asked with a hint of concern.

“I’m sure someone will find him sooner or later,” shrugged Eclipse. She turned away from the wardrobe, scanning the rest of the room. “Now, what is this place?”

Antares gazed around as well, taking in the organized desk that sat before him. Shelves and books rimmed the walls around them, stacks of files and notes lying at the back corners. A dark box was perched at the side of the desk, an enormous lock chained around it securely.

“I’d say it’s some sort of office,” said Antares, adjusting his mask.

“Well, it must be important. Why else would they have a guard stationed at the door? Maybe there’s something in here that can be of use to us.”

Antares stepped forward, making his way to the desk. If there were any future plans or relevant information, he suspected it would be there. His hand reached for a stack of papers, but then a glinting handle caught his eye.

He circled around the desk, ignoring the papers, and went for the small drawers that were nestled at the side, their handles silver and smooth. He crouched down to his knees as Eclipse studied a notebook on the other side of the desk.

“These notes aren’t written in Sarmeh.” She showed the book to Antares, who took a quick glimpse at it.

“Hmm…it looks like Cleedali. I can’t read it, but the script looks familiar.” The letters seemed to dance in his mind, bringing back a memory he forgot he had. He looked back to the notebook. “I think…I think I remember my mother reading something in that script. She speaks Cleedali.”

“Really? Where is she from?”

“Pathe.”

“Makes sense. That language is widely spoken in the far East.” Eclipse set the book back down.

Antares pulled one drawer open, greeted by the rustling of its contents. Rows of sealed ink sat in neat lines, roughly a dozen quills stacked in a pile in front of them.

“Who’s office do you think this is?” Antares asked as he shut the drawer. He reached down for another one below.

“Oberon’s,” Eclipse responded without hesitation.

Antares tilted his head. “Why do you say that?” He was sure there were other important figures in the Legion. All of those people he had seen with Oberon at the party—they all gave off an aura of strong authority. Some of them must have been important enough to have their own offices, so what were the chances that this was Oberon’s?

“Uh, who else would sign their letters with the name ‘Councilman Oberon’?” Eclipse said with impudency. She held up one of the letters, Antares turning a shade of red under his mask.

Oh.

He searched through another drawer, this one slightly more interesting. A collection of strings and chains lay scattered inside the well-cut wood, and Antares reached for one of them, pulling it out. A dark pendant swung in the air, one too familiar for his liking.

“It’s…the necklace,” Eclipse said, staring at the trinket in his hand. She bent down to join him, studying it uneasily. “Do you think it has Silmorite in it?”

Antares took a breath. “Only one way to find out.”

Eclipse tensed beside him, Antares doing the same. He dug a nail into the clasp and popped it open with a click. He looked away, preparing for the overwhelming feeling to flood him.

Yet it never came.

“It’s empty,” Eclipse sighed, her shoulders dropping.

“That’s a relief,” said Antares, closing the locket. “But if it wasn’t, this would be a good souvenir to take back. I don’t suppose the rest of these lockets have any either.”

“Oh, look at you,” Eclipse teased. “You’ve finally embraced your inner fugitive.”

“I meant so that we could destroy it,” Antares shot back, Eclipse still chuckling.

I would never use that wretched thing against anyone.

Antares pushed himself off the ground, turning for one of the bookshelves. Eclipse began to shuffle through the letters on the desks, her eyes skimming them over quickly. He pulled out a book, flipping to a random page.

“If this is Oberon’s office, why is everything in Cleedali? I never knew he was from the East,” he said.

“I’m not sure if he is, but it is a smart move. Keeps anyone who doesn’t speak the language in the dark. And in the West Coast’s case, that is a majority of people,” Eclipse remarked. “However, these letters are in Sarmeh. Maybe we’ll find something in them, seeing as we can actually read them.”

Antares set the book back in, and walked over to join her. She pulled out a thick handful from the bottom. “Here.”

He took them from her hand, his fingers flipping through as he read the top of the papers.

Declan. Berniss. Caldern. Reiher.

He stopped, that last name sounding familiar. He pulled the letter out of the stack, reading it carefully. The script was blocky and small.

To Reiher, Captain of the Ash Court Guard.

Unfortunately, your silence is not an acceptable answer. I have grown rather tired of this stalling. Things will and are continuing to go the way they are planned, and it is necessary to secure our assets and identify our weaknesses as soon as possible. That includes you. I sincerely hope you are not a broken link in our strengthening chain, or else that will require me to break you off entirely. You and anyone else who happens to think differently. I mean that in the most sincere way, captain. I will not be holding back. You either join us, or burn in the ensuing flames.

Signed, Darkfist, Head of the Ember Legion.

“Darkfist? That is Oberon, correct?” Antares said, showing the letter to Eclipse.

“He certainly has a way with words,” she muttered as she read the letter. “I’m quite sure it’s him. That letter is addressed to the Ash captain, I don’t think he would use his real name in something that could be intercepted so easily. Plus, there’s a lot of incriminating information in there. It’s literally telling him to join the Ember Legion. If someone were to find that—with Oberon’s name signed—it wouldn’t bode well for him.” She paused, reaching for one of the other papers. “The other letters are actually pretty vague compared to this one. It’s difficult to interpret what they are talking about.”

She handed him one from her own stack.

To Varvil Grin.

You already know much about my cause, so I will not have to explain it any further. All I ask is that you join me, for you will not be disappointed. My men are on our way to improving this kingdom in ways which most cannot imagine. Ophelia will be restored to its glory, and the dedicated men and women with me will ensure that comes to fruition. It is up to you if you would like to join us in that victory.

Signed, Councilman Oberon.

“You’re right,” said Antares. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d probably guess he was talking about some sort of circus troupe.”

Eclipse snickered. “Is that not what we’re dealing with here?”

“Stars, I don’t even know anymore.” Antares set down his paper. “These letters will take forever to go through, and we’ve found nothing from them so far to begin with. I think we’ll have better luck finding that record room than with anything we could try and decipher from here.”

“Right,” said Eclipse, setting hers down as well. “All the valuable information is most likely written in Cleedali. I say we get the hell out of here before our guard in there wakes up.”

Antares glanced at the wardrobe, still silent and stationary. Eclipse started for the door, her hand moving to her sword. Antares followed closely behind, and they each waited on either side of the door.

With a gentle turn, she lightly pulled it open, taking a fleeting look into the hall. Eclipse opened the door completely, Antares maneuvering around it, as the two stepped out into the hallway.

Suddenly, there came a barrage of footsteps, and Antares whipped his head to the right, sword at the ready.

“It’s just us!” Andromeda breathed, her hands raising defensively. Cassiopeia stood beside her, leaning against the corner of the wall as she tried to catch her breath. Antares lowered his weapon.

“I thought you two were searching the center hall?” Eclipse said next to him.

“We did,” replied Cassiopeia. “All that was down there was the training room. You know, the one room Astrid told us to avoid?” If Antares didn’t know better, he would think she shot her a glare.

Andromeda glanced between them, cutting in. “We found a way to lock the room from the outside, though. I think it will slow them down as they try to open it. It’ll buy us more time to search without disruptions.”

Antares nodded. “That’s…actually pretty smart.” Andromeda looked to him, her eyes crinkling above her mask.

Eclipse started again. “Whatever. I guess you can help us search this hall. We’ve already hit Oberon’s office, but we didn’t find anything of use.”

“Did you check that door?” Cassiopeia said, pointing her spear behind her.

“No,” said Eclipse, failing to mask an annoyed tone. She took in a breath, and Antares could almost see the grind of her teeth. “We were just getting there.”

What is going on with her? he thought briefly. The four of them started down the hall.

“You really didn’t find anything in Oberon’s office?” Andromeda asked quietly, coming up next to him.

Antares glanced at her as they walked. “Nothing important, or that we could understand. Most of his papers were in Cleedali. What did you see in the training grounds?”

A pause. “A lot of people, more than…more than I thought possible. All training to kill in unison. And somehow, there were even some people our age. Young people.”

“Hell… ” muttered Antares, adjusting his hilt in his hand. “I can’t imagine ever standing for something like this.”

Andromeda stepped away and opened a small room to the side, revealing an empty closet. “Neither can I, Antares. You are level-headed and loyal.” She shut the door as she spoke, and Antares noticed a wisp of light hair escaping from her hood.

“What is it?” she asked after returning to his side. He was staring at her.

Antares blinked, before hurriedly looking away. “Oh, um…you have some strands of hair sticking out,” he mumbled.

“Oh, thank you.”

She adjusted her hood as he avoided her eyes.

The hell is wrong with me?

The four traveled in silence, everyone taking a few doors at either side in practiced motion. After a few minutes, the hall ended in a set of double doors, tall and grand and swirling with elaborate designs.

Eclipse reached for the large doors, pushing them open in the narrower hall. She slipped inside the crack, Cassiopeia following as Antares pulled it open wider. Andromeda went inside and Antares followed.

“Woah,” Eclipse said, eyeing the sights around her. “Now this looks like a record room.”

Rows of bookshelves and files stood around them in neat arrays. Detailed maps and charts hung along the walls, some of them depicting individual cities, while others had entire regions scrawled upon them. Lanterns and torches lit the room, the same banners on the outside hanging within the walls.

“Everyone, start searching,” said Antares. “Find whatever you can. We don’t know how much time we have.”

“And stay alert,” added Eclipse. “We might have company.”

“We know,” Cassiopeia said curtly, sweeping past Eclipse.

Antares went for one of the shelves, one that stood out to him. Most of the others were filled with books of a variety of colors, sizes, and thickness. Yet this one contained a selection of the same book, repeated through its shelves dozens of times. A thin book with a cover of green.

He pulled out the first one his fingers could find, and quickly opened it to the first page. Blank, except for a small name scribbled in the corner.

Freegan, Nakrol.

He flipped to the next page, a barrage of notes written down in it. He skimmed through the writing.

Gift: Persuasion

Strengths: Is somewhat strong in Gift, well read in geography, history, and statistics of

Ophelia and the Courts

Weaknesses: Struggling in both swordsmanship and hand combat, is weaker in left hand

Stationed in: Ealis

Occupation: Farmer

Antares closed the book with a small clap, sticking it back into the shelf. He pulled out another one next to it, his mind trying to process the information.

These must be notes about the Legion’s soldiers.

He read the name of this one. Naha Stadz. Sounded like a woman, yet he couldn’t be certain. Antares glanced at their stats.

Gift: Endurance

Strengths: Incredibly strong in Gift, trained in swordsmanship and combat through

Guard, is well-known and has connections to the Zephyr Court Council

Weaknesses: Habit of insubordination, no weaknesses to report in physical training

Stationed in: Aldebaran

Occupation: Ash Court Guard

With a shake of his head, he put the book away.

Looks like we’ll have to watch out for this Stadz.

“I found something,” Cassiopeia called out. Antares strode towards her, seeing that she held not a book in her hand, but a neat scroll.

“This looks like a record of the marketplace raid,” she said as Eclipse and Andromeda gathered around her. She showed Antares the scroll.

“Field Test One,” he read aloud, before faltering. “‘Field Test’? Are you sure this is the raid? Why would they call it a field test?”

“Look at the description,” Cassiopeia observed. “The location and date. It says right here that it took place in Aldebaran, the southern edge, just before the Solstice. This has to be the raid.”

Antares focused on the writing, continuing to read. “Objectives: Test the extents and capabilities of the new weapon. Destroy enemy Court officials.”

“‘Test the extents and capabilities’? You mean this wasn’t just an attack on the villagers? They were testing out their fancy new weapon?” Eclipse growled.

“I’m sure we all know what weapon they’re talking about…” Cassiopeia muttered.

“That might explain why it was called a field test,” Andromeda remarked quietly.

These people really are sick.

Antares began to read again. “The captain will lead the mission, exactly fifty cadets are to follow.” He quickly skimmed down the rest, chewing his lip. “This is just a description of their attack. We already know how that played out. But one thing is for certain, this is definitely about the raid.”

“Where did you find this?” asked Andromeda.

Cassiopeia pointed to the shelf behind her. “Right here.” Eclipse circled around her, digging into the same spot.

“There’s also this,” she said as she unraveled the paper. “It was filed along with that scroll.” Eclipse walked back and handed it to Antares.

“It’s a mission report,” he murmured, reading the script. His eyes swept over the difficult scribbles and markings, before getting to the summarized notes at the bottom. He cleared his throat beneath his mask.

“The mission was a success. Most, if not all, of the targets in the area have been accounted for and terminated. Casualty count is approximately seventy, with thirty-six confirmed kills. ONE member has been captured, but protocol will be obeyed. He will be dealt with swiftly. The Element works as intended, with no issues to report.”

“So just things we already knew?” Eclipse said, folding her arms.

“If the mission reports are stored here, maybe we’ll find information about other missions we don’t know about,” Andromeda suggested.

Eclipse sighed. “Might as well.”

Antares approached and reached into the shelf, plucking out a thin file. Yet as he lifted it out, he peered through the empty slot. There was…a door? Just sitting in the back of the expansive room. He narrowed his eyes, trying to get a better look.

He circled around the shelf, and headed towards the door, different from the ones they entered through. Instead of the large slabs of wood, this one was significantly smaller, and painted a dull grey to blend in better with the wall. A heavy plank of wood ran across it, keeping the door locked.

All the more reason to check what’s inside.

Antares reached for the plank, his arms straining as he tried to lift one side from its latch. He hadn’t expected the wood to be that heavy.

“Need some help?” Eclipse offered from behind, though he could detect a hint of amusement in her voice. She came forward to grab hold of the other side, and immediately pitched forward before regaining her balance.

“Woah, why is this so heavy?”

“Whatever’s locked behind that door must be important,” Antares managed to say.

The two gently set down the wood, Antares’ arms flooding with relief. He turned towards the door, Andromeda and Cassiopeia coming up from behind.

“Now, let’s see what was worth that trouble,” Eclipse breathed.

Antares shoved the heavy door open, revealing a dim room laying before them. He stepped into the chamber, the cobblestone floor a contrast to the wood of the record room. Thin shelves lined up in rows stood in front of him in a neat order, metal boxes and crates sitting along each of them. The boxes were like none he had ever seen before, a deep black with the texture of charcoal. Yet something was familiar about the material. He quickly inched forward, the girls coming in behind him.

“What do you suppose are in those boxes?” Cassiopeia questioned nervously. Her voice bounced along the walls.

“I have a guess,” said Antares, reaching for one of them. He gently pulled it forward on the shelf, his hands rubbing against the rough edges.

This has to be the same metal…it feels exactly like it!

He remembered its coarse touch, the rough bumps of the black material, the same one he had held in his hands only a few moments before.

It was the same substance Oberon’s necklace was made of.

Antares began to fiddle with the latch, only to frown. It was embedded in the center and combined with a thick lock and a wide keyhole.

“What’s wrong?” Andromeda asked as she saw him stop.

He glanced behind him. “The boxes are locked, and we don’t have a key.”

Cassiopeia pushed to the front. “Let me take a look.” She scanned the box and latch for a moment.

She began to dig through her clothes, searching through a small pocket at her side. Cassiopeia pulled out an odd bauble: a long needle with a wooden base, which reminded Antares of a corkscrew. The needle was carved into a detailed shape, with tiny bumps and edges that must have taken a while to perfect. She inserted the tool into the lock, her wrist twisting and turning as she adjusted the needle.

“You just happened to have that in your pocket?” asked Eclipse.

“I carry it with me wherever I go,” Cassiopeia shrugged. Antares found it odd, but he didn’t think to question it. She continued to play with the lock, before jerking it quickly. “Hang on, I think I got it.”

The latch came open with a soft click, and Cassiopeia caught it in her hand. She lifted the lock away from the box, and Antares stepped forward to finally open it. With a deep breath, he felt for its edges, knowing if his suspicions were correct, this wouldn’t be pleasant.

Lifting open the lid, he hesitantly peered inside, the familiar yet foreign sight returning to his eyes. Almost a dozen silver beads sat within the black box in small carved spots for every bead, each embellished with a smooth, glossy coat. He braced himself for the wave that would come.

Only, again, it didn’t.

What?

Cassiopeia took a look for herself. “Silmorite? So this is where they store it.”

“What? Silmorite?” Eclipse gasped as she came forward. Antares knew she was having the same thoughts as himself. “That’s impossible. Why don’t we feel anything?”

Cassiopeia reached down into the box, her fingers grabbing one of the beads.

“Wait, don’t—”

She pulled it out of the box, bringing it into the light. Antares instantly backed away, thinking it would trigger the effects. But it didn’t. Nothing happened.

“I thought these were supposed to be dangerous weapons?” Cassiopeia said as Andromeda studied the element in her hand.

“So did I…” Antares replied, taking a better look at it. Then an odd thought crossed his mind. “Eclipse, do you remember the other piece looking…different at all?”

Eclipse examined the bead. “Yes, actually. The one from before wasn’t as solid. It looked almost as though it was glowing, like the light was trying to escape. This one is a lot smoother…more contained.”

“I have a suspicion,” Antares started. “What if these pieces are just…inactive? The one from before was activated somehow, so it started glowing brighter, and we felt its effects.”

“Very plausible.”

“I’m sorry,” Cassiopeia interrupted. “But I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Eclipse rolled her eyes. “It’s nothing. Just a small theory. We’re not even sure if we’re right or not.”

“So what do we do with all this Silmorite?” Andromeda asked as she gazed off into the room. Antares did the same, his eyes skimming past the many, many other black boxes around him, which were no doubt filled with the same element as the one at his side.

“I say we destroy it,” he said firmly. “They cannot be allowed to have this much Silmorite at their disposal. Think of how much more damage they could do.” He couldn’t shake off the memory of its effects on him, the dulling of his Gift.

“And just how are we going to do that?” said Eclipse. “You’re right, we can’t just let them keep it, but I don’t think we have a choice. We have nothing to destroy it with, and we can’t possibly carry all these boxes out the room.”

“So you’re saying we just leave it? Do nothing about it?” said Cassiopeia.

“I am. Anyone have any better ideas?”

An uncomfortable silence grew between them. Antares looked away. “Well, at least we now know what we’re dealing with.”

Eclipse and Cassiopeia started back for the record room, before Andromeda’s voice piped up from the back.

“Wait! There’s another door here.”

Antares raised an eyebrow, walking towards the back of the room.

Wasn’t she just beside me? How did she get there so fast?

As he approached the dark corner, he quickly noticed she was right. She reached over and opened it, instantly stepping inside.

“Wait, Andro—”

He faltered, the bright light of the room meeting his eyes. It was a stark divergence from the Silmorite storage room, and his eyes didn’t take the surprise so well. He took a moment to adjust, his vision gradually clearing, before taking a glance around the room.

Tables loaded with vials and liquids sat around him. Countertops and books and shelves and scrolls. Quills and ink with notebooks lay next to the equipment. Tubes laced with colorful substances, unlit burners sitting beneath them. Antares wondered where Arcturus was at the moment, for he would surely be impressed.

“Is this some sort of…laboratory?” he thought aloud as Eclipse and Cassiopeia walked in.

“Great, another hidden room,” said Cassiopeia, before Eclipse broke off towards one of the tables.

“Wow, this is some…advanced equipment,” she remarked as she lightly brushed one of the tubes. Antares could clearly hear the suppressed excitement in her voice.

“Look,” Andromeda called from a different table. “It’s one of the boxes of Silmorite.”

Antares approached her. The same black box sat on the table, its lock still securely attached.

“I think this is where they experiment on the Silmorite,” said Eclipse, her eyes still dancing along the intriguing room.

Antares nodded. “The Silmorite is stored in that room there…it checks out.”

“I think they went down here…” said a quiet echo.

Antares immediately straightened, all of his senses alarmed as he froze. He glanced back at the others, each of their eyes suddenly widening with fear. That voice had to have come from the Silmorite room.

“We have to hide,” whispered Eclipse.

“No, wait! There’s another door right here,” Andromeda said, gesturing to the corner.

“Another door?” Eclipse gaped. “Stars, this is confusing…”

Antares looked at Andromeda with fascination. How was it that she kept finding these doors?

Andromeda tugged at the handles. “It’s locked,” she said with slight panic.

“From the outside it seems,” said Cassiopeia.

“With what? A metal lock? A wooden plank?” Antares asked, his worry growing with the seconds.

“I don’t know,” Cassiopeia answered as she looked down. Suddenly, her eyes widened. “Wait, Andromeda and I saw a locked door down our hall. There was a metal latch at the side, in about the center of the edge. Maybe this could be the same door!”

“It’s worth a try,” said Antares, already pulling out his sword. “Which side was it on?”

Cassiopeia studied it for a moment. She pointed right. “That side.”

“All right, stay back.”

The three of them stepped away from the door, Antares moving forward with his sword at the ready. With a heavy blow, he struck the wood, allowing his sword to slide through with a loud crack.

He cut his way around the wood, imagining the latch’s size and position in his mind. He didn’t seem to hit any metal yet, so if this was the same door, he knew he was doing it right.

“Hurry, Antares,” Eclipse breathed nervously, before soft knocks came from the door behind them. Antares quickly looked back, only to see a wooden chair wedged between the handle, likely one of the girls’ work.

With a triumphant breath, he pulled the sword out of the wood, the door hanging loosely as it was separated from the latch. He shoved the door out of the way, the four of the bursting through it.

“I see we’re back here again,” Cassiopeia said to Andromeda, who seemed to understand.

Antares was about to question them, before a barrage of crashes sounded from their right side, around the corner. Echoes of whining metal and muffled yells floated past them.

“That’s the training room,” Andromeda explained. “It seems they’ve finally realized they’ve been locked in.”

Took them long enough.

Eclipse took in a breath, the pounding of angry fists getting louder. “I don’t think we’ll be able to stay for too long…” Her eyes flitted behind her. “You think we should head back to the rendezvous point?”

Just as Antares was about to answer her, a sudden bell rang out the halls, piercing their ears. The dull yells increased tenfold as the screech of metal let the loud voices flood out.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea,” he choked out.

“This way!” Cassiopeia yelled, already breaking into a run. Antares followed her without hesitation as they burst through an open hall. In the far distance, he could see the wall where their staircase used to be, the same wall that had closed in on itself.

The rendezvous point must be up ahead then.

They quickly approached the intersection, the four of them glancing around at every exposed side. Light footsteps started to echo through the halls, and Antares immediately drew out his sword, his eyes sharp. He looked to the corridor behind him, a tall, lanky figure running towards them.

“Arcturus?” he murmured, his sword falling.

The boy approached them with winded breaths, slowing to a stop before them.

“Where’s Astrid?” Antares asked him.

“I don’t know,” he breathed. “We got separated. She told me to meet her here.”

“How are we going to get out of here?” Cassiopeia said anxiously.

Suddenly, Antares heard a familiar mechanical whir and scraping. He glanced over his shoulder, towards the staircase they had come from. The walls began to split apart, the same crack reappearing through the center.

“Great,” Eclipse muttered, readying her sword.

“Looks like we have other problems to deal with,” said Antares, his own weapon brought out in front of him.

As the walls split further apart, Antares could make out the two figures inside. Their weapons were at the ready, glinting in the torchlight. They froze at the sight of the five ahead of them.

“I’d say they didn’t take getting knocked out so well,” Eclipse hissed beside him. “Honestly, they should have been grateful. We could have easily killed them.”

“Now isn’t the time, Eclipse,” Antares said, the two guards charging furiously for them.

“Well, they can come and get some!” she yelled before dashing to meet their swords. Antares’ jaw dropped before he snapped it shut and followed her, his sword stretched out in front of him.

At the last second, Antares pushed himself off the soles of his feet with a burst of Speed, meeting the dark-haired guard at the left in a powerful hit. He stumbled back, but brought up his blade in time to meet Antares’ swing. His push was strong, and Antares suspected another Strongman.

Why are there so many bleeding Strongmen in this starforsaken place?

“Nice little trick,” he jeered, his black eyes meeting Antares’ over their connected blades. Antares gritted his teeth, his arms protesting.

He felt a rush of air, and suddenly Cassiopeia was beside him, flipping her spear around to knock the man in the head and shred his bicep simultaneously—a neat little move Astrid had shown her. He fell with a howl, and Antares stepped back, panting hard. Cassiopeia nodded to him before spinning around at the yell of Eclipse.

She was struggling with the blond guard, his broad form towering over her. Arcturus danced around him, trying to find purchase, but was instead knocked back. Andromeda caught him by the arm before he fell, her wrist twisting sharply as it took his weight.

A groan behind him. He whirled around and the man jumped right at him, his teeth bared. Antares ducked and rolled underneath, springing back to his feet afterwards. The man crashed to the floor and before he could stumble back up, Arcturus was above him, sword pointed right at him.

“Don’t move!” he cried, mirroring Cassiopeia’s similar orders. Suddenly everything was still.

Eclipse clutched the arms of the blond one, Cassiopeia’s spear standing just beneath his chin. Arcturus held the black-haired one at the ground, the point of his sword still poking at his chest, threatening to dig into him. Antares kept his sword extended, Andromeda training an arrow ahead. The two men were trapped now.

Arcturus’ mask had come undone, loosely hanging around his neck and leaving his entire face exposed. As he looked up at Arcturus, the man’s seething expression faded away, replaced with an eerie chuckle.

“I remember you…” he wheezed. “You gave me some trouble at the marketplace, didn’t you?”

Arcturus didn’t move, his face still impassive as he kept his blade in position.

The man chuckled again, a haunting sound. “I killed your little friend there, you remember that?”

His eyes grew wide, a wave of emotion overtaking him.

The guard smiled viciously. “I cut off his hands, and I pierced him through the heart. Did you hear his screams? I remember hearing you. The screaming. The crying. And I’ll gladly do it again, just to bring it all back. A thousand times if I have to. I would kill your friend again and again.”

Arcturus started to tremble, pressing down harder into the man's chest, his eyes burning with rage.

“And now…” the man croaked with a sneer. “I’ll kill you too!”

He brought his leg up and violently kicked Arcturus in the stomach, the boy immediately falling back and curling in on himself with a loud groan. The guard rushed to his feet, grabbing Arcturus’ fallen sword near him.

“No!” Eclipse shrieked, releasing the arms of the blond man. She whipped out her sword from its sheath, jumping in front of Arcturus at the ground. The two weapons met with a loud clang.

With the blond man free, he rushed back from Cassiopeia’s spear, Antares reacting too slowly to stop him. His legs gave out, and he stumbled to his knees, his mind spinning. He was exhausted, his worn-out Gift weighing him down.

“Step back!” Eclipse shouted. His grip weakened and he looked like he was at war with himself as his mind tried to fight it. But it was enough to allow Eclipse to nick him in the side and knock Arcturus’ shortsword out of his hand. She began to turn away, her shoulder slumping with fatigue.

“Eclipse, look out!” he heard Andromeda call. Antares looked to see her and Cassiopeia struggling with the other guard.

“BASTARD!” Arcturus roared, and Antares could see through his unfocused vision that he had gotten back to his feet and somehow retrieved his sword. Eclipse had collapsed beside him, her hood pushed back.

The dark-haired man let out a laugh. He had managed to grab his sword in the scuffle, and now he swung hard at Arcturus, who slid back with faulty steps. Yet he miraculously hit the man’s bleeding arm and incited another yell of pain.

“I will kill you!” The man slashed his weapon at Arcturus, who backed away again. “Just like I killed your friend! Just like the Legion will kill everyone you love! You cannot escape it, you pestilent fool!”

Arcturus fell onto his back again, and the man stepped on his hand, pinning him to the floor.

That damned alarm bell was still ringing.

Antares tried to push himself to his feet and to run to Arcturus, tried to conjure up any bit of Speed he had left. But he wouldn’t get there in time, he wouldn’t be able to block it. He still had to try, he still had to save him.

“No…you’ll never win!” Arcturus choked out from the ground.

Behind the guard, Antares could see his blond partner running up, having broken away from his fight with Cassiopeia.

He was running straight to them.

The black-haired soldier raised his sword.

Antares was so close. So close.

Then a sickening ring of metal followed by a heavy thud. The man over Arcturus dropped, a deep red blooming at his side as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He was replaced by the other guard.

Everything came to sudden stop, all eyes directed to the blond man. Antares looked at him with confusion, but Cassiopeia wasted no time. She ran to him and grabbed hold of his neck from behind, her spear ready to tear into him.

He...he hit his partner?

“Wait!” the guard gasped, his hands raising in surrender. He dropped his sword, the metal hitting the ground with a light crash. “I just want to talk.”

“Let him speak,” instructed Antares, and Cassiopeia backed away. Her spear was still poised, and she looked at him with suspicious eyes.

The man took a breath. “Who are you?” he asked.

“Why do you want to know?” Cassiopeia responded instantly.

“No. That won’t be necessary. ” Antares reached out a hand, finally rising to his feet with a grunt. The floor swayed, but he stayed upright. “Why don’t you tell us why you knocked out your partner first?”

“I told you, I just wanted to talk. Piere here wouldn’t have let that happen.”

Antares paused, considering the guard’s thoughts.

“All right then. You want to talk? So talk. But make it quick.”

Eclipse began to stir awake. A loud crash came from the other end of the hall. The soldiers were close to breaking out of the training room.

But the guard didn’t speak. Instead, he bent over to the floor, reaching for a fallen pair of spectacles. He slid them on, blinking rapidly.

He’s lucky those weren’t crushed.

“Listen, we don’t have much time,” Antares started again. “Why did you help us? I’m sure Legion members aren’t supposed to be attacking their own.” He nodded at the dark-haired man.

Another rustle and shout down the hall, and the blond guard finally started. “I’ll ask again, who are you people?”

Antares kept it short and concise. “We oppose the Ember Legion, that’s all we can tell you.”

“I figured as much,” he muttered.

“You still didn’t answer our question,” Cassiopeia pressured. Antares signaled at her to ease off.

The guard struggled to find the right words. “I helped you because…well, I thought you could give me a chance. All I need is a chance.”

“A chance? A chance for what?”

“To escape.”

“What?” said Cassiopeia.

“I know trusting a group of deadly strangers isn’t the smartest idea, but I have no other choice. You think I want to be here? I was forced into all this! All I want is a chance to get out of this goddamn place. To escape the Ember Legion. And as long as you’re not with them…well, that’s all I need to know.”

“You were forced into this?” Cassiopeia repeated skeptically.

“I was, I swear I was. You try to oppose them, and you’re dead, it’s over. If I ever tried to leave myself, I’d be gone within the morning.”

Antares thought about it for a moment. This was an Ember Legion member, how could they trust him so easily? He could very well be leading them into a trap.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Orion.”

“Do you know a way out of here, Orion?”

“Yes, of course.”

What other choice do we have?

“All right. We’ll help you, if you lead us to the exit.” Antares reached down, picking up Orion’s sword. “But be warned, if you try anything suspicious, we will not hesitate to attack. As you can see, there are five of us, and only one of you.”

“What’s happening?” Eclipse asked dazedly as she sat up, holding her head. She took notice of Orion, her eyes immediately sharpening. “Um…is he with us?”

“For now,” Antares said, still casting a suspicious look at him. He hesitantly handed his sword to him, his own sword firmly kept at the ready.

Orion nodded. “Follow me.”

Eclipse and Cassiopeia both went for Arcturus, who was sitting against the rough wall with his injuries. Antares felt a pang of sympathy, knowing he was beat up particularly bad.

“Are you all right?” they somehow both said at the same time. Both girls looked at each other awkwardly, Arcturus glancing between them.

“Yes…” was all Antares heard before he turned his attention away.

He caught sight of Andromeda, who had fallen after Orion had broken away. He made his way over and gently grabbed her arm to help her arm. She let out a sharp gasp when he touched her wrist, and he immediately let go.

“Sorry,” she breathed.

“It’s fine. Come on,” he said as he helped her up. “Let’s get out of here.”

Antares and the others followed Orion down the hall to their right, the one Arcturus and Astrid had been tasked with checking. At the end of the corridor, there was another hall that ran through at an unusual angle.

“This way,” said Orion, turning to the right. The five of them followed hastily.

“There you are!” called a familiar voice, and Antares whipped his head behind him. “I see you were planning on leaving me behind.”

“We were beginning to think you weren’t going to make it, Astrid,” Antares replied as she approached them, running significantly faster to catch up.

“Is that…the guard from the front entrance?” she asked uneasily, her dark blue eyes scanning Orion.

“It’s…a long story. But what’s important is that we’re getting out of here.”

A loud yell came from one of the corridors, then a stampede of footsteps.

“Sounds good to me,” Astrid said as she ran.

Antares held on tightly to Andromeda, who was trying as hard as she could to run with her aching body. She cradled her arm as she ran with him, her feet faltering every few steps. He could see a set of large doors at the end of the hall, and he guessed it was their exit. In front of him stumbled Arcturus, Cassiopeia’s arms around him.

Suddenly, the doors swung open, and two guards came casually walking out, a piece of bread in one of their hands. They froze when they saw them, instantly going into a panic as they reached for their swords.

Here we go again…

Another yell. Something about seizing them maybe? Antares was too tired to register their words.

Orion turned right down the corner, desperately trying to avoid the two. One of the men charged straight for Antares and he tried to urge Andromeda to go faster, unable to reach for his sword with her at his side. Eclipse intercepted for him, knocking away the man’s sword with her own. Antares nodded to her thankfully.

Just at the end of the hall was a large opening, a blackness leading out through an infinite tunnel.

“This is it,” said Orion, before immediately vanishing off to the void.

Antares and the others exchanged uneasy glances. All they could do now was trust him.

And so they followed him into the darkness.