The metal door before Tucker groaned as the hinges cried out. Light from the hall pierced through the crack, flooding the chamber in a bright cone. His hand remained firmly on the hilt of his blade as a man wearing an azure robe with silver embroidery stepped through, eyes wide with fear.

  “Intrud—”

  Too slow.

  The words died in his mouth as Tucker thrust his lumenite blade forward. With a single step, Tucker entered the hall. Everything around him seemed to blur. The look of fear in the mages’ eyes, the disbelief twisting their faces. None of it mattered. Not as his sword pierced further into the man’s throat, before ripping it free with a vicious diagonal cut that tore across the second mage’s chest.

  Before the body could collapse, Tucker turned his attention to the third mage to the side, grabbing the man’s throat with his left hand.

  “No—wait—”

  SNAP.

  Tucker crushed the man’s neck, watching it go limp within his grasp. He stared at the two remaining mages with eyes devoid of warmth. Shivers crawled up their spines. They spun on their heels, but before they could even take a step. It was already too late. A dagger struck the fourth mage between the shoulders, draining the strength from his body as a scream escaped his lips. His gaze fell, but not before catching a glimpse of Alex closing in on his comrade.

  A flash of silver followed by a gurgled gasp. That was it before blood slid onto the stone steps, streaking downward in thin red trails as the hall fell quiet once more.

  The fourth mage stared at the two watchmen in disbelief. “H-h-how are watchmen here!? We chased you to the other side of the city!”

  Tucker didn’t say a word, releasing the neck he broke with ease as he approached the last mage. His steps made no noise, and before the last emerald mage could move, a thin crimson line bloomed across his neck. A glint of emerald was all it took to send the head rolling on the ground with a hollow thud.

  “These aren’t battle mages,” Alex muttered, crouching beside one of the bodies. “Blue robes with silver embroidery… they’re researchers. Barely trained at all for combat.”

  “In that case, it makes things easier for us.” Tucker knelt and stripped the azure robe from the fallen mage. He sheathed his sword and took the dagger strapped to the man’s waist. His arms slid into the long blue sleeves with the disguise hanging loosely on him. “It’s not perfect, but it’ll do.”

  Alex raised a brow. “What’s your plan?”

  “I’m going to make my way to the center of the tower.”

  The veteran shook his head. “I know I told you to draw their attention, but that’s pushing it. Even for you.”

  “I wouldn’t have suggested it if it weren’t doable.” Tucker locked eyes with Alex. “There’s far more at stake here than what we originally thought.”

  “You always take your role too far,” Alex criticized.

  “It’s just who I am.” Tucker smiled while pulling the hood over his helm. He hid the dagger in his sleeve and walked up the staircase.

  Alex clicked his tongue. He couldn’t disagree with what Tucker had said. “I won’t be close enough for immediate support, but once you stir the hornet’s nest, that’s when I’ll move.”

  Tucker looked over his shoulder and gave a curt nod. There wasn’t a need to say another word. Both of them knew what they had to do. Now, it was just a matter of fulfilling their roles. Each step carried Tucker closer to the fate that awaited him. One paved with nothing but blood, grief, and the quiet resolve he’d chosen long ago. He made his way through the wooden door leading to the main floor of the tower.

  Dozens of guards stood scattered across the lobby while mages with blue robes and white embroidery rushed through the first floor. They had turned the lobby into a makeshift supply station with potions, weapons, and magic scrolls spread out across a series of wooden desks. Tucker’s gaze swept across the room. If he drew too close to the iron-plated guards, they would recognize his gear beneath the robe. And the ones wearing the emerald patches seemed the most troublesome, flaunting their authority around.

  “Where the hell are those reinforcements!?” one emerald guard furiously shouted.

  “At the main gates!” A frantic researcher replied. “Everheart forces launched their attack once the port exploded, and we’re scrambling to get mages there now!”

  “And that damn fire?”

  “We haven’t stopped it! We don’t even know what started it!” The mage’s voice trembled. “A-and… we’ve lost contact with the team we sent over there.”

  “You’re all fucking worthless.”

  Tucker kept his hood low and ignored the surrounding conversations. He hurried through the first floor, slipping between desks and rushing mages while aiming for the far staircase. But before he could even make it past the halfway point, the emerald guard’s glare landed on him.

  “Oi, you over there!”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Tucker stood still.

  “If you finished your task early, then you should damn well know that Elder Pyron has ordered all low ranks to report to him.”

  Tucker didn’t turn or move a muscle.

  “This guy…” the guard spat on the ground as the other emerald guards snickered.

  The emerald guard stormed towards Tucker in wide strides, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Tucker kept his head down, trying to hide the wide brim of his helm with his hood. Light spilled across his hooded figure. With each step, Tucker slowly backed away towards the center of the chamber. His fingers tightened around the dagger hidden in his sleeve.

  “Look at this bastard run,” the man sneered, glancing at his companion. He stopped right in front of Tucker and grabbed onto his shoulder. “This is why all non-combatant mages are so pathetic. They don’t have an ounce of dignity—”

  Droplets of blood fell across his face before he even registered what had happened. His eyes drifted to the side where his comrade was. Tucker’s hand was already at his friend’s throat. Dagger lodged deep as a bloodcurdling sound filled the hall.

  The first guard barely had time to breathe before Tucker ripped the blade free. Aura flared along the edge of his blade. He grabbed the man’s forearm and yanked him forward.

  “You talk too much,” Tucker said, twisting the dagger into the emerald guard’s stomach. He pulled the blade out before jamming it back in several more times.

  The emerald guard’s body convulsed as blood splattered across the marble floor. All the guards in the Emerald Tower watched in shock, their expressions dropping to the ground before snapping in realization.

  “Watchman!” someone screamed.

  Tucker stared at the guards that stormed the lobby and the mages that ran to the second floor. One by one, the magic lanterns were shattering into tiny fragments of embers. The room faded into darkness, with the only source of light landing on his figure. Spears and swords were drawn as the noise of weapons clattering entered his ears.

  He tossed the lifeless body aside, slamming it against the wooden tables and sending splinters throughout the air. The guards slowly inched closer. A look of disgust surfaced on Tucker’s face.

  How many knew what was happening down below?

  The question lingered in his mind as the surrounding wind grew stronger. Gale landed on his shoulder from above, and for once, it felt like their souls had aligned. Threads of wind essence curled around the scattered swords resting on the wooden tables. Blades rattled one after another.

  The guards stared in bewilderment. Countless swords rose into the air, releasing a tremor of fear that rippled through the mages. Each blade pointed at the guards forming an unsteady line at the base of the stairs. Tucker steadied the threads.

  With Gale here, he didn’t need to worry about the aim. Marks of essence manifested on each guard in the shape of a circle with a cross through the center. The only concern was the power behind each attack. He snapped his fingers, releasing the swords that were hovering in the air as they shot towards the guards like bolts freed from a ballista.

  A metallic clank rang out through the lobby. Those who were too slow found the swords deeply embedded in their bodies. And those who defended the attack were blown back into the stone below, shattering the floors. Dust rose from the ground. Voices died as they came, and in the orchestra of death, a faint sound entered Tucker’s ears. His gaze shifted to the figure standing far above him. At the very top of the staircase was an old man, donning an azure robe with gold seams.

  His long, grey beard draped over his chest as he coldly stared at Tucker from his vantage point. The heavy, overgrown eyebrows framing the man’s face heightened the wrinkles aged with cruelty. He brought his hands together. A single clap cut through the chamber, slicing straight through the screams of the guards. Then another. And another. Each strike of his palms was long and drawn out as if it were dripping with mockery.

  “Somehow, you watchmen keep crawling into my tower no matter where I go,” the man said. “I’ll have to admit, you’re either remarkably clever or ridiculously stupid for pulling off such a stunt. I never would’ve imagined you would use one of our robes to walk in here, but…” His words slowly trailed off. “…even if you did, you wouldn’t have made it so far with that amateurish disguise. So tell me—how did you infiltrate my branch?”

  “Wouldn’t you like to know?” Tucker hurled his dagger at the man, but the moment it drew close, an arrow shot forth, knocking it aside.

  The man raised a brow at the voice, fixing his crimson eyes on the young watchman. “Ah… of course. It’s you.”

  Tucker’s gaze swept across the balcony. Around the mage wearing gold-accented robes were the same figures imitating the Order. He didn’t need to glance at the other mages to know who this person was. The mages flinched at the old man’s presence, leaving the kind of fear that existed with only one person.

  “Elder Pyron…” Tucker muttered.

  “In the flesh,” Pyron replied, slowly swinging one arm theatrically to the side while placing his other hand over his heart. “Commander of the fallen bastion. Golem slayer of the Kingdom.” He leaned forward in a mocking bow. “It truly is an honor to see you again. I never imagined the young watchman who escaped with Salamander that night would grow into such a persistent thorn.”

  “And I never would’ve imagined that such a vile and twisted person such as yourself would exist,” Tucker uttered in a voice seething with disgust. He drew the lumenite blade from its scabbard. “Is there even an ounce of humanity in that hollow heart of yours?”

  Pyron chuckled, tapping a finger against his temple. “I see… so that’s how you got into my tower. You must have come through the basement and spoken with those… traitors.”

  Tucker’s fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword. The sight of the tortured Skyward mages entered his mind.

  “Or better yet, did you witness the fruits of our labour? I imagine you’ve already seen what’s inside those golems,” Pyron said with a grin. “After all… There were only reports of one wind contractor at Stafford.”

  The fabric of Tucker’s leather gloves stretched over his knuckles as Adira’s bruised body flashed through his memory.

  “Of course! I’m referring to the future of magical engineering. The ingredients that volunteered to pave the way for humanity. To be a part of history!”

  Tucker’s voice broke with anger. “They were just children…”

  “There’s no need to be so dramatic. You watchmen should understand better than anyone else the sacrifices that need to be made.” Pyron gestured to the men standing beside him. “Had I not intervened, they would’ve died like mutts starving on the streets.”

  “They were just children,” he screamed. “And you robbed them of their future!”

  “Oh, please, their future?” Pyron rolled his eyes. “What future exists for those with no value? They were beggars, slaves—vermin without any rights, without purpose! I merely put them to use.”

  He studied Tucker’s reaction and then sighed. “And here I thought you, of all people, would understand. But it seems I was wrong. Forget it; I’ve spoken for too long.”

  The Elder raised his hand as the Empire’s covert forces drew their bows in perfect unison. Bright magic circles hummed from the mages on the second floor. Two outer rings spun in harmony, one for repetition and another for amplification. Yet as all the spells and bows locked in on Tucker, something in him snapped.

  The world around him seemed to shrink to a single point. Like threads tightly wrapped around his heart, suffocating the essence of who he was. Until finally snapping, unable to hold back the fury within his soul.

  Difficult chapter to write, some parts might be a bit confusing. If you guys have trouble reading it, let me know which section, and I'll beat my keyboard over it once more.

  Also check out Extra27's story! It's rare for us to get a shoutout with a story sharing the same genre, so you guys will probably like it.

  I have also started editing the first book more thoroughly, so there will be more fun stuff in the future.

  Anyways, thanks for reading and I'll see ya in the next one ~

  120 Ratings Goal - Bonus Chapter (Owed Chapters -> 0)

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