"I see you had a little help, Falina, but I'm curious why this guy is here and not your brother."
Falina studied her gaze, searching for any signs of discomfort. Morianna is nothing, but Artemis being present is sooo unfair.
"Who cares about that boring show-off? Don't you have other headaches to worry about?"
Artemis lightly smiled, planting her palms on Morianna's shoulders. "Now she wants to be tight-lipped. At this rate, we may never find your sister. It'll be sad if Irva never gets the chance to prove her innocence."
"Your suggestion is not necessary," she answered, taking off at high speed as her form turned into tails of darkness.
Agnas tensed as she materialized in front of him. She went after me!? Before he could react, he was struck in the chest.
Falina watched him fall into her grasp, like his soul was knocked clean out of him. "Good riddance to that nosy dog. You planning on burning him?" she entertained, deliberating her next steps.
"That sentence would be more fitting for a cute brat like yourself." A surge of pink fire amassed around Artemis, her eyes turning a deep green. "Enough talk. It's a shame you have to be reminded that you're just a fly to us."
She jetted her arm, the fire swirled in Falina's direction—engulfing her.
Artemis dropped her arm to her side, taking deep breaths. Sweat followed down her face as she fought to keep standing.
Whatever this sickness is, it sure is a vibe killer. But that's not an excuse to show weakness like a loser.
"Morianna, sweetie! You can let the Directors know I took care of her!"
Morianna, who was struggling to carry Agnas, nodded. Despite her being Abna, whatever was affecting her was taking a bigger toll than she expected.
The pink fire shifted, snatching Artemis's attention as it compressed into a single point. "How rude, to ring the bell without giving me a chance. So not cool."
Artemis's countenance darkened. "You're an Abna!?" She focused her entire senses on her, detecting what she couldn't find the first time they met.
"You can mask your Abna energy...? No, a trick like that is impossible. Who are you?" Flames burst from her palms.
"I'm impressive, right!? Just kidding—not even I can pull off such a feat." She redirected the compressed flames, infusing them with her own flame element.
The heat was enough to burn Artemis's skin from a distance.
Artemis tried to control the incoming flames, yet the force threw her off her feet, thrashing her through the door.
The violent flames continued their rampage, singeing anything within a few feet.
With a shout, Artemis dispersed the flames. Her features contorted upon seeing her ruined cloak.
"What in the blazes is happening out there!?" a Director shouted behind her.
Urimah tightly clasped his arm as he met Artemis's stone gaze, her carefree demeanor gone.
"You were manipulated, you stuck-up idiot!"
Morianna came beaming into the room, breaking through the metallic table. Blood cruised from beneath her mask, but her breathing was noticeable.
Aluzara reached Urimah's side, frowning in silence. "Irva and Hezekiah finally made their way here?"
Artemis coldly laughed. "Your basement bitch was actually an Abna—a strong one, unfortunately."
Falina stepped through the entrance, wielding a dark, pulsing ball of energy. "Oh! Did I interrupt something? I can come back another day."
Artemis tensed her arms. If I didn't feel like trash today, I would've ripped you apart already!
"Morianna, stand up," Urimah finally spoke. He kept observing Falina, no visible wounds were on her. Did she push Artemis back while remaining unscathed?
"She's asleep. Let her rest, will ya?"
Artemis's skin rippled, bulging until sharp bones spiked from her skin. "Stop getting cocky." The bones curved and locked into place, forming a tiger-like structure.
Artemis dropped to all fours, coated with blue ice, nearly resembling a saber-tooth tiger.
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Heramon edged his way to one of the corners of the walls, noticing he was in direct line of sight with Falina. How long must we keep putting up with unexpected variables? That stern man...
"My god, you're embarrassing. Why is the Main Branch's Observer getting desperate?"
The black energy exploded into sharp needles. Walls of ice sprung from the ground, shielding the most important Directors. The rest had their skin rotted instantly upon being impaled; a couple survived by pure luck.
Artemis raced toward her, cursing her weakened state. Falina, preparing to counter, was frozen in ice. "You arrogant whore!" Her claws shattered the ice, completely destroying her target.
The last two lower-ranked Directors released a captive breath, glad the Main Branch scheduled an Observer to be with them today.
Silence lingered a moment, the room's ravaged state stained its former glory.
Urimah stepped beside Artemis as she reverted, yet the killing intent still swam through her veins.
"You're not part of the Main Branch for nothing. Forgive me for my past rudeness." He slightly bowed. "If you wish, you're free to resume the meet—"
"Are you stupid?" she interrupted. "I'm a hair away from slicing out your heart and feeding it to Shadow Eaters. Do you not realize that girl was most likely a spy planted by someone? And let's not forget—you're now low on Directors to properly manage anything."
Aluzara was about to intervene but was caught by Heramon's arm, signaling her to stay out of it.
Urimah folded his hands behind him. "I understand. It all happened under my watch. I'll take full responsibility, but I request my life remain intact."
Now you're smart enough not to argue? It was adorable to flex your baseless superiority the first time, but this is sickening.
"Aluzara, I'm thinking of putting in a good word for you with the higher-ups. Expect some exciting news." She winked before facing Urimah again.
"Don't have the final say in regards to your request, but I'd kill for that kind of authority. Expect your days to be numbered when I return."
The scattered ice fragments shot into the air, melting away as several copies of Falina regenerated from the splintered chunks.
"She's not dead!?" Heramon voiced.
"What...?" was all Artemis muttered, before spikes of metal penetrated her from beneath. Her spine skewered.
Blood spurted from her mouth. One of the copies clasped her neck and shoved a dark ball of energy down her throat.
She flailed her arms, her legs unresponsive. Her eyes strained with blood as tears streamed down, her stomach burned in agony.
"Stop crying. It's not that serious," Falina stated. The last lower-ranked survivors sprinted toward the exit but were caught by the other copies. Their heads torn off with little effort.
Urimah and the two Directors watched in horror.
What did I bring in here? Urimah asked himself, staying close to the other two.
"You have two choices—one if you're smart. Be obedient puppies, or be my playthings for the next hour," one of the copies said.
Artemis's movements were waning, and the Inner Circle were nowhere in sight.
"What do you need us alive for? Won't you waste us once you get what you desire?" Heramon asked, perplexed how she was even alive.
"Is that option number two I hear?"
Aluzara shared an anxious look with the others before speaking. "Never mind him. What's next for us?"
A green portal manifested before them.
"You've all seen this before. Do I need to say more?"
"You're taking us to the other world?" Urimah questioned. "Unless you want to be sent to prison, it's safe to assume you're under instruction from the Unity Council?"
"Move on, slow-wits."
Urimah frowned, proceeding without another word. But when he reached the portal, it was as if an invisible barrier prevented him from entering.
"What is this? Is this another one of your games, Falina?" Heramon cautiously probed.
"Are you seriously playing dumb?" One of the clones kicked his knee, the bone snapped the wrong way.
His cry stirred Aluzara's alertness, she watched him suffer and writhe on the ground.
"Cutting a head off is no big deal if it gets you sluggers moving. Don't tell me you believe Artemis still has a chance?"
Urimah placed his hand on the barrier again, disregarding her threat. No matter how much pressure he applied, it wouldn't budge.
"Aluzara, if I remember correctly, you said no one could leave this place because of some invisible force. I never imagined it would apply here as well."
She wanted to agree but feared Falina's retaliation. Her unpredictability was concerning—this was too far.
"Out of the way, old head." Shoving Urimah aside, her hand collided with the barrier. "Huh. You guys were serious?"
Knowing her brother and others passed through just fine, it made no sense for this to suddenly happen.
"So you have nothing to do with the chaos on our public floors?" Aluzara asked.
Police vehicles and ambulances were seen pulling up to the entrance, maneuvering through curious onlookers. "I'm not dumb enough to cause whatever you guys did."
Urimah half-crossed his arms. "You think we can make hands disappear suddenly and infect our staff with random diseases?"
Falina sat on one of the sofa armrests. No one knew what was happening, but there was clearly a third party involved—a strong one.
Come to think of it, my brother mentioned microscopic parasites in the air. He was in a rush for us to leave—did he know what was going on?
Her lips curved. "And here I thought he was being a bad liar again. But Irva sure possesses a powerful ability. I wonder if I can make use of her."
The more she recalled the conversation between Elaine and Hezekiah, the more plausible it became that they were the cause of this.
Heramon grimaced on the ground, drenched in sweat. "It wouldn't hurt to confirm my guess." She said.
Aluzara instinctively stepped back when Falina approached, relieved she picked up Heramon.
"Urimah, indulge me in an experiment." Falina shattered a window using Heramon's body, knocking him unconscious before dropping him.
Urimah observed her copies, recalling how she had been shattered in the ice. "It all makes sense now. You and your brother share the same abilities. That's why he's still alive."
"What a lovely theory. Now stop stalling and get over here."
He reluctantly obeyed, keeping distance from the edge. "Isn't immortality and resurrection just fiction?"
Aluzara swallowed, torn between fleeing or staying. The stench of death warned her of the consequences. At this rate, execution by the Unity Council was inevitable.
She grabbed his arm. "Don't know why you're asking me." Swiping his feet, she threw him toward the edge. His back slammed into the unseen barrier. He fell to the ground, coughing in pain.
"Wow, so you can make that expression." She straightened her hand and turned to Heramon, driving it through his gut.
Aluzara's stomach twisted when she lifted him. She's grabbing him by the spine!?
She tossed his body out the window effortlessly—the repelling force gone.
A grin surfaced. "Well, well. And he also knew how to escape."
Though she couldn't remember everything he said, the frantic nonsense lingered.
She recalled him telling Irva to fatally cut herself to escape. It only further confirmed that all of this stemmed from them—or at least Irva's power.
"Before we ride off into fairyland, I'd love to have a talk with Kiann. I hope you weren't too harsh on him."