Nux Valtorin stood in front of the large window in his room, staring out at the night sky. For most nobles, large windows into their bedrooms represented large risks. There were plenty of assassins out there these days, most of them created by the hardships forced on them by their lord’s policies.

  Nux scoffed.

  He hated the vain nobles the most. The ones who instead of helping their serfs live, use them to line their own pockets. They would always wonder why the Valtorin family had such strength and why the people in their territory were so loyal, and every time the Valtorin patriarch would say that they support the commoners, as leaders were supposed to do.

  Funnily enough, the assassins that would come for Nux on the regular sent by families of conflicting ideologies only served to solidify Nux’s belief, and the people's belief in him.

  The assassins weren't a problem for Nux though. Between his own strength, and the bodyguard by his side, it would take much more than mere assassins to bring him down. Besides, the defeat of an assassin in Nux’s bedroom would always be a morale booster for those living beneath him.

  “Bellum,” Nux began. “How’s the interrogation of the assassin from last week coming along?”

  “It’s completed already, actually.”

  Nux turned his head and raised an eyebrow.

  “Really? That was fast.”

  “That’s because this man wasn’t a trained assassin. He broke rather quickly.”

  Bellum handed his student several sheets of paper. It was the dossier that he created while interrogating the assassin. Nux took it in his hand and began to read through its contents. As he did, his expression gradually soured. By the end of it, his face was a whirlwind of rage.

  “The Merja family, as expected. They’ve always had grievances against us. But to go this far? It’s infuriating.”

  “Indeed, my lord. The assassin’s testimony is alarming. We had one of our truth-seekers use the confession spell, and everything that is written was confirmed to be true.”

  “He’s no longer an assassin, Bellum. He’s a victim of the Merja family. Starting now, treat him as a guest. We’ll need him to recover.”

  “Actually, aside from the injuries he sustained from the fight last week, he is completely fine. He didn’t resist interrogation at all. That’s why it took a week to make the report, as our truthseekers were spread thin. We had one of them come back this morning.”

  “Give the truth-seeker a bonus.” Nux shook his head in disgust. “I always knew that the leadership of the Merja family was vile, but to abduct a man’s family to force him to assassinate me is beyond vile. Do we know where the family is being held?”

  “Silverbrook, sir.”

  “Silverbrook…That sure is fortuitous.”

  “I share your thoughts.”

  As Nux stared at the stars above, he became uncharacteristically rattled. The meeting earlier in the day had left an impression on him, and not a good one. To be told that the world was facing almost certain doom was a tough pill to swallow. It was even tougher for Nux, who was told that he’d become a demigod and lead the world to salvation. He was used to responsibility. He was born and raised with the expectations and knowledge that he would one day lead House Valtorin. But to go from controlling a territory to saving the world was a large leap.

  ‘Can I do this?’

  Nux’s stare hardened alongside his conviction.

  ‘I have to. To protect those less fortunate than I, I have to save the world.’

  “It’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” Nux said with a self-deprecating smile.

  “Sir?”

  “Father Aldren’s revelation. The end of the world. It’s a lot to take in.”

  Bellum nodded solemnly.

  “You’re feeling the weight of your responsibilities, aren’t you?”

  Nux gave a soft chuckle.

  “A bit. It hasn’t fully set in, but I am already worried.”

  “Anyone would be. Father Aldren was afraid as well. That’s why he came to us, sir. Because he believes that you will be able to save the world.”

  Nux cringed and turned away from the window.

  “That’s not really what I wanted to hear, if I’m being honest. I don’t know what I wanted to hear, but it wasn’t that.”

  Bellum gave a short bow.

  “My apologies, sir.”

  Nux waved a hand dismissively.

  “Don’t worry about it.” He sighed. “There has to be another option, right? I can’t be the only who finds this whole thing crazy. A lone hero doped up with divinity against annihilation itself is a recipe for disaster.”

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  A new voice entered the chat.

  “You’re not the only one to think so, child.”

  Nux and Bellum whipped their heads around to Nux’s bed, at the edge of which sat Aldren, with one foot resting on the floor, and the other foot folded to rest on his knee. It gave off a relaxed impression, but both Nux and Bellum knew that he was just hiding his worry.

  “Father Aldren,” both of them said, greeting him with a short bow.

  “Cut the formalities, both of you. We did that already at the meeting. If I wanted to be met with endless praise, I’d return to the cathedral.”

  Nux and Bellum relaxed. There was nothing quite like a person of superior authority telling you to drop formalities and be normal.

  “What brings you here tonight?” Nux asked. “Shouldn’t you be preparing for our pilgrimage?”

  “Your pilgrimage,” Aldren emphasized. “I won’t be coming along. Something came up. Something that if left unchecked could end the world ahead of schedule. The Setting Sun has been making some moves now, after all these years.”

  “The Setting Sun?” Nux asked. “The assassin organization created out of spite for your church?”

  “That’s the one. We’ve received reports that Blood Mage Loris and Shadow Lance Nocturne have been seen. It’s likely that they’ve also received a revelation of the end and are attempting to ensure its arrival. I’ll be leading a crusade against them while you are on your pilgrimage.”

  “That’s…not great,” Nux said.

  Aldren nodded sadly.

  “This wasn’t the outcome either of us were hoping for, I know. But I also know that if anyone can harness the power of the Godstone, it’s you. We’ll clear the path for you. All you have to do is get to Starlight Grove. Bathe in the Pool of Starlight, and complete your communion."

  Nux sighed again. The pressure was on. Aldren continued.

  “Which brings me to part two of me being here.”

  Aldren reached into his pocket and pulled out a small case that looked like what someone would keep an engagement ring in before getting on one knee. Aldren opened the box, and a burst of energy rushed out like wind. He quickly closed it and handed it to the prince and soon-to-be saviour.

  “Godstone,” Aldren said. “Keep it safe at all times. That is the key to humanity’s survival. It has to be you, Nux. You’re the only one who can save us.”

  Nux clenched his jaw, and tried to calm his nerves. He couldn’t get upset at this. He had to stay calm. Humanity wouldn’t rally behind an angry saviour. He turned his head back out the window. Below, he could see the servants of the house rush around trying to get all of their affairs in order before the expedition began in the morning.

  Among them, there was one man who was walking at a leisurely pace towards Nux’s building while yawning. Nux’s personal attendant. Nux’s eyes narrowed as Arden came closer to the building.

  ‘What has he been doing since earlier?’ Nux wondered.

  Aldren suddenly appeared at Nux’s side and looked out the window, also staring at Arden.

  “One last thing,” Aldren said. “I’ve talked to your attendant as well. He was evasive in answering questions about his identity. A lot of what he said was a lie, but the one thing he didn’t lie about was the oncoming calamity. He knows about it.”

  Nux’s eyes shot towards the pope.

  “How is that possible?”

  “He’s from another world. There was some strange interference, but I was able to see that world in his memories. It's all pretty fuzzy though.”

  “He let you use your mental link?”

  “He didn’t realize I was using it. When I told him about it, I neglected to tell him that I could read some memories. In his world, the event is called the StarFall, and when it happened, every star in the sky disappeared.”

  Nux’s eyes returned to Arden, who had still not noticed that he was being watched. Arden continued to saunter closer to the building, giving a few of the servants some help with their mundane tasks after making strange hand signs to try to communicate with them. Most of his aid came in the form of carrying supplies.

  Nux was unsure why he was doing what he was doing. Was it possible that the transmigrator was a good person?

  “What am I supposed to do with this information?” Nux asked.

  “Keep him by your side through the expedition. He knows about the StarFall, but we don’t know if he’s here to help or not. To him, this event is a trial. Nothing more. For all we know, he could be here to steal the Godstone.”

  Nux held the case in his hand. Within held salvation for humanity. He just needed to keep it safe.

  ‘I won’t let anyone steal the Godstone. An event that can result in total human extinction, and it’s just a trial for him.’

  Nux was livid.

  ‘How dare he make light of our world.’

  “Until we know for sure,” Aldren continued. “Keep an eye on him. Make use of him. Get information out of him. You are the only one who can save the world, but his information could be vital.”

  Aldren gave Nux a reassuring pat on his shoulder, and the pope disappeared.

  Bellum joined Nux at the window and also began observing the transmigrator in the attendant’s body.

  “Bellum,” Nux said. “About my orders regarding the attendant.”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Find out everything about him that you can before we depart in the morning. Find out what he’s done since this afternoon. Who he’s talked to, who he’s been seen with. Everything. This is more important than finding the attendants' past. Who he was before no longer matters. Only what he is now.”

  “By your command.”

  “I refuse to let the world come to an end because an outworlder intervened. This is our world. Not his. You may go.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nux cast one last withering gaze towards his attendant down below before closing the curtains. Instinctively, he held the case containing the Godstone close to his chest, as if he was afraid it would get snatched away as Bellum left. Nux sat on his bed where Aldren just sat and grumbled to himself, while wiping away the soot on the floor with his foot.

  “Why did the pope have to say it so many times?”

  Nux lost track of the amount of times Aldren said that only he could save the world. Nux knew it was meant to be inspirational, but it felt more like a burden at this juncture.

  ‘Whatever. Just get to the Starlight Grove. I can’t do it yet, but with the Godstone, I can become someone who can shoulder the burden. I have to.’

  “Let’s take it one step at a time. Focus on what’s in front of you. Begin with the Merja issue. We can solve that along the way to the Starlight Grove. Silverbrook is between here and there.”

  As Nux lay in bed, he looked at one of the swords mounted on the opposite wall. Normally, he would train before bed, but tonight he’d need all the sleep he could get before the expedition.

  After a moment of thought, Nux got up and retrieved the sword, and crawled back to bed with it in one hand, and the Godstone in the other.

  “I won’t let him take the Godstone…” he muttered.