Leroy returned to his seat in the underground chamber of Pristine House, the stone walls sweating cold as they always did. He did not wait long this time. Cheng arrived first, then Burgess, then Balthazar, no more than ten minutes separating one from the next. The gathering felt deliberate, almost rehearsed, as if the night itself had arranged their steps.

  Once Leroy was certain that only the three of them were physically present, he began without ceremony. The others listened in silence.

  Cheng placed three transmitters on the table. Their dull lights pulsed faintly, already connected to Lisa, Captain Zaragoza, and Nolan, none of whom could attend in person.

  “Mia, Axel, and Solana,” Leroy said. “Where are they?”

  Cheng shook his head.

  Static crackled from one of the devices before a voice emerged, breathless and uneven. “First brother, forgive me. I could not attend today and the meetings before. My contract does not end until next month.” Nolan’s voice, the youngest among them, carried the sound of open land and distance.

  “That is no trouble,” Leroy replied calmly. “I appreciate that you still chose to join us.”

  Nolan laughed softly. “I had to walk ten kilometers just to reach a signal. Transmitter towers are rare out here.”

  “I see,” Leroy said. “Development has never been even. That may also explain why the other three could not join us.”

  Before he could continue, Burgess spoke, his words shaped by the lazy confidence of a lion that knew its strength. “Perhaps it is time, first brother, that you grant us authority to oversee those Cogworks laborers directly.”

  “They clearly need motivation,” Balthazar added, his tone smooth but sharp beneath the surface.

  “Enough,” Leroy said. “Leave them be. The council is in no hurry over this matter.”

  Laughter echoed through the transmitters. Lisa was somewhere in the east on a covert assignment, having only recently departed District Four. Zaragoza remained entangled in the abyss mines, where time lost meaning and men learned to fear silence. Nolan explained that he was aiding the northern kingdom, driving off bandits hiding in the forests and stealing grain from a realm aligned with the Elementalist Faction.

  As for Mia, Axel, and Aira, their absence came without explanation. Their missions were sealed, as was often the case. In truth, they were not even on the Mainland. Even without orders, syndicate leaders rarely stayed still. They wandered with their followers, crossed borders, recruited from foreign kingdoms, and let the world shape them into something harder.

  “Leroy,” Lisa said at last, her voice steady despite the distance. “Why summon us so suddenly? Is there something urgent?”

  “No,” he answered. “I only want all of you to hear something. Something that may concern the future of our faction.”

  The moment the words left his mouth, the room went still. Even Burgess and Balthazar straightened in their seats, abandoning their usual ease. The underground chamber seemed to draw tighter around them, as if the stone itself were listening.

  With measured care, Leroy began to speak to his own faction. He stated plainly that the Mainland had grown crowded compared to two years prior, driven by the promise of better lives. Yet alongside that growth, Districts Two through Six were now saturated with the followers of the Nine weapon master syndicate leaders. He did not soften the truth. Their presence had begun to create new problems, ones tied to civilian safety and the shrinking freedom of movement within the city.

  Before continuing, Leroy let his gaze pass over the three men seated before him. No one spoke. They knew the nature of their followers well. The transmitters remained silent as well, a quiet consent urging the Green Wraith to go on.

  Leroy understood this reality better than most. The Nine syndicate leaders could no longer remain concentrated in the Mainland, not when commonfolk from every corner of the All Realm continued to flood in, all seeking to join them. Other factions faced the same strain. The time had come, he explained, for the Nine to establish colonies far beyond the reach of the All Realm itself. The council would provide land and protection for this expansion.

  “Wait,” Balthazar cut in, panic slipping through his voice. “So the council is exiling us.”

  “Exile or not,” Leroy replied evenly, “your numbers have grown beyond control. The Mainland is too narrow to serve as a seat of governance, civilian settlement, and a faction stronghold all at once.”

  Another transmitter crackled to life. “But we have behaved,” Lisa argued. “What exactly is the council wanna do?”

  “Our people may be bastards,” Zaragoza added, “but they are feared there.”

  Cheng slammed his fist against the table and fixed Leroy with a hard stare. “Do not tell me this came from one of Rufus’s reports. What lie did he spin about us this time?”

  “I almost forgot that bastard,” Burgess growled. “With his Vanguard title, he wants sole authority over the Mainland.”

  “Listen!” Leroy said sharply.

  But the room had already ignited. Voices overlapped, arguments clashed, transmitters howled with disagreement. The decision felt sudden to them, almost unthinkable. The Mainland had been home to the weapon masters since the first Extraterrestrials revealed themselves and took an active role in the All Realm.

  Leroy restrained himself and let the heat burn down on its own, resting his chin on his hand as the storm passed. Refusals echoed again and again. Lisa even suggested halting recruitment entirely.

  “Closing recruitment will not solve this, Lisa,” Leroy said at last. “You yourselves admitted that you no longer know your own upper ranks. Our faction has no laws. Every faction faces this, even those as rigid as the sorcerers.”

  Silence followed.

  “So what are you saying, first brother?” Zaragoza asked cautiously.

  “This was discussed in the Silver Chair as well,” Leroy continued. “We cannot deny those who choose this path of life.”

  He was cut off again.

  “And who even wants to be a soldier tied to one region anymore,” Balthazar said. “That life is dull.”

  Zaragoza laughed. “The All Realm is vast. There is more out there worth chasing than walls.”

  “Listen to me, you fools,” Leroy snapped, his voice rising. “I am not finished.”

  Balthazar shut his mouth at once. Cheng hid his laughter behind his hand.

  “That is precisely why,” Leroy went on, “because you all wander so freely, you should already know that there are lands far wider than this. Places where you can settle, expand, and even fight among yourselves without Rufus breathing down your necks.”

  Burgess reached out and placed a heavy hand on Leroy’s shoulder. His eyes carried an uncharacteristic sadness.

  “Even if we go far away,” he said quietly, “we will always remember our homeland.”

  Cheng scratched the back of his head. “Since when has the Mainland been our homeland, you furball.”

  Laughter rolled through the chamber once more. Leroy leaned back in his chair, letting the sound wash over him.

  “But I never imagined a time when we would no longer be in the Mainland,” Nolan said through the transmitter. “If that happens, everything will change, will it not.”

  "Nolan right, Leroy,” Lisa added. “We are not suited to ruling territory. That means laws and other nation building things. We stayed in the Mainland because the council maintained neutral ground there.”

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Leroy lifted his glass and drained it in one swallow. “Rules can be written,” he said. “I only wanted to hear your thoughts, should such a future come to pass.”

  Several of the leaders nodded slowly. Silence followed. Then Balthazar rose from his seat and fastened his coat.

  “If there is nothing else to discuss, first brother,” he said lightly, “I will take my leave. The sun is calling.”

  Cheng and Burgess moved to stand as well, and the transmitters began to dim. Before anyone could depart, Leroy raised his hand.

  “Sit down, all of you” he said. “This meeting is not over.”

  They obeyed.

  “There are two reasons I called you here,” Leroy continued. “The first was territory. The second is this. What are your thoughts on cloning.”

  They settled back into their seats.

  “What is that,” Burgess asked, scratching the mane flaring around his neck. “I have never heard the word.”

  The others stared at Leroy in shared confusion. He explained the program briefly. They nodded as they listened, curiosity slowly replacing uncertainty.

  “So, there can be two of me?” Zaragoza asked.

  “Cursed be the All Realm,” Cheng muttered. “One Zargoz is already trouble enough.”

  “Imagine it,” Balthazar laughed. “An army where everyone has Burgess’s body. Stronger than the Abyss itself.”

  Laughter erupted again, filling the underground hall. Everyone laughed except Leroy. The syndicate leaders were missing the weight of it entirely.

  Nolan spoke again, more carefully this time. “First brother, do you intend to place these clones within our forces.”

  “And who could even create such things,” Lisa asked. “Sorcerers. Cogworks. Or something like relic.”

  Leroy’s expression hardened. His gaze moved from one face to the next, sharp and unblinking.

  “I will be direct,” he said. “I intend to test cloning for forces under the council’s command and station them in the Mainland.”

  The laughter died instantly.

  The weight of Leroy’s words took a moment to settle. The syndicate leaders stared into the space between thought and consequence, translating his meaning in silence. It lasted only minutes before the room fractured again into argument.

  “So Rufus gets a clone army,” Balthazar blurted out. “What about me?”

  “Are there conditions for us to receive them as well?” Burgess asked, brow furrowed.

  “There is no chance you would give Rufus soldiers looks like Rufus,” Cheng said, gripping his bottle. “He would crush us outright.”

  “Will they even be human,” Lisa asked, confusion edging her voice. “What exactly are these things?”

  “Can relics be duplicated too?” Nolan added.

  Zaragoza laughed openly. “Imagine duplicate my most talented fighters. That is peak weapon master.”

  Leroy shook his head and covered his face with one hand. “They truly do not understand what I am trying to say,” he muttered.

  He slammed his palm against the table. The sound snapped through the chamber and dragged the room back into focus.

  “None of you will be duplicated,” Leroy said flatly. “I brought this to you because I need your help to make the program succeed.”

  “What kind of help,” Lisa asked.

  Leroy explained that the cloned force, once created, would need training. Not drills, not formation work, but real combat knowledge. Adaptation. Instinct. That knowledge belonged only to the weapon masters, a faction unbound by kingdoms, creeds, or territory.

  The leaders nodded slowly. Then Zaragoza spoke up. “We are being paid, yes?”

  “Of course,” Leroy replied. “Another contract.”

  Smiles appeared around the table, but Lisa did not join them.

  “Leroy,” she said carefully, “I have shared this doubt with you before. How long will weapon masters like us still be needed. I understand now. Is this cloning program meant to replace the council’s reliance on mercenary forces.”

  The question shifted the room instantly.

  “I cannot believe I did not think of that,” Burgess said.

  “First brother,” Nolan asked quietly, “are we being replaced?”

  “If that is the case,” Burgess added, “I will not train them.”

  Before the tension could ignite again, Leroy raised his hand.

  “No one is being replaced,” he said. “Roles will change. Nothing more.”

  “But we will lose our income from guarding the Mainland,” Cheng said. “That is why you want us to leave. Is this tied to the cloning as well.”

  Balthazar stood abruptly, anger sharpening his posture. “If we must leave because of these clones, I refuse. We were here from the beginning.”

  “Leroy,” Lisa said firmly, “can you tell the council that the weapon masters do not agree to this.”

  Tension lingered in the small chamber like smoke that refused to clear. Cheng and Balthazar fixed Leroy with sharp, unblinking stares. Burgess stood quietly, trying to piece together the shape of it all, while the voices on the transmitters fell into silence, waiting for their first brother to speak.

  Leroy told them the truth. Nothing had yet been brought before the council. He had only spoken of it with Bjorn, Starmist, and Lord Star. No verdict had been passed, no decree written. He had chosen to speak to his faction first because they were the closest to him, and because they would be among the first to feel its weight.

  Because nothing was final, he needed to know their reactions. He would not allow such a program to be proposed in isolation, without understanding or consent. As his explanation settled in, the weapon masters began to cool. Anger ebbed into thought. They listened now, not as rivals or mercenaries, but as those who understood the burdens Leroy carried better than anyone else.

  He spoke without raising his voice, and that alone reminded them of how much he had endured for years.

  “Leroy,” Lisa asked at last, “would this be applied to every faction.”

  “All of them,” the Green Wraith answered. “Without exception.”

  “In that case,” Lisa said after a pause, “if the council agrees and every faction is affected, we need not fear it for now. To be honest, we do not fully understand this either. We can only judge what we understand.”

  “I understand,” Leroy said quietly, fingers folding together. “This decision weighs heavily on me as well, as the one who first conceived it.”

  “Whatever happens,” Lisa said, “I hope this is the best. For every faction.”

  A faint smile touched Leroy’s face.

  Her words seemed to loosen something in the room. One by one, the weapon masters stood, stepping back from the table. Each passed behind Leroy in turn, patting his back or resting a hand on his shoulder.

  “Do not worry, first brother,” Balthazar said with a short laugh. “You have us.”

  “We will stand for you whenever it comes to that,” Cheng added. “We know how many times you have stood for us in those chambers.”

  When the meeting finally dissolved, the heat of debate gave way to something lighter. Cheng stayed behind, sharing the free day with Leroy, talking idly, laughing, letting the strain bleed out of them. Balthazar and Burgess departed at once to attend to other matters. Nolan and Lisa closed their connections soon after.

  Only Zaragoza kept his transmitter active, lingering longer than the others, as the two continued to talk in the quiet that followed.

  As the afternoon waned, the sky bled red along the horizon. Leroy and Cheng parted ways, each returning to their own lodgings. The corridor had nearly emptied when a transmitter chimed softly.

  “Leroy.”

  Starmist’s voice emerged, gentle and unhurried.

  “Starmist,” Leroy replied. “What brings you to call.”

  At the sound of her voice, Cheng turned his face away and, out of pure reflex, began to hum while letting out a quiet whistle. Leroy lifted a finger to his lips, a silent warning to the Pale Dragon, but it was already too late.

  “You are not alone,” Starmist said.

  “Yes. Cheng is here,” Leroy answered.

  “I apologize, Lady Starmist,” Cheng said at once. “I will take my leave. Our meeting is already finished.”

  Before Starmist could respond, Cheng had already hurried off. The only thing he left behind was the sharp sound of a door closing too quickly.

  “Is something wrong,” Starmist asked.

  “Nothing at all,” Leroy said, his eyes lingering on the closed door. “I was speaking with several syndicate leaders earlier. About that matter. You know what I mean.”

  Starmist hummed softly in acknowledgment.

  “So,” Leroy asked, turning his attention back to the transmitter, “why did you contact me.”

  “I only wished to inform you,” Starmist said, “that in two days my brother will travel alone to the abyss to meet King Darkon. From what I hear, it is merely a visit. Still, it may be good for him. He has carried too many thoughts for too long.”

  “Was that your suggestion,” Leroy asked, “or Lady Star’s.”

  “It was his own choice,” Starmist replied. “He has not been to the abyss in quite some time.”

  The line fell quiet, leaving Leroy alone with the deepening red of the sky and thoughts that refused to rest.

  “Oh, I see,” Leroy replied. After that, silence settled between them, stretching for several breaths as both searched for another thread of conversation, the transmitter still open between them.

  “You have not been to the abyss in a long time either, have you?” Starmist asked at last.

  “Do not tell me you are about to ask me to go there accompany your brother,” Leroy replied, rising from his chair and pacing the length of the room.

  “That is not what I really meant,” Starmist said calmly. “You have already met my brother and spoken with your faction about this matter. The abyss would be good for the next step. You will need the perspective of their king.”

  Leroy stopped and leaned against the table, considering her words. Starmist continued before he could answer.

  “All faction leaders must be approached, Leroy. Fortunately, Cygnus already sits on the council. Shogun has yet to return, and for the Cogworks, I believe Bjorn alone will suffice.”

  “You are forgetting the Sky King,” Leroy said lightly.

  Starmist let out a small laugh. “Only if you can reach him in the seventh sky.”

  They shared a quiet chuckle.

  “Very well,” Leroy said. “As council leader, and as Lord Star’s former pupil, I will go.”

  “Then come to the Stargate,” Starmist replied. “It would be better if you depart together.”

  “And you,” Leroy asked, “will you be coming as well, Starmist.”

  “No,” she said. “I will be attending the Sevenstar event this time, alongside Princess Samartian.”

  “King Darkon is taking this seriously,” Leroy said. “The next generation of the abyss will be very different.”

  “Yes,” Starmist answered, her voice softer now. “I only hope princess will come to understand the meaning behind all of this, in time.”

  Leroy fell silent for a moment. “And Starlax,” he asked gently. “Has there been any progress.”

  “Not yet,” Starmist said. “Her soul was deeply shaken by what Starfall said that day. But do not worry. She will grow into a strong girl.”

  Leroy nodded, then added lightly, hoping to draw a smile. “I may not see the future like Elysius, but with an aunt as formidable as you, I am certain she will.”

  Starmist laughed softly.

  They spoke a while longer as Leroy stepped out of Pristine House, the evening air cool against his skin, the red sky finally giving way to deepening night.