6 hours ago, Muryoko had escaped. And Shogai had been able to do nothing. Why? Why was he here? What had happened?

  The Nexeans at Santh had survived their respective battle, but Yotun and Akiretsu had escaped. According to Tina's report, Ciela was the first to run out of steam, and then Amelia had to stop her attacks to focus on defence. From there, the Deviants had found the opening needed to run away. Nemean had picked them up an hour afterwards, and they were all sent to medical.

  Jade told them everything that had happened at base. How Scott had appeared and shut down the power. How three Deviants had appeared, one being Muryoko, and how Wright, Ryukyu, Raven and Katro were all powerless against them. Shogai clenched his fist at the thought. How were they meant to fight something so stupid?

  The Deviants had never found King Casi, and had probably assumed the castle was an excessive red herring. The good news was that this meant he could return to Santh. The Deviants probably wouldn't attack there again. He left as soon as he woke up. After all, Nexus was proven to be unsafe. Before he left, Casi expressed his deep gratitude towards Ciela and the other Nexeans for protecting him and his people. He promised to supply Nexus with whatever they would need to get back on their feet.

  Speaking of, Wright and Katro were working overtime. It was cruel considering their welfare. Both had been awake and fighting for days straight, and had just fought the Deviant King. Katro had woken up in a fit of panic, and Wright's arm was yet to regenerate. But the power in Nexus was still out, and they insisted that it had to be fixed to stop a second attack. Being technicians, they forced their limbs to move and begun repairing the generators.

  "How did Scott even get in?" Wright growled. He had turned his body into some kind of flexible material, allowing him to reach parts of the generator that were buried away. Katro had used his minute of impermeableness already, so he was limited in where he could reach. Shogai was watching them at work, mildly in awe. It was clear they were experienced at this.

  "The golems should have detected him. How did he get past them?" Wright continued. He sounded agitated. "We just fixed them."

  "We must not have been thorough enough." Katro said, with a sigh. He hardly had the energy to devote to speaking. "Have a look at them later, alright?"

  Nifa was insanely busy. Every Nexean had obtained some kind of injury apart from Jade, who was rushing around helping her. Amelia had fainted, and Raven was still unconscious, so Nifa was working on them. Jade looked guilty, and Shogai knew exactly why.

  "You feel bad about Zinnia, don't you?" Shogai asked, stepping into the medical room. Jade whipped around, surprised to see him, and then shook her head.

  "N-no. I mean, yes. But it's fine. I know it is."

  "I don't need to read your mind to know you're lying. Jade, Nemean himself chose you to be a Nexean. And you're the only reason Ciela is still with us. You're worthy. And we'll all be fine."

  Shogai came up to Nifa. "Can I lend a hand?"

  Nifa had a look at his bandaged arms. "Can you? Be honest with me."

  Shogai smiled and tore off his bandages.

  "All better."

  Nifa laughed and nodded, tossing him a syringe. "Stab that into Amelia."

  "...it's empty."

  "I know. Just stab her."

  Shogai hesitated, but figured that the doctor knew best. He positioned the needle above Amelia's arm and stabbed downwards.

  Amelia opened her eyes and shot bolt-upright, screaming and massaging her arm where it had been pricked. She glared at Shogai with fire in her eyes.

  "Oh good, you're awake." Nifa innocently said. "Your injuries have been healed for a while, but you're a deep sleeper. I'm glad you're up."

  Amelia spluttered, "Y-you know I hate needles. Why-"

  "Amelia, run along to the power room. Wright and Katro could use some light."

  "...fine."

  Amelia left angrily, forming her wings of light on her back to look presentable, before seeing her bedhead in the mirror.

  "Jade, give me your comb."

  "How do you know I have my comb on me?"

  "You're a teenager with pretty hair. I'd be disappointed if you ever left your room without it."

  "Impressing you is not on my list of prioritie-"

  "GIVE!"

  "ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT!"

  Jade grabbed a small comb from her pocket and tossed it to Amelia, who left while furiously combing.

  Nifa had been quietly giggling throughout that whole exchange. She was so much easier to be around when she wasn't mad at him. Shogai was starting to notice how similar she was to Mira. That syringe move was exactly what Mira would have done in this situation. Even the ways they carried themselves were identical.

  "Raven should be up soon," Nifa said, "Jade, will she need to lecture you?"

  It took Shogai a moment to realise what Nifa was saying, but then he remembered. In the midst of Muryoko's attack, Jade had awakened Elano's Heart, massively expanding her range, and allowing her to locate Nemean. That was a big deal. So Shogai was surprised when Jade shook her head.

  "Shogai was able to replicate what he did. He couldn’t explain it, but he was able to activate Elano's Heart willingly. So do Raven and Amelia. But for me, the second the feeling left me, it was gone. I don't even remember how I felt during that, as if it was happening to someone else. I think this is what normally happens when someone awakens Elano's Heart. They forget, and it never happens again. I don't think I need to worry."

  Nifa nodded. "Good. Well, as soon as Raven is awake, Nemean wants a meeting. He wants everyone who was attacked to attend. We need to plan our next move. Thank you for your help, Shogai. But now that it's just Raven, I'll be fine. You too, Jade. Have either of you slept? If not, do so. I'll get someone to wake you up in an hour."

  Shogai nodded, and he and Jade left Nifa. Planning their next move sounded good, but Nifa was right. They needed sleep.

  Kiara met up with them outside, and Jade expressed relief that she was alright. Kiara didn't have major injuries, but she was out of breath and had a few minor burns when she returned. She seemed just as tired as the rest of them.

  "We didn't sleep last night, but Jade, when was the last time you slept? Or any of the Nexeans that stayed here?" Kiara suggested, and Jade didn’t answer.

  "We were occupied. I'm just glad you're back. I'm glad you're both alive."

  That last sentence resonated around Shogai's head as he went to bed. He realised how intense her situation must have been. Not only was she overworked, along with the other Nexeans, but they were all worried that someone wouldn't return from Santh alive. Two Primes showed up. It was a miracle that none of them died.

  They were lucky.

  Shogai woke to Katro knocking on his door. The sun was already up.

  "Nifa let you sleep a few more hours, since Raven needed rest anyway." Katro explained. "The meeting is upstairs in 10 minutes. Be ready."

  It didn’t take Shogai long to prepare himself. After yesterday, a meeting was nothing to be afraid of. This would be the first time that he'd be on the large table on the ground floor, however, and he suspected that this applied to a few of them.

  Ryukyu left his room at the same time as Shogai. He didn't say anything, only nodding. The two of them slowly climbed upstairs to the table. A few people were already sitting down. A few came after them. Shogai sat in his O4 seat, and Ryukyu in O2.

  After a few minutes, 12 seats were occupied. 12 Nexeans. Kiara, Jade, Katro, Tina, Shogai, Raven, Ryukyu and Valerie sat on one side of the table. The Outer Ranks. None of them were in perfect condition, but their bruises and cuts didn't make them look weak. It proved they were strong.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  On the other side of the table sat Nifa, Amelia, Ciela and Wright. Nifa had her eyes closed, Amelia looked nervous, Ciela was calm and Wright was serious. 12 Nexeans in one room. Shogai thought to himself that, surely, this was the most powerful room on the island.

  After a bit of time, Nemean walked in, scanning the table and sitting at the head seat.

  "Inner Ranks 1 and 2 are still out of commission," Nemean said, "and Ranks 3 and 4 are surveying the island. None of them will be able to attend this meeting."

  Shogai hadn't met any of them, and tried to remember their faces from the Inner Rank list Nemean had given him. That felt like so long ago. Nemean sighed.

  "Screw the formalities. We all know the problem. Two Primes attacked Santh. Muryoko himself invaded Nexus. He took a crystal. We need to know why. And we need to know what they're planning. Let's gather all the data we can. Those who went to Santh, what can you tell us about those Deviants?"

  Valerie raised a hand. She was very professional, as she was representing the Outer Ranks.

  "One Deviant went by the name of Akiretsu. His power seems to be contact nullification of some kind. He's vulnerable to other kinds of damage, though, like fire and light energy. Reports of him over the past hundred years were more common than most Deviant Primes, but our predecessors never managed to work out what he can do. Well, none of the ones who survived, anyway. This is a big leap."

  "Good, Valerie." Nemean nodded, "There are 8 Deviant Primes, and we barely know half of them. If Muryoko is planning a move, we need to at least know our enemies. Who was the second Deviant?"

  Valerie was more hesitant this time.

  "We know of this Deviant. Yotun. He's appeared twice now in the past week. He attacked me and Raven before we went to Santh. Ryukyu saved us. I think this is the first time he's shown himself for a few decades, so he's a big deal, too."

  Shogai remembered how furiously Valerie chased Yotun when they entered the palace. So that was why. She held a grudge.

  "On the bright side," Ciela brought up, "I experimented how he reacts to water. He blocked it. That makes me think he's vulnerable to it. We should use that to our advantage."

  Nemean nodded. He was making notes on a sheet of paper.

  "Yotun and Akiretsu. I'd guess them to be on the weaker side of Primes. That doesn't make them any less threatening. Thank you for the information, Valerie and Ciela."

  Nemean then looked up, knowing he was about to address a rough topic.

  "Now then. Muryoko. He's a threat, that's for sure."

  There were still remainders of the fight that hadn't been cleaned up, such as the broken windows and the scorched entrance. The grass outside had also died.

  "He brought two Deviants with him. Sabitsu and Horoguramu. I know these two. Horoguramu can create a giant hologram-like figure of himself, as he demonstrated. He's Deviant Prime 2. He's dangerous. Sabitsu is Deviant Prime 1. Muryoko's right-hand man. But I've never seen him fight. I don't know what he can do. Did any of you see anything?"

  Raven shook her head. "That's the problem!" She hissed. "I saw nothing. I was chasing Scott, and then they were just… there."

  "That's right." Katro followed up. "I assumed they were in the tunnels. Jade told me I ran right past the Deviants. Maybe Sabitsu can cloak his allies?"

  Nemean shook his head. "Too mediocre for the second-strongest Deviant. It's fine. We'll figure it out. We don't need to cover Muryoko. I know him very well. And he wanted that crystal."

  "If I may, sir" Tina said, "the Deviants at Santh seemed to be looking for something. Probably the same crystal. Maybe that's why they've been attacking these towns. They were looking for it."

  "Why attack so randomly, though?" Amelia asked. "If they know the crystal exists, surely they have a general idea of where it was. Searching the whole island… it's as if they're blindly digging in a mountain of dirt."

  She shivered, as if the concept of dirt scared her.

  "There are multiple." Nemean suddenly said. "7, to be exact."

  The room looked at him. Nemean stood and beckoned the others to follow him. He walked over to the elevator, which was still broken, and pressed a hidden button on the ceiling. There was a whirring on the side, and the wall next to the elevator opened up, revealing a second one.

  "Nemean, what's this?" Katro asked, "You're hiding stuff from us?"

  "Not me." Nemean said, gesturing for the Nexeans to get in. The elevator was spacey, and there was enough room for all of them. There were a few buttons on the side, but Nemean deliberately stood in front of them.

  "My grandfather founded Nexus. It's been 105 years since then. Many generations of Nexeans, and my father ran Nexus all his life. They're the ones that found that crystal. And I wasn't planning on showing any of you this room, because I think these discoveries are bollocks. But they're relevant, so here we are."

  The doors opened and revealed, not a room, but an old underground cavern. It wasn’t enormous, but it was larger than any room within Nexus. There were statues around the room of different figures, and an ancient computer stood on a pedestal. The whole place was dusty, clearly not used in decades, but Nemean confidently walked through it. The Nexeans behind him watched their step, careful not to trip over the cracks. Jade grabbed Shogai's arm for support. Amelia and Valerie lit up the dark room. Cobwebs were all over the ceiling.

  The rusted computer definitely didn't work, but Nemean went over to it and kicked the computer.

  "...sir. Its already broke-"

  The computer being whirring, and the cracks across the room glowed blue. Some of the Nexeans braced themselves, as if expecting to be attacked. Others watched in awe. A robotic voice spoke.

  "Welcome, Nemean."

  From the rusty computer, something blue emerged into the sky. Shogai had read about these, but those books were in the fiction world. That was a…

  "Hologram." Jade said aloud. "They exist? Why don't we have more of them?"

  Nemean sighed. "They're useless, inconvenient, and we don't need them. But they're the only things with this information."

  The hologram was showing floating blur files. Nemean flicked through them. Eventually, he stopped at one. It was labelled, "Cavere Crystals". Nemean tapped it, and a hologram model of the crystal Muryoko had taken appeared in his hand.

  "We don't seem to have much data on Cavere Crystals," Nemean said, "And all we have is speculation."

  A wall of text appeared in the air, which Nemean began to read.

  "Strongly believed to be the result of a god's descent upon Tenebris. Their energy is infused within the land they crash on, creating Cavere Crystals. Effects are unknown."

  Nemean sighed. "I was hoping for more than that rubbish."

  "Gods? Like Elano?" Jade tentatively asked. Half the room became filled with agitation. It was clear that some of them really didn't believe in her.

  "Elano is the most well-known divine being across myths." Nemean said, "But people love making things up. My grandfather believed in all of these fake gods. Just look around you."

  Shogai realised what the statues around the room were. Gods. Nemean walked up to a few.

  "Duranun." He said, walking by a statue that looked more like a mass of energy. "Said to be Elano's brother. Fake."

  "Arctani." He said, walking by a statue with a frozen helmet. "Said to be the Goddess of the tundra. Fake."

  "Lilith" He said, walking by a statue that held a menacing smile. "The Demoness Queen. Fake."

  Nemean began speeding up, and his voice became angrier. "Nascian, God of Wisdom. Mythos, God of Retaliation. Ares, God of-"

  "Sir, I think we get i-"

  "Fake! Fake! Fake! Dammit!"

  Nemean kicked a rock to the side, and sighed. He regained his composure.

  "Forgive me. I'm just frustrated that my family wasted so much time on these fantasies. There is some good news, though."

  The hologram opened up a map. A map of Tenebris. There were several places that were glowing intensely. Seven.

  "We don't know how these crystals came to exist, nor do we know what they do. But my grandfather did mark these spots on the map. Supposedly, these are the locations of every crystal. Where the supposed gods landed. But as far as I can tell, the locations are accurate. After all, we got our crystal from Santh."

  The Nexeans looked at seven places on the map that were glowing. One of them was Santh.

  "They're looking for all of them." Ciela figured out, "They came to Santh searching for that crystal."

  "That's right. Now then, I don't believe that the Deviants have data on where the crystals are. After all, Wright fought Vera in Kravdra. There was no crystal there. I think they're searching everywhere possible for the rest of them. And if the Deviants want the crystals, we don't want them to get them. Our goal is to stop the Deviants from getting all seven crystals. Any questions?"

  A few of them raised their hands. Amelia was sceptical about the whole thing. She believed the map was too old, and besides, Nemean already admitted his father and grandfather were fools.

  "If I'm wrong, tell me what the right decision is, Amelia. Tell me why this move will hurt us more than sitting around stupidly." He said coldly. Amelia didn’t respond.

  Nemean continued.

  "We know that they have the crystal we retrieved from Santh. We know little more. Of the six other places that might hold a crystal, any one of them might come under attack. I can't split our forces evenly between these places. With our 12 available Nexeans, we'd need to put 2 at each city. That won't be enough, especially if Muryoko himself attacks. We need to know where they're going to strike next."

  "How can we possibly figure that out?" Raven asked. She had her fists clenched. This conversation was riling her up.

  Nemean suddenly looked Shogai dead in the eye. "We're going to ask him."

  The room was silent. Shogai broke it.

  "W-what?" His voice trembled, revealing his fear. Why was Nemean looking at him?

  "Everyone, stay here. Shogai and I will be back, alive, in a few moments."

  Nemean offered Shogai his hand, which Shogai refused to take.

  "Nemean. Why do you make it sound like we're about to teleport right to the Deviant King?"

  Nemean raised an eyebrow. "We've got a smart one here, don't we? You're a Nexean, Shogai. Trust me."

  Even since Shogai had left his village, he'd had trouble trusting people. Nemean was openly admitting that he was taking Shogai into a death trap. So why did he accept his hand?

  Everything went black as Nemean and Shogai vanished from Nexus HQ, and reappeared in an underground stone hall. There was a stone table with nine seats around it. The room was empty apart from the throne, which was occupied by Muryoko, the Deviant King.