Sosuke sat up in bed with a low groan, his hair sticking out in uneven spikes from tossing in his sleep. He rubbed his eyes and exhaled slowly. The door creaked open.
Isabelle stepped inside, dressed neatly as always, her voice calm and businesslike. "Master Aurelius has arrived at the manor. He wishes to speak with you."
Sosuke ran a hand down his face and yawned. "Can that man give me five damn minutes for once?"
"It can't be helped. Get ready and go," she said, already turning to leave.
The door clicked shut behind her.
Sosuke blinked at the ceiling, shoulders sagging. "What does he want from me now?" he muttered, dragging his feet out from under the blanket. "That asshole."
—
He stood before the grand double doors of the meeting room, arms crossed, eyes locked on the intricate golden carvings that shimmered faintly under the mana-lit sconces. Gabriel's words from yesterday echoed in his mind, scratching at something just beneath the surface.
He cracked his knuckles slowly, then stepped forward. Twin spirits shimmered into view—wisps of violet mist that tugged the doors open without a sound.
The room inside was elegant but restrained: high ceilings, polished marble floors, a long obsidian table stretching between them like a black river. Sunlight filtered through stained glass windows depicting the founding of Westoria—heroes and monsters locked in eternal struggle.
At the far end sat Gabriel, arms outstretched in welcome, the light catching the white of his robes like a halo.
"Welcome, Sosuke," he said with a grin.
Sosuke stared at him blankly. "Get it over with."
"Not before you take a seat." Gabriel gestured to the chair beside him.
With a quiet breath, Sosuke stepped forward and slid the chair back. It scraped against the stone with a soft screech. He sat stiffly, arms resting on the table but not relaxed. Something about sitting here—where the High Council gathered, where decisions were made—made him feel like he didn't belong.
"I'm sorry about yesterday," Gabriel said after a pause. "I let my past bleed into the present. I spoke in anger, not truth."
Sosuke's gaze didn't waver. "So you did kill people?" His tone was calm, but his fingers fidgeted, intertwining and tightening.
Gabriel's smile faded like smoke. "I did. I was the strongest in my unit, and I abandoned them. I let fear decide for me." He leaned forward, clasping his hands, voice low. "It's haunted me ever since. That failure, that weakness—is the reason I work to protect others now."
Sosuke said nothing at first. His eyes narrowed, jaw tight. He gave a short laugh, bitter and dry. "Just because you've changed doesn't mean you're a better person. People died because of you. That's not something you get to wash off."
But the words didn't sit right in his mouth. He felt them as weight, not justice.
Gabriel nodded. "You're right. Redemption doesn't erase the past. But if I can tilt the scale—help more than I hurt, then maybe the weight of it becomes a little lighter."
Sosuke looked down. His hands were locked together now, thumbs tapping anxiously. He didn't answer. He didn't have to.
Maybe he's right, he thought.
Maybe I'll never forgive myself… but that doesn't mean I should stop trying.
Gabriel broke the silence. "That's not all I called you here for. The others will be arriving shortly."
Sosuke looked up, skeptical. "Reid and Lyra?"
Gabriel shook his head. "No. The Starborn."
Sosuke let out a breath and slumped back in the high-backed chair. "So much for time off."
I should've known. Of course he's still using me.
Even when he's sorry, he's still the same.
The doors slammed open with a bang, rattling the windowpanes.
"We're here!" Reid grinned, pointing dramatically toward Gabriel.
"Could you be any louder?" Lyra snapped behind him, rolling her eyes.
Arthur strode in behind them, brushing his coat sleeve. "You're not exactly subtle either."
"Can we not do this right now?" Clyde sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Ren, Elowen, Milo, and Rin followed quietly, their expressions neutral. No one spoke until everyone had taken their seats around the table.
They were waiting for what came next.
The room settled into silence.
Gabriel stood slowly, his presence instantly commanding. He rested both palms on the obsidian table, gaze sweeping over them like a storm about to break.
"Before we begin," he said, voice calm but edged with steel, "I need to address something."
The Starborn straightened instinctively.
"I've used you. Treated you as tools. Rarely asked, always ordered." He paused, watching their reactions—some stiffened, some avoided his eyes. "That wasn't just strategy. It was a failure of mine."
He leaned back slightly, arms crossing behind him. "But you're not tools. You're heroes—symbols of our nation's hope. I won't forget that again."
A long silence followed. The apology hung in the air like smoke from a dying fire.
Then Rin spoke, arms folded, eyes steady. "Then why start a war?"
Gabriel tilted his head, brows raising ever so slightly. "Excuse me?"
"You're the peacebringer. The man who ended four wars. And yet, here we are. You lit this one yourself."
A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "I did what was necessary. Our people were starving, the economy in collapse—"
"That's not a reason. That's an excuse." Rin cut in, tone sharp but composed. "We could've rebuilt through diplomacy. Trade. Sanctions. You chose bloodshed."
Arthur leaned over, whispering, "Rin, ease up…"
Gabriel chuckled, the sound dry. "Careful, I am still your superior."
He stepped forward, hands behind his back now, posture like a blade drawn. "War with Astoria was inevitable. The alliance with Virenia? I anticipated it. Lance Sterling made sure of it. He's the reason peace isn't possible—not me."
He turned, pace slow. "Sterling resists everything I build. He thrives in chaos and hides behind ideals that only ever breed ruin. Killing him may not end the war, but it'll give us a chance at something better."
"And the Virenian lives we've taken?" Lyra asked. "Was that chance worth the cost?"
Gabriel didn't answer right away. When he did, his voice was quieter.
"No. I had hoped we could avoid that. But plans fracture, and he exploited that fracture. This war is beyond reversing now. We move forward—or fall."
Sosuke said nothing, but his jaw flexed. Rin glanced at him. Their eyes met for a moment. She looked away.
Gabriel straightened again. "Let's get to the reason you're here."
He snapped his fingers. Wisps of spirit energy shimmered into view, each one dropping a sealed file before the Starborn members.
"This doesn't leave this room. Understood?"
They exchanged glances. Each nodded.
Reid leaned toward Sosuke, voice low. "Why do I feel like we're about to get hit by a freight train?"
Gabriel walked behind his chair. "As of March 29th, 1023, the High Council is fractured. Four of seven seats are vacant. The public doesn't know."
Clyde's hands slammed the table. "What?! You hid that?"
Gabriel didn't flinch. "To prevent panic."
"That's insane," Clyde snapped. "The people deserve to know."
Ren interjected, voice calm. "And if they do? If they learn enemies strong enough to kill council members exist? Fear collapses trust. Panic destroys morale."
Arthur shook his head. "Maybe that fear is what they need. Let people understand what's really at stake."
Lyra folded her arms. "And lose their loyalty? This war would die with it."
Milo shifted uncomfortably. Elowen studied her file in silence.
Sosuke finally spoke. "Then compromise. Announce the death of one. Keep the details vague, but let it spark caution. Enough fear to keep people alert—not enough to start a revolt."
Clyde crossed his arms, still fuming. "It's better than nothing."
Gabriel raised a hand. The room fell silent. "Control yourselves. I'm not asking for permission."
He opened his file and tapped the page. "Vael and Polter. Sent to Astoria seven months ago. They never came back. The mission was tied to Sterling—intel from a double agent. Whatever happened… they didn't survive."
He looked up. "You'll take their place."
The words landed hard.
"You're serious?" Reid's voice cracked with disbelief.
Arthur frowned. "You think nine of us can replace two council members?"
Gabriel smiled faintly. "You're not there yet. But you can be. I've lived five centuries and never seen anything like you."
He paused. Then, with quiet amusement, covered his mouth as he added, "Maybe it's just your generation. Or maybe the world's finally evolving."
Sosuke stared at his hands, the words echoing in his skull.
Could I really be that strong? If I push harder—sharpen the blade I drew against Julius—would that be enough? Maybe I wasn't wrong. Maybe I was just… too early.
The thought passed like a gust. He shook his head.
No. That's just arrogance.
Gabriel's voice rose again. "From this day forward, you'll lead Operation: Mirror's Edge. You are the strike force designed to end the reign of Lance Sterling… and with it, the war."
His grin returned.
Gabriel's voice echoed with finality. "Let's see what the future holds."
He didn't sit.
"Now for the next step. Effective immediately, all of you will be relocated to my manor—just as Estrella was."
Reid threw his arms up. "Finally. I thought the barracks were going to kill my spine."
Arthur chuckled under his breath. "It'll be good to breathe without smelling steel and sweat."
"I wouldn't mind something warmer," Milo added, voice neutral.
Gabriel raised a hand, quieting them. "I'll be overseeing most of your training and operations personally."
A pause.
"Your first assignment," he continued, "requires understanding the full scope of Lance Sterling's power. His dark magic isn't just rare—it's forbidden. Learning how it works, how it spreads, how he wields it… that knowledge could mean the difference between victory and annihilation."
Then came the reveal.
"That's why we'll be traveling to the Grand Wizard's island."
The room froze.
Sosuke shot to his feet, chair scraping the floor. "You're kidding."
Ren leaned forward, silver eyes sharp. "That island hasn't opened its gates in over three hundred years. What—what did you do to get him to agree?"
Gabriel smiled like a man holding a secret blade. "I didn't ask. He contacted me. Said he wanted to meet…" He turned, finger pointing directly at Sosuke. "…Estrella."
Gasps rippled through the room.
Reid's mouth opened, but no sound came. Even Arthur straightened in his chair, brows drawn together in disbelief.
"The Grand Wizard?" Clyde asked, voice half a whisper. "The man who erased half a continent just to seal a dying god? That one?"
Elowen flipped a page in her file, unbothered. "Didn't know he still talked to anyone."
Rin leaned back with a yawn, clearly unimpressed. "Hope his island has food. That's all I care about."
Lyra simply crossed one leg over the other, indifferent. "If he helps us win, I won't question it."
Sosuke slowly sat down, fists clenched on his knees. His pulse thundered in his ears.
Why him? Why now?
Gabriel looked between them, that ever-calculating smile back in place. "We leave tomorrow."
He turned and walked toward the tall windows, sunlight outlining the shape of his silhouette.
"Get your rest. You'll be walking into the heart of ancient magic—and I suggest you bring more than your sword."