Three days had passed since the encounter with Sebastian. Ashwick was nearly unrecognizable from its former state of ruin; vibrant shops lined the streets, their freshly painted signs gleaming under the midday sun.
Only a handful of renovations remained which included the opening of a hardware store stocked with tools crafted by Thorin's dwarves. Among these innovations stood an electric stove, modified personally by Borin himself.
Aric admired the contraption as Borin explained his modifications,
"This'll heat faster than any flame ye've seen, lad and safer too. No risk o' burnin' down yer house."
Aric nodded appreciatively, "You've outdone yourself, Borin. This is brilliant!"
Borin patted Aric on the back, "Just doin' my part, lad. Keep this place standin', will ya?"
As Borin walked away, satisfied with the day's progress, something shifted in the air around Aric. It wasn't noticeable at first—a faint crackle here, a flicker of ember there but soon, even the sun's warmth was gone.
In Narxiua, magic operated on a structured hierarchy, divided into twenty distinct ranks. Most mages never advanced beyond the mid tiers. But for those who reached the upper echelons, the ranks of Master or Grandmaster—their abilities transcended conventional means.
One such ability was known as Barrier. Each Barrier varied depending on the caster's specialization, intent, and skill level. Some were offensive, creating fields of destructive energy that annihilated anything within range. Others served defensive purposes, shielding allies from harm or isolating enemies entirely.
For Aric's case, however, the Barrier wasn't lethal. Instead, it severed Aric's connection to the outside world, cutting him off from help without causing direct harm.
The leader mage raised his hand and said, "Barrier: Ember Veil."
Instantly, the atmosphere warped. Flames erupted silently around Aric, encircling him in a ring of fire. Aric was invisible to the townsfolk nearby.
"Don't move."
Aric couldn't see who spoke as the source of the voice remained behind him but he didn't dare turn around.
"Vayne Arkwright." the voice continued, "Why are you doing this? Why rebuild a town destined to fall?"
Aric's mind pieced together what was going on, These has to be the same hooded figures Sebastian had conspired with. They are using some type of realm thingy to keep me here with fire.
If I assume it's the same as the one I saw in my dreams, then it means these are the same guys who will eventually destroy Ashwick. What do these guy want? It be stupid if all they wanted was just Ashwick...
They probably wanted whatever I had done to this place to be theirs. How do I even stop them?
Is there even a way to stop them?
"I'm not Vayne." Aric replied steadily, "But whoever you are, I assume you're here about the inventions."
The leader chuckled, "Clever boy. Yes, we want rights to your creations—all of them. If you value your life and the lives of your precious townsfolk, you'll hand over everything without argument."
"And what happens if I refuse?" he asked, feigning curiosity.
The leader's response was immediate, "Refusal isn't an option. Either you surrender all distribution rights, allowing us to profit from your work, or we destroy this town and everyone in it. Your choice."
For a moment, Aric considered playing along, trying to negotiate further. But deep within his thoughts, Aric realised something,
These fuckers don't care about Ashwick at all. All they want is profit and keeping everyone here dependent on them.
Vayne might've been an asshole when he ruled this place, but from Sebastian's records that Seraphina and I went through, it traces back to Callista's reign.
They care nothing for Ashwick or its people; their only goal is domination. Just like the leaders in war who sent soldiers to die without hesitation.
I need to trap these fuckers in a room with me...and kill them.
"If I give you the rights, where do we begin negotiations?"
"Townhall." the leader answered, "We'll finalize the deal, let's say...tonight."
And then I'll kill you myself. The leader thought to himself.
Aric nodded slightly, "Alright. We'll meet there."
With that, the Barrier was lifted. Aric turned quickly, scanning the area for any sign of the mages but they were not there anymore. Just the ordinary view of Ashwick, oblivious to the danger.
His legs gave out beneath him and sank to his knees.
[Are you insane!?] Ivy's voice erupted in his mind,
[You're gambling on trapping all of them there and killing them?! Do you have any idea how reckless that is?]
Ivy, listen carefully. These bastards aren't interested in negotiation, they're bloodsuckers. They don't care about Ashwick or its people. All they want is control.
And once they have it, they'll squeeze every drop of profit from this town until there's nothing left. They're no different from the warlords I faced in my past. The ones who sent soldiers to die without a second thought.
They thrive on fear and suffering. There's no reasoning with people like that.
I know what I'm doing. Trapping them in the townhall might be risky, but it's the only way to ensure Ashwick's safety. If I can lure them into one location, I can use Creation Magic to seal them inside permanently.
Maybe even collapse the building on top of them if necessary but I sure as hell know that these people won't let me go without a fight. They'll probably try to kill me too when they have the chance so I should be the one to pull the rug first.
[Aric do you even hear yourself!?] Ivy eyes blazed with frustration.
[Do you understand the consequences of what you're planning? Killing them outright is one thing but you're sacrificing yourself!]
So what!? Aric shot back mentally as he was frustrated, These guys obviously have powers beyond my fucking paygrade! I was in some fucking realm and then released from it—there's no way I can fight them head-on!
Me trapping them and nuking the building is the only surefire way of stopping them. I'll strap the entire townhall with bombs if I have to!
Ivy screamed at him, [SO YOU'RE STILL THE SAME PERSON! YOU'RE STILL THE SAME PERSON WHO THINKS HE DOESN'T DESERVE ANYTHING HUH? DO YOU EVEN HEAR YOURSELF ANYMORE? I LECTURED YOU ON HOW YOU WERE USING MATTER MANIPULATION FOR HOURS ON END AND YET, YOU STILL DO IT EVERY DAY HERE TOO!]
She stopped herself after realising that screaming wouldn't do shit. She took a deep breath then continued,
[I'm sorry. Yelling at you isn't going to fix this. Look... maybe your intention really was to rebuild Ashwick. But I know you, Aric. I know when you're running.]
[And I know you've started thinking of yourself as Vayne, using that as a way to feel... nothing. Ever since I told you about his essence leaking into you, it's been a convenient excuse, hasn't it?]
['Oh, I'm like this because Vayne is here.' And now what? Sacrificing yourself for Ashwick because it's the only way? Don't give me that bullshit, Aric. You have creation magic. Who the fuck cares if they have realm bullshit-changing powers? You have a different world power, Aric.]
Aric clenched his fists tightly, What do you want me to do, Ivy?Sit back and watch while they tear this town apart? While they enslave everyone here just to line their pockets?"
[No. But sacrificing yourself isn't the answer either. Throwing your life away because you think you owe this town something or because you feel guilty thanks to Vayne's memories isn't something I can stand behind. Newsflash, Aric: you don't owe them anything.]
[Yes you took it upon yourself to fix things and I admire that. But stop running from your own identity and face the truth—you're not Vayne. You're Aric. Use your damn head. You've got limitless potential with Creation Magic. Why are you limiting yourself to bombs and collapsing buildings?]
[You were a soldier Aric. One of the best your country had. You could trap them, yes but don't restrict yourself to be a kamikaze. You have your wife and Evelyn. They're stronger than you in raw powers and they'll fight beside you. Not everything has to be done alone, you know.]
Seraphina...Evelyn...Yes you're right! I can have their help! Don't worry Ivy. I won't be sacrificing myself.
Aric bolted through the streets of Ashwick to find Evelyn and Seraphina.
First, he spotted Evelyn near the fountain. Without hesitation, Aric grabbed her wrist, startling her momentarily.
"Evelyn, come with me. Now." he said sharply.
Before she could protest, Aric sprinted toward the hardware shop where Seraphina was assisting Borin's team in carrying an air conditioner unit inside.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Seraphina said as Aric seized her arm without warning, dragging her away from the dwarves.
"We need to talk. This is serious!" Aric shot back as he ran to the inn.
Both women exchanged alarmed glances, their irritation melting into concern at the sight of Aric's expression.
Upon reaching the inn, Aric didn't pause to explain himself. He burst through the doors, ignoring the startled looks from the staff and patrons.
He barreled upstairs, pulling Evelyn and Seraphina along with him until they reached the room he shared with Seraphina. Slamming the door shut behind them, he turned the lock firmly before proceeding to seal every window and crack in the walls.
Curtains were drawn tightly, furniture pushed against potential entry points, and anything reflective covered to prevent prying eyes.
By the time he finished securing the space, both Evelyn and Seraphina had a look of concern.
"What in the nine hells is going on, Aric?" Seraphina demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.
Aric took a deep breath, "I just had a… visitor who did some realm changing shit on me."
Evelyn raised an eyebrow upon hearing that, Realm...changing? Barrier? Is that what he means?
"A visitor? Who?"
Aric said as he paced around the room, "Hooded figures. Like the ones I've been seeing out of the corner of my eye for days now. One of them spoke to me directly. They want rights to my inventions and if I refuse…they'll destroy Ashwick. Everyone in it."
Seraphina's eyes widened slightly, "Destroy Ashwick? With what army?"
"They're powerful. Fire magic, shadow assassins, some realm changing stuff. Trust me, I saw what they're capable of. In my dream at least, they razed this town to the ground. Flames everywhere, people screaming…"
"And you believe them?" Seraphina asked. "For all we know, this could be a bluff to scare you into submission."
"I wish it were that simple." Aric muttered bitterly. "But these people… they're not bluffing. They operate like warlords. Ruthless. Calculating. They don't care about collateral damage; they only care about control and profit."
Evelyn frowned deeply, "So what do they want specifically? Just your inventions? Or more?"
"They mentioned distribution rights." Aric explained as he sat down, "They want to monopolize everything from electricity to food preservation systems. If they succeed, they'll charge exorbitant fees, bleeding Ashwick dry while keeping everyone dependent on their technology."
Seraphina scoffed, "And you think handing over your work will stop them? Once they have control, they won't hesitate to crush anyone who resists."
"That's why I agreed to meet them." Aric said quietly, "At the town hall. Tonight."
"You agreed?" Seraphina exploded, throwing up her hands in frustration.
"Are you insane?! Walking into their trap willingly—is that your grand plan?"
"Shhhhhhh. Of course not." Aric countered sharply,
"It's not walking into their trap—it's setting my own. I need your help to turn the tables on them."