Click.
The shackles slipped from my ankles and fell to the floor with a dull clang.
I instinctively rubbed the sore skin around them.
Arturia stepped back.
"Come."
He gestured toward the door
"Let's get you out of here…"
"...Someone besides me wishes to have a word with you."
He paused.
"But first…"
He tossed me a clean tunic.
"I'll have the guards prepare you a warm bath."
Then, he wrinkled his nose.
"You need it."
—-
Most of the walk passed with Feona pestering Arturia about his time in Nymirel.
Arturia sighed each time before answering.
I quietly followed behind them, listening more than talking.
By the time their conversation settled, the evening sun had already begun sinking beyond the Academy walls.
Warm amber light spilled across the pathways, painting the buildings in shades of gold. The street lamps slowly come on as it gets darker. Students wandered between the lecture halls and dormitories in small groups, some laughing, others discussing the day's lessons.
It felt… strangely peaceful.
Almost as though nothing had happened.
Then…
Someone noticed me.
The laughter from a nearby group faltered.
One pair of eyes became two.
Then four.
Conversations died away as whispers quietly spread from one group to another.
"...isn't that him?"
"... The veil from the arena…"
"Wait… isn't he the Third Captain's lover?"
"So he was a spy this whole time? I knew it."
"Sad for our poor third captain though, she got used by her first love."
I lowered my gaze, my fist already clenched.
Every step suddenly felt heavier than the last, as the whispers got louder around me.
"Ignore them." Arturia said, his voice low and neutral.
I glanced at him.
"Huh?"
"They don't know whether you are a veil, or just a victim of a disastrous awakening." He added. "Afterall, rumours spread faster than truth."
"Yeah, Zandren." Feona chimed in. "Don't let the whispers get to you."
She laughed. "The Lost Aegis Vanguard gets this a lot since most of our expeditions end with a lot of casualties."
She tucked her hands behind her head.
"They even nicknamed us the Suicide Vanguard, haha…"
"...Cowardly Bastards." she added, grinning.
I smiled. "I guess you both are right."
Feona stepped beside Arturia.
"But, Arturia…"
She tugged on his cloak.
"Why didn't you bring a carriage?" She asked, shaking him.
He didn't respond.
"What?"
Feona grinned.
"Did you underestimate the distance between the prison and the High Council hall?"
Arturia stopped.
Unbuckled his claymore and dropped it.
Then, he bent over, clutching his back.
"Yes…"
"...My back hurts from all the walking too."
Feona laughed. "And you also brought your massive claymore with you. Who were you expecting to fight?"
He sighed. "I feel… disrespected."
Feona patted his back. "It's fine anyways, we are nearly there. Just a bit more."
The towering silhouettes of the High Council hall gradually emerged beyond the Academy buildings.
Even from a distance…
…its sheer size was overwhelming.
"Every building in the Academy always steals my breath." I muttered.
Feona giggled beside me. "Well… Terraka is the largest of all four nations."
She shrugged.
"Gotta make use of it."
I nodded slightly, still in awe at how massive this hall was.
Massive ivory walls curved outward on either side of the central hall, embracing a vast ceremonial courtyard lined with fountains, banners, and perfectly trimmed gardens.
Four colossal statues stood guard before the grand staircase.
Two on each side.
One slightly before the other.
Three depicted legendary warriors clad in armour, their expressions stern and unwavering. Two wore their long hair flowing behind them, while the third had his tied into a warrior's knot.
We stopped right in the middle.
I was glad the sun had gone down, because with how huge they were, I wouldn't be able to look up.
Feona placed a hand on my shoulder.
"These are the Rulers of all four nations."
She pointed at one
"This is King Zyron Elruka, You've already met him."
Then the next statue.
"Queen Eirifa Nymira, Ruler of Nymirel." She chuckled. "What a beauty. She's famous for her shoulder-length hair with…"
Feona gestured with her fingers.
"... beaded braids on a small part of it."
She walked forward a bit, dragging me along.
Arturia, following closely behind.
Feona skipped one of the statues and pointed to the last one, who had his hair tied up.
"That's King Orynel Eltharion, Ruler of Sylphaeris."
I observed.
Then, turned to the one she skipped.
"But who's this?" I asked, staring closely at the statue.
"That is uhh…"
Feona stepped beside me.
"...King Aethon, Ruler of Ardor."
"But…"
I stared at Feona.
"...both Ardor and Aethon are no more."
She exhaled.
"True, but you see…"
She stepped forward.
"Whenever a new ruler is crowned, the statues are brought down, and reconstructed, which has been the case in every nation's High Council hall."
She took a breath.
"...but since Ardor fell, There hasn't been a new ruler to replace Aethon with. So, the remaining three nations agreed to leaveAethon as is, till eventually… Ardor rises again."
I stared at the status.
"So, Aethon, even after this long, you still live in the minds of many. How good of a man were you when you were alive?." I thought.
I stepped back, looking at all the statues.
"This arrangement…" I whispered. "I've seen it somewhere before."
Arturia walked past.
"They're positioned according to how they were originally founded by the Primordial Dragons, but without the dark forest being in the way."
I blinked. "Hmm?"
He pointed back to the first statue on the left.
"Terraka."
"Nymirel." He pointed to the second statue on the right.
His hand shifted to the left again.
"Ardor."
"...And finally."
Farther back on the right.
"Sylphaeris."
"Just like how it is on the map…" I murmured.
Arturia kept walking.
"Now you know." He said. "Let's leave now, The Supreme Commander will soon be here."
"My order was to have you settled in before his arrival." He added.
I swallowed. "Oh, ok."
We climbed the broad staircase.
The closer we drew…
…the smaller I felt.
My eyes drifted upward.
Above the entrance rested a colossal clock unlike anything I had ever seen.
Golden gears slowly turned behind a crystal face, each movement accompanied by a deep metallic tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The hands glowed faintly beneath the evening sky, while intricate engravings of dragons, swords, and the four Primordials Dragons circled its rim.
I couldn't help but stop again.
"... Beautiful."
Arturia stepped beside me.
"That clock has never stopped turning since the council was found."
Feona leaned on me.
"Legend has it that the time isn't even correct, hehe." She whispered, a laugh nearly escaping her.
Smack!
"Don't joke about this." Arturia muttered, visibly trying to hide his laugh.
I laughed softly. "It's rare to see you not get smacked, Feona."
"Let's go in now.."
I nodded.
Turning back, to take one final look at the statue of Aethon.
I exhaled.
"Ahh…"
—-
Before I realised it…
…I was already standing inside my new chamber beneath the High Council Hall.
The room was nothing like the prison cell I had left behind.
Warm lanterns bathed the stone walls in soft golden light. A neat bed rested against one corner, a polished wooden desk right beside it. Shelves lined with books and neatly folded clothes occupied the opposite side.
Even the air felt different.
Clean.
Quiet.
Comfortable.
I chuckled. "Quite an upgrade…"
"Not as good as your dorm room, but it should do till this whole mess is over." Feona said.
I forced a smile.
"Oh yeah, my room." I said. "I wonder how those birds are doing. I hope they didn't starve, haha."
"About that…"
Feona smiled softly.
"Eimira's been kinda going there daily to feed them, if she can't, she sends someone to…"
My body jolted.
"That's good…" I muttered, obviously shaken from hearing her name.
Feona exhaled. She noticed.
"Oh…"
"S-Sorry…" I apologised. "I just keep getting stupid flashbacks, haha."
Arturia cut in.
"Sorry to interrupt, but the only reason I brought you here a day earlier was because of my impatience."
"I need to know exactly why you are here right now." He added.
I stared at him.
"Can I take a seat?" I asked.
He nodded. "Feel free."
"Now. Speak…"
Tap.
Feona softly tapped Arturia's shoulder.
"Don't rush him, he's still recovering."
Then, she turned to me.
"Don't mind him, he's a bit of an Emberia Fanatic." she said. "Well I can't blame him…"
"...Being the last known wielder of Emberia, and somehow hearing a random stranger wield it sparked his curiosity."
I blinked. "The last wielder…?"
I turned to Arturia.
He stepped closer.
"I didn't introduce myself fully earlier…"
He placed a hand on his chest.
"Let me do that now…"
"I am Arturia Vanick. Third generation of House Pendragon of the fallen nation, Ardor."
"Unfortunately for my kind…"
"I am the last Pendragon, keeper of the ways of Ignisia."
He walked to an empty chair, and grabbed it. Setting it down right in front of me before taking a seat.
"My parents, Vaelor and Maeissa Pendragon, were the last Pendragons before they had me. Sadly both perished in the Void of Giants when I was young, leaving me to survive alone."
He leaned back into the chair.
"They were survivors of the fall of Ardor—"
"Wait…"
I cut in.
"Before they had you? Fall of Ardor?" I frowned. "It doesn't really add up to me."
"I understand your confusion." He said. "During the fall of Ardor, my mother was pregnant with me."
"And I was later conceived in the Dark Forest." He added.
"Alright, but how did you know about the fall of Ardor if you weren't born by that time?" I asked.
Feona slowly walked over and sat beside me, and laid down.
"It's kind of like an Emberia thing…" She said.
I blinked. "Emberia thing?"
Arturia spoke. "It's called the Eye of Ignisia."
"Emberia isn't like other blessings." He continued. "In the earlier days of Ardor when Ignisia ruled, she hand-picked a set of people to have awakened Emberia."
"Those people made families. Several of them came mixed with others and Emberia only ever awakened within those families."
He crossed his legs and folded his arms.
"That allowed the Eye of Ignisia to fully manifest in those families."
"What exactly is the Eye of Ignisia?" I asked.
"The Eye of Ignisia is a bit tricky to explain."
He stroked his chin.
"What's the best way to put it for you?"
Feona sat up.
"Hmm, it's just like being able to live the experience of someone else in a completely different timeline, as long as you exist. No matter the form you take." She explained.
"That's a good way to put it, Thank you." Arturia said, bowing slightly.
Feona giggled. "You're welcome. Zandren's kinda stupid so just let me know when you need me to break something down for him."
My eyes narrowed. "What?"
She stuck her tongue out.
"Bleh."
Then laid back down.
"Though, the Eye of Ignisia only works within one family, like one huge collection of memories."
He stared at me.
"Hearing you awaken Emberia, but also having no memory…"
"...Was something I had never heard before."
"So it's natural for me to be curious. So I wanted to ask you myself."
"Do you actually remember nothing about yourself until Lady Eimira found you?" He asked.
I glanced down at my legs.
Then back at Arturia.
"No… I do not."
He exhaled. "Oh—"
"But…"
"I randomly regained a bit of memory. My mother and… fath—"
Knock.
The door creaked open.
My body tensed.
A crushing weight settled over the room.
My heartbeat stumbled.
Thump.
Thump.
The hairs along my arms stood on end.
"This must be him… Mar'gareth!" I thought, unable to raise my gaze.
Heavy footsteps echoed through the chamber.
Calm.
Unhurried.
"You must be Zandren."
There was no hostility in his deep tone, only a quiet authority that demanded attention without ever asking for it.
Arturia stood up, then stepped away.
Moments later, a massive frame took his place on the chair.
Then, a heavy hand on my shoulder.
"Nice to meet you, Zandren."
Whoosh.
The immense pressure I had felt vanished instantly.
I finally managed to look up.
No face.
No hair.
Just a golden plated mask.
"H-Hi…"
My hands still trembled.
Mar'gareth smiled apologetically.
"Forgive me."
"I must have startled you."
I couldn't see his smile, but one could tell the facial expression he had on, just by observing his body language.
"What sort of…" I murmured quietly.
Mar'gareth continued.
"But as a father, I have to assert dominance on the lover of my little snowflake."
Feona quietly slipped beside him..
"Commander Mar'gareth… Hii…"
He glanced at her.
"Ah, Feona. How have you been?"
"I've been well, hehe." She answered.
"I heard you were with Zandren, so I had a feeling I'd run into you eventually." He said.
"Yeah, you see… I had to keep my buddy here company." Feona replied.
"That's good…"
"...but I think it's time you head back, Yor is worried you'd get hungry."
Feona stomach rumbled.
She giggled. "Well, she isn't wrong."
"I'll be on my way then." she said. "Bye for now Zandren, don't worry, you're in good hands now."
She picked up the bag she used to transport the flasks.
"I'll see you all later."
She gave us one final wave before stepping out.
Click.
Arturia quietly secured the door behind her.
Silence settled over the chamber.
I swallowed.
Now…
Only Arturia.
Mar'gareth
…and I remained.