They gathered at a small table in a peaceful area of the temple, surrounded by a blend of surprise and cautious interest in the air. Hera clapped her hands, and a collection of young women, with shaved heads and dressed in plain monk attire, came into the room. They transported trays filled with piping hot cups of green tea, freshly baked bread, and plain cheese.
"Tea and a light meal," Hera announced, her voice laced with a forced cheerfulness. "We wouldn't want our guest to go hungry, would we?"
Andre, who remained detached and curious, lifted one eyebrow while watching the scene. "Servants?" he asked, his voice rumbling softly.
Hera locked eyes with him, a hint of defiance shining in her gaze. "This temple, Andre, or perhaps I should say Elian, operates on more than simply meditation and prayer. We need to oversee a significant community, and these young women play a crucial role in ensuring its efficiency."
"Indeed," Marco interjected, his tone impassive. "Hera has demonstrated her effectiveness as a leader." She assumed control of the temple.
Andre nodded as he kept his gaze on Hera for a little while longer. "You have created a life for yourself here," he remarked, showing no emotion in his voice.
Hera gave a slight shrug, a faint smile appearing on her lips. "Life tends to move forward, Elian. Even in the wake of tragedy."
There was a heavy silence that lingered in the air after. Drake couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer and leaned in. "Okay, stop with the vague statements. How are you Elian? After the Arcana Academia incident, you vanished and were believed to be dead. Now that you're here, you appear as though you've stepped out of a nightmare."
Andre drank his tea, feeling the hot liquid contrasting against his cold monstrous body.
"The truth is," he began, his voice a low rumble, "a part of me died that day. Or rather, something else took over. A demonic entity, powerful and… consuming."
He told the story of what came next, the plunge into darkness, the never-ending desire for power, the terrible acts he had done. Each syllable spoken by him lingered in the atmosphere, serving as a harsh indication of the monster he had transformed into.
Hera paid close attention, her anger fading and being replaced by a mix of horror and a small amount of pity. "So, this... being, it controls you?" she inquired, speaking in a barely audible voice.
Andre nodded his head in a rigid and unnatural manner. "Not really. We live in a... delicate equilibrium. It gives me strength, and I... I just exist."
"But what about the Elian we knew?" Kyle interjected, his voice laced with a desperate hope. "Is he… is there any part of him left?"
Andre paused, his monstrous form seemingly contemplating the question. "There are… fragments," he admitted, his voice devoid of any warmth. "Memories, echoes of the person I once was. But they are… fading."
A heavy silence fell over the group. So silent in fact, Andre could hear his own breathing. The discovery that their friend still had a part of themselves alive within the monstrous shell sparked a glimmer of hope within them. However, the seriousness of the situation and the possible outcomes of confronting a being fueled by such intense power were a heavy burden on their minds.
"Elian, what is it that you want"? Hera finally inquired, her voice shaking a bit. "Why return to us now?"
Andre looked into her eyes without showing any emotion. "I... I'm not sure," he confessed, speaking in a deep tone. "Maybe... a piece of me desired a link to the past, to the previous life I abandoned.
"And what about the future?" Drake asked, his voice laced with suspicion. "What are your intentions? What will you do now?"
Andre stayed quiet briefly, his huge shape appearing to be deep in contemplation. "I... I don't have all the answers," he confessed at last. "However, I am certain that I will not allow the darkness inside of me to dictate my actions. I will discover a method to... live alongside it, to harness its strength for something... greater."
Another heavy silence lingered in the air. Then Drake broke the silence.
"Wanna fight" he said a cocky grin appearing on his face.
The main training arena crackled with a different kind of tension as the setting sun painted the sky in fiery hues. The feeling of nostalgia had vanished, making way for an intense excitement for the impending showdown.
Drake, driven by a combination of Nostalgia and a desire to win faced Andre on the bamboo mats that were woven in the familiar yin and yang symbol that Andre knew from earth.
Drake's typically controlled red hair was now standing on end in excitement, and a wide grin full of fire spread across his face as he unleashed his flame magic. The air danced around him, with the scent of ozone in the air, as two fiery gauntlets suddenly appeared on his hands in the arena.
Andre, with his monstrous appearance starkly different from Drake's human body, stayed expressionless. His eyes, lacking in warmth, displayed a sharp predatory focus. "Only close-quarters fighting," he grumbled, his voice a quiet snarl that made the spectators shudder.
Drake lifted his shoulders nonchalantly, a mischievous smile appearing on his face. "Okay with me." He made a quick forward movement that showed he had been trained for many years, aiming the fiery gauntlets at Andre's chest.
Andre, with inhuman reflexes, sidestepped the attack with a blur of motion. His clawed hand, tipped with razor-sharp obsidian, shot out, aiming for Drake's wrist. A searing pain lanced through Andre's hand as it made contact with the flames, but the monstrous entity ignored it. With a sickening crack, he twisted Drake's wrist, the sound echoing through the silent arena.
Drake yelped in surprise, momentarily losing his balance. Andre capitalized on the opportunity, his monstrous fist slamming into Drake's stomach with a sickening thud. The force of the blow sent Drake flying across the arena, the fiery gauntlets dissipating as he landed hard on the black stone.
He lay there for a moment, the wind knocked out of him, before slowly pushing himself up. His face contorted in pain, a bead of sweat trickling down his temple. But amidst the pain, a flicker of grudging respect shone in his eyes as he looked at Andre.
"Alright, alright," he wheezed, a chuckle escaping his lips. "You win. Seems you haven't gotten rusty after all."
Andre remained emotionless, his huge figure emanating a feeling of pure strength. The battle was short, savage, and a clear indication of the tremendous strength Andre had acquired. However, every action he took reflected the Elian they remembered - quick reflexes, efficient actions, and fierce concentration. It was a haunting indication that the spirit of the warrior was still present, despite being trapped in a large body.
The heavy silence following Drake's loss was only interrupted by the red-haired monk's ragged gasps. At last, Andre, with his monstrous appearance showing no sign of emotion, uttered words.
"My brother, Cole," he rumbled, his voice a low growl. "And my father, Kael. What became of them?"
The question lingered in the air, serving as a stark memory of the repercussions caused by Andre's choices half a decade ago. The grim expressions on the faces of the others were reflected in Marcus's dark contorted face.
"After your… transformation," Res began, her voice heavy with sadness, "they were deemed complicit in your crimes. Sentenced to the Ironclad Duchy's supreme dungeon."
An overwhelming anger, untamed and instinctual, flowed through Andre's massive body. His hands with sharp claws turned into fists, the obsidian edges piercing his palms and causing blood to flow. However, the intense anger faded rapidly and was replaced by a sinister smile that spread across his evil-looking face.
"The Ironclad Duchy," he rasped, his voice devoid of any warmth. "A fitting end for traitors."
The others exchanged nervous glances. The casual cruelty with which Andre dismissed his own family sent shivers down their spines. It was a stark reminder that the Elian they once knew was gone, replaced by a creature driven by a different set of values, a different set of emotions.
"Don't you care?" Hera finally asked, her voice trembling slightly. "They were your blood, Andre."
Andre's smile widened, devoid of any humor or warmth. "Care?" he echoed, his voice a low rumble. "That human emotion is a luxury I no longer possess. Power, however… that is something I crave. And in this new existence, family ties are a weakness I can ill afford."
"You know why are you acting like you are still undergoing puberty" said Drake still feeling salty about the defeat. One minute ago, you were mad, and now..."
His words lingered in the atmosphere, a chilling declaration that validated their biggest worries. The previous version of Elian they were familiar with, the boy who prized loyalty and compassion above everything else, had completely disappeared. In his position stood a huge being, a monster motivated by a desire for control and completely lacking in any human compassion.