Chapter 41: Forceful Beginning of Something New

"Soo~ what's your real name?"

"Eclipse."

"Right… But if we pretend we aren't in a superhero comic, and you're not a stereotypical villain, what would your name be?"

"Eclipse."

"Not very talkative, are you? I noticed you only speak in five words or less. What happens if it's six? Do you explode?"

"Annoying girl, silence."

"Three."

Once Annabelle received the offer, she knew immediately the masked man wouldn't kill her. In fact, he wouldn't even harm her! She may have let it get to her head and maybe decided to be as annoying as possible.

At the end of the day, she was kidnapped after all—a small retaliation was still retaliation!

But she was careful.

She witnessed the overwhelming power of the masked man, Eclipse. He effortlessly obliterated the core without Anna even seeing how and suffered no injuries while knocking out Jaxon.

He would have definitely killed all of them if she didn't agree to his stupid deal.

The deal made no sense; she had to stay. That was it. If she didn't accept, Eclipse would kill everybody there—including Aria. Any objection died in her throat with that threat.

Luckily, it wasn't entirely bad.

Once Eclipse destroyed the core, Anna was able to slip the fantastical-looking Sigil into Aria's pocket, and then Eclipse instantly teleported them far away. She didn't even have time to say goodbye, but Aria would be safe in the academy from now on.

It had only been a few hours since, but the expedition knew she was missing by now. They were either searching for her or returning. At least, Aria definitely would search, even if it meant staying behind. But Jaxon wouldn't allow that. At most, they'd stay the maximum time before returning. Then, they'd come back for her; she was important to Alisha, after all.

But she'd be alone for who knew how long.

Still, Eclipse's plan didn't seem to make much sense since Bastion intended to return to the planet in the near future. At most, it was her temporary absence from the academy. That didn't matter—she wouldn't lose much. And he gained a powerful enemy in Alisha!

"Say, what do you really want?" Anna asked.

They were currently atop a branch somewhere in the Titan Forest, a branch easily big enough for her to lie down if she wanted. Eclipse stood beside her while she sat, his gaze presumably locked to where the expedition was.

He didn't even look at her—as usual. "Nothing."

His tone was deep, heavy, and he seemed like he always wanted to say more but couldn't.

"So you want to trap me on this planet for fun?" Anna scoffed. "Come on."

The closer she got to that reality, the tighter her chest became.

"Will be good for you."

Five words.

"What?"

"Academy is bad—unnecessary... They want to use you."

"Well, yeah. I know that, but I can't exactly say this is any better."

"You won't be harmed."

"Yeah, I'll just starve to death or die of dehydration. Maybe I'll get eaten by a wild animal, or maybe I go insane from... loneliness." She muttered the last word, the realization dawning as she said it.

Complete isolation.

"Survive, get stronger. Not a child." For the first time, Eclipse looked down at her. It didn't mean much when his face was covered by a mask, but it was the first time. "Bastion isn't good. No such thing as heroes. All have their own motives."

"Right," Anna muttered. "Obviously, they aren't helping me out of the kindness of their hearts. They need soldiers, right? I'm already aware the world of magic isn't all sunshine and rainbows."

Alisha warned her of that before she even entered the academy. In fact, she made it quite clear.

"No, wrong. Don't need soldiers." He actually sounded more impassioned when speaking on it. The first noticeable emotional change Anna detected. "If so, why academy? Just recruit everyone. Throw them in the fire. Best soldiers that way. But no. They don't want soldiers. A lie."

It made a little sense… technically. She didn't believe it was simply to teach more people about magic. If that was the case, they could just let it be known to Earth.

"Then why have the academy at all?"

"Ulterior motives. A congregation of many. Some, minor; power. Others, grand; Earth. Many, too many to name. Place is a melting pot."

"Earth?"

"I won't speak on it."

Words she was sick of hearing.

"Why do I have to be stranded here? Why not just kidnap me? Why... why leave me alone?"

"Easiest path. You'll learn soon. No more questions."

Anna clicked her tongue. She was trying her best to keep composed, to underplay the situation as much as possible. But it was hard. The moment he left, she'd be alone—stranded. Nobody to talk to, to share her thoughts with. If there was even one person with her… it might be exciting to explore the world. But, no, Eclipse had made it clear.

"At least tell me how long I'll be trapped here."

"Unsure."

Eclipse could kill her with a breath, so escape was impossible. Even then, escape to who? Jaxon was already beaten.

"Last question, promise... Why do this to me?"

He stared at her for a minute, then lightly nodded. "I saw you in corruption. I realized. Bastion doesn't want you. They want your power. I can't allow that."

"My power? You mean my high purity?"

From what Alice said about supporters' powerful positions in Bastion, she should be highly sought after. She could only imagine what sort of importance was placed on her, someone so rare that they didn't even bother trying to find them.

If she wanted political power, she'd certainly be able to get it. Yet, it didn't feel like that's what Eclipse was referring to.

"Purity is remarkable. But, no—your Apex Sigil. Your being itself. You are too special. Can't leave you with them."

Anna's surprise almost made her slip off the branch!

"My what?" She exclaimed

"You call them Apex Sigils."

"Yeah, heard that. But what are you talking about? I definitely don't have an Apex Sigil. I haven't even decided what kind I want!" She shook her head. "I was introduced to magic a year ago and started learning about it two months ago!"

"Of course, you don't know. You will find out. Later. Wait for them to leave."

Anna tried immediately to detect what the looney man was saying but obviously didn't feel anything.

Apex Sigils should rip a section of her soul, a tear she would feel recovering, even today. Even someone with little control would feel it. So, even if they somehow forced an Apex Sigil in her a year ago, she'd likely still feel the effects of the missing piece of her being!

But Eclipse wouldn't kidnap her because he believed something that wasn't true. Well, he was crazy, but that was unlikely.

She wasn't going to get answers from him, and silence reigned for another half hour.

Finally, Eclipse moved.

He tapped Anna's shoulder, and her vision went black for less than a second before she found herself atop the familiar grass.

Yet, what that meant had her heart as deep as it could go.

"They're gone," he said.

There they were, the words she dreaded hearing spoken so casually.

Jaxon was gone. Aria was gone. Her peers had left her behind. She felt like a knife had been plunged into her heart.

Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground, the weight of his words crashing over her.

"W-why—" She stopped, not expecting an answer.

"You must sleep. I need the other one. You wake with knowledge needed." He almost sounded like a doting parent, his tone less heavy and eyes glued to her. "Don't worry. Will be fine."

Other one?

"Wha—"

She felt a pain engulf her entire head as her vision blackened.

---

Eclipse watched for a moment, waiting for what he knew would occur any moment. Something that would confirm his theory. He felt like a child again, an anticipation he hadn't felt in years.

As expected, yet still surprisingly, Annabelle Frost rose while rubbing her head.

She carefully stood and scanned the surrounding area before her eyes landed on him.

He could tell. She was not the same naive child who asked too many questions. In her place, a cold and unfathomable being that didn't care to look at him.

"What a repulsive mask—rid yourself of it," she said. Her tone was nothing like before and demanded absolute obedience.

The nagging feeling in the depths of his mind that he must listen to her every whim confirmed every theory he had. But he wasn't so weak as to fall to it. Yet to even have the suggestion try to inch into his mind spoke of what the force would be capable of.

"No. Are you Annabelle Frost?"

His refusal didn't change anything on her steely face. "Fool, the balance you think yourself capable of keeping is far beyond your meager capability. To see you try is laughable."

"Yet it has worked. For years."

She found a nearby rock and gently sat atop it, her legs crossed and hands rested on her lap. "And it has left you broken."

He ignored that.

"You tell what has happened?"

In other words, test its knowledge. Did it really have full access to all of Annabelle Frost's memories and feelings while it lay dormant? Or was he misunderstanding the relationship? There was no precedent; that experiment should have ended in utter failure.

"A foolish question; obviously, I am aware of what happens to my body."

My body.

"What are you?"

"Annabelle Frost, heiress to the Frost family."

Did it attach value to that human title? Eclipse couldn't tell, and her tone didn't give anything away.

"Were you a Radiance Fragment?"

"Oh?" Finally, he got a noticeable reaction, as small as it was; surprise. "So you aren't as impotent as I thought. I struggle to decide if I prefer the other one—dumb, but not as aware."

Eclipse realized immediately upon seeing Annabelle Frost move freely in the corruption. The Radiance Fragment. While unaware of its true purpose and origination, he knew it was a subject of intense Bastion experimentation. One ability he could confirm was that it would make one immune to corruption.

An ability so important that every organization and race would war for it.

To see that and that Apex Sigil again was monumental. But to see them both in one person? The universe would tremble—the status quo would change. He could barely contain his excitement.

First, questions.

"Why her?"

"Why me, you meant to say." She didn't seem to care in the slightest about Eclipse's knowledge. She was still looking past him—through him. "Evidently, a common misunderstanding. But I am not some parasite; I am Annabelle Frost. This is an offensive mistake."

Was that true, or was it the delusions of something wishing to be human? The former. When he heard of the first experiment, the way the fragment acted was far different, but so was the subject. It was wild, unruly, and violent, all for the goal of freedom. A complete opposite of what was before him.

"Do you remember past host?"

"I don't enjoy repeating myself," she threatened, her tone somehow colder. She looked at Eclipse like he was an ant.

Eclipse decided to end his questioning there.

Despite his strength, he knew nothing of the Radiant Fragment. Could it instantly flood corruption into his body? It wasn't a theory he cared to test.

"Awaken Apex Sigil for her."

"You awakened me for that?" She lightly shook her head. "It's already been done."

Since they were technically two souls, it should have been simple for the fragment to hide its existence from Annabelle Frost. But it was time to reveal. If it had happened in the academy, every vile authority in Bastion would know of it, and her life would never be peaceful.

Being used was the least of her worries.

"What are your plans?" Eclipse asked.

"Hmm~," she hummed and scanned the surroundings once more. Once she seemingly confirmed something to herself, she nodded. "My plans don't concern you. However, your aid is regrettably essential; you must ensure I remain here until I meet him."

"Done."

That was what he intended. Annabelle Frost needed the time to master her Apex Sigil before others could lead her astray. That, and he wanted her to meet the being on Sorana. Theoretically, if she could master her ability, that being would instantly launch her to above his level.

All it would take to keep her there was disrupting some supply lines and using the others to create red tape.

"I can see your gears turning," she said with a light shake of her head. "But, no. I hold some respect for it, and I would not breach that sanctity. Neither I… and certainly not my alter ego will harm it."

"That's…." Eclipse paused. Perhaps it was for the best. It was unfortunate, but he knew it was likely Annabelle Frost couldn't contain a power so far above her. "Acceptable."

"Good." Her brow slightly lowered. "And you must leave; I will not be spied on during my time here. If you try, I will know."

"Once I leave, access impossible. Isolated. No more gates. Not until permanent is built. But your… alter ego. Won't handle it well."

"Alter ego," She said as if tasting the words. "Is afraid of isolation. Ironic, isn't it? But she needs this—we need this." She got off the rock and sat on the grass. "For your plan, I will say that I am in your debt."

Eclipse nodded as Annabelle Frost lay on the ground and returned to slumber. She looked peaceful, save for a tear falling from her eyes.

That debt meant more than even she could have predicted.

Or, maybe she did but didn't care.

It wasn't often Eclipse felt his plans and goals just stepping stones to another. What did Alisha plan for this child? No… what did Bastion plan for her? Despite what some believe, he truly had no idea. They were all playing with someone else's piece.

He took out his return gate and activated it.

Annabelle Frost would now be alone until she found the incomprehensible being.

From there, the balance Bastion worked so hard—so venomously—to maintain would crumble, and true progress could be made.

Perhaps it was time for a more serious meeting.