Chapter 52: War of Words

The air crackled with tension, a silent battle waged in the space between Elias and Aldric. The Academy's forces stood at the edge of the ruins, their robes billowing in the night air, hands resting near spell foci—ready, but not attacking.

House Null mirrored them, each member tense but prepared. No one moved. No one blinked.

Yet Elias knew—violence was only one wrong word away.

Aldric studied him, his icy silver eyes piercing through the veil of dust and history that surrounded Solmara. "You have built something remarkable here, Elias. But you are a fool if you think it will save you."

Elias crossed his arms, his exosuit thrumming faintly, the stored energy shifting with his movement. "Oh, I know it will save me. What I don't know is why you're wasting time talking instead of trying to stop me."

Aldric's smile was cold. "Because unlike you, I understand the value of patience."

Lira scoffed, stepping beside Elias. "That's rich coming from the guy threatening to kill us five minutes into a conversation."

Aldric tilted his head, his gaze flicking to her. "You always did have a sharp tongue, Lira."

Lira clenched her fists, but Elias placed a hand on her shoulder. A subtle message: Don't let him bait you.

Elias exhaled, keeping his voice even. "I'm going to take a wild guess. The Academy isn't thrilled that we've restored Solmara."

Aldric's eyes flickered toward the humming war factory, its reignited forges casting a golden glow across the chamber. His expression remained unreadable. "The Academy does not fear knowledge."

Cecilia smirked, flipping a dagger between her fingers. "Oh, please. The Academy fears anything it can't control."

Aldric ignored her. "The issue is not that you have restored the Vanguard's work. It is that you are using it without understanding what it truly means."

Elias narrowed his eyes. "Enlighten me, then."

Aldric let out a slow breath, as if speaking to a stubborn child. "The Primordial Lords are not just another enemy, Elias. They are not something that weapons alone can defeat. You stand at the edge of a war beyond anything you can comprehend."

Elias's gauntlet flexed, the servos in his exosuit responding instantly. "And what's the Academy's grand plan? Sit around and wait to be slaughtered?"

Aldric's expression didn't change, but there was something in his eyes—something calculating.

"Would it surprise you to know that the Academy already has its own plans in motion?"

Elias hesitated, but only for a fraction of a second. "If the Academy had an actual solution, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Aldric sighed. "You assume that because you do not see the battle, there is no war."

Ivy, who had been silent until now, spoke. Her voice was sharp, quiet, but deadly. "And yet, here you are. At our doorstep. If the Academy had things under control, you wouldn't be trying to stop us."

For the first time, Aldric's jaw tightened.

Elias caught it. A crack in his perfect composure.

Bingo.

The Academy was worried.

Not just about the Primordial Lords.

But about him.

That meant House Null was officially a problem.

Good.

Because Elias had every intention of making that problem a whole lot worse.

He stepped forward, ignoring the way some of the mages tensed, their hands twitching toward their spells.

"Let's be clear about something, Aldric," Elias said, voice calm but unyielding. "The Academy has sat on its hands for years, pretending that the world isn't falling apart. The noble houses? They care more about their titles and bloodlines than about actually protecting people."

He lifted his gauntleted hand, letting the soft hum of energy fill the space between them.

"But me? I don't give a damn about tradition. I care about one thing—winning this war."

Aldric remained silent for a moment. Then, his lips curved slightly. "You truly believe your machines can stand against the Primordial Lords?"

Elias smirked. "I don't believe. I know."

Aldric studied him for a long, heavy second.

Then he turned, looking toward his mages, making a small motion with his hand.

The robed figures relaxed slightly, lowering their hands. The tension didn't vanish—but the immediate threat of combat faded.

Aldric's eyes returned to Elias. "You misunderstand me, Elias. I did not come here to fight."

Lira raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because you sure acted like you did."

Aldric exhaled. "I came here to warn you."

That gave Elias pause. "Warn me about what?"

Aldric's silver eyes gleamed. "You think you are building the future. That your work will save the world. But you do not see the pieces moving in the dark."

His voice dropped lower.

"The Primordial Lords are already aware of you."

The words hit like a hammer.

Silence.

Cecilia's smirk faded. Lira stiffened, her expression darkening. Marco swallowed hard.

Even Kierian—who had fought the demons before—looked grim.

Elias's mind raced.

How?

They had been careful, operating away from the Academy's spies, keeping their research isolated in Solmara. How could the Primordial Lords already be tracking them?

Aldric took a slow step forward. "You think the Academy is your enemy. That we are simply an obstacle in your path."

He paused.

"You are wrong."

His next words came slow and deliberate, laced with an undeniable certainty.

"The Primordial Lords have marked you, Elias."

A cold chill ran down his spine.

Aldric continued. "They know who you are. They know what you are building. And unlike the Academy, they will not waste time with warnings."

Elias's fingers curled into a fist inside his gauntlet.

Aldric tilted his head slightly. "So tell me, engineer."

His silver eyes burned with quiet intensity.

"When they come for you, when they unleash horrors that even your technology cannot stop—"

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"—will you still believe that your machines will be enough?"

The words settled over them like a stormcloud, thick with weight and unspoken consequences.

No one spoke.

The forges hummed softly behind them.

Aldric held Elias's gaze for a moment longer. Then, without another word, he turned.

The mages followed, vanishing into the night as quickly as they had come.

When they were gone, the silence stretched painfully.

Lira exhaled sharply. "Well, that was awful."

Cecilia frowned. "Did we just get threatened or saved?"

Marco rubbed his temples. "Both, I think."

Kierian's voice was grim. "Aldric does not make idle threats."

Ivy finally spoke. "If what he said is true…" Her eyes flicked to Elias. "The Primordial Lords know about you."

Elias stared at the spot where Aldric had stood, his mind a storm of calculations, questions, and a single, undeniable fact.

They were out of time.

The enemy was already watching them.

And sooner or later—

They were coming.