My Disciples

Aether walked toward Ryuji, watching as Marquis engaged in a heated conversation with Kar. The tension in the air was palpable.

"So, what now?" Aether asked, his tone edged with impatience.

"Useless. Just... air. Propaganda. Like Father's voice. Still buzzing," Ryuji muttered, the shink of his blade slicing through the words. His thumb traced the tsuba compulsively.

Aether turned sharply, taking Ryuji's words at face value. "Please act like the Ryuji from a while ago."

He crossed his arms, knuckles pale. "Find more." A beat. His eyes distant, tracking unseen paths. "This rot... it stinks like the old wars, with deep enough roots. Fetch it." His gaze snapped back, sharp as the blade's edge.

Marquis turned slightly, catching Ryuji's glance.

"Like I said," Marquis began, speaking with deliberate slowness, "Heads don't interfere with district conflicts. The district council exists for that. There's a council for everything." He gestured broadly, as if to underscore his point.

"Yes, I do—" Kar started to respond, but his voice faltered.

Elsewhere, in a distant location, the King sat unseen on his throne. His presence pressed against the fabric of the moment.

"...and I believe you are right," the King's voice interjected through Kar, seamlessly merging with his own. "But there is a flaw. Do you really think the district council has the power to stop the war? It's been here for four decades. Why didn't they end it? This is a last resort—backing from everyone. The central district must stop the war and..." The King paused, and so did Kar.

"It's funny, isn't it?" the King continued, his tone sharp and probing. "You said the war could be stopped. What do you mean by that, Aether?"

Aether froze, caught off guard. He struggled to respond, the weight of the question heavy on him.

"Total annihilation? Revolution? Which is it?" the King pressed. "In the King's eyes, it is complete unification—the merging of ideas that will inevitably burn to ignite a new light."

"Stop with the King stuff!" Aether snapped, frustration boiling over. "You said it isn't about him, so stop mentioning him!"

Behind them, Mirakos slept on a nearby couch, undisturbed. Anna sat close, her eyes keenly observing the exchange.

"Like I said earlier," Kar replied, his voice steady but firm, "you need to participate. Whether you like it or not, this is the King's battleground."

Kar's gaze shifted to Anna. "Anna, you stay with the Free Dominion, do you not?"

Anna blinked, startled. "Yes—" she began.

"It matters not," Kar cut her off dismissively. "And your opinion? Destruction is not the solution for a battle. A war, though… that is a different question." He exhaled heavily and steadied himself before standing. "Your father will be a bit late. Do not fret. We will stay at Kai's mansion until he arrives. Feel free to ask us any questions in the meantime." Kar gestured for Kai to lead the way, his movements deliberate and composed.

"Ah, and before I forget," Kar added, glancing back, "there are multiple ranks of teams being organized. Among them, we've received direct orders from your Sage. It's voluntary, of course, but it's called the Apotheosis Covenant—or AC for short." He bowed slightly as he spoke the words.

Mirakos, who was sleeping, caught the words as Kar continued, "There isn't enough current place; there's time to choose."

Kar turned to Kai, who, throughout the conversation, had been subtly staring at Elara.

"Sage?" The word popped into everyone's mind—it felt like a lie. Marquis started sweating frantically.

"Ah yes, this way," Kai said, holding a peace sign toward Marquis, who responded in kind.

"Could you elaborate on the war again, Kar?" someone asked as they walked up the stairs.

"No way... it has to be a joke." Marquis huffed, holding his head as the air grew thick with tension. He breathed again, and the atmosphere lightened, giving him a moment of relief.

Anna watched him intently. "Is he mastering air already? How is he progressing so fast? Is it even possible?" She drank her pride. "Wait, Aether is getting stronger by the day too... his growing height is proof of it. Am I just naturally slow?" she muttered, closing her eyes. Is joining the war useful? Liberation, is it?

Meanwhile, Aether remained with Ryuji.

"Hah." A dry, humorless sound. "A covenant... maybe. Not theirs." His hand dropped to the hilt. "This blade... it hungers for a hotter flame. Father's rot... needs burning out." The veins at his temple pulsed visibly.

They all, except the Squidi, turned to Ryuji, realizing what switch had been flipped.

"Why?" Aether asked, genuinely curious.

"Who wouldn't?" Ryuji's voice was low, taut. A muscle jumped in his jaw. "That bastard's embers... still glow." He touched his chest briefly, a flicker of something like pain crossing his features. "The headship... is mine. Should be." His voice hardened, cutting off his mother's imagined voice. "No more sermons from Mother. No more... wandering. Just power. Clean power. To scour him clean." The calm veneer cracked; his knuckles were bone-white on the scabbard. The veins stood ropey on his forehead.

"I'd rather stay here and practice for the upcoming guest in... eleven months and—" Aether began, but Elara cut him off.

"Based on Anna's expression, we should think about it," she said in a flat, robotic tone, devoid of emotion.

Aether stared at her in shock.

He sighed, half-smiling. "Until the quest is over, we shouldn't get sidetracked." He glanced at Ryuji, who sighed and began to leave.

"I'll hope not to see you all later," Ryuji muttered as the door closed behind him.

Marquis raised a hand in greeting as Ryuji exited, his expression unreadable.

"Let him go. Some fires only burn out when you stop feeding them," Marquis muttered to Aether, casually lifting Mirakos' sleeping body.

Aether instinctively stepped forward to hold Mirakos' floating form as Marquis released him, clearly not used to the new method of using his attachment skill.

"Get used to it first, will you?" Aether said to Marquis as he cradled Mirakos in his arms.

"Who's the kid anyway?" Marquis asked, glancing toward Anna. "Barely talks, sleeps like a log."

"Aether's little brother," Anna said, chuckling.

Marquis turned sharply, his eyes widening. "Little?"

"Step-brother," Aether said, smiling as Mirakos squirmed in his arms.

Marquis scratched his head. "Alright, I'd like to talk to you, but not now. I'm not going to join the team or whatever. I'm joining an internship at the church."

"I thought you hated them?" Aether asked, surprised.

"I don't hate them, man, but they craft the cage. I need to understand the lock before I can break it," Marquis replied with a dismissive wave as he walked away.

Elara sprawled on the couch, staring at the ceiling. "Now what?" she said lazily. They had almost a whole year ahead of them—a year of doing nothing.

"Why not join the AC team or whatever?" Anna suggested suddenly.

"What?" Aether's shock was immediate.

Anna stretched her arms and said, "Don't you think before we start the quest of five hundred years, we should have some experience first? I barely know how to use my skills to their fullest… and Elara doesn't either." She stood up, determination in her voice.

"You think the best way to gain experience is to join a politically charged conflict under a rising dictator with a god complex? Is there anything more idiotic?" Aether shot back.

"We're already a part of it, whether you like it or not," Anna retorted. "The Sage accepted. You won't go to war, Aether—war comes to you."

Elara nodded, agreeing with Anna. "Even if we do join the team, we might not be on the front lines. Just extras."

Aether narrowed his eyes. "You're envious?" he asked suddenly.

"What?" Anna blinked, caught off guard, but Aether waved her off dismissively.

"I really don't want to join the war—" he began.

"It isn't a war. It's just a battle on our part, a game for a team. Honestly, I'd like to help people… and so do you," Anna said, her tone resolute. She turned and started walking toward the training grounds.

Aether sighed and headed off with Mirakos and his new arm for his room. "Nothing really motivates me to go to war. As of now, I'd rather stay in my room until the quest begins. Experience comes when we work, not when we run for it. That's just rushing toward failure without a plan."

"Gah! Stop talking, I'm sounding idiotic now," Anna muttered, palming her face as she stared at Marquis' form disappearing into a blinding light.

They went their separate ways.

Elara, still lying on the couch, hummed softly before breaking into a song.

"I'm in the thick of it, everybody knows,

They know me when it snows.

I barely move; I know everything about ice…

I'm just cold… about a draw for two minutes outside!"

She drifted off, her voice fading into the quiet of the room.

"I can't take you to Hector right now," Aether said, dropping Mirakos to the floor as the boy began moving again.

"Good..." Mirakos said, smiling.

"Guess who's talking now," Aether said, toying with the boy.

"I'm not!" Mirakos clung to Aether's clothing, his excitement palpable.

"So you ready to tell me who your parents are?" Aether laughed, but Mirakos instantly stopped laughing.

"Ah... ah..." Mirakos tried to speak, but nothing came out. A flicker of something—fear, perhaps—crossed his face.

Aether shifted, sensing the sudden tension. "It's okay," he said, his tone softening. "How about I show you my room? It has some pretty cool... floating objects?" He seemed momentarily confused by his own words, as if unsure what exactly was in his room.

Mirakos's eyes suddenly lit up. "You have the latest PC? The MaxBook Pro 9090? The one with the quantum GPU?" His excitement built with each word, the previous moment of vulnerability forgotten.

"Maybe?" Aether said, completely lost. The technical jargon meant nothing to him.

"It's on the stair—" Aether pointed onward, past the bathroom, and in an instant, Mirakos dashed forward.

"W-wait!" Aether laughed, chasing after him.

Mirakos giggled, his long nails scraping against the stairs with a slight, eerie noise. Suddenly, he froze.

Adelaide stood at the top of the stairs—pale, silent, unexpected.

In a movement too fast to follow, Aether wrapped himself around Mirakos, dropping the prosthetic with a resounding gong. He pivoted sideways, pressing Mirakos toward the bathroom door, his movements protective, almost desperate.

"Who is that?" Mirakos whispered, pressing close to Aether.

Aether breathed heavily, trying to peek—but Adelaide was already gone.