The Core Do was a cathedral of secrets, hidden deep within a forgotten mountain.
Polished obsidian walls reflected living maps, mana lines pulsing like veins, tracing the world above. Artifacts floated on pedestals, each emitting a low hum, as if whispering forbidden knowledge.
In the center, four thrones of black stone, each carved with specific runes, ford a circle.
Seated on them, the leaders of the Core — Kelna, Vaen, Lorith, and Rethar — observed a central orb projecting flickering images of Eren, his monsters, and the confrontation with Sylha.
Kelna, from the Throne of Biothermy, leaned forward, her neon-green eyes fixed on the image of Eren facing the entity.
Her hair, shaved on one side, glowed with biological runes that pulsed in sync with her heartbeat.
"It’s as if he commands the laws of the universe," she said, her voice sharp as a surgical blade. "Look at the synchronicity. Kaela, Morwynn, Nyssa — they’re not just linked. They evolve with him. This isn’t natural. It’s a defect of the biological universe."
Vaen, from the Throne of Systemalogy, adjusted his hexagonal glasses, the HUD projecting real-ti data. He didn’t look at Kelna, focused on the lines of code floating around the orb.
"It’s not just biology," he retorted, dryly. "The universe recognizes him as an anomaly. He’s breaking the universe’s rules, and the universe is allowing it. This is more than an anomaly. It’s a new pattern."
Lorith, from the Throne of Psychodynamics, smiled, the flowing veils moving as if dancing with the air.
"A new pattern?" Her voice was llifluous, almost hypnotic. "It’s a love story, Vaen. His bond with those monsters isn’t just code or flesh. It’s passion, loyalty, desire. He has conquered them body and soul. That’s what makes him dangerous... and fascinating."
She traced a finger in the air, as if writing one of her secret stories, her eyes shining with an almost childlike delight.
Rethar, from the Throne of Fragnted Thaumaturgy, slamd his fist on the arm of the throne, causing the scratched runes on his robe to flicker.
"Enough with the romanticism," he growled, his voice laden with fervor. "This boy is a weapon. He faced Sylha, a relic of the Order of the Ancient Tars, and made her retreat. He’s not just a Tar. He’s the end of the dominant faith, the end of the Eye in Flas. We need him active, not just observed."
The room grew tense. The four thrones represented opposing yet complentary visions of the sa goal: deciphering the secrets of the Tars.
Eren, with his exploit, was the greatest enigma they had ever encountered.
Kelna wanted to dissect him, Vaen wanted to decode him, Lorith wanted to romanticize him, and Rethar wanted to use him.
But for the first ti, they disagreed on the next step.
Kelna crossed her arms, the runes on her skin glowing more intensely.
"Engaging him directly is risky. He’s not a lab rat. If we confront him, he might reject us — or worse, destroy us. His monsters are too loyal. Observing him from a distance gives us more data."
Vaen raised an eyebrow, ironic.
"Data? You saw what he did with Sylha. He didn’t defeat her with force. He broke her with words, with will. That’s not sothing runic drones can capture. We need to interact, to test the anomaly in real-ti."
Lorith tilted her head, the veils brushing against the throne.
"Interact, yes, but not with force. He responds to emotions. If we approach him carefully, as allies, he might share the secret of the bond. Imagine, Vaen, what we could do with that power. An army of Tars, all synchronized like him."
Rethar laughed, a harsh sound that echoed in the do.
"Allies? He’s a heretic to the Eye in Flas. If we don’t control him, they will. Or worse, he might awaken sothing greater than Sylha. The Order of the Ancient Tars didn’t disappear by chance. They were erased because they knew too much. Eren is digging the sa grave."
Kelna stood, walking to the central orb. The image of Eren, exhausted in the temple, still reverberated.
"Look at him," she said, pointing. "He’s not a heretic or a hero. He’s an adaptive system. His biology molds to the monsters, and the monsters to him. This is more than an emotional bond, Lorith. It’s a living fusion. If we bring him here, I can study his cellular structure, map the changes."
Vaen scoffed, adjusting his glasses.
"You want to cut him to pieces. Good luck convincing those monsters. The wolf would tear this do apart before letting you touch him."
Lorith laughed, covering her mouth with a veil.
"Kaela is loyal, yes, but also impulsive. Morwynn is calculating but possessive. Nyssa is the weak link — she yields to what Eren feels. If we convince him, they follow. We need a subtle touch, not scalpels or rituals."
Rethar stood, his charred eyes glowing with an internal light. "Subtlety is a waste of ti. He faced Sylha, an entity even the Eye in Flas wouldn’t dare touch. He is the key to Fragnted Thaumaturgy. If we leave him loose, others will find him first. We need to act now."
The discussion heated up, voices echoing in the do. Kelna wanted Eren as an experint, Vaen as a puzzle, Lorith as an ideal, and Rethar as a catalyst.
But they all agreed on one point: Sylha was proof that Eren was more than an ordinary Tar. His interaction with the entity, forcing her to retreat without destroying her, was an unprecedented data point.
"Sylha," Kelna said, returning to the throne. "She is a living relic. If Eren made her doubt, he accessed sothing beyond the system. Perhaps an older protocol. Vaen, what do your data say?"
Vaen touched his glasses, and lines of code appeared in the air.
"I recorded a Protocol when he spoke to her. I don’t know what it is, but it predates the current rules. Sylha isn’t just a spirit. She’s a flaw in the universe, a remnant of the Order. Eren destabilized her without killing her. That is... impossible."
Lorith crossed her legs, the veil sliding to reveal a smile.
"Impossible? Or romantic? He didn’t kill her because he saw sothing in her. A connection. He understands what she is, even without knowing. That’s what makes him special."
Rethar clenched his fists.
"Special or not, he is dangerous. Sylha is a spectral monster, an echo of the Order. If he can affect her, he can ta her. And if he tas sothing like that, the world’s balance shifts. The Eye in Flas won’t tolerate this."
Kelna tilted her head.
"Ta her? Are you suggesting he can bind an entity like Sylha? That’s madness. Even for him."
"It’s not madness," Rethar retorted. "It’s what the Order did. They didn’t just ta monsters. They rged with spirits, created symbioses that defied the gods. Eren is recreating that, even without knowing."
Vaen interrupted, his voice cold.
"And if he fails? If he tries to ta Sylha and she consus him? We lose our chance to study the exploit. We need to control him before he goes too far."
Lorith sighed, dramatically.
"Control? You talk as if he were a machine. He is a man, with desires, fears, passions. If we want him, we need to seduce him, not capture him."
Silence fell over the do. Each leader processed the words of the others, but none yielded. Kelna wanted Eren on an experint table. Vaen wanted his data. Lorith wanted his soul. Rethar wanted his revolution. But they all knew that rely watching was no longer enough.
"I propose a test," Rethar said, breaking the silence. "We send a ssage. Sothing that forces Eren to interact with Sylha again. If he manages to ta her, we’ll have concrete data on the anomaly. If he fails, we’ll know his limits."
Lorith clapped her hands, delighted.
"Brilliant! A ssage that appeals to his heart. Sothing about saving Sylha, perhaps. A hero cannot resist saving a lost soul."
Rethar nodded.
"Free the Spectral Monster. A mission to ta Sylha, or at least try. If he accepts, we’ll have everything recorded by the drones. If he fails, we’ll know how far the exploit goes."
Kelna hesitated but eventually agreed.
"Acceptable. But we need to monitor every detail. If he succeeds, I want biological samples. If he fails, I want the body."
Vaen laughed softly.
"You’re incorrigible, Kelna."
Lorith stood up, her veils floating.
"Then it’s decided. We send the ssage. But be careful, dears. Eren is not a pawn. He is a king in disguise."
Rethar raised his hand, and an artifact in the center of the do glowed. Runes ford in the air, encoding the mission. Vaen adjusted his glasses, manipulating the magical interface with precision.
The ssage was sent, an invisible signal crossing the system until it reached Eren, wherever he was in the cursed temple. The Core’s runic drones were already in position, ready to capture every movent, every word, every heartbeat.
Kelna returned to the throne, her eyes gleaming.
"If he accepts, we will know what he is capable of."
Vaen adjusted his glasses, the HUD flickering.
"And if he realizes it’s us, we’ll have a bigger problem."
Lorith smiled, writing sothing on an invisible scroll.
"Oh, he will realize. But by then, it will already be too late."
Rethar remained silent, his burned eyes fixed on the orb.
"Let the ga begin."
Reviews
All reviews (0)