"Is that all?" The voice ripped through the air.
The bowed man trembled at the reaction of the other, who was sitting in his chair that looked more like a throne. A huge battle axe rested in his lap while others around the room watched in silence.
The five remained bowed, their foreheads pressed against the cold floor.
"Aron, stand up," the seated man ordered.
The leader of the five rose, his body trembling as if he were naked in the middle of winter.
"I didn't understand your report. Can you repeat it for me?"
The man touched the handle of the axe, and Aron swallowed hard. He had to force his lips to cooperate.
"We-we couldn't complete the mission... someone appeared and... he stopped us from..."
"Someone?" The voice hissed.
"Y-yes, an enemy of the court. He must have been aware of the situation, because he attacked us from behind and took advantage of this to stop us from..."
"I see, I see," the man's voice sounded softer. "This explains how only one man could stop you five."
Aron realized the trap in that sentence and remained silent.
"BUUUUMF!"
The sound of the blow echoed through the room, and Aron jumped in alarm.
"Shame!"
An icy wave ran through the room. Aron saw a brief smoke appear before his lips as he breathed.
Then the man stood up from his chair. He was tall, very tall, and wore a black cloak that covered his body. His face was hidden by a hood. His heavy steps were like sentences to Aron's ears. When he stood up, the man used his axe as support, not out of necessity, but as a silent threat.
"Master Sygmor, I beg for a second chance."
Aron lowered his head. If possible, he would have entered the floor and hidden between the cracks.
"Be quiet. Your voice irritates me."
Aron swallowed his tongue as Sygmor passed by him.
They were in a large room, both in length and width and height. There were pointed windows on the sides, but they were closed. The only light that bathed the burgundy carpet in the center of the room came from the chandelier and its ghostly candles that hovered over it. The cold light emanating from them was a message of what happened to those who opposed the cult's designs.
Behind Aron were the other four who failed with him. All with the same pretense of proving their worth, but ended up doing the opposite. They failed, and this was not an option for initiates and they knew it very well. But running away was not an option either. Thus, they would only pay the price of failure.
Sygmor stood between them and Aron and raised his feared axe. Few would be able to lift it using only one hand without counting the hidden power to the eyes. But he did it with ease, and with no additional words, he cut the air over the heads of the four with an apparently harmless movement.
The four men didn't understand what was happening until the first crystal of ice appeared above their heads. It multiplied in the direction of the ground. Like a root, the crystals spread through the air until they reached the man below.
Three other roots emerged, one over each of the bent men.
When the ice reached their bodies, the fear of death became greater than the fear that they had of the master. The four screamed and tried to break free from the cold touch, but it was too late. The sentence had been given. And the ice expanded until it penetrated their insides, veins and hearts.
Their blood stopped flowing. Their faces were crystallized during their agony and despair before the man, who watched everything in silence.
Aron did not dare to raise his head to see what was happening behind him. He just breathed faster while his heart jumped in his chest and more smoke emerged before his trembling lips.
After some time, Sygmor walked back through the room and returned to his armchair, where he sat down and put his axe back on his legs.
"You will have a second chance. Because nothing teaches better than the shame of failure."
Aron felt the blood flowing back into his body.
"But you are not here to learn. You are here to serve. Prove that I can count on your services."
"Yes, master Sygmor, I will not disappoint you."
"Too late for that," the voice sounded like a whip. "Don't worry about vain words. Focus on being useful."
Aron felt the little warmth that had returned to his body disperse in the fear that took hold of his chest.
"Choose ten men among the initiates and ask for help from one of the members of the first circle to help you. Whoever dared to interfere in our affairs will not see the sun rise tomorrow. Is your mission clear?"
"Yes, master."
"So, what are you waiting for? Go now."
Aron then immediately left the room with erratic steps while keeping his head down.
When he left, one of the hidden figures that was watching from the side moved to the center of the room. It stopped in front of the frozen bodies. Like the others, a cloak covered its face and body. It was impossible to see its appearance.
The figure bowed in front of Sygmor and spoke, "Master, should I take care of the pending situation?"
The voice belonged to a woman.
"Yes, you can take care of it, Lythia. And keep an eye on that fool, in case he fails again."
"Count on me, master." Lythia rose and left the room on the same path Aron had taken.
When she was out of sight, Sygmor made a gesture with his arm and dismissed the others, who also left the room. The master then remained alone, admiring his new creation.
Each one of the four recorded a distinct expression of the same emotion that intrigued him so much.
How were these pathetic beings capable of clinging to their meaningless existences and fearing the liberation provided by death?
He had no doubt that this was what made them so miserable. This primal ignorance. This question intrigued him, but not enough to deserve his attention for more time.
That's why he snapped his fingers, and the ice broke into a myriad of fragments.
...
The girl's cheeks turned red when the boy took her hand. She was nervous and turned her face to the side to hide her feelings. He felt encouraged by that reaction and put his hand on her chin and, with a gentle touch, their eyes met.
The words left his lips and the young woman's eyes shone like sparks on a moonless night.
Her face made the silent invitation, and he put his hands around her waist. Their faces approached slowly while their eyes remained open. Enchanted with the moment, but when their lips met halfway, they closed to seal the communion of feelings transmitted by the ancestral gesture.
As their tongues intertwined, two men approached, and rudely separated the two. The boy was dazed and was about to retaliate when he looked at the two and saw that they were armed and with a dangerous expression.
"Did you see a red-haired boy with a braid on his back and wearing a sleeveless shirt around here?"
"No! We haven't seen anyone."
"Are you sure?"
"We've been here for hours, and we haven't seen anyone. Why would we lie about that?"
"I told you it was a waste of time to come back here. No one would be foolish enough to oppose the court and not leave the city," the other man said.
"Keep cool, man. We just have to pretend we're looking. Aron will be the one to take the fall."
The two laughed and one of the initiates in the court gave a malicious look in the direction of the girl who hid behind her boyfriend.
"She's a cutie," the man licked his lips.
The boy clenched his fists and couldn't control his impulse. He raised his hand to the two and said, "Take your eyes off her, you brute. I'll call the guards."
The initiates' gaze turned, and one of them hit the boy in the stomach. He took a step back and fell breathlessly to his knees. Both men laughed at that reaction.
"Hyke! Zack! Where are those scumbags?"
Someone yelled from the other side of the square and the two blew out, disappointed.
"You're lucky today," Hyke said with an arrogant air.
"Take care, cutie, until another day," Zack winked at the girl.
Then they followed in the voice's direction.
After they left, the boy took some time to catch his breath and then left the place. He humiliated and she with fear, both without a trace of sweetness anymore.
While all of this was happening, Ezro continued sleeping in his hiding place among the foliage.