There were a few reasons Linden was still alive. Mostly, Alex's journey toward immortality had changed his outlook toward killing. He had played a hand in so many senseless deaths already—meaningless deaths that just led to even more deaths. It had been a waste. But there was also Linden's connection to the venerable master to consider. Without knowing how or why they were linked, killing Linden could set off a whole new cycle of vengeance and blood. One that could put the people Alex cared about in even more danger.
But letting him live was a risk, too. Some animals were more vicious when backed into a corner, so Alex decided to focus on the care and feeding of Linden's demons—fear and shame. There won't be any blood on my hands if he destroys himself, he thought. The more time he spends dealing with that, then the less time he has to make any trouble.
Linden felt Alex's words stab deep into his heart. Coward. Parasite. Trash. They became the only words he could hear, the only words he could even think. They became the only words that felt true. Something in him started to snap, and he never even noticed that his breath hitched in his throat.
Alex watched him for a moment. He wasn't afraid of Linden, but he didn't want to provoke him into violence. He knew how easily shame could morph into wrath. Satisfied that Linden was no longer a threat, he turned to the onlookers.
"I know why you're all here," he said. "But I'm not in the mood for games. If you play nice with me, then I'll play nice with you. But if you come after me, I will put you in the ground."
The threat did its job. After what they had seen, no one would provoke him unless they absolutely had to. As they watched the last of the golden light fade around him, most of them quietly prayed they would never have to.
Alex looked at Linden again. He still wanted to know who the venerable master was, and keeping Linden alive might lead to answers later. He scanned the area, looking for the master's energy signature, in case he was still there but hidden from mortal eyes. Although he was completely healed, he imagined he could still feel the master's hand thudding into his chest, and a part of him ached for payback.
"You can go," he said to Linden. "Leave. But if I see you again, I won't be so friendly. I don't care how many powerful friends you have—I'll kill you with my bare hands."
Linden hurried away without saying another word. Antoine and Evan stepped forward and greeted Alex. "You've taken another step on your path," Evan said, smiling. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," Alex said. "But I'm not sure it would have been possible without the venerable master. Who is he? What is he?"
Antoine shook his head. "We don't know. We've never seen anyone like him. None of us have," he said, gesturing to the others. "And we can't figure out why he was helping Linden."
Several other divine-level warriors came closer to get a better look at Alex. After what they had just witnessed, they felt they had a new understanding of his skill compared to their own. Even though a few of them were confident that they were at least as powerful as he was, none of them were willing to put it to the test.
Alex spent some time chatting with them, especially Antoine and Evan, but his mind kept going back to the mysterious venerable master and to what had happened to him in the dark realm. He decided he needed to take some time to process everything, so he said his goodbyes.
It was time to meditate and get some clarity.
**
Alex stood on a bridge, gazing into the river below. He felt a tremor of excitement run through him, but he couldn't identify the source. He smiled and let himself get lost in contemplating the water below him and the sky above him.
His essence was stronger than ever, making him more aware of the flow of energy that connected him to everything. He had spent the last three days deep in meditation before being drawn here by instinct. He let his awareness expand beyond his physical body and felt the presence of other powerful spirits moving toward him.
There were some who could use their essence to move between worlds as easily as moving from one room to another. Moving between realms was dangerous, though, as it was easy to get lost in time and space. It should have been just as easy to hide, but that was not always the case.
That was what the woman in purple was finding out the hard way. She moved from realm to realm, desperately trying to shake off the four men who were chasing her. They were vulgar—for them, this hunt felt like a game. They had been pursuing her for almost a month, and they were waiting for her to weaken and stumble before they pounced.
Their orders were to catch her and take her back to her home, where she had been promised to a city lord. Their master had made it clear that if she returned on her own, then she would be treated like a queen, but if she resisted and had to be subdued by the men chasing her, she would belong to them.
"She can't keep this up forever," murmured one of the hunters. "She must really not want to marry his lordship,"
"Any ideas to cut this short, Orion?" asked one of the other men, Nate.
Orion grinned. "Depends on how strong her essence is," he said. "How much longer can she run?"
"I can feel her weakening," Nate said. "Two hours, maybe less. She'll be tapped out soon."
Orion chuckled, but then he realized that his companion had gone quiet, as if something had occurred to him. "What is it, Nate?" he asked. "What can you sense?"