Rex's knowing smile only deepened, a flicker of amusement dancing in his eyes.
"The diary, written by Eric Crowe [The Lonely Wanderer]," he began, his voice dripping with authority, "chronicles the history of the Second Era, a time of great turmoil and upheaval. It holds the secrets of the era now known as The Era of Fleeting Light and Lingering Darkness. They say he had many connections to some of the greatest arcanists to ever set foot in this reality."
I listened in silence, my mind racing to make sense of Rex's words. The revelation of the diary's significance sent a surge of unease coursing through me, its implications weighing heavily on my thoughts.
Darius had told me about the diary, explaining it as a powerful artifact created by not only the knowledge of journeys and discoveries within but also by the arcanist [The Lonely Wanderer]. Now I knew their name as Eric Crowe. The one who travelled with Cris.
"How do you know all this?" I finally managed to ask, my voice betraying a mix of curiosity and apprehension. "Why are you willing to divulge such information?"
As Rex started pacing around the room, my hand began to clench around the metallic weapon beneath my jacket.
"What is he talking about," Caius whispered to me.
"I was taught these things when I joined The Black Rose," Rex continued on. "The higher-ups have been around since far before The Great Calamity. They possess knowledge that spans the ages, extending far beyond what most arcanists could even fathom. It's a privilege bestowed upon those deemed worthy."
The air in the room seemed to thicken as he continued, his calculated dialogue weaving a web of intimidation. "The history of the past is like a canvas that is constantly being erased. The Great Calamity was not only a catastrophic event but also a catalyst for erasing the collective memory of our world."
"The Black Rose," I echoed, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. It was the shadowy organization that had been wrapped around my thoughts for a while now. To hear Rex speak of it with such familiarity only served to deepen my apprehension.
Rex was undoubtedly part of The Black Rose, much like the others on the list: Lorenzo, Pandora, and Uvan. Fritz was an anomaly, though he was most certainly connected.
"And what does The Black Rose want?" I pressed, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning within me. I had heard enough mentions of The Black Rose without learning anything about them. I needed to know more.
Rex's gaze hardened, a steely resolve flickering behind his eyes. "They seek to eliminate me," he replied.
A bewildering mix of emotions welled up within me as Rex's revelation hung in the air like a sinister cloud. Why would the very organization he was part of, The Black Rose, harbour intentions of eliminating him? Especially with the connections with The Arcane Group and the position Rex had as a figure in the arcanist supplement chain.
"Why would they want you dead?" I inquired, a thread of confusion lacing my words. I needed to know more. To get information out of Rex about The Black Rose. If they were around every corner I turned, I needed to be prepared.
Rex's pacing slowed, his gaze locking onto mine. "The Black Rose is after something," he revealed, his words measured and deliberate.
"I had suspicions that it was The Diary of Travels, which is why I planned on distributing it at the markets with the help of King, but it was something else."
"What is it?" I pressed, my curiosity overcoming the caution that whispered in the recesses of my mind.
Rex's eyes narrowed slightly. "I don't know," he admitted, his tone tinged with a hint of frustration. "I left The Black Rose before I could uncover the full extent of their objectives. Though the others stayed."
Rex walked over to one of the lamps that was keeping the room dimly lit and began to stare into the flame.
"Lorenzo, Uvan… Pandora" he said. "They all stayed while Selena continued to recruit more to their cause. But I could tell they were just using us, feeding us knowledge and power to con us and keep us there. That's when Uvan told me about someone who called themselves 'Vertigo'
The name sent a chill down my spine, a cold realization settling over me like a shroud. Lorenzo, Pandora, Uvan—these were names I had encountered before at the warehouse with Fleur. But Vertigo was unfamiliar.
"Vertigo," I repeated, the name tasting bitter on my tongue. "Who... or what is Vertigo?"
Rex's expression darkened, his features twisting into a scowl. "Vertigo wants chaos, Elias," he declared, his voice low and intense. "He wants to bring ruin and tragedy to Leode, to watch the city fall into chaos and despair."
The revelation hung heavy in the air, the weight of it pressing down on us like a suffocating blanket. Caius, who had remained silent throughout the exchange, suddenly spoke up, his voice laced with defiance.
"That won't happen!" he declared, his tone firm and resolute. "It can't!"
Rex's response was immediate, a surge of aggression flashing in his eyes as he took a step closer. "And who are you to say what will or won't happen?" he spat, his voice rising in anger. "You're just a pawn in this game, just like the rest of us. You don't know how powerful the Rose really is!"
I felt Caius tense beside me, his resolve unyielding even in the face of Rex's hostility. Instinctively, I moved to shield him, positioning myself between Caius and Rex, my hand tightening around the grip of my revolver concealed beneath my jacket.
Caius fired back once again, "The Huntsmen would never let that happen, not while we protect the city. I can't watch his friends die again!"
In a swift motion, I whipped out my revolver, aiming it directly at Rex as he was moving closer, my resolve hardening as I prepared to defend myself and my friends. But before I could even process my next move, a blur of motion disrupted the air around us.
A partially illusory figure, bearing a striking resemblance to Rex, flashed past in a blur of movement. My eyes widened in surprise as the figure deftly smacked the revolver out of my grasp, sending it clattering to the ground with a metallic clink.
The sudden intervention left me momentarily stunned, my senses reeling as I struggled to comprehend what had just transpired. And in that split second of distraction, Rex seized the opportunity to strike.
"You don't stand a chance," he hissed, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife. With a thrum of power, he warped across the room, his form bending space to his will. In a low, calculated stance, he delivered a devastating punch aimed directly at my abdomen.
The impact was like a freight train, a forceful blow that knocked the wind out of me and sent me reeling backward and crashing through the wooden door and out onto the second-floor landing.
The room spun around me in a dizzying blur as I stumbled, my body unable to withstand the sheer force of the attack. Pain radiated through my body as I crumpled to the ground, my vision swimming with stars.
Ahead of me back in the office, Caius cried out in alarm, his voice echoing in the chaos as he too was knocked off his feet by the shockwave of the punch. He wasn't an arcanist so his body wouldn't be as tough as mine. I struggled to push myself upright, my muscles protesting with every movement as I fought to regain my bearings.
"This is for your own good," Rex continued.
As I struggled to regain my senses, the chaos unfolding below echoed through the floorboards, the sounds of battle reaching my ears in disjointed bursts. Fleur and Lucas were still locked in combat with the guards, their movements a frenzied dance of skill and determination.
Darius burst through the main entrance, his presence commanding attention as he brandished the wooden case with an air of authority. "Xerces!" he called out, his voice ringing with urgency.
Rex turned towards Darius, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "That's Rex to you," he retorted, his tone dripping with disdain.
During the confrontation, Fleur's voice pierced through the chaos, her words tinged with disbelief. "Rex?"
The realization seemed to hang in the air like a palpable tension, a revelation that threatened to unravel the carefully woven threads of our understanding.
Rex seized the moment, his grip tightening on my collar as he hoisted me up, dangling me over the railing with effortless strength. The ground yawned below, a dizzying drop that threatened to swallow me whole, and without hesitation, Rex let me go.
But amid the turmoil, Darius acted with a swift and calculated precision. With a deft motion, he retrieved a golden coin from the wooden case and sent it spinning through the air.
The guard, caught off guard by the sudden distraction, swung wildly but lost their footing and stumbled, crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.
As I plummeted towards the ground, my heart pounding in my chest, Fleur sprang into action. With the grace and speed of a Tier 7 Blinker, she darted forward, intercepting my fall with a skilful maneuver that softened the impact, saving me from certain injuries.
I gasped for air as Fleur caught me, her strength and agility a testament to her arcanist abilities. My eyes met hers, gratitude mingled with relief in the depths of her gaze.
Looking over at Darius, he had taken a knee and was clutching at his head. That coin must've done something. Perhaps an artifact with negative effects.
Rex's voice cut through the tension, his tone laced with derision. "You thought I was gone, Fleur?" he asked, his words heavy with implication.
Fleur's expression hardened, her resolve unyielding despite the shock of Rex's appearance. "I thought you were..." she began, her voice trailing off as she struggled to find the right words.
Rex's reply was swift, his steps measured as he paced toward the staircase from up above us. "You think that lowly about King?" he retorted, his tone challenging.
Lucas emerged from the hole in the wall, his presence a welcome distraction from the escalating confrontation. He massaged his fist from finishing off the other guard.
Rex's gaze shifted to Lucas, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes. "I never left King like you did," he remarked, his words directed at Fleur. "I could never leave him. He helped us, he guided us."
Fleur's response was swift, her voice tinged with bitterness. "He used us," she shot back, her gaze unwavering.
Rex's patience snapped as he began descending the stairs, his anger boiling to the surface. With a thunderous crash, he slammed his fist into the stair railing, the wood splintering and smashing under the force of his blow. "He gave us our freedom!" he shouted, his voice reverberating through the room.
As Rex's tirade echoed in the chamber, I rose to my feet with the aid of Fleur, my wrapped hand throbbing with each pulse of my heart. His words resonated with a raw intensity.
"You can't understand," Rex continued, his voice now a weary sigh, his anger dissipating into resignation. "King gave us an opportunity to make something of ourselves."
Fleur, while letting me lean against her, shouted at Rex. "Rex, he killed our parents!"
As Rex finally reached the bottom of the stairs, his gaze shifted to Fleur, a flicker of something akin to reminiscence in his eyes. "Yes. He saved us."