Raphaniel Atrazark stood looking out the window, surveying the land beyond it. Her face was as cold and smooth as marble, with no emotion visible. She stood there for a long time, before turning around towards the door, where an figure stood.
"Jace" she greeted him. The man, Jace, gave a slight bow in return before stepping closer.
He was tall and relatively slim, with messy black hair that fell past his nape. His eyes were a deeper black than his hair, and a scar ran from his lips to his left eye, though it did not seem to have blinded him.
"Have you discovered who sent the assassin?" Raphaniel asked.
Jace seemed to be in thought for a second, pausing before responding. "The assassin was a member of the Hidden Brotherhood, under the Shade's Faction. They deal primarily with powerful Magi and their associates. But we were unable to narrow it down any further"
The man gave another bow in apology for failing.
"A Magi huh?" Raphaniel sneered at the word. "A coward that does not nothing but waste away with power they did not earn is no true Magus"
Jace did not respond, though a fleeting emotion could be seen in his dark eyes. "While the enemies of House Atrazark are fairly common, only three have the prestige to employ the Hidden Brotherhood. You are aware of them, I presume?"
Raphaniel snorted as she waved her hand dismissively. "House Raychem, House Ilya and House Bornovio. Those three have always nipped at our heels, seeking to inflict damage at the first sign of weakness. I assumed the last purge would have kept them in their place for longer, but it seems three decades was enough for them to regress once more."
Jace wanted to speak up at that, knowing three decades was a very long time to most non-Magi. 'Damn Ascenders and their extended lifespan' he cursed inwardly. Being able to live for at least two centuries left them skewed on the perception of time.
Of course, Jace himself could easily see the end of the century just by relying on his lifespan, but an assassin like himself could die the very next day, so he was always keenly aware of the passing of time.
"Shall I began to prepare for a counterattack?" he asked
"Yes, but you wont be able to move for a long time. If those three stooges decided to move so openly, then they must have a bigger backer than I though. House Orstein must be behind it" Raphaniel's voice became even colder at the mention of House Ornstein.
"This is something that bastards would do" Jace confirmed lazily. "But it is possible another Great House is involved."
Raphaniel narrowed her eyes at him. "Who else would bother to get involved?" she asked. Jace looked at her for a moment before answering. "House Melvix, those warmongering bastards, are looking to start a conflict. With peace being established, they have lost their biggest source of income: war."
"And you believe they want to kickstart one between the Great Houses?" Raphaniel raised an eyebrow. Jace nodded in confirmation. "That is what my sources say."
Raphaniel had to resist the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration. "What the hell is Augustus doing! Are the just going to sit back and watch as two Great Houses tear the Continent apart?!"
Jace remained silent for a moment before stepping closer and lowering his voice. "This is merely a rumour, one I cant back up with any definitive source but..." at Jace's pause, Raphaniel urged him to continue.
"They say House Legendry is keeping the Royal Family distracted."
Jace just finished his sentence before a massive pressure erupted from Raphaniel, flinging him back into the wall and destroying all the furniture in the room. Around Raphaniel, a red hue flickered like a raging flame.
"Those fucking zealots?! Why in the name of Gaia are they interfering with us?!" Raphaniel nearly caused the entire room to collapse before calming herself and dismissing her aura.
Jace extracted himself from the crater in the wall and brushed the dust off his clothing. "That was a new cloak" he complained, examining the torn and dirtied fabric. "That's going on your tab."
Raphaniel ignored him and began pacing, the gears turning in her head. "If House Legendry is truly interfering in such matters, we stand at a great disadvantage. Our vassals are rebelling, the Royal Family is unable to keep the peace and war is threatening to break out across the Continent. On top of all this, there is reports on trouble brewing on the Astoria Continent. This is quite literally the tipping point."
"The Evil Gods have stepped out the shadows for the first time in centuries and the Archons have grown distant. The Devils and Dark Races are dissatisfied with the status quo and more and more Bloodlines are thinning out. The purity of Mana is decreasing year by year and Ascenders have become increasingly rare. Yet all those in power are simply squabbling like children over toys!"
Raphaniel took a deep breath after she finished ranting, before casting an embarrassed glance towards Jace. "Forgive me Jace, I let my temper get the best of me" she coughed awkwardly.
Jace shook his head before calmly speaking. "Your reaction is understandable, and I only wish those in similar positions of power reacted the same. Dark times are encroaching on us, yet the majority of Magi are content to wither away in their castles, grappling with the vestiges of power."
Raphaniel let loose a sneer. "Those bastard think they will survive just fine, no doubt."
There was a lull in the conversation, before Raphaniel broached what was on her mind the entire time.
"Altair and Sia...how are they?" she asked, her voice quivering every so slightly. Though she was trying hard to hide it, fear and anguish were visible in her eyes as she asked the question to her associate.
Perhaps sensing this, Jace answered directly. "Both are still asleep, though Sia seems on the cusp of waking up. Altair is still sleeping soundly, but is healthy and shouldn't suffer and problems in the near future."
Jace then moved on the the second part of his report. "After considerable examination, it is undeniable that Sia has Ascended and her Seed has Bloomed. While a little earlier than average, such an occurrence in not too rare. It is likely the... situation," Jace paused there, acutely aware such a "situation" was the fault of his negligence, "forced her Seed to Bloom prematurely in response to her anxiety and desire to protect Altair."
"So it was Sia that killed the assassin?" Raphaniel asked.
"That is what we have gathered. As you know, Ascenders are capable of great destruction in the brief moment when their Seed Blooms. Sia likely use this chance to murder the killer, though it made her collapse afterwards. I believe the release of Mana also knocked out Altair."
"When Sia awakes, run an Affinity Test on her. Actually... do the same to Altair" Raphaniel commanded.
Jace tilted his head in confusion at the second part of the order. "Are you sure? Altair is just 4 years old...there is no way he has even formed his Seed yet."
Raphaniel shook her head before replying. "Sia and Altair share the same Bloodline, so resonance is possible between them. Bing in such close proximity to Sia during her Blooming may have kickstarted his own. Such a possibility is a secret between Magi and is very rare, but not impossible."
Jace nodded in understanding at the explanation before making to leave. Just as he was about to walk through the door however, he stopped and turned back. Raphaniel looked at him in confusion. "What is it?"
"About what we discussed last time...have you decided yet?"
Raphaniel's face hardened and she clenched her teeth. "I don't want to talk about this now" she spoke through gritted teeth.
"This is the best time to talk about it. Sia and Altair are no longer safe around here. Now that your daughter has Ascended, the pressure on you AND her will increase exponentially. I know you love your children, but you cant keep them safe" Jace attempted to persuade Raphaniel.
She looked back out the window once more, lost in thought as memories rushed through her mind. "And what guarantee can you give of their safety at Sky Cross?" she questioned softly.
Upon seeing that she didn't outright reject the idea, Jace confidently stepped closer to her. "Sky Cross is neutral and defends such status ruthlessly. Not even House Kerstein or the Royal Family would try something lightly there. Plus, Sky Cross Academy is the centre of Ascenders in the Gaia Continent. Sia will be in good hands-education hands-there."
Raphaniel stayed silently, letting Jace press his trump card. "Besides, I'm a teacher there. I can personally look out for the two during their stay. I also have a few favours I can call in from the other teachers. No harm will come to them, I swear it".
At last, Raphaniel turned around, and Jace recoiled in shock.
Tears streamed down her beautiful face, dripping off her chin and falling to the ground. Jace was frozen, unknowing how or unable to, react. After a moment, Raphaniel wiped away her tears and spoke.
"If anything happens to them under your care...I swear by Gaia and Fallacy, I will kill you."
At Raphaniel's deadpan declaration, a ripple spread out through the surrounding Mana, travelling across the whole world of Orvonia before stopping at two certain individuals.
One ignored the ripples completely, but the other paused in their actions and titled their head to where the ripples originated. After a short pause of a few milliseconds, the figure clicked their fingers and produced their own ripple, which returned to Raphaniel. There, it entered her own body and also Jace's.
Jace shuddered, twirling around. The feeling of being watched persisted for several more seconds before fading, though the sensation that he was being somewhat monitored remained faintly. He then turned back to Raphaniel, before answering grimly.
"You have my word, Raphaniel."