Chereads / House of the Celestial / Chapter 18 - Seventeen

Chapter 18 - Seventeen

Yesh Academy

Luna Gaea Solar system

Milky way Galaxy, Charlie Quadrant

Neutral free Zone

January 30th 2019

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Sam awakened from the noise that came from the door. At first, she thought she was back in Henry's apartment, so she turned to her side to look for him, but he wasn't there. And then she remembered everything that had happened. She remembered where she was. Thump! Thump! Thump! There it was again. Sam got out of her bed and opened the door to see Emanu. She was dressed in a red and white tracksuit, her red hair tied up in a ponytail. Sam raised an eyebrow as she yawned. She wondered what time it was and why Emanu was waking her up. She had finally had a wonderful sleep without nightmares and she didn't like that her sleep had been interrupted.

"What's going on," Sam said.

"Why aren't you ready," Emanu said.

"Ready for what?" Sam said in confusion.

"For training. Didn't my Mother tell you about this morning," Emanu said.

"She told me that she would take care of the paperwork and my admittance into the Academy," Sam said rubbing her eyes. "But I figured it would take a while..."

"Well, before that, you have a lot to catch up," Emanu said. She tapped a band on her wrist, and a white tracksuit appeared. "Put this on," She put it in Sam's hand and pushed her towards the bathroom. What the hell is going on? Sam wondered. After changing her outfit into the tracksuit, Emanu took Sam out of the dorm and out of the Academy tower. Emanu led Sam towards the forest that was at the back of the school buildings. She said nothing leaving them in silence and Sam to look around. The air felt fresh and cold, the sky was painted purple as the pale orb in the sky was still there. It was weird being inside the moon, and yet there was another moon up in the sky. The trees around them swayed to the winds, the leaves whistling as their bodies emitted faint lights. The faint lights began to move in sync with the whistling leaves, and melodies and rhythms flowed inside Sam's mind transmitting the emotions of the trees. And it wasn't just the trees, every living thing within five km of Sam was transmitting melodies that became emotions within her mind. Normally Sam would have been bombarded by so many foreign emotions, but her mind was stronger than it was before. She was able to process the emotions of the living creatures around her and not suffocate in them.

"We're here," Emanu said. Emanu pulled a branch of leaves aside to show a clearing with a circle of menhirs rooted to the green grass. Emanu entered the circle turning to Sam to gesture to her to enter. Sam took a deep breath, then she followed Emanu inside the circle. There were nine menhirs spread around, and each of them had engravings with strange symbols. She recognized one of them as the Celestial seal on her arm. It was also the symbol for Asha, the old goddess of war. As soon as Sam entered the circle, the symbols belonging to the goddess glowed, and then a vibration came forth from within the earth. Sam could hear something similar to music coming from the Menhirs. It was low, its rhythm slow and steady.

"What is this," Sam said.

"It's a convergence point for the Odyllic," Emanu said. "There are Ley Lines set within the earth that direct the flow of Odic energy into these points. The menhirs act as a container keeping a lid on the excess energy so it won't disrupt the core of the moon. In the ancient past, a time when the old gods were worshipped, it served as a mouthpiece in which worshippers could commune with them,"

"So it's a holy site," Sam said. Emanu nodded. "So why are we here then? Are we going to pray to the gods," Sam felt weird speaking about gods and prayers. She had never been religious and had always had a negative view of whether a god or higher being existed. She had prayed for her father's survival. Nothing happened. She had prayed for her life to get better. Nothing happened. No amount of prayer had helped or soothed her life. So she gave up on it. To Sam, if a god existed and allowed things such as pain and sorrow to exist, then they were a cruel god and Sam wanted nothing to do with him or her.

"Something like that," Emanu smirked. "So is your memory fully restored yet,"

"My memories..." Sam said.

"I know after the accident with your father, you lost important memories of your childhood," Emanu said. 

"How..how did you know that," Sam said

"When Father helped you with your Awakening, your Od connected with his and he saw some of your memories," Emanu said. Sam didn't know how to feel about that.

"It's only natural. Trauma like the one you suffered at the age of ten is not something to take lightly. It can manifest in so many ways. Like even your body forgetting the feeling of how to fight." Emanu moved swiftly, sending a right jab at Sam's sternum, but her body instinctively ducked away from the punch, and without thinking, Sam flipped backward, putting some distance between them. Emanu smiled like she had expected Sam to do exactly what she did. Meanwhile, Sam was struck by what she had done. In her reemerged memories of her childhood, she had seen glimpses of her training in martial arts with her father. It was something that had been drilled into Sam from a young age. And yet....where was this all her life when she had been bullied?

"When it comes to martial arts, it seems that your Father drilled it into you," Emanu explained. "The mind is a powerful tool. Even one's body can be influenced by it. But the fact that you could instinctively react that well without Od, is truly impressive. It means your mind is restoring itself. Your Internal strength is something else."

"Thanks," Sam said. "It feels weird. I don't vaguely remember all of my childhood with my father. Some of them are clear while some aren't.... but my body...it felt like it had a mind of its own." Sam stretched her body. The tension in her when Emanu attacked then smoothed out.

"I can tell from your movement that even though you haven't used your martial skills in a while, you're still capable of combat," Emanu said. "But hand-to-hand combat is still not enough when it comes to dealing with Abominations or other Od-wielders. For you to stand a chance against them, you must be able to utilize the power of Od itself."

"And how do I do that," Sam asked.

"It's not gonna be easy or simple. In fact, for most people learning to use Od takes a lot of time and effort. Odic energy is a very dangerous force that one must not use recklessly or one would pay the price. That is why not many of the Nine races in the universe know how to wield it. Only those who have awakened the Celestial blood have an easier time wielding Od and only the Pleiadian race are known to awaken that side."

"So the first years-"

"Are way above you when it comes to handling Od" Emanu said. "Some of them knew about it from their families, while some of them just naturally came to know of its existence. So unlike you, they've had a while to learn how to control their Odic energy." Sam realized how behind she was. If she were to attend any classes, she would have zero idea of what they were talking about. Maybe she was better off waiting for the next semester...

"So, remind me again, what is the Odyllic," Emanu said.

"Uh...it's the energy of the universe." Sam stammered.

"Yes, the Odyllic is the collective energy force of the universe which permeates and connects all things in the universe together. Without the Odyllic, the universe itself would not exist." Emanu said. "Life would not exist and so on. And Od is the energy itself which we utilize for combats and various purposes like healing and destruction. And then, we have the Odic force. This is the soul's -"

"Internal Strength," Sam said.

"Yes, the spiritual power that allows one to siphon Od from the Odyllic is what we call Odic force. The strength of one's Odic force determines how much Od one can channel within their body and the capacity to store Od in one's Soul Core."

"And like all things in the Universe, the level of one's Odic force is ranked according to its strength." Emanu continued. "I'll give you an example. For regular Mystics, the lowest Odic force rank is iron ranked. And which is followed by silver rank, gold rank, platinum rank, and diamond rank."

"What about for the Awakened Mystics," Sam asked.

"Awakened ones have different rankings. There is the first rank Heroic rank, then Ascended rank, and then the last one, Supreme rank," Emanu said.

"So what's your rank," Sam said.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Emanu said with a grin. "For one to be able to channel Od from the Odyllic, one must meditate and commune with the Odyllic itself."

"You want me to communicate with the universe," Sam said. Emanu waved her hands at the Menhirs that surrounded them. "Like I said, this site was used to commune with the gods. What you will be doing is communing with the Odyllic." 

"Huh! Communing with the Odyllic. You make it sound like the Odyllic is a person, not some energy source," Sam said.

"It's both. Think of the Odyllic as both the energy source and the consciousness of the universe," Emanu said. "If you want to use the universe resource, then you have to ask for permission."

"Makes sense," Sam said.

"Meditation allows your mind to connect your consciousness with your subconsciousness wherein your soul lies. And with your Odic force, you can then commune with the Odyllic. This first step will allow you to open your soul to accepting the Od that surrounds us. Do you want to give it a go?" Meditation. Seriously. Emanu smiled at the look of confusion on Sam's face. She wasn't sure if Sam was understanding everything she was saying, but Emanu had no time to baby her. There were a lot of things Sam had to learn if she wanted to keep up with her classmates. Emanu gestured for Sam to sit on the grass which she did, crossing her legs together. Emanu walked behind her kneeling and putting her arms on Sam's back. 

"Close your eyes so you can get rid of any distractions. And then try to make your mind more clear and lucid. All you have to do is breathe in and out." Sam did exactly as Emanu instructed her. She breathed in and out, clearing her mind of all thoughts. "Focus on your breathing and exclude everything else from your mind." Sam did as she was told to, focusing on her breathing. Her mind began to wander elsewhere and then she would push it back to her breathing. Focus on my breathing. Focus on my breathing. Emanu could sense Sam's effort to concentrate her mind. "Now try and see if you can use your Internal Sense on yourself..."

"For what," Sam muttered.

"To see deep within yourself where your soul lies," Emanu said. Where her soul lies? Was she suppose to search for her soul? How the hell was she supposed to know what her soul would look like? Sam wanted to complain but she held it back and instead did as Emanu had instructed. Sam was already well verse with what her Internal sense felt like. It was what made her able to read the emotions of others. Now that she had Awakened, her Internal senses had gotten stronger and more stable, especially her sight and hearing. So Sam decided to focus not her physical senses, but her Internal sense inwards. She decided to listen to how her blood was pumping through her body, how her heart was pumping the blood, how her muscles moved and stretched, the sturdiness of her bones. Her sight also focused on the flow of electric impulse through her nerves, how her cells vibrated with an intense motion. Sam noticed that all this was just surface level. She needed to go deeper than just her physical body. If she could extend part of her mind as an Internal sense, then what about the rest of her Internal body? Wasn't her Internal sense just a part of her Consciousness that she was projecting? And as Sam thought that, she felt her mind being pulled deep into the void of her subconsciousness. And beyond the darkness, what she saw was an Image of….It was hard to describe it. Sam felt like she had been dropped in the vastness of an ocean, only it looked like outer space with the piercing darkness that stretched for miles, with bright numbing dots of lights that looked like nebulas. The luminescent cosmic dust flowed through everywhere and in the middle of it all was a bright burning pattern that looked like a chladni plates. The cymatic pattern vibrated, visible waves of vibration and sound flowed through the image. And in the center of the sequence, there was a light so bright that for a moment Sam felt like she had been devoured by a real star. There was heat, an intense heat that felt like her cells were being fried, and then a coldness washed over her. In the middle of the light, was Sam. It was her, dressed in a white robe with an Octagram pin on the cloak which covered the face with a hood. But Sam could see her face. There was rage, raw anger and bitterness that drew her further in. As Sam focused on herself, she felt themselves mixing together, drowning in a sea of darkness, their fused body descending towards the pit of darkness below. And when Sam reached it, her fingers moved to touch it, and then there was a bang, like an explosion and her body felt like it had been dragged to somewhere else that was neither in Yesh Academy nor the moon itself. Sam was somewhere else, floating under a purple night sky, though it was empty of stars. She was alone in a field of nothing but an endless space of darkness. It felt like she was floating above the darkness. Her finger moved, and a ripple spread around. She was floating on the surface of a sea of darkness.

"Looks like you've made it in," Emanu's voice snapped Sam out of her confusion. Sam got up, standing on the sea's surface to see Emanu here with her.

"What is this? Where are we?" Sam had a lot of questions, as she thought about the image she had seen. Emanu had seen everything that Sam had seen, and although she knew the truth, she decided to answer what she could tell Sam as of yet.

"This is your Mindscape also known as Soul realm. Think of it as a mental world that embodies one's mind and soul.."

"Mind and soul...You're saying this represents my mind?" Sam said. She looked around the sea of darkness and then the purple night sky. 

"And soul." Emanu pointed at the familiar cymatic pattern that was in the center of the darkness. It was the same green chladni plate with a ball of light in the middle of it, though this time the light was duller. Sam walked slowly to it, as she got closer she could feel the vibration of the plate, like it was an instrument playing a song.

"This is....my soul...How... how did I get here...How are you even here?"

"The living body is a triune that consists of the body, mind, and soul. The body cannot function without the mind or soul. The mind cannot function without the body and soul and the soul cannot function without the body and mind." Interesting. Sam thought to herself. Her eyes landed on what looked like a web of fissures above the plate. She felt a surge of pain coming from it.

"Those are scars from your trauma," Emanu said. "Not long ago your mind was damaged. It's why you couldn't remember much of your childhood. The Mind serves as a center for the living body. It connects the body and soul, and any damage to it, can reflect on your body out there."

"Now what," Sam said. She had walked around the plate, observing the fluctuation of vibrations within it.

"It's up to you," Emanu said. She took a step back, walking towards a veil of darkness. "Now you can use your soul to commune with the Odyllic." And she was gone.

"Emanu...wait-" Sam was caught off by the shimmering of runes that appeared in front of her. She turned to her soul which had brightened. The song from within it got louder, and she felt her leg pulled towards it. Commune with the Odyllic. How was she going to do it? Sam had no idea how to pray or ask some higher being for help. The one time she had done it as a child nothing had happened. She didn't feel like repeating those silly actions. Well if not prayers, then what? Sam sighed. There was only one thing she could do. Sam sat on the surface of the sea, crossed her legs, and then opened her mouth. She inhaled and then exhaled before long words and lyrics began pouring out. At first, it was a whisper, a whisper in the darkness that surrounded her soul. And then the song began to resonate with her soul, the vibration from it increasing as the song filled the entire surface of the Soul realm. And like that, Sam was back in the physical world, Emanu behind her. Sam steadied her breathing as she felt that same rush of power that she had felt from the goddess statue.

"Looks like you did it," Emanu said. She got up from the floor and Sam did the same. Odic energy was flowing out of her soul and through her body. Power was coursing through her veins and she had no idea what to do with it. 

"Now it's time to move on to the next phase." Emanu said. "Now before we get to the complicated stuff, I think it might be best to start with the basics," 

"Basic," Sam said.

"Yes, the basics. Like I said before Od is a dangerous power that if not wielded properly, can lead to your death." Emanu said. "So first you must learn the basic techniques when it comes to Od control. But I think we should test something before we start,"

"Test what." 

"Your sensory technique," Emanu said simply. "Internal sense is the first ability any Od-sensitive can wield. It allows humans the ability to see through the Grey and not be affected by it. It also allows us to perceive and sense not only the ambient Od around us but also the internal Od we contain. This helps in controlling the flow of Od. Without Internal sense, controlling Od is highly dangerous. Now I want to see if you can use it. All you have to do is focus on your Odic flow and try and see if you can sense any Odic force other than your own." Sam closed her eyes and focused on her soul. Her inner self and its senses. All her life she had been able to feel the emotions of those around her, able to smell, see the color and feel it like it was her own. And it had always made her feel uncomfortable. But now she was reaching out, stretching her Internal senses beyond what should be possible. And she felt it. The presence of living things around her. She felt the flow of energy that came from within the creatures, how it connected to the energy that was in the atmosphere. She could feel various large presence that was far away from her. And then there was the presence in front of Sam. It was a towering presence, so large and huge that if Sam was to focus more on it, she felt like she would become consumed by it. So Sam reined herself back from becoming overloaded. That was Emanu's Presence within the Odyllic. Sam still couldn't feel any sort of power from her, but that…she could feel the cold sweats dripping down her forehead.

"Good. Looks like you're getting the hang of it." Emanu said. She had shown Sam a little glimpse of herself within the Odyllic. "Now, it's time for you to learn how to use Enhancement."

"Enhancement," 

"It's a technique that allows you to boost the physical condition of your body," Emanu said. " Enhancement is the first technique that one can learn easily. Plus, it can help in your Od control skills. With Enhancement, even a human might stand a chance against the other races when it comes to brute strength. The pill which you took for most of your life was suppressing your Odic force which means your body's condition is not up to par. But nevertheless, daily accumulation of Od within your body should heal it right up. Your body should become stronger. Which is why learning enhancement should be good for you." 

"There are four basic Od control techniques that you must master in order to use Enhancement," Emanu said, raising up four fingers. "Flow control, Counter flow control, Release control and Output control. These aspect of Od control are the basis behind every Od technique that exists within the Universe. You can't use Od without mastering them. In the first place, for you to use enhancement you must at least master Flow control."

"So how do I do it," Sam asked. Emanu took a deep breath and again she sent another jab right at Sam's sternum. But this time Emanu was faster than Sam could react. Her fingers scraped against her chest and she felt a force of energy pierce through it. Sam's body revolted, an intense pain making her puke out on the grass. What the Hell? What the hell? Her body convulsed again as the pain lessened.

"Wh..at did you do to me," Sam gasped for air.

"In the beginning, I had you commune with the Odyllic to open your soul into channeling Od," Emanu said. "And now Od is constantly flowing through your body. Within the Odic pathway. Just because Od is flowing within your body, doesn't mean you can access it. First, you must learn to control the Od's flow, control it's direction within the pathway and control how much Od you allow to leak out of your body. Which can be done through the Odic nodes within your body."

"Odic nodes," Sam said, struggling to stand up.

"Odic nodes are tiny spiritual organs within a body that filter and limit the Od that flows within it," Emanu said. 

"So by opening and closing these nodes, one can control the release and output of their Od," Sam said.

"Exactly," Emanu said. "Most Awakened learn to subconsciously close sixty percent of their nodes."

"So they won't waste the Od within themselves," Sam gathered.

"Right now, the Od you managed to siphon is just static within your body. With Flow control, you can actually store the Od that you siphon within your soul core. This acts as a reserve of energy for one to use. That way, one doesn't have to constantly channel Od with your Odic force. Trust me you don't want to exert your Odic force too much."

"So how do I open my nodes," Sam said. "I suspect the attack to my chest had something to do with it,"

"You're very perceptive, Sam," Emanu said. "Yes, you're right. Normally one learns to open and close their nodes through meditations. It's the formal and standard way to do it. But it takes a lot of time. That's why I said wielding Od is not an easy thing to learn. It takes almost a decade to be able to learn to open and close one's node. And for you, we simply do not have the time for you to learn through meditations alone. Which is why there is another way to open and close one's node. Brute force."

"Brute force," Sam repeated. "The jab at my chest. That was to-"

"Yes." Emanu said with a smile. "When I attacked you, I sent an amount of my Od into your body through brute force. This action forcefully made your nodes open up. Tell me, how does your body feel right now," Sam sent her hand to her chest, only just realizing that the pain was gone and her body felt lighter than it did before.

"I...I feel good," Sam said, astonished.

"As I said, Od can be used for destruction or healing, depending on the user's will and desire," Emanu said. "What I did was open about ten percent of your nodes, which should be enough for your Od to run a little smoother."

"Now while your nodes are open, Od is going to constantly leak out of your body. But we don't want that. Instead, you're going to direct the flow of Od towards your soul core to store it. And then you're going to infuse the rest of the Odic energy throughout your body. This is where Flow control comes into place. It's a skill that allows you to stop your Od from leaking out of your body. Instead, you contain the flow of Od within the body itself. Observe," The atmosphere in the room changed again, as a red hue of color flowed out of Emanu's body, the presence of her power froze Sam on the spot. But just as the aura appeared, Sam noticed the way her Od flowed back inside her body, like she was sucking the energy back. The flow of the Od then formed like a coat around her body. It was like an extra layer of thin skin acting as a buffer against any external force. 

"With your Internal sense, you were able to perceive the flow of my Od," Emanu said. "I used Flow control to center my Od only within my body. This way, I won't be wasting any of my Od. Most wielders learn to even maintain it while sleeping." And just like that Emanu's Od vanished, cutting off her presence from the Odyllic. Sam couldn't see her aura anymore. "In order for you to be able to infuse Od within your body and use enhancement, you have to learn Flow control. And it can also help with creating mental wards that can keep out Telepaths or Empaths from invading your mind."

"So are you ready to begin Flow control," Emanu said.

"How do I control the flow of my Od," Sam said. "I have no idea-"

"I'll help you." Emanu said. "Sit." Sam sat down again, crossing her leg for the second time as Emanu knelt behind her. She put her hand on the back of Sam. "Relax. What I'm going to do is pretty simple. I'm going to channel my Od within your body. It's how I was able to follow you into your soul realm. When my Od enters your body, you'll feel it. And not only that, you'll feel my influence over it. That influence is my will. With my will, I'll manipulate the flow of my Od throughout your body to indirectly control your Odic flow. I want you to memorize and remember the feeling of your Od as it flows throughout your body. Do you understand," Sam nodded. She braced herself as Emanu began to channel her Od into Sam's body. The Odic nodes that Emanu had opened were able to receive her Odic energy, and Sam felt it enter her system. At first it was weird, the feeling of invasion, then she felt Emanu's will attached to the energy. It was a strong, ironclad will that looked like chains. And then the Odic energy began to flow within her own energy, pushing her Od, making it to flow. Sam felt the Od that was leaking out of her body flow to her gut, then it settled there within what felt like a container that she recognized as her soul. Within her soul was her soul core, where her Od could be stored for later usage. This was all done by Emanu's Odic flow control within Sam's body. Emanu then redirected the flow of Od away from the core and to the rest of her body. "Remember, try to memorize the flow. Remember how your Odic nodes open to let your Od flow." Sam nodded. She concentrated on the flow of energy as it moved around her body. She could feel the Odic energy seep into every cell in her body, her muscle, her skeleton structure, and her nervous system. After a while, Emanu pulled her hands away from Sam's back, withdrawing her Od. Sam felt Emanu's absence but she didn't allow it to make her panic. Instead, she concentrated on the pathway that Emanu had laid out for her. She focused her Internal sense on it, circulating her Od throughout her body. Sometimes her Odic flow would rush, becoming erratic, but in time she was able to steady it's flow. Emanu was left to watch as Sam's Flow control began to open more of her nodes, letting out thin threads of Od. Sam began to manipulate the Od to settle as a coat around her body. It wasn't enough to cover her entire body, but the fact that she could display the first sign of mastering Odic enhancement was pretty shocking to Emanu. To be able to wear an Odic skin was the first stage in Odic enhancement, and Sam had performed a partial Odic skin. Emanu remembered showing Sam how to coat one's skin with Od. She had just done it to show her what a perfect Flow control was. And to think just from seeing it once, she was able to repeat it. Mother was right. She's a monster. A monster with a great exponential growth.

****

 Flying through the air, away from the sewer drains, a crow perched on the arms of an orange haired large man, dressed in a sleeveless white garment and black baggy pants. His shaggy hair was blown away by the wind, his yellow slit eyes fell on the crow by his arms. The bird turned its head revealing it's eyes and with his index and thumb claws, the man pulled the eyes out of the bird. He threw the eyeball into his mouth and he chewed on it. Just like that, images of a fight flashed through his mind. He saw the entire fight between the Erlking and the two Paladins. After the image was done, the man spat out in disgust. Though the Erlking was a member of his race, he didn't feel an ounce of any emotions towards it's death. Not one trace of sympathy on the man's face. Behind him was a ripping noise, similar to the sound of paper being torn, and another man in a white long coat walked out of the void. His hair was black, with his pale fair skin. His eyes were covered by a shade of glasses, its lens was tinted with darkness. Another rip in space appeared, and a masked man in a black cloak walked out. The other two men could feel the atmosphere brimming with murderous rage from the masked man, but they said nothing. Both three men stopped in the middle of the roof of the building as they checked each other out.

"I heard they hit your lab," the doctor said. 

"We were close to achieving the final phase," Mallus said. "And yet Octagram was able to intervene," The Beast king snorted, a sneer on his face as he faced Mallus.

"The only reason they would be able to figure out how close you were was if there was a rat in your home," He growled. 

"I am already aware of what goes on in my backyard," Mallus said.

"And yet you do nothing about it," The Beast king said with obvious contempt against the leader of Sector Zero. He didn't care that Mallus was responsible for his presence here on this planet. Just like how Mallus was using him, he was using the Pleiadian.

"Do you have it," the Doctor said. He didn't care for the Beast King's hatred for Mallus. All he cared for was his work. Mallus bought out two vials of serum and handed it over to the Doctor.

"Hmm, it's almost complete." The doctor said. "For a human, Dr. Ahmed is a genius. Just missing a few things,"

"According to my intel, some results have been promising," Mallus said. "It seems Octagram is beginning the final phase already,"

"So the Herald means to arm humanity," the Beast king said. There was a wild look of disgust on his face. "And what of the Asha'yee,"

"Golden Dawn has gotten to her, it seems," Mallus said.

"Leave it to the Titania Blade goddess," The Beast king said. "Always making the first move,"

"I have sent a team to deal with her," Mallus said. "You don't mind, do you Sirius," Sirius, the former Beast King of the planet, Sirius, walked away approaching the edge of the roof. There was a guttural grin on his face as he answered.

"If she can't survive against a couple of mortals, then she wasn't worth anything in the first place," He said. And with the muscle of his legs, he leaped off the building, destroying the floor on which he had stood.

"Siranians. Always so brutish." the doctor said.

"As long as he does his part well, I truly don't care much for him understanding my motives," Mallus said.

"What about that Erlking," The doctor asked. "I believe he was a subordinate of one of yours, correct." Mallus thought of the Erlking who was responsible for providing them with test subjects for Project Starseed. He never really trusted the Beastman, so he had placed a curse on him that would turn him into an Abomination. When he had learned that a leak would happen, he had activated the curse on him. And not just him, but many others outside of Sector Zero who knew about the base. He did it to be thorough and make sure nothing happened outside his expectations. And yet, the base still got attacked, and Mallus had no idea who was responsible.

"The Cleansing is about to commence. It matters not what rats lie in my way. Soon the piercing light of the Divine will rain upon this world." Mallus said. He was well aware of the possibilities of traitors, but Mallus didn't care to do anything about them. To him, no matter how far the rats scurried, their actions were pointless. "Are you sure you can reverse engineer it,"

"Oh, trust me, I'll more than reverse engineer it," The doctor said. "I think it's about time I returned. I don't want them to miss me," The doctor summoned the black portal and was gone. Mallus turned to face the city, the buildings and people that soon enough, would be nothing but ashes.

First he must wash Lamentias of the filth that had accumulated, and soon it will be this planet's turn.