'How did you find out, dog?'
A familiar voice called out from the forest. No one could tell where the sound was coming from, but one thing was certain. No one had died in their hands yet. So why was Brik not shouting with joy. He hadn't killed anyone, he was not a murderer, but that did not seem to make him happy in the slightest. If anything, it only made him angrier.
Not only had he failed to kill this cold-blooded murderer, but now he might be killed due to that blunder. Brik did not believe in any of those stories that Trus had told him, but that did not mean much. This sudden display of might, coming back from what could be considered dead, just to confused them. And see their reaction to having human blood on their hands.
'Answer me, how did you find out?'
The voice rang out once more, a smooth soft voice that was filled with a charming energy, a voice that should be of a charismatic young merchant, not a mass murderer who considered living things as toys. There were no signs of any deeper emotions, no anger or hatred at this person for ruining his disguise. There was only curiosity. What these bugs felt was of no use to a being on a level as high as himself, so why bother caring?
'T...the d...dar...darkness'
The man spoke while stuttering before fainting once more. X sighed seeing just how weak he was, although he knew that this man was also a Stage 2 knight, and was born in an environment far worse than Terlem or Rosenberg. A wave of cold killing intent washed over them, emitted from all directions, and yet from one place.
The region dimmed, sunlight losing its inherent brightness, the shadows stretching out as if it was going to swallow them up. The man they had just killed walked out of the forest in front of them, clad in the same kimono, his hands free. The Katanas were sheathed, and so was all the hatred he had shown during their fight.
With a casual wave of his hand, three spikes of darkness emerged from the ground behind them, eerily similar to Brik's Death Roots. They almost touched the three knights. Each one transformed into a chair of sorts, their sharp tip widening and their base becoming more stable until it became a perfect platform for sitting. X took a seat, unable to continue standing for long in his current condition. His friends followed suit.
Another spike grew out from behind the member of the Triumvirate. Darkness quickly covered the youth, and as he sat down, it changed. It reached out to his shadow, merging with it and the chair. Intricate patterns flowed through the newly formed seat made of darkness, black on black which was visible only due to the difference in shade.
The patterns were of a darker shade than the seat. The seat continued morphing, taking on a different shape each moment, and by the time the man had completely sat down on his shadow, it was no longer just a mere seat. It was a throne of darkness, majestic and regal, fit for a ruler of the world.
It was hard for Aqua to consider him as a person she had just killed. Just like how she grew up hearing stories of beings like the Kraken and other terrifying sea monsters that ruined the life of every Atlantean, Trus had heard stories of this person. If she thought about it longer, wasn't it obvious that he was much more scary than those monsters, since he had a conscious mind capable of taking in logical decisions, no matter how sadistic they were?
And if her suspicions about the identity of the second member of the Triumvirate, "Purple" were right, then he was not just strong. Only if "Purple" was Atlan's bane, that is. Still, Aqua was glad that he was not dead, even if that meant that she would be. Even if she was not a human, her father had always told her how they were closely related to humans, and that they should never fight each other or kill each other, and even if it was by the loosest definition, this person was human.
'I was going to ask you to sit, but since you did it anyway there is no need. Honestly, I am impressed. There is no way you are not Stage 3.'
The murderer spoke out while lounging on his throne, the darkness of his shadow chair shifting to accommodate for its master's comfort and luxury. He looked straight at X, his eyes dark and cold. The whole area seemed darker, and it felt like his darkness could affect every sense of theirs, not only their sight.
Just from receiving his gaze, X was feeling uneasy, his eyesight dimming and his hearing dropping. The sounds that were easy for him to pick up were now unhearable, and his nose was blocked, making him feel like he had a cold. The only bright side to this was that X would not smell the disgusting odor of corpses, both the ones that decayed naturally and the ones that X had cremated.
'We are.'
Brik replied, glancing at his friend. He knew how hard it was for X to speak, even to a normal person, so helped him out. But sometime in the future, he might not be there, and his friend would have to speak for himself. X was sweating despite the cold, his body twitching like he was having a fit. Brik put his hand on X's shoulder, and immediately took it back. His hands burnt like he had just put them through fire, yet it was cold. X was not having a seizure, he was shell-shocked.
'Well then, why don't you two go out? I have something I have to say to... him'
The murderer spoke while pointing at X. His voice was polite enough, but it carried the threat. Aqua and Brik quickly understood what he meant, and rushed out to speak, to become the first person to interrupt, to show who was more important to X. Even in such a dangerous situation, their fight over who was closer to X and cared more for him had not ceased.
'NO.'
They both yelled at the same time. A small smile spread across the man's pale face, which frustrating only made him look even more handsome. The darkness slowly receded and it felt like the sun was shining once again. He burst out into a small fit of laughter, then spoke.
'I guess you did not understand me. I never requested you to leave. It's an order.'
He spoke in a stern tone, his charming voice now fully conveying a real, immediate threat. His smile was more frightening than any words he could use or any frown he could show. Brik clutched his fist and was about to get up from his seat. Aqua looked at him in dismay, realizing the danger they were currently in. But the moment they got off the seats, they were pulled back in, the darkness refusing to let go.
'But honestly, there is nothing for him to hide from you, and me. So stay if you like, I don't care. Just shush'
The man spoke while putting his fingers on his lips, and the darkness of the stools they were sitting on shifted, grabbing their hands and placing it on their lips forcefully. Aqua sat back down quickly, happy to be by X's side in the time of his dilemma. The man ran his fingers down his sharp jawline as he spoke once more.
'Those pink eyes you used, what is it?'
No response. X could not move his lips. His mind raced through countless visions, moving so fast he could barely glance at any. Most of the ones he could see were repeated, like the old man covered in blood, the giant winged beast within the massive cave, and even Immortal Tree's pink world, now completely black.
But there were some other visions. Most of them were discussions, held between Adult X wearing his shiny golden armor, and an unknown person whose face was covered in shadows. The two of them looked identical if the color contrast was ignored. The person wore obsidian black armor that covered his entire body just like X's armor and spoke in a harsh voice filled with exhaustion.
'Make a power vow.'
X replied in the vision, speaking in an assertive manner that the current X could never hope to do in real life, even with his friends.
'No.'
'He will die.'
The man threatened, and X quickly replied, unable to maintain his cold attitude. Whoever this person was, he was close to X.
'Fine. What is it?'
'Until I feel like you could win, you or that mongrel cannot-'
The vision was cut off as a blast of cold deathly killing intent washed over him. X's body froze up, all the goosebumps on his skin standing up instantly.
'I asked you two times already. Do not make me repeat. What are those pink eyes?'
X wished to respond, but his body did not comply. X took in a deep breath, almost opening the door in his head that was closed two years ago, but he refused to make someone else tall for him. It was not like that person wanted to speak, anyway. It almost seemed like the one behind his mental door was hiding.
X opened his mouth, and started speaking, but no sound came out. He continued moving his lips in the hope that some sound would come out, but his vocal cords refused to vibrate. X pondered back on how the other him in his most recent vidion, the adult version with his flashy armor could speak properly. If the X in his visions could speak in front of an audience, the current X could as well.
He thought about how Brik and Aqua held conversations with the desert tribe, with the ship's captain at Nevice, and even the other knights that trained them back in the Academy. X opened his mouth one more time, took in another deep breath, and spoke.
'It... it's an ability I have. Don't know much about it, but-'
'That's enough.'
The man replied with a smirk.
'What's your name?'
He asked, and without any fear, X spoke back. He might not know much about himself, but even if he knew his past and his complete identity, he could not change one thing. His name would remain the same, even if he becomes a completely different being.
'X.'
The man tensed for a moment, and X was afraid that he recognized it.
'I gotta go, that old man will kill me if I don't leave. The three of you, listen up. I will meet you again if that old man allows me to leave, so the next time I see you, better get to at least Stage 3 or 4 or whatever is considered strong. Else, I'll kill you.'
He spoke in a cheerful voice, which did not match his words. Brik gathered up his courage and spoke out a question that had been in his mind the entire time. A question that might get them killed.
'What is your name?'
'Call me what you want. Unknown if you don't get any name. Helps me stay more secretive, doesn't it?'
The man spoke while winking at Brik like they were close friends. His ever-changing personality only increased Brik's headache.
The man took out one of his wicked swords, the pitch-black katana he had used on them around half an hour ago.
With a single smooth swing, he tore apart the fabric of existence, creating a gap in the air. As he turned towards the rift, X quickly had an idea, one born out of curiosity so deep X had no choice but to feed it.
'Immortal Tree.'
X looked at the man, his eyes glowing bright pink. Just like before, there was only one string that descended from the sky, attached to X himself. From X, the strings spread to Aqua, Brik, and Trus, but not to the man. As X gazed at him, trying to find any fragment of the string, the man felt his gaze.
He turned around and looked at X, his face remaining neutral, a look of amusement in his eyes. Another pink string extended from the sky, thicker than X's but less bright. The string connected to the man, and in the next moment, he smiled as he took a step forward. Then, he was gone.