Argus, blessed with power as long as he fulfilled his oath, was now stronger than ever. The source of his strength came from rejecting the song itself. Having completely freed himself from the chaos of the song, Argus was now one of the silencers of this world.
His goal was to silence more people. His mission was to kill the heretic attunement masters one by one, to take his revenge, and to save the world from the chaos of the song. For each attunement master he killed, he would grow even stronger, and eventually, he would take revenge on both the attunement users and the AUTHORITY.
Now all he had to do was find the heretic attunement masters among the Lumen. There was only one person in his mind that he thought that could help him to learn their place, Indra. He was still feeling the guilt of not being able to protect Karliah. He was feeling really anxious to return to Indra after all the things he had been through, but he had to tell Indra everything now. Indra was like a father to him, so Argus thought he would still accept him as he is.
He retraced his steps, the journey back to Etris filled with a mix of relief and a lingering sense of unease.
The familiar sights and sounds of the city felt strangely distant, as if he was viewing them through a haze of memories. The vein-like patterns etched onto him, a visible reminder of his oath, seemed to pulse with a life of their own, drawing wary glances from those around him.
Arriving back in Etris, he sought refuge in the familiarity of Etris Inn. The inn was bustling with activity, but there was a palpable tension in the air as people glanced nervously at him, their eyes lingering on the markings that adorned his skin.
Unable to see Indra, who was usually a fixture at the inn at that time of day, Argus approached the innkeeper, his voice steady despite the unease he felt.
-Hey, Neo. I was looking for Indra. He's usually here at this time. Do you know where he is?
-Didn't you hear the news, Argus?
-What news?
-The news about Etris and Indra's death.
-...
-While you were away, King Etrea didn't return from his journey to a different Luminant. Taking advantage of the King's absence, the Ministry sent Zi'eer, the fourth prophet of the Ministry, to be the new ruler of Etris. Indra and his guild were among those who rejected Zi'eer's rule. They did everything they could to prevent him from taking the throne, but they weren't strong enough. They all died in their battle against Zi'eer. They don't even have a grave of their own…
-...
-Argus, don't be foolish and try to do anything to Zi'eer. Right now, Zi'eer is the only one preventing the Central Authority from raiding and taking the Etris. No one dares to fight against the Ministry. So, for now, stay quiet.
Argus sat alone at a corner table in Etris Inn, the familiar sounds of the inn fading into the background as a wave of despair washed over him.
The weight of his failure pressed down on him, crushing his spirit. He had promised Indra that he would return, that they would continue their journey together, but now he had lost the only person he had left after the dark day.
Tears welled up in his eyes, silently trailing down his cheeks as he mourned the loss of his friend and mentor. The inn was bustling around him, but he felt utterly alone in his grief. The pain of his solitude was almost unbearable, a stark reminder of all that he had lost.
As the hours passed, Argus remained lost in his thoughts, his tears a silent testament to the depth of his despair. The world moved on around him, indifferent to his pain. He was adrift, alone in a sea of people, the weight of his sorrow dragging him down into the depths of despair.