Many things changed in the forest.
Nothing changed in the pit.
Aziz was back home.
Home. Why did he call this underground prison home?
Maybe because this was where he had been born again. In a way, it was his home. But this time, something was different—another human was in the pits with him.
Roof lay on the hardened earth, shrouded in pitch-black darkness. It must have been unnerving for him; Aziz sometimes forgot that others couldn't see in the dark as he could.
Roof's breathing had steadied now, his condition stabilized. Aziz had gathered a bundle of mapa leaves and applied them to the wounds scattered across Roof's body.
Earlier, Aziz had ventured into the temple and caught two black-death snakes.
After draining their blood into the old jug he'd been using since his imprisonment, he brought it to the fire where Delilah and Little Marcus were still sitting.
He instructed Marcus to boil the snake blood while he applied fresh mapa leaves to Delilah's face. She didn't speak much, but after he finished, she whispered a soft "thank you."
Once the snake blood was ready, Aziz left the two of them again, heading back to the dying Roof.
As he descended to the second level of the pits, Mal broke the silence.
"Master."
"I know, Mal. I noticed," Aziz replied calmly.
Marcus had been following them. Past the gate of the second level, there was no light—only darkness.
Aziz could navigate freely without bumping into the walls, but Marcus had also been trailing close behind, just far enough not to be seen yet near enough to keep Aziz in his sights.
Somehow the little teen had managed to also walk as though he could see in the dark.
So many secrets, Aziz thought.
Whenever he moved too far ahead, Marcus would quicken his pace, needing Aziz's presence to traverse the levels. It confirmed Aziz's theory: Little Marcus could see internal energy.
Upon reaching the pit, Aziz ascended the stairs and knelt beside Roof, whose breathing was growing fainter, his body colder by the second.
Carefully, Aziz mixed the mapa leaves with the black-death snake blood, following Master Xiang's instructions. Gently, he lifted Roof's head.
"Drink," Aziz commanded.
Even on the edge of death, Roof fought on. His lips found the edge of the jug, weakly drinking the bitter concoction.
After a few rough coughs, it didn't take long for the mixture to take effect. The groans of pain faded, and Roof slipped into unconsciousness.
Tap, tap.
Light footsteps echoed from the doorway. The guest of the hour had arrived.
Marcus stepped into the pits, blind in the dark but not completely. His gaze, unsettlingly focused, found Aziz, as if his eyes could still track him despite the blackness.
"I thought my internal energy was black, Little Marcus. How is it that you can still see me in the dark?" Aziz asked, his voice calm yet probing.
Marcus's eyebrows shot up in surprise, momentarily forgetting to conceal his thoughts. Most people believed that darkness could hide anything, but nothing was hidden from Aziz.
Quickly realizing that Aziz could likely see his expression as clearly as if it were daylight, Marcus composed himself.
"Yours is different," Marcus admitted, knowing there was no point in lying. "It's just as it's documented. The Heir of the Divine Snake wields internal energy darker than shadow. When you move, I see the shadows clinging to you. You're internal energy is like a void. It is evil."
For a moment it seemed he was finished, before finally adding,"Or at least that is what my master taught me. Maybe what is evil is determined by it's wielder."
Aziz tilted his head, considering the response. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, but the rivalry between the Bloodcoil Sect and the Verdant Heart Sect was becoming clearer.
One worked in darkness; the other could see through it. His natural enemy.
Seeing the faint traces of internal energy pulsing weakly from Roof, Marcus stepped closer, staring down at the boy.
"Can you save him?" Marcus asked.
"I'll try," Aziz replied, glancing at Roof's shivering form. "If he's strong enough, he'll pull through."
"I used to hate him," Marcus murmured, his gaze lingering on Roof's battered body. "But looking at him now... guess he's worse off than we are."
Aziz nodded. "Yes, Delilah told me he didn't make your lives easy. But judging by the way you fought off those hunters from the Kings Hand, you didn't have to be so easily pushed around."
He watched Marcus carefully, his words probing for answers.
Aziz had seen Marcus fight—those strange, efficient moves that allowed him to take on three attackers at once.
There were two kinds of martial arts, as Master Zhang, the legendary Shadow Scales, used to say: the Physical and the Mystical.
The martial arts Aziz had learned so far were all Mystical, requiring internal energy to use. Physical martial arts, on the other hand, could be learned by anyone with enough time and dedication.
Aziz had no master to teach him Physical martial arts; they couldn't be learned through study alone, unlike the Mystical techniques of the Bloodcoil Sect.
"I have my reasons," Marcus said, clearly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was heading. "If you show too many of your cards, you start drawing unwanted attention."
"Is that why you pretend to be mute?"
"Yes, partly," Marcus admitted, shifting uncomfortably. "Forgive me, Aziz. I owe you a lot, but there are things I can't say—even if you threaten my life."
Aziz considered testing that theory, but something in Marcus's eyes told him the boy was resolute. It only made him more curious.
What was so important that it had to be kept hidden from the Order? And what was even more bizarre was that Marcus was willing to trust the Heir of the Bloodcoil Sect with such a secret.
"Looks like we're in the same boat," Aziz said after a moment, standing up. "We both want the Order to fall. That's all that matters for now."
Marcus nodded in agreement. "Earlier, when you came down, you mentioned something about the Divine Snake Cult?"
"Indeed," Aziz confirmed. "The Divine Snake Cult is how I plan to gain power here. Of course, I can't do it alone."
He locked eyes with Marcus, waiting for his response.
"The name is..." Marcus bit his lip, then sighed. "My master would probably be furious if he heard it, but I'm in. I can tell you didn't come up with this without a plan."
A brief silence followed.
"You do have a plan, right?" Marcus asked, his tone a little less certain.
Aziz yawned and stretched lazily. "Of sorts."
Marcus shook his head in mild disbelief. "I'm starting to think we're all dead at this rate."
"You know that's not true," Aziz replied casually. "That's why you sought me out and why you joined." He noticed the flicker of unease in Marcus's eyes. Good, he thought. He had read him right. "That's why, isn't it? You know I have a sponsor in this test, just like Roof. And whoever my sponsor is..."
Aziz gestured around the pit. "It seems that the Divine Snake and I are their special little project, which means I'm protected. Sticking with me guarantees your survival."
Aziz moved around Roof's body, stepping closer to Marcus, who didn't back away. Their eyes met in the darkness, each searching the other.
"It makes me wonder if you planned all of this just to get my attention," Aziz mused, his gaze piercing. "That would be pretty scary if you did."
Aziz studied Marcus's face, looking for any hint of truth. But Marcus's expression was unreadable, his intentions well concealed.
Who knew if this was the real Marcus Aziz was speaking to—or just another act, like the mute boy he had pretended to be?
"Right and wrong," Marcus replied, his voice measured. "Yes, I came to you because you're protected. But you're mistaken if you think that guarantees your survival. The Order is survival. The test now requires a number of us eliminated. They're ruthless. Just because you have a sponsor doesn't make you immune to the consequences. Others have sponsors too. Like I said... I hope you have a plan. I hope my gamble on you wasn't a waste."
Aziz paused for a moment, absorbing Marcus's bold words. It was the truth, and the truth was something Aziz could respect.
Without a word, he turned his back to Marcus, contemplating.
"Yes, I have a plan," Aziz finally replied, his tone calm. "First, the Divine Snake Cult has to establish its boundaries. I trust you follow?"
Marcus nodded. "What do you need me to do?"
"We are going to take a leaf out of the Order's own book," Aziz's gaze darkened. "Kidnapping."