The midnight air crystallized with tension as Lanssa's retreating footsteps echoed off worn cobblestones. Lich remained perfectly still, every muscle coiled with purpose, while behind him, the ancestral Scales of Judgment materialized like a constellation taking physical form. Ethereal chains stretched upward into the star-strewn void, each link humming with generations of power. The scales' blue-white radiance painted the narrow alley in ghostly brushstrokes, transforming mundane shadows into portals to other times.
The cloaked figure's laugh cut through the silence like a blade wrapped in silk. "The Scales of Judgment. Still summoning them the old way—just like your father did before the Fall."
Lich's jaw clenched, a muscle flickering beneath skin gone pale as parchment. The scales behind him trembled, though no wind stirred the dead autumn air. Their reaction to his suppressed emotion might have been imperceptible to most, but his opponent's mask of liquid metal rippled in response, catching the telling motion.
"Your silence speaks volumes, Librariar." She drew back her midnight-blue hood with deliberate grace, revealing a face half-hidden behind that ever-shifting mask. The metal flowed like quicksilver, forming and reforming intricate patterns that mimicked human expression with unsettling precision. "I am Mersenne, and the High Council has grown weary of waiting. The scales have been unbalanced since your father's... departure. I'm here to correct that particular temporal anomaly."
Her form dissolved into a thousand liquid-metal droplets, each one catching the scales' light like scattered stars. They streaked toward Lich faster than thought, each droplet a bullet aimed at his vital points. But Lich's response was instantaneous, born of years of training and inherited instinct. The scales flared brilliant white, and reality shuddered. Time itself became viscous, the lethal droplets slowing to a graceful drift through molasses-thick air.
Lich moved through the suspended assault with fluid precision, each step calculated to waste no energy. "Balance?" The word carried decades of bitterness. "Is that what the Council's calling execution these days? Their vocabulary seems to have... evolved since they purged the Library."
Mersenne reformed behind him in a cascade of liquid metal, her mask briefly taking on the aspect of a tragic theatre piece before settling into something more predatory. "Evolution is precisely the point, dear Lich. The old ways—your father's ways—they're fossils. Beautiful, perhaps, but better preserved in amber than allowed to roam free." She brought her hands together in a sharp clap that rang like a temple bell.
Reality rippled outward from the sound. The alley floor liquefied, cobblestones becoming mercury that reflected fractured images of past and future. The very fabric of space began to spiral inward, threatening to draw Lich into a temporal whirlpool.
But Lich stood unmoved, the left scale dropping sharply behind him. A perfect sphere of stable time-space formed around him, pushing back against Mersenne's chaos with the inexorable force of natural law. The right scale rose in counterpoint, and the sphere expanded in a devastating shockwave of ordered reality.
Mersenne flowed away from the blast, her form separating and reuniting like quicksilver scattered then recalled. She landed in a predator's crouch, her mask momentarily taking the aspect of an impressed scholar. "Fascinating. Using the scales to carve out your own pocket of absolute time-space. But maintaining such a rigid bubble of order?" Her mask shifted to a serpent's smile. "That must be exhausting."
She attacked with renewed fury, her liquid metal form becoming a storm of blades and tendrils. Each strike probed for weaknesses in his defense, testing the boundaries between order and chaos. But Lich's control never wavered. The scales swung in perfect rhythm, creating pockets of slowed time around each attack. Within these temporal eddies, her lightning strikes became languid waves he could sidestep with casual grace.
"You're still holding back," Mersenne observed, consolidating her form several paces away. Her mask rippled with genuine curiosity. "Are you afraid of proving the Council right? That you Librariars are nothing but children playing with forces beyond your comprehension?"
"You fundamentally misunderstand the nature of balance," Lich replied, his voice carrying the weight of ancient tomes. "It's not about power. It's about understanding."
The scales blazed with renewed intensity, the left one plunging downward. A wave of compressed time radiated outward, aging the ground beneath Mersenne's feet through centuries in seconds. Cobblestones crumbled to sand as the right scale rose, warping space into a labyrinth of impossible geometries.
Mersenne's laughter echoed from a dozen directions as her form split into rivers of living metal. "Impressive philosophy, but you've overlooked something crucial about my nature." Her liquid body flowed through the gaps between time and space like water finding its level. "I exist between states. Solid, liquid, gas—these are just suggestions to me. And your rigid boundaries?" Her form coalesced into a perfect ring around Lich, each droplet a mirror reflecting infinite possibilities. "They're just another state to transcend."
Arcs of temporal energy crackled between the droplets, forming a cage of pure chaos. Inside, reality began to break down, time and space becoming as fluid as Mersenne herself. The scales behind Lich swung wildly as he fought to maintain his pocket of order.
"You see?" Mersenne's voice resonated from every droplet simultaneously. "Your precious reality is just another fluid to me. Everything flows, everything changes. That's the truth your father never accepted."
The cage contracted, reality bubbling and distorting within. But something shifted in Lich's eyes—a realization clicking into place like the final tumbler in a lock.
"You're right about one thing," he said softly, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Everything flows. Including time itself."
The scales suddenly locked into perfect equilibrium. In that frozen moment, Lich's eyes met Mersenne's, and for the first time, she saw something there that made her mask ripple with uncertainty.
"Let me show you true balance."
The scales swung violently apart. The left plummeted, creating a zone of accelerated time so intense that Mersenne's liquid metal began to oxidize instantly, centuries of decay compressed into heartbeats. Simultaneously, the right scale soared upward, reversing time with equal force. Her form was caught between these opposing streams—parts aging to rust while others reverted to raw ore, never finding equilibrium.
The collision of time streams created a temporal nova that scattered Mersenne's consciousness across multiple moments. When she finally reformed, her mask couldn't settle on a single expression, cycling through emotions like a kaleidoscope spinning out of control.
"What... what did you do to me?" Her voice fluctuated between past and future versions of itself.
Lich straightened, the scales settling into a gentle swing behind him. "I showed you true fluidity—the kind that flows through time itself. The Scales of Judgment don't just measure good and evil, Mersenne. They weigh all opposing forces: past against future, order against chaos, preservation against change." His voice softened. "That's what the Council never understood. Balance isn't about choosing sides. It's about understanding the necessity of both."
Distant shouts echoed through the alley—Council reinforcements approaching. Mersenne struggled to maintain cohesion, her form flickering between states of being.
The scales flared one final time, and reality began to fold around Lich like pages in an ancient book. "Tell the Council something for me," he said, his form already beginning to fade. "Tell them the scales are still weighing. And every judgment..." He smiled, a gesture containing both sadness and determination, "...comes due in time."
By the time the Council's forces arrived, they found only evidence of what had transpired: patches of metal in various states of decay, cobblestones showing the weight of centuries, and the lingering sensation of time out of joint. Above, stars wheeled in their ancient paths, keeping their own measure of time's passage.
----
Meanwhile,Lanssa's heart pounded in her chest as she sprinted down the narrow streets, her footsteps echoing against the stone walls. Her mind was a blur of questions and fear. What had she just witnessed? Lich—no, Ausgelich—wasn't just some brooding boy with a dark past. He was part of something much bigger, something ancient and dangerous.
She stopped when she was a few streets away from the alley, panting as she leaned against a stone wall. The night air was cool, but her skin was hot from the adrenaline. She had seen the flash of power between them, felt the oppressive weight of their confrontation. Ausgelich had told her to run, and she had, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had just left him to fight something far worse than those thugs.
The Council… Librariars…The words rattled around her head, pieces of a puzzle she didn't yet understand.
She wiped the sweat from her brow and forced herself to think. She could go back to the bar, pretend none of this had ever happened, but something told her that wouldn't be enough. Whatever was happening now, it had roots buried deep in the ancient history of the Zodiac powers. And somehow, she had become a part of it.
Pushing off from the wall, Lanssa started walking, her steps slower now but more determined. She had to figure this out. She needed answers, but the only person who seemed to have them was currently locked in a battle she couldn't hope to understand.
---
By the time Lanssa made it back to the small apartment she rented above a bakery, the streets were nearly empty. The quiet of the city at night was usually comforting, but tonight it felt eerie, as if something unseen lingered in the shadows.
Inside, she shut the door behind her and leaned against it, closing her eyes. Her small space felt even more cramped than usual, the walls pressing in on her as her thoughts raced.
She crossed the room and pulled the ancient book she had been reading earlier from her bag. Sitting on her bed, she opened it, flipping through the pages until she found the section on Cosmora and the Twelve. She skimmed the text, searching for anything that might explain what had just happened.
The Twelve Lineages were gifted the power of the Zodiac, each one connected to a different sign…
That much she already knew. But something about the Librariars family nagged at her. Lanssa's finger traced over the faded text as she read:
"Of the Twelve Lineages, the Librariars were known for their wisdom and ability to maintain balance. As bearers of Libra's power, they held dominion over justice, ensuring that the scales of fate remained even. Yet, their fall from grace was swift and devastating. After a great betrayal, the family was thought to be wiped out, leaving the world vulnerable to imbalance."
Lanssa's breath caught in her throat. Wiped out? Ausgelich—Lich—was supposed to be the last of them, but that cloaked figure had known his true name. The Council had been hunting him, and from what she had seen in that alley, they weren't there to talk.
Suddenly, everything made sense. Lich had been hiding, trying to distance himself from his past and the powers that came with it. No wonder he had spoken so bitterly about Cosmora's sacrifice. The powers she had gifted, meant to protect the world, had instead left him with a legacy of blood and death.
But why would the Council want him dead? What was it about the Librariars that had led to their extinction? Lanssa's mind swirled with possibilities, but none of them made sense without more information.
She closed the book and leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. She had stumbled into something far bigger than she ever imagined, and now, she couldn't shake the feeling that it was only going to get worse.
---
The next morning, Lanssa couldn't sit still. After a restless night, she had made up her mind. She needed to find Lich. She needed to know what had happened after she left and whether he was still alive. If he was, maybe he could explain what was going on. If he wasn't…
She didn't let herself finish the thought.
The streets were busy now, filled with people going about their day as if nothing was wrong. But for Lanssa, everything had changed. She weaved through the crowd, her mind set on one thing: finding Lich.
When she reached the alley where she had last seen him, her stomach twisted. The area was eerily quiet, and there was no sign of the battle that had taken place the night before. No scorch marks from the Zodiac magic, no sign of the cloaked figure or Lich.
"Gone," she whispered to herself, her voice hollow with disappointment. She had hoped—no, she had needed—to find something, anything that would tell her what had happened. Instead, there was nothing but empty streets.
Lanssa stood there for a long moment, unsure of what to do next. She was about to turn away when she heard a soft rustle behind her.
Spinning around, she saw a figure leaning casually against the wall at the far end of the alley. Her heart skipped a beat.
It was Lich.
Lanssa spotted Ausgelich at the far end of the alley, leaning against a brick wall, arms crossed. He looked worse than before, shadows clinging to his features, his clothes torn. But the most unnerving part was how calm he seemed, like someone who was always waiting for something worse to happen.
"You're still alive," she said, her voice a mix of relief and frustration as she approached.
He barely glanced at her, his attention fixed somewhere over her shoulder, into the distance. "So are you," he muttered. "You didn't listen."
"I did listen. I ran, just like you said," Lanssa shot back, stopping a few paces from him. "Now I'm back."
"Why?" His voice was flat, uninterested. "You shouldn't be."
Lanssa hesitated. He clearly wasn't in the mood for this conversation, but she wasn't about to let it go. "I saw what happened last night, Ausgelich. That thing—what was it? And who are you to fight it?"
He finally looked at her, a flicker of irritation crossing his features. "It's none of your business. Just leave."
"I'm not going anywhere." Lanssa folded her arms, her chin lifting defiantly. "You're not the only one affected by this. If there's something out there, something dangerous, I have a right to know what it is."
"Do you?" He scoffed, his gaze shifting back to the shadows behind her. "You don't know what you're asking for."
"I know more than you think," she retorted. "You mentioned the Council, something about Librariars. You're in deeper than you're letting on."
His jaw clenched, and for a moment it looked like he might say something. But then he pushed off the wall and started walking past her, as if she were nothing more than an obstacle in his way.
Lanssa turned quickly and followed after him. "You can't just walk away from this."
"I can, and I will." His tone was clipped, his long strides quickening as he headed for the street.
"Not if I keep following you," she shot back, keeping pace with him. "You're not the only one who knows things. I've survived worse than whatever you've got going on."
"Good for you," he muttered, not even glancing back.
Lanssa's brow furrowed, frustration bubbling to the surface. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."
"I'm not trying to get rid of you Lanssa" he said, his voice taking on an edge. "I'm trying to keep you alive."
Lanssa huffed, undeterred. "You know my name." She stared at his back as they walked. "I never told you my name. So how do you know my name?!"
Ausgelich didn't stop. He didn't even turn around. "It's not hard to know things."
"That's not an answer," she said sharply, her heart racing now. "You're hiding something. You know more than you're letting on, and I'm not leaving until I get some answers."
He picked up his pace, but Lanssa refused to let him shake her off. She quickened her steps, practically jogging to keep up. "I'll keep following you," she warned. "I've got all night."
"I don't." His voice was cold, but there was something else there too—something worn, like he was tired of this game.
"Too bad," Lanssa snapped, running out of patience. "You know my name, you're mixed up with something dangerous, and you expect me to just walk away? I'm not leaving. I'm not scared of you or whatever it is you're hiding."
Ausgelich's shoulders tensed, and he suddenly stopped in his tracks, spinning around to face her. His eyes, dark and piercing, locked onto hers. "You should be scared."
Lanssa froze, caught off guard by the intensity in his voice. But she quickly steeled herself, meeting his glare head-on. "I'm not."
For a moment, they stood there, the tension between them thick. Ausgelich looked like he was weighing his options, deciding whether to push her away or just vanish entirely.
Then, with a frustrated sigh, he turned away again. "You have no idea what you're getting into, Lanssa."
Her pulse quickened at the sound of her name again, but she didn't let it show. "Then why don't you tell me?"
He let out a dry laugh, shaking his head as he resumed walking. "Because once you know… there's no going back."
---
Lanssa quickened her pace to match his, her gaze locked onto the back of his head. "Then maybe I don't want to go back," she shot back, her voice sharp with frustration. "I want answers, Ausgelich. You can't keep—"
Her words were cut off by a sudden, loud crack, like the sound of splintering wood. They both froze, the noise echoing off the alley walls. Ausgelich's eyes narrowed as he turned slightly, scanning the area.
The streetlights flickered, one by one, as if something was draining their power. Shadows deepened unnaturally fast, and the air grew heavy, almost suffocating.
Lanssa felt her heart rate spike, her bravado faltering for just a second. "What... what's happening?" she whispered, instinctively moving closer to Ausgelich.
His entire demeanor shifted. The tired indifference vanished, replaced by a cold, focused intensity. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice low and deadly serious.
Lanssa opened her mouth to protest, but the words died in her throat as the temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees. The darkness pooled at the far end of the alley, shifting like something alive, something aware. From the depths of those shadows, a figure began to emerge—a tall, thin silhouette, moving with an unnatural grace.
Ausgelich stiffened, his jaw tightening. "Of course," he muttered under his breath. "It never stops."
Lanssa could feel the weight of the thing's presence pressing against her chest. It was like nothing she'd ever encountered. Not like the creatures from before. This was something worse. Something ancient.
"Is that...?" Lanssa began, but Ausgelich cut her off.
"Don't speak. Don't move," he said, his voice as sharp as a knife.
The figure stepped fully into the dim light, and Lanssa's breath caught in her throat. It was cloaked in tattered black robes, its face hidden beneath a hood, but its eyes—those cold, glowing eyes—were locked onto them with a predatory intensity. The air around it shimmered, distorting as if the very fabric of reality was bending under its presence.
Without warning, the figure moved. In a blur of motion, it lunged toward them, faster than anything Lanssa had ever seen.
Ausgelich reacted instantly. His hand shot out, a crackling wave of blue light surging from his fingertips, forming a barrier between them and the creature. The figure collided with it, sending sparks of energy spiraling into the air. But it didn't stop. It clawed at the barrier, its form rippling and distorting, like it was trying to push through the very fabric of the spell.
Lanssa stumbled back, her heart hammering in her chest. "What the hell is that thing?!"
Ausgelich didn't answer, his focus entirely on holding the barrier. But even she could see the strain in his face, the flickering in the edges of the shield.
The creature slammed into the barrier again, harder this time, and cracks began to form in the shimmering blue energy. Ausgelich gritted his teeth, muttering something under his breath as he poured more power into the spell.
But it wasn't enough. With one final, deafening crack, the barrier shattered, and the force of it sent both Lanssa and Ausgelich tumbling to the ground.
Lanssa scrambled to her feet, her mind racing. "What do we do now?!"
Ausgelich didn't answer immediately. He pushed himself up, wiping blood from his nose. "Run," he said grimly, his voice barely above a whisper.
But before either of them could move, the figure surged forward, its hand reaching out toward them. The shadows seemed to grow and twist around its arm, like tendrils of living darkness, stretching out to ensnare them.
Lanssa's instincts kicked in. She grabbed Ausgelich by the arm, pulling him back just in time as the tendrils slammed into the ground where they had stood moments before.
"We can't outrun that thing!" she shouted, her voice trembling despite herself.
Ausgelich's expression was grim as he glanced at the creature, then at Lanssa. "We won't have to."
Before she could ask what he meant, Ausgelich's eyes darkened, a storm of energy gathering around his hands. "Cover your ears," he warned.
Lanssa barely had time to react before Ausgelich thrust his palms forward, releasing a blast of raw, blinding energy that ripped through the alley. The force of it sent the figure flying backward, slamming into the far wall with an ear-splitting screech.
The explosion of light and sound faded as quickly as it had come, leaving only the sound of Lanssa's ragged breathing and the creature's distant hiss. The figure crumpled to the ground, its body dissolving into the shadows, leaving behind only the faint echo of its presence.
Ausgelich swayed on his feet, clearly exhausted from the effort. He wiped more blood from his face, not meeting Lanssa's gaze.
"Now you see," he muttered, his voice hoarse. "This is why you should've stayed away."
Lanssa stared at him, still trying to process everything that had just happened. Her chest heaved, adrenaline coursing through her veins. But despite the fear, despite the insanity of what she'd just witnessed, she felt something else too—a thrill. A dangerous excitement.
She opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a slow clap echoed through the alley.
Both of them spun around, and Lanssa's blood ran cold. Another figure stepped out from the shadows at the opposite end of the alley. This one was different—tall, with a more human form, but its smile... that smile was too sharp, too knowing.
"Well done," the newcomer said, his voice smooth as silk. "But I'm afraid the night isn't over just yet."
---
The smile on the newcomer's face widened as he approached, his steps casual but his presence unsettling. Lanssa felt a chill creep up her spine as she instinctively moved closer to Ausgelich, sensing the tension radiating from him.
"Who are you?" she demanded, trying to sound brave, though her voice quivered.
"Just someone with a message," the man replied, his tone laced with mockery. He directed his gaze at Ausgelich, his smile transforming into a predatory grin. "The great Ausgelich, always playing the hero. But you know, heroes have a tendency to get hurt."
Ausgelich's posture stiffened, his eyes narrowing. "This isn't your business. Back off."
"Isn't it?" the man countered, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're the one who's been causing trouble for my organization, and it's time to settle the score."
Lanssa's heart raced as she exchanged worried glances with Ausgelich. "What organization?" she asked, trying to keep the fear from her voice.
The man ignored her question, lunging toward Ausgelich with surprising speed. Ausgelich raised a barrier of energy just in time, but the man struck it with such force that it shattered, sending Ausgelich reeling back against the wall of the alley.
"Stay back!" Ausgelich shouted at Lanssa, his voice tense. He struggled to regain his footing, breathing heavily.
The attacker grinned, stepping closer, his gaze locked on Ausgelich. "What's the matter, hero? You look like you're struggling. I expected more from you."
"Just trying to keep the collateral damage to a minimum," Ausgelich replied, his tone sharp.
"Too bad for you," the man sneered, charging at Ausgelich again. This time, he feinted left, then swung a punch to the right, landing a solid blow to Ausgelich's ribs. Ausgelich staggered but quickly righted himself, gritting his teeth against the pain.
"You don't know who you're messing with," Ausgelich warned, his eyes narrowing with determination.
The man chuckled darkly, his confidence growing. "Oh, but I do. And it's just a matter of time before I make you pay for your interference."
Lanssa felt a rush of adrenaline and fear. "Get away from him!" she shouted, rushing forward, but Ausgelich held up a hand to stop her.
"Lanssa, don't!" he urged, his voice strained.
But before she could fully comprehend what was happening, the man surged forward again, his fist crackling with dark energy. "Enough games!"
In that moment of distraction, Ausgelich's expression shifted, a flash of urgency in his eyes. "No!" He swung his arm, casting a powerful spell in a desperate bid to protect them both.
But the man was faster. He dodged and lunged, landing another blow that sent Ausgelich crashing to the ground. Lanssa felt her heart drop as she watched him struggle to rise, clearly dazed and weakened.
"Pathetic," the man spat, standing over Ausgelich with a victorious grin. "You think you can shield everyone from the truth? You think you can run away from us?"
"Truth?" Ausgelich coughed, pushing himself onto his knees. "You think this is about truth? You're just a pawn in someone else's game."
The man's smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of anger. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
With a surge of anger, Ausgelich drew on every ounce of strength he had left. "I won't let you" he shouted, eyes blazing with determination.
In an instant, Ausgelich focused, energy swirling around him as he prepared his teleportation technique. "Get down!" he yelled to Lanssa.
She dropped instinctively, and as the man lunged to strike, Ausgelich unleashed the spell. The air around them warped and twisted, and in a flash, they were gone, leaving only a lingering echo of the confrontation behind.