Elaine's hands were bound tightly with glowing essence-infused restraints, the faint hum of their energy cutting off any chance of activating tools or alchemical mixtures. Her team was similarly shackled, and the guards flanked them in tight formation as they marched down the wide stone corridor.
Every step brought them closer to Aria Venhold.
"This is bad," Ferran muttered under his breath, his tone unusually subdued.
"It's worse than bad," Lira whispered. "She's going to kill us—or worse."
"Not if we make this work," Elaine said quietly, her voice steadier than she felt. Her fingers flexed against the restraints, the weight of the journal in her satchel pressing against her side. It was their only leverage—and their only chance.
Before Aria
The guards led them into a grand chamber, the same one where the overseers' meeting had been held. Now, it felt colder, the air heavy with unspoken judgment.
Aria stood at the center of the room, her emerald-green eyes gleaming with triumph. Behind her, several senior overseers sat in their high-backed chairs, their expressions ranging from curiosity to suspicion.
"Caldara," Aria said, her voice smooth and sharp as a blade. "I expected better from you."
Elaine forced herself to meet the overseer's gaze. "You expected me to stay quiet while you put the entire guild—and the city—at risk."
Murmurs rippled through the overseers, but Aria silenced them with a raised hand. "You broke into restricted territory, violated guild law, and now you dare lecture me?"
"You're the one breaking the rules," Elaine shot back, her voice rising. "Your experiments with the artifact nearly destroyed the compound. And now, you're using me—using what the Oversight marked me as—to tighten your grip on the guild."
Aria's smile faltered, her gaze narrowing. "You're delusional."
Elaine reached for the satchel, the guards tensing as her hands hovered near the restraints. "Then why don't we see what's in this?" she said, holding up the leather-bound journal.
Aria's face paled.
The Reveal
Elaine tossed the journal onto the table in front of the overseers, the heavy thud echoing in the chamber. "That's your proof. Aria's own words—detailing her experiments, her plans to bypass the Nexus, and her willingness to put all of us at risk for her ambitions."
One of the overseers, a stern woman with silver hair, opened the journal and began reading. Her expression darkened with every page.
"Is this true, Venhold?" the woman demanded, her voice icy.
Aria's composure cracked for the first time. "Those entries are taken out of context. They were private notes—hypothetical research, nothing more."
Elaine stepped forward, ignoring the guards' protests. "You're lying. You admitted it yourself—the artifact was your key to something greater. Something the Nexus couldn't control."
The overseers began murmuring again, their voices louder this time.
"She endangered the guild…"
"The artifact's destruction might have been justified…"
"Has she gone too far?"
The Nexus flickered in Elaine's vision, its guidance cutting through the chaos:
Strategic Insight:
Expose Overseer's divergence: Present undeniable proof of her intent to sever Nexus control.
Risk: Direct confrontation and escalation.
Elaine took a deep breath. This was her chance—if she hesitated, they were all dead.
"There's more," she said, her voice carrying over the murmurs. "Aria wasn't just experimenting with the artifact. She was planning to sever the Nexus's control entirely—to create a power she could wield without oversight."
Gasps filled the room, and all eyes turned to Aria.
"That's absurd," Aria snapped, but her voice wavered. "The Nexus is a tool—nothing more. These accusations are baseless."
Elaine turned to the overseers. "You've all seen what happens when we defy the Nexus. The Oversight Construct appeared because of her actions. It marked me, yes, but only because I was forced to clean up her mess."
Aria's Counterattack
Aria's eyes blazed with fury. "You're a manipulative little liar," she hissed. "The Nexus didn't mark you as a hero—it marked you as a threat."
She turned to the overseers, her voice rising. "Do you really want to trust someone who's been reclassified as Divergence-linked? The Nexus doesn't mark people lightly. She's dangerous—unpredictable. If you let her walk free, you'll regret it."
Elaine's chest tightened as the overseers exchanged uneasy glances. Aria's words were cutting too close to the truth—if the Nexus saw her as a threat, it wouldn't be long before the guild did, too.
Kael stepped forward, his voice calm but firm. "If Elaine's a threat, then why did she destroy the artifact? Why did she risk her life to save the compound? You all know the answer—it's because she's the only one willing to stand up to Venhold's insanity."
Ferran nodded, his tone gruff but sincere. "She's not the problem. Venhold is."
The Turning Point
The silver-haired overseer closed the journal with a sharp snap, her gaze fixed on Aria. "Enough," she said, her voice like steel. "This journal is damning, Venhold. Your recklessness has put the guild—and the Nexus—at risk. Effective immediately, you are relieved of your position."
Aria's face twisted with rage. "You can't do this—"
"Guards," the overseer interrupted, her tone brooking no argument. "Escort her to confinement. We'll determine her fate after a full inquiry."
The guards hesitated for a moment, then moved to seize Aria.
"You fools," Aria spat as they dragged her away. "You have no idea what you're doing. The Nexus is a cage, and I was the only one with the courage to break it!"
Her voice echoed through the chamber as the doors slammed shut behind her.
The Aftermath
Elaine let out a shaky breath, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. Lira placed a steadying hand on her shoulder, her expression one of relief and exhaustion.
The silver-haired overseer turned to Elaine, her gaze piercing. "You've saved us from one disaster, Caldara. But this isn't over. The Nexus doesn't forget, and neither do its agents."
Elaine nodded, the weight of the words settling heavily on her shoulders. "I understand."
Kael stepped forward, his voice steady. "What happens to us now?"
The overseer's expression softened slightly. "You've earned some leeway, but trust takes time to rebuild. Stay within the guild's boundaries until further notice. And Caldara…"
"Yes?" Elaine asked.
The overseer's eyes narrowed. "Be careful. The Nexus watches closely—and so do we."
As Elaine and her team left the chamber, the Nexus hummed faintly in her vision, a single message flashing across her mind:
DIVERGENCE STATUS: Escalated. Oversight constructs tracking subject. Prepare for new intervention.
Elaine clenched her fists. The guild might have turned on Aria, but the game wasn't over. Not by a long shot.