Zarrakis moved towards Vyrinox, a smile playing on his face. Vyrinox immediately took two steps back, his expression wary. "Vyrinox, always the cautious one," Zarrakis said in an amused tone. "Relax, we are not here to fight—well, not yet, anyway."
Luscith crossed his arms, his expression calm but his words cutting. "We have been watching you," he said, his tone matter-of-fact. "You have been stirring the pot, and you thought no one would notice."
Vyrinox's eyes narrowed, his voice sharp but defensive. "What do you want?" His mind raced with possibilities, suspecting a trap. He wasn't even focused on the question; instead, he assessed the situation. "I am outnumbered," he thought, his gaze darting between them, searching for the weakest link. But to his surprise, their auras were completely masked, their life signatures hidden. They were like dead objects, undetectable.
"They are hiding their auras from someone," it struck him. "But who?" The answer came quickly: "Maybe Timorath." That was the only plausible conclusion. Only Timorath could compel four primordials of their caliber to band together.
Zarrakis, observing Vyrinox's deductions, smirked. "Timorath, yes, but you are half wrong about it," he said. "There is someone else with Timorath." Vyrinox's eyes flickered with curiosity. "Who?" he asked. "Your old friend, Vastoth," Zarrakis replied.
The moment Vyrinox heard the name, he activated his deception law, preparing to shift away. But Luscith, sensing his intent, immediately intervened. "Hey! Hey! Calm down. He cannot locate you. You are in my dream dimension," Luscith said, his voice steady.
Hearing this, Vyrinox hesitated for brief moment, but his resolve hardened as he yelled, "Shift!" His real body disappeared, reappearing five hundred light years away. To ensure his safety, he shifted again, moving another five hundred light years. All of this happened in the span of a single second.
"Too dangerous," Vyrinox muttered, cursing under his breath. "I didn't even realize I was in the domain of Luscith." He paused, his mind racing as he cursed them. "These schemers. Let me see what they are up to." He sat in a secluded cave, closed his eyes, and transferred his consciousness to a clone he had substituted after the shift.
Back in the dream dimension, Luscith observed Vyrinox but noticed nothing amiss. The deception laws were so potent that even Luscith's dream laws were fooled. Had Luscith mastered the dream laws more thoroughly, he might have detected the switch. But fortunately for Vyrinox, the clone stood before them, convincingly real.
"What now?" the clone asked, feigning calmness as he halted his escape plan to avoid suspicion. Luscith conjured a round table with five seats. "Take a seat," he said, sitting down himself. Vyrinox's clone sat cautiously, doing his best to appear genuine.
Once everyone was seated, Luscith cut straight to the point. "I want you to join us," he said. The clone raised an eyebrow as he asked "Why should I? What's in it for me?"
Zarrakis chuckled, his amusement evident. "It's good to deal with smart people," he said. The group exchanged glances, as if deciding how much to reveal. Finally, Zarrakis spoke, his tone casual but his words loaded. "We know the location of the Monolith of Deception."
Vyrinox, thousands of light years away, trembled at the revelation. "What!" he exclaimed aloud, though his clone remained composed. The real body of Vyrinox laughed for a full minute, masking the shock and elation the clone felt. The thought of comprehending the deception laws at a deeper level thrilled him, but he knew better than to show too much excitement prematurely.
"What are the conditions?" the clone asked, his expression now serious. Zarrakis mirrored his seriousness. "You join us for what we are about to do. No betrayal of the cause until your last breath," he said.
"And what is the cause?" Vyrinox's clone inquired. "First, take an oath in your origin law. Then you will know," Luscith interjected.
The clone's eyes widened. "Do you know what will happen if I do that?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Of course we do," Luscith replied. "But you must understand—you are deception, lies, and trickery incarnate. We cannot risk you betraying the cause. The oath ensures your loyalty."
Vyrinox's clone sighed, his mind racing. "Nothing comes easily," he thought. His very existence was built on deceit, and the idea of limiting himself felt unnatural. Yet, the promise of the Monolith of Deception was too great to ignore. After a moment of deliberation, he said, "I agree."
The others exchanged surprised glances. They hadn't expected him to accept so readily. Noctyra, one of the primordials, communicated with Luscith through their shared consciousness. "Is he really going to do it? Maybe he's trying to deceive us," Noctyra said.
Luscith responded with a mental scoff. "The origin law is our source. To take an oath in it and then renege is to wish for death and annihilation." Noctyra persisted, "But he is deception. Maybe he can deceive the origin law?" Luscith shook his head. "No. He is too weak to even think about deceiving it."
With the oath sworn, the alliance was sealed. Vyrinox, both in his hidden cave and through his clone, felt the binding force of the origin law. There was no turning back now. The path ahead was fraught with danger, but the rewards—power, knowledge, and the downfall of Timorath and Vastoth,were worth the risk.
...
At the spiraling stairs, Timorath and Vastoth stood side by side, their presence commanding yet measured. Before them loomed the monolith, its surface shimmering under the golden rays of the sun. The air hung heavy, thick with unspoken words.
Vastoth finally broke the silence, his voice steady but tinged with impatience.
"How long until it becomes your natal monolith?"
Timorath kept his gaze fixed on the monolith, his expression calm and unreadable. "Twenty-three hours remain," he replied evenly.
Turning slightly, Timorath glanced at Vastoth, his tone neutral but probing."So, you've had the chance to own a monolith?"
Vastoth's jaw tightened, and he averted his gaze before answering, his voice low.
"No. I have an incomplete one."
He raised his hand, summoning a fractured monolith into his grip. It pulsed faintly, its jagged edges and dim glow a stark reminder of its imperfection.
Timorath studied it silently, his eyes thoughtful.
"What happened?"
Vastoth sighed, his shoulders stiffening as he spoke."My carelessness. I underestimated Vyrinox, thought he was beneath me. That mistake… taught me a lesson." He paused, his voice darkening. "I've been searching for him across the divine realm, but it's been futile."
Timorath nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, though his tone carried a measured weight."He was here one day ago."
Vastoth's head snapped toward Timorath, his eyes narrowing."Here? What did he want?"
Timorath's voice remained calm, almost detached."He was one of the primordials stoking the flames. They were the ones who ignited the battle."
Vastoth's grip tightened on the fractured monolith, his voice sharp with urgency.
"Which direction did he go?"
Timorath studied Vastoth for a long moment before responding, his tone firm but not unkind."My friend, don't let your focus slip in front of the deceiver. Agitation will only play into his hands."
Vastoth clenched his jaw, frustration flashing across his face. But he said nothing, the weight of Timorath's words sinking in.
Finally, Timorath gestured westward, his voice steady. "He disappeared in that direction."
Without a word, Vastoth vanished, his form dissolving into the air. Moments later, he reappeared thousands of light-years away, a faint ripple in the fabric of space marking his presence.