Lorith stood in the empty training ground at the atrium, staring at the spot where Kai had been. The embers had long since faded, but the weight of his actions lingered like an anchor in his chest. He exhaled sharply, running a massive crystalline hand down his face before raising his wrist, activating his Chronolink with a pulse of temporal energy. The translucent, golden interface flickered to life, and a moment later, Selara's image formed before him her amber eyes sharp, expectant. "Greetings Lorith, what do you need?" she greeted, her tone neutral, but the faint crease between her brows told him she was already aware that something was wrong.
He didn't waste time. "The kid just died...because of me." he stated bluntly. A beat of silence. Selara's gaze darkened. "Explain what happened." Lorith's jaw tightened. "During our spar. I don't know what came over him, but for a split second.....he changed. It wasn't just a boost in skill.....his whole presence shifted. And then, I-I reacted. Instinctively." His fists clenched, the guilt gnawing at him. "I flared my aura and blasted him back. He crashed into one of my crystals.....and then he was gone." Selara remained still, unreadable. "And now?" she asked, "He will probably resurrect in his Solarium in a few minutes," Lorith muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. Selara nodded slightly. "Then there's no need for concern. He will be alright." Lorith's expression hardened, as his frustration flared. "That's not the point, Selara. I felt it. My instincts screamed that he was dangerous...even to someone like me. When was the last time that happened?"
Her expression flickered, a rare sign of contemplation, before she exhaled. "I understand your concern. But we cannot act rashly." she answered. Lorith hesitated, then lowered his voice. "Should we inform him? You know.....about that" Selara's gaze hardened, "No." Lorith frowned. "You sure? We discussed this before-" "It is not time yet," Selara interrupted, her voice firm. "He is not ready to know. If we tell him now, it could change everything. We must wait for now." Lorith exhaled sharply, his frustration evident. "And if he figures it out on his own? how do you plan on handling a situation like that?" Lorith asked impatiently. Selara's amber eyes gleamed with quiet certainty. "Do not worry, we handle it. But for the moment...we say nothing." Lorith ran a hand down his face but nodded begrudgingly. "Fine." He let out a rough sigh. "Just hope you know what you're doing." Selara's image flickered for a brief moment, then she spoke, softer this time. "Keep watching him. Report to me if anything else happens."
And with that, the connection severed. Lorith lowered his arm, staring up at the sky above the training ground. "Not time yet," he muttered under his breath. "Then when? The kid is going to harm himself beyond repair." Lorith exhaled through his nose, the weight of the conversation pressing down on his chest like a slab of granite. He rubbed his temples with his enormous hand before shaking his head and turning away from the training ground. Standing here wouldn't change anything. His heavy footsteps echoed through the atrium as he made his way toward his workshop. The familiar halls blurred past him, but his mind remained tangled in the moment....Kai's shift, the instinctual fear that gripped him, and Selara's refusal to act.
Was he overthinking it? No. He knew knew what he felt. A primal warning buried deep in his very being, screaming at him that something was wrong. By the time he reached the threshold of his workshop, the tension coiling in his shoulders had settled into something quieter, but no less persistent. The massive metal doors groaned open as he entered, greeted by the scent of scorched steel and the low hum of unfinished mechanisms. This was his space. The one place where everything made sense. Lorith moved through the clutter with practiced ease, weaving past half-formed constructs and forgotten projects. He stopped at a broad worktable, planting both hands against its surface as he stared at the scattered blueprints, various gears, tools and shards of shattered crystals. Here, in the heart of his domain, he could think. He could analyze. And yet, even surrounded by the cold logic of his craft, the uncertainty remained....
Lorith exhaled slowly and lowered himself onto the enormous chair beside his worktable. The mechanisms within it whirred to life, adjusting to his weight as it shifted slightly, moving with him. He leaned back, pressing a massive crystalline hand over his eyes. For a moment, he simply sat there. Thinking about what he should do in this predicament.... The memories of the sparring match played over in his mind like a loop he couldn't break: Kai's shift, the way his presence warped, and the instinct that had screamed at him to react before he even understood why. His other hand clenched against the armrest.
And then, just as he let out a slow, weary sigh.....he felt a presence behind him. Familiar, sharp, yet effortless, like a blade hidden within a lazy grin. Lorith lowered his hand and turned the chair, his bleached gaze locking onto the figure leaning casually against the entrance of his workshop. Zyren stood there, arms crossed, his crimson ember-like eyes flickering with interest. "Yo, big man." Zyren greeted, his tone light, but the weight behind it unmistakable. "Mind explaining to me what the hell happened to Kai in you little sparring session back there? I felt like watching cause I was bored but, as turns out, you did quite a number on him" Lorith exhaled through his nose and mouth, his expression hardening. "It seems that you already know he died, so I assume that's not what you want to know."
Zyren tilted his head, a half-smirk ghosting across his lips. "Not exactly subtle when a guy kills off a newbie mid-fight." He stepped forward, his boots barely making a sound against the metal floor. "Figured you'd have answers. What the hell were you thinking blasting him towards one of your constructs. Did you plan on killing him from the very beginning?" Lorith ran a hand down his face before resting his elbow against the armrest. "The kid changed," he said simply. "It wasn't just some burst of energy or a moment of clarity. His whole damn presence shifted." He drummed his fingers against the armrest, his frustration leaking through. "For the first time in centuries...I felt my primal instincts scream at me like I was in actual danger. I reacted because I felt like I was in serious danger. I didn't mean to send him flying into one of my crystals. But at that moment..." He slammed his fists on his armrests. "I realized a bit too late.....and by the time I did, it was already too late."
Zyren's smirk faded as he listened, his gaze narrowing slightly. "He should be alright, I assume?" "Yeah," Lorith muttered. "He'll be fine physically, after all we are still in the bounds of the castle. But that's not what bothers me." Zyren studied him for a moment, then let out a short chuckle. "So, let me ask you something, big guy-" His ember-like gaze sharpened. "Is it really a good idea to keep him in the dark? To not tell him what we believe we know about his lineage?" Lorith's jaw tightened. He knew this was coming. Zyren, for all his recklessness, wasn't one to ignore the obvious. "Selara has made that decision," Lorith said finally, his voice firm. "And if she says it's not time, then it's not time." Zyren let the silence stretch between them, then sighed, shaking his head. "You put too much faith in her judgment sometimes."
Lorith's rough gaze darkened. "And you don't put enough." Another pause. Then Zyren let out a low chuckle, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Fair enough." He turned slightly, but there was something calculating in his stance. "Guess that just means we wait and see, huh?" Lorith didn't answer. Because, deep down, he wasn't sure how long waiting would be an option. Zyren lingered for a moment, his ember-like gaze unreadable as he studied Lorith. Then, with a sigh, he turned toward the door. "Listen, big guy," he said, his tone losing its usual playfulness. "If the words of the Ancient Ones are true, we're going to need Kai on our side....no matter what happens." Lorith's fingers twitched slightly against the armrest, but he said nothing.
Zyren took that as his cue to leave. As he stepped toward the exit, he casually added, "I'll have Elyssar check on him. Rookie's probably rattled as hell, and I'd rather not have him breaking something important in a fit of confusion." He paused at the threshold, glancing over his shoulder. "And in the mean time.....maybe try not to carelessly kill him next time, you hear?" Then, with an easy wave, he was gone. The moment Zyren left, the air in the workshop felt heavier, the silence pressing down on Lorith like an iron weight. He sank further into his chair, his crystalline hand dragging down his face as a slow exhale left his lips. Frustration still burned in his chest, but underneath it, something quieter gnawed at him. A twinge of sorrow.
His fingers flexed. Then, almost without thinking, he raised his wrist and tapped the Chronolink. The interface flickered to life in a white glow but instead of connecting to another Time-Keeper, something else appeared. Lorith's expression softened. A holographic image formed before him, not of Selara, Saphielle, Zyren or Elyssar, but of a completely different group of figures standing together. A different time. A different place. And at the center of them all stood the man he had sworn an oath to.....The one he referred to as Zayne Nightshade. The one who had saved his life countless times, but also the one responsible for the massacre.....
Lorith's entire body went rigid. His breath came slow and heavy as he stared at the familiar image. For the first time in a long while, he felt something he had buried long ago. Something dangerous. Something close to regret. He knew that the words of the Ancient Ones were absolute, and Kai might just have to suffer a fate sadder than most...