The dim glow of the sigil faded, leaving behind only the lingering traces of the sealed Remnant—twisted ink-like stains marking the ground where it had vanished. The alley felt heavier, as if something had been watching, waiting for them to fail.
Hikaru let out a slow breath, slipping his deck of cards back into his coat. The fight had been quick, but it had left more questions than answers.
The Forgotten Ones weren't just erased from history.
They were still here. Buried. Locked away.
And now, something—or someone—was letting them out.
Selene stood near the fading sigil, her silver eyes still sharp, calculating. She had barely broken a sweat during the encounter, which told Hikaru something important.
She's done this before.
Budi leaned against the alley wall, adjusting his mask. "So. That was fun. What's next? We find another one of these things and punch it until it stops moving?"
Selene gave him a flat look. "If you're still breathing, it wasn't a true Remnant. That was a fragment. A piece of something much larger."
Hikaru exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Fantastic. So, we fought a bad memory and almost died. What happens when we meet the real thing?"
Selene's expression darkened. "You won't."
Hikaru's grin widened. "That sounds like a challenge."
Selene wasn't amused.
Budi rolled his shoulders. "Alright, so we've got monsters crawling out of forgotten history, the Magisterium hunting us, and a city full of people who have no idea any of this is happening. That about sum it up?"
Selene nodded. "More or less."
Hikaru flicked a card into the air, catching it between his fingers. "Sounds like we need to have a chat with someone who actually knows what's going on."
Budi raised an eyebrow. "And who exactly is that?"
Selene hesitated. "There is… one person. But if you go looking for him, you won't be able to turn back."
Hikaru's smirk didn't waver. "Lady, I crossed that line the second I stole this book."
Budi sighed. "Yeah, and I crossed it the second I started following you."
Selene studied them both for a long moment, then exhaled.
"Fine. There's someone you need to meet."
She reached into her cloak, pulling out a small, worn parchment.
The handwriting was old, but precise.
A name was written at the bottom.
Hikaru's eyes flicked over it.
"Arman the Blind."
He tapped a finger against the parchment. "Sounds like a real bundle of joy."
Selene tucked it away. "He's the last person in the kingdom who was alive when the Forgotten Ones were still known."
Budi crossed his arms. "And where is he?"
Selene's expression hardened.
"The lowest level of the Magisterium dungeons."
Hikaru blinked.
Then laughed.
"Of course he is."
The Magisterium's dungeons weren't just prisons.
They were where secrets went to die.
Hidden beneath the great ivory towers of the arcane order, the underground levels stretched deeper than any official records claimed. The kingdom used them to hold war criminals, rogue mages, and, apparently, the last living man who remembered a history the world had tried to erase.
Which meant breaking in wasn't an option.
They had to walk in the front door.
Hikaru adjusted his coat, strolling through the noble district with his usual confidence—which, considering he was currently a wanted criminal, made Budi slightly concerned.
Budi sighed. "I'm still waiting for the part of this plan where we don't end up arrested."
Hikaru grinned. "Relax. I already handled it."
Budi stared at him. "Handled what?"
"Getting inside."
Budi groaned. "Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?"
Hikaru didn't answer.
Instead, he kept walking until they reached the front gate of the Magisterium's upper district. The grand entrance to the official archives and restricted vaults.
And, more importantly—
The entrance to the lower levels.
Two heavily armored guards flanked the gate, their expressions stiff and unreadable. They were elite knights, the kind that didn't bother questioning orders.
Hikaru strolled right up to them and smiled.
"I'm here to turn myself in."
Budi stared at him.
The guards didn't react.
Then, after a long silence—
One of them exhaled and rubbed his temple. "Oh, for the love of the gods."
Hikaru's grin widened. "Miss me?"
The guard glared at him.
"Do you have any idea how many resources we've wasted trying to track you down?"
Hikaru flicked a card between his fingers. "In my defense, I tried to make it interesting for you."
The second guard groaned. "I knew you'd pull something like this."
Budi, watching the interaction, whispered under his breath. "What the hell is happening?"
Hikaru leaned toward him. "Oh, didn't I mention? I know these guys."
Budi blinked. "You know the Magisterium guards?"
"Yeah," Hikaru said. "From the last time I got arrested."
Budi's expression was pure disbelief. "You got arrested before?!"
Hikaru shrugged. "Technically, I let them arrest me. It was a whole thing. Had to pull off a scam to get some nobles off my back. Worked out in the end."
The first guard sighed heavily. "I don't get paid enough for this."
The second guard cracked his neck. "Alright, trickster. You want in? Fine. But this time, you're going straight to the Warden."
Hikaru smirked. "Perfect."
They were escorted inside.
Budi walked beside Hikaru, his voice low. "You planned this?"
Hikaru grinned. "The best way to sneak into a prison?"
He winked.
"Let them lock you up first."
Budi sighed deeply. "I really should stop asking questions."
Hikaru chuckled.
Because now?
They were exactly where they needed to be.
The deepest level of the Magisterium.
Where Arman the Blind was waiting.
And where the next game would begin.