"You have no idea who you just brought through that door."
Marek's eyes remained fixed on the old man lying unconscious inside the Ironbind.
Cairon looked at him, then at the prisoner, before nodding and saying, "I'm listening. Tell me."
Marek picked up the snake-headed cane from the table, examined it for a moment, and set it back down. "He's called Ignis."
Vynn tilted his head. "Ignis?"
"That's what the Coilbloods call him, He's their last leader." Marek said.
Cairon looked at the old man again, examining him from head to toe. The title didn't seem to fit him. He had expected someone more imposing, perhaps someone with the appearance of a gangster or an old criminal king, but instead Ignis looked like an ordinary old man who had simply wandered into the wrong place at the wrong time. His tanned skin was marked by age, his short white hair was cut almost like a soldier's, and his thick white beard covered most of his jaw. Even unconscious, however, there was something strange about the man, something that made Cairon feel as though he was looking at someone who had been alive for far longer than he should have been.
Marek leaned against the table. "He's been around the Coilbloods for a long time. Before they became what they are now, they were much smaller."
Cairon glanced at the old man's crimson coat. "What were they before?"
"Alchemists," Marek said. "You know how secretive those bunch are , nobody knows what they do , just consider them as zealous scholars. "
The room fell quiet for a moment, Vynn shifting beside the door, looking between them and the unconscious old man. "Um, so what do we do with him?"
"We're keeping him here for now," Cairon said. "For now, he's our only clue."
Vynn nodded. "I'm going to get some water," he said, and disappeared through the passage.
The moment his footsteps faded, a voice came from the table. "You're surprisingly comfortable making decisions for other people."
Cairon froze, then turned around. Ignis was still lying exactly where they had left him, his eyes open, and he was smiling.
Cairon's hand immediately moved toward his dagger, though Marek didn't move. Ignis looked at him. "Relaaax, kid."
"You're awake."
"Unfortunately."
Cairon narrowed his eyes. "I thought you were still unconscious."
"Well , I was."
"Since when were you awake?"
Ignis gave him a dry smile. "A minute or two."
Cairon stared at him for a moment before slowly removing his hand from the dagger.
Marek crossed his arms. "You could have mentioned you were awake."
"Well, no one cared to ask ."
Marek shook his head. "You're different from what they say about you."
"Glad to hear it."
Cairon looked between them, still trying to understand exactly what he had dragged back to the warehouse, while Ignis shifted against the Ironbind, testing the restraints without much effort. "Unfortunately, your friend here has developed a habit of hitting and kidnapping people."
Cairon raised an eyebrow. "We needed answers, and you weren't answering."
"And you hit me in the face."
"You were resisting."
"I was standing there."
Ignis laughed quietly. "I like this one, he's fiery. "
Marek gave Cairon a sideways glance. "I can see that."
Ignis's attention returned to Cairon. "So."
"So?"
"What did you awaken?"
Cairon's expression changed immediately. "Who says I awakened , even if I did why should I tell you that?"
"I know you did, C'mon I'm curious."
Cairon leaned against the table, keeping his distance. "You already know what the vial does."
"I know what it can do."
"And you know what happened to me."
"I know something happened."
"And why are you asking?"
"Because I want to hear what you awakened."
Cairon said nothing, and Ignis watched him for several seconds before giving a small nod. "Good."
"Good?"
"You're cautious for your age."
"I've survived this long by being cautious."
"Then keep doing it. You're talented, you'll go far in life . "
Cairon's eyes narrowed slightly. "Tell me about the Coilbloods."
As if waiting to oblige , like a loyal attendant, Ignis replied , "The Coilbloods are a group of alchemists. They used to focus almost entirely on research related to fire, combustion, heat, and the different ways Aether could interact with them. Eventually, that research became more practical, and the group became what you see now."
"Do your people awaken powers related to it?"
Ignis's expression became a little more serious. "Bingo. Yes , Some do."
"What kind?"
"That depends on the person."
"So different people have different powers?"
"Sort of."
Cairon sighed. "What exactly happens when one of your people awakens?"
Ignis looked down at his bound hands. "Some develop an affinity for heat. Others can manipulate flames. Some can influence combustion, while others develop abilities that are harder to explain. There are many variations, it all comes back to how creative they can be ."
Cairon thought for a moment. "So the Coilbloods are looking for more vials to awaken more members?"
"Not exactly."
"Then what?"
Ignis smiled. "You ask a lot of questions for someone who doesn't like answering anything."
Cairon stared at him. "You can ask me one question, but you'll keep answering mine after it."
"Fair enough. Deal."
For a moment, Ignis looked almost amused, his eyes shifting toward the silver vial lying on the table. "What did you awaken?"
"I don't know yet, but I created a pillar of water that threw an Ironclad across the street."
Ignis's face twisted in genuine disappointment. "Ew. Why does it have to be water? Good lord, we're opposites. Whyyyy?" He cried out dramatically, throwing his head back as far as the Ironbind allowed.
Cairon stared at him, wondering how the hell this was supposed to be the former leader of a gang.
Ignis suddenly stopped. "Wait." His eyes returned to Cairon. "You said you threw an Ironclad?"
"Yes."
"So last night was your doing?"
Cairon nodded. "Yes. But it wasn't intentional. I don't know what happened."
Ignis stared at him for a moment, his amusement slowly fading. "So after awakening, you still have that?"
Cairon followed his gaze toward the vial. "Yes."
Ignis's smile disappeared completely. "I hope you're not planning on taking that one."
"Why?"
"Because you've already had enough excitement for one lifetime."
Cairon picked up the vial and held it between his fingers. "You said the substance makes latent potential bloom."
"Yes."
"It doesn't create the power?"
"No. It forces something that is already inside you to surface."
"And you used one yourself."
Ignis didn't answer, and Cairon waited him out until the old man finally smiled. "You really are full of questions, aren't you?"
Cairon didn't reply, waiting for the man to answer instead.
Ignis sighed. "That behavior of yours is going to get you killed."
"Maybe."
Ignis chuckled. "Maybe."
Cairon placed the vial back on the table. "Where did the Coilbloods get them?"
Ignis's eyes sharpened slightly, smirking he said , "Nope , not telling you ."
"You were supposed to answer my questions. "
"I already told you all I know."
"That they came with the cargo."
"They did."
"And you don't know where the cargo came from?"
Ignis tilted his head. "I didn't say that."
Cairon watched him, recognizing that careful way of answering, not quite a lie but never quite the truth either. He had dealt with people like that before: the ones who lied outright were usually easy to read, but someone who gave you the truth in pieces could make you believe you had learned something while keeping the important part buried. He decided not to push.
Instead, his eyes moved toward the snake-headed cane resting beside the table. "You always carry that?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because I like it."
Cairon looked at the cane, then at him. "That thing looks quite ancient."
"It is."
"It would be a shame to lose it."
Ignis smiled. "Well, try your best."
Cairon looked into his eyes and understood, somehow, that the old man genuinely didn't think he'd do it. He stood, walked toward the cane, and picked it up with both hands while Marek watched and Ignis's smile slowly disappeared. He held it diagonally across his body, and then, with all the strength he could gather, brought it down against his knee.
CRACK.
The cane snapped.
Ignis leaned back as far as the Ironbind allowed him, eyes wide, mouth hanging slightly open as he stared at the broken pieces in Cairon's hands. "You really broke it."
Cairon gave him a flat look. "Told you I'd do it."
For a moment, Ignis simply stared at him, and then he started laughing, not quietly this time. "I really like you."
Cairon dropped the broken cane onto the table.
Ignis grinned. "Take me in. I wanna join."
For a few seconds, neither Cairon nor Marek said anything. Marek looked at Cairon with genuine confusion. "How hard did you hit him?"
Cairon glanced at him, and Marek looked back at Ignis. "No way this guy is the same Ignis I heard about."
Ignis pointed at him as much as the restraints allowed. "Another reason why you gotta stop hitting people."
Marek shook his head. "I wasn't talking to you."
"I know."
Ignis smiled. "I mean it. Put an Aetherbind on me, do whatever you want. I just wanna join."
"what the hell is an Aetherbind?" Marek asked in the back.
"Why do you want to join?" Cairon asked back
Ignis's expression became surprisingly serious. "I really like you."
"That's not a reason."
"It is for me."
Ignis sighed. "Fine. I'm already retired from the Coilbloods, so you don't have to worry about me bringing them down on your head. Besides, they're already more or less unrecoverable. They lost their leader and half their members in one night."
Cairon listened without interrupting.
"I'll give you the information I know," Ignis continued. "I'm useful, I know things you don't, and I can probably teach you a thing or two about what you awakened." He paused. "Lastly, and probably the most important reason…" His smile disappeared. "I don't feel safe."
"You don't feel safe?"
Ignis nodded. "No."
The warehouse was quiet around them, filled with the distant hiss of pipes and the soft ticking of an old mechanical clock somewhere behind the walls. Cairon studied him carefully. "You're not safe from what ?"
Ignis smiled again. "I don't have my gang anymore ."
"That's not what I asked you ."
"….." Ignis just looked back at him , blinking his eyes .
Cairon narrowed his eyes while Ignis leaned his head against the wall. "I just know that things are changing, boy."
Ignis opened one eye. "I just wanna stay safe ."
Marek remained silent, watching the two of them.
Cairon finally spoke. "You will be bound for now. You're not leaving the base, and you're telling us everything we need to know. Only after all that will I decide if you're joining us."
He didn't notice the faint smile that appeared on Ignis's face.
"Deal."
Ignis closed his eyes. "Okay. Ask me again."
Cairon looked at him. For the first time since they had brought him into the warehouse, Ignis looked serious , and Cairon leaned forward slightly. "How are we using these powers?"
Ignis opened his eyes, and smiled.