The air in the bunker didn't just get heavy; it turned into lead. Nile dropped his golden sword, and Celince gasped as her water-mana evaporated into steam. Out of the shadows stepped a man who looked like he had walked out of a forgotten century. He wore a long, charcoal-black coat, and his hair was as white as a dying star. In his hand, he gripped a staff that looked like a living, petrified snake.
"A lot of noise for a bunch of runaways," the man remarked, his voice smooth but dangerous. "Hello, everyone. I am Ophiuchus, the Thirteenth. The one who truly holds the scales."
Xylo, still reeling from the pressure, snapped back. "Shut up, old man! You didn't give me anything. My grandfather, Augustino, gave me these powers!"
The old man moved faster than a Gemini's shadow. Before Xylo could blink, Ophiuchus had him by the ear, twisting it firmly. "You brat! Who do you think you're talking to? Augustino was just my favorite vessel—I am the source! I've been watching your bloodline since before the first Leo King learned how to light a match!"
The Bitter Truth
As Xylo winced and the others stared in shock, the old man's face grew solemn. He tapped his snake-stick on the floor, and a holographic vision of the past filled the room.
"You want to know why your parents are dead?" Ophiuchus asked, his eyes glowing with a cold, green fire. "It wasn't an 'accident.' The Agencies didn't just kill them; they hunted them. Your father, Julius, was the strongest physical warrior I'd seen in a century. He found the truth—that the 12 Agencies were stealing life-force from the planet to fuel their 'Gods.' So, they sent a 12-Sect execution squad to silence him."
He turned to the image of Xylo's mother. "And your mother... she wasn't just a Leo follower. She was a high-ranking defector who tried to hide the last Zenorth child. They killed her because she was the only one who knew how to unlock the 13th Seal."