I climbed the stairs to the VIP room. There, standing in the center of a space bathed in the grandiose light of the late afternoon sun, was a young man.
He looked like the incarnation of the sun itself. His armor was white-gold, pristine and unblemished. He had bright blond hair, and an aura so dominant it made the oxygen in the room feel heavy.
The Hero King of Pride. The Young Emperor.
He turned as I entered. His gaze shone—not with a warm light, but with a blinding intensity.
"So, you are the hunter people have been talking about?" His voice was melodic, yet laced with an undeniable authority.
I didn't kneel. I didn't bow. My Rooster side was agitated by the sheer arrogance radiating from him, while my Pisces side felt blinded by his presence.
"Scorpion," I answered briefly. "The report is on the desk."
The young emperor gave a slight smile. A smile that was both condescending and curious. He walked closer, the rhythmic clink of metal accompanying every step.
"You saw it, didn't you? The fissure? That was merely a sneeze compared to what is coming." He stopped right in front of me. We were roughly the same height, but it felt as though he were looking down at me from a mountain peak. "This world needs swords, Scorpion. Clean swords and dirty swords, just to keep this world from falling apart."
He glanced at Alicia, then looked back at me.
"Prepare yourself. When that gate truly collapses, I will call for you. Not as my subject, but as a tool I am willing to pay handsomely for."
"I don't like being anyone's tool," I said flatly.
The emperor laughed, a commanding sound that rattled the windows of the room. "We shall see. When my world begins to burn, let us see if you can still maintain your ego above the void."
I decided to leave after hearing that.
I descended the Guild's stairs with heavy steps. The golden light of the emperor upstairs still felt like it was burning my back—an artificial sun demanding that everyone revolve in its orbit.
I had no desire to be a satellite.
"Alicia," I called out as we reached the exit. The city's night air was cold, but not as cold as the premonition settling in my gut.
"Yes, Master?"
"Tomorrow, we depart again."