The atmosphere inside the throne room housing the Portal of Seized Time had grown incredibly tense. Many anxious hours had passed with Scar pacing to and fro before the rippling portal.
Despite the veil dropping, the Old Myths could not cross the threshold separating the Boundary from the Tapestry of Woven Time that the portal linked to.
Scar was on edge, nervously biting his nail, and Altair stood with his hands behind his back, fingers and knuckles white from the pressure he put on them.
Of everyone in the room, these two were the tensest.
Because of Scar's anxiety, the other Myths didn't dare leave him alone in a room of paramount importance. There was no telling what type of mayhem he would cause should he be left in the room alone to stew in his dismal thoughts and assume the worst.
Altair occasionally looked at Scar, perhaps shocked that someone of his station cared so deeply for Kieran. He wondered if this was the kind of relationship he had with all the potential Inheritors in the past.
Though he wanted to make conversation and ask these questions, Altair didn't know how to approach the sulking man. And the more Scar sunk into the mire of despair, the heavier the atmosphere around him grew.
It was also hot too as if enveloped by a sweltering flame. Scar had yet to manifest the sanguine fire a Blood Fiend could wield, but his rage was already bubbling over.
Soon, he returned to cursing the Trialmaster while wisps of crimson fire started manifesting properly.
"That damned duplicitous bitch! I don't know what she was thinking while pulling that stunt. If my boy doesn't make it out alive…"
Scar's expression became just as demonic as when he participated in the Pulling Chant to manifest the Oath of the Chained Myths. When it came to how sinister he looked… he could give Valdu impeccable competition — a demon in human skin.
Meanwhile, Lunariel walked up to Altair and tapped his shoulder. She tried to keep her voice down as she spoke, but could her words escape the sharpened senses of the Old Myths? Absolutely impossible.
It hadn't been confirmed… but many assumed them to be either Masters who had reached the peak of that stage or they were Archmasters who had reached the pinnacle of that stage.
Not much was known about the Old Myths, which played into their role as being part of the unseen. When they carried out their duties, there wasn't much record of their action aside from the Watcher in the Sky… and perhaps the entity behind the Zenith Frequency itself.
That entity was omnipresent, all-knowing, and aware of things many couldn't begin to fathom.
"Psst… don't you think it's kind of strange how that guy is acting? It's almost like he lost a son or someone he cherished."
Altair glanced at Lunariel. He remained silent, his expression unreadable for a time before squinting at her.
"What's so strange about it?"
Lunariel shifted, noticing a few eyes falling on her before belatedly switching to the use of her Innate Ability. She spoke directly into Altair's mind from that point on.
"Well, aren't they supposed to be… you know, game NPCs? Right now, he seems more like a real person. He has thoughts and emotions and sometimes acts illogical like a real human. Plus, he feels a lot like Aatrox in many regards."
Now that Lunariel spoke into Altair's mind, he tried to keep a neutral expression that wouldn't betray their mental conversation. However, their conversation couldn't be hidden from people like Astraea or Ferreira, who had employed these exact powers for umpteen years.
"Lunariel… you still think this is some run-of-the-mill game? Everything about it is bizarre, especially…"
Lunariel blinked, nudging Altair to continue on his line of thought.
"Especially what? What are you trying to say?"
"If you haven't experienced anything strange just yet… once this is all over, log out and note if you feel any different."
Lunariel furrowed her brows, clearly not understanding what Altair was suggesting of her.
"What am I to note? What are you trying to tell me?"
Altair sighed, then gave a wan smile.
Their conversation highlighted how little she knew or felt from playing Zenith Online, which made Altair question how much she had actually played it. Even people with low-ranking Classes, like Nemean, were already reaping Zenith Online's unspoken benefits.
Then again, they had someone to guide them when they felt they were veering off the intended path. There was also the daily training they engaged in… and lastly, the X-hancers. Though Altair was curious whether Lunariel knew what X-hancers were, he didn't bring it up.
It didn't seem like the place of time to address the sneaking suspicion that she didn't.
"Just… different. Try to pinpoint if anything about the world seems different to you. If it does, well, don't contact me. I would suggest you contact the boss."
If there was anything Altair learned by talking to Lunariel, it was that she was unaffiliated and grossly uninformed.
The lack of connections meant there wouldn't be much competition to bring her to their side. However, that decision remained with the leader of their guild, or at least with Alice, who handled the guild logistics.
"You're so weird. You're just like that guy, Aatrox. Why can't you just be direct with me?! What is it?"
Lunariel pouted and turned away, ignoring Altair with backward glances as if expecting him to console or clarify things for her. Yet, after she turned, he merely looked elsewhere, paying her no additional mind.
Instead, Altair looked down at his feet, where the fluid darkness linked to a chilling abyss opened two eerie eyes and stared back at him. He initially wanted to learn more about this strange Path he had been given, but he decided against that.
Something told him he was underestimating the value, complexity, and meaning of a Path.
Until he could understand what he unwittingly undervalued, gleaning the true potential of his Path was all but impossible.
That wasn't the only reason he stopped himself from poring over the manifestation of his Path beneath his feet. A growing commotion not too far away drew his and Lunariel's attention.
A blurry figure approached from within the Portal of Seized Time, strolling toward the exit with their head full of thick locks held down, examining their arms and the strange markings that stretched up his forearms, then disappeared abruptly.
It wasn't until he stepped through the portal's threshold that he lifted his head and noticed the bevy of people crowding the entrance. He dropped from within the gateway with a soundless landing. He analyzed everything around him, especially the large Scar that instantly wrapped him in a bear hug.
"Haha! My boy, you did it. You somehow succeeded."
Kieran stood frozen momentarily, then closed his arms around Scar, embracing the man. He would be lying if he said he hadn't thought about his mentor while inside the Trial. He thought about him often, including the burdens he shouldered but never spoke about.
Despite how painful Scar's squeezing felt… Kieran wouldn't trade the experience for anything. The hug meant more to him than he knew.
"I missed you too, old man."
