Chapter 41: Revelations

The air in the makeshift dungeon was stifling, heavy with tension and despair. Sienna Veilore’s trembling hand gripped the small knife that Tessa had thrust into her palm. She could feel the weight of their expectations as Tessa positioned the recording device, its cold, red light blinking like an unblinking eye.

Ava Lysan’s voice sliced through the room like a blade, her tone dripping with malice.

“Well, Sienna? Prove your loyalty. Show us that you’re not just another spineless idealist.”

Next to her, Magistrate Velis Korran folded his arms, his smirk both condescending and expectant.

“Get on with it. We don’t have all night.”

Sienna’s gaze darted to Livra, who was chained to the wall, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the dim light. Livra’s sobs echoed in the chamber, her voice raw and pleading.

“Please... I don’t know what you want, but I beg you... don’t do this! Calen, please come! Calen! come for me!” She cried and yelled.

At the mention of his name, Sienna flinched. Her grip tightened on the knife as her heart waged a war against her pride and fear. She had never intended for things to go this far. From the beginning, her plan had been simple—intimidate Livra, scare her away from Calen, and ensure she stayed out of his life. But now, under Ava’s chilling gaze and Korran’s ruthless scrutiny, the plan had spiraled into madness.

Ava leaned closer, her eyes gleaming with sadistic delight.

“Do it, Sienna. Or shall I ask Tessa to demonstrate what real loyalty looks like?”

Tessa, standing nearby, cracked her knuckles, her expression devoid of any sympathy. The tension was suffocating.

Livra’s cries broke through the haze of Sienna’s thoughts.

“Please, I don’t want to die! I just want to go home! Please...”

Something inside Sienna snapped. She hurled the knife to the ground, the clang of metal against stone reverberating through the room.

“No,” she said firmly, her voice trembling but resolute. “I won’t do it. I never wanted this—I never wanted to hurt her!”

Korran’s smirk vanished, replaced by a dangerous glare.

“Careful, Sienna. You’re treading on very thin ice.”

“I don’t care!” Sienna shouted, her voice rising. “This isn’t justice; it’s insanity! I only wanted to scare her, not torture her, not... this!” She gestured wildly to the horrific scene around her.

Ava’s expression darkened, her lips curling into a sinister smile.

“How disappointing. Tessa,” she commanded coldly, “restrain her. It seems we’ll have two little lambs for the slaughter.”

Tessa didn’t hesitate. She lunged toward Sienna, her brute strength and speed unmatched. Sienna, though small and physically overpowered, refused to go down without a fight. She grabbed the knife from the floor and slashed wildly, catching Tessa’s arm and leaving a deep gash.

Korran moved to assist, but Sienna twisted with surprising agility, her blade slicing across his cheek.

“You little—!” Korran hissed, clutching his face in fury.

The scuffle was fierce. Sienna’s determination burned brightly as she fought with every ounce of strength she had. Blood dripped from Tessa’s arm, and Korran’s pride was wounded more than his skin, but together they overpowered her. Sienna was beaten, her body battered and bruised. They finally chained her beside Livra, her head hanging low, her breaths ragged.

Sienna’s face was swollen and bloodied, her tears mingling with the blood on her cheeks. She turned to Livra, her voice barely above a whisper.

“I’m so sorry,” she choked out. “I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you. I just... I just wanted you to stay away from Calen. I didn’t mean for it to end like this.”

Livra, her own face wet with tears, looked at Sienna with surprising softness. Despite everything, her heart ached for the girl beside her.

“I forgive you,” Livra whispered, her voice cracking. “Sometimes... love makes us stupid and cruel. But it doesn’t have to end like this, Sienna. We can still—”

Her words were interrupted by Ava’s sharp, cackling laugh.

“How touching,” Ava mocked, clasping her hands together theatrically. “Two broken little dolls, clinging to hope. How utterly pathetic.”

Tessa wiped the blood from her arm, her expression hard as she approached the two captives with a twisted grin.

“Ready when you are,” she said to Ava.

Korran, his face still bearing the mark of Sienna’s defiance, picked up the knife Sienna had wielded.

“Let’s see how much spirit they have left,” he sneered, stepping toward them.

Ava leaned back, her eyes glittering with sadistic anticipation.

“Make it slow,” she purred. “Let them feel every moment of it. After all, the audience loves a good show.”

Livra and Sienna exchanged a final glance. Though their faces were streaked with tears and their bodies wracked with pain, there was a shared understanding between them now. They were both victims of the same cruelty, caught in a web of darkness spun by others.

“We’ll get through this,” Livra murmured, her voice steady despite the terror in her eyes.

She didn’t even believed her own words, but Livra couldn’t stand Sienna’s pain and wanted to give her osme hope.

Sienna’s lips trembled.

As Tessa and Korran moved closer, their intentions unmistakable, Ava’s laughter echoed through the room, filling the space with a chilling, almost inhuman sound.

Suddenly, the heavy wooden door flew open with a resounding crash, the echoes reverberating through the chamber like a thunderclap.

“Finally!” Balthar exclaimed, exhaling deeply as he stepped into the room. His battle-worn figure led the charge, followed closely by Valtheris, Drena, Vosca, and Calen.

The oppressive atmosphere of the dungeon weighed heavily on them as they entered. The air was thick with tension and despair. But nothing could have prepared the newcomers for what lay before their eyes.

Ava Lysan sat hunched in her levitating chair, her gaunt frame frail yet emanating an aura of madness. Her hollowed cheeks and sunken eyes were accentuated by deep, dark circles. Her lips curled into a deranged grin that sent chills through even the most stoic among them. A thin trail of blood dripped from her mouth as she coughed while laughing, staining her tattered dress.

“You...” Drena whispered, her voice laced with disbelief. “Ava Lysan... alive.”

Calen barely registered her words. His eyes immediately found Livra, chained and battered, with Sienna bound beside her.

“Livra! Sienna!” he shouted, his voice breaking.

“Calen!” both Livra and Sienna cried out in unison, their voices trembling with a mixture of desperation and hope.

Before Calen could take another step, Tessa and Korran sprang into action, seizing Livra and Sienna by their arms. In a swift motion, each pressed a blade against their captives’ throats.

“Don’t move!” Korran barked, his voice cold and commanding. His bloodied cheek was a stark reminder of Sienna’s earlier resistance.

“No!” Calen screamed, his hands instinctively raising in surrender. “Stop! Don’t hurt them!”

Vosca stepped forward, his authoritative tone cutting through the chaos.

“Ava, listen to me. There’s no need for this. We can resolve this without spilling innocent blood. Whatever grievances you have—”

“Innocent?” Ava interrupted, her voice hoarse and venomous, as she coughed violently. Dark blood splattered onto her lap, but she barely noticed. Her eyes burned with hatred as she glared at Vosca.

“Innocent? Don’t make me laugh, old man. This entire world is guilty. Every soul in it bears the stain of betrayal, ambition, and greed. But you... You, Vosca...”

Ava’s smile twisted into a snarl, her voice trembling with fury.

“You are the filthiest of them all. The architect of my suffering. Do you think I’ve forgotten? Do you think I don’t remember how you condemned my family?”

Vosca’s face hardened, but he remained silent. Drena glanced at him, her expression a mix of confusion and concern.

“What is she talking about, Vosca?” Drena demanded.

Ava’s laughter filled the room, a hollow, bitter sound that sent shivers down Calen’s spine.

“Let me remind you, Magistrate. Let me remind all of you.”

The memory unfolded in vivid detail, Ava’s voice narrating her tragedy with chilling clarity.

“Years ago, when I was just a child, my father, Artorius Lysan, was a brilliant man. A visionary. He believed in the limitless potential of levicita, the miraculous mineral beneath our feet. He dreamed of harnessing its power to elevate humanity, to make life better for all.”

Her voice grew bitter.

“But dreams require funding. And funding requires allies. That’s where you came in, Vosca. You stood by my father’s side before you were even chosen magistrate, championing his work. Together, you convinced Operientes Solem to back his research. For a time, it seemed like we were on the brink of something extraordinary.”

Ava’s eyes darkened as her tone shifted.

“But then, the politics changed. The council grew wary. They feared the power levicite could unleash. And when the funding was cut, when the tides turned against us, you—Vosca—you abandoned my father. You called him a madman. You accused him of plotting to weaponize levicita for war!”

Vosca flinched, but Ava pressed on, her voice rising with raw emotion.

“You betrayed him! The council turned against him, and he lost everything. His reputation. His work. Our home. But he refused to give up. Consumed by your betrayal, he became obsessed. He wanted to prove you wrong, to show the world the true potential of levicita. But his desperation led him down a dark path.”

Ava’s hands clenched the armrests of her levitating chair.

“He pushed the boundaries of what was safe. And when he ran out of resources, he turned to the mines in the Outer Continent. That’s where it happened. The explosion. A single miscalculation... and everything was gone. My father. My mother. My brothers. Everyone I loved. And me? I was left broken, paralyzed, and forgotten.”

Her voice trembled as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“All because of you, Vosca. Your betrayal set everything in motion. You destroyed my family, my future. And now, you dare stand before me and preach about innocence?”

The room fell silent, Ava’s harrowing tale hanging heavy in the air.

Vosca’s expression was unreadable, his gaze fixed on Ava.

“I made mistakes,” he said finally, his voice low but steady. “I won’t deny that. But Artorius... he went too far. He endangered lives. I had to act.”

“Liar!” Ava spat, her voice crackling with rage. “You acted to save your career, your precious reputation! You threw him to the wolves, and tonight you’ll pay the price!”

Drena stepped forward, her sharp tone cutting through the tension.

“This isn’t justice, Ava. This is vengeance, plain and simple. You think killing two little girls will change the past? It won’t bring your family back.”

“Silence!” Ava roared, her voice shaking with fury. “You don’t understand! None of you do!”

Korran tightened his grip on Livra, his blade pressing dangerously close to her throat.

“We’re wasting time,” he growled. “I’ll finish this so we can have the war I want so bad.”

“No!” Calen shouted, his voice filled with desperation. He turned to Ava, his eyes pleading.

“Ava, please. Don’t do this. Livra has nothing to do with what happened to you. Neither does Sienna. Don’t let your pain turn you into the very thing you hate.”

Tessa’s cold, ruthless voice shattered the moment.

“Enough of this. They’re just pawns in a larger game. Let’s finish it already.”

The tension reached its breaking point. The fate of Livra, Sienna, and perhaps the entire world, hung in the balance.

Valtheris finally spoke after his silence.

“Tessa, stop! I didn’t think you were involved in all of this. I had a slight suspicion, but I wanted to believe you were a victim of everything. What are you doing?”

“You don't remember, Fin,” Tessa replied. “All these years working for you have only deepened the disgust I feel for you, for you and that bastard Vosca. The two of you were the ones responsible for shutting down the orphanage where I grew up. All my memories, all the children...”

Livra, nearly strangled by Korran, said, “But there were no children left, and the others were given menial jobs.”

“Is that what that other old bastard told you?” Tessa spat. “These two selfish, ambitious old men didn’t hesitate to expand the LCC facilities to make Aeris float higher than any other island. With the condensation of water from the clouds, they could collect water before anyone else in the world. Their selfishness put an end to the orphanage I worked so hard for. It’s true they gave some of us jobs, but others were condemned to lives of misery, not to mention the future they denied to the other children who constantly arrived from the Rainshadow Isles.”

Vosca and Valtheris lowered their gazes, until Valtheris finally spoke. “Everything we did was for the good of Aeris and Operientes Solem. Perhaps we did some reprehensible things, but they were nothing more than collateral damage.”

“Collateral damage!?” Ava Lysan said, disgusted, her mouth filled with spit and blood. “Collateral damage will be the harm I cause today!”

The crippled girl suddenly pulled out a glowing ball with a digital counter from beneath her levitating chair.

“The power of refined levicity to its maximum will be your undoing, you damn old men!” the girl shouted.

“No!” Balthar said quickly, recognizing the mass destruction weapon in the girl's hands.

Ava said, “This is where it all ends for us. The peace you’ve worked for will come to an end. The Earthlands won’t have their placebo with the Veyne girl, and war will consume everything!”

Magistrate Korran, holding Livra, said, “What are you saying, girl? I don’t want to die here, you suicidal bitch!” He dropped Livra, and Tessa, who was holding Sienna, released the girl to stop the magistrate. With a swift movement, she slit the hefty man's throat, and he collapsed to the ground, his eyes wide open.

Valtheris was shocked by the quick, lethal move of what had once been his right-hand woman. He never would have imagined she possessed such skills.

Valtheris said, "Look, Tessa, I don’t know what kind of tricks Ava has used to convince you to commit such atrocities, but you need to understand that this crazy girl is cursed—she comes from a cursed lineage!"

"Enough!" shouted Magistrate Vosca.

"Valtheris," the elderly man continued, his tone now harsh and severe, "it's time we face our sins. Perhaps a new world for the next generation is possible without us, but for that to happen, we must prevent the war and destruction this girl is proposing. We cannot fail."

In that moment, Balthar, taking advantage of the confusion, lunged at Tessa, knocking her to the floor with the force of his large body.

"Now, boy!" Balthar yelled, glaring at Calen.

Calen rushed to Sienna and Livra, freeing them both.

"Get out of here!" the mercenary shouted as he charged at the assassin Tessa.

"Valtheris!" Magistrate Drena called out, tossing a small square device to the man.

Ava Lysan, seeing all the movement, began pressing buttons on her levitating chair, which was connected to the refined levicita, her face twisted in a maniac suicidal expression.

"Now!" shouted Magistrate Vosca as he sprinted toward Ava Lysan, his agility surprising for a man of his age.

Valtheris dismantled a small gear from the device he had just received, and it began to grow, transforming into a large, heavy cube that expanded, invading the entire room.

Vosca called out, "Drena, the future is in your hands and in the hands of the new generation. Make the most of it and be happy!"

"Goodbye, children!" Balthar said, still on top of Tessa, holding her down with a wide grin on his face. "Calen! Take the little bird away, be her Sun!"

Calen nodded and grabbed Sienna and Livra, pulling them out of the dungeon.

Livra couldn’t help but look back, crying out, "No, Balthar!!"

Magistrate Drena led the way through the abandoned levicita refinery facilities that served as dungeons, helping Sienna walk. Calen did the same for Livra.

Finally, they reached the small ship they had arrived in and took off, flying far from the Islets.

"What was that you gave him?" Calen asked Drena as he made sure the two battered and bruised girls were safe in the back of the ship.

"A hole of eternal levicita," Drena replied. "Artorious Lysan's experiments over the years weren’t in vain. He discovered many things, among them that levicita, when taken to its maximum anti-gravity limit, could create parallel dimensions—kind of like mini black holes. But, as with everything related to levicita, it’s the opposite. These holes don’t attract anything around them, they repel it, including gravity, light, and even the universe. The fate of anything that enters is nothing less than to float aimlessly through eternity until it reaches the edges of the known universe. Nothing can escape, and nothing can enter…” Drena finished with a grave tone.