Ch 29: A storm is coming.

Phoenix Cradle - Backwater Palace

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Three thunderous echoes resonated through the hall as an armoured knight slammed his staff into the ground. Then, silence.

In the prestigious Throne Room, all heads bowed; every servant, advisor, guard, and member in attendance dropped to one knee.

Before she even entered, her aether weighed down the air itself—an immense pressure, as if gravity had suddenly amplified.

An overwhelming sense of power drifted through the air as her footsteps approached.

I’ve felt something like this before, back in the Barrens.

Head still bowed, Ace could only catch a glimpse of the red hems of her garments as her heels clinked, walking down the red carpet with strides paced and elegant.

“You may now raise your heads.” Bold and dignified, she spoke with an unparalleled beauty, sitting atop her opulent throne.

Blessed by her majesty’s presence, all eyes were captivated by her striking figure. Deep scarlet-red hair, intricately woven into a half-up braided style, adorned with jewellery glistening in the sunlight from the mosaic glass windows. Gold-plated armour clasped around her body, melded into a red dress that spilled from the throne to the carpet.

“A storm is coming.”

Eyes across the room flickered to one another.

“The likes of which The Phoenix Cradle, perhaps the whole of Scaria has never faced before.”

The words caused Oden’s stomach to churn; it was exactly as he feared. Shell felt his throat tighten as Mira narrowed her eyes to the floor through sharp breaths. The Spearhead had spent last night conversing and ruminating amongst each other, but now the storm brewing on the horizon was finally here.

“I return bearing news. Firstly, the Cult of Worship is on the move. The Priests have been sighted outside of Celestia, and we think that it may have a link to the mass disappearances.”

Ace felt his ears twitch. If there were any, even the slightest possibility of finding Cecilia, the mass disappearances were his best bet.

“Secondly,” Hellia took a slight pause before continuing. She could still barely believe it herself. “The Nexus Legion has created a cure for Scourgenesis.”

Gasps all around, the room burst into whispers and murmurs. It was unthinkable. “Impossible,” Oden thought to himself. Mira clutched her chest as she felt the air get swept from her lungs. It was the very illness that had taken the life of her own mother.

To silence the room, the armoured knight raised his staff in the air, preparing to slam it down once more, but Hellia was quicker. Without any motion, she released her suppressed aether, and the air became even heavier. The room hushed. Ace dug his palms into the floor to avoid faceplanting straight into the marble.

“Your reaction is understandable.” She panned across the shocked faces in the audience, some of amazement, some of dread, and some of wonder. This one revolutionary breakthrough would have a rippling impact not only on Scaria but on the whole world itself. Since the beginning of time, Scourgenesis was a fatal illness that would take the lives of whoever it wanted. There was no treatment, no way to avoid it. But now everything could change.

“They’re deciding to stay quiet, hiding it from the world. We don’t know what their plan is, but we will not sit idly and wait.” Standing up, her gold-plated armour was illuminated with runes along its surface. “War is coming.”

The room was filled with a quiet tension as mouths curled into frowns. Ace’s gaze was stuck watching one—Oden, carrying a look he’d never seen. His eyes had held no familiarity; instead, they were devoid of his usual gentleness. It was a merciless look. Not the look of a seasoned warrior, but the look of a murderer. The eyes of someone who would take a life without a second thought. The harsh truth of war.

“But we will strike first.” Eyes widened at Hellia’s proclamation and the marching of drums as the guards bordering the room began slamming their staffs down in rhythm, adding an ominous drumming to Hellia’s words.

“For our families. We will fight back against this disease. Rest assured, we will not allow any more lives to be taken. We will infiltrate and extract the compound, no matter the cost. Even in the pit of ashes, the Phoenix Syndicate will rise again.”

Standing to their feet for the marching of drums, the audience held one arm to their chest as they bowed their heads slightly.

“That is all for now. A further ceremony will be held later. For now, Spearhead, I have orders.”

Other than the armoured guard, the people in the room filtered out slowly while the Spearhead returned to their knees.

It was finally time for Ace to face his fate, standing before the most formidable entity he’d ever had the chance to lay eyes upon.

Waiting for the large iron wall at the end of the Throne Room to close, Hellia then addressed the Phoenix Spearhead, the frontline team of operations directly under her majesty's order.

“I’ve seen your report, Oden.”

“Yes, your reverence.” Oden raised his head upon hearing his name, but he wasn’t the one she was looking at.

“Ace.”

With the sudden thumping of his heart deep in his chest, Ace raised his eyes to meet Hellia’s. It was intense. Her gaze was piercing—her eyes a searing, bright orange with narrow slits, like a wolf. Just from looking her in the eye, the sweat trickled down his neck. He had gone over and over the correct etiquette to use when addressed by the Queen, but now he was frozen in place.

“You and Hiro arrived here merely two weeks ago, yet in that time you’ve been struck by a powerful binding curse and killed the person responsible with his help.”

“Yes, your reverence,” Hiro bowed his head deeply.

Ace waited for Hellia to continue, feeling everyone’s eyes on him, he then realised that he was the one who was supposed to respond.

“Y-yes, your reverence.” Ace stammered.

“Impressive, how did you figure it out?”

“Process of elimination, your reverence.”

A slight smile shone upon Hellia’s face, though no one could decipher the thoughts behind it.

“Be that as it may, I’m sure it was no easy feat. You are both pardoned.”

Phew.

Ace finally exhaled the breath that he’d been holding.

Without punishments, too! Thank God, I wouldn’t have had enough money for another grocery trip.

“I have an urgent matter that needs to be attended to. And I’m entrusting it to the Spearhead. We have reports of a man-eating beast in the area just North of the Cradle, near the crystal powerplant. I would like it to be investigated, and the supposed beast to be slain. I want you to move with utmost caution. Code black. Any questions?”

Her tone was sincere, but the question was basically rhetorical. No one, even amongst the elites of the Spearhead, would dare ask a stupid question or inconvenience her majesty—other than one person.

Oden, Shell, Mira, Snow, and Hiro watched in surprise as Ace stood to his feet and straightened his spine, fighting the dense pressure in the air.

“I’m looking for someone—a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who was last seen in the Barrens. Do you think you can help me?”

Silence as the guards held their stern faces. It was a shot in the dark, but from the glint in his eyes, his intent was clear, and his will was sharpened. Oden looked towards Hellia in fear for Ace’s behalf. Asking a favour from the Queen herself? Who does he think he is?

Hellia's searing gaze tore straight into Ace’s soul. His clenched hands were shaking, yet he stood with his chest out and head high. And that was what brought a smile to her face. She had a liking for the peculiar individuals, and now Ace had just piqued her interest.

At a wave of her hand, one of the guards came to her side.

“Check the records for such an individual and get back to him.” Her eyes then returned to Ace. “We are still investigating the Mass disappearances with utmost urgency. Rest assured, you are not alone. I am looking for someone myself.”

Oden glanced towards the other Spearhead members. This was news, even to them. Who was she looking for?

“Journey to the Northern Crystal Plant and slay the beast. Return and we shall speak further. You are dismissed.”