NORTH CALUM
VEILBREAKERS NEST
Rinporter and Grovan returned to the hideout from the Noble Citadel, expecting to find Keiro. However, only Cresson was present.
“Did Keiro stop by here, Cres?” Rinporter inquired.
“Yes, he did. But he left, mentioning that he would be training. Did something happen?”
Rinporter nodded and proceeded to explain everything to him.
“We should be relieved about it.” Grovan sighed, slumping onto the couch. “That means the pact won’t be a problem anymore . . .”
“But?” Cresson urged for more information.
“I know it doesn’t make sense, but I can’t help but think that the Black Marzec has something to do with his disappearance.”
“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Rinporter insinuated. “What do you know that we don’t?”
Grovan chuckled awkwardly. “I may have done something you wouldn’t approve of.” The two gave him a narrowed glare and he said, “I will tell you everything, but Keiro should hear it too.”
Cresson contacted Keiro, informing him that Grovan had an important revelation to share. Upon his arrival, a confession began to unfold.
On the day President Robert Dale set the Veilbreakers free, a member of the Black Marzec was dispatched to collect Grovan. In accordance with their verbal agreement, Grovan divulged everything he knew about the Arcanians and the activities of his group in exchange for their assistance in infiltrating Arcane Laboratories 00. It was during this exchange that Grovan discovered that the Black Marzec were also aware of the Arcanian invasion on Earth. They requested him to arrange a meeting with Keiro and the rest of the group. However, Grovan was well aware of their disdain for the Black Marzec and their anger about seeking their help. Consequently, he struggled to find the right moment to broach this delicate matter.
“What else is there?” Keiro asked.
“They didn’t stop pestering me for three months, even after I repeatedly told them that arranging a meeting with you was impossible. Instead, they started demanding information from me. Updates about our activities. I couldn’t bring myself to answer because I believed I should never betray Robert. But then it hit me. I am not a Shadow Hero. Despite signing the pact, I am not one of you. I am a Valoure. That realization compelled me to take a risk and disclose the locations of the remaining Arcane Laboratories to the Black Marzec.” Grovan shrugged. “Guess what? I was right. Nothing happened to us. It could mean that either I didn’t disobey Robert, or the pact does not apply to me.”
“You’ve known about this for quite some time now, and yet you only revealed this information about the pact after we had already destroyed the lab in Russia . . .” Rinporter uttered in disbelief.
“If I had told you earlier, I would have had to disclose my interactions with the Black Marzec as well.”
“Makes sense. But I’ve always wondered why Robert disclosed the exact locations of the labs to us . . .” Rinporter wondered. “Was he testing us? Was he daring us to betray him? Perhaps he knew that Grovan could destroy the labs without violating the pact. And betrayal is a broad concept. We never received a specific answer about what betrayal meant to him. We assisted Grovan, believing we were aiding a friend rather than betraying him. Did we deceive him, or did Robert anticipate this outcome and plan it all along? . . . But if that were the case, it doesn’t make any sense.”
“There are many things that simply don’t make sense,” Keiro said firmly. “Grovan seeking help from the Black Marzec . . . Robert treating him as a Shadow Hero . . . How he seems to know Alexander and me . . . His sudden disappearance . . . Most importantly, the destruction of the labs in the US and Mexico.”
“About that . . . I think the Black Marzec did it,” Grovan said. “Though I don’t know how they managed to do it, considering leaving the country is impossible unless they have someone like Rinporter.”
“Arrange a meeting with them,” Keiro asserted, drawing bewildered looks from the rest of the group. “Tell them that you have convinced us to meet with them.”
________
ELDAM CITY
BLACK MARZEC ABODE
The highly anticipated meeting that Vondlor had been eagerly awaiting was finally taking place. Grovan had successfully persuaded his group to gather for a meeting with them. In the elegant drawing room, Keiro and Rinporter were in attendance, alongside the representative of the Black Marzec, Vondlor, and Jekyll Everest.
The meeting began calmly and peacefully, with Jekyll revealing that they had managed to discreetly secure transportation through a cargo shipment at Naguan Port Crossing, bound for America. It had taken them a whole month to locate the laboratory in both Mexico and the USA. Interestingly enough, the destruction of the lab in the USA and Russia had occurred on the same day, by pure coincidence.
“You didn’t have to kill the people in the facility. You could have simply destroyed their equipment or the building,” Keiro expressed firmly.
“That belief will be your downfall. Equipment can be replaced, but the lives of talented researchers cannot. Equipment is useless if there is no one left to utilize it. Don’t you agree?” Vondlor countered.
Keiro scoffed in response. “I see your point. It’s similar to humans with superpowers. Having a power isn’t the issue; it’s the person who chooses to use it for nefarious purposes.”
“You see now? Leaving them alive will not bring any good,” Jekyll interjected.
Keiro smirked. “However, can’t you see? I’m talking about you, evil conjurers, and yet we’re not resorting to taking your lives. We don’t have the authority to decide whether someone lives or dies.”
Jekyll shot him a glare, whereas Vondlor erupted into laughter. “Conjurers? We are not fucking conjurers, we are Conjurians! Those pesky humans came up with that irritating label. But let me clarify something. Our true adversaries are the Arcanians, and if they are disguising themselves as humans, then all of them are our enemies! It’s time for us to unite, join forces, and take control of Ranace instead of being ruled by the Arcanians for the rest of our lives and the lives of future generations.”
“Even if what you say is true, we will not stoop to your level. We will not resort to killing even the innocent,” Keiro asserted firmly.
“Killing is not always, and will never be, the best answer,” Rinporter added, voicing his agreement. “Did you kill the President too?”
“Ha! I wish we had,” Jekyll huffed. “I wanted to kill him with my own hands, but I couldn’t. Every time I tried, I found myself inexplicably obeying his orders.” Then, his eyes widened. “Is he dead?”
“No, he’s not. Rinporter is just speaking nonsense,” Keiro quickly intervened.
“Fascinating,” Vondlor uttered, smirking. “But what if he’s dead and we actually killed him?”
“Theoretically speaking, you won’t be able to kill him. He is powerful.”
“It’s truly foolish to think highly of an enemy. That’s why Ranace is in this state, because of foolish people like you who love to be deceived,” Vondlor said. “You can’t change my mind. Killing is always the fastest and best answer.”
Tension filled the room as opposing perspectives clashed. However, the atmosphere shifted when Vondlor uttered something that left Keiro and Rinporter momentarily speechless.
“Ranace is not the Ranace you know. If you rearrange the letters, you will see that it spells Arcane,” he calmly stated. “This island was never meant to exist here. We, Conjurians, were never meant to be on Earth. Our true home is Planet Conjuria, but we were attacked and colonized by the Arcanians. The creation of this island came at the cost of the lives of a queen and king, who sacrificed themselves for the sake of our peaceful existence, away from humans who hunted us. How can we allow their sacrifices to be in vain?”
“What do you mean?” Keiro asked, confused. However, he couldn’t help but sense the sincerity in Vondlor’s words.
“Your ancestors were once the king and queen of Conjuria. It leaves me speechless to see how little you know about our history. I’m certain now that your ancestors didn’t pass down this information to future generations because they believed it was for the best.” He scoffed. “Peace? The idea of it was never possible in our circumstances. Just look at what has happened. You are unknowingly serving those who have caused harm to your own kind. You are serving your greatest enemies: the Arcanians and the humans.”