Listening to the shrill voices speaking nervously outside the door of the den two of the Powers quintuplets stared at each other with apprehension. Like every other room within the family stead, this one was richly decorated with fine woods, decorative yet impractical furniture, and rare art. As children, and now adults, they grew up completely saturated in the trapping of wealth and thus paid it little mind. The commotion outside made thinking about such trivial details impossible.

At the farthest corner from the entrance sat two young men on richly upholstered Bergere chairs the color of seafoam. Their tense body language screamed louder than words how apprehensive they felt right now. They hid because it was the only safe option available when faced with the ire of their elders.

Reginald like all his brothers was handsome in a way that spoke noble birth and a cultured upbringing. He flinched noticeably after another extremely vile epitaph reached his ears. ”So the dumbass went and did it uh?”

”Yeah,” replied Arthur. ”I told the fool that killing Theodore wouldn't solve the matter of succession or who gets to participate in the Bonding Ritual.”

”I know and the fool didn't even manage to succeed.” Reginald replied in disgust. ”And I'll tell you this, it's only going to get worse.”

”What makes you think that?” Arthur asked curiously.

”I overheard father talking—”

”Wait.” Arthur’s body shot upright so fast he nearly fell from his seat. You managed to find father without his ever-present guard standing outside his door?”

Lauren was more than a guard and they both knew it. She was their father's ever-present Bond-Mate. She was part protector, part advisor, and a complete badass. No one but their father knew what her actual Jewel of Rank was but considering who she was bonded to her Jewel had to be considered dark at the very least.

Reginald smiled and leaned back further in his chair. ”Funny that you should mention that. Did you notice that Lauren immediately left our father’s side as soon as word reached him about the attempt on Theodore’s life.” 

Arthur readjusted his clothes and sat back in his chair. A look of embarrassment at losing his composure was all over his face. Finally, he said. ”When it comes to that woman nothing you could say would surprise me. But when you put it like her sudden absence does raise certain suspensions.” 

Reginald leaned forward and placed his chin on his extended thumbs. ”If I didn't already know who did it I’d think it was her.” 

A look of surprise crossed Arthur’s face. ”Do you think it would be worth it to perpetuate that rumor?” He asked intrigued by the possibilities.

Reginald shook his head. ”Not a chance. We don't have the connections to make an accusation like that stick.” A look of fear flickered across his face. There and gone too quickly for his brother to notice in the dim light. ”And I’d rather not wake up one night and find a Marshall standing over me with a knife to my throat.” 

”Good point.”

”Anyway like I was saying, I happened to be walking by father's office when I happened to overhear father talking to someone over the link. From what I could discern from the conversation it wasn't going well for him.”

”Could you tell who he was talking to?” Arthur asked.

”No. He must have been using an earpiece, and he never used a name.”

”So what happened next?”

”Stop interrupting me and you'll find out. Anyway, in my opinion, whoever father was talking to was not pleased to learn about Theodore’s current condition. He made some lame excuses before being told that if anything else happened his son's death wouldn't be the only death in the family.”

Arthur's face visibly paled. ”That was definitely a threat. Did father find out exactly who it was aimed at?”

"Not from that conversation. As soon as the speaker delivered their threat the call ended.”

”Fuck.” Arthur cursed.

”My sentiments exactly.” Reginald agreed. ”So what do you plan on doing?”

Arthur thought about his answer for several seconds before finally responding. ”I see a long trip somewhere very remote in my future. And you.”

”I think I'll go talk to mother first. If anyone knows what's going on it’s her. I'll make my decision based on that.”

”Fine, but don't wait too long.”

---

Steele maintained a modest outlook on life that completely contradicted her exalted upbringing. Her office was a perfect example of this. Steele's rank authorized her to have an office twice the size of her current one-hundred square foot office. Furnishings were kept to a minimum. The only furniture she maintained was a small couch, a visitor's chair, the chair she was currently sitting in, and her desk.

Sterling tapped her index finger on the guest chairs armrest. She found it difficult to get comfortable due to how cheaply it was made. No portion of this encounter had gone the way it should. She hadn't appreciated just how confrontational Steele would be. Their conversation should have moved along a predictable path, but Steele refused to follow the course. Which made Sterling wonder why.

”You misunderstand me.” Sterling threw her hand up in mock defense. ”I didn't come here to threaten you. I was simply surprised by your skill at determining my Caste.” Which was true. There were very few individuals within the service that could determine her Caste on site. By its very nature being a Shade should make such determinations next to impossible.

The look she gave Sterling let her know that she wasn't buying what she was trying to sell but she didn't press the issue. Instead, she asked. ”Fine. So let's get to the point. Why are you here?”

Instead of answering that question, Sterling asked one of her own. ”Tell me, what is the responsibility of the Marshall Service?”

Steele sat back in her chair, her look pensive. The question was simple, too simple. This made her wonder why she would ask a question that any first-year cadet could answer in their sleep.

”It is a Marshal’s duty to police the actions of all individuals that possess Talent and bring them to justice if necessary.” Sterling drummed her fingers on her desk. ”What does that have to do with anything?”

Again instead of answering the stated question, Sterling asked another. ”Who polices the police?”

Section Seven though most simply called it S7. As an organization, The Tower divided itself into seven sections. Steele belonged to Section Six. This section dealt with the enforcement of laws that may have been broken. The actions of Section Seven were classified. Those that dared to speculate guessed that this secretive section handled black-ops but no one outside the upper echelons of The Towers hierarchy knew for sure. What was understood by everyone was that people had an alarming tendency of disappearing when they happened to run afoul of them.

To show her understanding Steele nodded her head slightly.

”You know my Caste thus you know who I represent.” Sterling said finally, dropping all pretense. ”I’m here because you have been acting strangely lately.”

Steele's expression didn't change one bit, but inside her thoughts were racing. I wonder what they think they know. If they truly knew what I had done I would have been killed on site. ”And what actions would those be?” She asked coolly.

In response, Sterling showed three fingers and began ticking off the offending actions. ”One, you disconnected your access to the Network. Two, you took a sudden two-week leave of absence. Three, you returned from this unannounced leave in secret and without notifying your supervisor.” She smiled slightly but the gesture contained no amusement. It was the smile a predator gave its cornered prey before it finally pounced. ”Care to explain yourself.” 

---

Within a featureless void, a bizarre conversation was being held between Theodore and a mysterious presence that for now only existed in his mind.

*Given your tastes in literature I know you understand the premise behind what a summoning is. With that in mind, I'll skip to the important part.*

*Thanks.* He replied sarcastically.

The presence let the implied sarcasm flow past it like a duck through the water. *At my direction, one of my servants brought you from your old world.* 

Theodore sighed. *But why me?* 

That's what Theodore wanted to know. If he was being honest it was mostly due to his ego. Who wouldn't want to be told that they were chosen for a great mission because of a particular attribute that they alone possess?

*There was a prophecy that spoke of a champion that would save my world. It was very specific when it came to what prerequisites must be met to be considered as this champion.*

*And let me guess.* Theodore smirked. *I fit the bill.*

*Exactly.* The voice replied calmly. *My servant spent two weeks looking for you. I saw everything she saw. When she first took an interest in you I thought she was wasting her time but the more I saw the more positive I was that you may have been the one we were searching for.*

That surprised Theodore. It also creeped him out just a little to know that someone had been watching his every move unseen. 

*Wait, you said you saw everything?*

*Yes,* the voice replied sympathetically. *I watched you die quite possibly the most pointless forgettable death imaginable. I thought you deserved better so I decided to give you a second chance… for a price of course.* 

*Of course, there's always a price?* He replied unsurprised. *So tell me, what's the going rate for the use of resurrection slash transmigration magic?* Now he'd finally find out what would be expected from him.

*There isn't a simple answer to that question and to make matters worse there are things I can’t tell you.*

*So let me get this straight. You need me to do something but you can't directly tell me what that something is or how to go about completing said task.*

*Yes.* The voice replied simply.

Frustrated, Theodore raked a hand through his hair. He should have known things wouldn’t be simple as he hoped. Games always set limits on what information was given and when they got it. Now that he thought about it they were also inclined to limit how info could be attained at the start of a quest. Why should this be any different? 

Resigned, he ultimately asked. *What can you tell me?*

*The world you will eventually enter is culturally broken on a fundamental level. These fractures exist on multiple levels and the rot these fissures have created has continued to seep into society at a faster and faster rate. The longer these fractures are allowed to exist the worse societies' eventual collapse will be when it happens.*

Theodore was taken aback by the level of emotion contained in the presence’s words. *What caused all this damage?* He asked.

*Greed.*

The answer was simple and straight to the point. But it was given with a force that spoke louder than words just how emphatic they were about the subject. 

He furrowed his brow, expecting more. When it became apparent that no other words were forthcoming he took the initiative. *Just greed? It can't be that simple.*

*Sadly in most cases it was just that simple,* The voice replied sadly. *Some of the most complicated situations ultimately had their genesis in deceptively simple foundations.* 

Theodore laid back and laced his fingers behind his head. This new world was beginning to sound a lot like the one he’d just come from. Would that knowledge help him now?

*Well that answers the question of why you saved me. But why did you have to selectively block my memories?* 

The question had to be asked. There had to be a reason why his memories we're being purposely blocked. And why his every attempt to reach past that barrier caused him such mental distress. 

*Those memories would only get in your way, * The presence replied primely. *Besides, even if that wasn't the case, the changes I made to your mind would have made your ability to access them… problematic.*

Theodore scratched his chin thoughtfully. *How very convenient for you,* he noted suspiciously. 

*Convenient or not be thankful that I did most of the heavy lifting before I reactivated your awareness. The alternative would have been...uncomfortable.* The voice snapped back, ignoring Theodore’s unvoiced accusations.

*Consider me thankful.* He sat back up and dragged a hand through his shoulder-length blonde hair. Absently he noted how much of a habit that action had become. *Did you make any other changes while you were tinkering around in my head?*

The presence contemplated its answer for several moments before replying somewhat evasively. *Answering that question properly would require more time than we currently have. Let's just say the changes I made will prove very beneficial to you in the future.*

And that was about a blatant a none answer as you could get without being purposely offensive. Not that the presence appeared to care about such things.

*Well it's always nice to have something to look forward to,* he retorted blandly. Then he had a sudden epiphany. *And thanks to our lengthy conversation I finally know where I am.*

Curious the voice asked, *And exactly where do you think you are?*

*Unless I’m mistaken I'm probably sitting in some empty portion of my mind.* He replied proudly. *Am I right?*

*Yes you are.* The voice replied again surprised at just how quickly this naked male was picking everything up. *Since you've already deduced that much let's get to the point.*

*Which is?*

*As I've hinted at before this world is in desperate need of saving and for various unimportant reasons that do not concern you, so don't ask, I can't solve them myself.*

*And that's where I come in?* Theodore guessed.

*Exactly. You are my answer to the systemic infection that has invaded my world. Originally my plan was to find someone native to this world to help me fix it. But to my utter disbelief, I couldn't find anyone who wasn't already irreversibly contaminated by the rot that I’m trying to fight.*

Theodore didn't know if this body's previous owner had been at all perceptive but he was almost certain the presence was hiding something. He was also fairly certain the voice didn't realize it had referred to the world in a possessive tense. 

*What else aren't you telling me?*

*Quite a bit actually.*

He'd expected the snarky response. *I mean no disrespect but you're laying the groundwork for a truly epic quest. Save the world and all that. If I'm going to be involved in something this momentous I need to have as many facts as possible.*

Several moments passed before the presence finally answered, sadness laced through every word. *I'm truly sorry but I can't tell you anything else about the issues plaguing this world. You will have to find the rest out for yourself.*

Theodore noted how carefully the presence worded its statement. Trusting his new insight, he decided to change the subject. *All right, in that case, how am I supposed to help you considering my disgusting lack of ability?*