Kaas and his team stood on the fifth floor of the Equituum level, where the entrance to the Hidaar's Palace was. The double doors were similar to those they had encountered before, except they were iron and twice as large. The mural carved on these was of a single figure, standing with his hand spread. One could mistake it as a sign of welcome, but Kaas knew better. The man the mural depicted was Greel, the first Hidaar, standing in glory above all. It captured his likeness perfectly as if the man was forever fused with the door.

But he was long gone, his body buried deep within Freelan, never to Rise again. Yet all Hidaar continued his legacy by carrying his blood within them. In a way, he was always present.

"Unfortunately, there is no secret entrance," said Kaas. "The Hidaar is always obliged to show his strength." This is where he would prove himself to his team. He had opened these doors before, and he would do so again.

He rolled his shoulders and stretched before placing his hands on the left door and pushing with all his might. The door did not budge. Kaas pushed harder, replacing his right hand with a shoulder. Yet the door still did not move. He did not remember the doors being this hard to open. Was he that much weaker? Or was the door heavier? He had heard stories of the doors matching the current Hidaar's strength to weed out the unworthy. But there was no way that could be true. It was just a door.

Tykus spoke, his voice coming closer, "Let me. I could easily—"

"No!" Kaas grunted. "I need to do this!" If he was not strong enough to push these doors open, he was not fit to lead. Even if he knew he was weak, Kaas still had pride as an Ahngreel. The weight on his chest seemed to grow heavier the harder he pushed.  

"If I just—" Tykus tried to interject, but Kaas wasn't having it.

"Back off! Now! Or we're going back."

Tykus obeyed, but Kaas could sense anger from him. Or maybe he was merely projecting his own anger onto the boy. Either way, he needed to do this himself. Stealth did not matter at this moment. Ever since he saw the others take down the low-ranker with such ease, there was that weight. Was he really happy to need protection? What had he contributed except to bark orders? Sure, he had shown them the secret passage. But that was ultimately a pointless endeavor when Tykus could have easily opened the doors to the Equituum level. Even now, Tykus could open this door. But he had to try.

He could feel the judgment from the eyes of his soldiers on his back.

Kaas knew he could not open the door under his normal power. But after some thought, he realized there was a way, though it risked using all his aura. He had to do it. Kaas had to show them that he was not worthless. Kaas pushed off the door and backed off several steps. His soldiers were silent. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing Rau to fill his blood, which began to dance in his veins. When he thought enough power filled him, Kaas opened his eyes and charged at the door, shoulder first.

He hit the iron at full speed, his shoulder bouncing off the door. The impact barely made a sound, though it sent waves of pain and shock through his body. But that was what he wanted. Kaas stumbled back and then charged again. The pain was greater, and the shock of the impact caught in his blood, making it dance faster. He did this three more times. Each collision made his blood dance more quickly until it practically sang.

On the sixth and final impact, Kaas heard the distinct crack of his shoulder breaking. The pain cut through him, as sharp as a blade, but if that's what it took, then so be it, as his blood was full to bursting. He walked to the door this time so that his nose was practically touching it.

Despite the pain in his broken shoulder, Kaas raised both arms at level with his head and arched his back so his muscles were taut as he leaned away from the door. He sucked in as much air as his lungs could take. There was a moment—a single second when Kaas held his breath—where the world was still. Nothing mattered. Not his soldiers, not the pain, not even his dream that stood on the other side of this door. All that existed in Kaas's mind was the chaotic dance of his blood. It roared in his ears like the screams of a thousand Ahngreel. Then he exhaled and struck. Kaas shot forward and slammed open palms upon the door. The shook with the energy Kaas exploded into it. It was enough to send his upper body back. However, Kaas kept his feet firmly planted.

To Kaas's great delight, the door began to creak inward. It was only an inch, but that was all Kaas needed. He seized upon the momentum by slamming his left shoulder into the door. It took everything Kaas had not to scream with effort as the door slowly, ever slowly, moved in his favor.

Kaas kept his eyes on the right door, watching as the inner side grew wider. He had to keep going. No matter how heavy the door was, he had to keep pushing until he saw the iron give way to darkness. And then further beyond so that they could slip through. This was the least he could do for the soldiers who had given them their trust, their loyalty. They would see him as their Hidaar if he had to break every bone in his body. He would not be their weak link!

And then he saw it—the edge of the door. A sliver of darkness appeared in front of his eyes. It was close.

Oh. So. Close.

But as his heart swelled with triumph, his legs began to give. It was suddenly like pushing the mountain of Desmortia. He could feel his feet sliding against the polished stone floor. The crack was starting to vanish.

I am the weak link, after all.

Then, suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around his waist, which halted his backward momentum. He twisted his head and did not see who held him at first. And then he saw a single, round, red eye looking up at him from below his elbow.

"D-don't give up, K-Kaas!"

At the sound of Alén's voice, Kaas felt strength return to him. He gritted his teeth and pushed, but the door no longer moved. And more hands wrapped around his arms.

"You got this—" "—and we've got you!"

Aaska… Naaro…

Another pair of hands, this time on his shoulder blades. He recognized them as Tykus's. He did not say anything, but he didn't have to. The hands on his back were enough.  

There was pressure on his head as a hand pressed down. It was Ludd from atop Tykus's back. "Yeah, so, I can't really help you push and all that. But you're doing great." He patted his head a few times. "Keep it up."

To any other Ahngreel, Ludd's words and tone would have sounded condescending. Yet Kaas knew it was in earnest. They all were.

He felt a sudden sting in his eyes. Tears of pride. For his genius. He was glad he had chosen these Ahngreel to face the Hidaar.

With his soldier's help, the door began to open inward once more. Inch by inch, the gap became wider until it grew large enough for all of them to slip through.

"Alright," said Kaas, still using all his strength despite his team's support. "It's time to let go in the count of three. One…two…three!"

With that, they all simultaneously released their hold and ran through. The door was already beginning to shut behind them.

"Grab the other side. Slow its progress."

Kaas closed his fingers around the side of the door. He felt the others do so too. If the door slammed shut, the noise it produced would be loud enough to echo through the Equituum levels and beyond. Kaas used to think of it as a sound of triumph, but at this moment, it was only an alarm for anyone below them. Ludd's blood had thoroughly dried on his hand as he pulled the door, so he had a firm grip as he slowly let the door slip from it, his fingers sliding along the five feet of iron. They eased the door shut with their combined strength, finally settling with a soft thunk.

They all breathed a sigh.

"Thank you," said Kaas. The others looked up at him in surprise.

Parts of his soldiers' faces were exposed now. The dried blood falling off in flakes made more pieces of their bodies visible. He hoped they didn't leave much of it behind on the other side. But there was nothing they could do about it now.

"I…uh… I suppose I was selfish. I believed myself to be the weak link in the team. I feel responsible for almost compromising the plan."

Ludd hopped off Tykus's shoulders and began to pump his hands to produce more blood. "Oh, yeah, you totally are."

At that, Alén punched him in the shoulder. "…!"

"Ow! I'm just saying." He rubbed his shoulder, accidentally smearing blood on his arm. "Oops."

"Ludd has a point," said Tykus. Alén tried to punch him too, but Tykus caught it and would not let go. She tried to pull out of his grip, pounding on his hand with her other fist. Though it was in vain. In the end, Alén gave up and just stood trapped, cheeks puffed in annoyance. "In terms of strength and Talent, we far outclass you."

Kaas felt his heart sink. As much as he tried to deny it, Tykus only spoke the truth.

"I understand. If one of you wishes to serve the killing blow—"

"However," interrupted Tykus, who looked down at him with a rare fondness, "You gave us a chance when no other Ahngreel would. You saw in us something that we didn't even see in ourselves. And it is because of that chance we all stand here in the Hidaar's Palace. Something that none of us could have ever dreamed of. You're not the weak link because you're not even part of the chain. You are the chain's maker. You created us to protect you, so that's what we will do. Never forget that."

Kaas looked around at his soldier, who were all smiling at him. He could see the ink that lined their eyes and cheeks on some of their faces. It was his mark that proved they belonged to him.

"I…" He had no words.

"Darris will never be our Hidaar—" "—it'll always be the one who showed us that we can be one again. And that's you, Kaas."

"…"

Resolve shone in all their eyes, especially Alén's. All she ever wanted was to be acknowledged as a true Ahngreel. Kaas had given her that to the best of his ability. Seeing all of them look at him with such supplication only made him surer that he had raised the perfect soldiers.

At last, Kaas managed to find the ability to speak. "I can only hope to live up to your expectations. Here, at the precipice of our dream. Now, let's go seize our destinies!"

The others cheered but realized their mistake as they looked around for any witnesses.

Kaas chuckled. My soldiers. They were such children sometimes. He'd allow it, just this once.

But then, as he tried to take a step forward, Kaas felt his body give out on him. He pitched forward and fell limp. As if at once, his soldiers caught him as he dropped.

"Are you alright, Kaas?" asked Ludd as Tykus laid him on the floor. They were all looking down at him with concern.

"I'm fine…" he said feebly. Now that the thrill of the moment was leaving him, he realized that his body was weak. And then he remembered the pain in his shoulder.

It was still broken.

Pain itself was nothing. His natural healing was already working to repair the bone. But the damage he sustained, combined with the expenditure of all the Rau from his body, had weakened him to exhaustion. "I'm such a fool… Had I not been so determined to prove myself… Now I'm completely useless."

They were here, in the Hidaar's Palace. But because of him, everything was now ruined. The Hidaar was no doubt just below them. At this point, there was no turning back. There were no secret paths to slip through, and he would not be healed in time to participate in the fight.

"We can fight without you," said Tykus, "If we can subdue the Hidaar long enough for you to recover your energy—even if it's just a little—you can deal the finishing blow."

Kaas nodded, but he knew that they were doomed. He was just a liability at this point. They would be forced to drag him around. Why am I so weak? There was no denying it now. Reality was crushing him, making it difficult to breathe.

"Leave me here. I'll pay the price for my foolishness. If the Hidaar discovers me, you'll have enough time to ambush the Hidaar when the Equituum leave."

Alén shook her head with vigor. "…"

"No, it's like Tykus said. You don't need me to fight." Kaas had his role in their strategy. He was to be the shield that took the brunt of the opponent's attacks, but Tykus could easily take over that role and serve his simultaneously. "Leave me. Tykus, you're in charge. Take care of everyone and keep them out of trouble."

Tykus rolled his eyes, "Oh, don't be so dramatic, you stupid old man. I don't need to be in charge because you're coming with us." And with that, Tykus grabbed Kaas by the arms and slung him over his massive shoulders. Kaas winced as pain shot through his body. Tykus did not seem to care much about potentially ripping his arm off. Though it did not matter much, as Kaas could already feel the pins and needles in his shoulder. His healing had already begun. However, it would probably take longer than usual as his body did not have much energy left to give.

Kaas found being draped over Tykus's shoulders like a wet blanket utterly humiliating. It would be far preferable to leave him to die a triumphant Ahngreel death.

"Just let me go already."

"Nope, sorry. You put me in charge. I'm giving the orders now. Cover us up, Ludd."

"Yes, sir!" said Ludd with an over-the-top salute.

"But you just said—"

Tykus turned his head to glance down at Kaas. "You've got a problem with what I've said? Do something about it." He waited for Kaas to act, but when he just lay there, Tykus smirked. "That's what I thought."

Why me? thought Kaas bitterly. But he no longer protested as Ludd smeared blood on his limp body. He regretted having ever thought fondly of any of them as the rest of his soldiers vanished from Kaas's sight. Really, what a strange bunch of Ahngreel.

But are they more or less Ahngreel?

He hadn't thought much about the question Vir asked him at the tournament until now, dismissing it as nothing more than the follies of youth. However, now that he could not do anything other than glower and think as Tykus ran through the Hidaar Palace, the thought suddenly popped into his head. What made someone Ahngreel besides being born as one?

He had told Vir that it was about giving everything to win. Yet, he had given everything he had in his foolishness to claim a meager victory. Now he was useless. And his soldiers were willing to give him their all in order to fight, but they refused to leave him behind, a burden who would most certainly get them killed.

Did that make them more or less Ahngreel than he? They were surely braver than he. They were stronger than he. But by his own definition, they were lesser because they refused to abandon him. Somehow, that did not seem right to Kaas.

He hated how deeply Vir had pierced through his mind with a single question. What did that say about him?

Kaas decided to look around the Palace to distract himself from such disturbing thoughts. As soon as he did, a sense of nostalgia washed over him. Not a single thing had changed. The polished stone of the upper floors had nothing on the beauty and grandeur of this place. They were in the entrance hall, which spanned the equivalent of four floors alone.

The dark walls were covered in tapestries of scenes with colors so vibrant that they almost hurt his eyes just to look at him. Several arches with doors made of glass exited to surrounding balconies. The sky was visible, as were the separate waves of the blue Everflow. The patterns on the floor were intricate and precise and sparkled in the light of torched that hung evenly against the wall. There was a certain symmetry in the room that Kaas could barely understand. But it could best be seen in the twin stairs that lined the wall opposite their current position. They curled evenly in opposite directions, leading higher and higher to rooms on the upper floors.

"Alright, now what?" said Tykus with another glance, "Where are we going?"

"To the throne room at the top of those stairs." He tried to point, but even lifting his arms a little was a chore. "If we can make it to the study behind the throne, we can catch him at his most vulnerable."

"Makes sense. Then it might be better if we should find a toilet room to hide in—" "—the Hidaar would probably be most vulnerable there."

Kaas couldn't tell if the twins were joking or not. "An Ahngreel should be most alert when he does his business. It is precisely the place an opponent would attack from."

"What makes you say that?" "Is that how you died or something?"

"Of course not," he lied.

The twins cackled at that. He could even feel Tykus's shoulders quivering from beneath him.

"Enough," said Kaas trying to suppress a blush. "We need to get to the throne room now before—" As if on cue, a cacophony of sound blasted through the Palace as the doors exploded open. It was too late.

The Hidaar was here.