One hundred high-grade elemental crystals. That was the absurd value the Abyss Sect had put for his capture. It was a surreal number, one that someone could dream of, but would always know deep down it was nothing but whimsical thinking. Seeing that notice, Amon knew how screwed he was.

His first instinct was to run. He wanted to kick the ground and bolt away from the city as fast as he could, finding a place hidden well enough for him to calm down and think about what he should do. Still, he forcefully managed to calm down and suppress the urge that was assailing him.

Calm down. He took a deep breath. His current appearance was nowhere close to the one in the drawing, and so far, in his few days of traveling, no one had given him even a second glance. Plus, with the bait he left way back at Abastra, he suspected that his immediate pursuers would be going in the opposite direction he was. Even if they didn’t take the bait, Amon had changed the color of his eyes and his clothes a second time. The Central Continent was not small, and the Rift Cities made it incredibly hard to follow someone that didn’t want to be followed.

Feeling his wild heartbeats slowing down, he controlled the expression on his face and read the notice with faked interest. There, he saw some basic information about him, his cultivation level as well as the accusation of treason and manslaughter. 

Treason, eh? He knew it was coming. Ever since he saw Lloyd Kressler showing up in the Hellblaze Secret World he knew he would be implicated. The fact that he had run away, leaving his comrades behind only made things worse, and Lawrence Meyer had hammered the last nail in the coffin. No, rather than that, Amon had done so himself when he used Raven to-

His hands shook, and he felt himself gritting his teeth. Damn, he cursed inwardly, closing his eyes and trying to control his expressions. When he opened them again, his gaze was blank.

With a perfectly calm demeanor, he gave a glance to the other notices on the board, and one, in particular, caught his eye. A handsome man that looked to be in his late teens or early twenties had a cocky smile on his face. It was such arrogance that it almost made one forget the man’s bright silver eyes and his dark, iridescent blue hair.

Derek Tyrell, the former inheriting disciple of the Storm Peak Sect. Twenty years-old, at the threshold of the elemental core stage. Crimes of manslaughter and treason; killed two Inner Sect disciples at the elemental purification stage by himself. Approach with caution. Believed to be in the company of Clarice Aria. Bounty of twenty high-grade elemental crystals if found alive, and a reward of ten high-grade elemental crystals for any information that leads to his capture.

Derek Tyrell… Amon vaguely remembered Alden Bren asking where Derek and a few other Inner Sect disciples of the Storm Peak Sect were when their delegation arrived for the Hellblaze Trials. So it turns out something like that had happened…

It was suspicious no matter how Amon looked at it. If anything, he felt that Derek’s situation was very similar to his, though he had absolutely no proof to sustain his gut feeling. Either way, it didn’t matter. If anything this notice showed that the situation in Storm Peak might be just chaotic enough for him to slip through the cracks.

He turned away and left. From Erlon, that was in the southeast of the Central Continent, he would need to travel on foot to the northeast, reaching the port city of Ryden. Amon had no intentions at all of taking another rift to reach the Eastern Continent. If anything, going the slow way might be safer in the off chance his pursuers suspected he was going East. It was easier to keep an eye in the Rift Cities than to find a single boat amongst hundreds or thousands that sailed between the continents every day, after all.

---

Looking from above, Hell’s Keeper City was nothing like when looked from the ground level. The Ashen Heart tree’s crown covered the major plaza like a beautiful dome of silver and the blue lights placed atop the building of the city gave the gloom a faint blue hue, which Jake actually found very pleasant. From atop the highest strata of structures built in the hollow of Hell’s Keeper Mountain, he gazed the city quietly. 

“Hmph.” His short black hair framed a somewhat round face, and his slightly chubby figure and short limbs made the young Jake Meyer look very cute whenever he harrumphed and tried to look aloof, raising his chin and closing his eyes.

By his side, Lars Borgin coughed. Donning his usual red robes and having Crimsonroar strapped to his back, the Sect Master of the Abyss Sect looked very imposing despite his small stature. He had his lips tightly pursed, but the glimmer in his eyes betrayed the laughter he wanted to let loose.

“This is a very nice view, isn’t it?” Lars spoke with a mild tone, looking at the child by his side.

“Yeah! But why did you bring me here, mister Sect Master?” Jake asked, looking a bit confused.

“From now on you can just call me master.” Lars declared, looking back down again and sitting on the edge of the structure, with his legs hanging loosely dozens of meters above the ground.

“I don’t understand.” Jake’s frowned, and Lars realized he was sulking.

“What is there to not understand?” He asked softly.

“Why did you choose me and not my brother? He is much, muuuuch smarter than I am. He is also very, very strong! The other day he grabbed me with one hand and put me on his shoulder and he didn’t even look tired!” Jake turned to Lars, sitting by his side and spreading his arms as much as he could. “He is this strong! No, maybe even more!”

“Well… I didn’t pick your brother because he lacks something you have almost too much of. Strength had nothing to do with it.”

“Then can’t I give him some of what I have?” Jake asked with bright, pleading eyes.

Lars was taken aback by that simple, innocent question. 

“Unfortunately, no.” He said after he managed to recollect himself.

 “Is this why he isn’t home anymore? Does he hate me? Did I do something bad?” Jake’s voice trembled, and tears welled in his eyes. 

“That’s not true.” Lars put a hand over the small boy’s back, trying his best to comfort him. “Never, ever think that. Your brother loves you very much, you can be sure of that.”

“Then why can’t he come home? Why can’t I go see him? Father said he didn’t want to live with us anymore, and that he would hurt me if I tried to find him.”

For fucks sake, Lawrence, what are you doing? Lar’s expression stiffened for a moment, but soon he regained his composure. He had no idea that a simple talk with Jake would have him choosing each word carefully.

“Your father understood things wrong. I am sure your mother can explain to you properly.”

“Mother is not around either. Father said she was going on a small trip.” Jake shook his small head.

“Sigh. Well, as your master you have to believe everything I say, right? Your father must have told you so.” Lawrence tried desperately to find his way out of the topic.

“He did.” Jake nodded.

“Then believe me when I say your brother doesn’t hate you at all. One day I’m sure you will be able to see him again, and I’m sure he will be very happy about it.”

“But father...”

“If you get strong enough I am sure your father won’t mind it.”

“Is that true?” Jake threw himself into Lars’ back, almost jumping in happiness.

“Absolutely. But for that you have to all I say and cultivate properly, do you understand?” Lars couldn’t hide his smile this time, turning to grab Jake and make sure he was nowhere close the edge of the structure.

“Yes!” Jake shouted eagerly.

“Good, then first I’ll tell you why it is important to cultivate here, in that room right behind us and nowhere else.” Lars gave a small sigh of relief when he managed to bring the conversation back to the direction he wanted.

“It’s something about qi, right? Father talks about it all the time.”

“Yes. You see, the Ashen Heart tree might look like a big, beautiful tree, but it is actually a very complex artifact.” Lars explained. “It is the reason that our fields and crops are so rich in qi, and why it is far better to cultivate in the Inner Sect than outside.”

“Eh?” Jake cocked his head, a bit confused.

Lars scratched his head, trying to think of a better way to explain it to a child.

“Erm, the Ashen Heart tree is a magic tree. It is because of it that the Abyss Sect is the way it is. So cultivating inside the mountain is better than outside.”

“Oh!” 

“Yes. You see, the leaves of the tree are shiny because they are filled with qi. You can’t see it now, but there is an absurd amount of- cough, a lot of qi pouring down from the sky, entering through the opening above us, and being absorbed by the tree. The tree itself attracts qi to it, and the majority of it comes from the sky.”

“Why does it need so much qi?”

“Well… Let’s say it eats a lot. It is a very, very big tree, even bigger than it looks like from the outside. It needs a lot of qi to work properly. And whatever qi is left, it expels on the soil through its roots. Over time all the soil around the mountain and even the air itself became rich in qi too, which is why our crops are of a much higher quality than anywhere else in the world. Even the Broken Forest, that has an unnaturally high concentration of qi doesn’t come close to-” 

Lars stopped himself midway, seeing how Jake was cocking his head again.

“Well, anyway, that tree is very important to us. And the best place to cultivate in this whole sect is right where we are. All the qi the tree attracts from the sky passes through here. So we have a whole lot of pure qi all around us to cultivate with. When you reach elemental purification you just need to enter a cultivation room related to your own element and the formation array will- erm, when you are stronger you can enter a red room and cultivate there.”

“I think I understand it.” Jake gave a small nod.

“You do?” Lars was actually surprised.

“Yeah. But why does the qi come from the sky?”

Another simple question and Lars was taken aback again.

“I am not sure,” Lars admitted with a frown. “Where our sect is is a very special place. As for why, I don’t know. No one does. Maybe someone knew centuries ago, but not anymore.”

“Alright.” Jake looked down again, gazing intently at the silvery leaves of the Ashen Heart tree with renewed interest. 

“Remember this, Jake. The Ashen Heart tree is important. Without it the sect won’t ever be the same, so when it is your turn to be at my place, you have to look after it properly.”

“I know… Without it, I won’t be able to get strong fast. Without it, I won’t be able to see Daniel sooner.” Jake muttered in a voice so soft Lars wasn’t sure he was meant to hear it.

---

Jake Meyer woke up suddenly, with eyes filled with tears. His vision was scrambled, and his body ached terribly. He tried his best to move around, but even breathing ached enough to make him want to pass out again. An unnerving sizzling sound echoed from his mouth whenever he tried to gasp for air, and something warm made his way to his throat.

Coughing desperately, Jake felt a metallic taste spreading through his mouth as something trickling down from his lips.  Forcing himself to move his head even an inch higher and bearing the pain, he looked down. The white quilt that covered his chest was stained with a deep red, and he could feel its warmth as it seeped through the cloth and touched his skin.

It looks like wine, he thought, before his vision spun. He could faintly hear the sound of hurried steps, and maybe even an urgent voice, but he couldn’t discern any of it. Please, don’t let me sleep again. He pleaded desperately in his head as his consciousness faded away and his mouth was filled with blood.  I don’t want to dream anymore.