“I need you, Miss and Mr. Nightingale to go to the Opal Sun Kingdom right away. It will take a day for Mr. Nastur to mobilize his task force which means we have at least 24 hours lead to reach the Helians,” Markus explained.

“You want us to bring back the Helians and Theo? That is quite a tall order, Markus,” said Sam with a grimace on his face.

“Well, I didn’t say it would be easy.”

“But if we did bring them back here, then what?” Lucy asked as she shifted uncomfortably in her place. “Even if the Empyreans can prove their innocence, Thomas seems pretty adamant to sacrifice the life of one person just to keep the residents of the Opal Sun at bay.”

"The old man won't do that, right? I mean…he can be a jerk sometimes, but he's not THAT cruel?" Rupert retorted, hoping the lady in black would agree with him. Unfortunately for the elder Nightingale, his notion was quickly overturned by Marie's wagging head.

"Sadly, Mr. Nightingale, if you think Thomas is above being cruel, then you are gravely mistaken," Marie's emerald eyes soon dropped to the floor as she quietly constructed the next sentences in her mind. "The man was born and raised during a turbulent period in Discordania's history; second only to the Great Cataclysm. Furthermore, there was also The Usurpation - a misfortune that further exacerbated his paranoia and trust issues."

"Ah, The Usurpation. Never thought I'll be hearing that term again," Rupert exhaled loudly.

"It happened a long time ago. Everyone had already moved on from that terrible incident - so, why shouldn't that old grump do the same?" Lucy uttered before hearing heavy footsteps approaching her from behind. The trio turned around and saw Markus scowling and standing with both hands on his hips.

"Why you asked?" Markus calmly inquired, prompting his former apprentices to stare intently at him. "The leader of The Usurpation; he was Thomas's former student and a close friend of mine. Treated the guy like his own son, that old man did - his pride and joy."

"Ian Kestrel was his name, right? Rumor has it that he was originally the next in line for the Faceless Lord position," said Sam.

Even though he had already anticipated the question, Markus couldn't help but grumble in return, "The rumor is indeed true Mr. Edelweiss. He was supposed to usher the Order into a new age of peace; until he rebelled against the previous Council of Eight."

"Rebelled?" Marie let out a short laugh. "Come on now, Markus. There’s no need to sugarcoat the truth. Ian Kestrel murdered Thomas's predecessor - effectively throwing the Order into complete disarray. Not to mention he foolishly declared war on the Opal Sun Kingdom for refusing to support him in his ill-fated revolt. In short, that man nearly obliterated us, no offense."

"None was taken, Miss Strelitzia. Actually, you summed up what happened perfectly."

"Thank you. So, getting back to our previous discussion – what do you intend to do after I sent these three to the eastern continent? I hope you’re not trying to do something that could jeopardize our relationship with the Opal Sun Kingdom?" Marie smiled as she leaned her back against the wall, her curiosity piqued.

“Of course not," Markus responded, shaking his head from left to right. “I’m going to the Citadel instead. I have a few friends there and hopefully, with a bit of luck, I may find some evidence that could exempt the Empyreans from their punishment, or at the very least, reduce the severity of their sentences.”

"Oh, dear. Why do I get this feeling that you're going to break the rule again?" Marie remarked, her lips curved downward.

"That's because he IS planning to break the rule again," Sam asserted, and his claim was instantly confirmed when Markus darted his head around suspiciously - making sure there was no eavesdropper in the vicinity.

"It won't be breaking the rules if it is done discreetly,” Markus remarked, smiling from ear to ear. “Miss Strelitzia, is there a way to transport people to the Land of the Opal Sun without alerting the security system?"

Marie's head tilted toward the floor, quietly mulling over Markus's request. "There is, but you'll have to give me a day."

"Very well. You three," Markus shifted his attention to his former apprentices. "Just like I said earlier, I want you to investigate the whereabouts of Jason and the others. Use force, if necessary, but please do not kill them. We need them alive and in one piece if we're to prove their innocence."

"Hm, sounds easy enough," replied Rupert while casually scratching his chin.

"Except that Daedalus will be a bit testy of our unexpected visit," Lucy continued.

"You don't need to worry about the Chief Consul. I’m sure he’ll be a bit busy settling affairs with the people of the Edge," Marie reassured the siblings.

“Deploying inexperienced fighters to go against the Empyreans; are you sure that's a good idea?" Sam asked as he glowered at Markus. “The last time you did that, we nearly got ourselves buried six feet under.”

"I know what you're thinking, but due to the current time constraint, it's the only plan I could come up with, and the three of you are the only ones I could count on.”

"Then, we're expecting a hefty reward in return: my clearance to the Archive and the answers to their questions," Sam swiftly countered, pointing his thumb at the Nightingales.

"Questions?" said Markus, glancing at the siblings. "I see. You are still searching for that man after all these years. Look, I'm not trying to dissuade you or anything, but it's been almost a decade, and there hasn't been a single sighting of this person with the Black Fire."

"No, he's not dead, if that’s what you meant," Lucy responded sternly before squeezing her pulsing right shoulder. "I'm sure of it."

"And then, what? You're going to avenge your parents? Even if you found him, you have no idea the kind of power he wields. Haven't I taught you that charging blindly into the battlefield is like offering your life freely to the blades of your enemies?"

"Oh, I appreciate all the lessons you gave me; I really do. However, that still doesn't change the fact that the murderer is still out there - escaping justice."

"Justice," Markus shook his head in disbelief. " That aside, I'll see what I can do about the 'man with the Black Fire'. I only ask that you don't get your hopes up. Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes, sir?" the trio replied simultaneously with perplexed looks on their faces.

"Come to The Forge later in the evening. I’ve instructed Mr. Lilium to begin making your new Core Blades."

"Ah, finally! I've been waiting for this for a long time!" Rupert grinned cheerfully.

"Your enthusiasm is understandable, Mr. Nightingale. However, the Coalescence is not to be taken lightly - every step - from the beginning to the end is crucial to ensure the longevity and the resilience of your Core Blades," Markus calmly elucidated. Seconds later, he lifted his right index finger and said, "One wrong move and you will have to start over - that, I don't recommend you do."

"Huh? Why?" the elder Nightingale uttered with his arching eyebrows.

"Wait, you didn't know?" Lucy mouthed. "In order to forge our new weapons, we need to infuse some of our life essences into the Core Blades. The only way to do that is…um…by dipping our bare hands into the molten Spider Core."

"Oh…wait. W-What!?"

qs********************************************

||| THE PATH OF THE EMPYREANS |||

[Meanwhile…]

[The Edge, Opal Sun Kingdom]

Laying his back on the grassy ground, Rudolph took a few short breaths as the chill spread throughout his body. The old soldier slowly tilted his head to the right; his tired eyes glaring at the Lacerator's corpse impaled by his sword. He then pressed his hands against his bleeding stomach, slashed open by the monster next to him.

'This is it,' Rudolph thought. He had expected his life to end on the battlefield but under better circumstances. Shortly after, the wounded man heard light footsteps approaching him, followed by sinister-sounding laughter.

"Poor, poor Rudolph. Felled by the weakest of them all," Jason(?) scoffed the old soldier. "I can save you, you know? You just have to tell me the location of the Royal Crypt."

"Even if I tell you about that place, what's stopping you from killing me afterward? So, thanks for your offer."

"Huh, you Opal Sun soldiers sure are living up to your reputation - stubborn...and doltish. Two traits that are also possessed by your beloved king," said the prince, causing Rudolph to glower in return.

"Then, you should be aware...that his children also carried those same attributes. Sooner or later, they will break free from the spell you cast on them...and there will be a reckoning," Rudolph smiled triumphantly despite his waning strength.

"Perhaps there will," replied Jason(?), shortly before pushing Rudolph's hands aside to see the extent of the elderly man's injury. The prince smirked as if he was entranced by the sight of warm, red blood spouting out of the soldier's perforated belly. "Unfortunately, you won't be around to see it," Jason continued, carefully slipping his fingers into the puncture wound. Rudolph gasped; his body twitched as the sharp pain intensified and overwhelmed his other senses. "Ooh, is that your liver? Or perhaps, your pancreas?"

A few unintelligible words escaped Rudolph's chapped lips - and then, there was total silence. Jason(?) yanked his hand out of the soldier's body - his tangerine eyes were fixated on the blood dripping from his fingers. "Do you see this, Your Radiance? This good fellow's death is on you," the prince(?) snickered menacingly.

||| THE END OF THE PATH OF THE EMPYREANS |||

**qs******************************************

[Four hours later…]

[Training Hall, Tower of Nexus]

After taking a deep breath, Sam stretched his right arm out with his palm facing the ceiling. A tiny ball of orange fire soon manifested over his hand; it hovered and flickered for a fleeting moment before turning into a puff of smoke. "Damn it," the man murmured, shaking his head in frustration.

"Almost got it, my dude," said Rupert as he patted his friend on the back.

"Just because you were able to do it the first time, it doesn't mean you need to rub it in my face," Sam ranted before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Perhaps you were subconsciously being too cautious of your ability," said Lucy. "Compared to my Hydrokinesis and my brother's Aerokinesis, Pyrokinesis is considered one of the most difficult powers to master. Use too little stamina, and you'll end up with a weak ass flame; use too rashly, and you'll end up burning yourself to a crisp. For a Doomsday-level ability, one must not only perform an expansive area of effect attack, but they also need to make sure they didn't harm themselves in the process.""

"Oh, I see - now, wait a second. I thought being a Pyrokinetic makes you impervious to flame," Rupert remarked.

"I wish that was the case," Sam grumbled. "But, my body can only tolerate up to about 1200°C - more than that, and I will get a first-degree burn. I know - it's ironic, but it is what it is." Then, the vermillion-eyed man wiped the soot sticking to his palm - preparing himself for the next attempt. He straightened his hand out, and a ball of fire instantly appeared, albeit much more stable than earlier. A tiny smile appeared across Sam's face as a wave of satisfaction swept over him - until the flaming ball grew bigger on its own.

"Uh, what are you doing?" asked Rupert as he stared nervously at the enlarging fireball.

"I...I don't know!" Sam gritted his teeth as he waved his hand around - trying to extinguish the scathing flame - but his effort was all in vain. The flame continued to increase in size; its color changed from deep orange to bright white.

"Hold on," muttered Lucy as she snapped her finger, conjuring up a jet of cool water from thin air. A loud sizzle was heard as the blue stream hit the bright fireball - generating clouds of steam that gradually filled the Training Hall. "What the...?" the female Nightingale gawked as the flaming orb slowly rose into the air, seemingly unfazed by her action.

"Wait, do you guys see that?" Rupert commented, pointing toward the floating flame. Sam and Lucy shifted their attention toward the fireball, their eyes narrowed. They initially didn't see anything except for the undulating white tendrils. Seconds later, a silhouette appeared on the surface of the flame - a faint image of a hooded man holding a shortsword in his right hand.

"Is this...a vision?" Lucy's question broke the silence.

"Or perhaps a vestige from a forgotten past," Sam added.

The mysterious figure turned around to face the trio, and a breathy voice slipped out from underneath the hood, 'Do not look so surprised. You should have seen this one coming.'

At first, the trio thought the silhouette was talking to them - that was until they heard a male voice angrily respond, 'We are not executioners! We don't go around deciding who lives or who dies! Our job is to eradicate the Distorted - not starting a fucking genocide!'

'Has it ever crossed your mind what fate will befall us after we complete our mission? Will we be revered as the saviors of mankind, or be hunted like those monsters?'

'Again with this nonsensical claim? What concrete evidence do you have that convinced you they will turn on us? None, correct? You're justifying your whimsical action based on a hunch!'

The hooded figure shook his head, grunting as if he was disappointed by the prior response. 'Hope has blinded you, my brother. Humans; It is in their nature to fear the unknown, especially when it is something they couldn't control - like us.'

'So, the most sensible answer you can come up with is to kill those innocent villagers? Really? And why are you talking so strangely? Have you forgotten the fact that we are nothing more than mere mortals ourselves?'

'Don't get me wrong, I do not deny that we will one day perish and be returned to Mother Earth. I'm only questioning why we need to risk our lives defending those who will eventually antagonize us?'

'You are only assuming that. As a matter of fact, you have only sealed our fate when you drove that sword into your first victim.'

'Then, join me - stand by my side, just like the way I stood by yours when we fought against those Distorted together.'

Suddenly, the image of the two men faded away, followed by the white flame gradually shrinking in size. Then, the ball of fire disappeared with a tiny pop.

"What...what the hell was that?' Rupert stammered, still taken aback by the phenomenon.

"A memory, but not of mine," Sam returned - his expression was a mix between distraught and confusion.

"Sam? Are you alright?" asked Lucy concerningly.

"No, I'm not. I'm getting tired of these visions. All they do is raise more questions instead of answering them," the vermillion-eyed man exclaimed. Sam crouched down to the floor, scowling. He felt like he had been running around in circles since his first encounter with the Veiled Lady.

Lucy carefully took her place next to the troubled man and, with a gentle voice, said, "Perhaps the things I'm going to say will not bring you solace, but my mom used to say: 'The heavens work in a way our limited mind couldn't comprehend. I was five when she first uttered those words; truth be told, I didn't quite understand what she was trying to tell me. But, after what happened in the Disciples of the Vidia's lair; how you snapped Lizzy out of her frenzy - I believe there is a good reason you're getting those visions - a reason that we might not yet understand."

"I appreciate it, Lucy. Unfortunately, I have no interest in 'discovering my true destiny'. All I want is to find out who I really am and where I came from - no more, no less," Sam calmly replied before getting to his feet. The female Nightingale followed suit shortly after, letting out a heavy sigh in the process.

"Fine," said Lucy as her azure eyes darted toward the clock on the wall. "Come. I think it's time for us to visit the Forge."