In the midst of this mystical and surreal situation, it was hard to believe that it was all happening for real.
"Let's get back on track now, Astraius," Harmony said, her tone gently chiding, as she turned her attention towards Alliana. "My apologies for Astraius's antics. The agent who developed this thesis can be rather... I guess the right term is 'playful'?"
"Psychokinesis can indeed be an interesting specialization," Alliana replied, and I watched as Astraius floated over towards us.
"It can be fun, but it can also be demanding," Astraius explained with a small smile. "However, being able to control and manipulate energy can be incredibly useful, especially when dealing with assertive customers." She raised her hands, and the room's lights flickered on. "Though it may not be the flashiest specialization, it's often seen as a valuable support tool for Team Leaders during critical tasks."
"Yeah, having an SME with that ability would be a great asset," Alliana agreed. "But its effectiveness would depend on the type of TL the SME works with."
"Indeed," Harmony concurred as she approached me with her customary smile. "You don't have to make a decision right now, SME. We still have a few more specializations to explore, bu—"
"If you decide to go with the Justitia Thesis, I'd be more than happy to endorse you to Harmony!" Astraius interrupted with enthusiasm.
"Indeed, but for now, let's move on. There are a few more spec—" Before Harmony could finish her sentence, the metal floors in the room suddenly lifted from the ground, twisting into a spiral shape. I took a step back in surprise, and I saw Alliana exchange a look with Astraius, who raised her hand and grinned.
"That's just one of the things you could do as an SME if you choose this specialization," Astraius said with excitement. "Now, imagine if you could do that to a hu—"
"Astraius!" Harmony cut her off sharply, scolding her colleague. Astraius simply laughed and moved her hand again, effortlessly reshaping the metal flooring and returning it to the ground as if nothing had happened.
"Impressive," I heard my TL whisper. "That's MagicPerformax's budget at work."
Exiting the room, the three of us continued our walk along the seemingly endless corridor. Occasionally, I noticed Harmony pausing and looking at one of the rooms for a few seconds before resuming our journey. After a while, she turned toward my TL.
"TL Willingford, I've heard some news about how operations are being treated—" Harmony began.
"You don't need to worry about that, Harmony," Alliana gently interrupted her with a small smile. "Whatever gossip you're hearing about operations, it's best for you to disregard it."
"But the disrespect that they're—"
"You really don't need to concern yourself with it, as I said," Alliana insisted, her voice firm this time, and she turned to me. "I'm sorry, Vaughn. Harmony and I used to be on the same team back when she was an active TL, so she tends to want to catch up. You know, the Arcanae Halls are quite far from operations."
"I see," I replied to Alliana, who grinned while looking at Harmony. Harmony sighed and turned to the right, opening the door in front of her. As I stepped inside, an unpleasant odor of burning stone and decayed flesh assaulted my senses. Harmony raised her hands, conjuring a gust of wind that spread throughout the room and dispelled the smell.
"That spell," a deep voice rumbled from inside the room. Upon entering, I found myself in a surprisingly spacious cavern-like area that resembled the terrain near volcanoes. Whether it was a simulation, a conjured space, or something else entirely, I couldn't be sure. As I ventured further inside, several flames suddenly erupted from the ground, causing me to take a step back. My TL quickly caught me, and with a simple gesture, she extinguished the flames. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a dangling diamond earring on her right ear, emitting a faint green glow.
"Hell's fire?" she exclaimed, turning to Harmony. "What's-"
"Yes, TL Willingford. You're correct," Harmony confirmed. "As MagicPerformax continues to innovate to assist our customers, the Arcanae Research and Development division has tapped into various sources of power, including those from the underworld. Ambitious demons, instead of being viewed solely as a threat to humanity, are seen differently by the management."
"No, there's no way," Alliana gasped as she stepped deeper into the cavern. I heard the dull clinking of chains and spotted a towering figure at the far end of the room.
"Lydia allowed this?" Alliana asked in disbelief as Harmony stepped beside her and raised her hand, illuminating the area and revealing the chained demon—a massive, fiery entity with one of its horns broken off.
"The Ruina Thesis, TL Willingford, SME," Harmony declared as the chained demon emitted a low growl.
"The Ruina Thesis?" I echoed Harmony's words as she nodded in confirmation. "Yes. If the Justitia Thesis is experimental, only a select few are authorized to pursue this specialization," Harmony explained as she stepped forward and gazed up at the chained demon.
"I never expected the management to allow demonic influence within the Arcanae Halls," Alliana mumbled, shaking her head. "But if it's done right, it could be incredibly powerful and useful."
"Indeed," Harmony agreed. "With the age of re-exploration, heroes have uncovered new lands and civilizations. Our Quality Assurance data has shown that some of these discoveries have demonic aspects. Rather than exterminating these creatures, the management decided to explore how we could use them to benefit our clients, leading to the creation of the Ruina Thesis."
Alliana voiced the question that had been on my mind. "How does it even work? Will the SME have access to hell's fire or something?"
"It's not quite like that, TL Willingford," Harmony replied calmly. "The Ruina Thesis focuses on the concept of summoning and controlling creatures of fire and death for the SME's purposes."
"But wouldn't that be taxing on the SME?" Alliana continued to voice her concerns.
"It can be taxing, indeed," Harmony admitted, "but if an SME is selected to specialize in Ruina, we have measures in place to ensure a manageable experience."
"Pleasant?" Alliana let out a nervous chuckle while looking up at the chained demon. "I'm not so sure about that. What do you think, Vaughn?"
