The light glowed a deep purple, flooding the room with a light that made the shadows tremble and quiver. The power in the attack almost made me gasp out loud, my head heavy as the pressure in the room deepened.
But I wasn’t looking at Arvas and Kren. My eyes were locked on Emily and the Soul Drainer in her hand. Immediately after Kren released his attack, I also unfurled. I flung myself at her, my body spilling blue-white light.
Emily turned too late. She spun the Soul Drainer, her face etched in surprise. A giant arc of essence spun forward, so big it filled her vision. She threw the Soul Drainer to the side and reached for her weapon. Golden light lifted from it and rushed to meet the essence, the two clashing in a ripple of force that cracked the ground.
I landed close to her but ignored her as I rushed for the artifact. She raised her weapon, her eyes filled with anger at the cheap trick, but she got no chance to use it.
Shadows twisted and spun crazily as purple essence blasted through the room with the force of a whirlwind. The ground shook, and stones fell from the ceiling.
I flinched as I saw debris fall on the Soul Drainer and crush some of the dolls, but that didn’t slow me down, not even the thought of those who might already be dead from it. I picked up the surprisingly light artifact and spun in Emily’s direction, holding it in a threatening way.
She had already recovered from the shock of Kren’s attack and was advancing on me, but she froze when she heard me.
"If you come closer, then I’ll break this!"
I was breathing hard, but my green eyes were steady. "Don’t come any closer."
I’d thought about it and knew this was the only leverage I had. I wasn’t going to win in a one-on-one fight with a Knight rank who knew about my advantages with essence.
"Bring that. You know you are going to die either way," Emily said flatly.
My hand tightened. I’d calculated the odds and was sure of it. My chance of survival was slim, but it was still a chance, and I was going to take it. "Don’t come closer," I repeated.
Light footsteps echoed in the room, followed by a chuckle. Kren said lightly, "We are not going to kill him, Emily. But I wonder if he’s going to kill all the people held by the Soul Drainer. Are you really going to kill them?" He sounded curious.
I looked at the Soul Drainer in my hand, at the dolls, some crushed, some ripped away. I then looked at the frozen people, at Tiber and Syla. At Taiwo. And I answered without any hesitation. "Yes, I will do it if it means that I’ll live."
Kren paused and then smiled faintly, showing teeth made of shadows. "I should have suspected that. You didn’t even bother with the disappearance of that one."
I picked up on it immediately and wasn’t that surprised. "You kidnapped Kade? Did you kill him as well?"
Kren shrugged. "Not me. Arvas did, and he even planted some clues in Kade’s room for you to follow and lure you out. But unfortunately, you don’t give a shit about him and didn’t even check his room. How cold of you, Vale."
I didn’t bat an eye. "He’s not a friend. I have none. Tell me what you plan to do, Kren."
The man adjusted his glasses, something he didn’t need to do but did anyway. "I’ll not kill you, and don’t forget that. You are alive now because I plan not to kill you."
That made me twitch. I clenched my jaw, and my eyes darkened. I felt as if my father was looking down at me with those cold, emotionless eyes of his—as if I was nothing but a little shit clinging to his leg.
Kren continued. "But before that, congratulations. You are among the few with the Forbidden Mark to gain the opportunity of help from... my organization. We help those with the Forbidden Mark gain their powers."
I didn’t feel surprised by any of this anymore. What I felt was shame and humiliation. It made blood rush to my head and my eyes twitch. I realized now that since I got to the Borderlands, I’d been played.
"How long have you known that I have the Forbidden Mark?"
"Just when you got here, of course! Sorry, I meant three years ago. All this was prepared for you since then. Don’t you like it? Look at the workers, patiently waiting for you to sacrifice them. Everything here is for you!" Kren smiled.
I felt like ripping the man’s mouth away. Instead, I held the Soul Drainer even closer and began to feel it out with my essence. ’I thought I got out of my father’s thumb, but there’s someone out there who’s been playing my life for me? A pawn on a board. An organization that can go this far..’
"What do you want from me?" I demanded flatly. If anyone took an interest in something, then they definitely wanted something from it.
"A weapon. You Forbidden Mark Knights are always powerful if trained right and free from the taint of corruption. Your powers are born of it, but you must be free from corruption. Only then can you be a weapon.
"A wave is coming to the Eternal Skies, and you will be one of those used. Don’t you want that? To be a central figure in the new age that will be forged!" Kren spread his hands wide.
’There’s a way to be free of the corruption and madness that comes with the Forbidden Mark? I can advance and gain power? This is everything I want. Which is why it’s too good to be true. There is something he’s not telling me’
"And what will be the price I will pay for all this? Your organization didn’t go this far for no gain, right? What will the price be?"