An awkward silence filled the spacious study. Only the rhythmic sound of footsteps occasionally broke the silence.
Damien stopped pacing the room to glare at the dark-haired man who sat on an opulent sofa before him. The three other men awkwardly looked at different spots in space, like something interesting had appeared.
"Self-restraint, Marcus, self-restraint, do you not know the meaning of the word?"
"Words, you mean, they're two words," Marcus said, raising two fingers.
Damien pinched his nose in frustration.
" And you, Conrad, that display of violence was uncalled for."
Conrad was lazily lounging on a couch.
His signature sunglasses were back in place.
"I apologize, my Lord, but I couldn't help myself when this moronic buffoon dared to suspect us of foul play once his master disappeared. He dared to blame us for his incompetence."
"Well, it was suspicious enough that the head of the Snow family suddenly disappeared on foreign territory."
Conrad lowered his sunglasses quietly, his dark eyes piercing him with an icy glare.
" I dare you to say that again."
Mordric snarled.
"Enough!"
Why do I even bother?" Damien sat back down behind his desk.
Damien closed his eyes, taking a few breaths to calm himself.
" What's the purpose of your visit, Marcus?"
" Can't I visit just to check on my dear friend?"
Damien regarded him with a cold, indifferent gaze.
" Come on, don't be like that, alright, fine."
Marcus's entire demeanor changed; his voice took on a sharper and colder edge.
" I came to discuss the deal with the Praesagius."
The atmosphere in the room immediately shifted. Conrad straightened in his seat, piercing Damien with a cold gaze.
" You struck a deal with the talented?"
Damien leaned back in his chair, calmly returning his gaze. A tense silence filled the room.
" Yes," Damien calmly replied. " We did. The Council of Assassins was against the idea at first, but we deliberated that it would be wise to put the past behind us."
A sharp crunching sound echoed through the room, breaking the silence.
Splinters fell to the floor from what was left of the armrest of Conrad's chair.
Luke coldly regarded him, his irises glinting with a hint of amusement.
Fury marred his features. His hand gripped the remainder of the armrest. His body trembled with unbridled rage.
" You would consider an alliance with those ....people. After what they did? After what they did to me and countless others?"
Damien stood up and walked to the glass door that stood behind his desk. His reflection stared back at him. His grey eyes did not betray any emotion as he spoke.
"I know your pain, Conrad, we all do. And it's exactly because of that that we must continue down this path." The other men nodded in quiet assent.
" The younger generation should not continue down this path of ignorance and war." He said softly.
After a few moments, his grey eyes hardened resolutely. He turned, regarding Conrad with an icy glare.
" The Council made its decision, and I'll stand by it. The talented will join the Pyreptar academy so that our two factions can learn to work together."
Conrad sighed in defeat and quietly slumped back in his chair.
" We predicted the older generation would react like you just did, that's why we will start with the younger generation. As long as they can learn to stand side by side, they'll be able to overcome whatever troubles the distant future brings together."
The future might not be as distant as we think." Marcus said grimly.
"What do you mean by that?"
" One of Praesagius' elite commanders was recently injured in a skirmish with someone they believe was an assassin, an exceptionally powerful one at that."
" Was the operative killed?" Luke asked sharply.
" No, one of their powerhouses, Victoria Goodison, intervened before he could finish off the operative."
A brief silence filled the room before Marcus spoke.
" What about the boy, Morgan? Do you think he's ready yet? "
" I'm afraid I'm not the right person to answer that question," Damien said, taking his seat.
" Luke?"
"I think he's still green, but he's awake now."
" Are you sure?"
" I saw it today as he fought. I had him spar with one of our new mundane recruits, Frederick Weiner.
" I saw it too," Marcus spoke quietly.
Luke frowned.
" How long were you watching us for?
" Marcus grinned.
"Quite a while, I used an artifact to cloak myself from your acute perception. But that's beside the point. I saw Morgan awaken. It was for a brief instant, but his movements and speed dramatically changed. I think that should be enough to give him an advantage over the rest."
Damien closed his eyes in quiet contemplation.
Mordric, who had been quiet the entire time, suddenly spoke up.
" How about we ask the boy himself?"
All eyes in the room turned to him.
" What?"
Marcus smiled in amusement.
"I think that's the most sensible thing you've said all day."
***
Morgan was flabbergasted by the scene of destruction he found in the training hall and what was left of the dojo.
Earlier, a massive explosion had rocked the building just as they reached the entrance to the Nexus chamber.
When they reached the entrance, He placed his palm on the biometric pad, and the large reinforced door rose, granting them access. He had quickly helped Frederick get into a Nexus tube before tinkering with the controls to bring the tube online.
Over time, he had become acquainted with the sophisticated controls during the several trips he had made to the chamber after Luke's brutal training sessions.
"Do you think Luke and that man from earlier are fighting?"
The dark recovery liquid rose, stopping at Frederick's waist, so he had no problem replying.
" I have no idea, kid." He said in a dark tone.
"The first series of explosions came from outside the dojo, so it's unlikely that those two would fight, at least from what I could gather. That man also didn't seem to be here for a conflict."
He groaned then shuddered visibly, breathing a sigh of relief as the Nexus liquid seeped into his wounds. The wounds began to heal at a visible rate.
Morgan donned a full-body suit and then stepped into a Nexus tube of his own.
The fluid flowed up around engulfing his body. He gasped from the shock of feeling his teeth suddenly regenerate in his mouth. The fluid washed away the blood, absorbing it and cleansing his body of the dirt and grime.
"It's highly possible. That man, Marcus, mentioned ditching his entourage. Said entourage could be the cause behind the explosions."
Frederick suddenly went quiet.
" What's wrong?"
Frederick cast him a dark look.
" I simply don't like groping blindly in the dark. I'm quite new to this world. Men that can move faster than the eye can see, lift objects many times their size, it's quite frightening, you see, trusting my life to strangers, people I hardly know," He said in a somber tone.
" I lived my entire life in ignorance, and I probably would have died ignorant. I can't say whether it was a blessing or a curse."
Morgan sighed, then stepped out of the Nexus tube, slowly flexing his fingers.
"You and I both. Luke's probably got it covered, even if it's an attack from another family, in which case, it doesn't change anything. We still don't know what we're dealing with, but I'm sure Luke and the others have a contingency plan for this kind of situation."
The building violently shook a few more times, but the reinforced walls of the chamber held.
The duo slowly made their way out of the Nexus chamber as the tremors subsided.
What met them was a scene of pure devastation.
A massive crater lay in the center of the training hall. The gaping hole stood where the wall should have been. Giant slabs of rock and debris lay scattered in the courtyard. The remainder of the dojo was in an equally sorry state.
Rebecca suddenly appeared at what was supposed to be the entrance to the dojo. Morgan and Frederick leapt back in surprise. She strode towards them in measured steps.
Frederick muttered a curse as he recognized her.
"What the hell happened here?"
She spared him an amused glance.
" Conrad," She said quietly, looking at Morgan.
" Conrad happened."
Morgan's eyes widened in shock.
" You mean Conrad did this? This place looks like it got hit by a tsunami."
Rebecca regarded him calmly.
" This is what happens when a maestro goes on a rampage," she said in an even tone.
Morgan's mind drifted back to Conrad's carefree attitude and smile. He thought back to the conversation they'd had when Conrad had casually told him he was a maestro.
The world didn't seem to make sense anymore.
"That guy..."
" That is not the reason why I'm here. Your uncle has requested your presence."
" I think I'll sit this one out, kid," Frederick whispered. " I've seen enough action to last me the remainder of the week."
Rebecca briskly led him back to the mansion, only stopping to let him get a change of clothes before whisking him away to Damien's study.
Rebecca briefly knocked the pushed the door open.
Morgan found himself on the receiving end of four pairs of eyes. He briefly glanced at Conrad, who was nonchalantly sprawled on a nearby couch. Luke smiled at him with a quiet nod.
"Why do I suddenly feel like this is an interrogation?" He thought.
Damien smiled warmly and gestured for him to sit.
" Hello, Morgan. It's been a while since we last met. I take it your training has been going well."
Morgan nodded slightly.
" Everything has been going smoothly; I can tell that I'm slowly growing stronger."
Damien chuckled lightly.
" I'm glad to hear that. I have called you here because we think it's about time you joined the Pyreptar academy. With the skills you've acquired, you're now ready to join the ranks of your peers and walk the path of an assassin. This will, in turn, prepare you to take your rightful place as the Lord of the house of Thane."