Iskander chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "You are a good storyteller after all! Your tales are interesting, even if a bit clumsily crafted."
Yalis smiled. "I believe your response just confirmed them."
Kyra could hardly believe what she was hearing. Her teammates were equally stunned. She hurried back to Yalis, her mind reeling. "What did you just say?" she exclaimed, gripping his shoulder. "Are you saying this man is from the Primordial Era?"
"Aye," Yalis replied, turning to face her. "You must have noticed it too when you first entered. This is normal space, not an Inner Realm. It's not that far-fetched."
"ShadowOne, that's impossible!" Gaia protested through the Mind-Lace.
"Yet plausible," Yalis countered. "He's an immortal who retains his youth, claims to be a god, and wields powers unknown to us. I'm quite certain he's a Primordial."
Kyra had already suspected as much, but she had not wanted to believe it. "ShadowOne, you left these thoughts out of your Mnemonic-Transfer!" she accused. "Why?"
"I apologize," Yalis replied. "I thought it was unreasonable. That is, until I saw what he could do with my own eyes."
"I thought it was obvious," Aethel interjected, his voice calm and steady.
"What?!" Kyra exclaimed. "No, it isn't!"
Aethel's gaze remained fixed on the cage. "ShadowOne didn't need to relay those thoughts, and neither did I. From the moment we learned of his existence, the purpose of this sphere was clear. His ignorance of our existence can only mean one thing: he is ancient, not current. This confirms the sphere was built to imprison him long ago. I believe those who created it drained it of StreamBreath and left him here to wither under the curse that devours souls. They succeeded in containing him, but failed to kill him. I even used this curse as the basis for my theory of his manifestation. This makes it highly probable that he is an Original and Primordial. ShadowOne is right."
The implications of Aethel's words resonated with the Riders. The myths of the Old Celestials, once dismissed as mere stories, now held a terrifying weight.
Legends spoke of a time before Ascendants, when Primordials ruled Exoklein, their reign unchallenged and absolute. They were feared and revered as gods, their power unmatched until the rise of the Dragons. A war erupted, lasting for generations, and in the end, the Primordials vanished, their civilization lost to time.
"Palpable, you mean!" Selhob mocked.
"I know what I said," Aethel retorted, his voice firm.
"Old man, that's nonsense!" Gaia argued through the Mind-Lace. "They are a myth. My ancestors, the Celestials, used those myths to justify their tyranny over the Unawakened at the beginning of the Fifth Age. Their arrogance led them to believe they were descendants of the Primordials, gods among mortals. That madness is why the Accord forbids Riders from claiming godhood, and why we are still branded as the Accursed."
"I know it sounds unreasonable, but I believe the myths may be true," Yalis insisted.
"Lia was a beautiful goddess," Iskander suddenly interjected, a wide smile spreading across his face as he looked directly at Gaia.
Gaia froze, her eyes wide with shock. It was as if Iskander had heard her through the Mind-Lace. Fear gripped Kyra as she realized the implications of his words. He knew Gaia's true name, and the way he said it suggested he knew the original bearer of that name.
Kyra had to take control of the situation before panic set in. "I don't know how he's lived so long or remained so young. I don't even know for sure if he's immortal," she stated firmly, addressing her team. "But one thing is certain: he's playing with us. He cannot be trusted. Do not succumb to his games. Leave him be. That's an order."
"Captain is right," Igniss agreed.
"I concur," CodeForger added. "I don't believe in myths. I'll only believe those stories when I see concrete proof. Until then, we should focus on securing him and leaving this place."
"Do what you will, but I still want to know who I'm dealing with," Aethel insisted, his gaze fixed on the cage.
"Sheriff, you can learn more once we take him back to the Aggregate," Kyra said, trying to appease him. "If you are who you claim to be, you will return a hero once more." She could not bring herself to call him by his CallSign, not after witnessing his depressing display.
"We have an agreement, little girl," Aethel reminded her sternly. "Don't forget it. I don't intend to go back, ever."
Kyra bit back a retort. "That weasel can't be trusted. He's just playing with us, and watching his charade will only distract my team."
"Are you serious?" Aethel scoffed. "I don't recall Riders of the SixOriginals being so weak-willed!"
"I'm simply asking you not to disrupt my team's focus," Kyra defended herself.
Aethel nodded curtly and turned away, his silence speaking volumes.
Yalis and the rest followed Kyra's order, ceasing their interaction with the immortal. Silence descended once more, broken only by the occasional crackle of energy from the rifts. Iskander sat calmly within his cage, a smug smile on his face as if he were the one in control. The Riders watched him warily, their anxiety growing with each passing moment.
"Daed! Any updates?" Kyra finally asked, breaking the silence.
"No, Captain. I need more time," Daed replied, his voice laced with frustration.
"You're always like this!" Gaia complained through the Mind-Lace. "You never have good news!"
"I'm a man of truth; I don't lie to ease your anxieties, Gaia," Daed retorted. "But I've found the source of the Lock. It is unlike anything I've ever seen, and that's coming from a Masson. Even an Ace would struggle to undo this."
Gaia clicked her tongue in annoyance. "A man of truth, eh? No wonder you have no luck."
Kyra noticed Yalis approaching the unconscious Cael. As he drew closer, she saw a shift in Iskander's expression. He looked worried, as if fearing what the old man might do.
Suddenly, Iskander's voice echoed in their minds, cutting through the Mind-Lace. "I hate to interrupt your little endeavor, but I'm done indulging you." He slowly rose to his feet, tilting his head as he looked at each of them in turn, his gaze lingering on Aethel, Selhob, Yalis, and finally, Gaia.
Aethel immediately activated his Sigil and began intensifying his StreamBreath absorption, sensing imminent danger.
"Did he just hijack our Mind-Lace?" Sena exclaimed in disbelief. "How? He's cut off from StreamBreath!"
"It's simple," Iskander replied, his gaze falling on Gaia's belt. "I believe you've lost something, Lia."
Gaia's hand flew to her belt, where her BlackStone should have been. It was gone. No one had noticed, not even Aethel. Kyra recalled the moment Iskander had struck Gaia and then vanished before reappearing behind CodeForger. He had stolen and swallowed the device then.
"Everyone cut off the Mind-Lace!" Kyra ordered immediately.
"Unnecessary," Iskander chuckled. "You should have kept me in that field of yours, Sheriff!" In a blink, he vanished from the cage, his whereabouts unknown.
"Where did he go?!" Gaia screamed, panic rising in her voice.
"Track him! Fast!" Kyra shouted, her heart pounding.
Aethel cursed under his breath, his fingers flying to his jugular notches as he focused on drawing StreamBreath, despite his exhaustion.
Iskander reappeared behind Kyra, his left hand tightening around her throat. His right palm pressed against her back, causing her Sigil to glow and her Runes to deactivate. Her sword clattered to the ground as she struggled against his grip, unable to move.
The situation had taken a dire turn, and the Riders were now at the mercy of the immortal they had sought to contain.