He's not here either, damn it!"
Marcus cried, clutching his head as he crouched on the sidewalk outside a bakery. The sun was dipping low in the Helios Kingdom, painting the red marble structures in golden and purple hues.
Munching on a pastry, Lucius smirked. "Damn, I really thought he'd be here."
"Oh, stop lying, you just wanted monkey bread!"
They had scoured nearly the entire west side of the Helios Kingdom, but there was no trace of their target. Naturally, Lucius had grown bored and dragged his best friend along for detours.
Suddenly, the streets began to flood with people, all dressed in crimson church robes.
Like clockwork, Lucius sighed to himself.
On Sundays and Wednesdays, every resident of the Helios Kingdom was required to worship Helios both morning and night. It seemed the evening service was about to begin.
Marcus started spiraling again.
"I bet he went to the outskirts. We'll never complete the mission at this rate, and I can kiss my dreams of becoming a hero goodbye."
Finishing the last bite of his monkey bread, Lucius strolled over to his panicking friend and smacked him lightly on the head.
"What was that for?!" Marcus rubbed at the spot, glaring.
Lucius didn't answer. Instead, his vermilion eyes followed the flow of people, not the finely dressed Scions with red eyes, but the weary common folk who had the privilege of serving in the kingdom.
"C'mon. I think I know where we'll find him."
…
The common folk of the Helios Kingdom capital worked humble jobs—running bakeries, coffee shops, and anything that didn't involve war. While they are not allowed to live directly in the capital due to being considered lesser citizens, they are still required to attend worship. Churches were only allowed within the capital.
And what better place for a criminal Scion to hide than among them, blending in at a lesser church?
Since birth, Helios-born were raised to serve and worship their god. The devotion was burned into their very minds, so much so that even a criminal Scion couldn't easily abandon the habit. Or at least, Lucius hoped that was the case.
He smirked as he sat on a long wooden bench inside the common folk's church. The hall was arranged in three columns of pews, all leading toward a raised altar. At the front, a red-eyed priest retold the same recycled story of Helios's origin.
The crowd listened with rapt attention.
But not Lucius and Marcus. Instead, their eyes swept across the congregation, scanning each face carefully. It wasn't hard to spot anyone out of place. For one, the eyes gave everything away. The common folk didn't carry Helios's blood, meaning their irises came in every shade except red.
"I think that's him," Marcus whispered, nudging Lucius. He pointed toward a middle-aged man with long black hair. The man fit the description, until he turned, revealing plain brown eyes.
Marcus let out a disappointed sigh.
Lucius, however, scanned differently. While Marcus focused on the front rows, Lucius thought like a fugitive.
If I were a stupid criminal, I'd keep my hood up and sit in the back. Probably keep my head down, too.
Sure enough, one man fit that description perfectly. In the back-left corner of the congregation, a hooded figure sat hunched over, eyes hidden. Strands of black hair slipped past the edge of his hood, but from this angle, Lucius couldn't see his face.
Call it a hunch, but my money's on that guy.
He nudged Marcus and pointed subtly. Neither of them spoke; they'd already rehearsed what to do if they found him.
Quietly, they rose from their bench and made their way toward the exit.
We'll wait outside. These guys are dangerous; they have already burned down multiple buildings. If we start something in here, no doubt the bastard will slaughter innocent commoners.
Just as Marcus and Lucius reached the doors, the priest's voice rang out:
"I will now speak directly to Helios!"
They froze. Whispers rippled through the crowd, and even their hooded target lifted his head, bright red eyes gleaming in the dim light. Suddenly, the church grew cooler, the air turning stale.
The priest closed his eyes and spread his arms wide. A moment later, the floor trembled. Heat washed over the congregation, the air growing scorching, suffocating. Commoners gasped and clutched their throats, struggling for breath. While Lucius, Marcus, and even the fugitive Scion stared in shock.
Then, as quickly as it began, the sensation vanished. The priest opened his eyes, sweat streaming down his face, and declared with a booming voice:
"It is my pleasure to announce that our lord Helios has called for war against the Boreas Kingdom!"
Forced cheers rippled through the room. If this were a Scion's church, the walls would shake with chants of war. But here, among common folk, the response was half-hearted. For them, war meant only death.
Marcus and Lucius were still reeling when their target suddenly shot to his feet. His hood fell back, and his eyes burned—literally—with fire.
Shit.
The fugitive aimed straight at the priest. There was no time to think before the man's eyes could ignite, Lucius triggered his Stage One Loki ability.
A black mask of shadow clamped over the target's eyes. Startled, he clawed at it, but his hands passed through. Snarling, he tilted his head back and unleashed twin beams of searing light. The illusion burned away in an instant, and the blast tore through the church roof with a deafening boom!
Panic erupted. Commoners screamed and surged for the exits. The priest vanished into a back room, fleeing for safety.
Smoke thickened as fire crawled down from the ceiling, licking the curtains, racing toward the pews.
Lucius and Marcus closed in, but the fugitive's gaze snapped toward them. His eyes were cold, lifeless, and a glow built in his chest, swelling brighter and brighter.
Stage Two Helios ability—blinding light.
Lucius cursed.
At the Bronze stage, his own light was nothing compared to this. Although his mana potency was far greater than that of a normal bronze stage 2 Helios scion, his abilities were not affected by mana potency alone. The corresponding rank of the abilities has a significant effect on the ability. For example, reaching Gold stage 2 in the Helios pathway would unlock the full potential of blinding light. Then, as the Scion reached higher stages, the blinding light would eventually become stronger due to mana potency.
Luckily, Marcus was faster.
"No, you don't!"
Two radiant bursts exploded, colliding in the smoke-filled church. They didn't cancel out; if anything, they magnified, plunging everyone into total blindness for several heartbeats.
Lucius didn't waste them. Even without sight, he marked where the fugitive had stood and unleashed his Stage Three Loki ability—Trick Fire.
Flames raced up from the floor, surging at the man's feet and forcing him back into the burning wall.
Cornered, the fugitive roared and fired his Stage One ability, using flames from his palm to blast a gaping hole through the church's side. Without hesitation, he dove into the night.
Marcus and Lucius sprinted after him.