The royal palace's interrogation chamber was designed to make prisoners understand their precarious situation—stone walls, minimal lighting, and magical wards that prevented escape or deception. Professor Aldwin sat chained to a heavy wooden chair, looking far less scholarly and much more desperate than he had during his Academy lectures.
Time to hear what the traitor has to say about my supposedly dead brother.
"Mr. Vorthak," Professor Aldwin said as Kael entered, "thank you for agreeing to meet with me. What I have to tell you could save your life."
Opening with dramatic stakes. Either he's genuinely concerned or he's trying to manipulate his way out of execution.
"Professor, considering that you spent months providing intelligence to people who wanted to sacrifice Academy students in blood magic rituals, you'll understand if I'm skeptical about your concern for my wellbeing."
Captain Morrison took position by the door while Kael settled into the chair across from the chained traitor.
Let's see what kind of bargain he's trying to make.
"I deserve your suspicion," Professor Aldwin admitted. "But the situation with your brother transcends personal grudges. Darius Vorthak is not what he appears to be."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning he's been operating under the protection of forces that make the Crimson Consortium look like children playing with dangerous toys." Professor Aldwin's voice carried genuine fear. "Forces that your recent activities have brought directly to your attention."
[INTELLIGENCE ASSESSMENT: HIGH PROBABILITY OF ACCURACY]
[PROFESSOR ALDWIN FEAR LEVELS: GENUINE AND EXTREME]
[RECOMMENDATION: GATHER MAXIMUM INFORMATION BEFORE DECIDING ON CREDIBILITY]
He's genuinely terrified. Not of execution, but of something else entirely.
"What kind of forces?"
"Inter-dimensional organizations that harvest magical talent from multiple realities for purposes that go beyond simple power enhancement." Professor Aldwin leaned forward as much as his chains would allow. "Your brother isn't just a criminal—he's a recruitment agent for entities that exist between worlds."
Inter-dimensional organizations. That explains the system's earlier warning about other system users.
"And you know this how?"
"Because I was recruited by the same organization three years ago. The Crimson Consortium wasn't independent—it was a subsidiary operation designed to identify and acquire specific types of magical talent for... export."
Export to other dimensions. They're not just enslaving people—they're shipping them to other realities.
"Export for what purpose?"
"Power enhancement rituals, magical experimentation, and in some cases, complete personality replacement." Professor Aldwin's expression grew haunted. "They have clients across multiple realities who are willing to pay extraordinary amounts for bodies with specific magical signatures and bloodline characteristics."
[MAJOR INTELLIGENCE BREAKTHROUGH]
[CONSORTIUM OPERATIONS: INTER-DIMENSIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING]
[KAEL'S MAGICAL SIGNATURE: LIKELY HIGH-VALUE TARGET]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXPONENTIAL INCREASE]
Personality replacement. They're not just killing people—they're stealing their bodies for other entities to inhabit.
"And my brother's role in this?"
"Darius has been identifying high-value targets throughout the kingdom for the past five years. Students with rare bloodlines, individuals with unique magical capabilities, people whose disappearance wouldn't trigger major investigations." Professor Aldwin met his eyes directly. "You, Mr. Vorthak, represent the most valuable target he's ever identified."
The most valuable target. Because of my system access or because of something else?
"Why would I be particularly valuable?"
"Because you possess a combination of magical potential, political connections, and tactical intelligence that makes you ideal for high-level personality replacement." Professor Aldwin's voice grew urgent. "There are entities in other realities who would pay fortunes to inhabit a body with your specific advantages."
They want to steal my body so someone else can use my accumulated power and influence.
"Professor, assuming I believe any of this, what exactly are you proposing?"
"Help me escape royal custody, and I'll provide you with everything I know about the inter-dimensional organization's structure and operations." His desperation was obvious now. "Intelligence that could save not just your life, but potentially hundreds of other targets."
He wants me to commit treason against the kingdom in exchange for information that might protect me from my own brother.
"That's quite a bargain you're offering. Help a traitor escape justice in exchange for unverified intelligence about dimensional threats."
"The intelligence is verifiable," Professor Aldwin insisted. "I can provide names, locations, operational timelines, even communication protocols. Everything you'd need to identify and eliminate their local assets."
Including Darius, presumably.
[TACTICAL DECISION REQUIRED]
[OPTION 1: ACCEPT BARGAIN - GAIN INTELLIGENCE, COMMIT TREASON]
[OPTION 2: REFUSE BARGAIN - MAINTAIN LOYALTY, LOSE INTELLIGENCE]
[OPTION 3: EXTRACT INFORMATION THROUGH ALTERNATIVE METHODS]
Option three sounds promising.
"Professor, there's a flaw in your proposed arrangement," Kael said with the cold amusement that had made Marcus Chen's negotiations so effective. "You're assuming I need to help you escape in order to gain access to your intelligence."
Professor Aldwin's expression shifted to confusion. "What do you mean?"
"I mean you're going to provide that intelligence regardless of whether I help you or not." Kael's smile was sharp and predatory. "Because the alternative is spending the rest of your very short life in a royal dungeon, wondering when the inter-dimensional organization decides you're a liability worth eliminating."
Classic negotiation pressure. Make him realize his position is hopeless without my assistance.
"You... you're not going to help me escape?"
"I'm going to help you survive long enough to provide useful intelligence to royal security forces," Kael corrected. "What happens after that depends on how cooperative you prove to be."
[INTERROGATION STRATEGY: PSYCHOLOGICAL PRESSURE]
[SUCCESS PROBABILITY: 73%]
[PROFESSOR ALDWIN RESISTANCE: RAPIDLY DETERIORATING]
Professor Aldwin's remaining composure crumbled as he realized the true nature of his situation.
"They'll kill me if they discover I've revealed operational details."
"They'll kill you anyway once you're no longer useful," Kael pointed out reasonably. "At least this way, you have royal protection during the intelligence extraction process."
Plus, if he's telling the truth about Darius, I need that intelligence regardless of the personal cost to Professor Aldwin.
"Mr. Vorthak," Captain Morrison interrupted, "we should include royal intelligence specialists in this discussion. The scope of what he's describing requires comprehensive analysis."
"Agreed. But first, Professor, I need verification of one specific claim."
Time to test the accuracy of his intelligence.
"You said Darius has been identifying targets for five years. Can you provide specific examples of acquisitions he's facilitated?"
Professor Aldwin nodded reluctantly. "Lady Meredith Thornfield, who supposedly died in a riding accident two years ago. Marcus Blackstone, reported killed in a border skirmish last spring. Elena Starweaver, Lyralei's older sister, who vanished during a diplomatic mission."
Elena Starweaver. Lyralei's sister who she never talks about.
The names hit Kael with growing horror as he realized the scope of what Professor Aldwin was describing.
Darius hasn't just been facilitating random kidnappings. He's been systematically targeting people connected to the Academy and noble families.
"How many total acquisitions?"
"Over the past five years? At least thirty confirmed, probably twice that number in cases where the disappearances were attributed to natural causes or accidents."
Sixty people. My brother has been facilitating the interdimensional trafficking of sixty people.
[INTELLIGENCE VERIFICATION COMPLETE]
[PROFESSOR ALDWIN CREDIBILITY: HIGH PROBABILITY OF ACCURACY]
[DARIUS VORTHAK THREAT LEVEL: MAXIMUM]
"Captain Morrison," Kael said grimly, "we need to brief His Majesty immediately. And we need to place Lyralei Starweaver under enhanced protection."
"Why Miss Starweaver specifically?"
"Because if Darius facilitated her sister's disappearance, he knows exactly how to target her bloodline for acquisition." Kael's voice carried the cold fury that had made Marcus Chen's enemies afraid to cross him. "And she's currently one of the most magically gifted students at the Academy."
As Captain Morrison began coordinating enhanced security measures, Professor Aldwin delivered one final piece of information that changed everything.
"Mr. Vorthak, there's one more thing you need to know about tonight's events."
"Which is?"
"Your brother didn't just happen to arrive at the consortium manor. He was there because the ritual was designed specifically to create a dimensional breach that would allow direct communication with the inter-dimensional organization's leadership."
The demon summoning wasn't the primary objective. It was a cover for establishing communication with other realities.
"Communication for what purpose?"
"To arrange your acquisition. Tonight's events were supposed to end with your capture and transport to another dimension for personality replacement." Professor Aldwin's expression was grim. "Darius has already received payment for delivering you to his employers."
[CRITICAL REVELATION: KAEL WAS TARGETED FOR INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAFFICKING]
[DARIUS VORTHAK: ACTIVE THREAT TO HOST SURVIVAL]
[FAMILY REUNION: ACTUALLY ACQUISITION ATTEMPT]
My own brother sold me to interdimensional slavers. That's impressively heartless, even by villain standards.
"When is the acquisition supposed to take place?"
"Originally, tonight. But since that failed, they'll accelerate to backup protocols." Professor Aldwin's voice cracked with fear. "Which means they'll attempt direct extraction within the next forty-eight hours."
Two days to prepare for a kidnapping attempt by entities that can travel between dimensions. This should be interesting.
As Kael processed the implications of Professor Aldwin's revelations, the interrogation chamber door opened to admit Princess Avaline, looking concerned about the extended private meeting.
"Kael, is everything all right? You've been in here for over an hour."
Time to decide how much to reveal about the threat to my existence and the danger to everyone I've been cultivating.
"Your Highness, we have a problem. Several problems, actually, all of which require immediate royal attention."
But before he could elaborate, the palace's magical alarm system activated with piercing intensity—the wards that protected the royal complex from hostile intrusion had detected an imminent threat.
Forty-eight hours was apparently optimistic.
[DIMENSIONAL BREACH DETECTED]
[HOSTILE ENTITIES MANIFESTING WITHIN PALACE GROUNDS]
[KAEL VORTHAK: PRIMARY TARGET CONFIRMED]
[IMMEDIATE EVACUATION RECOMMENDED]
Through the interrogation chamber's single window, Kael could see dark figures materializing in the palace courtyard—beings whose magical signatures felt completely alien to this reality.
They're not waiting for backup protocols. They're making their move now.
"Professor Aldwin," he said with deadly calm, "I hope your intelligence about their operational methods is accurate. Because we're about to put it to the test."
Princess Avaline moved immediately to defensive position, her royal combat training activating in response to the obvious threat.
Time to find out if interdimensional slavers are prepared to handle a reincarnated crime lord with power absorption abilities and royal backing.
But as more alien figures continued manifesting in the courtyard, Kael realized that this battle would determine not just his own survival, but the fate of everyone he'd invested time and effort in cultivating.
Lyralei, Princess Avaline, even Derek and Zara—they're all potential targets now that the interdimensional organization knows about my Academy connections.
The sound of approaching combat echoed through the palace corridors as royal guards engaged the interdimensional intruders.
Time to see what Marcus Chen's tactical experience looks like when applied to literally otherworldly threats.