Ascension Of The Villain

"Damn, it's darker than the emperor's conscience down here," Vyan muttered, flicking his wrist to summon a small orb of fire in his palm. The warm glow cast eerie shadows on the stone walls as he cautiously descended the stairs.

When his feet finally hit solid ground, his nose crinkled in disgust. A rancid stench assaulted his senses, and he noticed a thin stream of black water trickling by his boots. "Well, Tia hadn't been kidding with Katelyn about this place turning into a sewage. Maybe coming here without preparation was a bad idea."

Despite knowing why Celeste had forbidden him from venturing into these tunnels, Vyan had his own reasons for disobeying. He couldn't rest easy without finding out about his brother. He was sure that if Celeste believed his words, she would also have been desperate to find Aster.

In order to make her believe him, the only way was to present Aster in front of her, and Vyan was determined to do so. Placing a hand over his nose, he decided to concentrate.

The tunnel branched off in two directions, and he decided to follow the flow of water. "Water has got to be headed out; I should head in," he reasoned, veering towards the palace's inner sanctum.

As he moved forward, the stream began to peter out, and the path became less damp and more dusty. Eventually, Vyan found himself at a fork in the tunnel. Two paths, both equally uninviting.

He knelt down, squinting at the faint markings on the ground. "Wheelchair tracks?" he murmured, tracing the thin lines with his fingers. There were several, all indicating that someone had been wheeled through here frequently. Beside them, faint footprints were barely visible in the dust.

"Hmm, one of these leads to the Military Quarters… the other, maybe the Aurora Palace or Diamond Palace?" Vyan frowned, and then, in a click, the puzzle pieces fell into place. His eyes widened as realization dawned.

He chose the path he suspected led to the Military Quarters. As he ventured deeper, the tunnel branched again, but this time, something was off. The branch didn't match the age of the surrounding structure. Old, yes, but not ancient like the rest of the tunnel.

With caution, Vyan stepped into the newer branch, the path sloping downward. His pulse quickened. He was on the right track.

The passage ended in front of a steel door, much like the ones in solitary confinement. Vyan swallowed hard, pressing a hand against the wall. He closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. 'Ash?'

Silence. A suffocating, heavy silence.

"Did I get it wrong?" Vyan whispered, trying again, 'Ash? Brother?'

Nothing.

Vyan's heart sank. Maybe it was a lost cause. He had been thinking that maybe Aster was only kept in solitary during the night, which was why he hadn't found him yesterday in the morning hours. But it turns out that wasn't correct.

He was about to turn away when a voice echoed in his mind. 'Vee?'

Vyan's heart almost paused. He spun around so fast he nearly lost his balance. 'Brother?' Tears welled up in his eyes, overwhelmed by his emotions. 'I finally found you—'

But the emotional moment shattered. Vyan sensed a presence loomed behind him, and before he could react, something hard crashed into the back of his head. The flame in his palm flickered out, the face of his assailant lost in the dark.

———

"I only have five minutes before I need to get back to my troop. Where is Princess Maria?" Althea inquired the moment she materialized in Vyan's office, all business, no preamble.

"Good to see you too, my love," Clyde greeted, coming in for a hug. He gave her a chaste kiss on the lips and embraced her. "Princess Maria will be here with us in a minute."

Althea let herself melt into the hug, her rigid stance softening. "Where is Vyan?"

Clyde leaned back, feigning exasperation. "You know, if I had a gold coin for every time you asked where Vyan was, I would be needed a second treasury by now."

Althea rolled her eyes, giving him a playful shove. "Isn't it natural to ask where my partner is?" As Clyde arched an eyebrow, she gave him a flat look. "Come on, he is my business partner. You are my life part—" she froze in the middle, realizing where she was going with this. "Too soon?" she asked sheepishly.

He chuckled and lifted her chin to give her another kiss. "Nope. I have been serious about 'us' from the start."

Her smile bloomed, heart doing little flips in her chest.

"Ahem," came a pointed cough from the doorway. Althea sprang back from Clyde as if she had been caught sneaking sweets before dinner, her cheeks turning a lovely shade of crimson.

Benedict stood there with a bemused expression, a touch of amusement in his eyes. "I have brought Princess Maria," he announced, going to back to his professional self.

Maria peeked out from behind Benedict, stepping forward with a polite smile. "Greetings, Princess Althea."

"Greetings, Princess Maria," Althea replied, offering her a small but genuine smile. "Are you ready to accompany me?"

Maria nodded but cast a hopeful glance at Clyde. "I would like to meet His Grace before I go, if possible."

Clyde's lips curved into a wry smile. "I am afraid His Grace was supposed to be here by now, but it seems he has taken a detour on his way." Seeing the disappointment flicker in Maria's eyes, he quickly added, "But don't worry, Your Imperial Highness. How about he pays you a visit tomorrow? After all, you will be back at the palace by then."

Maria's face brightened instantly, and she nodded eagerly.

Their plan was to have Althea teleport Maria to a discreet inn room in Kresus, a location just shy of where her troops were currently catching a break. It was all a game of timing—plant Maria there just before the troops invaded, ensuring they would be the ones to 'discover' her.

The only reason Maria hadn't been stationed there from the start was the unpredictability of Easton's movements. To cover their bases, Vyan's men were strategically positioned across the empire, keeping an eye on various locations and making sure neither teams touched that place so that it would be believable for Maria to have resided there the entire time.

"Alright then. I will go with Princess Althea. Thank you for your hospitality, Benedict and Lord Magnus!"

"Take care, Your Imperial Highness, and don't be nervous. Just say the things we have taught you to," Clyde said with a smile, and Maria nodded.

As Althea and Maria vanished from sight, Clyde's smile evaporated.

His eyes narrowed as he turned to glare at Vyan's empty chair. "Where the hell is Vyan?"