"Well…that's…kinda bullshit."

In the wake of his nightmare, Ethan had explained the vision of Lamphrey to everyone.

They now sat in the aftermath of his revelation, mute save for Tara's comment. There wasn't much else left to say. She had spoken for all of them.

Before any true discussion began, Ethan saw that he'd gained more than just memories from the Tialax:

Dreamstride (Grade A)

You enter the dream of another and attempt to discern any valuable information they have. % chance is based on your own Intelligence score vs the target dreamer's

Note: Target of this spell must be under Status Effect [Sleep]

Dreamstride may now affect up to 5 targets at once.

Grade S Upgrade: [Lucid Transmission]

You may now transmit a dream of your choice to one target sleeper(s) within range. This dream and its suggestions seem entirely real to the sleeper, but cannot directly compel them to take specific actions in the Waking World.

Range: 500 meters.

Spirit Core Cost to Upgrade: 6000

Deep Slumber (Grade A)

You lull your opponent into a deep sleep for 180 seconds, with a bonus depending on the target's missing HP %.

[Mass Slumber] activated. This spell can now be used on up to 5 targets at once.

Grade A Upgrade: Slumber now affects any target who passes their Wisdom check. HP must be below 35%.

Grade S Upgrade: Slumber now affects up to 15 targets at once.

Spirit Core Cost to Upgrade: 6000

Those two skills were unique to her Oneiromancy profession – skills that he could never have obtained from any other source. The others were basic spells not worth his time or Spirit Core investment.

But he wasn't about to diminish the power Lamphrey had at her fingertips. The very same fingertips that he was now flexing reflectively while the others began to discuss what they'd just learned.

Did you leave that last one for me, Lamphrey? he couldn't help but think. Did you leave it for me because you knew I'd one day use you as a Host…and to show me that you never once deceived us all along, even though you had access to the perfect skill to do just that?

"This is what she saw," Klax said, dropping to sit on the cold, moist floor of Lamphrey's onyx chamber. "This – this must have been something Jun also knew."

"If that's so, why would she keep it from us? Fuck sake, why would she keep it from Ethan?"

Tara's anger was justified, but in the face of her fury Klax simply closed his eyes and shook his head.

"She kept it from us because she felt we would be better off not knowing. She kept a lot of things from us for that very reason."

The Minxit stared blankly at Klax, her incredulity giving way in the face of his serenity.

"Ever heard the phrase 'righteous indignation'?" she huffed. "You're allowed to be pissed off about this, y'know."

"I trust in Ethan just as Jun did," Klax said, eyes fixed on his Archon as he spoke. "He has led us this far, and I will not believe that the death of this world shall come to pass under him."

"You think she'd lie, Klax? That spooky gal was a lot of things, but a liar wasn't one of them."

"I don't believe it," the Lycae repeated, eyes still fixed on Ethan as though he wanted some confirmation from his Lord. Ethan, however, was preoccupied with his own thoughts. He sat on the opposite side of his companions, silent as the grave, still wearing Lamphrey's form as his Host.

He looked down at the onyx floor and tried to make out her reflection on its wet surface, cocking her head at the amber eyes of the Tialax looking back at him.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

Was this what you wanted me to understand? he thought. That all this power – of the cores, of a God – would corrupt me? That even though I'm the Archon, I'm still human at heart – and all humans are greedy, malicious, vindictive little shits who can't help but abuse any and all authority they get?

He wanted to be angry. But in truth, he just felt numb. It was a feeling he'd started to get used to.

Power cannot be given or taken. It comes from the self, or it does not come at all.

Lamphrey's words, spoken at the druid's grove, suddenly came back to him. At the time, they'd seemed like nothing more than an empty platitude meant to misdirect. But the more he saw, the more strength he wielded, and the more he learned about her – the more he began to feel like those words were more than just a lesson from her. They represented the lesson she wanted to try and teach him.

But even the best teacher needs to consider what might happen when her best student fails, Sys interjected.

Ethan's eyes widened.

You mean…

"I'm with Klax," Fauna suddenly chirped, standing up and punctuating her statement with a tap of her stave against the floor. "The Ethan I know wouldn't lead us astray. He's the only one who can make this world better. Lamphrey even said as much before she passed on."

Did she really say that? Ethan considered. Tara, meanwhile, raised her hands apologetically.

"Look, I'm not saying that I don't trust Ethan. I've been with you all the way. But what Lamphrey's seen could be a warning that taking over Kaedmon's mind will – I don't know – fuck Ethan up somehow."

"He's stronger than that," Fauna declared. "He's the strongest single being on Argwyll."

"And that's exactly what ol' Kaedmon wants."

Now, she had Klax's attention again. Fauna shook her head as she went on:

"Think about it," she said, beginning to pace about the room like a detective during the denouement of some trivial murder-mystery. "Kaedmon knows Ethan's coming for him. He knows the Lightborn is toast. But he still let old Arty go. Bastard wouldn't do that without some kind of contingency plan, get it?"

Fauna blinked. "You're suggesting…he let Ethan win today?"

"I'm saying that he could afford to lose," Tara said, pausing for emphasis. "Like his dumb Law says – 'you can only be what you're supposed to be', right? Well, maybe he was supposed to lose this battle so he could win the war. So that, when Ethan possesses him, he's got his trump card ready to go. BAM. Reverse possession!"

The team was silent after that bombshell. Klax rocked back, and Fauna seemed ready to interject but stopped herself before any words could tumble out.

To Ethan's surprise, it was the unusually quiet Sys who was the first to tackle this idea head-on:

Even if that was true, it doesn't explain why Kaedmon would choose to eradicate all life on his own planet. Especially considering the choice Ethan just ga-

Ethan forced his consciousness shut, and Sys took the hint. Fauna cocked a bushy eyebrow at him only for a moment before Tara, seemingly quite enjoying her moment in the spotlight, continued:

"I think that it does," she said, both hands behind her back as her pacing recommenced. "Let's consider: Kaedmon realizes he can't beat the Archon. And he realizes now that, even if he did manage to, all us Hybrids would just overrun his special protected humans. We've held out own against not only Greycloaks, but the fucking Lightborn now. He knows we're getting too strong. And he knows his humans are getting too weak. So, what does he do? Wipe the board clean. Start over. Make a new 'chosen people' and plop them, and only them, down here. Old Minxit proverb: The kitten who angers her master only has to go next door for her milk."

She sat down cross-legged after that, no longer proud but rather disdainful. With a shrug of her shoulders, she delivered her judgement:

"Bottom line: Kaedmon's a fucking asshole. What else is new?"

Silence answered her. Klax and Fauna sat and stared blankly at her, digesting her argument and trying to come up with ways in which she was wrong. The only thing they could truly say to deny what Tara suggested was that no one could know the mind of a God.

Nobody, that is, except the man inside the hat who now decided it was time to speak up.

"I've heard enough."

They almost didn't even know he was actively listening this whole time. But he was. And now that Ethan spoke, they immediately straightened up.

"Here's what we know," Ethan said, straightening up in Lamphrey's form. "Kaedmon might have been willing to lose today. But he still lost. And that counts for something. It tells us that we have a unique chance that we've never had before. For once, in the history of this entire world, the scales are tipped in Hybridkind's favor."

For a moment he paused, allowing them to reflect on that fact. They really hadn't taken time to understand what their victory meant here – and that was partly his fault. He was so focused on what was to come that he was forgetting what they'd managed to do here.

The thought did come to him then, however – armies of mindless, zombified Hybrids launching a genocidal campaign against the humans of Argwyll while he set off for Mistbourne Isle and finished the job – slaying the human God and burning the world clean so that only he remained. Omnipotent. In control. King of a charnel house.

Slowly, he stepped towards Revok. The hulking chimera had lain down, acting the dutiful guard dog while its master took hold of another form. Ethan stepped close, much to the dismay of his companions, and touched the lion-head's rugged, golden mane.

Then he looked into its eyes and saw – nothing.

He turned to the goat-head of Baphomet and saw the creature merely gazing forward, through him, towards nothing.

"No…"

Typhos was the same. The snake-head's slitted eyes weren't even blinking as Ethan caressed its scales with his shaking finger.

He'd never seen this before. But he couldn't deny what his own eyes were showing him.

"Ethan?" someone uttered.

They're gone, he thought. There's almost no brain activity at all. It's like Revok's been lobotomized. They're barely even reacting to my touch.

He recoiled from the great beast, shocked and more than a little disgusted.

Sys?

…

Sys. Speak.

Ethan, I know you want me to tell you what's going on. But I can't. I can only theorize.

Do so. Quickly. And hold nothing back.

While this conversation was going on in Ethan's mind, the rest of the team were watching with interested eyes. Once again, questions pricked at their minds – what exactly had their Archon done to secure victory over the Lightborn and his Master? And what had truly been lost in the aftermath?

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