Steel Hearts

Chapter Sixteen: Ancient

Before Guillian could retreat, Reid grabbed hold of him, slamming him against the corridor's wall. Vex and Liane pulled away Reid, Guillian fighting against the burning in his lungs from Reid's rough grip around his neck. "Let go of me!" Reid shouted out.

"There's no way in hell that I am letting you go! You are my only key to finding Terront!" Liane growled.

"M-My father...?" Andrea stepped forward hesitantly.

Guillian pressed his hand against the wall, using it to support himself, "How naive can you be?! That man is dead!"

"Lies! You wish to avoid the truth because he knows...he knows about Jinx!" Liane argued.

"What would a simple man know about him?!"

"Silence!"

Andrea found herself moving forward, drawing her sword and pointing the tip at Guillian with raging eyes, "You know nothing of my father! I care not what power befalls you--you will keep his name out of your wretched mouth!"

"This man will surely have no power in his grasp soon enough. He attacked your King, I say that's treason in his case." Vex explained to Andrea.

Reid began to settle down, his chest rising slowly, "Unhand me."

"Why should I?" Laine asked, her sharp eyes locking with his own.

"Are you afraid that I won't tell you of Terront's whereabouts?" Reid shot back.

She stared at him in silence, eventually releasing him, Vex following her lead. Reid rolled his shoulder, smirking casually, "Much obliged, miss."

Andrea brought her blade near his neck, "What do you know about my father?"

Guillian clenched his teeth, "Speak nothing of it, Sullivan! You know full well he needs to be where he is now!"

"What difference does it make?!" Reid glared at him. "In the end, I'm still damn suffering from the selfless actions of those in power! I've had enough of this!"

Guillian leaned against the wall, "Do you realize what you are doing, fool?!"

"I'm making my own path. A path that no one can tread. Only I can carry the weight of the world's destiny on my shoulders..." Reid explained, his words heavy upon everyone present.

A vibrating sensation came from the necklace around Liam's neck, slightly burning against his skin, "O-Ouch! What in the hell...?"

Andrea slowly held down her sword, feeling a ominous presence beside Reid. Almost instantly, Reid jerked away from the group, wrapping his hands around his neck. He struggled to breathe, choking on a invisible substance in his mouth. The guards that had escorted Reid and Andrea stared in fear as darkness swarmed around his body. The darkness consumed his body, shadows peeling off his skin and taking its' place. A sadistic grin was placed on his face and his eyes glowed lowly with a deadly edge. "S-Sullivan...?" Andrea whispered with big eyes.

"This is what I feared..." Guillian started. "The beast has been released..."

"What the hell happened to Cyrus?!" Liam glared at them.

Alexia passed Liam, "Your friend is no longer a normal human being. I can feel the presence of a demon...is it inside him...?"

Vincent and Sven stood beside Alexia, a solemn look glued to their face. The transformed Reid swayed drunkenly, a unique dark tattoo made of dark flames running horizontally across his face. He soon swayed forward, a lust for blood arising in his interest. He suddenly zoomed forward, his body low to the ground. Andrea prepared herself, but Liane pushed her out of the way, taking on the attack from Reid. Instantly, he disappeared and appeared behind her, her body bearing deep claw-like injuries. Swiftly, knocked his strength at her back, sending her crashing against the floor many yards away. Andrea held her sword with a shaken expression as she noticed Reid's hands were caked in blood. He licked the crimson liquid from his hands, a croaky, but edgy voice coming from his mouth, "I am Kaluan. I am what people fear when not under the influence of God. I am the devil..."

"Are you awake, child?"

Light sat up in the messy bed that was slightly covered with old, dusty tomes. Zera sat across from the bed, taking a sip of coffee from her dark mug, afterwards speaking with a clear voice, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm not freezing anymore--that much is certain, but I'm feeling average." Light answered casually, sticking her legs out and planting them on the wooden floor. She gazed around the room they were in, realizing it was Zera's bedroom, "This place is a mess..."

"I was never good with cleaning." Zera grinned embarrassingly.

Light studied the full bookshelves in the room, noticing that dust had cloaked majority of the room that was originally a study. Movement came from near her and she looked behind her to see Snow's sleeping face. Zera gave a relaxed smile, "An interesting little spirit you've come across..."

"I sometimes wonder about him. Spirits usually do not make their presence known to the living..." Light spoke in thought.

"Well, from the looks of it, his case is very different. He wishes to protect you. If he had not been with you, you would have probably died. He is no average spirit...more like a...familiar..." Zera explained.

"I see..." Light found her eyes meeting Zera's. "Besides his existence...A real question is needed for an answer. Why are you alive?"

"Who said I was alive?" Zera smirked.

"Then what are you? Are you even Master Zera?"

"I am what is left...The place you called home no longer exist. This is merely a fragment of what Zera had left behind."

Snow suddenly sat up in bed, his eyes gazing over at the tension between Light and Zera's remains. "Light...?" Snow said with a curious tone.

The clone of Zera sat her mug on the table next to her and gave a daring smile to Light, "Did you honestly believe you would get away from me...?"

"I guess killing you wasn't enough. I always believed you lived to this day, whether you are a fragment of Master Zera--you are my enemy. An enemy to the world." Light glared.

The clone pulled out a gun that looked similar to Snow's, pointing it at Light. Snow reacted by pulling out his own, locking onto Zera, "Light, what's going on here?"

"This is the master I've told you about...I've come to finish what I started."

"Finish what exactly?" The clone smirked confidently, playfully holding the gun, "Even through death, I will deliver judgement upon you. As God's fallen angel, I will send you to the afterlife."

"God's fallen angel?" Snow stared.

"Zera is an Ancient. Powerful Angels who brought civilization to our world. They are a curse to mankind and our destruction. The turning point isn't the death of King Gaunlet. It is the awakening of the Angels..." Light explained, standing to confront her enemy.