The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 76: Predetermination

Chapter 76: Predetermination

Ardent Friend:

The fortress was in chaos. The knights of Crysis were in a flurry of movement, dispatching themselves to places in need. Though some stopped to acknowledge us, the majority simply nodded and ran. Spurred by the atmosphere we quickly made it to the primary meeting room of the fortress. A wizened older man looked to us as we entered.

"Thank Haize you're finally here," Articus the King of Crysis looked to us in relief. "The Merge has begun. Something happened, but we lost connection to the Core." Even as he spoke to us, he was delegating tasks to the officials around him. Quickly handing them documents and instruction as they guided the bulk of the others in the room.

"We know," Ratansi replied. "The situation is peculiar."

"You're telling me," he sighed tiredly only to then look at us properly. He saw the unease we held and raised his hand, "Everyone complete your duties and refer to the other Architects. Please leave the room."

Within seconds the space was cleared and we were alone with the King. He regarded us and folded his arms, "Just how bad is this? For your information, I'm struggling to see how this can get worse."

The Old Man and Ratansi looked to me. I placed Ria on the ground, "Well, Kazu became a demon and he's the cause of the Merge beginning early. He also tried to destroy Areithia's Core and is currently MIA."

Articus blanched, quickly realising that we weren't joking around, "You..., just how did...."

"When I came back from the other universe, I fought Kazu who had already become a demon. He did something to Kazu's soul that was inside me. When Kazu got his soul back... it changed him."

"So for the past week he's been biding his time...." Articus clenched his hands tight as he leaned onto the table in front of him. The wood began to crack. "I should have known the moment he said he was actually going to do proper work something was off. And none of you have any idea where he's gone?"

"Maybe," I frowned in thought myself. "The Guardian said he would be looking for a way back to the Core but the only path there now is from Earth's Core. He'll try to head there."

"Do you know where it is?"

"No...," I answered shaking my head but a location did enter my mind. The same place where we had died in the future I knew. The Core we had seen that day was different to Areithia's, if I was right, that Core was Earth's.

"Well," Articus huffed. "At the very least we know he'll be in Crysis for now."

"Why's that?" the Ratansi asked.

"Because right now due to the Merge, we're locked in. The Gates are down and we barely have any communication to the other lands. As for Earth... we've lost all contact. I'm sorry Ardent, we'll be landing unannounced."

I patted Ria's head, looking at her with a smile, "No Articus. We might have work to do here but I know on the other side, they won't be sitting still. I trust them to do what we can't."

"Is Mummy and Uncle Vanter going to save us?" she asked.

"Yep, they're going to save everyone. I know it." I faced the King, "We need to secure the borders. We can't let the dangers in this world escape."

"We've already begun the procedures," Articus rubbed his head frowning. "We might just make it in time. We have a problem however, the seal on the Wyvern King, we're unsure if it'll remain after the Merge."