Corrin and Tutsoi trudge through the snow, Edwin just ahead of them. Tutsoi carried Lukas over his back, and Mary walked beside them all.

  “Something must be up with Omna.”

  Tutsoi’s breath flew away with the wind instantly, making his voice difficult to hear.

  “Why would he want to send both you, Lukas, and both of the Shards out to be within Nevarii’s grasp?”

  Corrin shook his head. He trusted Omna before, but Falcia’s words made all of this seem like Omna was their enemy. Corrin had already been betrayed once by a friend. At this point, he wouldn’t be very surprised if more of his so-called allies were secretly working with Nevarii.

  “I don’t know, but this is all very confusing…”

  Mary spoke up. Corrin hadn’t heard Mary talk in quite a while. She wanted to come with them, but why? Was it just that she wanted an adventure, or was there more to all of this than what met the eye? Tutsoi propped Lukas up higher on his back.

  “I’ll tell you what isn’t confusing, Omna. He must have done something to me. I would have never treated Lukas, or anything for that matter, in the way I’ve been treating people before, only yesterday. Something serious is up.”

  Corrin took a deep breath and watched as the wind carried it away.

  “I don’t think we can trust anybody besides ourselves, Tutsoi. I’ve already been betrayed twice in my life. I don't want it to happen thrice. But the more I think about it, the more it would make sense that Omna isn’t on our side.”

  Tutsoi nods his head in agreement. He grits his teeth.

  “I remember the night my sister died. I was caught in grief and guilt beyond measure. I was outside the city walls, in an old windmill. That's where my sister was tied up. Omna showed up right after she died. How did he know I was there? After that night, it’s like everything has been a fever dream, as though I wasn’t in control. It was only after I saw Nevarii again and faced him that I remembered what had happened.”

  Corrin looked up at the fog.

  “What do we do then? Do we trust Omna enough to walk into his keep?”

  Tutsoi held the shard around his neck for a moment before bringing his hand back down to hold up Lukas. Corrin then got an idea.

  “We could always go to another realm.”

  “And what? Leave Avitou City behind to burn? If Omna is what we think he is, then we have to let the others know.”

  Corrin nodded his head as the gates to Avitou showed in the distance. The five of them got to the gate just as the soldiers from the top yelled down to them.

  “Who are you? State your business!”

  Mary walked up.

  “It's Mary! Granddaughter of Omna!”

  The guards didn’t hesitate any further; they let the gates open. As they walked in, some of the city folk stopped to watch as they walked past. They were all covered in scrapes, bruises, cuts, scabs, and the like. All aside from Mary, who was mostly in perfect condition, aside from a cold look in her eyes.

  They made no other stops; their only destination was the Council’s building. Both Corrin and Tutsoi desperately wanted to confront Omna about their suspicions. As they approached the building, the guards stopped them.

  “Halt, no visitors to the Council this evening. Omna is very ill, and he demands to be left alone.”

  Mary took a step forward.

  “I am Mary, granddaughter of Omna. These people have just been through hell itself on the frontlines against Nevarii. They are with me. If you do not do as I say, I will have my grandfather send you away.”

  The guards look at each other for a moment and then let them pass. Mary seems to be on Corrin and Tutsoi’s side. Tutsoi turns to the others.

  “Don’t let him grasp your face, I think that’s what lets him take control of you.”

  The doors then instantly fly open when both Corrin and Tutsoi break the door open. Omna sits on his high pedestal, writing frantically on a piece of paper. He looks up. His age is an immediate shock to all of them. In the few weeks since the last time they had seen him, he looked as though he had aged a decade. He stood, holding his wobbling cane.

  “Why are you here? You should be on the frontlines fighting against–”

  “Quiet!”

  To everyone's shock, it was Mary who spoke first.

  “You have done nothing but lie to these people! I know it!”

  Tutsoi joined in.

  “You controlled my mind to do your bidding! Because of you, I never had a chance to mend my and Lukas’s friendship!”

  Corrin spoke up next as well.

  “I told you information I got from Oknata, remember that? How come you’ve kept it to yourself all this time?”

  Omna took a deep sigh.

  “Guards, send them away. They are disrupting my work with their insolent behavior.”

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  The guards around the room walk forth and point their weapons towards all of them. Corrin and Tutsoi instantly unsheathe their swords, which both glow upon them as they do so.

  “We’re not going anywhere until you answer some questions, Omna.”

  Omna looks at the situation and knows that the guards stand no chance against two Shardbearers and a Blackborne. But that did not stop him. He points to one of the guards.

  “You! Get every guard you can find to help! These children have the intent to kill me!”

  The guard turns and runs out of the building.

  “All of you, do not kill them, only stop them! Don’t hurt Mary!”

  Omna begins waddling out of the room from a side door.

  “Corrin, go, stop him! I can take care of these guys.”

  Corrin nods his head and slows time for himself. He runs up the stairs to the pedestal to which Omna once stood moments ago. Luckily, the guards were still in a lower number. Corrin breaks through the door through which Omna was running. A few guards stand in the way. Corrin brings his katana down to the ground, scraping it alongside the ground, which creates sparks.

  “Light Katana Style…”

  Corrin spun around as light exploded through the hall.

  “...Stinging glare!”

  Corrin’s sword slices along the enemy’s eyes, cutting them and forcing the men to stop dead in their tracks. Corrin jumps over them, dashing towards Omna.

  “Omna!! Damn you!!”

  Corrin knew it now: Omna was not on their side. It was told to him the moment he called the guards to stop them. If Omna were on their side, he would have peacefully explained everything to them. But everything he had done was calculated against them.

  “I know that you’re working with Nevarii!!”

  Corrin caught up with Omna and grabbed the back of his jacket. Omna turned and tried to place his hand on Corrin’s forehead. Corrin let go of Omna’s back and grabbed his hand instead and pulled it away from Corrin’s forehead.

  Corrin quickly brought his katana up, hoping to cut Omna hard enough to stop him. Omna tried to turn and instead forced them both onto the ground. Corrin flipped over and slid on the brick, but otherwise landed on his feet unharmed. Omna slowly stood up with the help of his cane.

  Corrin quickly slashed horizontally, cutting the cane in two and forcing Omna onto the ground with a thud. Corrin stood up all the way.

  “Omna, you have a lot of explaining to do, and you'd better do it fast if you want to keep your life.”

  Omna gripped the wall as a support as he stood up slowly.

  “You’re working with Nevarii, aren’t you? Why else would you have forced Tutsoi into being under your control? Why else would you not tell anybody anything that I told you about Nevarii’s plans? Why else would you have shunned Lukas until it benefited you the most? Why else would you have lied to my face about so many things?”

  Omna’s back was hunched, even without his cane.

  “You want the truth, Corrin? I promise to help Nevarii as long as he keeps my family safe. Because I knew his cunning far outmatched my own and all others in Avitou. I controlled Tutsoi so that he wouldn’t spill the truth about Lukas and his fight. The people needed to know that the Shem were the bad guys. I knew that we were fighting a losing battle against Nevarii from the beginning. Even with two of the shards, Nevarii has outsmarted us more than once. I’m sure he’s done the same with you.”

  Corrin scoffed.

  “So you betrayed everyone to protect your family? Noble, perhaps. But you’re not in the right here.”

  Suddenly, Tutsoi came running, carrying Lukas. Mary was in tow behind them, holding Edwin by his tied-up hands.

  “Omna!!”

  Tutsoi ran up to him and stopped. Omna turned, knowing that he had been cornered.

  “You damned snake!”

  Tutsoi brings his broadsword up to Omna’s neck. Omna backs up slightly.

  “He admitted to it. He’s working with Nevarii. Everything he’s done has been to protect his family.”

  Mary winces slightly, and Omna sees her.

  “This was for you, Mary! I did all of this to protect you from Nevarii!”

  Mary grits her teeth.

  “All you’ve ever done is protect me! I’m strong on my own!”

  Just then, the floor rumbles. Omna is shaken and grabs onto the wall for support.

  “Oh gods… it’s happening…”

  Corrin walks up to Omna and grabs his collar.

  “What’s happening?”

  “Nevarii’s assault on the city…”