Chapter X

  When Rennigan Glaus awoke, the rain was in the middle of a brief respite. That wasn’t to say the sun was back, for the world outside his bedroom window was still dreary and depressing, but at the very least, it was dry. He appreciated that, because this was the day he was expected at his father’s office in the Citadel for his formal appointment to the position of Apprentice of Water. The night before, he had finally come to his decision on what he was going to do, so he would be forced to drag himself out of bed that day to meet with Nyx and Kloras. If given an option, he would have cut out this step and skipped to the end of his plan, but he felt it was his duty to at least speak with them first. For all of the conflicted feelings roiling within him in regards to Nyx Rana, he found that he did like the person she was in her heart. The actions of the Wraith were not condoned by her. She was a sweet, caring person who had done her best to look out for him on their trip north, so it was his duty to look her in the eyes and tell her what he was going to do.

  But I guess that means I have to make myself presentable. I can’t very well turn up at Father’s office dressed as I am now.

  The first thing he did upon crawling out of bed was look at himself in the mirror, only to confirm that he looked like absolute shit. His silver hair was sticking up and greasy, his facial hair was beginning to grow out, and the bags under his eyes were embarrassingly visible. Rennigan sighed, then pushed his bedroom door open, stepping into the hallway and making for the bathroom. He paused at the top of the stairs so he could try and hear if Ryokumo was moving around below, but the house was silent. That was strange to him given that his friend would normally be making lunch around that time, but Rennigan supposed he might have gone off to the Citadel himself, or was maybe out with Ilirianna or Album. A brief glance at the man’s bedroom showed he wasn’t there either.

  Although, that might be for the best. Master Rana will accept my decision, but I fear Caeli would dig his heels in and try to stop me. I can’t have that…so I’m sorry, my friend, but I’m doing what’s best for me.

  Taking a deep breath, Rennigan proceeded to his morning routine. He took a shower, prioritizing cleaning out his hair, then shaved, washed his face, and dressed himself in the formal white suit he only donned on special occasions. When he returned to his bedroom, the young man glanced around to make sure everything was in order, only to reaffirm for himself that there was nothing left he needed to do. Satisfied, Rennigan turned back and shuffled to the first floor where he officially confirmed Ryokumo’s absence. The kitchen and living room were empty and quiet, just as the young man preferred, so choosing to skip a meal, he walked to the front door, put on his boots and white coat, then departed his home.

  Normally, given how far the Citadel was from his location, Rennigan would have hailed a carriage, but seeing as he was in no rush to reach his destination, he decided to walk. It took him around an hour before the gates of the white tower came into view, though he couldn’t remember any of what he saw or sensed on the way there. He merely chose to deactivate his mind and revert to a state of autopilot, his feet subconsciously bringing him to where he needed to be.

  He was tired of thinking.

  Ever since the Battle of Ankalla, Rennigan had been mentally tumbling in circles in a desperate attempt to decide what to do, how to do it, or if there was anything he could do. It had become tedious, and after a while, there was nothing new to ponder. He was just ruminating on the same old things, so now that he had come to a decision, he refused to let himself doubt or rethink.

  That wouldn’t do him any good, so he allowed himself to dissociate from reality as he marched up to the Citadel gates, identified himself to the guards, then headed through the gardens to the tower’s front doors. Passing through the silver interior, Rennigan arrived at the nearest lift, cast Ortumo, and ascended to one of the highest floors before the royal levels. He had been to his father’s office plenty of times when he was still an Academy student, but just like with the Glaus Estate, he rarely ever went these days. He had no reason to, but whenever he did, it was to oppose Kloras’s positions on helping the Masters in their war against the Kosah-Rei. He supposed his father must have grown sick of him, but the simple fact of the matter was that Rennigan could no longer bring himself to care about the greater picture.

  Why should it matter to him if the Masters did as they pleased? All he wanted to do was kill Quill Tyrus, something he couldn’t do without the Council’s cooperation. Therefore, logic dictated that he and Kloras were on opposing sides, and in their debates, it was usually Rennigan who came out on top.

  Even this time, despite him refusing to budge on supporting the Ankalla operation, I was the one who got what he wanted in the end…or at least, to some extent.

  Walking through the corridors, Rennigan glanced out the window on his left, noticing that the world was already getting darker, indicating that he was about to be late. Though, if he was the last to arrive, then he could avoid any awkward alone time with Kloras, leaving him praying that Nyx was already present.

  The floor he was currently on was specific to the Council of Elders, so every member’s office, as well as the Council Chambers, would be located somewhere around him. Because of this, the Elders themselves, as well as their staff and apprentices, were roaming about, shooting him curious looks as they quickly identified him as the son of Kloras. Nobody greeted him, however, and he attributed that to the sour expression on his face—an expression he intentionally made to avoid being stopped. It was a successful strategy, and eventually, he found himself standing before his father’s office, a sign on the wall beside the door displaying “Kloras Glaus” in a fancy and curly font.

  Rennigan eyed it for a second before knocking, then entered when permission was granted from within. As hoped, he found that alongside Kloras himself, who was behind his desk, Nyx Rana was also present, sitting across from the Council Member in a chair of her own, though Rennigan only allowed himself a glimpse of her before swiftly turning his eyes away to avoid having another panic attack. Instead, he glanced around to find that the office hardly changed. Much like his room back home, Kloras filled the left and right walls to the brim with bookshelves, which framed the desk he had up against the back wall. Hanging behind Kloras was a painting of a young man with red hair and a pleasant smile, dressed in the green robes of the Council, and who Rennigan recognized as the one who founded the Council of Elders back at the Age of Destruction’s end. In his sleep-deprived state, he couldn’t quite remember the man’s name, but he knew that Kloras idolized him as a bastion of control over the power the Masters and Iijis had.

  Ironically enough, though, I doubt that man would have been pleased with what Father does. If I recall correctly, he established the Council with the idea of cooperating with the Masters in the hopes that no one person or entity was in charge of Ijiria. Control wasn’t a part of his ideals, so maybe Father doesn’t revere him in a true sense. He simply doesn’t understand him.

  “Good afternoon, Rennigan,” Kloras greeted as he folded his hands on the surface of his desk and smiled smugly, making it obvious that he had already deemed himself the victor. “How have you been? I find it rather unfortunate you never paid me or your mother a visit to tell us about the battle, but nevertheless, I am grateful for your presence now.”

  Rennigan lowered his eyes from the First Elder to get a better look at Kloras. “Yeah, sure… Sorry.”

  “Are you alright?” the man pressed, a touch of genuine concern creeping into his tone, almost certainly because of how awful his son appeared. “Rennigan, I—”

  “Yes, I’m fine. Let’s just get this done with, shall we?”

  Kloras frowned, his shoulders slumping as he limply gestured towards the chair next to Nyx and said, “Very well. Would you take a seat?”

  “No. I’m just gonna stand.”

  His answer was firm, wanting to make it clear to Kloras that he wouldn’t be stepping any closer towards them. Even understanding that Nyx’s wraith could not escape without her death, Rennigan was still far too terrified to be anywhere near her, so even if it made his father suspicious, if he sat down, he would panic. That would be worse for the Master of Water, so he hoped she would understand and not take offense. He could see in Kloras’s face that he was disappointed yet again, but he conceded with a scoff.

  “Alright, Master Rana, let’s move on so that my son can get to whatever it is he needs to do,” Kloras grunted. “Did you bring the paperwork?”

  Nyx nodded, reaching into her long white cloak to produce a rolled up piece of parchment. “Yes, I did. It’s right here, and everything’s in order.” Opening it up, she placed it on the desk and slid it across for Kloras to read. “It details the conditions of our partnership, as well as the duties expected of Rennigan once he accepts. He will serve under me, will aid me in my duties as the Master of Water, and may be given assignments that require him to act alone. I fully believe he has the skill required to serve me, and when the time comes where I can no longer fulfil my duties, he will succeed me. I have already signed, and have acquired the formality that is King Markreas’s stamp of approval, so all that’s left is for Rennigan to sign as well, and for me to submit it to His Majesty.”

  “Excellent,” Kloras murmured under his breath, his previous aura of glee returning as he skimmed the contract. “Then it seems our deal has been fulfilled, Master Rana. You have my gratitude.” Chuckling to himself, Kloras grabbed a quill and some ink from the corner of his desk then slid it forward along with the parchment. “Rennigan, would you at least step forward to accept this honor? You’re one mere signature away from your dream, Son. I’m so proud of you.”

  From his position beside the closed door, Rennigan gazed at that contract, feeling a pang of guilt at the fact that Nyx already went through the effort of preparing all of this. He wondered if he should have reached out sooner, only to remind himself that this was as soon as it could have been. It was only the previous night, as his thoughts were being drowned out by the storm, that he made up his mind, so there really wasn’t much else he could have done. And now, it was time to disappoint Kloras and Nyx, as he had prepared himself to do from the second he stepped outside of his home. He was there to decline, but that wasn’t his only intention. There was more he was going to tell them, and he knew his father, especially, would be appalled. Perhaps Kloras would never accept this choice, perhaps he would try to stop Rennigan, but in the end, there was nothing that man could do.

  “I’m sorry, Father,” Rennigan began with a pained look. “And I’m sorry, Master Rana, but I have to decline. I do not intend to sign that contract and I do not intend to become the Apprentice of Water.”

  Forcing his head to raise so he could take in both of their reactions, he found very different results. Kloras’s eyes were wide with disbelief, his smile wavering like he wasn’t sure he had heard him correctly. Nyx, on the other hand, merely closed her eyes and gave a gentle nod, indicating that she either knew it was coming or was at least ready for the possibility.

  “I-I… What?” His father shook his head, his tongue fluttering across his lips as part of a nervous reaction. “What on earth are you talking about? You don’t accept? How could you not accept?! To be a Master of Ijiria has been your lifelong dream, and it’s an honor only a handful of mages are ever even considered for! You’ve been accepted, so how could you throw that away?! What the hell else could you possibly do that would even begin to compare to serving this Empire as the Master of Water! Explain yourself, damn it!”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  “Rennigan?” Nyx asked softly once Kloras’s screaming rant had ended. “Is it because of me?”

  Her voice was shaking, making him feel terrible for the emotions he probably elicited in her with his refusal. However, he owed it to her to be as honest as he could be.

  “It’s because of a lot of things, Master, but I’d be lying if I told you it wasn’t a factor. I’m sorry.”

  “What are you talking about?” Kloras demanded, his head aggressively snapping towards Nyx. “Master Rana, if you did something to my son, I swear on my family’s name I’ll—”

  “FATHER!” Rennigan roared over the man, causing him to jolt with fright at the sudden rage that enveloped his son. “Do not talk to her like that! Our business is our own, but she does not hold even a fraction of the blame for this. It’s out of her control, as it’s out of yours. I’ve decided to step away from the opportunity myself, so if you do anything to Master Rana in retaliation, I will ensure you regret it!”

  The Council Member slowly rose to his feet, his golden eyes flickering towards Rennigan with such conflict that he must truly have not been able to follow what was unfolding. “Then tell me. Help me grasp this…”

  Rennigan gazed at his father for a few seconds, wondering how much truth to give him, before deciding he could pretty much admit anything that wasn’t related to Nyx’s secret.

  “It’s just too much for me,” he explained. “It’s all too much. I thought that by hunting down and killing Quill Tyrus, I’d begin to feel better. I thought I could avenge my team, help their souls to rest, and then continue with my life as a new person. And I’m not sure if you were told or not, but I was the one who took Tyrus down.”

  “I heard from Markreas,” Kloras confirmed softly. “And like I said, I’m proud of you, Son! That man was one of the biggest threats to Ijirian security, so your actions are commendable and impressive—those befitting a Master of Ijiria!”

  Rennigan shrugged apathetically. “I’m not sure about all that, but the fact of the matter is that I still feel empty. There’s a hole in my heart where Faye, Jessi, and Hiro once filled—one that Tyrus’s death hasn’t mended.”

  “But it’s only been a few weeks!” his father insisted. “Give it time! Being Master Rana’s apprentice could provide you purpose, something to distract yourself with. You could fill that hole with duty!”

  Yes, but…I can’t bring myself to be around her. I keep dreaming about the Wraith. It haunts me, it torments me in my sleep, so there isn’t a shot in hell I could ever become her apprentice. And besides… His mind briefly flashed back to King Markreas’s performance at Ildara. I don’t really want to associate with that, either.

  “Perhaps I could,” he lied. “But I’m not going to try. This place, the Citadel and Erika, it…” He gestured around him as he tried to find the words to articulate himself. “I can’t do it anymore. I need to clear my head, to get away from it all, so I…” Gritting his teeth, knowing there was no going back, Rennigan forced the rest out of his mouth in a single breath. “I’m going to leave Erika indefinitely. When I depart this room, I’m getting on a carriage and I’m going away.”

  This time, it wasn’t only Kloras that reacted with shock, for even Nyx’s head snapped up and towards Rennigan as she gaped at him with the most expressive look he’d ever seen from her. He figured she must have been worried about letting him leave the city with the knowledge he had, so he turned towards the Master of Water and forced a reassuring smile, though he couldn't bring himself to look directly at her. For fear of making Kloras more suspicious, Rennigan didn’t say anything, but he hoped that Nyx understood what he was trying to communicate.

  “Son,” his father began, his voice trembling with what might have been rage, or perhaps even sadness. “When you say indifferently, you can't mean you don’t intend to ever come back? Where would you even go?!”

  “I don’t know,” Rennigan admitted. “I don’t have a destination in mind nor do I have a timeframe, but as of this morning, all of my belongings have been packed. I’ll simply find a carriage that’ll take me out of Erika and I’ll see where I end up. I don’t even really care where I go, so long as it isn’t here.”

  A loud noise erupted throughout the room as Kloras’s fist slammed onto the surface of his desk. “Then you would abandon me?! After all I’ve done for you, all the money and support I’ve given you in your quest to become a Master, you would thank me by turning your back on me?! How dare you?!”

  “Don’t pretend like you did this for me,” Rennigan spat back. “I’m not stupid, Father. I know you’ve only backed me all this time to increase your control over the Masters. You don’t want me to be successful. You just want the Master of Water to be your puppet.”

  The anger in Kloras’s features faded at Rennigan’s accusation, only to be replaced by a look of genuine hurt that threw the young man off a bit. “That’s...what you think of me?”

  “Am I wrong?” he retorted. “Barely a month ago, you held the Ankalla operation hostage so you could force Master Rana to do something she didn’t want to do. You would have let the Kosah-Rei continue to rampage across the country if it meant furthering your ambitions. So don’t stand there and look at me like you’re the epitome of morality.” Rennigan then straightened up and narrowed his eyes in challenge. “I’m done, Father. Tell Mother and Rosaline I said goodbye, will you? And Master Rana…” Returning his gaze to around Nyx’s position, he finished with, “thank you for considering me. It truly was an honor, and I’m sorry for all this.”

  “Of course, Rennigan,” she replied weakly. “Travel safely.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Rennigan…”

  Ignoring Kloras’s weak utterance of his name, the young turned on his heel and reached for the doorknob.

  “Son…please!”

  The young man pushed it open then stepped outside, and just before closing it behind him, he heard his father’s last, desperate call before he finally walked away.

  “Rennigan, please come back!”

  ***

  Almost immediately after Rennigan left, Nyx rushed out of Kloras’s office with the cowl of her white cloak pulled as low as she could get it. Her feet were taking her towards the nearest lift so she could descend to the residential corridors where she would hopefully find Sinna. Right then, she desperately needed her comfort, for tears were streaming down her face and she was barely repressing her sobs. Her chest was tight with anxiety and guilt, leaving her wondering if there was anything she could have done differently.

  It was her fault.

  She knew that as an undeniable fact. Even if Rennigan assured her that his encounter with the Wraith was only a part of his decision, she was confident that had he never learned her secret, then he would have returned to Erika as cheerful and happy as everybody else. Instead, he locked himself away in his room, terrified of her and Sinna as he feared for his life, and she couldn’t even blame him. The Master of Rock had tried to kill him, so it was no wonder he was scared she would try again. Nyx hoped that by reaching out to him the way she did the other day that she could begin to mend things between them. Very few people knew about the Wraith, so she had thought about how nice it would be to have an apprentice she could trust and who she might be able to consider a friend, but that had clearly been wishful thinking. Rennigan Glaus probably hated her for how things ended, and maybe he was fleeing Erika to get away from her.

  I really am nothing more than a danger… How often must I wonder whether the world is better off without me? I want to live… I want to live my life like everybody else, but I’ve murdered people—eaten people… I’m an irredeemable monster and every day I selfishly stay alive is another day I’m putting people at risk. I butchered my home. I devoured the innocent people of Hiriech. And now, loyal Korrei-Tarr were put down by Sinna to protect me, and Rennigan has been emotionally destroyed. Do I bring enough good to this world to justify the bad? I can hardly think so.

  The Wraith would forever be indistinguishable from her life. She could never again live without it inhabiting her body, for the only way to get rid of it would be her complete destruction. Truth be told, Nakoma should have ended her back in Hiriech, and though he insisted he lacked the power to do so after he fought Barron and Uma, she still suspected he spared her life intentionally.

  And where did that get us, Master Taurus? I’ve only done more damage to innocent souls…

  She sniffled as she rode the lift down to her desired level, and to her utter relief, she found Sinna leaning up against the wall just outside of the shaft. The Master glanced up at her arrival and smiled warmly.

  “There you are. So how’d it go? Is that stupid little fucker officially your…?” Sinna trailed off as Nyx raised her head to reveal her tear-streaked face, only for the other woman to instantly hurry over with concern. “Nyxi, what’s wrong? What happened?”

  Her large hand gently pressed against Nyx’s cheek, the touch soothing in a way she needed badly. “He declined, Sin. I traumatized him so much that he turned me down, and now he’s leaving Erika completely. I’ve destroyed another person’s life… I…”

  “Wait, he’s leaving?! And you’re just gonna let him?” Sinna demanded. “We can’t do that! If he gets out of the city, we have no means of keeping him quiet! We need to—”

  “Sinna, no,” Nyx protested. “At this point, I’ve decided that if Rennigan Glaus is the reason I get exposed, then so be it. I’ll accept my fate because I refuse to put him through anything else.”

  As she spoke, she stared up into Sinna’s eyes with purpose, wanting her to know that she was not going to waver in this decision. There was conflict in the Master of Rock’s features, and knowing her like she did, Nyx was well aware that Sinna loathed the idea of setting Rennigan free, but her love for Nyx was not stronger than her hatred for Rennigan, so instead of pressing the issue, she simply muttered,

  “Let’s head back to my quarters, why don’t we?”

  “Mm. Sure…”

  With that, Sinna gently took Nyx’s hand as they began to walk through the hallway, in the direction of their quarters, neither speaking as they merely enjoyed the other's presence. It was peaceful, and though Nyx was still feeling terrible, being around Sinna was effective in easing her self-loathing for the moment. However, they were only alone for a few minutes before they rounded a corner and saw somebody up ahead, aggressively knocking on the door of a different Master’s room.

  “Fucking hell… What’s he doing up here?” Sinna growled under her breath.

  Nyx furrowed her brow with curiosity as she recognized those quarters as belonging to Album, then called out, “Caeli? Can we help you?”

  Ryokumo spun around, his features uncharacteristically pale as he glanced between the two Masters before straightening up and throwing on a mask of calm. “M-Master Rana, Master Cartus… G-good afternoon. Um, er, have either of you seen Album around today? Or Princess Ilirianna, for that matter?”

  “Why?” Sinna snapped before Nyx could respond more respectfully.

  Ryokumo smiled awkwardly. “Er, well, I’m just here to pay them a visit, I suppose.”

  “Sorry, but I haven’t seen either,” the Master of Water answered before her partner could beat her to it.

  “Right…” He hung his head, his foot tapping anxiously as he seemingly tried to figure out what he was supposed to do. However, just when Nyx was about to ask him if he was okay, Ryokumo spoke again. “How’d the meeting with Glaus go, by the way? That was today, wasn’t it?”

  Nyx frowned. It was a strange thing for him to ask since she had been under the impression he was aware of what Rennigan was planning to do. “How did it go? What do you mean? Did you not know he intended to decline?”

  “Decline?!” Ryokumo’s eyes went wide as he gaped at her as if she’d lost her mind. “N-no, he didn’t tell me he was going to decline! Why the hell would he do that?! I thought being the Master of Water was his dream!”

  Caeli doesn’t know? Then, if he thought Rennigan was going to accept, then does he not realize he’s leaving? But he said he was leaving now, so…does Rennigan intend to depart Erika without saying bye to Caeli?

  She knew it was foolish to stick her nose back into Rennigan’s business after everything she did to him, but at the same time, she felt it was wrong for the young man to leave without first speaking to Ryokumo, so she opted to take a risk and hope it paid off.

  “He didn’t tell you then,” she muttered. “Caeli, he’s leaving Erika for good. He said that the second our meeting ended, he was departing the city. Did you honestly not know this?”

  “He’s… What?! You’re serious?!”

  Nyx nodded firmly. “I am, but if you run, you’ll catch him. I’m not sure if he headed back to your house or if he’s going right for a carriage, but—”

  Without speaking another word, Ryokumo bolted away, wind magic surging into his legs as he sprinted past the two Masters and out of sight, leaving Nyx standing there praying that she had done the right thing.

  “Was that really necessary?” Sinna grumbled.

  “Yes, I think so, but—”

  “Cartus! Rana!”

  A call from behind them caused both Sinna and Nyx to turn around to see Nakoma approaching them from the opposite direction Ryokumo had run off in. The Master of Fire appeared livid and a tad tired as he marched towards where they stood.

  “Taurus,” Sinna greeted stiffly. “What’s the matter?”

  Nakoma shrugged irritably. “You’ll find out soon enough, but King Markreas has summoned all eight Masters to a meeting in a little over an hour. Unfortunately, something very big has happened.”