Footsteps echoed through the lit corridor. The high stone arches, gold and red-shot walls seemed almost endless as a solitary figure sauntered towards one end. The guards maintained a blank expression as Lirous walked past them.

  Probably for the best.

  Reaching the end of the corridor, he stopped. “...Master? You asked for me?”

  His master’s head turned as Lirous paused at the edge of the gathering, the hem of his white robe brushing the ground with each step. He took a deep breath, heart racing as he approached the figure on the golden throne, elevated on the plateau. He bowed his head.

  No one could recall a single moment when Divinus showed kindness to another. Not even to his closest advisors.

  As the Master motioned for him to stand straight, despite his high status, he couldn’t help but feel... Feeble. Sure, he had commanded and won his fair share of battles. But the vast expanse of the room turned him into a dwarf, the throne towering above him, even touching the ceiling. Somehow, it didn’t make the one sitting on it small - Illusion magic? Whatever it was, the effect was working.

  “Yes. I did... Lirous.” Divinus sat up. His expression was hidden by the ornate helmet he always wore. What was it of? Frustration? Annoyance? “You remember Onyx, correct? Veles? That young brat, Tempest?”

  “Yes, Master,” Lirous replied. What did this have to do with them?

  “Well, Ajax here has kindly alerted us they’re holding a meeting as we speak. It took a bit of... Encouragement, but we worked it out in the end. Didn’t we, Ajax?”

  Lirous noticed a man sitting in a separate chair. This was hardly as stunning as the throne the Master of Light sat on, but it looked nice nonetheless. Strangely enough, the chair was facing away from the rest of the hall. Lirous could only assume that the man on top was staring blankly at the wall.

  Isn’t Ajax one of his Guardians?

  Whatever his title was, he had no response.

  Sighing, Divinus turned back to Lirous. “Anyway, I believe this war between us and them has gone on long enough. Would you be as kind as to prepare the army for a raid? And call the other council members. All of them.” As politely as Divinus had said it, Lirous knew that the Master held him in low regard.

  “Yes, Master.” Lirous turned away, making his way back from where he came.

  Satisfied, Divinus turned back to Ajax. “This is what you wanted. An end to this blasted war. No more bloodshed after tonight.”

  Ajax didn’t move from his seat. Nor did he reply.

  Shaking his head, Divinus walked to his former ally. “It’s what you deserve, anyway.”

  Tearing his spear from the mutilated body he had thrown on the chair beside him, he summoned some magic to clean up the guts and blood strewn across the floor, before blasting the tortured corpse in a beam of holy light. The mess was immediately destroyed, leaving only a single hand missed by the spell.

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  Ignoring it, Divinus left the hall, his heavy, golden armour clanking against the stained red marble floors.

  He should probably call someone in to get rid of the other bodies he stored behind him.

  

  "No, no, no, no!"

  A figure staggered through yet another stone archway. Behind him, Veles could still hear the shouts and screams of his allies—the voices of those cries grew fewer by the second. His guards had bought him little time; Vero's strongest heroes' spells, swords, and spears had cut through them like wheat before a scythe.

  God dammit! I should have followed him when I had the chance! He desperately bolted a steel blast door shut. He instantly recoiled as a series of jagged dents appeared on it half a second later.

  Veles paused to examine the glowing red marks. At the foot of the door, bolts of unwavering electricity arced, dancing across the stone floor. "Tempest..." he muttered, shaking his head before continuing down the tunnel. There was no point.

  Bit by bit, the archways were growing larger. The light was growing brighter. His exit grew closer. An abrupt tremor, followed by a terrible screeching sound cut off his smile. By now, the shouting was all but gone. He was the last one.

  The teleportation circle was ahead of him. Hastily, he sent a bolt of green energy flying towards it, before redirecting it straight down onto the massive sigil. On any other day, he would have scolded a fresh recruit for activating it so crudely, but he didn't have much of a choice with the Heroes on his back.

  Leaping on top, he funnelled his magic power directly into it. The circle grew a brighter, brighter, brighter shade of green until...

  "No."

  A sudden blast of yellow energy rocked the courtyard. Veles, despite his best armour spells, slammed into the back wall hard. His face of joy twisted into one of pain as his arm was wrenched into a position the healers could only call 'not ideal'.

  Veles forced himself into a standing position. Looking through the dust, the last of the green magic was slowly disappearing. In its place was a glowing streak of yellow light. A figure in shining armour.

  The armoured hero walked toward him.

  Step.

  By step.

  By step.

  Veles looked at his arm. In another time, he may have fended the Master of Light off... But now? No. Before the attack, he was barely clinging on to the position of Master of Poison. He knew it was a lost cause. Divinus knew it too.

  Veles couldn't help but grin. "You'd think the heroes would make a less deceitful attack, huh? The last leader... Well, he was nice, for one."

  Divinus's response was a savage kick to the stomach. Blood flew from Veles' mouth to the floor as he slumped back against the wall. Kicking a man when he's down? They've really gone downhill...

  "With a little donation, your former colleagues were happy to help. We saw an opportunity and we took it. Doesn't matter if it's 'heroic' or not. It gets the job done." In the Light Master's hand, a glowing blade of pure light appeared. He snorted with condescension. "Master of Poison?" spat Divinus. "It's almost as if you were gunning for Master Null's position."

  The other 'heroes' appeared beside their leader. In the background, charred pages drifted in the ash-filled air as the library was burnt to ashes. So much for the truth.

  "Can we get this over with?" said one of the hero's Fire users. "We still have all the rest of the documents to burn."

  "Soon," returned Divinus, "after I'm done with him." He charged up the Sunblade with magic, even though it was wholly unnecessary. A strange red light filled his helmet as he turned on Veles. "The people wouldn't have believed you anyway." He scoffed. "Corrupt officials? Hypocritical heroes? Heroes are heroes, villains are villains. It will stay that way."

  Veles looked upon the glowing blade for the last time. "So... We were the good guys?" He coughed. "This whole time?"

  Divinus looked down. "Always have been."

  There was a bright flash of light as the sword rose and fell.