I'll Be Here

From Now On

The next stretch of time was a blur for Alatus. He seemed to be spending a lot of time alone in the darkness.

It wasn't always awful, as long as he could stay awake. He could feel the weariness of monotony sinking into his consciousness, but the thought of the karma raging his soul always brought him back. Calling back the memories of emotions from dreams helped, but they weren't the same as consuming new dreams.

On the days that Zhui managed to return, he was always in a terrible mood. Some days he was content to take Alatus to kill a few humans, some of which were starting to call themselves "Treasure Hoarders," and allowed him to eat their dreams while he watched in sulking silence.

But most days were not so good, and both Alatus's silence and his responses only fanned the flames of his master's temper. Sometimes Zhui would just scream at him. Other times he would choke or burn him. Since joining Osial's forces, Zhui had ceased bothering to heal him or offer any kind of care that he usually did afterwards.

Alatus was never sure how to feel when his master walked in; his emotions varied deeply between absolute dread and sweet relief from no longer being alone.

So when Zhui burst through the blackstone doors at full speed, slamming them behind him, crossing them shut with wide rods of iron, and throwing aside a pyre to press himself into the nearest corner, panting and sweating heavily, Alatus wasn't sure what to think.

In all these years, he realized, he had never actually seen Zhui run. Or struggle to catch his breath. Or look so...

Desperate.

"What is happening, Master?" Alatus asked. His voice was a little hoarse from underuse.

"Shut your bitch mouth," Zhui hissed, black eyes flashing.

Alatus blinked. He flexed his wrists against the chains.

There was a loud boom from somewhere above them.

"This is a private domain," Zhui was muttering, barely loud enough for Alatus to hear. "He can't find us here, this is a private domain, I enchanted it myself..." He huffed, pressing his hand against his shoulder. Blood leaked out between his fingers.

What had happened? Alatus knit his eyebrows.

"Alatus, whatever happens, I order you to protect me," Zhui demanded through clenched teeth.

And then the doors crashed open in a blaze of golden light.

Alatus squeezed his eyes shut against the harsh glare. This was the brightest the room had ever been, and the most light he'd seen in what felt like days.

"'Those who break their contracts shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock.' If anyone knows this to be true, Karma Dei, it should be you."

The new voice was deep but flat, as if simply speaking facts without any heat. Alatus could sense the great power of the speaker, resonating through the blackstone walls, asserting strength in every word, but he was confused by the lack of anger behind the might.

"We never made a contract!" Zhui was yelling, shielding his eyes from the light. "I have broken no contracts with you!"

Ah. Alatus opened his eyes, just enough to look through his lashes.

A tall figure all dressed in white was silhouetted in the doorway, stepping forward over cracked shards of iron and blackstone, exuding pure Geo energy; a glowing kongming lock levitated above his outstretched hand, which glowed with gold markings all the way up his powerful arms.

This, then, was Rex Lapis.

Alatus shivered.

"You are meant to be the Archon of Karma. When did you start seeing yourself as the Deliverer of Justice? Who gave you this right, or this role?" The light dimmed slightly, enough that Alatus could see Morax's brilliant amber eyes brimming with power. "You do not enter another archon's abode as a guest, murder everyone else present, and then threaten the life of the host; unspoken contracts are still contracts, Kimaris, and no one in the history of time has violated hospitality the way that you have." The kongming lock rotated in its place above the god's hand.