Zero

Tied and Tethered

ARTHUR

Passing through the portal was as seamless as taking a door to another dimension. Once the destination came into view, Varay and I crossed the translucent surface, arriving at a circular room surrounded by smooth white pillars and glowing sconces.

"What is this place?"

Large metal doors towered at the end of the hall. The stagnant smell of age-old dust dangled in attendance. I walked up to the water fountain at the center, past blood-stained floors, and dipped my hand in the cool, clear liquid.

"The Alacryans call it the Relictombs. It was built by the ancient mages so that asuras can't enter; think of it like a network of dungeons interlinked by portals." I looked around, reminiscing the early experiences I had with the zones and their perils. "This room acts as a sanctuary for ascenders."

"The ancient mages created this?" she asked with wonder. "It feels... familiar."

The runes on the wall were carefully crafted with intricate details that made it look like a work of art. The djinn's aesthetic antiquity depicted a flourishing culture of a bygone era; I could only imagine how prosperous their civilization must have been without their propensity for conflict. These lingering vestiges were an undeniable proof of their existence—something that not even the asuras could erase. It was a shame that we'd never get to see more than a glimpse of their history...

"Most of our technology is derived from their knowledge. These constructs, like the floating castle, are all that's left of our predecessors—remnants of the past."

Varay brushed her fingers along the wall.

"What happened to them?"

A sigh escaped my lips. "They were tortured by the Indrath clan. Killed for their aetheric powers and secrets."

Varay scoffed. "Hardly the benevolent beings we made them out to be."

If blasphemy was the reason we went extinct, I only hoped there was a special place in hell for every last one of them. It was astounding how petty they were. The absurdity was almost laughable.

"They never fought back?" she asked.

I thought about the djinn at the ruins, or what was left of them, and remembered their animosity toward the race that had annihilated their own. "Most were pacifists that refused to fight. Some eventually did. But by then... it was already too late."

Varay placed her palm under a candle. "And soon we'll end up like them."

Neither of us said a word as we sat against the walls and reflected. A heavy silence hung like a noose around our necks.

I pulled out a bedroll from my dimension rune and tossed it to Varay. "You should get some rest."

She caught it and paused. "I'm not sure how to feel about someone watching me sleep."

"But you're fine sharing a bath with said someone?"

"A line has to be drawn somewhere," she said with a smirk.

"Is there any meaning to drawing one when you've already crossed it?" I asked with a smirk of my own.

Varay closed her eyes and shook her head. "Wake me up when you need me."

I watched as she turned around with her back facing me. Moments later, her breathing softened, becoming more relaxed until eventually, she drifted off into a deep slumber.

A quiet hush settled between us. The hours passed by in silence while I contemplated a course of action.

Alaric would have no qualms about hiding Varay's identity if we could reach him. A few relics and a bottle of booze went a long way. But returning to Alacrya was easier said than done. It was nearly impossible not to be recognized after the stunt I pulled at the Victoriad. Even if I fixed the tempus warp, the likelihood of transporting to another military base was too high. I wouldn't be able to handle them if I went with Varay. And leaving her behind was out of the question.