TBATE- A force to be reckoned with

Path of Entropy

"Are those the only options I have?" Cecilia asked, glancing between the two.

"You want to let him go free?" Arthur asked, baffled.

"Yeah, that's not a good idea." Regis added, "I mean have you seen what this guy has done?"

Fayden remained silent.

"What..." She turned to Fayden, "What if he had blocks like me?"

"Doubt it," Fayden said, "That little fucker has so much hate in him that Agrona won't need to resort to such measures for him."

"Still, check his mind, please."

Fayden sighed, "Fine,"

Nico struggled to move, away from Fayden as he approached, thrashing against the ground as dark vines rose up to bind him in place.

He shook with rage even as Fayden grabbed his head, probing into his mind. But he found no blocks in his memory, no alterations to it.

Yet, as he was about to leave, something caught his attention. A dark flame residing in the recesses of his mind, corrupting part of his brain, specifically the hypothalamus.

Fayden narrowed his eyes and minuscule tendrils of nacht penetrated into Nico's head, devouring the plague within seconds.

Slowly, Nico stopped struggling, and Fayden walked away, dispelling the vines, and the muzzle.

"This calmness," Nico said, glaring at Fayden, "What did you do?"

"Agrona had corrupted your hypothalamus, making you more susceptible to emotions, dialing the anger and hatred that you have to a whole another level." Fayden explained, "Although I can still see that fire of anger in you."

"You expect me to not be angry at him for killing Cecilia?" Nico growled, jerking his head towards Arthur.

"Nico," Cecilia said, "Grey did not kill me."

"I saw it happen!" He yelled back, "You were fighting, and then he..."

She shook her head, "Don't blame him, I let down my defenses, I fell on his sword. He has held that burden since that day."

Nico narrowed his eyes, "How can I be sure he," he glared at Fayden, "didn't brainwash you?"

"Oh yeah?" Cecilia said, anger seeping into her words, "Like how Agrona did? Like how you never found the need to tell me the truth?!"

For once, Nico looked down with shame, it was true he could have told her the truth any time, but he didn't. His selfish desires stopped him from doing that.

Cecilia sighed, it was no use getting wound up, they were both used by Agrona. "Get up, Nico."

Nico didn't move, even as the shackles binding him dissipated to nothingness.

"Get up," She repeated, kneeling down to his level and staring him in the eyes. Reluctantly, Nico stood up, "Make your choice." He said, trying his best to keep a neutral face.

Cecilia looked up and down at him once, before turning to Fayden, "Is there any place he could be of help, but not be a threat to?"

Fayden narrowed his eyes, "Define 'help'."

"As in inventing new machines, like he used to do in our old world."

[One place does come to mind.]

Fayden didn't reply to that and chose instead to raise his hand towards Nico, imprisoning him in a solid black cube.

"Follow me," He said, flying off into the sky, Arthur and Cecilia following soon after.

It did not take long for the floating kingdom to come to view, the majestic futuristic country blanketed by hexagonal shields. The guardsmen at the main gate didn't hesitate to open it up for them, and they flew straight to the hovering palace.