Erurda POV

  I couldn’t tell how much time had passed since Demeptah left me hanging here. But with every passing moment I could feel my strength slowly returning. And soon I could move, testing the limits of the restraints that held me with excruciating pain in my very nerves.

  The burning pain was still there but in comparison to what I had felt before it seemed reasonable. I couldn’t tell what Demeptah had in store for me but I doubt it would be any good. But it was still very strange that he was keeping me alive at all.

  If what I knew about our Grand General was accurate he was an honorable warrior and soldier who completed tasks he was assigned to with the utmost speed. And while he seemed to now hold great disdain for the Emperor and the Imperial throne in general he isn’t the kind of person to stray too far from his morales.

  As I had nothing but time on my hands my mind began to wonder a bit. Just what had Demeptah seen or has the Imperial throne done to make him hate them so much. And there was the way in which he said it. That, the being sitting upon the life support systems the imperial throne has become not being his father. I suppose the Emperor’s direct offspring would know best but how so?

  While I haven’t laid my eyes upon the Emperor’s physical form since the end of the Great Scouring, could something have happened since then during his exile? If so, why didn’t the Custodians seem concerned?

  ‘Too many questions.’ I thought as I reached deeper, in an effort to feel for my core.

  At first I felt nothing. Just the cold emptiness where my core once was. But ignoring the sinking feeling of dread I focused. Recalling all those lectures in mana manipulation and meditation I had to sit through in my youth.

  I focused on the smallest point. The tiny motes of ambient mana that flowed around in my body. I could feel its warmth, while not substantial it was welcoming in this cold empty room I was imprisoned in.

  The singular particle of mana floated around as if it was a speck of dust. Aimlessly wandering around until it eventually was attracted to other motes of mana. Eventually the particles weighed each other down enough as they all began convening into a single area around my sternum.

  My mind followed these ambient particles as they slowly gathered around where my core should be. I could tell a great deal of time had passed since I had started this process due to the aching pain in my stomach but I ignored it for now.

  I tried to focus on my core, trying to stir any bit of life from it. In return it flickered for a short moment, letting out a dim white glow that died as soon as it shone. In frustration and weariness I let out a sharp gasp as I reopened my eyes.

  I was still in the dark room with both my arms in chains. I cursed under my breath as the awareness brought back the burning pain in my nerves. I winced at the pain, it felt as though I was ripped apart and sewn back together like a doll.

  No, I had to push through. It was either that or death at this point and while some part of me yearned for the sweet release that death would bring I have already gone through too much to waste my life here.

  Taking a deep breath I tried to widen my awareness to the small amount of ambient mana that existed in this room. I just need to gather enough of them to light a spark that would ignite my core.

  Heavy beads of sweat ran down my forehead as I reached out for the mana. My entire body shook from the exertion, it reminded me of the time when I had first awakened my core when I was a young child. I tried to recall those long forgotten memories.

  Sitting cross legged in the lecture hall with my instructor and father standing before me. Back then I had the advantage of a mana-rich environment, but the principle was the same at least.

  And I could feel it, bit by bit the mana gathering around me as I guided them into my body and through my dormant channels into my chest area. I didn’t need a lot, just a tiny bit to activate one of my runes.

  I could feel my chest growing warm as the mana began to coalesce, until…

  Closing my eyes I could see it, my mana core glowing an everso dim white. It had several hairline cracks running across its surface and I could feel the mana seeping through them but it was enough.

  While Demeptah was smart in battle and war he lacked experience, with him being the first Djinn to be placed in stasis even before the end of the Great Scouring. And most of all he was not used to fighting against other Djinn. While he understands our nature and the weapons of war we utilize, many of us weren’t doing anything for these thousands of years since our exile from the material world.

  Slowly as to not put too much stress on my already damaged core and body I carefully urged the mana, pushing it gently into a certain rune that adjourned my body.

  The rune glowed purple for a brief moment, struggling to fully activate as I could feel the aetheric pathways move aside for me to pass through them. Then with one final push I was free. The aether had allowed me to phase through the chains that held my limbs as I tumbled onto the ground.

  With great effort I slowly pushed myself off the ground using my arms. Both of them trembled as I regained my footing and stood up. The joints in my arms and legs screamed at me in pain as I massaged my bruised wrists.

  ‘Huh, no security system?’ I thought, perhaps Demeptah thinks too lowly of me. I would be offended but now wasn’t the time for that. Now that I was free from my bindings I began to wander the room. I was surrounded by darkness on all sides, I wasn’t even sure there was a simple way out of here. For all I knew teleporting could be the only way in and out of this room.

  My chest ached as I summoned a small wisp of fire to illuminate the space. Only to be met by various medical and scientific equipment laid out on a nearby table. Seeing as I didn’t have much of a choice I began to walk down the long hallway, allowing my instincts to carry my injured body forward. As I limped around I saw various stasis chambers placed on both sides of the walls.

  I walked towards one and peered inside only to see that it was empty. I investigated several others only to either see them vacant or with corpses in various states of decomposition. The Djinn’s understanding of aether was never perfect, that was the reason why we had entire institutions and families dedicate their lives to study it. Even our exile into the aetheric void was a last ditch attempt for survival and to preserve what we have studied.

  While the work upon this pocket space we have carved out was started long before my birth it wasn’t complete when we were forced to find safety here. And we have lost so many trying to mold out a space to live in these barren waste of void that will eventually consume everything and return it all to aether.

  As I continued onwards there was a change in the equipment and instruments that surrounded me. While the area around where I was held seemed unused and decommissioned this place I was in now seemed alive. Like it was a lab that is still in use.

  The whole area hummed with aether and mana as faintly glowing runes decorated the walls various items. Akin to a man dying of thirst I hastily lurched forward to one of the active stasis chambers as I began siphoning off the mana.

  I desperately consumed the mana trying to replenish my core and when I had my fill the stasis chamber that stood before me flickered until it dimmed. I let out a deep breath as I could already feel the mana slowly making its way throughout my body and healing the damage. I tried sending out a mental message to any of my own forces only to be met with silence. It wasn’t likely that any of them survived or were loyal to me anymore but it was worth a shot.

  Now that I have somewhat regained a bit of my strength I began to look for a way out. My core which was still weak was able to produce a bigger flame that revealed to me just what kind of space I was in.

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  Large cylindrical tanks of glass lined the walls, some of them empty but many more were filled with some kind of liquid with some mass floating within them. Each tank had a control panel at the front that seemed to be the vital readings of the thing inside.

  I took a couple of steps to inspect the closest tank to see what lay in the murky liquid. The thing inside reacted to the sudden change in light levels as it moved its body to above it. It took a bit of time but I was eventually able to see the thing for what it was.

  I took a step back in a mix of disgust and horror as a singular malformed eye peered back at me from the tank. I couldn’t exactly tell what it was but it appeared to be some kind of humanoid creature, except something had horribly gone wrong in its development process.

  And that wasn’t all, the creature within the tank lashed out at me as soon as our eyes met. Not physically of course, it could barely swim around in there. But a sharp pain in my temples sent me a couple of steps back as it let out a physic scream using mana and aether.

  As the mutant creature roared out at me the others in nearby tanks all moved to observe the disturbance. All of them were similar. All vaguely humanoid, all of them deformed in some way. Some looked like it may have been an actual human before while others looked akin to just blobs of living flesh stitched together.

  “What in Fate’s name is this?” I whispered as I looked on in panic. Despite all of them being so mutated or malformed I could still feel the presence they exerted on both mana and aether, all of them holding considerable force within them akin to Djinn warriors.

  Was this what Demeptah was planning? Creating this own army of warriors? I took several steps back as I shook my head. This was blasphemy, an act of dishonor upon our natural form that-

  I quickly turned as I felt something touch my back only to see a large metal table on the farside of the room. A bloodied corpse laid upon the table, it was of a female and from the runes that made her skin appear purple she was a Djinn. But her body was cut open in various places and disfigured with severe burn marks that laced her skin.

  Half of her face was burned off and the other half, I swear it felt so familiar but I couldn’t place where I’ve seen that face before. An old acquaintance perhaps?

  Footsteps approaching from the otherside of the hallway snapped my attention back. And from the shadows marched out a hulking figure. Each one of his footsteps echoing louder and louder. In his hands he held a massive greatsword that crackled with aetheric lightning.

  Boraka. Demeptah’s second-in-command. If he was here then whatever this project or science experiment was, it was important enough to bring him here.

  Even at my full strength I would be hesitant to face off against Boraka head-to-head. While he was not a Highlord and lacked the qualities of one he made up for it by raw strength and battle tactics. It is said that his record is only second to Demeptah himself.

  “Lady Erurda, this area is off limits.” He spoke in a deep voice that seemed to shake my entire body.

  ‘Well he didn’t instantly kill me so that’s good.’ I thought as I began to form a plan to get out of here.

  “Sorry, I didn't see a sign.” I answered back as I decided on a rash plan.

  Ignoring my comment Boraka began to move but I was ready for that. Pulling mana from the tank’s life support systems into my core and body protested the sudden influx of mana as I channeled all into a sonic scream that shattered the glass tanks and unleashed the deformed mutants from their prisons.

  Boraka’s eyes widened as the freed mutants began to wildly wield their magic, spells flew in every direction as some of them even activated their runes as space and time distorted. Space stretched and contracted as the distance between me and the Grand General’s retainer shifted. Some of the creatures even seemed to aid me in some strange way as they utilized their runes on their ruined bodies.

  One of the more humanoid ones lunged forward at the Djinn captain. But Boraka reacted just as quickly as the creature landed on his blade. The creature wailed in pain in a voice that seemed to human as it sent a shiver down my spine. But the creature began to expand until it exploded into blood and mana.

  The entire area was flooded by the liquid that had filled the tanks and while I couldn’t figure out what it was, it did have a strange smell that was familiar. I could feel the aether and mana that was diluted within and I gladly absorbed the mana as I could feel my body becoming lighter and lighter.

  With most of my senses restored I felt an overwhelming sense of dread and doom. Quickly dodging the aetheric blade that almost took off my head. Boraka teleported right behind me.

  ‘So, teleportation magic is viable here?’ I smiled as a deep blue fire consumed my fist as I struck the Djinn captain square in the chest, sending him flying backwards. I could feel the bones in my hand breaking but it would heal soon enough. As Boraka struggled to regain his footing the mutant creatures all lunged at him, as if to take out the torment of their miserable existence.

  Taking this opportunity I pushed mana into a rune I had reserved for such emergencies. My core ached as I coughed out blood. Yep, this rune still placed too much strain on me but it was better than dying here. The space directly in front of the ripped open like cutting open flesh as the wound in reality formed a portal. Without looking back I ran in as I allowed the aether to carry me far away from this hellhole.

  The next thing I knew was my body stumbling out into the open grass. I hit the ground hard as the blades of grass slapped my face on the way down.

  Gently holding my head in my hands I pushed myself off the ground. Only for me to begin violently throwing up my guts. And since I hadn’t eaten anything for at least several days I only heaved up some stomach acid that burned as it came up.

  I continued to throw up my stomach contents for a couple of seconds. And when I finally regained some of my senses I began to make note of my surroundings. Fresh air filled my lungs as the orange light of the setting sun broke through the forest coverage and kissed my skin.

  “No.” I muttered silently as I began to drink in the ambient mana as I rose to my feet. I could already feel my automatic healing runes begin their work as bones and flesh began to mend together.

  I winced at the pain as I activated my flight rune and slowly flew up above the trees. To be met by the brilliant sun setting in the horizon, bathing the entire forest in a warm orange pinkish light.

  There was no mistaking this. While our realms within the void had artificial skies and sun there was no replicating the true thing in its full glory. We were so preoccupied with our own squabbles that I forgot. I had forgotten. Just how beautiful this world truly was. I could feel warmth run down my skin as I reached up to feel tears swelling in my eyes.

  Yes, this is why we fight even after all these years.. To reclaim this world that is rightfully ours. But the feeling of joy and beauty was spoon replaced as paranoia creeped in.

  If Boraka wanted to, could he have easily captured or even killed me? And why would such a secret lab not be laced with anti-teleportation defenses? Perhaps to aid Boraka but still, too much of a risk.

  I pushed to thoughts about what exactly those mutated humanoid things were or what their purpose was. I doubt I would even figure it out by wondering about it. But my escape seemed too… easy. Maybe Demeptah had some way of tracking me and is expecting me to lead him to any more realms I had contact with. He was slowly growing his own forces in an effort to challenge the throneworld after all. And no doubt my little surprise I left for him did a sizable amount of damage to his invading force.

  Still I needed to do something. I can’t just sit around here and wait for him to eventually find me. I could go back to the throneworld but I wasn’t sure if they knew what I had done. But I have a strong suspicion that at the very least that Oliurk won’t be happy with me. And with almost all of the Highlords either already dead or under Demeptah’s rule I didn’t have many options. I could go on a search for any more unawakened realms but that doesn’t give me any guarantees.

  North. My mind flashed to the kleptomaniac that has a feud with Vago. He was the only one of the notable Highlord who didn’t answer Vago’s invitation and will most likely be still alive. Since he has a deep disdain with Vago I am sure he will at least be on my side against him. And as for Demeptah.

  One of the only reasons why Vago, even with most of the Imperial throneworld behind him, didn't just eliminate him already was that his vault filled with creatures and weapons from the past was his ultimate trap card. We simply didn’t know what kind of toys he had in his arsenal so many of the Highlords simply didn’t bother dealing with him. And he was a bit of a social recluse anyway, never getting involved with Djinn politics unless it gained him more museum pieces.

  I am sure I could find one of our old ruined portals here. If given enough time I’ll be able to activate it and set a proper destination. Here is hoping that Neoth didn’t have any automatic defenses that would fry me the moment I step out of the portal.

  With a clear goal set in mind I began to absorb more and more mana from my surroundings. As I closed my eyes in search for any faint aether signature. As my core began to burn brother and brighter with more and more mana my mental vision widened as it soon eclipsed the forest I was in and into the wider world.

  And to my surprise I was met with living signatures that held aether. From their familiarity I could make out that they were of Djinn but why were they in the material world in such numbers? Has the throneworld already made a move and started their conquest? But what of the asura?

  ‘No, those are questions I can ask later. I need to get out of here before any of them spot me.’ I thought as I pinpointed the closest portal to my location.

  ‘That will have to do.’ I thought as I began making my way towards it. I didn’t think my life would end up like this. To think that my entire family's legacy was basically all destroyed. I wondered what my grandfather would think if he were in front of me.