The sky over the Order of Erebus's outpost was covered in heavy, silent clouds that night. The testing grounds had been decommissioned, and the ten survivors had been taken to a private wing of the fortress to rest and prepare.
Seraphina sat in her room. She didn't sit. She didn't eat. She just stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind racing with the past seventy-two hours.
The massacre, the enemy group using a child's illusion as bait, the unexpected alliance with Kaine, the assassin she had defeated, and finally, Specter. His name echoed in her head like a perpetual warning, warning her that he was a major threat to her mission.
Her hand still shaking, she touched the small communicator embedded within the bracelet beneath her disguise. A single button was pressed. And the Ruin Remnants' encrypted channel was activated. The ring created by Elysian reacted, blocking all tracking signals. The voice on the other end answered almost immediately, calm as ever. "Oblivion Sage here."
Seraphina closed her eyes for a second, regaining control. *Pandemonium. I need to update you on everything.*
Elysian then said with her typical cold and calculating voice. "Speak. I'm listening."
Seraphina took a deep breath and began to tell everything that had happened. The brutal massacre she had been the protagonist of. The group that had tried to ambush her using an illusion of a child as bait to manipulate her emotionally. The temporary alliance with Kaine to eliminate the last opponents and survive. The fight against the sadistic killer that she defeated without mercy and remorse. And finally... the appearance of Specter, the dark man who called himself the 6th strongest of the Order of Erebus.
To each piece of information she provided, Oblivion Sage responded with great analytical calm. "Using a child's illusion was an efficient move to extract your possible weakness. They knew what they were doing, they probably understood that you wouldn't stay quiet after hearing a child crying. The partnership with Kaine was... acceptable. He's intelligent and observant. He could become a problem or an asset, it will mainly depend on how you proceed with your relationship with him. This killer really was a disgusting monster. His elimination was correct, and your choice to make him suffer most likely sent a message that you will have no mercy for your enemies. Specter... so that's his name, that's problematic. I didn't expect him to appear so soon with his physical body. This changes everything.
Seraphina remained silent for a moment, feeling invaded by the final words. "He looked at me, Oblivion Sage. As if he knew who I was."
Elysian was silent for a few seconds. When he answered, his voice was cold, but there was a slight softer tone. "Unlikely that's the case, maybe he even suspects. But if I knew the truth, I would have acted already, with the information we have about the Order and how they operate, I find it hard to believe that they would still keep you free if they knew your true identity. So your cover is still intact. However... you must be doubly cautious from now on. Especially around any member of the Order. But with the stronger ones... treat it as if they are one second away from figuring out who you are. Specter especially included."
Seraphina nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Understood."
There was another brief silence. Until she spoke, firmly. "And about the question you asked me in the last call..."
Elysian didn't answer right away. She just waited. Then Seraphina began to give her answer. "I'm really not like you, Oblivion Sage. I can't give up all my feelings... nor do I want to. But I won't let them get the best of me anymore. The only exception I'll allow myself is this. I won't ignore innocent lives suffering before my eyes. If I did that, I'd be throwing everything I'm fighting for in the mud. Everything we're trying to build. And... everything you've done for me."
The silence lasted several seconds. But when Elysian answered, her voice sounded... oddly satisfied. "A dignified and pleasant answer. Pandemonium... I'm satisfied. Take care. And don't forget, I'll be watching you too. I'll end it here."
The call ended. And Seraphina... smiled. A light but genuine smile. The first in days. Hearing that Oblivion Sage, or rather Elysian, the man who saved, guided and shaped her, approved of her answer was more valuable than any medal, any achievement. She got up from the bed, wiped away the tears before they fell, and left the room.
The hallway of the Order's base was cold, but she felt a different warmth in her chest. A new kind of firmness. In the next three days, she had a new mission. To silently spy on the other 8 survivors, besides Kaine, who had already been well-informed about what he was like. To learn their attitudes, their values... and find out if any of them could be manipulated, allied... or eliminated.
As she walked through the base, a certainty grew within her. She was no longer an undercover agent. She was a shadow among shadows. And yet, she was the most alive among them all.
The next 72 hours would be, for the other candidates, a breath of fresh air. A rare moment of respite after the terror of the trials. But for Seraphina, they were a silent war of surveillance, interpretation, and deduction. She wore simple clothes and walked with a carefree posture through the corridors of the Order of Erebus base, where the survivors were kept under light supervision. She had been assigned to room 18, in the last section of the east wing a strategic location overlooking three main corridors. Perfect for discreet movement.
She didn't need to get closer. Just watch. Listen. Understand. She already knew Kaine well enough, his capabilities, his decisions, and even some of his shaky morals. What interested her now were the other eight. Each one potentially an enemy... or a pawn.
And so the mental notes began, fast, precise one after the other, like a human scanner, a habit and skill she had learned when she was Elysian's apprentice.
1. Renzo Khael
Type: Impulsive and Wild.
Profile: Tall, muscular, with arms marked by scars from rough training. Has a habit of talking loudly.
Summary: "Typical frontline fighter. Likes to show off. Doesn't trust anyone, but wants approval from higher figures. Wounded pride is easy to manipulate with compliments or challenges. Ego is his weakness. Likely to accept orders if he feels he's getting something out of it."
2. Alina Drex
Type: Silent and calculating.
Profile: Thin, with cold eyes. Trained in stealth. Observes more than he speaks.
Summary: "A kind of distorted reflex of mine. Intelligent, cautious. Real danger. Will quickly realize that someone is watching the others. Better to keep her as a 'silent enemy'. Avoid any unnecessary confrontation until you know what she really wants."
3. Boris Mevran
Type: Traumatized soldier.
Profile: Robust body, speaks little, has a lost look. Lives in uniform even when not on a mission.
Summary: "War veteran. Probably has lost all his allies. Obeys orders with blind discipline. Loyal to the structure, not the cause. Easy to manipulate if I assume a position of hierarchical superiority. Vulnerable to false orders."
4. Lin Aoshin
Type: Technical analyst.
Profile: Small, agile, with visible implants on his wrists. Nerd obsessed with data.
Summary: "Technical genius. Not good in direct combat, but the most dangerous strategically. Seems too interested in the Order's technology as if he were trying to understand its secrets. Has the potential to become an ally... or someone who needs to be silenced if he discovers too much."
5. Darien Vol
Type: Restrained psychopath.
Profile: Clean face, always smiling. A look that doesn't match the tone of his voice.
Summary: "The most unstable of all. He smiles as if it were normal, but there is something deeply broken about him. He only talks to others when he is bored, and when he does talk... he tests the limits. He should be eliminated at the slightest sign of loss of control. He is not useful. He is a walking bomb."
6. Fiona Marelle
Type: Pragmatic survivor.
Profile: Thin, androgynous appearance. Always analyzing the surroundings, like an animal on alert.
Summary: "Cold, practical and with refined instincts. Has his own ethics, does not trust anyone, but also does not seek to kill unnecessarily. A profile similar to mine, but more focused on self-preservation. He can be useful in momentary alliances, but will never be trustworthy in the long term."
7. Ezra Colt
Type: Follower in search of leadership.
Profile: Young, muscular, plain-spoken. Always seeks to be with someone more experienced.
Summary: "Has brute strength, but lacks direction. Seeks constant approval. Likely to fall under the influence of someone charismatic. Can be molded. Ideal as an emotional control pawn. Keep her around as a distraction or shield if necessary."
8. Myra Solane
Type: Idealistic revolutionary.
Profile: Short red hair. Always asks questions about the Order's intentions.
Summary: "The most moralistic of the group. Apparently believes she can change the Order from within. Naive, but intelligent. A potential liability if she provokes rebellion. Best kept busy with small, manipulated truths. Could be useful for inciting instability if you need to sabotage something from within."
By the end of the first 48 hours, Seraphina had the entire picture assembled. She watched from corners, from shadows, from atop structures or beneath platforms. She listened to conversations, tones of voice, what was left unsaid and, most importantly, reactions.
Her training as Pandemonium, and her mind shaped by the strategies and teachings of Oblivion Sage, made this easy.
At the end of the last night before the celebration, she was alone, sitting on the railing of one of the balconies in the technical wing, looking at the lights coming from the central square of the fortress. "What is the Order planning for these ten?" she thought.
She knew that Specter had not appeared by chance. Nothing in the Order of Erebus was without purpose. And despite the facade of rest and celebration... the gears were already in motion again.