Chapter 28: Secrets and Information I
Chapter 28: Secrets and Information I
The voice of Anastasia rang in his ears like a thunderbolt made of sobs and fury. Damian clenched his fists, doing everything he could not to explode with rage.His wife’s body, the corpse they were told had been tainted by Entropic Energy and properly disposed of...hadn’t been laid to rest at all. They’d sent it to a lab?
They buried empty coffins for their loved ones.
Empty. Coffins.
Because of lies and deception! Because even in death, the bastards weren’t finished with their bodies!
No, they had to take it further- carting them off to a research facility. And it wasn’t hard to imagine the horrors happening in that lab.
He clenched his fists tighter, forcing down every violent urge. Even though he wanted to whisper something to Anastasia, he stayed silent, waiting for her to continue.
She did, heartbreak thick in her voice, vibrating through his earpiece.
"The incident has been mostly scrubbed," she said shakily. "But a brief file still exists under the folder for Vex Talon. It says the corpses from the incident were taken to the Ventriox Vault Research Facility. Why the fuck would they take corpses to a research lab?!"
She was trying to keep her voice low, trying not to be heard in whatever place she was hiding in. But even from here, Damian could feel it- she was shaking.
She was furious, overwhelmed, trembling with disbelief.
In front of Damian, the Serpent Queen closed the laptop he’d been using and stood, scanning the area before heading for the exit.
Damian followed, doing his best to keep his emotions in check. He trailed behind her, out of the private room and into the corridor, whispering into his earpiece.
"Does it say... why?"
Horrific possibilities flooded his mind. Why would they send corpses to a lab? He didn’t have answers- only a growing storm inside.
He heard Anastasia wipe away her tears before replying.
"No. Everything else is redacted. No reason listed. But they do have files on both of us as survivors of the incident. They’ve been keeping tabs, just in case we ever said or did anything that could tarnish Vex Talon’s reputation."
Her voice was boiling over with rage.
Damian inhaled slowly, steadying himself. Kitsuul nudged his neck gently, the subtle gesture telling him- It’s okay. Stay calm.
But was it really okay?
He clenched his fists again. The horrors happening beneath their feet were endless. If he didn’t have the power to change it, all the rage in the world wouldn’t matter. He needed strength, not fury.
So he asked.
"What about Beast Masters? What do we know about their powers? The rankings? Everything?"
He tried to push the horrors out of his mind. Focus. Think. Change something.
On the other end, Anastasia was quiet for a few seconds, then answered softly.
"I... I’ve started reading a few files on Beast Masters..."
She was collecting herself, wrestling down her anger so she could shift focus.
Damian’s voice dropped low.
"Anastasia, we will get their bodies back. We will make them pay—for that, and so much more. But right now, we need the power to go up against them. Do those files say anything about how Interstellar Beasts grow stronger? Anything that could help me reach Vex Talon’s level in a short time?"
Even as he said it, he knew it sounded like a long shot. More like a dream than a plan.
How could someone who’d just bonded with an Interstellar Beast reach the level of a monster like the Drunken Butcher- someone who’d probably been powered by his Rhino-Bat Beast for years?
Still, he asked.
Still, he hoped.
Anastasia could be heard tapping away furiously, then paused, then resumed typing again. Finally, after over a minute, she answered, her tone cold.
"It’s extremely difficult for a Beast Master to raise their power- and their Beast’s. There are rankings, tiers, and a whole power structure. To climb it, Beasts must devour either other Interstellar Beasts or rare materials found in Entropic Rifts, or synthesized by corporations like ZENTHRA. The fastest progression happens under Beast Corporations. They have access to endless materials and Rift zones."
...!
"There are also Vagrant Beast Masters," she added. "Rogues with no affiliation to a corporation. They try to rise on their own by scavenging unclaimed Entropic Rifts outside Ebonreach Metropolis or by stealing from the Skyglass Heights. But if we take that route...we won’t even come close to touching Vex Talon for years."
Her voice was calmer now, but colder. Focused. Calculating.
Damian knew that tone. She already had an idea. He leaned into the earpiece.
"Tell me what you’re thinking."
She had access to the files, all of them. She was reading, planning, piecing it together.
Ilyana had always called her little sister the smartest person she knew. She used to joke that if Anastasia had been born in Skyglass Heights, she’d probably be a Senator or a top-tier Bioengineer by now.
After a pause, her voice returned- sharp and lethal.
"The fastest path is through the Beast Corporations. You’d need to win a place as a Trial Guardian and use ZENTHRA’s resources to grow stronger. It’s fast. But it’s also the most dangerous."
She hesitated, then continued.
"We’d have to act fast- forge a new identity for you, scrub your face from Vex Talon’s records. You’d have to join and work for the same corporation that did all this to us. But it might work. I can replace your identity in the database. Make it airtight. And then..."
Silence.
She laid out the plan, but her voice couldn’t hide her fury. Damian was thinking the same thing.
ZENTHRA had covered it all up. Their Guardian had killed his wife and others.
And now...the path to vengeance might be through them.
The corporation that destroyed everything... might be the only way to get strong enough to destroy them!
It was a terrifying possibility.
But Damian was bubbling with so much rage he could barely think straight. Just the thought of how many loopholes they’d have to exploit-or how unaffiliated Beast Masters struggled to get access to resources or even enter Entropic Rifts made his jaw tighten!