Chapter 75: Alliances I
Chapter 75: Alliances I
"Oh, and you..."Damian glanced at her, taking in the dark oversized robe and hoodie that obscured her entirely.
"...you would’ve been better off wearing a man’s bodysuit. You’d draw less attention that way. Women get kidnapped here daily, no matter how covered they are. That’s how bad it is in the Hollow Stacks."
He gave her lessons as they walked, brief warnings laced with hard truths. She nodded, eyes sharp, scanning everything around her with silent vigilance.
Eventually, they passed through narrow alleys, weaving through throngs of cybernetically-modified humans, bad mods on full display. Damian pressed forward, locked onto his destination, coordinating with Anastasia.
Ten minutes later, the neon sign of the Rustblood Circuit Arena blazed before them. The screams and chants from within could be heard from blocks away. Damian tugged Serena forward.
"We’ve arrived."
Serena blinked at the chaos. Hundreds of people flowed in and out of the arena, the air thick with sweat, smoke, and oil. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Of everything she’d seen today, this was by far her least favorite.
Damian paid the credits without a word. The guards grunted at their concealed faces but let them pass. The freight elevator rumbled downward, the roar of spectators growing louder with every level.
But Damian didn’t lead them into the stands.
He guided them through the side halls of the Rustblood Circuit Arena, following Anastasia’s directions. Minutes later,
DU DU DU!
He knocked on a metal door tucked away in a quieter section of the upper levels. The area had been designed with noise dampeners to mute the arena’s chaos into a dull ambience.
A locking mechanism clicked, and the door slid open to reveal Anastasia standing in a sleek, form-fitting bodysuit. Behind her was a wide VIP room: black leather couches, a sleek glass table, and platters of half-eaten food scattered across its surface.
She gestured them inside.
Damian entered, pulled off his mask, and tossed it onto the table with a sigh as he sank into a couch.
He exhaled heavily. Kitsuul blinked into visibility with a soft hum, hopping down and immediately jumping into Anastasia’s arms. Her eyes sparkled as she held the tiny beast, inspecting her affectionately before shifting her gaze toward Serena, who still stood by the door.
"You brought a Glassblood Interstellar Beast Master here," she said dryly, "and look how frightened she is."
The words had a bite and unhidden disdain. It was clear Anastasia had no love for the Glassblood elite.
Serena said nothing at first. Then, slowly, she pulled off her mask, her expression cool and defiant. Her gaze met Anastasia’s without flinching, taking in the slightly older woman’s striking features.
"Where in my eyes do you see frightened?"
Her Void Serpent slid out from beneath her robe, its eyes glaring at Anastasia with barely veiled menace. Anastasia gave it only a passing glance, as if deciding whether she should test what her power really was!
Tension spiked in the room. It felt like one wrong word could set off an explosion. But Anastasia turned away, striding toward a sleek computer screen.
"Serena. New Trial Guardian of ZENTHRA, sneaking around and targeting Valentine Bateman, one of their most prominent Guardians under them. I wonder how ZENTHRA would feel about that."
...!
Her words were sharp, calculated.
Serena’s expression faltered.
She turned to Damian, conflicted. This was a man who had risked his life to save her and Lyra. A fellow Trial Guardian. But now...what was all this?
Damian leaned back, rubbing his temples, and let out another sigh.
"Let’s go easy on her," he said, waving her over. "Hey, have a seat."
He motioned to the couch across from him, then continued.
"We know a lot. But I’ll start by saying, we’re not your enemies. That said... we do know a little about Valentine Bateman. And..."
He paused.
"...your mother."
BOOM.
It wasn’t a physical sound, but the emotional impact hit like a detonation. Serena’s body tensed, and shadows danced around her. Her eyes sharpened dangerously.
Her mother. Valentine Bateman.
Someone knew.
But how? She hadn’t told anyone. Hadn’t left a single trail.
"Don’t overthink it."
Damian leaned forward, his voice low but firm.
"There’s only one question that matters now. Your answer will determine everything."
...!
The room held its breath. He stared straight into Serena’s flaming gaze, each word sharp and deliberate.
"Do you want Valentine Bateman dead?"
WAA!
The question struck like a thunderclap.
Terrifying.
Unthinkable.
The kind of question no ordinary person would dare even whisper.
And yet, Valentine Bateman was no ordinary man. He was a powerful Guardian. One Damian had only just learned possessed 100% Resonance with his Interstellar Beast.
The silence that followed felt infinite. Serena’s face flickered through emotions, shock, rage, disbelief, until finally, it settled into something resolute.
Her jaw clenched. Her teeth ground together.
"I want him more than dead. I want that assaulter thrown into a blender and ripped apart. I want that bastard father of mine, to die!"
BOOM!
The room trembled with the weight of her words.
Words she had never spoken aloud. Only ever buried in her thoughts. But now that they were free, she felt relief. Fury. Terror. All at once.
Valentine Bateman.
Her father.
A monster cloaked in power, who had preyed on high-ranking women among the Glassbloods. And gotten away with it.
Not anymore.
Damian and Anastasia exchanged a glance, understanding flashing between them.
Damian leaned back again, unfazed by the outburst.
"A powerful Guardian like him..." he said slowly, "...do you really think you’ll be able to scratch a single hair on his head in the next few years?"
Her anger faltered, just for a moment. Reality crept in. She was still so far beneath him.
"I have his power and his blood," she said at last. "And no matter how many years it takes, I’ll grow stronger. I’ll surpass him. And when I do, I’ll end him."
The conviction in her voice was ironclad.
Anastasia swiveled in her chair, tapping something on her console. Her voice cut across the room like a blade.
"Good. But years and decades? That’s too long."
She turned, eyes gleaming.
"How would you like to kill your father, in less than a year?"
...!