Chapter 320: Fallen Faction (1)
A painful migraine suddenly struck out of nowhere.
It immediately caused Kai to wobble—and before he could even realize what was happening, the world tilted as he fell backward. He tried keeping his eyes open, widening them as if that would help him resist the darkness creeping in.
But that did not do anything.
Kai could hear Layra’s frantic voice, worried sick as she didn’t know what had happened to him.
He reached out his hand to hold hers with his remaining strength.
"I-It’s going to be fine..."
Of course, Kai wanted to say more, wanted to assure her that this was nothing—but his mind was already pulled away into the darkness. He passed out. Regardless, he hoped Layra would not make a big deal out of this.
Once the darkness slowly faded away, his senses returned.
Kai gasped in a deep breath that filled his lungs as his eyes shot open.
Around, the world swam—it was blurred and unfamiliar.
Something wet clung to one side of his face, cool and unpleasant against his skin. He groaned and pushed himself up to a prostrate position. His palms pressed against a floor that felt damp and humid, slick with something that felt like dirty, muddy water.
His hand flew to his head, clutching it.
Another grunt escaped his lips as the lingering pain from the migraine throbbed once behind his eyes, making everything feel slow and heavy. It took him a moment to recover, to recall what had happened to him.
Kai remembered the migraine and then passing out.
It came out of nowhere.
He didn’t pass out because of exhaustion; the fountain water handled that, and at the very last moment he realized that it must be the work of someone. If he was correct, then it must be the work of Markus.
𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎
That was the reason why he told Layra that it was going to be fine.
Once he recovered, he raised his gaze.
Somehow—he was no longer in the AAA’s Headquarters. The bright clouds were nowhere to be seen. The marble structures, the greenery, and the statues were also gone. He was now in a dark, spacious chamber.
It was spacious, but at the same time, it made him feel claustrophobic.
From the looks of it, the chamber seemed to be underground and also long ruined.
Broken pillars—with cracked and weathered surfaces from centuries of neglect surrounded him in a wide circular formation. Between the pillars—massive door arches that led nowhere were embedded in the walls on three different levels, their purpose long forgotten.
Everything looked old.
Older than anything he had seen in the academies.
And then the smell hit him.
Kai coughed as a putrid, disgusting scent shot into his nostrils, forcing him to cover them.
He pinched his nose due to the unbearable scent of rot and pestilence—the unholy stench of death that lingered thick in the air, making his stomach turn. He turned to look at the edges of the chamber and saw them, human remains.
Flesh, bones, bodily matter scattered across the ground like discarded refuse.
Some corpses were still intact, their faces frozen in expressions of terror, and their bodies were in a rough shape—in pieces. The floor beneath him was cobblestone, damp with shallow pools of water that reflected the light from above.
Overhead, a massive crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling.
Its silvery glow illuminated the entire chamber, and it seemed to be the only thing well-kept.
Such a beautiful and grand chandelier was utterly at odds with the horror surrounding it.
"It’s a fitting chamber for a minion of Hades," Kai mumbled inwardly.
"Indeed." A voice echoed through the entire chamber. "I completely agree with you."
Kai’s body stiffened.
He didn’t see anyone around as he scanned the chamber, but when his gaze crossed the place a second time, it caught on a figure. He was standing so motionless, so still, that he seemed to have become one with the architecture.
As if he had achieved the effect of Nigh-phantom Imprint without the use of mana.
Kai blinked his eyes and rose to his feet as he inspected the figure.
He was clad in a fitted black combat suit—that seemed to be far more advanced than the one Kai had used during the Dragon Ring Tournament. Dark blue energy channels coursed along its surface, pulsing with a slow, rhythmic light.
Over the suit, a black trench coat hung draped and still.
As for his face, it was smooth, ink-black, and genderless. And from each side of his head, there was a white angel wing with pristine feathers protruding out like horns. Such a mask was far beyond the normal ones.
From the moment Kai regained consciousness, he had been watching in silence.
And then, Kai spotted two more figures with the exact same outfit on the sides.
So, this is the Fallen Faction... No, I can’t be sure yet.
Kai wanted to believe he was now facing the Fallen Faction, but considering how Professor Hera was found to be tied to that rebellion faction, this might still be a test. This might still be people from the AAA.
He needed to be careful.
Just days ago, Bree warned him about how dangerous this was.
She specifically said he was walking into a world that he didn’t understand.
Siding with the Fallen Faction meant going against the Lower Olympus—an organization that governed every Supernal, Angel, and Demon alike. An organization that could easily dispatch a Demigod to hunt down anyone at a whim.
Against such an organization, Kai was akin to an ant.
Naturally, being extra careful wouldn’t hurt.
I should assume that this was really a test and act accordingly.
Kai blinked and focused on the moment again.
"I know you." He pointed at the first figure across the chamber. "You’re the guy who escorted Layra and me to Keeper Seliza earlier." He circled his finger in front of his own eyes. "It’s your eyes. In the First Sky, where everyone wears a mask, eyes are the one thing everyone learns to notice and remember first."
No answer.
But Kai didn’t seem to feel uncomfortable with the silence.
He averted his gaze and circled his finger around to encompass the entire chamber.
"Where are we?" He asked. "We are not in the AAA’s Headquarters—and it didn’t seem like you teleported me somewhere else. Had you done that, Layra would report the incident, and we wouldn’t have the time to talk."
"Seemed like you knew us, and wanted to talk with us." The figure spoke again.
"Of course." Kai fixed the insignia on his chest. "Why else would I wear this and come here?"
"Where did you get that?"
"Do I need to answer that? I mean, if you are who I think you are, you should know where."
"Professor Hera. Code name: Wolf. Her last report, a few months ago, mentioned she’d found an interesting and promising candidate." The figure tilted his head slightly. "You must be that candidate. Did she give that to you before she died?"
Kai’s heart tightened.
Regardless of whether these people were from the AAA or the Fallen Faction, this fully confirmed that Professor Hera was dead. She was gone now. She died before he had the chance to show her— that he had become the Red Prince.
He clenched his jaw and pushed the emotions aside.
"Yes," Kai reluctantly nodded. It was also clear now that Professor Hera did what she did to recruit him, but that was all in the past, and it also didn’t matter. "But don’t be mistaken, I’m not here to become a part of your shady faction."
"Oh? Then what is your purpose for coming here?’
"I’m here to assess your faction."
"Assess?" the figure scoffed. "That’s a big word."
"Professor Hera helped me through the Blood Rite and also made me adapt to the sky quicker than I should." Kai continued without heeding the figure’s words. "I owe her one. So, I came here to at least hear you out. I came here to know what the Fallen actually was, and only then I’ll decide."
"She was cold on the outside, but she has the warmest heart. I understand why you feel what you feel." The figure nodded—already expecting as much. "And the first thing you’d learn of us is that we don’t force anyone to be one of us."
"Isn’t that dangerous?"
"How so?"
"I mean, the candidate could snitch on you—which would only be trouble. Even now, meeting with me like this, aren’t you afraid that I’m a mole sent by the Lower Olympus? How can you be so trusting?"
"This is not a real place. The figure glanced around the chamber, scanning the walls that fully enveloped them. "It’s a fabricated space—constructed within your own mind. Though it’s not real, if you die here, in your mind, you die for real. Do you understand?
"And even if you waited until later to... snitch, do you think we can’t reach you?"
I still don’t trust them.
Of course, Kai was happy that his attempt to draw their attention worked.
But it was still too convenient.
It was hard to believe that the Fallen Faction would make a move right away.
He had hoped to give a strong signal to the Fallen Faction—that he wanted to meet, and they would then come visit the academy, or at least arrange a meeting on safer ground. Brazenly confronting him here, inside the AAA Headquarters’ territory, felt reckless.
Dangerous, even.
Not to mention, Keeper Seliza was around.
Out of the people here, she would most certainly find out if the Fallen Faction made a move.
Kai needed to pry more.
"Then, for the sake of trust, may I know who I’m speaking to?" Kai finally asked.
From the beginning—he deliberately withheld one detail that Professor Hera had told him to seek out a man named Markus. It was the one piece of information that Kai was most confident about that only the real members of the Fallen Faction would know.
A name that the AAA didn’t possess.
It seemed to be the man’s man.
But now that Kai was aware that there was a code name, Markus might be a code name.
Regardless, let’s see whether they knew the name.
"My name is—"
"He still didn’t trust us. He’s testing us."
Just then, the figure to Kai’s left finally spoke—cutting the figure across from him short. Then, he approached. "I am sure Wolf had told you the name of the person you should meet, and you wanted to see whether one of us has that name. Bright kid."
Soon, the figure stopped directly in front of Kai.
He was a few inches taller than Kai.
And then, he opened the mask, revealing a kind face wearing a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you, Red Prince Kai." He extended his hand for a handshake. "I’m Marcus."