Atticus's footsteps echoed louder than usual as he walked through the Ravenstein estate, approaching the entrance.
The double doors swung open, and what he saw immediately made him stop in his tracks, raising an eyebrow.
Just in front of the estate, an army of snow-white-haired individuals filled the grounds, numbering in the hundreds.
Every Ravenstein he knew, except those at the academy—his immediate family, the Ravenstein elders, sanctum masters, and even the three stars of the family—were standing there. All eyes were focused on him, unmoving.
There were so many people gathered that the estate should have felt cramped, but despite the crowd, a straight, open path led directly to where Magnus stood waiting.
Atticus paused for only a brief moment—less than a second. As soon as he understood the situation, his body moved.
A heavy silence fell over the entire estate as Atticus stepped forward.
No one moved, no one spoke. The air was filled with tension, but then, in one unified motion, every single Ravenstein clenched their fists and pressed them against their chests.
In the next instant, a cold aura spread across the entire estate, seeping from their bodies like an icy mist.
They didn't need to say a word, but their actions screamed louder than any battle cry:
Crush them.
Atticus didn't flinch. In this situation, showing any sign of hesitation could only be detrimental.
His calm remained unshaken as he took in the sight. He stood there for a moment, acknowledging everyone who had come to see him off, then started walking.
He kept his head high, his eyes focused ahead, moving through the sea of Ravensteins, feeling their cold auras brush against his skin. Soon enough, he closed the distance and reached his destination.
Magnus, as always, didn't say a word. His face was firm, his seriousness evident as he simply nodded, his gaze meeting Atticus's in a silent question: Are you ready?
Atticus turned one last time to look back. Avalon, Anastasia, Ember, Caldor, and the others were all there, watching him with faces full of support and belief. To them, there was not a shred of uncertainty.
Atticus smiled faintly at them for just a second. Then, in the next instant, his face hardened, an intense resolve settling in. He nodded to Magnus.
Not a second was wasted as lightning crackled around them, wrapping them in a blinding surge of power. With a single burst, they shot into the sky.
The Ravenstein estate disappeared below as they streaked through the clouds like a bolt of lightning.
Soon enough, as the lightning streaked higher into the sky, they stopped, the lightning dissipating. In front of him, Atticus saw Oberon floating while staring at him with a smile.
"The others will meet us in Sector 10," Oberon said.
'Others?' Atticus didn't understand what Oberon meant, but he didn't have time to ask as Oberon's eyes suddenly ignited with a golden glow.
His arm moved rapidly through the air, engraving golden symbols that Atticus couldn't comprehend.
As Oberon finished, the symbols erupted in a blinding radiance that encompassed all of them.
Atticus felt a powerful pull and the disorientation that came with teleporting.
He wasn't sure how much time passed, but soon enough, Atticus opened his eyes and found himself inside a large circular hall with a ceiling so high it was difficult to see.
In front of Atticus stood exactly three figures: Seraphina Starhaven, Thorne Alverian, and the most surprising, Luminous Stellaris.
They each stood before a large spherical device, its round form resting firmly on the ground.
Luminous clicked his tongue and turned his face away, clearly expressing his dissatisfaction with the current situation. However, in the end, he said nothing.
After capturing Helios, Luminous had been expecting a public execution. Surprisingly, the Ravensteins hadn't done that. Luminous wasn't even sure if Helios was alive or not.
"You're finally here," Thorne remarked, a frown settling on his face as well. It was obvious he was also unhappy with the situation.
The Alverians hadn't suffered as much as the Stellaris. In fact, many had already forgotten about the war they waged against the Ravensteins. Still, the fact that he had to protect Atticus stung.
"Ignore them. They're just sore losers," Seraphina said with a smile.
Thorne and Luminous shot Seraphina death stares. Why was she making them sound like children?
But Seraphina simply ignored them, her eyes focused on Atticus. 'He's grown even stronger,' she thought inwardly.
"That's enough," Oberon spoke up as he walked towards the machine. "You'll all be meeting the other races soon. Don't embarrass humanity by behaving like children."
Thorne and Luminous's frowns deepened. Why did it seem like everyone was against them?
Magnus paid the duo no heed, not even offering a greeting. Instead, he acknowledged Seraphina with a nod, which she returned with a smile.
Atticus didn't focus on any of their interactions. After greeting Seraphina, he immediately focused on the machine Oberon was operating.
To him, it looked like a portal device, similar to those used in science fiction movies back on Earth, but far more sleek and advanced.
Shockingly, aside from them, there was no one else in the large hall.
Oberon quietly tapped a large screen next to the machine, and suddenly, a surge of energy erupted from it, swirling into a circular portal within seconds.
The air around the machine became distorted, emanating an intense amount of power that made the atmosphere heavy.
"Only the few of you will accompany him. The rest of us will stay here, holding the fort and awaiting your return," Oberon said.
The Apex competition would be taking place in the domain of one of the superior races, and leaving the human domain unprotected just to attend the event was reckless.
Because of this, only a select few paragons would be going. Luminous and Thorne were bound by contract to protect Atticus, their presence here was a no brainer.
Oberon turned toward Atticus. "We'll be watching you from here. Raise us to the peak."
Atticus nodded firmly, his gaze firm. And with that, he, along with the other paragons, stepped into the portal.