It was as though a cold tremor ran through his entire body. As soon as Atticus saw the change in all of their expressions, he knew something terrible had happened.
For people of their strength to look this worried, he could only expect the worst. Thorne confirmed his fears in the next moment.
"They want us to stay behind and attend the banquet."
Atticus's gaze narrowed. A banquet?
It seemed appropriate, even natural considering the circumstances. Atticus had won the entire Nexus for the human race; it was only fitting the finalists attended the celebration. However, in their world, it was too good to be true.
Thorne immediately nodded in satisfaction. He appreciated the serious look on Atticus's face as he spoke.
'It means he can use his head. This is good,' Thorne thought.
Most would have expected someone of Atticus's age to overlook the potential dangers of the banquet, perhaps even feel excited about the celebration after such a monumental win.
But seeing Atticus's wary reaction, Thorne felt reassured. Their apex was neither naive nor a fool.
"It's a trap," Thorne said succinctly.
"Yes, they most likely have something planned." Atticus nodded. "Is there no way we can avoid it?"
"They've left us with no choice. We can't leave their domain without their consent," Thorne responded.
The dimensari held absolute power in their domain. If they wanted to leave without their consent they'd have to force their way out.
"Besides," he continued, "the Verietega Nexus was introduced to foster and deepen relationships between the different races. Refusing to participate, especially when our race won, wouldn't be taken lightly by the others."
They all nodded in agreement. Humans were already at the bottom of the hierarchy; they couldn't afford to refuse something like this. The political implications were profound.
Atticus fell into deep thought, an action that made an unusual smile appear on Thorne's face.
He was glad he didn't have to mince words or waste time explaining the situation to Atticus. A hint of regret surfaced in his mind as he considered what had happed in the past. If he had known more about Atticus before the apex selections, things might have gone differently.
This thought was further validated by the way Atticus had interacted with Seraphina. It seemed their apex was a straightforward person.
After a few seconds, Atticus spoke up, interrupting their thoughts.
"They can't attack us directly, so they'll likely try to impose something on us. Maybe a mana contract?"
Magnus shook his head. "That's too much."
Thorne also nodded in agreement. "They wouldn't be that bold. The Dimensari, despite their power, prefer to handle things politically. They like to act as if they lead the alliance and won't want to appear forceful. Instead, they'll try to convince others that their way is logical or it's for the betterment of the alliance."
Atticus frowned. 'It's worse than I thought.'
Thorne's words made it clear that the Dimensari were the ones to watch out for. Enemies like them were dangerous for one reason:
They knew how to turn others against you.
Numerous scenarios flashed through Atticus's mind, each presenting different challenges they might face. The others seemed deep in thought as well, but their concentration was broken by Luminous's loud voice.
"Bah! It'll be fine! If they ask us to do something we don't want to, we'll say no! And if they want a fight, I'll burn them all to ashes!"
All eyes turned to Luminous, and an awkward silence filled the room. The "Golden lunatic" had already made himself comfortable, shoes off, legs propped up on the bed.
Startled by their stares, he looked around, but even after several seconds, they remained silent, quietly observing him.
"What?!"
Everyone wore looks of utter bafflement, their shock evident. It was absurd, wasn't it? Wasn't this the same person who had just received a one-sided beatdown from Magnus? Now that same person was talking about burning a superior race paragon?
"Oh, Luminous, you must have hit your head somewhere. You should rest!"
Seraphina gestured to the bed, looking at Luminous as though he were a mental patient.
Luminous's face turned crimson with embarrassment, and he let out a huff.
"Hit my head? If you're thinking about that fight, you should know Magnus only caught me off guard!"
He glanced around, noting everyone's deadpan expressions. He clicked his tongue and added, a bit quieter, "I'm just saying… I'm not scared of them."
The room went silent again, only for Atticus to let out a quiet snicker. They each turned away from Luminous and continued their discussion, though the tension in the room had slightly eased.
In the end, they had to suspend the conversation, as they were getting nowhere. Only the Dimensari truly knew what they were planning, and in their domain, there was no way to sneak around for answers.
They were literal overlords of space. Atticus might be able to do something in that regard one day, but he was still too weak to fool paragons.
Soon, the other paragons left, leaving only Atticus and Magnus behind.
They both stood by the bed, their gazes meeting. A few seconds passed, neither saying a word. Just as Atticus was about to break the silence, Magnus spoke, a small smile on his face.
"Good job."
Atticus could feel the warmth in those words. He knew how happy every human must be at that moment, knew how many would be singing his praises, and how many accolades he'd receive. Yet, none of that mattered as much as those two words from Magnus.
A huge smile appeared on Atticus's face as he responded.
"It's all thanks to you."
…
Footsteps echoed down a hallway as a young man walked forward. Each step was measured, and his confidence effortless. Yet the look on his face told a different story.
He wore a frown.
And for those who knew Carius, it could only mean that a big change was coming.
Carius reached an unassuming, ornate wall and walked through