At this point, it was becoming far too common, yet every time it happened, many people across the human domain were still not present to witness it.
Seraphina hovered high in the sky above Sector 8, a deep frown fixed on her face. She was troubled.
As a paragon, she was not only a being of immense strength but also intelligence. If Atticus and Celestial had been able to piece together everything they did, it was obvious that she could as well.
Now, two choices lay before her, choices that would change everything and define their future.
Her people, the humans… or the spirits.
She was torn.
As the paragon of the Starhaven family, she was a person of guidance for many in Sector 8. People followed her words without question, trusting her judgment completely. But Seraphina knew the truth deep down.
'When the time comes, the majority will side with the spirits,' she thought bitterly.
In Sector 8, the spirits were worshipped, revered as sacred beings. To many, they were everything. Even with her status as a paragon, if Seraphina dared suggest turning against the spirits, she would be labeled insane.
Her gaze shifted into the distance, where a single streak of lightning sliced through the sky, heading straight toward her. In the blink of an eye, it reached her, forming into the figure of Magnus.
"Magnus…" she greeted with a heavy tone.
Magnus's eyes narrowed immediately. He'd only just arrived, but he could sense the weight on Seraphina's shoulders. His guard went up.
"What happened?"
Seraphina hesitated, pausing for a moment. She was rarely indecisive. Once she made a decision, she carried it out without hesitation. But this matter was far too grave. It had the potential to spell the end of the Starhaven bloodline for good.
But it wasn't something she could handle on her own.
And in the entire human domain, there was only one person Seraphina could think of, someone honorable to the core, someone she trusted without hesitation.
Magnus.
Shaking her head, Seraphina pushed away the overwhelming thoughts. To ensure this meeting remained private, she had separated herself from Ismara.
But even so, she knew Ismara could still sense her thoughts to some degree despite the distance.
"Nothing yet, but something terrible is going to happen soon if we don't act," she said.
Magnus's eyes narrowed further, but he remained silent, motioning for her to continue.
Seraphina took a deep breath, steadying herself. Finally, she began to speak, recounting everything that had transpired and the conclusions she had reached.
She admitted that when she had initially claimed everything was fine, it hadn't been. The spirit Atticus summoned had been an enemy of the spirit race, and from there, it became clear that the spirits were not as benevolent or pure in their intentions as they had believed.
She explained that the spirits had warned Atticus not to bond with Ozeroth, saying he would become their enemy if he did. At this, a faint killing intent leaked from Magnus, his expression darkening.
"They threatened him?" Magnus's voice was icy. His dislike for the spirits grew stronger with each word she spoke.
Seraphina sighed, already expecting his reaction. She quickly continued, trying to calm him before he erupted and declared war on the spirits.
"Calm down, sweetie," she said gently. "They only said he would become their enemy. They didn't explicitly say they'd attack him. Still, you should know your grandson best, sometimes, I think you're both the same person."
Hearing this, Magnus's aura calmed down, and surprisingly, a small smile appeared on his face. He knew Atticus better than anyone and could already guess how his grandson would react. Plus, hearing Seraphina compare him to Atticus made him unexpectedly happy.
Seraphina gave Magnus a look. "Men are such simple creatures," she muttered, shaking her head before continuing.
After laying everything out, Magnus went completely silent, an action that made Seraphina a bit nervous.
Although she trusted him, even she wasn't entirely sure how he would respond.
Magnus seemed to ponder for a few moments before finally speaking.
"I have only two questions."
Seraphina nodded, gesturing for him to proceed.
"Is Atticus in danger?"
This was his primary concern. Atticus was currently training in the Starhaven sector, a place that, from all indications, was a ticking time bomb. Magnus already suspected the answer but asked for a different reason.
"Yes, he is," Seraphina said bluntly. "If the spirits willed it, the majority of the people in this sector would attack him without hesitation."
Magnus nodded, his expression unreadable. He didn't appear surprised or impatient. If anyone knew what Atticus was capable of, it was him. Even if all the grandmasters banded together, Magnus was confident that killing Atticus would be nearly impossible.
His second question came without hesitation.
"What is your choice?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a loud rumble of thunder shook the sky. Thick, dark clouds gathered overhead, and the air became charged with electricity.
Seraphina instantly felt a staggering amount of killing intent flood the atmosphere. Her danger sense screamed at her, every fiber of her being on high alert.
She knew right away, her answer would determine whether Magnus viewed her as friend or foe.
Magnus had never been one to waste time or beat around the bush. If she intended to side with the spirits and turn against humanity, he wasn't going to sit idly by and pretend everything was fine.
Seraphina's expression turned somber as she let out a deep exhale.
"If I was going to turn on humanity, would I have called you here?"
"That's not an answer," Magnus said, his tone colder than the rumbling thunder overhead.
A blinding flash of lightning split the sky, accompanied by another deafening rumble of thunder. Magnus's stance made it clear, he wouldn't accept anything other than a direct answer.
Seraphina's gaze narrowed, and after a brief pause, she finally responded.
"I choose humanity."
The clouds dispersed almost instantly, and the overwhelming killing intent in the air vanished.
Magnus nodded, satisfied, and immediately got to the point.
"Is there a way to break a bond between spirits?"