'The Sentinel Guardians?'
Atticus' gaze was sharp as he stared at the man hovering high in the sky.
He was clad in a tight, firm-fitting uniform, clearly designed for mobility, a blue, traditional long coat reaching just below his knees, with silver linings along the collar and cuffs.
The uniform of the Sentinel Guardians was not unfamiliar to Atticus.
If he were to be honest, he had hardly interacted with them, but that didn't change the fact that he had seen them multiple times, especially during his outings before heading to the academy.
Beyond that, he had also learned about them during his time at the academy.
They were known as the police force of the Human Domain…
At least, that was the public perception.
But the Tier One families knew better.
Their true purpose was to keep the other Tier One families in check.
The power gap between the Tier One families and the lesser families was immense, and to prevent them from rampaging unchecked, the Sentinel Guardians were created.
Due to the gravity of their duty, it was only natural that their leader held significant power, a Paragon.
At the academy, Atticus had learned just who that Paragon was.
'Vexarius Drakos.'
The name echoed in his mind as he studied the man before him.
A towering, muscular figure with a wild mane of unkempt black hair.
His amber eyes were wide and intense, gazing down at Atticus as if trying to see through his very existence.
The air around him appeared distorted, as though the sheer intensity of his presence warped reality itself.
It wasn't heat, it was rage, barely restrained, quivering in anticipation of violence.
His massive gauntlets, wrapped tightly around his arms, trembled, like a caged beast on the verge of breaking free.
Atticus' gaze hardened.
'He's exactly like they said.'
During the meeting after the battle with the Vampyros, Oberon had mentioned Vexarius Drakos.
The Human Domain was in crisis, and they needed every warrior and resource at their disposal.
Yet, at the mere mention of his name, the mood in the room had soured.
Discomfort. Distaste. Unease.
Atticus had only learned why during his journey back to the Human Domain from Magnus.
It had happened before he was even born.
Vexarius Drakos was a man who could be described in three words:
Proud. Impatient. Ruthless.
His patience was as fragile as a thread, and his respect for authority was nonexistent.
He did not tolerate crime, nor did he distinguish between minor offenses and major ones.
The moment he sighted an offender, they were as good as crushed.
This trait had led to endless conflicts between the Sentinel Guardians and the Tier One families, creating a rift that only deepened with every brutal enforcement.
Until one day, the dam broke.
Vexarius Drakos fought the Stellaris Paragon, Luminous.
The battle shattered entire regions.
The destruction was so immense that the Tier One families came together and judged him.
The verdict?
Exile.
For decades, the Sentinel Guardians had been without a Paragon.
And now, he was back.
He hovered over the Ravenstein estate, his gaze fixed on Atticus, unreadable and intense.
The air felt thick, oppressive, filled with something crushing.
His lips parted, and his rough, battle-worn voice rumbled through the estate like thunder.
"So you're the one. The child who tore through the Nexus. The one who left the Human Domain in flames. Who caused thousands of deaths… without care."
His words carried across the estate like an unrelenting storm, each syllable heavy.
His gauntlets clenched, and a shockwave rippled outward, the very air trembling under his force.
"If it were up to me, you'd be bound in chains and locked away for the rest of your miserable—"
"What do you want?"
Atticus' voice cut through his words.
A direct interruption.
Vexarius' wide gaze narrowed dangerously.
His head tilted slightly, as if trying to convince himself that a seventeen-year-old hadn't just interrupted him.
But Atticus didn't seem to care.
The atmospheric pressure had surged, yet he stood unmoved, straight-backed, his aura unnervingly calm.
He continued, his voice cold.
"You are in Ravenstein territory. State your business."
A moment of silence.
A shift in the air.
Then, Vex chuckled.
Slow. Steady.
But wrong.
The kind of laugh that held no mirth, only contempt.
His grin stretched wide, but instead of easing the tension, the very fabric of space seemed to vibrate more intensely.
"You think because you got lucky and grabbed a little power, you're something?"
His voice was like a growl, his fists flexing, his gauntlets groaning under the force of his grip.
"Listen, kid. I am Vexarius Drakos.
I am the law. The police of the Human Domain.
I go wherever the fuck I want."
The air turned oppressive.
A pressure unlike before. As if the world itself was being crushed under his wrath.
His fists tightened.
His lips curled into a sneer.
"Seems like it's high time you got some spanki—"
"I'm sorry. My bad."
Atticus interrupted again.
Vexarius' chuckle stopped.
The air stilled.
Atticus' expression remained impassive as he continued.
"I didn't make my intent clear. Let me rephrase."
And then, the world shifted.
A wave of killing intent erupted from Atticus. It bled into the Ravenstein estate like a flood.
Every single person in the estate froze in their tracks—
Their bodies stiffening. Their instincts screaming at them to run.
A single moment.
Suffocating. Crippling.
The air around Atticus froze, but his voice remained as cold as steel.
"You are trespassing in Ravenstein territory.
State your business…
or face my blade."
His fingers rested on the hilt of his katana.
The bloodlust thickened.
For the first time in decades, Vexarius Drakos hesitated.
His amber eyes widened—
Disbelief flashed through them.
He was feeling danger.
How?
Why?
His body reacted.
A shockwave exploded from him in a violent burst. Red molten veins snaked across his skin, glowing through his flesh like magma ready to erupt.
His gauntlets trembled.
His fury surged.
Everything be damned. He would teach this brat a lesson.
Just as he was about to move—
Thunder Rumbled.
The air suddenly crackled. Electrified.
A voice reverberated through the estate.
Deep. Thick. Commanding.
"Vexarius."
The sky split.
Lightning danced.
And a figure appeared in front of Vex, effortlessly floating in the sky.
Magnus Ravenstein.
His presence alone was a command.
An unspoken declaration of authority.
"Leave."