“Rania, return to your quarters,” Julian said, soft in volume yet edged like steel. Even before the last syllable faded, Julian felt the command settle in the room like a weight; no one would mistake it for a request.
Rania shot Jared a worried look, and the boy answered with the smallest nod. She then turned, skirts rustling in tight, unhappy circles, and retreated to her suite.
The side hall fell quiet once her footsteps faded. Only Julian and Jared remained, a pot of cooling tea between them. Silence stretched, brittle and thin, ready to snap at a whisper.
Julian moved to the master chair and lowered himself with deliberate calm. He let his gaze rake over Jared, searching for cracks.
“Mr. Chance…” he said, voice mild, “That was a clever display.”
Jared, unruffled, filled a cup for himself, steam curling across his lashes. He sipped before answering. “Manor Lord Jade, I‘m not sure what you mean. I’ve been studying formations all night.”
Julian chuckled once; the sound held no warmth, no humor—only teeth. “A lone assassin slips in and out, wielding a gray power no one here has shown, then vanishes near Grace Pavilion,” Julian said, fingers drumming. “Tell me, Mr. Chance, does that strike you as random?”
Jared set the cup down with a muted click. “Are you accusing me, Manor Lord Jade?”
“Accuse?” Julian leaned forward, eyes hard. “No… I am certain. That gray, devouring aura—you carry it like a brand,” Julian continued, voice low. “Inside Jade Immortal Manor, no one else breathes that power. Not one…”
Jared let out a thin laugh, the steam from his cup swirling between them. “Since you‘d already seen through me, why loosen your guards and hand me the chance?”
“Because I need answers,” Julian said calmly, each word hammered into place. “Who are you, and what do you want?” He spread his hands, indicating the empty hall. “The envoy has gone. Only you and I remain. Speak openly.”
A hush fell as Jared’s shoulders straightened. The air around him rippled, soft at first, then sharp enough to raise gooseflesh on Julian’s arms, even though the measured pulse still read as eighth-rank.
“Since you ask,” Jared said, the power subsiding but not gone, “I‘ll stop pretending. My name is Jared, Jared Chance.” He went on, each syllable steady. “I’m from the lower realms, and I’ve come looking for two old friends: Sidney and Cadence Morse.”
Julian’s pupils pinched to points. His fingers curled around the armrest before he could stop them.
Jared‘s gaze stayed on him. “So you do know them.”
“They were beheaded at Soulfall Slope, their spirits forged into soul crystals.” Jared’s voice hardened. “Did that order come from you?”
Julian said nothing; the silence itself confessed. Only after a long breath did he speak, his voice uneven. “Yes, the decree was mine, but the story the world heard is a lie…”
“Then tell me the real one.” The request carried no heat, only iron certainty.
Julian drew a slow breath. “Sidney and Cadence… they weren’t mere border jumpers.” His eyes drifted to the shuttered window. “They uncovered pieces of how the celestials truly chain level thirteen, and why they hoard soul crystals. They reached out to factions sick of kneeling, hoping to spark… something,” he admitted.
“They slipped near the storeroom, trying to steal, or confirm, a certain item… The formation caught them before I could intervene.” Julian drew a tight breath, shoulders still as carved stone before he spoke. “The celestials got word fast. They ordered me to execute them at once, feed their souls into the Soul-Refining Grand Array, and turn over the crystal.”
His gaze landed on Jared, weariness flickering behind the forced steadiness of his eyes. “I may be lord of one manor, but before the celestials, I have almost no choice.” A rasp edged his tone, regret cutting through. “Defy the Divine Oracle, and Jade Immortal Manor would vanish overnight. I hate what I did to Sidney and Cadence, yet I had to.”
Heat rushed behind Jared’s ribs—anger and grief clawing for release—but he held his breath until the surge steadied into ice. “So their soul crystal, the A11-73 Box, where is it now?”
Julian didn’t hesitate. “In the Profound Ice Chamber.” He met Jared’s eyes, unflinching. “But I can’t hand it to you.”
Hearing this, cold settled over Jared’s gaze. “Why?”
Julian folded his hands, voice low. “Because that crystal is the only shield left for me and for the manor.” He pressed on before Jared could speak. “Celestials collect soul crystals on a strict schedule. If I give yours away, what answer do I give when the next envoy arrives? They will tear the truth out, and once they link the loss to me, no one inside Jade Immortal Manor will survive…”
He exhaled, shoulders sinking as though the burden were carved in stone. “Jared, I know you wish to save them, but on my shoulders sit the lives of millions in Jade Immortal City.”
Jared‘s jaw tightened; he said nothing. The reasoning held; he couldn’t refute it. Seizing the crystal by force would expose the manor and trigger harsher vigilance from the celestials.
Julian’s eyes narrowed. “You killed Garth and Miles, and Quentin as well, didn’t you?”
Jared dipped his head. “Yes. They were executioners, stained with my friends‘ blood.”
Instead of anger, Julian‘s mouth curved in a sharp, thin smile. “Good… Quentin posed as my loyal hound, but the celestials bought him long ago.” He gave a dismissive flick of his sleeve. “The Turner brothers were his claws—better gone. You’ve saved me no small trouble.”
Surprise flashed across Jared’s face. So the lord’s resentment toward the celestials ran deeper than it appeared… Jared lifted his eyes, suspicion sharpening. “You let me strike the envoy and brought me here for more than confession, didn’t you? What do you really want, Lord Jade?”
Julian‘s stare held him for a long breath; then the lord leaned back, a gambler’s light in his eyes. His voice softened, almost admiring. “You carry rare arts, boundless promise, and the nerve to wound Clive today. That shows you can bargain, or fight, with the celestials. I’m done being the celestials’ dog, fetching souls for them.”
His tone dropped to a raw whisper. “But I lack the strength. The four elders of Divine Punishment Hall sit like mountains I cannot climb.” He spread his hands, palms up. “Helping you today helps myself. I‘m betting that you, or whoever stands behind you, can shake the celestials.”
The vow rumbled quiet but firm. “I can’t hand over their soul crystal yet, but when the time is right I’ll aid you, even try to preserve what remains of their souls…” He leaned in, voice barely above a murmur.
“I’ll also give you intelligence on the celestials in the eastern region, cover your moves in Jade Immortal City and across Azure Firmament Immortal Continent, and, at need, lend you support.”
He paused, letting the offer settle. “And… in exchange… if you truly gain the power to fight the celestials, you must free Jade Immortal Manor, and do it without turning on us… and never harm Rania. Her heart toward you is sincere.”
