"I came to speak with you about your future."
Caedus raised an eyebrow. "My future?"
Iris nodded. "You were able to rival Eric in physical training, and your awakening caused enough noise that even people outside the Initiative are talking about it. Whether you like it or not, people are going to pay attention to you."
Caedus leaned back against the bench. "That sounds more like a warning than a compliment."
"It is."
"..."
Iris folded her hands neatly in her lap before speaking again. "People with talent rarely get left alone. Eventually, someone will want something from you."
Caedus almost laughed. Umbra wanted something from him the moment the Nightmare Crow's instincts said he had potential.
30 seconds into the conversation, it seemed like Iris also wanted something, and he already had enough people trying to steer his future. "What do you want from me?"
"Could I be straightforward?" Iris smiled.
"I'd prefer it."
"I want you beside us. Eric, Dorian, Ragnar, Mira, Jared, Keira, and me."
Caedus had half-expected an offer to join their cohort, but something seemed a bit off about the conversation.
Eric.
Ragnar.
Keira.
Mira.
Jared.
Dorian.
Iris.
A group filled with monsters who would all inherit noble titles in the future.
"Why gather such a strong group of people with power and influence through Iris?"
"Because strong people survive longer together than they do alone."
Caedus snorted, and a small laugh escaped from Iris. The evening breeze stirred their hair. The white streak in Iris's hair gleamed in the setting sun.
Then Caedus spoke after a few moments of silence.
"You didn't answer the real question. What are you building?"
Her smile weakened. Only slightly, but enough for his senses to notice.
"You assume I'm building something?"
A group filled with monsters who would someday inherit titles, armies, influence, or all three. Nobody gathered that much talent by accident.
"You're smarter than you look, Caedus."
Caedus frowned."That's not an answer."
"No, it's not." She paused slightly, turning to look at the setting sun. The golden glow hits her face. "The kingdom is changing."
Caedus waited for her to continue and explain what she meant, but she never did.
'Nonsense answers? This conversation isn't going anywhere.' He began to get a little annoyed. Then he paused. 'Was I always this emotional?' He didn't notice at first, but his emotions seemed a bit more aggressive than usual.
'Is it because of my soul influencing my personality?' It wasn't exactly a rare occurrence for powers to influence a person's thought process and personality, but Caedus never thought it would happen to him.
"So that's all you're going to say until I officially say I will join you?" Caedus shook his head, paying attention to the conversation again.
"For now, yes."
"Not to be rude, Iris, but this is a pointless conversation then. I won't seriously consider joining without knowing what I am getting into. You don't know me as well as you thought you did if you deluded yourself into thinking I would. I don't know you, almost at all." Caedus stood up and began to walk away, heading towards his barracks.
Iris's voice came from behind him in a calm tone. "Just think about it, you should know in your heart that following me is the best choice for you. The strong should stick together. When you join me, I will tell you everything. I swear upon the Ducal Steelheart name."
Without turning around, Caedus waved her off, saying. "And I won't join unless I know everything. And even then, it is no guarantee. Have a good night, Iris."
With that, Caedus entered the barracks, marched into his room, and jumped into the shower before bed.
As soon as the warm water hit his skin, all the fatigue of the past 24 hours washed over him, and he turned almost zombie-like as he went through the motions before he lay in his bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
----------------------------
Caedus dreamed of the first time he went fishing with Jorah on the mountain. One of his greatest memories. He was so young and full of life, and his grandfather told him stories the whole day.
They camped under the stars, eating the fish they had caught that day.
Remembering the small moments with his grandfather brought a sense of sadness to Caedus that he hadn't felt in months.
The grandfather and grandson lay beside the blazing fire, observing the constellations. Jorah was recalling a particular story from a long-gone civilization thousands of years ago.
"So what happened after he stabbed the cyclops in the eye, grandfather?" Caedus asked, in his childlike voice.
"The cyclops screamed in pain, shouting for help, his voice echoing along the cave's walls. Rushing to his aid, the other cyclops entered his cave and asked What is wrong? Who hurt you?' And in response, Polyphemus cried out. 'It was Nobody! Nobody hurt me!"
A young Caedus gasped in surprise. "That is why he said his name was Nobody!"
Jorah chuckled lightly. "Yes, he sure is cunning, isn't he. Now, when the others heard that-"
A young Caedus waited for Jorah to continue, but he didn't. "Grandfather?"
"So this is your grandfather?" A cool and familiar voice entered Caedus's ears. Immediately self-aware, Caedus jumped to his feet and saw who it was.
It was Umbra.
"What the fuck?" Caedus looked down and saw a younger version of himself and his grandfather, frozen in place, staring up at the stars.
"And this is Earth? It is very green. A lot of trees where you lived, huh?" Umbra continued, observing the surroundings.
"What the FUCK is going on, Umbra?" Caedus growled.
"Well, now that you can use mana, I was able to enter your dream. I am a Nightmare Crow, you know." Umbra focuses his gaze on Caedus.
Caedus clenched his teeth. "You entered my dream? Get out. Now." Caedus was getting angrier by the second. Someone entered his head, his thoughts, and his memories. Those precious memories with his grandfather are being tainted.
A spark of lightning crawled up Caedus's arms.
"Enough, Caedus. This might be your mind, but I am much stronger than you. Now, let's catch up. I won't let you out of the dream until we chat." Umbra had a serious look on his face at Caedus's direct aggression.
Caedus clenched his jaw before he growled. "What do you want? Why can't we have this conversation face-to-face?"
"Well, I tried to shake you awake, but I guessed you were having a good dream, so I decided to take a look," Umbra said.
"Shake me awake?" Caedus felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured on him.
'He's in my room.'
"Yes. I am in your room right now. Of course, I am also not conscious since I am here, but it was easier than I thought slipping into the fort."
Caedus felt his body tense up.
"Now. About your awakening. I saw they evaluated you and recommended you join the Slayer Corps. I suggest you don't join the Slayer Corps." Umbra waved his hand, conjuring a chair made of shadows for himself.
"Why?" Caedus asked.
"Because that is not what we agreed to." Umbra hissed. "You will have wasted my time if you don't get close to the nobles. I need you to get close to them and report back to me. THAT was our deal. You get stronger and get sponsored by my family, and in return, you repay my kindness by spying on them. The Slayer Corps? That's where they send weapons, Caedus. Do you only want to be a weapon?"
"..."
"You think General Voss is doing you a favor by giving you the 'option'?"
Caedus remained silent.
Seeing his silence, Umbra laughed.
"Do you know the death rate of Slayers? It is about sixty percent. Sixty percent of Slayers are killed on a mission before their military contract expires. The 'options' you are getting are either to spy on the nobles and join them or die on a mission for the Slayer Corps. And I am not one to usually threaten my friends, but Caedus, if you join the Slayer Corps, my family will pull our sponsorship, and I will make your life a living hell." Umbra spat out those last few words with venom in his tone.
The forest scene shifted drastically into an image of the Endless Plains, but instead of green grass surrounding him, there was. Caedus was surrounded by death and destruction.
Soldiers wearing the Ironwood Kingdom armor lay strewn, covered in blood, across the battlefield. Limbs and heads missing from bodies, small craters littering the ground.
At the center of the bodies was a head on a spike that Caedus recognized, as he saw it every day in the mirror.
It was his own head.
"This is the ugly truth of the Slayer Corps. You will die if you join them. You have no choice but to listen to me, Caedus." Umbra stood from his chair and put his hand on Caedus's shoulder like he was trying to comfort him.
"Don't you want freedom, Caedus?"
Caedus's jaw tightened before he finally spoke. "What does that have to do with anything, Umbra?"
"There is no freedom in death. You might feel like I am controlling you by making you join the nobles, but there is freedom in living. Jorah was your grandfather's name, correct? Wouldn't Jorah want you to live?"
"Fuck you." Caedus turned his body, smacking the hand off his shoulder, looking away from his head on a spike.
"The moment you join the Slayer Corps, your life stops being yours. Every order becomes law. Every mission becomes mandatory. Every decision becomes someone else's. Tell me, Caedus. Is that really the future you want?"
'Fuck him. Fuck this Kingdom. Fuck these politics. Fuck this.'
Caedus summoned all the mana he could muster, causing lightning to shoot off his body. He didn't want to think anymore.
Umbra had some good points. It would be safer for Caedus to follow Iris and her group. He would be surrounded by strong people who have the backing of a whole kingdom.
But something really infuriated Caedus.
Umbra was trying to use the guilt of Jorah's death to convince Caedus to do what he wanted.
"Enough, let me out," Caedus growled.
"Finally accepted it, huh?" Umbra had a friendly grin on his face. Almost like he wasn't just threatening Caedus with death and a life of hell.
"Just let me out." Caedus firmly said again.
Umbra nodded innocently and snapped his fingers, causing everything to go dark.
Caedus woke up in the familiar room. Everything was the same except for a dark figure standing in the opposite corner.
"Wakey wakey, Caedus." Umbra stepped forward, letting the moon illuminate his presence. "I am glad we came to an understanding."
Caedus stood up with a dark look on his face, before reaching out to shake Umbra's hand.
Umbra was slightly taken aback before he smiled and shook it.
"Hey Umbra.." Caedus said, tightening his grip slightly on Umbra's hand.
"Hmm?"
"Fuck you." Caedus summoned everything he had and let his lightning go free.
*BOOM*
The room exploded with violent purple lightning, leaving a hole in the wall leading outside. Umbra had immediately sunk into the shadows, sensing the danger, and disappeared.
Quickly, getting oriented to the new open floor plan of his room, he lunged to his bedside and grabbed his chain and sword before dashing out of the hole in the wall to find Umbra.
Umbra was standing a few dozen meters away from the barracks, looking annoyed.
"Caedus! You will regret pissing me off! Umbra shouted, losing his composure slightly. He has a deranged look in his eyes.
As Caedus readied his chain and sword, he saw the crazed look and wondered to himself. 'Is this the real him?'
Lightning was sparking off freely from Caedus's body as he charged forward at Umbra.
"Hmph!" Umbra showed disdain, but just as when Caedus thought he was about to attack, Umbra melted into the shadows, disappearing.
*poof*
Caedus, who was ready for an attack, had been teleported into a familiar room. It was the same empty room Caedus was brought into when they thought he was trying to sneak into Obsidian Gate.
And in the center of the room stood the same guard he had met, smoking a cigarette with a very angry look on his face. "What the hell is happening?"