Cyrus Solaris
I followed Gramps to the arena in the backyard.
"You need to blow off some steam," Gramps said, taking a few steps back away from me inside the arena.
He faced me and took up a fighting stance.
"Come at me." He said, his voice warm but stern.
I was still exhausted from my node training, but I knew this wasn't something I could turn down.
Gramps was right. I did need to blow off steam.
I charged after him, keeping his tendencies in mind.
I jumped and threw one kick to his stomach, while the other was sweeping around for his head.
Gramps blocked both without issue, but I noticed the way his eyes changed on contact.
Did I actually hurt him?
No.
It has to be something else.
With a flick of his hand, he threw me away.
"Again," he said, assuming the same stance.
I nodded and charged at him again.
This time I didn't stop at a simple combo.
I unleashed everything I had: elbows, knees, chops, kicks, punches, but my manic barrage was nothing to Gramps.
His movements were fluid, as if he were gliding against a soft current.
It was annoying. Because I was trying. Really trying, even though I knew I was no match for someone who had reached the pinnacle of power in our world.
But I didn't stop. I kept pushing, moving faster, punching harder, and then I heard him speak.
"Good, keep going."
I didn't look at him, but I did as he said.
The image of Gramps transformed in my head to everyone who had wronged me recently.
Jace, the teachers, the strange behemoth and….. Theron.
They all took turns appearing; I struck them one after another until I couldn't throw another punch.
But when I finally looked up at Gramps, his hands were still at his sides, no longer protecting him.
His clothes were tattered.
When did he stop?
I looked up at him. "Why?"
"It's my duty."
My fist clenched.
"You never take it easy on me."
Gramps looked down and away.
" There was a time far in the past when I should have, and I am still facing the repercussions of that now."
The arena was silent for a few moments until I felt a new ripple in space.
Is it Dad? Is he up?
Then Solmane appeared before us.
My heart began to race.
"What is it?" Gramps asked.
Solmane's eyes jumped from Gramps' tattered clothes to me.
"We have a visitor, but they are doing a good job at hiding their cosmic signature."
I felt my body slouch in response.
Then Gramps' communicator rang.
He pulled it out of his pocket, clicked the screen, and his face lit up, just a bit.
"Who is it, Gramps?"
"It's a friend. Solmane, feel free to let them in."
It must be Prime Minister Kazehoshi.
That was the only person who would show up at the residence.
"Thank you, Solmane," said a soft and elegant voice.
I walked into the house and saw a lady with dark bronze skin, emerald eyes, and copper hair.
"Lady Arya," I whispered.
"It's good to see you too, Cyrus," She said, her arms spread out.
I walked up to her.
"You never messaged me back."
"I'm sorry, I meant to, but things got very busy back home. How are you and how is Xhatal Academy?"
I let out a deep sigh.
"It's been rough."
She gave a small smile. "I heard the headmaster runs a tight ship."
"He does, but he's cool, I guess. But why are you here?"
"Yes, why are you here, Lady Arya?" Gramps asked.
She looked all around the house.
"Is anyone else here? Is the room bugged at all?"
"No," Gramps said, his eyes narrowing.
"One of our council members was killed in the astral realm."
"Do you know who the culprit is?"
"I don't know for certain, but I have a strong assumption," Arya said, taking a glance at me.
"Theron?" I asked, feeling the heat rise in my body.
There was a long pause in the room.
"Yes."
"How do you know for certain?" Gramps asked, his voice shaking a bit.
"I sensed two types of energies. The Solaris constellation, and that dark, sinister one Cyrus described to us, that was similar to Malakar."
"Any other confirmation?"
"He used your same volley technique."
Gramps' teeth began to grind.
"Did you inform your mother?"
"I covered and said it was Malakar taking control of a plant, and things got out of hand before I got there. I knew if I were to explain who it was and how that came to be, I would put you, Cyrus, and Ezra at risk."
"I appreciate the consideration."
Lady Arya nodded.
"But I really came to ask for help. We could be discreet, and maybe the two of us could take care of it ourselves," she said.
I watched Solame and Gramps share a glance.
What are they discussing?
"I'm afraid I cant do that either."
"Why not?" she said, her voice rising an octave.
"If Ezra did not fare well against him, I don't know if I can do any better."
"Zaire, you and I both know if Ezra were in his right frame of mind, that wouldn't have been the case. You are an astral knight."
"I am. But it didn't matter at the end of the day. We have no knowledge of his new constellation, outside of its name. We have no way to counter it properly."
I bit the inside of my cheek. Gramps was right. Theron was the perfect counter to my father, despite being a stage lower than him. His potency and the sheer volume of his cosmic energy were far greater than I would have imagined a starbound at the Empyrean stage to possess.
And yet a heat boiled in my stomach.
"Are you scared of Theron? You have the opportunity to hunt him down and make him pay for what he did, and you won't even try!!"
Gramps took a step towards me, his hand reaching out for my shoulder.
"Cyrus," he said, his voice soft and solemn.
I shrugged his hand off me.
I looked into my grandfather's eyes, and I realized I couldn't be a coward like him.
Lady Arya continued to press him, begging for help, and I couldn't take it anymore, so I stormed off, heading upstairs.
But before I went into my room, I noticed the door to Gramps's room was cracked.
Why should I listen to him? He's the reason we're like this.
I crept into his room and found the box he kept my relic in. Gramps rarely even used dimensional storage, so I snatched it and put it inside my dimensional storage.
Not gonna make that mistake again.
I used gravisense to make sure no one was coming, and hurried off to my room.
Sorry Gramps,
I'm not gonna die before I get my shot to kill him.