Noah sat and listened as everyone rained information down on him like artillery fire. As it turned out, his students were rather excited about reaching the next rank. And he didn’t blame them. Isabel, Todd, Emily, James, Aylin, Vrith, Violet, and Yulin had all hit Rank 4. That was an enormous achievement.

Torrick, Edda, and Sticky had reached Rank 2, while Alexandra had managed to claw her way all the way back to Rank 3. Considering the setback she’d taken when Noah had removed her Body Runes, that was a massive accomplishment in itself.

Tim had managed to reach Rank 5 as well. He’d been at the brink of Rank 4 when Grim had swung by, and it seemed that the grimoire creature had taken a liking to the old man. That was just about all the information that Noah got out of Tim. His attention was completely focused on the Transport Cannon, childlike delight glowing in his eyes, and it didn’t look like that would change anytime soon.

As for Moxie — Noah had already felt the difference in her soul. She was now a Rank 5, and a damn strong one at that.

But Lee was a different case. She was a bit of a conundrum. Despite Noah’s domain informing him in no uncertain terms that she had grown enormously, she was somehow still a Rank 4, albeit apparently with 6 runes completed.

When Noah tried to press her on what had happened, she just told him that she’d eaten a few too many runes. He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant. But, in the end, it was Lee he was talking to. Sometimes searching for answers served no better purpose than simply accepting things as they were.

There was something incredible about seeing everyone advancing through the ranks. It hadn’t been that long ago that Isabel and Todd had been Rank 1s held back with crappy Lesser Runes. Now they stood leagues above every other student in Arbitage. Hell, they were probably quite a bit stronger than the majority of the professors as well.

Even if they each only had 1 Rank 4 Rune, that rune was composed of either perfect or flawless parts — Noah wasn’t sure which yet. He’d have to check. But that distinction was an enormous chasm that would only continue to grow as everyone advanced further.

I’ll just have to do a little follow up to make sure Lee gets to Rank 5 and the younger demons keep moving forward as well. I think it would probably be better if they get used to their new runes and grow naturally for a while, but we aren’t exactly in a peacetime situation where I can make every choice based on what I want.

That thought sobered Noah quickly. Even if it didn’t quite look like it yet, they were in a war. He couldn’t afford to relax or let his guard down. Not until everyone was out of the Arbalest Empire and safe in… well, whatever it was that laid outside the empire.

But that wasn’t far, now. The number of tasks Noah had remaining within the Empire dwindled by the day. And now, he was pretty sure the majority of the remaining goals he had were in the room with him.

“I’m still lost,” Ulya said, shifting from one foot to the other as her eyes darted around the room. Her puppet twitched beside her. “How is it that your students — who just hit Rank 4 — are somehow more powerful than I am?”

“It boils down to a difference in rune quality,” Noah said. “It’s a long story. But given that you’ve thrown your marbles in with us, we’ll get around to it for you as well soon enough.”

“Just how different are they?” Ulya asked. “For a difference in domain this significant… the numbers don’t add up. They would have to be magnitudes better than mine. It wouldn’t make sense even if every single one of their runes would perfect. The only way there could be such a massive difference in power is if there was a level of perfection beyond…”

Ulya trailed off. Then she swallowed, realization finally setting in.

“As I said, you’ll get your turn soon enough,” Noah said. His gaze moved to Brayden. “There are some other runes I have to fix up first. I can only do so much every day.”

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Ulya swallowed again. “There’s a stage beyond perfect. And — wait. Fix? You can fix runes?”

Bird clapped Ulya on the shoulder. “I would get used to this if you plan to stick around for an extended period of time. A fly is going to land on your tongue if you don’t pull it back into your mouth.”

At least Bird is taking this pretty easily. Wait. Did I ever even tell her about my ability to split runes apart or the existence of Flawless Runes? I’m pretty sure I didn’t.

“How can you just accept this?” Ulya asked in disbelief. “I’m not saying it’s a lie — I’d have to be a fool to ignore what my domain is clearly telling me — but how could everyone here have such perfectly combined runes? They aren’t even on the same path. Accomplishing such a level of successful combinations would require either a group of the greatest geniuses in the Empire or a method with which you could determine what combinations worked. Neither of those options feels likely.”

“Hey,” Todd said. “I take offense to that. We’re smart.”

Ulya leveled a flat stare at him. “I never said you weren’t. But there is a difference between smart and a genius beyond compare. For a new Rank 4 to have this much more power than me would imply that you’ll be competing with some of the weakest Rank 6 mages when you’re Rank 5. That’s unheard of. So which one is it?”

Well, at this point, I don’t think it matters if people start to find out some of my power. Everyone in this room has thrown their lot in with me. I should still keep the specifics of Sunder on the down low, but letting Ulya in on a bit more won’t hurt. A simple explanation is easy enough.

“Well—”

“Ulya, I know how you feel, but you need to hold off,” Bird said firmly, cutting Noah off before he could finish. She put a hand on the other woman’s shoulder. “You need to work your way up one step at a time. If you don’t, you won’t have a proper foundation to your understanding.”

“Actually, it’s quite—” Noah tried again.

“Are you telling me there’s more?” Ulya asked, aghast.

“Yes,” Bird said solemnly. “And it begins with understanding yourself. You need to feel the flow of the universe. Only once you’ve done that can you begin properly comprehending the deeper truths.”

“Yeah. You really need to feel it,” Emily said, completely straight faced. Todd let a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh into a closed fist.

“Feel it how?” Ulya asked.

“I will show you,” Bird said. “I have been studying this intensely for some time now. You will have to free yourself from the restraints that bind you. Only then will you start to properly understand the nature of the world.”

“If it can make me as strong as everyone else… then I’m in,” Ulya said, her eyes narrowing. “I’ve been dissatisfied with my strength for far too long. My puppet making has stagnated as well, even with the benefits I’ve gotten recently. There isn’t much I wouldn’t do to get out of this damn rut. I’ve tried everything and none of it has worked. Honestly, I haven’t been far from stripping myself naked and dancing around in some ritual to get the attention of a god to help me.”

“What a coincidence,” Bird said.

Ulya blinked. “Wait. What?”

***

A breath of white mist coiled from Father’s lips as he let out a controlled exhale, his grip on the Long Night relaxing as he lowered the weapon. Rivers of freezing energy coiled through his body like the tentacles of an eldritch being. They withdrew, slithering down his veins to return to the wooden staff in his hands.

The world was so clear, the path before him laid out in perfect, measured steps. No questions or doubts remained. There was no room for such things within Order. All that was, all that had been, and all that would be had already been ordained.

He could feel all of it. Not all at once, but like a child peering through a kaleidoscope to witness just a few fragments of an infinitely vast universe. And that was enough. His preparations were done.

The Long Night was finally his.

After all these years of preparation and searching, the ancient weapon well and truly acknowledged him as master. There were no more secrets hidden within it. Simply a promise of the truth. Of what would inevitably come — and of what he had to do.

The Arbalest Empire served him no more purpose. A part of him simply wanted to leave. To forget about this pathetic mockery of existence and move on to carrying out his true goal. But one did not leave a thorn in their heel.

There was more than one ancient weapon within the Empire, and too many of the threads that came from this wretched place interwove with the future Order demanded.

Chaos could not be allowed to persist.

Father’s grip tightened around the Long Night once more. He drew in a breath for exactly two beats of the heart. Then he sent his mind delving into the Long Night, calling forth the power stored within it in full.

Deep beneath the empire, bound by layer upon layer of ancient magic that had kept it slumbering for centuries, an ancient being stirred.

Father twisted the Long Night.

And, with a whisper like that of a final breath leaving a body to free itself from its mortal chains, the first of the seals shattered.