Arius swallows slowly as an uncomfortable feeling creeps deep inside him what he saw before him was not just a spoiled girl as he previously thought but a mysterious entity whose limits could not be easily perceived her cold eyes pierce him as if she were reading his very being not just his thoughts
suddenly the room door opens and the same commander who had previously captured Arius and his companions appears he bows with intense discipline before the princess appearing expectant imagining he would be rewarded for his achievement Erisa smiled at him a malicious look she did not hide then she said with cold softness
you have been useful therefore I will give you your reward
not a second passed before she lightly extended her hand and a dark red light flashed from her fingertips then boom
the commander completely exploded not a trace of him remained no scream no shadow only scattered ash in the air and momentary heat like that of a concentrated energy bomb it was not a killing it was an erasure from existence
Arius eyes widened and he could not say a word that power that momentary evaporation was not just a show of strength but a clear warning
she looked at him with a cunning smile and said
now have you begun to realize why you have no choice
Arius remained silent but he knew deep down that Erisa was not just a spoiled girl she was a deadly mystery with the face of an angel Arius tried to paint a calm smile and glanced to the side of the room as if something had occurred to him he said in an almost playful tone
hmm you seem like a smart girl but there is no harm in some fresh air is there walking is better than sitting in a room full of burnt ash
she did not respond immediately but stared at him for a few moments a heavy silence surrounded the place then she approached him with quiet steps until she was within breathing distance she tilted her head slightly and whispered
do you think I do not read what is in your head
Arius face froze her tone was soft but its malice and intelligence made him feel as if his brain were exposed before her she continued
you are stalling me just to give your friends a chance to escape arent you
Arius eyebrow rose slowly realizing he had made a mistake by underestimating someone who should not be trifled with Erisa laughed lightly then turned away from him and said
it is fine I will let you walk but remember
I am the one who controls time here not you
he walked beside her secretly clenching his fist he knew he had no choice but to go along with her literally step by step every extra second could mean life or death for his companions and now he was just a chess piece moving toward the unknown in silence and intelligence in the hands of an opponent who hides her poison behind a charming smile then Erisa grabbed the chain connected to Arius shackles and began to walk while he was forced to walk beside her maintaining his balance despite the clear humiliation
she said looking forward without turning
usually I take dogs for a walk either behind me or in front of me but you are different today you will walk beside me only because I wanted that
Arius tried to suppress his anger but he knew the time was not right for a direct confrontation instead he gathered his composure focusing on his goal gaining time for his companions
suddenly Erisa broke the silence with an indifferent voice
by the way I know your companions are looking for the cube of life I let them go on purpose
here Arius stopped for a moment and said sharply
what you let them go arent you by this giving them a chance to defeat your father
she laughed with disdain then tilted her head toward him and said
oh my father my father is just a fool he deserves nothing when your companions find the cube I will simply take it from them and thus neither my father will get it nor your companions I alone will be the one who got everything do you understand me now my dear
she blinked her eyes then continued walking without waiting for his response while Arius remained stepping beside her in silence analyzing her words and rearranging all his plans in his head
she was pulling him not with her body but with her complex mindset in a place far from the base Elius Remus and Zarion had moved to a safe distance they sat behind huge rocks breathing with difficulty surrounded by the sharp shadows of the mountains
Elius began to scan the place with confused looks then suddenly stood up and said
I cannot leave him there I must go back now and free him Arius sacrificed himself for us I cannot remain silent
but Remus stood in front of him to stop him placing his hand firmly on his chest while shouting
stop you fool do you think it is that simple Arius was captured by his own will so that we would have the chance to escape your return now will not save him but will waste his sacrifice in vain
then he looked at him seriously and added
Arius is not someone who is easily taken and if he has been shackled he is planning manipulating paving the way that is why we will do what we are supposed to do we will find the cube and complete our mission
Elius fell silent clenching his fist in frustration but his gaze seemed to finally understand the matter
here Zarion who was watching in silence intervened and said in his deep dry voice
Remus is right time is working against us every minute we delay Kaiser and his men get closer to their goal if we want to return Arius favor we must bring him the cube not die in a failed attempt to free him
Elius finally shook his head then said quietly
yes we will find the cube and return for my brother
after a week of suffering under the heavy gravity of planet Akrit
Elius Remus and Zarion succeed in reaching the northern side of the planet after an exhausting journey that spanned seven full days where the weight of gravity prevented them from flying freely making their movement slow and tiring
and as the Akritian sun sets behind purple clouds a huge village finally appears to them in the middle of the high plains
the three head toward it with cautious steps the heart of each of them fluttering with hope and anticipation after all this time people from the original Akritian race finally appear to them
but as soon as they enter the village boundaries they are surprised by a large number of village residents gathering around them quickly their faces angry and their looks as sharp as knives
one of the Akritian elders shouts at them
who are you and what have you come to do here you are strangers you are definitely among those killers have you come to complete what you did to our brothers on the other side
Elius tries to take a calming step raising his hand saying
wait we are not your enemies we only came
but Remus interrupts him whispering to him in a calm tone
ask them about the cube we have no time for pleasantries
Elius sighs and says in a low voice
fine do you know the location of the cube of life
then a man from the village people steps forward his eyes burning with the fire of anger shouting
so you are really here for it you greedy butchers you killed our brothers for the treasure of our planet and you dare to stand before us as if nothing happened you bastards
in a fleeting moment dark energy explodes from Remus finger to fire a small but precise beam that pierces the mans chest and knocks him to the ground immediately
everyone falls silent
shock fills the place
the eyes of the Akritians widen their mouths open in amazement and even Elius looks at Remus in shock
Remus steps forward his eyes frozen and his tone calm and cold
we are tired of talking all we want is the location of the cube and we will not allow anyone to waste our effort all this time so who will speak and who is next
an elderly man comes out from among the crowds of the Akritian people standing firmly despite the visible dread on the faces of those around him and raises his voice saying
listen you butchers of universes may the eternal curse of Akrit fall upon you
but Remus does not even give him a chance to complete his curse he aims a deadly beam from his finger toward him which pierces his old body in a moment and he falls to the ground without a sound followed by a deathly silence that hung over everyone
the village residents froze from terror and began to retreat slowly while Remus advanced his eyes glowing with ferocity saying in a loud voice
where is the cube of life who carries it
but the answers were repeated with confusion and fear
we do not know no one knows we saw nothing
remus appeared with pent up anger as he narrowed his eyes then muttered
enough lying
and in one moment he raised his hand toward the sky forming a huge energy ball that exploded with massive force wiping the entire village out of existence everything disappeared the houses the trees and even the ground itself changed color under the intensity of the heat and nothing remained but scattered blood traces and the smell of burning
Remus was indignant anger dripping from him then he turned to Elius and Zarion saying coldly
let us go to the next village
Zarion said looking at the tracking device
it will take four additional days to arrive
Remus replied without hesitation
no matter time is not an obstacle
and they set off again
on the other side
the shot shows a group of Kaisers soldiers crawling across difficult terrain toward the same village that was wiped out moments ago unaware of the catastrophic scene that awaits them
at Kaisers base the latter stood before huge screens showing live reports from the front lines one of the officers approached him and bowed saying
sir a large group of Akritian people has been captured within several days they will be transported here
Kaiser smiled coldly as he turned his leather chair toward the high glass window where he was looking at the dark sky of the planet he muttered
beautiful more pieces more pressure
and in another place inside the luxurious palace where Arisa resides Arius sat quietly looking ahead with a frozen face while Arisa talked non stop about her vision of the world and her view of herself as the highest the most beautiful the smartest and the most deserving of everything
a full week passed during his presence here through which Arius was able to analyze her complex personality he understood that she suffers from severe narcissism and that she does not see in others anything but tools to be used or broken but she did not realize that Arius at every moment was building a plan step by step
she was enjoying his apparent submission and thought he had become her property just as she always wanted he became responsive to her requests listening to her and smiling whenever she wished but what she did not realize was that the beast inside Arius did not die but was waiting for the right moment to bring out its claws .