Magical Soul Parade

The administrative building they were escorted to looked public from the front, but the carriage had approached from the back, through service corridors and private gates that seemed only for situations like this.

As they disembarked, Finn's suppression chains clinked softly. The Agent kept a firm grip on them, though his posture had relaxed somewhat since entering Crown territory.

More agents awaited them inside. All varying in Grades, but still within the Master rank. They were all silent and extremely professional, making Finn draw correlations to movies he had seen of secret agents.

They formed a loose perimeter as Finn and Elara were escorted into a receiving hall.

And there, standing in formation like marble statues, were more Flumen Arcane Knights.

Seven of them. All Grade 1 Masters. Their black and gold armor gleamed under the lamp-lit hall, and their faces were carefully neutral.

The one at the center — clearly their leader — stepped forward. He was tall, with silver strands through his dark hair, showing his seasoned age. The way he carried himself, and his presence alone, demanded respect.

His eyes swept over Finn with professional assessment, then shifted to the Agent.

"Agent Fors," the knight leader nodded curtly. "House Flumen requests a moment to address the witness regarding the... unfortunate events surrounding the Greystone incident."

Fors — so that was the Agent's name — studied the knight leader for a long moment before giving a curt nod.

"Proceed, Knight-Captain Aldric."

Finn watched this exchange with barely concealed interest. The dynamic was fascinating. Aldric outranked Fors in conventional military hierarchy, but here, on Crown ground, Fors held the actual authority.

Aldric's attention shifted to Finn.

"On behalf of House Flumen," he began with a tone carrying just the right amount of solemnity, "I wish to express our deepest regret that certain... lesser families under our protection allowed their ambitions to spiral into such tragedy."

Finn's eyes narrowed fractionally.

Lesser families…

Already distancing themselves from direct responsibility. Clever.

"The loss of innocent life," Aldric continued, "is abhorrent. That you, a witness seeking only to serve your duty, were placed in such danger..." He paused meaningfully. "It troubles us greatly."

Finn let the silence stretch for a beat… Two beats.

Then he spoke, injecting just the right amount of resentment into his voice.

​"The trauma of being hunted… of watching thousands of innocents die… of barely escaping that same slaughter myself..." He let his gaze drift to his chains, then back to Aldric. "Yes, I imagine that would be... troubling."

The knight leader trembled slightly and clenched his jaw like he was truly distraught.

"House Flumen wishes to demonstrate the sincerity of our remorse. We recognize that words alone are insufficient to address the gravity of what occurred."

"No," Finn agreed. "They aren't."

Beside him, he felt Elara's sharp glance. She'd caught the tone in his voice and was watching him put on this performance so expertly, she couldn't even recognize him.

"Perhaps," the knight leader continued, "we might discuss more... concrete demonstrations of our remorse. Agent Fors, would you be willing to witness such an exchange? To ensure all parties understand the terms clearly?"

Fors's expression remained neutral, but Finn caught the faint gleam of interest in the man's eyes.

"I would," Fors said.

Aldric gestured toward a side door. "There is a private chamber just through here. It should suffice for our discussion."

Finn deliberately didn't look at Elara as he moved forward. He could feel her gaze boring into his back, and could practically hear her silent disapproval, that mixture of exasperation and concern he'd grown so familiar with.

She thought he was doing something unnecessary again. Playing political games when he should just accept whatever the Crown offered and be done with it.

But she didn't understand...

This wasn't about greed. This was about leverage. About securing something tangible from people who'd orchestrated mass murder and nearly gotten him killed in the process.

The three of them — Finn, Aldric, and Fors — entered the private chamber. The door closed with a soft click, and immediately the ambient sounds from the hall muffled into nothing.

Aldric wasted no time once they were alone.

"You're pragmatic," he said, dropping some of the formal tone. "I appreciate that. It makes this simpler."

"Does it?" Finn asked.

Aldric studied him for a moment, before asking bluntly:

"What do you want?"

The question hung in the air between them.

Finn's mind raced through possibilities. Wealth. Resources. Training. Access to restricted knowledge. Political protection. Things he had previously thought of and knew he had no need for.

His thoughts circled back to the one thing — the one person who actually mattered.

Elara.

She would stay here, in the capital. The Crown had brought her as a witness, yes, but also as... what? Leverage against him? A guest? The lines were blurry.

And in a world where Transcendents operated in shadows and conspiracies reached the highest levels, having her safety secured by something more concrete than "Crown hospitality" suddenly seemed very important.

"The girl," Finn said. "Elara. I want guarantees for her."

Aldric's eyebrows rose fractionally. "Guarantees?"

"Training," Finn elaborated. "Real training. Not some token gesture. I want her placed with House Flumen's Arcane Knight program. Full access to your methods, your resources, your expertise."

Understanding dawned in Aldric's expression, followed by something that might have been respect.

"You're using this to secure her future," he said. "Clever."

"I'm securing her safety," Finn corrected.

"She must also have immunity. Complete immunity from any political maneuvering. She's not a pawn. She's not a bargaining chip. She trains, she advances, and no one touches her."

"Priority resources," Finn added. "No artificial barriers to her progression. If she has the talent — which she does — then House Flumen will nurture her properly."

Aldric was silent for a long moment, clearly weighing the request.

Then he glanced at Fors.

"Agent?"

Fors's expression remained unreadable. "The Crown has no objection to such an arrangement. Though it does reveal something interesting about our young Transcendent here."

His gaze fixed on Finn.

"You're showing your hand. Making it clear what — or rather, who — matters most to you."

"They already know," Finn said flatly. "House Flumen knows. The Crown knows. Anyone with decent intelligence gathering already has our backgrounds down to our favorite food. I'm not hiding anything they haven't already uncovered."

He met Fors's eyes steadily.

"So instead of pretending I can protect her through secrecy, I'm declaring my position openly. Making it clear that any move against her is a move against me. And securing her own power base so she doesn't need me to protect her."

Fors's lips twitched. Almost a smile.

"Bold," he murmured.

Aldric inclined his head.

"House Flumen accepts these terms. The girl… Elara will be placed under our Knight training program. Full access, priority resources, complete immunity from political interference." He paused. "And she will remain within reach should you need to... verify her wellbeing."

"In writing," Finn said. "Witnessed and sealed."

"In writing," Aldric agreed.

The exchange took less than ten minutes. Contracts were produced, terms were formalized, and both parties signed with Fors as the Crown witness.

When they emerged from the chamber, Finn's expression was unreadable, though when he met Elara's eyes where she stood, he could tell she knew he was brimming with satisfaction.

Aldric glanced at Elara for a brief moment — an assessing look that held new interest — before turning to his knights.

"We're finished here," he said formally, then offered a general salute to the Crown agents. "By your leave."

The Flumen knights departed in perfect formation, their black and gold armor disappearing down the corridor.

Finn watched them go, then felt Elara move to his side.

"What did you—" she started to ask.

But before she could finish, Fors turned and gestured down the hall. Two other agents materialized from the shadows, moving toward Elara with professional efficiency.

"This way, miss," one of them said politely but firmly.

Elara's gaze snapped to the intersecting corridor where they were directing her — away from Finn, toward the other end of the building.

Finn met her eyes and nodded once.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll see you in a bit."

She hesitated, clearly wanting to ask more questions, but the agents were already guiding her away.

Finn waited, watching as she glanced back at him. The distance between them grew.

And just as she was about to disappear around the bend, something made him call out.

"Elara."

She stopped, turning to look at him fully.

The words came easier than he expected.

"You're strong," he said. "A talented Arcanist. Even I know that." He paused, making sure she heard the weight behind his next words. "You should know it too. With certainty."

Her expression shifted, first in confusion at where Finn was going with this, then to surprise at the sincere conviction behind his words, then something deeper.

"No matter what you face," Finn continued, "don't be discouraged. Keep pushing forward."

For a moment, he seemed to be finished, but the slight conflict on his face made Elara wait. Then Finn looked straight at her and added quietly:

"You know about my insatiable desire for strength. I'll always keep moving forward. It will always be my goal. Always…" His gaze held hers. "But if you still want to be by my side… for whatever reason… then you'll need to keep striving too. Keep getting stronger."

The silence between them was heavy with unspoken meaning.

Elara's eyes searched his face, and Finn watched as understanding bloomed in her expression. She knew. She understood that this was as close to a confession as she'd ever get from him.

Her lips tugged upward slightly, just the barest hint of a smile.

Then her expression firmed with resolution.

She nodded once, then turned and walked away without looking back.

Finn remained there for several moments after she disappeared, analyzing what he'd seen in her eyes.

A slight smile touched his lips.

She'll survive — No. She'll thrive. After all, she's tougher than anyone gives her credit for…

"Touching."

Fors's voice cut through his thoughts, and Finn turned to find the Agent watching him with an unreadable expression.

"Shall we?" Fors said as he began walking down the opposite corridor.

Finn fell into step beside him, schooling his features back into neutrality and priming his mind for whatever came next.