OP Absorption

Fin processed this. An ancient, powerful organization, observers of fate, offering help. It sounded too good to be true. There was always a price.

"And what do you want in return?" he asked, his voice flat.

Lyra's smile was serene. "Nothing that you would not already do, young King. Survive. Grow. Learn. Understand the power you wield, and the responsibilities that come with it." She took another small step closer. Her voice dropped slightly. "And, perhaps, when the time comes, remember who offered you a guiding hand when all others sought to crush you."

He stared at her, trying to read beyond the calm facade, beyond the enigmatic pronouncements. An alliance with no strings attached? Unlikely. But information, resources… those were things he desperately needed. The Association, King Kain… he was fighting blind, relying on instinct and raw power.

"What kind of information?" he asked.

"Information on your enemies," Lyra said. "Their strengths, their weaknesses, their hidden agendas. The true nature of the Kings, and the games they play. The history of the Mana Cells, and why they are so coveted, so feared." She paused. "Information on yourself. On what you are becoming."

That last part hit a nerve. What he was becoming. He did not know. A King? A monster? Just a survivor trying to protect his own?

"And if I refuse your generous offer?" Fin asked.

Lyra's smile did not change. "Then we will continue to observe. And record your inevitable, and likely very messy, demise." Her tone was matter-of-fact, without malice. "The tapestry of fate is vast. Your thread, while currently bright, is but one among many."

He looked at Arachne. Her expression was unreadable, but he sensed her caution. This Lyra was a player on a completely different level. An alliance with her could be a lifeline. Or it could be a chain, binding him to an agenda he did not understand.

But the alternative… fighting alone, against enemies who knew more, had more resources, more experience… that felt like a slow death sentence.

"How do I know I can trust you?" he asked.

Lyra chuckled softly. "You don't, young King. Trust is earned, not given. But consider this: I came to you openly. I offer knowledge that could save your life, and the lives of those you protect." Her gaze flicked towards the archway leading to the residential corridors, where Meg and Mara were. "Your current path, while born of necessity, is unsustainable. Brute force and righteous anger will only carry you so far."

She held out her hand, palm up. A small, silver disc, no bigger than his thumbnail, materialized in her palm. It glowed faintly with an internal light. "A communication ward. Encrypted. Untraceable by conventional means. Should you wish to accept our offer, or merely to ask more questions, use this. We will know."

Fin looked at the disc, then back at Lyra's face. He still did not trust her. Not fully. But the promise of information, of understanding… it was too tempting to ignore. And she was right. His current path was a reckless gamble.

He reached out and took the silver disc. It felt cool, smooth in his palm.

Lyra's smile widened fractionally. "A wise choice, Fin Carver. Or at least, an interesting one." She inclined her head. "I will take my leave. The Valerius Spire awaits your attention, I believe. Be wary. Gabriel has set traps within traps. And Unit 7… they are not like the others."

Unit 7. The name again. He needed to know more about them.

Before he could ask, Lyra raised the small silver bell she carried. She rang it once. The melodic chime echoed through the hall, vibrating in the air.

And she was gone.

Not vanished in a flash of light or a swirl of shadows. Just… not there anymore. The space she had occupied was empty. The air settled. The faint scent of ozone and something ancient, like starlight, faded slowly.

Fin stared at the empty space. The silver disc was still warm in his hand. Arachne moved to his side. Her gaze swept the hall.

"She is gone, my Lord," Arachne confirmed. "No trace. Her method of departure… it was not a portal. Not teleportation as I understand it."

Fin clenched his fist around the silver disc. Loremaster. Argent Covenant. Unit 7. More players, more mysteries. The game was getting more complicated by the minute.

He looked down at the disc. Information. Knowledge. Maybe even a chance.

Or just another, more subtle trap.

He did not know. But he had a feeling he was about to find out. The hard way.

Fin pocketed the silver disc. Lyra's visit left more questions than answers. It also left a lingering sense of unseen powers moving in the shadows. But her warning about the Spire, about Unit 7, felt genuine. Gabriel was preparing.

He walked back into the war room. Meg looked up from the schematics she had been studying with Arachne. Her brow was furrowed with worry. Scarlet, who had clearly been eavesdropping from the doorway, pushed herself off the frame. Her expression was a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"Okay, Boss," Scarlet said. "Who was the shiny lady with the wind chimes? And what did she want? Sounded like she was offering you a timeshare in another dimension."

"She called herself Lyra," Fin said. He walked back to the holographic display, which flickered back to life, showing the Valerius Spire. "Loremaster of the Argent Covenant." He saw Scarlet's eyebrows shoot up at the name 'Argent Covenant'. Clearly, it meant something to her. Interesting.

"She offered information," Fin continued. His gaze was fixed on the Spire schematics. "And a warning. Gabriel knows we're coming. He's reinforced the Spire. And he's deployed something called Unit 7."

Scarlet let out a low whistle. "Unit 7? Seriously? Gabriel's not messing around." She ran a hand through her red hair. "Those guys are bad news. Black ops psychos. Association's bogeymen. They don't do arrests, they do… wet work. Messy."

"You know them?" Fin asked, turning to her.

"Know of them," Scarlet corrected. "Varn… he had dealings with the Association sometimes. Unit 7 were the ones they called when they needed a problem to disappear permanently, no questions asked, no witnesses left. They're fanatics. And damn hard to kill." Her usual smirk was gone, replaced by a grim seriousness.

Fin looked at Meg. Her face was pale. "So… it's even more dangerous now?" she asked, her voice small.

"It was always dangerous," Fin replied, his voice flat. "This just confirms Gabriel isn't underestimating us." He looked back at the Spire. "Our plan needs to be tighter. Faster. In and out before they can fully mobilize their elite response."

Arachne, who had followed him into the war room, spoke. Her voice was calm. "The presence of Unit 7 suggests a direct confrontation strategy from the Association, my Lord. They will likely be deployed to intercept us at key choke-points, or to hunt us down if we breach the inner sanctums."

Fin turned the cool silver disc over in his fingers. Lyra. Argent Covenant. Unit 7. The names echoed in the quiet of the war room, heavy with unspoken implications. The holographic schematics of the Valerius Spire still floated above the table. They now seemed less like a blueprint and more like a death trap.

"So," Scarlet broke the silence, her voice carefully casual. "This 'Unit 7'. Black ops psychos, you said?" She looked at Fin. "Sounds like they're bringing out the big guns. Gabriel must be really pissed about Jericho."

"Jericho was just a specialist," Fin replied, his voice flat. He placed the silver disc on the table. "Lyra made Unit 7 sound… different."

"They are," Scarlet confirmed. Her playful smirk was absent for once. "Think of the worst, most fanatical Hunters you can imagine, then strip away any semblance of morality or restraint. That's Unit 7. They don't follow rules; they make them. And they specialize in taking down high-value targets, especially those with… unusual abilities." Her gaze flicked towards Fin, then away. "They're butchers, not soldiers."

Meg shivered slightly, wrapping her arms around herself. "So, what do we do? The plan to hit the Spire… is it still on?"

Fin looked at the schematics, then at the silver disc. Lyra's offer of information. It was their only edge now. "The plan changes," he stated. He picked up the disc. "First, we see what our mysterious Loremaster has to offer."

He focused his will on the disc. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the silver surface pulsed with a soft, internal light. It grew warmer in his hand. He felt a faint mental probe, a gentle query against his consciousness. He did not resist.

Information flooded his mind. Not words or images, but raw data streams. Complex schematics layered with tactical overlays. Personnel files flickered past too fast to consciously read but somehow… absorbed. It was overwhelming, a torrent of knowledge. The Mana Cell hummed in response, helping him process, categorize, understand.

He saw Unit 7. Not just a name, but faces, codenames, known abilities, preferred tactics. Saw their cruelty. Their efficiency. Their absolute loyalty to Gabriel and the Association's darkest mandates.

He saw weaknesses in the Spire's defenses that Mara's data had not shown. Blind spots in sensor arrays. Older conduit systems vulnerable to specific types of energy disruption. Emergency lockdown protocols that could be exploited.

He saw Gabriel's private contingency plans, buried deep within the Spire's core servers. Fail-safes designed to self-destruct key sections rather than let them fall into enemy hands.

The information flow stopped as abruptly as it began. The silver disc in his hand went dull, inert. He let out a slow breath. His mind reeled slightly from the sheer volume of data. He felt… informed. And significantly more concerned.

"Well?" Scarlet asked, pushing off the wall, impatient. "What did the magic coin tell you, Boss?"