Vale stood frozen where he was, staring up at the towering figure before him.
Ares.
The man stood directly in front of him, impossibly tall, his presence alone dominating the entire space around them. Vale had always considered himself reasonably tall, yet standing before this man made him feel strangely diminished, as though the distance between them was not merely physical but existential.
Even without the movement of atum, without the familiar pressure of power radiating outward, Vale could sense it.
Something immense.
Something he contained.
It was like standing before a sealed volcano. The surface looked calm, dormant even, yet every instinct screamed that beneath that stillness lay something capable of annihilating everything nearby.
Vale's chest tightened.
Then it tightened further.
His breath came shallow as his wide eyes remained locked on the man before him. The sheer presence of Ares petrified him.
No.
Calling him a man felt wrong.
Based on presence alone, it would have been far more accurate to call him a demon.
Ares leaned slightly forward.
The long streaks of scarlet hair that framed his face shifted and slid downward, partially covering his crimson eyes as he studied Vale with unsettling focus. Slowly, those eyes narrowed.
Vale felt the invisible pressure around his chest contract again.
His body refused to move, however.
He could neither step away nor speak.
And yet, as Vale remained frozen in place, something unexpected happened.
Ares lifted his hand.
The gesture was slow, almost curious, as though he were examining an unfamiliar object. His hand moved steadily closer to Vale's face.
Closer.
Closer still.
Vale did not notice.
His attention remained entirely locked on Ares, his face, on those crimson eyes that seemed capable of tearing through every layer of his being.
But Ares's hand told a different story.
Black scales covered it, thick and polished draconic scales that caught the light of the library lamps. They moved naturally with the flexing of his fingers, confirming what his horns and shoulders had already suggested.
This man was no ordinary human.
The scaled hand continued its approach.
And then,
The darkness moved.
Without warning, a deep shadow surged from the spear resting on Vale's back. It erupted outward in a sudden wave, swallowing Vale completely for the briefest moment.
The library lights dimmed as the darkness thickened.
Then it began to take shape.
Shade manifested.
The living shadow stepped forward in a fluid motion, his form still partially made of swirling darkness. In one swift movement, he seized Ares's approaching wrist, stopping it mere inches from Vale's face.
The grip was firm.
Unyielding.
Shade now stood beside Vale like a loyal guardian brought to life. His crimson eyes glowed brightly within the shadowed silhouette of his form, burning with unwavering determination as he stared directly at Ares.
The library fell silent.
Ares's arm remained held in place for a brief moment. The commander of the royal guard applied a slight amount of pressure against Shade's grip, testing it almost absentmindedly.
Then he stopped.
Slowly, Ares turned his head toward the living shadow.
He leaned back a step, retracting his hand without resistance.
Shade released him the moment the threat of contact disappeared.
Ares raised one eyebrow, curiosity flickering briefly across his scarred face as he observed the shadowed figure standing protectively beside Vale.
Then he spoke.
"Are you his guardian, perhaps?"
The question was calm, almost casual.
Behind Shade, Vale finally felt sensation return to his limbs.
His mind snapped back into motion as reality caught up with him.
'That… is Ares.'
The realization struck him fully for the first time.
The commander of the royal guard.
Vale instinctively took a step backward, putting a little distance between himself and the towering draconic figure.
Shade remained where he stood.
Though much smaller than Ares, the living shadow did not yield an inch of ground. His posture radiated vigilance, every part of him ready to strike if necessary.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Instead, Shade slowly reached over his shoulder and grasped the handle of his massive greatsword. The motion was deliberate, ensuring Ares could clearly see the threat he represented.
Ares studied the gesture with mild interest.
Then he scoffed softly.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he turned away from the shadow entirely, redirecting his attention back to Vale.
The shift in focus was immediate and overwhelming.
His crimson gaze intensified, boring into Vale with such intensity that it felt as though it pierced through flesh, bone, and thought alike.
Vale swallowed.
Shade remained on guard, the living shadow watching every movement with lethal patience.
Then Ares spoke again.
"Would you be able to answer a question of mine?"
Vale blinked.
Of all the things he had expected, that had not been one of them.
'What would he want to ask me of all people?' Vale thought, confusion mixing with lingering fear.
Unable to find his voice, Vale slowly nodded.
Ares' expression remained unreadable as he continued.
"What does the shepherd say to his sheep?"
Vale's eyes widened slightly.
Before he could stop himself, the first thought that surfaced in his mind slipped past his lips.
"What?"
Ares exhaled quietly, sounding almost faintly annoyed.
"Answer the question," he said calmly. "Any answer is fine."
Vale hesitated.
His hands trembled slightly at his sides as his mind scrambled for meaning within the strange question.
'What does the shepherd say to his sheep?'
At first, nothing came.
Then slowly, from somewhere deep within his thoughts, an answer surfaced.
It felt… natural.
Inevitable.
As though the words had already existed long before he spoke them.
Vale took a slow breath.
Then he raised his head and met Ares ' gaze.
"Soon we will be home," Vale said quietly.
"In the embrace of our family… in their arms."
The words left him without hesitation.
There was no uncertainty in his voice.
He believed them completely.
For a moment, Ares said nothing.
His crimson eyes widened ever so slightly.
Then, unexpectedly, a small smile appeared on his scarred lips.
"What an excellent answer," he said softly.
For a brief moment, he lingered in thought, as though turning Vale's words over in his mind.
Then he gave a slow, approving nod.
Finally, Ares looked past Vale toward the elderly figure standing behind him.
"Sir Drago," he said calmly, "shall we begin our discussion?"
Drago turned toward him, his expression perfectly indifferent as he raised his teacup and took a measured sip.
Vale took that moment to quietly step out of the direct line of sight between the two men.
Drago lowered the cup slightly.
"I would prefer it to be in a private room."
He snapped his fingers.
Vale frowned, raising an eyebrow.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the entire library trembled.
The ground beneath their feet began to shift, deep stone grinding against stone as the massive structure of the tower itself started to move. Shelves slid apart, platforms rotated, and staircases twisted like living things.
Vale looked upward in shock.
The stairs themselves were tearing apart and reforming simultaneously, stone folding and unfolding like enormous mechanical joints. Sections of the library rearranged themselves with impossible precision until every stair aligned at the center of the chamber.
Moments later, a colossal spiral staircase formed, winding upward in a towering helix that stretched all the way toward the distant ceiling of the tower.
Vale stared in stunned silence.
Beside him, Shade slowly dissolved.
The shadowy figure collapsed inward, his form unraveling into strands of darkness that flowed smoothly back into the spear resting on Vale's back.
Eskar soon stepped up beside him, holding the crimson egg carefully in his arms.
Vale glanced sideways at him, awkwardness creeping into his expression as the tension of the moment finally began to fade.
"So… did you enjoy my act?" Vale asked, attempting to sound casual.
Eskar let out a chuckle.
"Please," he said.
"I've been acting for half my life."
He looked at Vale with a knowing smile.
"That was no act."
Vale grimaced slightly.
Eskar continued calmly.
"You were simply scared."
He shrugged lightly.
"Well… not that I blame you."
His eyes briefly flicked toward the towering figure of Ares.
"I can sense it too," he added quietly.
"That man could kill either of us in an instant."