Soon after the incident in the training grounds, Alby found himself in a small room with a round table at its center. Everyone else from the Graves sat alongside him, Lance to his left, Sayu to his right, and Toren and Brynn on either side of them. On the opposite side of the table sat three people - Enri, a bespeckled silver-haired man and the elderly man who told Alby he unsealed his power.
His Ignition Ability...
Alby mind was reeling, filled with countless questions. What was an Ignition Ability? Was it some sort of new power? Why did he get one and not the others? What did it all mean?
Before Alby could spiral any further, he was pulled out of his thoughts by the elderly man leaning forward in his chair, resting his hands on the table. The Spirit then flashed that same warm, youthful smile as before.
"First of all, thank you all for gathering here. To be honest, we weren't sure we would ever have this conversation. After all, this was something of a longshot…"
The man sighed.
"Let's get some formalities out of the way. I am Noxen, head of the Spirits here and one of the leaders of the rebel army. I believe most of you are already familiar with Enri and Mello here," the man said, gesturing to the two Spirits by his side. The man - Mello - gave a courteous nod, while Enri simply smirked in response.
Lance raised an eyebrow
"Rebel army? That's what all this has been - a rebellion?" he asked.
Noxen smiled again, but this one was far more melancholy - Alby would almost call it apologetic
"Indeed. What you see at this Ignition Temple is the remainder of the Second Division's forces."
Noticing everyone was hanging on his words, eager to learn more about what was going on, Noxen let out a long breath, and began his tale.
"This world was once a peaceful one, you see — well, as peaceful as a world with terrifying monsters can get, anyways." he began. "We used to have something of a mutually beneficial relationship with people like you. Those of you who came from the Graves and awoke your soul's true strength were our invaluable protectors. The Ignited, we called them. And, as payment for this protection, we provided these Ignited with assistance from our Guides."
Recognizing the unspoken question on everyone's minds, Noxen continued.
"Guides are special Spirits who have gained the ability to travel to the Graves," he explained. "These Guides possessed abilities that let them support those lost out in the Graves and lead them to the Ignition Circles, helping them get to the Otherworld in earnest. On top of that, they are extremely well-versed in everything about the Ignited, helping teach them how to master their abilities."
He pointed at Alby.
"You've now caught a glimpse at what these abilities can do. We all saw Alby here use his power to halt Sayu in her tracks. Imagine how much that could do for a society. When first unsealed, that power could already trivialize something like land development or agriculture. Now think about what would happen when Alby reaches his full potential. Not even the worst Soul Beasts could hope to lay a hand on him. With power like that, you could revolutionize the very way we live our lives."
Alby suppressed the urge to drop his jaw. His mind went to the devil that had nearly eaten him alive just a day ago. The idea of freezing such a creature in its place, controlling it like a master would a puppet… it was a tantalizing prospect indeed.
Noxen leaned back in his chair.
"And so, it was only natural that we Spirits try to put that power to good use. In exchange for help from the Guides, the Ignited would use their power to protect us from the Soul Beasts and fend off any other threats that may come our way. The Ignited were our swords, and the Guides were the forgemasters who tempered them. That used to be how life for the Ignited functioned in the Otherworld."
A dark look obscured Noxen's face, his voice growing strained and angry as he continued.
"That is. until the leader of the Guides killed an Ignited."
The entire room grew tense at the comment. None of them knew exactly what it meant to kill an Ignited, but all they needed was one look at Noxen's expression to know it was unprecedented… and very, very bad.
Lance ultimately broke the silence, asking the question on everyone's mind.
"You say the Guides were meant to teach the Ignited and help them get stronger, right? Why would their leader kill one?"
Noxen shook his head.
"While many of the Ignited have helped protect our society and change it for the better, there were… a handful among them that let that power go to their head. Stolek - the leader of the Guides - had lived long enough to see the very worst of these outliers. Ignited who commited some of the most vile atrocities imaginable against our kind. It was enough to put doubt in the mind of any Spirit, and Stolek was no exception."
Noxen grimaced, as if struggling with what he was about to say next.
"Things reached a tipping point just over two years ago. There was... a young Ignited who came to our land," he said. "A boy who had the power to shake the earth beneath him. He was a good kid, but struggled to understand the impact his abilities had on others. At first, his misdeeds were inconsequential. Something like destroying a plant or two - nothing too drastic. But those deeds began to escalate. He began to destroy property, made it something of a habit. And then, one day…"
The elderly Spirit took a deep breath.
"He went too far. He was fooling around with his powers, tormenting some of the younger Spirits. While messing around, he caused a landslide… and a young Spirit lost their life."
Noxen shook his head.
"The boy was mortified by his actions. He came to me and begged forgiveness, said he would do things right going forward. I knew all about his previous actions, but I chose to give him the benefit of the doubt. And sure enough, he lived up to his word. "
The Spirit looked off to the side, growing nostalgic as he spoke about the young Ignited.
"The boy changed for the better. I could see it. He took great strides after that, learning to control his power, helping Spirits in need where he could. He even saved one of our towns from a massive Soul Beast attack - something unprecedented for an Ignited his age. He was growing into the man we... I knew he could be."
Noxen closed his eyes.
"But, for one reason or another, that was Stolek's breaking point," he said. "He was terrified of the boy. He insisted the child would only grow worse, that it was the beginning of something awful…"
The elderly man opened his eyes again, and in them Alby saw a new edge that made shivers run down his spine.
"And two months after the incident, he let his fear get the better of him.
Noxen took another deep breath before he went on.
"Stolek snuck into the boy's quarters at night, when he knew no one would notice. He... he slit the boy's throat while he was still asleep. We didn't even learn about it until the next morning."
The elder gritted his teeth, clenching his fists.
"That bastard didn't even have the decency to confront the boy before taking his life."
Noxen's eyes grew watery. Noticing his elder's struggles, Mello put his hand on Noxen's shoulder to support him, help him get through the story. Noxen flashed the fellow Spirit an appreciative glance before continuing.
"After that, things only grew worse. Stolek became convinced that the boy wasn't the end of it, that every Ignited would inevitably turn and kill us. He began a crusade against all Ignited in the Otherworld. And he was more than capable, too. You see, Stolek... changed after killing an Ignited. Became stronger."
He looked at the group, apprehension in his eyes, as if questioning if he should really share what he was about to say next.
"Somehow, he… absorbed the boy's powers. Used it to kill some of the weaker Ignited. And, as he killed more of them, he continued to grow stronger."
Noxen looked away.
"It wasn't long before he was able to hold his own against the best Ignited in the Otherworld. As things stand now, we only have one Ignited who is capable of standing against him. Even then, it's no guarantee we could beat him in a fair fight."
He let out a humorless chuckle, shaking his head as if still in disbelief about this turn of events.
"As if that wasn't bad enough, he managed to convert most of the other Guides to his cause - meaning we can't even properly train new Ignited. These two you see before you today… they're the only Guides we have left, and both only awakened their powers recently. In truth, they could barely be called Guides-in-training."
He looked at the two Spirits to either side of him. Neither voiced opposition to his claims, but each had a look of disappointment written on their face - directed not towards Noxen, but rather towards themselves.
"Stolek was also able to give his followers abilities he stole from the Ignited," Noxen continued. "Changing what would have been a mere revolt into a full-scale war."
Noxen shook his head.
"He got many to join his cause from fear-mongering alone, becoming strong enough to usurp control of the Otherworld. "
Alby almost wanted to laugh. The elder had painted a very bleak picture of the war they found themselves facing. Even so, Noxen's gaze remained undeterred.
"However, we haven't gone down without a fight," the spirit assured them. "Those of us that believed in the old ways, believed in working with the Ignited for a better world, have stood firm against that maniac."
Noxen took another look around the room, catching each of their eyes to let the gravity of their situation settle in.
"Our army started as four divisions. The Fourth laid south of us, but was lost in a massacre six months ago. This temple where we currently reside has been under siege ever since. Our plan was to continue to hold out here for another month and use the Ignition Temple to rescue as many people from the land of the living as we could before we were forced to retreat."
Noxen looked directly at Alby
"We planned on waiting until the last moment to tell you all of this," he said. "There was no guarantee that any of you would be able to unlock Ignition Abilities, you see. Only about one in five Ignited are so lucky. We didn't want to burden any of you if you weren't going to become Ignited in the first place. But Alby here unsealing his powers has changed things… and moved up our timeline."
Noxen crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair.
"Stolek will know there's a new Ignited in the Otherworld. He'll double his efforts to take this temple. We need to get out of here before he does."
Alby rubbed his head.
"Whoops," he said. "My bad."
Noxen gave him a small smile.
"There's nothing to apologize for. Our goal had always been to raise more Ignited - it simply happened sooner than expected. And now, there's a good chance you won't be the only Ignited."
The Spirit looked at the others from the land of the living.
"We may not be proper Guides, but it's common knowledge that one Ignited unsealing their powers can kickstart the process in others nearby. In short, if the rest of you are able to unseal your abilities, it will happen in the next few days."
Stars lit up in Sayu's eyes, and she started shaking Alby from side to side.
"You beautiful bastard!" she said excitedly "We're getting powers because of you!"
Noxen raised his hands in a placating gesture.
"Now now, I never said it was a guarantee," he cautioned. "Only that it could happen soon."
Sayu wasn't listening, already planning what to do first with her upcoming powers. The rest seemed similarly distracted. Lance looked off into the distance, a wistful thought finding a home in his eyes. Toren had his eyes shut, completely unfazed by the news - in fact, Alby wasn't certain he was even awake. Brynn brought her knees to her chest and began rocking slightly in her seat, making her somehow look more nervous than before.
Alby, meanwhile, was mortified. He had plenty of reservations about everything the old man had said.
"So if I'm understanding this correctly, you want us to become shining beacons of hope that will take down your big, scary bad guy?" he asked.
The others in the room - the Ignited-to-be - all looked at him. Some were confused, others were curious. None voiced their opposition, waiting on Noxen's answer.
Noxen simply raised his eyebrow, not offering a response. Alby scoffed.
"No offense, but... why should I care?" he continued. "I don't know you, or this Stolek guy. I barely even know where I am right now! Why should I put my life on the line here? Why shouldn't I just say no?"
Noxen sighed, then nodded.
"You raise a valid point, Sir Albion," he said. "We are asking quite a lot. I could offer the simple explanation, tell you that Stolek will kill you all whether or not you decide to fight him. I could also appeal to your sense of justice, claim that helping our people in the right thing to do."
Noxen leaned forward, a cold determination settling in his eyes.
"But… I'm guessing none of that is going to make you budge. Fine, then, let me sweeten the deal. If you help us, I can ensure you get back to your world. In better condition than you left, no less."
Suddenly, the room was gripped by a tense silence so absolute you could hear a pin drop. Everyone from the world of the living had a hard time believing what they just heard. None could really accept what they heard, this impossible promise that had been put forth.
It was impossible, wasn't it? To get back to the world of the living?
As if reading his mind, Noxen smiled.
"Before you ask, I assure you this is no trick. An Ignited that has grown strong enough can indeed survive a trip back to your world."
Noxen's face grew stern, that sense of determination never leaving his eyes.
"You help us take back our land, and we'll help you get back to yours."