Rayna tried to look up at the man's face, but he pressed on the tip of his sword, forcing her gaze back to the ground.

She tensed, her mind racing. She didn't feel him coming at all. Even now, as his items practically pulsed, she didn't feel even a hint of magic. She had relied on that sense so much since coming to Ember, if one's magical presence could be hidden this thoroughly, what even was the point?

How many monsters could do the same?

The brief glimpse of his face hadn't given her much information. His eyes were hidden beneath his hood, shrouded in a shadow that was too solid to be natural. His dark brown cloak stretched nearly to the ground, the front of it open to reveal his black boots and pants.

Everything he wore was lined with runes. They glowed deep crimson, giving him an ominous aura. Rayna tuned into her senses, trying to detect even the smallest bit of magic from the items.

The runes flashed crimson, forcing Rayna to squint.

"Magic sight, then?" the man said, his tone casually curious. He dimmed the magic in his items so Rayna could open her eyes again.

Rayna glared at the man's reflection in his sword. "You called me Rayna before. How do you know my name?"

The man tilted his head. "I should think that would be obvious." When Rayna's expression didn't change he pursed his lips. "Your friend has a tight guard on his mind, but not a very short leash on his tongue."

Corban.

Rayna balled her hands into fists. "Where is he?"

The man chuckled. "Relax. I conversed with him for the sake of security. He is quite comfortable back at my home. I daresay, a lot more comfortable than you are at this moment."

"And whose fault is that?" Rayna grumbled. She relaxed her hands, trying to angle her body so the sword wasn't quite so close to her arteries.

"Fair point," the man said. "Though I don't intend to lower my sword until you explain how you discovered Eeren."

It seemed Corban hadn't told him everything. Good. Rayna certainly wasn't going to fill him in either. Someone who introduced themselves with a sword was not someone Rayna wanted knowing her plans. She glanced down at the tracking line that stretched out of the alley. If she could just convince the man to lower his sword, she might be able to make a run for it. She could hide in another alley until he gave up searching for her.

That was assuming he couldn't track her somehow.

"You're not going to say anything?" the man asked. His tone sounded more amused than annoyed; he was toying with her.

Rayna pressed her lips together. Phira, any idea how to ditch this guy?

Phira didn't answer right away, which usually meant she was thinking. Your healing spells are fairly powerful thanks to your Intelligence stat, she said. Theoretically, you could let the blade cut your throat and heal it while you run.

How about an idea that isn't going to get me killed?

Even if Rayna was willing to cut her own throat to get away, she didn't trust her healing spells to close the wound before she bled out. Not to mention, she would then have to outrun this guy while being injured, which was unlikely. Maybe she could try talking her way out of this, but in her experience, encounters on Ember were never that easy.

"I can see you plotting," he said, a hint of warning in his voice. "You should learn to control your facial expressions." Despite his words, the pressure on his sword vanished as he placed it in his Soul Realm. "Perhaps a demonstration is in order."

Power exploded in the alleyway, filling the space with so much magic that it burned Rayna's skin. She squeezed her eyes shut, curling into a ball to protect her face.

Fear, raw and primal, rose in her throat and she dug her fingernails into her legs, trying to ground herself with the pain. She was only vaguely aware of the scream that tore from her lips.

The power vanished as quickly as it had come. The alley felt cold and empty, but it didn't soothe Rayna's burning skin. She shivered, keeping her face hidden.

"By the goddess!" The man's voice barely reached Rayna's ears as she focused on not passing out from the pain.

Slowly, Rayna uncurled her body, wincing as she pulled her nails out of her leg.

"You're younger than I expected," the man said, his voice a mixture of concern and regret.

Rayna eyed the man warily, unsure what he meant to convey with that confession. The first time that Rayna met Lord Myre, his power had been terrifying, but this was different. It was like standing at the base of a volcano and looking up at the peak. She knew the danger this man posed, but she couldn't reconcile it with the suddenly quiet atmosphere. All of the power was hidden beneath a lid, and Rayna had no way of knowing when it would blow.

Rayna sat with her back against the wall, only able to move in small increments. She looked up and a note of surprise mingled with the slowly fading fear in her chest.

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His hood still concealed his face, but that wasn't what had caught her eye.

Tiny letters hung above his head, giving Rayna his name and, more importantly, his race and level.

[Pycha Crassian — Level 438]

[Lerian — Eldar]

"I'm sorry." Pycha reached down to help her up.

Rayna flinched, baring her teeth threateningly. She tamped down on the instinct a moment later, looking away.

"I suppose I deserve that." Pycha pulled his hand back and crouched in front of Rayna.

She stiffened, her pulse speeding up.

"I'm only healing you," he said, his voice more gentle than before. He held his hand over the claw marks in her legs. One of his rings glowed green as her skin knit itself back together. "You shouldn't hurt yourself just because you're scared. There are other ways to override your instincts."

Rayna didn't say anything. She was grateful that he had healed her, but she didn't trust him. He could explode again at any moment and Rayna wasn't sure if she could handle that kind of fear a second time.

Pycha stood and held out his hand again. "You'll feel better if you move."

Rayna swallowed against the dryness in her throat. Ignoring the offered hand, she got to her feet with her own power. She didn't want to touch Pycha, the memory of his magic still vivid in her mind.

"Where is Corban?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.

"I will take you to him," Pycha said. "But you'll have to take my hand."

Rayna peered suspiciously at the proffered limb. "Why?"

"There is no way in or out of my cavern," Pycha explained. "I must teleport us there."

Rayna nodded jerkily, relieved that Pycha's hood made it impossible to look him in the eye. She gingerly took his hand, cringing in anticipation, but there was no pain; she didn't burn to ash.

"See?" Pycha asked, a small smile forming on his lips. "I won't hurt you."

Rayna glared up at him, pulling her hand away. "I don't have to touch you, do I?"

"No," Pycha admitted. "But I thought it might help. One moment."

He held his hand out and touched one of his rings, whispering a word that Rayna didn't catch. The runes started to glow, and a circle of light appeared beneath them.

With a flash of white, their surroundings shifted to a small cavern. The ceiling was sloped, almost low enough to touch around the edges, and the floor was covered in grass that had to be maintained with magic, because the only light in the cavern came from tiny mage lights that floated around the area like fireflies. Flowers poked out of the grass, covering the area in a multi-colored tapestry of petals.

The whole thing was so beautiful that Rayna almost didn't notice the building in the middle of the garden.

Rayna bit back an angry growl. Their plan to escape the island was doomed from the start.

The hub was underground.

It was run down, but not nearly as dilapidated as the Ellis hub had been. The door still hung on rusted hinges. The windows were dirty and cracked, but whole.

"It's more impressive than it looks," Pycha said.

"Isn't it dangerous to have a cavern with no exits?" Rayna asked.

"A cavern with no exits has no entrances either," Pycha said. "No one can disturb me here."

Rayna wordlessly followed Pycha inside, not having to feign surprise as she examined the lobby. The interior was decorated differently than the other hubs she had been in. The chandelier had been replaced by a dozen small mage lights that bounced close to the ceiling as if suspended in water. White tile glittered on the floor and every surface in the room was covered in glowing runes.

"Your friend is in one of my guest rooms," Pycha said, nodding toward the stairs. "I will take you to him after we've had ourselves a little chat." Pycha waved his hand and a table and chairs appeared. "Take a seat."

Rayna glanced at the tracking line, tracing it to the back office. She decided not to call Pycha out on the lie; she was no match for him and any information she could glean from this conversation might help her come up with a plan of escape. She sat down at the table, folding her hands in her lap. Pycha sat down across from her, lowering his hood.

Rayna's eyes widened.

Pycha's right eye was missing from its socket and a long crooked scar slashed across his face, wrapping around to the empty space where his left ear used to be. His white hair was tied into a neat bun, glowing a pale crimson color. One of his horns was shorn off at the base.

"I know I'm not a pretty sight," Pycha said with a self-deprecating smile. "I used to be quite handsome, if you can believe it."

For a moment, a different Lerian sat in the chair; younger and happier. His injuries were gone and his face untouched by age.

The vision vanished, replaced by the real Pycha, his expression unchanged.

Rayna's cheeks warmed and she looked away. "I didn't mean to stare."

Pycha laughed. "I'd be more surprised if you didn't."

"So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I've lowered my hood, Rayna," Pycha said. "It's generally the polite thing for you to reciprocate."

Rayna hesitated. "I think I'd rather leave it up, thank you."

Pycha sighed. "I'm sorry about this." He waved a hand and another of his rings glowed. A blast of wind blew Rayna's hood off, messing up her hair in the process.

"Hey!" Rayna grabbed her hood and dragged it back on. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Her anger chased away the last of her apprehension over the man's true power. He had the gall to lecture her about manners and then do that?

Pycha eyed her curiously. "I can't seem to tell what age you are, Rayna. By sight, I would say you were in your mid-thirties of forties, but you have the instincts of a child… and you have a set of horns in that glowing hair of yours."

Rayna growled. "Are you trying to piss me off?"

Pycha frowned. "You certainly have the personality of a child. Patience is one of the greatest skills a person can learn, Rayna. I suggest you cultivate it, or you will find yourself running headfirst into a situation that is beyond your strength."

Like now, Rayna thought, taking a deep breath. "Fine. I'm twenty-seven. Happy?"

"Twenty-seven?" Pycha repeated. "What is your subrace?"

"A'lerian, for a couple of weeks now."

The furrow between Pycha's brows deepened. "And you already have a core?"

Rayna couldn't stop the confused wrinkle that appeared on her forehead. No one had mentioned her having a core the entire time she'd been on Ember.

"You're wondering how I knew about your core?" Pycha guessed correctly. "You haven't done anything to shroud it. Anyone above the A'ler stage would know. Do you even know how to manipulate energy yet?"

Rayna gave no response, unsure what to say.

"I thought as much," Pycha said, taking her silence as a negative response. "Fate has brought you exactly where you need to be. There is no better source of learning than as an apprentice to an Eldar, even one as old and isolated as me. I'll teach you to use your core and how to shield your energy source so you don't have to wear that hood all the time."

Rayna frowned. "Why would—"

"Why would I help you?" Pycha interrupted.

Rayna was going to say, 'why would I trust you?', but Pycha didn't give her the opportunity to correct him.

He folded his hands on the table. "I have been searching for a successor for many years, Rayna, and now, you fall into my lap with both the ability to evolve and a fully formed core at the A'lerian stage of your evolution. You can grow stronger than anyone else on this island, and I doubt you even know how." He nodded his head, as if reaffirming the wisdom of his decision. "Stay here, Rayna, and I will train you as the next leader of Eeren."

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