Ero didn't hesitate as his instincts as an Odian kicked in. He launched himself with supernatural agility from the top of the staircase, towards one of the open balconies scattered across the Kryon Tower's rooftops. A harrowing collective scream came from below, while waves of Osirins scattered away from a burning tower in the distance, a couple hundred metres away. Black smoke rose towards the sky, while flying ships broke away from the designated travel lanes, scattering, trying to get away.

  What is happening? Ero asked within, more to himself than to Salkon, feeling a haunted shiver run through his body. At once, his Odian partner moved to quell the possibility of fear as Ero reached for the barrier that separated him from the greatest fall in Osiris.

  Only to watch as a second tower exploded beyond the first, a sector away. This time, even Salkon seemed surprised, as Ero's own lips parted in amazement.

  Oh Odia, we're under attack…

  At once, his mind clicked into making a few key decisions, knowing he needed to act, knowing he needed to move.

  Knowing he had to become the Guardian he was supposed to be. Ero snapped his gaze back towards the oncoming form of Galko Bastille.

  'Get the forces down there!' he ordered, his voice unwavering as it needed to be. 'Send them to Sector 1502! Tell them it's Code Crimson – we're under attack!'

  'Got it!' Galko replied, his own military training snapping him to action, his voice confident despite the flush on his face. His second-in-command showed Ero he was in control during essential moments, giving him assurance. He turned his gaze back towards the scene from nightmares.

  A third tower exploded in another nearby sector.

  'No…' Ero gasped, before Salkon emerged from within, urging him forward.

  Go!

  Ero didn't hesitate as he leaped from his standing position and over the rail meant to protect him from what he was doing, taking to the sky itself. He descended, legs pointed towards the city, arms raised above his head in a Y shape. His cape fluttered behind him. Ero blocked out fear and focused on the ground, drawing closer.

  It was time to use one of Salkon's abilities.

  'Precision!'

  Ero's vision sharpened, and he noticed glowing sections emerge amidst the fleeing vehicles around him. The ability not only highlighted weak points of the vehicles but it also enabled Ero to gain an insight into their potential flight paths and possible future movements. The ability was meant more for fighting opponents, but it would suit this situation.

  It enabled him to focus on one particular flying taxi as it weaved to avoid being hit by other fleeing ships. Ero judged by the power of Precision, alongside his own speed in falling as well as that of the taxi, Ero expected he would strike its bonnet in 3… 2… 1…

  Then his feet struck where he'd expected.

  The vehicle nosedived, and its driver and passengers screamed, before the taxi's anti-gravity pulsers kicked in, making the vehicle right itself. Ero looked through the window at the taxi's occupants, seeing their wide-eyed amazement looking back at him.

  'E… Ero… Kalid?'

  He offered them a curt nod, before launching himself off the moving vehicle with a powerful bound. Maintaining Salkon's Precision, Ero leapt from vehicle to vehicle, using the chaos to reach the first sector of towers. Few possessed such agility and power, his movements beyond that of any normal being. That was just a sample of the power a Guardian possessed.

  That was just the basic movement of an Odian.

  I hope I get there in time…

  Ero reached the first of the burning towers within a minute, landing upon his first rooftop with a roll, before racing off into a sprint. There he allowed himself to relinquish Salkon's Precision. He forced himself to ignore the screams of his fellow Osirins below, knowing that they'd be racing to get as far away from here as possible. It pained Ero to hear those screams, but his priority needed to be the three towers. He needed to save whoever remained within them.

  Still, I can only save a few. The longer I spend at one tower, the longer others will suffer in the others. Galko will have the military mobilised in minutes, but they won't make it in time. That means it's up to me to save most of them. I'll have to do it alone…

  No, Ero, you are not alone, Salkon retorted, filling Ero with assurance. He appreciated that, knowing it was true. An Odian was never alone. They always had their partner.

  And he had Salkon. They would do this. They would save the Osirins in those towers. Ero resolved to do just that.

  Then he noticed something that caught him by surprise, slowing his steps as he paused within a few bounds of the first tower. He sensed Salkon's confusion within.

  Move, Ero! he demanded, but Ero extended his hand, urging caution from his sometimes-impulsive Odian.

  'Wait…' he said, listening. 'Can you hear that, Salkon? No screams coming from the towers, no sounds of shattering glass. There's no one jumping to avoid suffocating to death…'

  Ero regarded the first tower then, realising that his instincts were right. That struck him as odd, especially considering the situation. There were no signs of anyone calling for help from within the towers. No one trying to escape. Surely, the smoke wouldn't have killed them that quickly?

  And why did it appear that every explosion had erupted from the third floor?

  Ero! Move! Salkon urged, filling Ero with the desire to move, to save. Every second we waste here is another we could use to help them!

  Despite his reluctance, Ero understood Salkon was right. He nodded before breaking into another sprint, heading for the floor of the first tower, awash with smoke and seething flames. Without hesitation, he jumped from his current rooftop to the next, knowing that his next bound would carry him directly for the tower.

  And he made the jump, throwing his shoulder first as he plunged into the smoke, smashing through the glass before he threw himself into another forward roll. There he landed on his feet.

  Only to be met by a completely empty floor, despite the seething heat and smoke rising all around him.

  What?

  Nothing surrounded him. No furniture. No walls. No Osirins. All that stood alongside him were the supporting columns that ran from the floor towards the ceiling. Ero squatted and leapt upward, smashing through the ceiling.

  It was the same sight as before.

  Where is everyone?

  Ero shook his head, throwing himself upward through the next ceiling. There he was met by the same sight again, which baffled him. His instincts told him not to check any more floors in the tower, the heat intensifying. Ero sprinted, crashing through the glass onto another rooftop. As he did so, he rose while turning to regard the burning tower behind him, frowning.

  It makes little sense. Why would you—

  Ero! There's no time! Salkon urged. Despite himself, Ero was sure his Odian partner was right. Time was dwindling. He needed to reach the others.

  Ero leapt towards the second tower within a few bounds, repeating the same method he had used to get into the first. Upon crashing through, he scanned the surrounding floor, hoping to find a different result from before.

  But he didn't. This floor was empty as well.

  What in Odia is happening here? Why are these empty buildings being attacked?

  Salkon didn't have an answer, so Ero didn't bother exploring the second tower. He broke into a sprint and hurled himself out of the second tower, landing with a roll on a neighbouring rooftop. As he did so, suspicion arose, especially as he turned and regarded the second tower, watching as it continued to burn.

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  There was no hint of this happening. Nothing stirred among our kind. Am I not supposed to see the coincidence of this happening while I concluded my speech? But I didn't tell anyone my plans, so how did they know?

  Ero turned his gaze towards the third and final tower, not sensing the same drive to jump into it as he had with the others. He was sure he already knew what he'd find.

  Something's happening here… Something's wrong about this attack.

  Still, he couldn't take the chance. As Supreme Leader, no, as the Odian of Osiris, it was his responsibility to save lives, to protect those who couldn't protect themselves.

  He had to see. He had to understand.

  As with the previous two, Ero dived into the third tower without hesitation, landing with another roll as he rose to his feet, sure he knew what he'd find.

  And he was right. There was nothing in this tower, either. There was no equipment. No screams. Nothing. At once, Ero's suspicions grew even more.

  This was intentional, he concluded, noting how the smoke made sight almost impossible here. He didn't have long. The tower was about to collapse.

  Someone wanted us to come, knowing we'd be the first to respond. Someone who—

  Ero! Salkon yelled, filling Ero with a sharp sense of surprise, before Ero found himself struck on the ribs. Ero felt himself launched into the air before landing hard on the floor of the burning tower. Pain followed, a sharp shooting pain in his stomach. Ero, wincing, moved to look at his blackened armour, seeing blood on his fingertips.

  I need to get out of here. I need to—

  A black shape emerging just before him cut off that train of thought. Ero couldn't make out any details, only vague movement within the smoke. However, as he tried to sit up, the shape turned into a blur, somehow closing the distance between them within less than a second. Ero found himself struck hard in the face by another blow that sent him flying in the air.

  He crashed against the glass of the tower.

  Ero knew he was falling, powerless as gravity pulled him. The tower rushed alongside him, accompanying thousands of pieces of shattered glass. As all of this registered, Ero landed hard against rubble and debris, causing him to gasp as he sensed Salkon's panic.

  Ero!

  At once, Ero appreciated having Salkon's armour to protect him from the damage, when a fall like that would normally kill anyone else. It didn't completely prevent pain, though, and Ero sensed numbness emerging throughout his body, especially at his fingertips. Beyond, sirens emerged in the distance.

  Ero! Are you alright!?

  'Yeah, I'm fine, Salkon,' Ero lied before turning onto his side, which enabled him to get onto his hands and knees. His body was in sheer agony, but he gritted his teeth, forcing himself to his feet, staggering and coughing. His normally brilliant white armour was covered in soot and dirt, while within the ringing of his mind, all he heard was the burning building and the distant sirens. Smoke was all he smelled.

  Only his pride hurt.

  It's been too long since we've fought, Ero thought, staggering away from the building, conscious that it would collapse soon. I've allowed myself to grow complacent.

  Still, Ero knew this wasn't done. He reached for Salkon's rapier on his left hip, unsheathing it with his right hand. Still struggling to walk, he turned towards the tower, readying himself.

  'You orchestrated this, didn't you?' he called out, feeling Salkon's confusion from this statement. Ero decided not to elaborate, keeping his gaze fixed towards the black smoke and flames rising from the bottom of the tower.

  His reasoning was made clear a few seconds later as another Odian emerged.

  The Odian was female, Ero could tell. Despite wearing a shimmering black robe covered in ancient red text, he could tell by the shape of the Odian. From a shrouding hood two glowing eyes regarded him within a helmet that covered the entire face, just like Salkon. Apart from that, Ero couldn't tell anything else about this Odian.

  Except that she harboured killing intent.

  'Ero Kalid…' she said, her voice seething despite its seemingly calm disposition. Of course, Ero didn't know whether it was the Anubian speaking, or the Odian partner. Upon emerging further, it struck Ero how much she appeared like a priestess in her shape and especially in her robe, alongside the way she moved.

  She let her hands fall by her sides, exposing clawlike fingers with long red nails.

  'Such a rousing speech,' she said, turning her head slightly. Ero couldn't trace the accent. 'So vulnerable, spoken from the heart. I could almost forgive you for your failure as a Guardian.'

  'You mean our failure,' Ero countered as he raised his rapier, warning her against approaching any further. Just like him, other Odians could cover vast distances quickly.

  Ero had not fought another Odian in a long time, not since Sukan when he'd threatened Osiris. That had also been a notable time, for another reason.

  It had been the event during which Ero had found Salkon, and they'd bonded to face him.

  That had been years ago, however, and he'd never seen a fellow Guardian before.

  'What is the meaning of all this?' Ero decided to ask then, inclining his head towards the burning tower behind her. 'If I knew a fellow Guardian was here, I—'

  'You would've done what?' the other Odian responded, interrupting Ero. 'Tell your fellow arrogant Osirins that this was the beginning of your coalition? That we would finally represent what we are supposed to be?'

  The female Odian took a step to her left and Ero's right, further urging Ero to be on his guard. There was hatred in that voice, disdain. Hearing it, Salkon urged Ero to back away. Ero refused.

  No, we have to remember who and what we are, Salkon. If I back away from her now, how will the others take inspiration from us?

  'You disagree with what I said?' he asked.

  'No, I just don't care,' the female Odian said. 'You said it yourself, we've become lost, selfish, everything we were never supposed to be. The Virtues are meaningless, Ero. I realise that now. So, I've began a mission of my own.'

  'I suspect that involves killing me?' Ero guessed, still calm as he spoke.

  'It involves killing all of you…' the female Odian said, though she almost sounded distant as she spoke, as though thinking of another matter. 'We are lost, Ero. The only way we can ever correct what we've done is to start anew, with new Anubians to partner the current Odians. Anubians with pure Virtues, unbroken. Beings with undying loyalty to what they are supposed to be, not like us. Not like we who fail to see what we truly are, only to realise it when it's far too late…'

  'Something's happened to you…' Ero concluded, sure he was right. Despite his urge to relax just a little, he maintained his readiness to fight. 'Perhaps we can talk. Maybe I can help you. As far as I can see, you've not actually harmed another life. If anything, the fact you struck three empty buildings is indicative of you not wishing to harm others. Please, let us talk. Let me help you.'

  The female Odian regarded him then, and a part of Ero was sure there was something in that gaze, something akin to pleading.

  But she reached towards her own left hip with her right hand, unsheathing a bright crimson sword.

  'I am beyond saving. I deserve to suffer for what I've done. Now, you've been marked by the Shadow Sect, and you will die here, Ero Kalid… Translucence!'