The first thing I became aware of was the chill pressing against my wrists. It felt as though they were both encased in thick ice. As my vision was nothing but a sea of darkness, I could only guess what my surroundings actually were, but my mind was coming up blank.

  I then noticed a strange pressure against my knees and toes. After a few seconds of thinking, I realised that I must have been kneeling. But why?

  My head was pounding, that was the next thing that I became aware of. After all of the memories I had just been shown, I wasn’t really surprised. One question burned my mind: did Alfonso care about me?

  As time passed, I slowly became aware of the rest of my body. From what I could tell, I was kneeling on either a floor or some sort of platform, with my arms stretched out on either side of me and hoisted up by whatever was attached to my wrists. I also appeared to be shirtless.

  I ruffled my wings slightly, just to see if my body responded to my mind. They moved rather slowly and painfully, but they moved. It didn’t matter where I was, I could at the very least fly out.

  That raised a different question: where was I? As I was part bird, I had a natural sense of direction. Usually, it took me a split second to realise where I was, but, due to my exhaustion, I had to spend a few seconds thinking.

  Humberston. That’s where my mind was telling me I was. That meant RoCity wasn’t too far south from where I was. But that only brought another question to my mind: why wasn’t I in RoCity? Why Humberston?

  I tried to recall my most recent memory, which was difficult, given that I had just seen about a million from Alfonso.

  However, it came to me. The train ride. Aunt Emma. Llangollen. The fight. The young girl. The lightning-

  ‘Righello!’ I tried to scream, my eyes instinctively opening in a flash. But no words came out. The only noise I made was a muffled sort of scream. Was I gagged?

  I immediately wished I hadn’t opened my eyes. The entire room around me was white. White walls. White ceiling. White flooring. I was even on a small white square platform raised about seven feet up. No windows.

  Immediately, I began to struggle. Glancing to my left and right, I found that my wrists were bound by shackles, which were attached by chains to the high ceiling of the room. Muffled screams left my mouth as I poured every last ounce of strength into trying to set myself free. The chains shook vigorously, sending resounding noises across the room.

  My body was alight with a feeling that I could not describe. Fear? Dismay? A mixture of the two and more?

  I let out a great roar of effort, which was muffled by the gag across my mouth. Every muscle in my body was strained as I desperately tried to pull my body free from the chains.

  Yellow lightning appeared along my forearms just as it had done when I had lifted the debris off of Ali’s blood.

  ‘Oi, watch it,’ came a familiar voice from in front of me.

  Snapping my eyes in that direction, my eyes fell upon Quinn and Righello.

  I struggled harder. The yellow lightning running up and down my forearms was brighter than ever. I didn’t necessarily want to use my Power, but I would if I had to.

  The two of them were dressed in all black. I couldn’t ignore them now that I’d seen them purely because they stood out so much from the rest of the white room.

  So much anger was coursing through my veins that it didn’t seem to matter for a moment that I was exhausted. My body cried for me to stop struggling but my mind simply wouldn’t. My wrists felt like they were about to disintegrate from pain as the shackles rubbed against them. If I had to take off my hands to free myself, I would.

  Pain erupted in my stomach. Glancing down, I saw that Righello was not somehow on my platform, and he had ploughed one of his swords straight through me.

  ‘I said: watch it,’ he repeated, his voice dripping with malice.

  The world around me began to fade, but I continued to struggle. I was drowning in pain and fear, but I had to get out. I couldn’t stay in that room.

  I would kill him. I would tear him to shreds.

  Everything went black.

  ***

  When I awoke again, I found that I was still in the room. Righello and Quinn were still there, too. The wound in my stomach had healed.

  Immediately, I began to struggle once more. I found that I was a lot more exhausted than I had been the last time I had been in that room, however long ago that had been. But I still struggled.

  ‘Gods, you’re a proper baby when you’re scared,’ Righello taunted. ‘If you stop moving for just thirty seconds, we can talk, you know?’

  I ignored him. If he thought I was going to just talk to him, he was incredibly mistaken.

  As I continued to writhe and attempt to break out of the chains, I remembered back when I had just wanted to talk to Maltor. That had only been a little over a year ago.

  But talking had gotten us nowhere. I was no longer a boy who asked questions and tried to settle things with his words. Simply put: if someone threatened me, my people, or my friends, they would find themselves at the end of my sword. The wrong end.

  ‘Don’t you even want to know why you’re here?’ Righello continued, speaking to me as though I were a baby.

  Memories of The School flashed through my eyes as the whiteness of the room invaded my mind. I let out a strained scream, which was of course muffled by my gag, and the yellow lightning reappeared on my forearms.

  ‘Yeah…I wanted to ask about that…’ Righello said slowly. ‘And whatever you used against me in Paris.’

  I glared at him, hatred flowing through my veins thicker than blood. As I looked at him, I noticed that he was missing his left ear and some fingers on his right hand. Was that all the damage I’d done to him in Paris?

  Everybody had assumed that I’d killed him. I’d even used my Instinct Point. But all I’d managed to do was cut off an ear and two fingers?

  Righello suddenly disappeared. The gag fell from my mouth as I heard a sword being unsheathed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Righello standing next to me, sword out.

  How did he move that fast?

  Fire appeared along my arms as I tried to reach for him. Again, he disappeared. This time, however, he reappeared next to Quinn, electricity faintly running all over his body.

  ‘Talk to us-’ Righello tried again.

  ‘I…’ I snarled, putting all my effort into making my voice sound as menacing as possible. ‘I…promised…I promised him…I’d kill you…’

  Righello raised a cocky eyebrow at me. ‘Oh, really? And how do you suppose you’ll do that from there?’

  The flames on my arms became brighter and fiercer.

  ‘Don’t even try that,’ Righello said sternly. ‘The chains won’t break. We had to get special ones that resist your powers.’

  ‘Just talk to us, Albert,’ Quinn said quietly, speaking for the first time. ‘We’ll torture it out of you if you don’t tell us.’

  His greasy brown hair now fell all the way to his shoulders. I could hardly remember who he had been when we had all first arrived at RoCity.

  ‘I’ve been tortured before…’ I growled. ‘I don’t give a shit what information you want…you’re not getting it out…out of me…’

  ‘Oh, how Albert Santrrer has fallen,’ Righello teased. ‘Panting from saying a simple sentence…Did all of that struggling wear you out?’

  ‘I swear on the River Styx, Righello…’ I growled. ‘When I get out of this…I’ll…I’ll kill you…’

  That did seem to shake him slightly.

  I assumed that they both thought I was bluffing. But I meant every word. And if I didn’t kill him once I was released, then I deserved whatever punishment Styx sent my way.

  ‘Tell us what the yellow lightning is,’ Righello said, in a tone that suggested he was trying to warn me.

  ‘Tell me how in Titan’s name you got up here so fast,’ I retorted, not sure I wanted the answer. I had my guesses.

  ‘I know damn well you know how I got up there,’ Righello spat. ‘Don’t play dumb with me, or I’ll tear you limb from limb.’

  He, rather dramatically, drew his other sword after he said that.

  ‘You…really are going for that scary feel, aren’t you?’ I taunted. ‘If you think…you scare me…then you’re an idiot.’

  ‘Well, if you insist on being so difficult,’ Righello growled, ‘let’s say I got some inspiration from you and your Breathing Techniques.’

  My heart went cold. Righello had been a formidable foe before. But now that he knew Thunder Breathing…

  I had known pretty much as soon as he had used it that it was Godspeed that allowed him to get to my platform in the blink of an eye; nothing else would’ve done the trick. But now that it had been confirmed, my stomach was churning.

  ‘Now, tell us what the lightning is,’ Righello demanded.

  I scoffed. ‘Fucking idiot. Did you actually think-’

  Righello disappeared and I knew immediately that something was coming. I braced in preparation.

  Pain seared across my face and my vision went black. I felt blood began to ooze thickly from behind my eyelids as I instinctively shut them. That bastard had taken my eyes out. On one hand, it meant that my heart could rest a little because I could no longer see the white room, but, on the other hand, it was immensely painful and also meant that I was blind in a room with two powerful enemies.

  ‘Did you only train Godspeed or something?’ I snarled, spitting blood off my lip.

  I heard Righello scoff. ‘Keep up this attitude and you won’t leave this room alive.’

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  ‘I told you already that you don’t scare me, Righello.’

  ‘That’s the problem. I should.’

  A shiver ran down my spine. I had said those exact words to Maltor before when he had told me that I didn’t scare him.

  ‘How long has it been since the fight in Llangollen?’ I asked angrily.

  ‘Tell me why you were even there and I’ll tell you.’

  I weighed up my options. The only reason I wanted to know how long it’d had been was so that I could make a guess as to whether or not help would be on the way. If I had been here any longer than a day, then my friends and maybe even the army were probably outside.

  I decided against telling him. It simply wasn’t worth it. Who knows what they’d do to Aunt Emma if they found that she was related to me? Maltor had had his own brother killed, for Titan’s sake. If he found a relative of mine, he’d probably have them tortured.

  ‘Where’s Maltor?’ I spat. ‘Wouldn’t it make sense for him to be here?’

  ‘Tending to some business,’ Righello grumbled. ‘And we aren’t going to get anywhere if we just keep asking each other questions.’

  ‘Then get me out of these chains so we can fight.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Albert,’ Righello said spitefully. ‘I wouldn’t do that to you. If we let you out now, you won’t kill me. And then Styx would give you a punishment worse than death.’

  ‘Don’t take me lightly, you bastard,’ I snarled. ‘I will kill you once I’m out of these chains.’

  ‘Someone seems to be regaining their strength,’ Righello toyed. ‘I’d be scared if you weren’t weaponless and blind.’

  ‘Where are my weapons?’ I asked hurriedly.

  Righello’s shin swung into my stomach, making me retch.

  ‘Stop asking questions,’ he growled. ‘Just tell us what the yellow lightning is.’

  ‘I can’t…’ I managed. ‘I…don’t even…know…myself…’

  Righello kicked me twice more. ‘I can tell you don’t like being kicked…so don’t lie to me again and I’ll stop.’

  ‘I…honestly…I…’

  Of course, I knew what my Power was. But I couldn’t tell him. Nobody could know.

  ‘Swear it on the River Styx.’

  There was a long, and very awkward, silence.

  ‘Oh? Not so confident now, are you?’

  Righello kicked me repeatedly in the stomach and chest. My body began to grow weak from the pain.

  ‘Swear it!’ he roared angrily. ‘Swear that you don’t know what it is!’

  ‘Why…don’t…you…ask…Maltor…he…has…it…too…’ I managed between kicks.

  Righello paused.

  ‘You’re…not…supposed to…know…right?’ I managed cockily. ‘If…Maltor…wanted you…to know…he’d…simply…tell you…’

  I could feel the rage radiating from Righello.

  ‘Maltor…wouldn’t be…pleased…if he…found out…you were going…behind his back…to find out…’

  Righello kissed his teeth. ‘Like you’d tell him.’

  ‘What did you use against Righello in Paris?’ Quinn asked loudly.

  He had switched the question in a desperate attempt to get me to talk.

  ‘My…swords…’ I snarled.

  Righello kicked me in the torso again. I felt my consciousness begin to slip away.

  ‘Don’t you dare get cocky with us, you little shit,’ he spat. ‘You know damn well what we mean. You shouldn’t have been able to move nearly that fast after dealing with the Eiffel Tower coming down. What did you do?’

  I scoffed. ‘I suppose…it wouldn’t hurt to tell you…After all…I’m going to…kill…the pair of you…’

  My right eye finished healing. I knew better than to open it. If I showed Righello that it was back, he’d simply get rid of it again.

  ‘Sometimes, Albert,’ Righello said, his voice dangerously quiet, ‘I wonder why you never took up being a comedian.’

  What followed was one of the worst beatings I had ever received. Righello sliced through my eyes once more, my right ear, stabbed me in the chest once, the stomach twice, the legs three times each, and finally, gently eased his blade across my forehead, just enough so that blood fell down my face but not enough to cause any significant damage.

  With my remaining ear, I heard him sheath his swords. Then, he began to hit me in every way imaginable. I felt his fists, knees, shins, feet and elbows plough into various parts of my body.

  But I did not make a noise. I gritted my teeth and tightened my gut as hard as I could and placed all my faith in the Gods that I would get out of that situation and make Righello pay.

  When the beating stopped after what felt like hours, I could hear, with both ears, Righello breathing heavily.

  ‘Don’t tire yourself, Righello,’ I heard Quinn say, sounding concerned.

  ‘Talk,’ Righello growled through his breaths. ‘I don’t want to have to kill you, Albert, but I will.’

  ‘If…’ I tried, but I had to pause to gather my breaths. ‘If…you…think…beating…the shit…out of…me…will…make me…talk…you…can…suck…my-’

  Righello roared and kicked me in the stomach again, this time harder than all of the previous times.

  ‘I swear to the Gods, Albert…’ he growled, ‘if you keep up this attitude, then Cecilia will have another person in her life ripped to shreds.’

  There were few times in my life when such a level of anger had taken over my entire body in such a short period of time. I felt my body grow hot and my muscles flared. I was going to kill Righello and I was going to enjoy every second.

  ‘Talk all you want…’ I snarled, my voice dripping with rage. ‘Fate will…kick your…ass…’

  ‘Hmm?’ Righello taunted. ‘That’s where you’re wrong, Albert. Fate is perhaps the most unjust force there is. After all, how well has it served you?’

  ‘Keep…Cecilia’s…name…outta your…mouth…’

  ‘Can’t exactly make me, given the state you’re in,’ Righello teased.

  I cursed myself. I had just shown him a weakness. A spot where I was vulnerable. One of the basic lessons I had learnt from The School was to never reveal a weakness in the eye of an enemy – always appear invincible and as though you have an impregnable mind. But I had shown him my weakness. Love. Care. And, as I should have expected, Righello used this vulnerability against me. As he spoke, all I prayed for was that Titan was merciful enough to let me kill him slowly.

  ‘I wonder where Cecilia is now…’ Righello said in a tone that was not unlike someone thinking aloud, but I knew that his words were deliberate. ‘Do you think she’s on her way here? Putting her life on the line to rescue you? Her boyfriend? The one that’s supposed to protect her?’

  I tried to dive for him. The chains pulled taught and I was held back. I had to keep my emotions under control.

  ‘That’d be funny, wouldn’t it?’ Righello continued. ‘Cecilia Confussée coming to save Albert Santrrer, who almost failed to save her from me six months ago. She’s going to get herself hurt because you were stupid enough to get yourself caught.’

  I gritted my teeth, pouring every ounce of my willpower into keeping my emotions down. I wanted nothing more than to tear Righello to shreds. In that moment, I wanted it more than I wanted to kill Maltor. The second my chains were broken, I was going to go for Righello and it would take more than the entire Council of Olympus to stop me.

  ‘Do you think you could handle losing a girl twice?’

  My eyes shot open and I glared up at Righello, nearly seeing stars from rage. My head was pounding. My body temperature was rising.

  Righello stared down at me with his electric blue eyes. They were full of a strange emotion. It was the sort of look I would expect to see on a predator as it taunts its helpless prey before diving in for the kill.

  My jaw was twitching. I hated being looked down on. Something about it made my entire body itch with annoyance.

  ‘Oh? That got you? Are you still clinging onto Em-’

  My vision went yellow so quickly that I would’ve been surprised if it weren’t for the sheer level of rage encompassing every fibre of my being. I let out a horrifying roar that took even Righello by surprise, so much so that he leapt backwards off of my platform and stumbled down next to Quinn.

  I writhed and struggled against the chains with so much force that I felt as though I would tear my hands off. But, if that’s what it took to get to Righello, I would do so in a heartbeat.

  ‘Use your power!’ Grandad’s words echoed in my head. ‘Use your power and trample everything beneath your feet!’

  Why? Why at a time like this?

  It felt as though Grandad were giving me permission. After years and years of keeping my Power a secret from everyone, was I going to let it loose now? Was I going to break my promise to Maltor after years of keeping it?

  In my mind, I saw the image of Grandad’s body falling to the ground. That had been the consequence of me not activating the Power last time. Only the Gods knew what the consequence would be this time.

  I let out a tremendous roar. A sound so horrifying that one would be forgiven for thinking that Tartarus had opened beneath me. Never before had I let out such a noise. A noise filled with so much rage. I could now hardly see through the bright yellow that was coating my vision.

  ‘Righello!’ I bellowed as I felt my body slip away from itself.

  Just as quickly as my Power had sprung into existence, it faded. My anger had suddenly been replaced with exhaustion, and it filled me just as much as my anger had. I couldn’t remember a time when I had been so tired.

  Through my daze, I directed my eyes at Righello and Quinn. Even through the spots in my eyes and the blur of my vision, I could make out Righello’s gleeful expression.

  ‘That’s it…’ he toyed. ‘Do that again. The yellow lightning. Let it out. Show it to me.’

  I remained silent.

  I had failed. Again.

  Last time I could use the excuse that I had been interrupted. Grandad had been killed before I had had the chance to actually activate my Power.

  This time, however, what had stopped me? Everything had been perfect. I had been so incredibly angry. Gods, this time, I had even been willing to activate it. The yellow lightning was literally there.

  Why was it that I could never activate it when I needed to?

  Perhaps Righello was right. Perhaps Fate was the most unjust force there was. After all Righello had done, I was still barred from hurting him. He was being protected by the malevolent strings of Fate.

  I would kill him. The second I got out of the chains. Righello Notte would fall by my hand.

  ‘Oh? Do you not want to talk?’ Righello continued, taking a few steps towards me.

  ‘Righello, be careful,’ Quinn warned. ‘Maybe that was it. We have no idea what that lightning does.’

  ‘Nothing happened, Quinn,’ Righello retorted. ‘And, even if he has done something, he’s powerless in that position.’

  ‘I’m warning you, Righello,’ Quinn tried again, sounding genuinely concerned. ‘That yellow lightning could do anything. We don’t know what he’s capable of after a spectacle like that.’

  ‘Not much, I’d imagine. That little spectacle likely just drained his energy. I’d bet money on it doing nothing more than that.’

  I hated the fact that he was correct. Even as I merely knelt on the platform, I felt utterly exhausted. I couldn’t even raise a finger.

  Righello leapt up onto my platform again.

  ‘Oi, dipshit,’ he taunted down. ‘Remember when you told me to ‘Rot in Tartarus, cunt’? Remember that? I do. Tell me what you just did and I can try and forget about it. Keep your mouth closed and I’ll show you what happens when you threaten me.’

  Strangely, I did not feel scared. Part of me wanted to plead for mercy. And yet I did not. Other than my crippling exhaustion, I felt calm. Calmer than I had felt in a very long time.

  I would accept whatever punishment he gave me with open arms, rather literally. I would strike, viciously, when the Gods allowed me to.

  ‘Albert, show us,’ Quinn tried weakly. ‘Show us what the yellow lightning can do. Unless you’ve already activated it or something.’

  Righello raised his foot, ready to strike. ‘You’ve got five seconds.’

  ‘If…’ I breathed, ‘I…show you…we wouldn’t be able…to fight…ever…again…’

  Righello raised an eyebrow. ‘Huh? What’s that supposed to mean? Why would activating this stupid lightning mean that we can’t ever fight?’

  ‘You’d be dead.’

  Righello scoffed. ‘Don’t give me that bullshit.’

  I was drawing blanks. Our conversation was just repeating itself over and over. At any moment, Righello would start beating the daylights out of me just to get back to square one.

  The room shuddered. It was only slight, but I felt it in my knees on the platform.

  ‘I’m…not…lying…’ I managed. ‘The lightning…it’s a power…you can’t…comprehend…’

  ‘Don’t insult my intelligence again, you rotten piece of shit!’ Righello roared, and his leg swung towards me.

  The room shuddered again, this time more obviously than the last. It was still rather faint, but this time it was enough to make the chains confining me shake slightly.

  Righello paused just before his leg made contact with me.

  ‘Quinn…’ he breathed, and I could not tell whether he was concerned or angry. ‘What…was that?’

  ‘Wasn’t me, if that’s what you’re implying,’ Quinn fired back.

  Righello’s eyes snapped down toward me. He glared at me with such an intense level of hatred that I was surprised I didn’t vaporise.

  ‘What was that, Albert?’ he repeated his question but directed it at me with a cynical tone.

  ‘Wasn’t…me…’ I breathed, ‘if…that’s…what you’re…implying…’

  Righello’s upper lip curled into a snarl. ‘You’re testing me, Albert Santrrer.’

  ‘Why…would I know…why the room…shook?’ I grumbled. ‘Fucking…idiot…’

  ‘Quinn, go and check outside,’ Righello ordered.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Just do it!’ Righello hissed. ‘Just in case his people have actually come to save him or something.’

  ‘Our forces would’ve-’

  ‘Quinn! Just do as I say for once! Go outside and check what-’

  A massive chunk of the white ceiling and white wall on my left exploded with a bang so loud that my bones shook. Thick rays of sunlight flooded the room, making it an even more blinding white than it already was.

  Bracing every muscle in my body, I prepared for chunks of rubble to hit me. But then I relaxed. For someone had dived down into the room through the hole and was heading straight towards me through the dust and debris.

  Righello grunted and leapt backwards off my platform. ‘Ethan Brown!’

  Ethan twisted his body in the air, his bronze sword blazing with orange flames.

  ‘Fire Breathing, First Form!’ Ethan roared as he spun. ‘Clockwork Fire!’

  His blade sliced through the chains that were keeping me held in place and he landed firmly on his two feet in front of me, facing Righello and Quinn.

  All I could do was look up at him through my daze in awe. He had come to save me.

  ‘Ethan…’ I breathed.

  ‘Be quiet, Albert,’ he murmured under his breath. ‘You’re in horrible condition. This is a rescue mission. Loads more people’ll be in here in a sec.’

  They…had actually come…to save me?

  ‘Oh, Ethan Brown…’ Righello began tauntingly, drawing his swords. ‘I’ve wanted this fight ever since I joined this war.’

  The remaining section of the wall on my left exploded with another loud bang. All of my friends, Charlotte, and General Woodward stormed into the room on the backs of pegasi, looking more fierce than I had ever seen them.

  Without hesitating, Asbel charged over on his pegasus and called up at me. There was a trail of dried blood on the left side of his face. All of that…for me?

  ‘Gods…you are in horrible condition…’ he murmured. ‘Here’s your swords and your belt! Get up!’

  He threw my weapons up to me.

  ‘Get sorted! Quick!’

  I shakily grabbed my things and rose to my feet. My head felt cloudy. So much had happened so quickly. I hardly even knew where I was.

  Nevertheless, through my exhaustion and crippling desire to give up, I put on my tool belt and gripped my swords tight.

  ‘Where…where are…the rest of our forces?’ I managed to call down to Asbel.

  ‘Outside, engaging with Maltor’s!’

  ‘Maltor!’ I snapped with a burst of energy.

  ‘No, he’s not here! But his forces are!’

  I gritted my teeth. A battle, huh? They’d get a battle, alright. And I’d be the one to set the stage.