Chapter 15 Sergei's PoV

  “...managed to gain their support. After we talked with Paul. He said we can leave the west part to him.”

  Sergei sat in his comfy chair and listened to Dirk’s report. It was a long and winded tale of them slowly expanding their influence across the city.

  Even if that was not Sergei's original intent to become one of the local snakeheads, he had to admit - it did open a lot of doors previously closed.

  Unfortunately, even with the newfound authority, he still had not gained any leads to who the person who broke into their home was.

  “Well, if we don't count that blurry camera shot.” Which Sergei supposed was something.

  Unfortunately, it turned out to be useless. The only thing it proved was that someone did come from their base, and after they had raised the arm - they left. The camera was not even aimed at their base but on the street further down it.

  The only plus side was that whoever had broken in thus far had not said a word about what he had found.

  “Or they had...” Sergei frowned. His thoughts had gone on the same loop many times the past day. The reason was simple, he had gained something that could help him find the culprit.

  Or so he was assured. “Only this timing... What was his name again... Aramaleo, was it? Did the one who broke in told him? Or was it them who did it?” He absent-mindedly twirled the phone in his palm. "What is their aim? How much of what he told me was the truth..."

  Dirk noticed that his boss was not listening and stopped his speech. “Is there a problem, Father?” He finally asked after Sergei had sat there for a couple more minutes in silence.

  "Maybe..." Sergei mulled over what to say. "Do you remember the man who visited yesterday?" Dirk nodded. "Did you find out anything about him?”

  Dirk hesitated. After a moment, he shook his head. “No, we tried to follow him, but... We managed to trail him to his hotel and follow him to the room he stayed in. We parked a couple of our guys to watch the door and another couple around the building. But... When staff went to clean his room this morning, he was gone.”

  Sergei nodded once, affirming that he understood. Ever since that night two weeks ago, he had changed. And with him so did also his 'sons'.

  Dirk still talked about how they were still trying to find Aramaleo guy, but Sergei had no hopes of that happening. He tapped his chin with his phone.

  “I keep having the feeling that there is more to it. No, there definitely is.” He clenched his fist, feeling the power coursing through his body.

  He pondered for a few more moments before coming to a decision. "Have the men cancel the search for Aramaleo and the trespasser, then get them to return... No, everyone, get everyone who possibly can. Have them arrive by this evening and make sure that they know that if they arrive, they already have accepted what I will offer. Also, get some men who already have been blessed to gather information on Minsrel's, but have them return by the evening. And don't let Minsrel's feel threatened. We have already made too big of a wave in this city. They are starting to get nervous."

  Dirk affirmed that he understood and left after leaving some paperwork for Sergei to shift through.

  Finally, alone, Sergei stretched, feeling the energy in his already not young body. He felt like he was in his twenties again. “If only I had a nice woman to spend my energy on, but as...” Through the years, he had not found a partner. And now that he had regained much of his youthful vigour, he also remembered his regret of not bonding with anyone else but his boys.

  After shaking away the lingering regret, he opened the doors to the basement and headed down.

  They had finally finished refurbishing the warehouse. The holes were patched, walls repainted and rooms furnished.

  After they had expanded their influence, they also gained more sources of income. This meant that they could properly insute their home. Winter was practically already here, and nights were freezing.

  In the process, they found a few pces where the trespasser could have gotten in and out - those pces were removed immediately.

  In addition, Sergei ordered a new lock for the basement doors - one which needed a code to open.

  Sergei wished he could spend more money on security, but for now, he had to give his men a proper pce to live. And some bribes were unavoidable if they wanted to be left alone.

  He hated the bribing. It showed how corrupt society really was, but it was a highly effective way for them to avoid trouble. Some growing pains will be unavoidable, and some oil in the gears should make it more manageable.

  After going down and kneeling in front of the Divine Star, he steeled himself for the upcoming task. He was going to give out the blessing to many people at once, and he did not know what might happen when he did.

  Sergei did not fear to damage his own body. And from what he could tell, there was no way to hurt his men with the blessing.

  What Sergei truly feared was damaging his source of light. He gazed at the Divine Star basking in its light.

  He forcefully calmed his mind and emptied it of stray thoughts. After all, he was about to talk with what essentially was his God and guide through life.

  Well, talking was a strong word. It was more of an exchange of ideas and concepts. However, The Divine Star was indeed somewhat sentient. To what extent? Sergei could not tell, nor would he dare to guess.

  After a short while of trying, he managed to establish a connection. Suffering through a momentary vertigo, Sergei managed to convey his pns. He asked for permission to proceed.

  The truth was there was little his God did not allow to do, but he felt it to be prudent to make sure.

  The answer was, as he had expected, positive. His pns would not harm his object of worship in any way. Sergei could give out blessings, but he also got a distinct impression there was more to it.

  It seemed there was diminishing effectiveness if Sergei blessed everyone. Or that was the impression he got.

  “It can not be helped. We have to increase our strength.” Sergei thought to himself. He could feel through his connection with The Divine Star that the world would be changing. And the visit from Aramaleo showed that it had already started.

  Sergei spent the rest of the day in the basement. He immersed himself in his newfound power, exploring the sensation inside him. He meditated and tried to reach out to the higher power in front of him.

  There were no results apart from the start. But Sergei felt no disappointment. This power was more than he was, and it was expected for it to not respond to his every whim.

  It sted until Sergei was roused out of his meditation by the sound of footsteps. Only two other people who knew the code. So it was either Dirk or Saluman who was coming. After a moment, he heard a knock on the door.

  Not wanting anyone else to enter this pce without extreme exceptions, Sergei stood up and exited the room, closing the doors behind him.

  While Dirk and Saluman knew of The Divine Stars' existence, Sergei felt they did not understand how important it was. Hence, he did not let them enter - lest they insulted his God.

  In front of him stood Saluman with his head lowered. “Everyone has gathered at the Hall of Blessings and now are waiting for you, Father.”

  Sergei rolled his eyes. He disliked the way his sons had taken on naming things. But he did not stop them.

  After all, he himself was worshipping a floating crystal bead. A crystal with a god within it, or was it the crystal itself that was a god? Still, it mattered, and Sergei forced himself to stop thinking about such an impudent matter.

  They made their way to the Hall of Blessings. It was a newly made room for those times when they all had to gather. It was enormous for the building's overall size - taking almost half of the first floor.

  It was the only pce unfinished pce in the building. Sergei’s children insisted they needed to decorate it properly and garishly.

  They were also pnning to add a second floor. Or, some of them were. Sergei just shook his head at the over-optimistic pns. This was an old pce - not able to support something like that with its shady foundation.

  There was another purpose the Hall of Blessing served. They were cking rooms, and quite a few of his sons spent their nights here.

  It was not comfortable, but he had not heard of any discontent. His sons knew how to be patient.

  But for now, the beds were removed for the occasion, and a podium was brought in for Sergei to stand on.

  When Sergei and Saluman entered the Hall through a special entrance made for him, he saw a couple of hundred men waiting for him. It was a tight fit to get them all in the room.

  Honestly, they could not support more people than they had. With regret, Sergei had stopped bringing in new and promising people into his direct fold.

  Still, two hundred men was not a small amount. They had grown immensely over the years. Many now had families and new lives, but they still remembered their roots, and they were all welcomed.

  As Sergei walked to the podium, his men quieted down. Inwardly, he felt uncomfortable, but on the outside, he radiated composure and calmness.

  His sons, as always, needed a leader. And he, as always, was ready to step up. Even if times ahead were troubling, he would not abandon them as they wouldn’t him.

  Sergei could feel the excitement from below as his men looked at him with burning eyes. He felt loyalty and belief in him. It was apparent that they all knew why they had been called. The word about blessing had spread among them, but not any further. The trust he had pced in them was returned.

  By Sergei’s side stood Dirk and Saluman. In the very front of them were 10 men blessed by him after his most trusted two. These twelve men had received the potent blessing by the virtue of being first.

  And then there were the rest of them. There were only a scant few blessed ones among the crowd. They mingled in, not keeping any feelings of superiority over their peers.

  Sergei raised a hand, and the st whispers in the hall died down. It was time for him to give them strength.

  "It is a pleasure to see all of you gathered here today. Those of you who still have yet to feel the light of our guardian, those who shall be granted a boon, those who shall carry our will and those who already are." Sergei cringed inwardly. He did not want to speak in the way he was, but his Drik and Saluman had assured him it was fitting.

  And he had unwillingly agreed. "As you have already heard, our home was tarnished by an intruder two weeks ago. We were angry and desperate in our search, but we searched to no avail. What we cked was not resolve or effort. What we cked was the strength. Some of you already know," Sergei gnced at the two men standing by his side, "of what lies beneath our home. As for those who don't, I regretfully can’t bring you there and show. But I can share the essence of something bigger than us with you."

  Taking a deep breath, Sergei felt the pressure building. This was the decision he had come to. He alone was not enough.

  What he needed was a family who could share his burden. While he would not let them see The Divine Star itself, or at least not for now, it was not necessary. The gift he had received could be shared. And through it, they would realise the might of the target of his belief.

  "Many years ago, by chance, when I was at my lowest point…” Sergei took another deep breath. “I found something. This something guided me through the years and helped me find you. It allowed us to become a family. Through it, I found myself guiding you as I was guided by it.

  Sergei let his words sink in before continuing. “Now, this something was found by the trespasser. I was thrown into deep despair when it happened. I feared that 'It' would be revealed to the world, and in my despair, I received strength. This strength was not given just for me to use. It is also for those willing to receive it and follow me. I call it “The Divine Star”. While I can not bring you to It, I can show you Its might."

  The silence in the hall deepened as Sergei once more raised his hand, this time in an inviting gesture. “Please, those of you who are still without the blessing, come forth so you may receive it.”

  What followed was silent shuffling. Those who already had received the blessing shifted to the back, while those who had not come forth. Many thoughts were going through Sergei’s mind.

  For one, he had not thought one day he would lead what essentially was a cult. “No, not a cult. We are more of a new church. And with us changing, we shall change our identity.”

  Sergei surveyed the men bowing before him and started to gather every ounce of power he had. He reached down deep and felt The Divine Star respond to his need. He cast one st sight at his men before releasing the blessing.

  A soft, blue and warming light shone through the hall. In its centre, Sergei's figure stood divine.

  As the light fell on the men, they felt a touch of something greater. If they had any doubts before, there was none now.

  They enjoyed the newfound energy in their bodies. A manifold of emotions streaked across the faces of Sergei’s children. He knew they were eager to test this newfound strength, but there was one more thing he had to convey.

  Sergei knew he could not keep up this facade for much longer, as the miracle he had done had taken most of what he had gathered.

  Quietly, he expressed his gratefulness to the Divine Star for keeping him standing firm.

  “The world is changing, and with it, so will we. Now, you have been given a tool to carve out a pce in the future. With it, we won’t be lost even if the world around us crumbles. With this bond, we will be united and unbreakable. From this day forth, we will be protectors. We shall protect this family. We shall protect our homes. We shall protect the Divine Star and, with it, our futures. Today, we are reborn together and stand tall, for we are the Refuge of the lost.”

  The men looked at him in silent acceptance. Sergei had spoken with his heart and soul, and he had to admit that he had gotten carried along with the atmosphere. Still, he did not regret it. No matter what shall come, he would receive it with all of his might and the might of his family.

  It was time to make a call.

  Enkiari