Legacy of Darkness

General Harry Summers sighed deeply as he walked out of the Headmasters office, in Glacial Academy. Students were back after the winter break had finished. Harry headed out onto the Academy grounds, where Amanda was waiting, she was wearing a large pair of black sunglasses and a black overcoat.

"How goes the investigation?" Harry asked. Amanda shook her head.

"We can't find anything, Rychard has basically disappeared from the face of Crystalla, and Myra is just bossing people about..." Amanda sighed.

"Very strange for Lumina to be acting in this way, do you think they have some sort of hold over her?" Harry asked. Amanda paused for a moment, looking at the Crystech Spire.

"I don't know, I worked with Lumina, and I just can't see her ever bending the knee to anyone, never mind a bunch of suits" Amanda replied.

"If they are actually suits" Harry quipped.

"Right" Amanda nodded. "How goes the Academy?" She asked.

"It's different from training soldiers, I'll tell you that" Harry joked. "You know, I never saw myself working with an Araneian" He added.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures" Amanda shrugged. Harry chuckled.

"So, how's Seb getting on?" Harry asked.

"I've had him analyse the Crystal with some of the tech we managed to nab from Crystech before... the incident" Amanda explained. "From what he can tell, Bryan almost drained the thing, but Glinda's aether saved the city from disaster. This 'Iceman' might be able to hold up in a fight against Roisin, but we think she would have the edge" She added.

"Good, I'll relay that information to Ashe" Harry nodded.

"Hmm, it might be best to keep radio silence, we don't know how far these Senior Partner's influence extends. They could have ways of intercepting our transmissions. They'd have out in no time and then replace you with someone more obedient" Amanda explained.

"You're right" Harry smiled. "I guess, that is all, unless you have more to add?" He asked.

"There is something, regarding these 'Android' people" Amanda nodded.

"Hmm, are they getting along alright? I had hoped placing them in Spire B would keep them safe" Harry pondered.

"No, they are safe and there has been no trouble yet" Amanda smiled. "It's... well, can we trust them? They did used to follow Crystech commands" She asked.

"From what my science officer tells me, they have been completely disconnected from each other, the hive mind no longer exists" Harry smiled.

"If you say so" Amanda nodded.

"We were lucky it happened when it did, or else we'd be fighting Lumina with an army of mindless Droids" Harry nodded.

"She doesn't need Droids" Amanda frowned. "She has the capability to overwrite someone's will and make them her thrall... she's done it many times before" She added.

"Creepy..." Harry sighed. Amanda nodded in agreement. "I better return before someone suspects anything" Harry said, as he began to walk away.

"Watch your back, General, I'd wager they have eyes at the Academy" Amanda said, as she too began walking away. She headed through the woods to a small hidden encampment.

Seb was resting in his tent, catching up on the lost sleep from the night before, when he had snook into the Ice Temple. Amanda headed to her tent, where she had a photo of both Rory and Ariel set up beside her pillow.

She laid down and sighed as she fell asleep whilst looking at the photos.

When she awoke, she found herself in surroundings that looked quite different from her tent. She was in some sort of conference room, with Seb and Harry, the three of them were tied to office chairs.

"Hey, let me go!" Amanda yelled.

The doors swung open and Rychard walked in, carrying an ancient dagger in his hand, of unknown make. Similar in design to that which Lumina had found at Lumina Academy.

"Rychard! Untie us!" Seb whispered. Rychard looked at him and frowned.

"I'm sorry, I can't" He sighed.

"You snake!" Amanda yelled.

"Hah!" Lumina's voice rang out as she entered the room behind Rychard. "You, calling someone a snake?" She chuckled.

"You're working with Lumina?!" Harry gasped.

"We're working with the Senior Partners" Rychard frowned.

"Gods be damned! Who in the hells are the Senior Partners?!" Seb yelled. Lumina frowned slightly. She looked away from Seb, Amanda noticed her looking uncharacteristically somber.

In front of Seb, a shadowy figure, wearing a suit appeared. His eyes were visible and were a deep violet. He knelt down to Seb and wrapped his hands around Seb's head.

Seb screamed as an incomprehensible vision filled his mind. Burning cities, burning planets, burning pantheons, worms, insects, people screaming, a universe disappearing into a black hole. Millions of people knelt before a formless being.

The vision ended and Seb gasped for air.

"What..." Seb cried.

"What you saw, is but a glimpse into their power. Rychard bore witness to a much wider vision of their... 'resume'" Lumina explained.

"Despite this, you... aid them?" Seb asked.

Lumina sighed and walked over to the window, as an expression of pure fear filled her face.