Chapter 16: "The High Noble's Gambit"**

The air in the temple crackled – not just with residual magic, but with tension. Lyra’s face was white, her hands trembling. The close call with the royal guards, the realization that we were pawns in a game far older than we were, had finally cracked her composure.

"This is insane, Elias!" she snapped, her voice tight. "We almost got caught back there. Killed, even! All for… what? Your damn revenge fantasy?"

I flinched. "That's not what this is about, Lyra." My voice was low, a barely audible growl. The brand on my wrist throbbed, a pulsing reminder of my rapidly dwindling time.

"Oh, really? Then what *is* it about, Elias?" She advanced, her eyes blazing. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you're dragging us all down with you!"

"I'm trying to *save* myself!" I shot back, frustration boiling over. "And in doing so, maybe I can save the kingdom!"

"Save the kingdom? By meddling with forces you don't understand? You barely know anything about Soul Weaving, Elias. You're playing with fire!"

Seraphina stepped between us, her hand raised in a gesture of peace. "Lyra, please," she said softly, "now is not the time for this."

"No, Seraphina, now is *exactly* the time for this!" Lyra rounded on her. "How long are we going to let him lead us around by the nose? He's obsessed, blinded by his own… his…"

"Desire for revenge?" I finished for her, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. "Yeah, maybe I am. But Kael didn’t deserve to get killed and used! And I definitely didn’t deserve to damned by a demon! Does no one understand that I am trying to un-do everything here! Or is helping myself a crime?"

Lyra stared at me, her expression softening slightly. "I understand you're scared, Elias. I am too. But your methods… they’re too reckless. Too dangerous. This whole journey is too much to handle."

A beat of silence stretched between us, thick with unspoken fears and doubts. Finally, Lyra turned away.

"I can't do this anymore," she said, her voice barely a whisper. "I’m out."

Seraphina’s eyes widened. She reached for Lyra, but the girl flinched back. "Lyra, no! Where are you going to go?"

Her back still turned, Lyra said, "Anywhere but here," With that one sentence alone and a last look into both of our eyes, she was off, and away.

The silence that followed Lyra's departure was deafening. Seraphina was trying to calm me down as all I could do it breath. I turned towards Seraphina, ready to apologize, ready to beg forgiveness.

But before any of us could say anything, a voice cut through the air, smooth and laced with honeyed menace.

"Such a shame," the voice chuckled.

It was the high-ranking noble, the man responsible for framing me, for Kael's death, for every single problem in my existence. He materialized from the shadows, a smug smile plastered on his face. He was alone, no guards, no fanfare. Just him, radiating an aura of quiet power that sent shivers down my spine.

"Losing a member of your little team already? How… unfortunate," he simpered.

“What do you want?” I growled, clenching my fists.

"Oh, nothing much, really. Just observing. Admiring your… predicament.” He took a step closer, his eyes flicking between Seraphina and me. “It seems your friend here, Miss Lyra, made a rather hasty decision, driven by fear, I suppose. But fear can be a powerful motivator."

He looked over his shoulder where Lyra left, with a smirk. "What are you talking about?" Seraphina demanded, her hackles raised.

The noble chuckled, ignoring her. "Tell me, mage. What are you truly after? Power? Knowledge? Or perhaps… salvation?"

"I want to clear my name," I said, my voice tight. "And I want to stop you."

"Stop me? But why? I am merely seeking to elevate this kingdom, to usher in a new era of prosperity and enlightenment. And for this to be done, someone as strong as you has to join me.”

“By manipulating souls?” I spat. “By killing innocents and using the people? I am not trusting a single word from you.”

The noble sighed, a look of genuine disappointment crossing his features. "Such narrow-mindedness. You fail to see the bigger picture, the grand design. I am offering you a chance to be part of something truly extraordinary, and all it takes is to listen to my plans."

"I'd rather rot in hell," I told him.

The noble arched an eyebrow. "Ah, yes. About that… your little death sentence. A mere inconvenience, really. With my help, you could easily circumvent your deal with the demon."

“And why would I believe you?” Seraphina butted in. "You've lied about everything else."

"Because," the noble said, his voice dropping to a persuasive whisper, "I can offer you something she desperately needs. Something that will make you think what you are saving.”

He paused, letting the silence hang heavy in the air. “I know Lyra's sister, Keala. I know she have been captured to the realm of demons. And I know that *that* death, is unavoidable. But hear me out; with the soul weaving technique, I can manipulate her death to be in a better situation: giving her the best next life possible.”

Seraphina gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "You… you wouldn't!"

"Wouldn't I?" the noble said, his smile turning predatory. "I assure you, I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve my goals. And Keala's fate rests entirely in your hands, mage. All I ask is… your cooperation. I promise to help her sister, give her the best conditions and even a position. Everything she wants is for her to have. Your defiance will equal her demise. Is that a deal between all of us?”

My mind raced. It was a trap, I knew it. A desperate play to manipulate me into joining his cause. But… Keala. She was innocent of all here. This deal would save her. But what if it didn't happen at all?

I glanced at Seraphina, her face a mask of anguish. She looked at me, begging.

“What do you say, mage? Do we have a deal?” He started cackling for a bit. I loathed him more than anything. "It is just following my lead! Or... Keala is doomed."

The silence stretched, broken only by the wind whistling through the broken stonework of the temple. All the strength returned to my legs and, more composed than anything, said it.

"Deal," I spat, the word tasting like poison. "But you will follow everything that I say from here on."

Immediately Seraphina looked at me with disbelieve. With her mouth open, no noise would come out.

The noble smiled, a chillingly satisfied expression. "Excellent! I knew you would see reason. Together, we will usher in a new world from here on, and she will be just fine!"

I ignored his gloating. "What do you want us to do?"

"Patience, mage. First, we must secure the artifacts. With the artifact, this all turns into a reality.”

I hesitated, but knew I had no other choice. We would play along, gain his trust, and then… then we would find a way to stop him. Save Keala, the King, the entire world, my damn soul.

With a shared, determined look, we went looking for him as all the feelings rushed as we were trying to contain them.

The artifacts rested in a center room. As we moved from him, the noble began his speech. "As you can see, Elias," he started. "I am well intentioned. The royalty has been making mistake after mistake, and that made the entire realm fall.”

"Is that why so many people are suffering because not even the rich are barely fed? Because the government decided to stop helping anyone or even paying their soldiers?" I angrily questioned. "You want a god-like power! A selfish desire!"

“Oh, Elias," the noble shook his head, a patronizing smile stretching across his face. "So naive. Power isn't selfish! It's a tool, a means to an end. If this tool is done right, then the world would know perfection. When people understand that there is another life, and they can achieve happiness if they are under the rule of a weaving, then the happiness is inevitable!"

The blood was boiling inside me. What was this I-know-better-to-manipulate-everyone-around person talking about?

"No!" Seraphina's voice finally shook. "It is not to happen this way! You cannot guarantee anything like that. Death and weaving must not be toyed with!"

"Ha! Did you heard that? Oh goodness!”

But that does not end there. As we stopped and turned, like in the tales, Lyra came from behind the noble and was ready to attack and end with everything.

But before Lyra could even reach the noble, before she could even move correctly, the noble’s eyes glowed. Even with her, the noble was way more stronger than her.

With a flick of his wrist, the noble sent Lyra flying backwards, crashing against a stone pillar. She crumpled to the ground, groaning.

"Lyra!" Seraphina cried, rushing to her side.

"Foolish girl," the noble sneered. "Did you really think you could sneak up on me? Did you really think I didn't know that what you all did here was something stupid?"

"You will pay for that," I spat walking closer to the noble.

“But will I? All of these people is just someone that does not accept my ideology. What will you really do, Elias? You have lost. I am just one step away from achieving infinite power and taking those that suffer and giving the absolute happiness!”

The rage had complete control to me. All the fear was now gone replaced by wrath and hate to everything that it does. To everything that everyone is and does. He thought that everyone would bow? Well, that will not happen.

Magic started to accumulate on my hands. The world turned darker, the air thinned, and all of this I was barely noticing. I was ready, I was willing, and I was not accepting that I would be bowing against that thing.

I launched tendrils of dark energy at the noble, but he deflected them effortlessly with a wave of his hand.

"Such wasted potential," the noble sighed. "So clouded by emotion. You could have been so great, Elias. But fine, if you seek for more, I am here."

He raised his hands, and the room began to tremble. Runes etched into the stones of the temple started to glow with an eerie light, and I felt a surge of power emanating from the noble.

"This is the power of the gods, Elias! The power to reshape reality itself!" the noble laughed, his voice echoing through the temple. I stood completely against it.

“Everything is going to change... for the better,” He smirked.

The noble released a wave of pure holy magic. And all the energy started to compress inside Lyra and Seraphina. With the power the noble released and they could not be stopped, they would die.

And then, an image flashed in my mind: Kael, Seraphina, Gareth, Mrs. Abernathy, all of these people. All of them in the demonworld. And Kael… what if Lyra was manipulated to die?

And then it hit me.

The god of souls.

With no time to think any more I did what I didn't trust at all. I started to chant. A melody, a rhythm. And then the feeling surged. From the brand that was burning on my wrist. From inside of me. Everything.

This weaving wasn't demonic or divine. It was different but the same too.

The room started to shake one another time. As the new magic accumulated into me it resonated. And the magic energy got absorbed by my body like it was nothing.

The noble got stunned. He could barely believe what was happening.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

I wasn't paying attetion on what te noble was asking. I was just following what my entire soul was telling.

The chant continued with me.

The energy released from me was almost tangible, creating an actual shield. Now both Lyra and Seraphina were free. Was that everything that would happen?

I stared at the noble, my eyes glowing with an unholy light. A lot of memories filled. And the new magic connected with weaving started to emerge making me know how to make everything out, and all of them.

The symbol glowed in me, and with a thundering final line, a choice appeared within me; would I give them the power from the weaving?

“What choice of yours, Elias, the mage of the weaving of souls, have you decide on? Come on!”

That same weaving connected from this place started to make a huge voice over the zone. It wanted a choice. It wanted what it wanted... and I was going to provide everything. What could happen from here?

The demon mark started to get more agressive.

I closed my eyes and, remembering Kael, I made the tough choice. "Release Keala."