14. Dante
14
Dante
O rion stood at the head of the ARC briefing room, his steady gaze sweeping over the gathered team. The holographic map hovered above the table, arcs of magical energy connecting the nodes marked across Eryndia’s ley line network. The glow of the projection reflected on the polished surface of the table, casting an ambient light over the team’s focused faces.
“Dante and Sebastian have already identified a pattern,” Orion began, his tone direct. “The Heralds are targeting dormant ley lines. These nodes represent their likely next moves.”
Kaelen leaned forward, his brow furrowing as he studied the map. “So, they’re not just setting random fires.”
“Not even close,” Dante said, his arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair. “They’ve got a plan, and if we’re right, they’re trying to activate the ley line network.”
Sebastian adjusted the cuffs of his coat. “If they’re successful, the magic they’ll unlock won’t just destabilize the region. We’re talking about a chain reaction across the entire continent—fault lines, earthquakes, volcanic activity. Activating these ley lines could unleash forces that haven’t been seen in millennia.”
Dante kept his gaze on the map, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. He could feel Sebastian’s presence beside him, steady and composed as always, and it only made the knot in his stomach tighten. The memory of their kiss flickered in his mind, uninvited, and he clenched his jaw, refusing to look over.
The room fell silent, the gravity of his statement settling over the team. Lucas leaned forward, his brows drawing together. “You’re saying this isn’t just about Vaeloria.”
Sebastian nodded, his silver-gray eyes meeting Lucas’s. “Exactly. If the ley lines go active at full capacity, the effects won’t stop at our borders. The entire continent will feel the impact—territorial shifts, environmental disasters, magic spiraling out of control. It’s not just our country at risk. It’s all of them.”
Dante shifted his weight, his focus glued to the glowing marker on the map. He could taste the unspoken words hanging between them, feeling heavier than the stakes Orion was outlining. His jaw tightened as he forced himself to stay still, to keep his breathing steady, even as Sebastian wrapped around him, every word precise and certain.
Kaelen’s jaw tightened, his honey-brown gaze flicking back to the map. “That’s… bigger than anything we’ve ever dealt with before.”
Orion’s tone cut through the tension, steady but firm. “Which is why we can’t let them succeed. This isn’t just about stopping Lockwood—it’s about preventing a catastrophe that could reshape the entire world.”
Lucas leaned back, his electric-blue eyes narrowing as he glanced at the map. “And here I thought these guys were just your average anarchists.”
“They’re organized,” Orion said, crossing his arms. “And every move they make is calculated.”
Aiden traced a finger along one of the glowing lines, his emerald-green eyes thoughtful. “So, what do we do about it?”
“We split up,” Orion said, zooming the map to highlight specific nodes. “Each team will investigate a marked site. Gather intel, assess the situation, and report back. No unnecessary risks.”
The projection shifted again, magnifying a node on the outskirts of Eryndia. Orion gestured toward it. “Dante and Sebastian, you’re assigned to this location. It’s an abandoned magical outpost, last active during the Ley Line Collapse centuries ago.”
“What are we expecting there?” Dante asked, his amber gaze fixed on the glowing marker.
Orion shrugged. “The outpost’s defenses haven’t been operational for five hundred years at least, but that doesn’t mean the area is inactive. Proceed with caution.”
“And the Heralds?” Sebastian asked, his silver-gray eyes sharp.
“Assume they’ve already taken an interest,” Orion said. “But your priority is intel. Avoid confrontation unless absolutely necessary.”
The rest of the team murmured their agreements as Orion assigned Aiden and Tristan to a cluster of nodes near Mistwood Quay, while Lucas and Kaelen prepared to head toward the mountain ruins north of the city. The room buzzed with quiet determination as plans were finalized, but his focus stayed on the outpost’s glowing marker.
Sebastian rose from his chair, his coat shifting as he adjusted his lapels. “Looks like we’re taking a trip to the past,” he said, and glanced toward Dante, the briefest flicker of something—concern, maybe—crossing his face.
He avoided his gaze, instead turning to his team leader. “Anything else we need to know?” Dante said to Orion.
“Just be ready for anything,” Orion said. “And remember—this isn’t just about stopping Lockwood. If these ley lines are activated, the consequences will ripple far beyond Vaeloria.”
Dante nodded, his jaw tightening. The stakes had already felt high, but the weight of Orion’s words settled heavily on his chest. “We’ll handle it,” he said.
Sebastian hesitated for half a beat before nodding, his polished mask slipping back into place. “Right behind you.”
***
Stepping over a tangle of roots, dried leaves crunched underfoot his boots breaking the stillness of the forgotten outpost. The ruins loomed ahead, their weathered stone walls mottled with moss and creeping vines. Arched doorways and shattered windows stood like silent sentinels, their once-pristine carvings now worn and cracked with age.
Sebastian walked a few paces ahead as he scanned their surroundings. “Looks like it hasn’t seen a soul in centuries,” he said, his tone even, though his eyes flicked to Dante before darting away.
“Probably hasn’t,” Dante said, trailing his fingers over the rough surface of a stone column. The carvings were angular, interspersed with symbols he didn’t recognize. “Feels like it was important, though. Not just some random waypoint.”
Sebastian nodded, crouching near a partially collapsed archway. His hand brushed aside a cluster of weeds, revealing a glow emanating from a sigil etched into the stone. “Residual magic,” he said, his tone neutral, almost too composed. “Old, but still active. Whoever built this didn’t just leave it to rot.”
Dante moved closer, his amber eyes narrowing as he studied the glowing sigil. He caught Sebastian’s gaze for half a second before looking away. “Think it’s tied to the ley lines?”
“Most likely,” Sebastian said, standing. His coat shifted as he brushed his hands against it. “Let’s check the main chamber. If there’s anything to find, it’ll be there.”
Dante nodded, keeping his focus on the ruins ahead as they navigated through the overgrown pathways. Every step felt heavier than it should, the tension between them thick enough to make the air feel stifling despite the open surroundings. He wanted to say something, anything to clear the weight pressing on his chest, but the words stuck in his throat.
Sebastian broke the silence. “You’ve been quiet.”
Dante glanced at him, his jaw tightening. “Just focused.”
“On the mission, or avoiding me?” Sebastian asked, but the question landed harder than Dante expected.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” Dante said, the sharpness in his words cutting through the quiet.
Sebastian didn’t respond immediately. He gestured toward the larger structure at the center of the ruins, his expression unreadable. “Come on. Let’s keep moving.”
The central building loomed larger than the others, its facade carved with swirling patterns that reminded Dante of currents flowing into a central point. The carvings were deeper here, their details preserved despite the encroaching vines and weather. Inside, the air was heavier, charged with latent energy that seemed to hum just beneath the surface.
Sebastian moved toward the central chamber, his focus seemingly locked on the massive stone pillar rising from its center. Dante followed, his steps slow, the weight of the unresolved tension between them gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.
“This is old,” Sebastian said, crouching to study the inscriptions etched into the pillar’s surface. “Pre-Collapse, maybe even older.”
Dante pulled a small knife from his belt, crouching to clear the moss clinging to the lower half of the pillar. As the overgrowth fell away, lines of script emerged, their angular shapes flowing seamlessly into one another. “It’s a language,” he said. “Not just symbols.”
Sebastian crouched beside him, his shoulder brushing His for the briefest moment. Dante froze, his breath hitching before he forced himself to keep working. The proximity sent his thoughts spiraling back to the night before, to Sebastian’s lips against his, his hands gripping—
“It’s cryptic,” Sebastian said, breaking his train of thought. His gaze stayed fixed on the inscriptions. “Elemental references… unity, balance and something about protection.” He frowned, tilting his head as if the words would rearrange themselves into something clearer. “It’s warning about something.”
His fingers brushed the edge of a particularly deep carving, his gut tightening as he read aloud. “When the elements unite, the ancient evil shall be kept at bay. Balance is the key.”
Sebastian’s gaze snapped to him, his silver-gray eyes sharp and filled with something unreadable. “An ancient evil,” he said. “Malachi isn’t just activating ley lines for power. He’s trying to wake something.”
Dante rose, his jaw tightening as he turned toward the doorway. The weight of Sebastian’s gaze lingered on him, but he refused to look back. “Then we better figure out what, and fast.”