Chapter 10: Renegades
Bastain took another sip of his wine, savoring the taste for a few moments before setting the cup down. He was really happy that he got to keep the old Sentinel's stuff. His predecessor's wine collection was incredibly diverse and almost as old as he was.
"I'm assuming you already know about Heart shards," he asked, turning his attention back to Arbus.
Arbus was still busy processing Bastain's previous statement. For the last few years, it had been one of the things he thought about the most. He had always wondered why Bastain, the Sentinel, was putting all his faith into him, a mere Sentry.
The sudden shift in topic had caught him off guard. "Of course I do; every Renegade does. Sentry or not."
Heart shards were the core of the organization known as the Renegades. They were the only reason the citizens of the Rendes universe were able to stand against the Primordial and its Reincarnators. Their origin was also quite well known. They were fragments mined from the very heart of the universe by the Emperor himself.
For some unknown reason, the Heart shards resonated deeply with the life force of those within the Rendes universe.
Little remained of the knowledge from the lost era, but it was widely known, thanks to the Emperor, that the Heart shards enabled the people of that time to rise up against the Reincarnators who ruled the universe. That uprising was what led to the formation of the Renegades later on.
"What does that have to do with our conversation?" Arbus asked, perplexed.
Bastain simply continued, ignoring Arbus's question. "I'm sure you also know of the Stages of attunement with the Heart shard."
"Stage 1: Bonding."
"Stage 2: Surge."
"Stage 3: Integration."
"Stage 4: Harmony."
"Stage 5: Dominion, my current stage."
"Stage 6: Ascension."
"Stage 7: Sage."
"Stage 8: Transcendence."
"Stage 9: Exodus."
Bastain paused for a second.
"And finally, the hypothetical 10th stage that only the previous Emperor has ever attempted to reach: Stage 10: Genesis."
Arbus's brow furrowed. "Yeah, I have. Now stop changing the subject."
"I've been meaning to ask since we last met. What exactly did you mean when you said you wanted to use me as a weapon?"
Bastain held up a finger, his lips curving into a faint smile. "I'm getting to that."
He leaned back again. "The Heart shards are truly quite amazing, but most species can only go so far with them before reaching their limit. It pains me to say this, but the Emperor has reached his. He's the most powerful man I've ever seen in my life. And yet it wasn't enough. His lifespan will reach its limit soon, and a new Emperor will be chosen from the Pinnacles to continue the same cycle."
Arbus's eyes widened, his breath catching for a split second.
"My hope for you, Arbus," Bastain continued, "is for you to break that cycle. You're the only Renegade alive who could possibly reach Stage 10. A stage so powerful it's theorized to give you power on the level of a Primordial."
"That's your ultimate goal, right? To kill the Primordial. All I want to do is help you along toward your goal as much as I can, for the sake of this universe and its people."
"What are you talking about!? Are you saying the Emperor is dying!?" Arbus shouted, unable to control himself, his voice laced with disbelief.
Bastain tilted his head. "Isn't it only natural? He's been alive for such a long time already. Contrary to popular belief, he's not immortal. It's only natural that even his time eventually runs out as well."
He took another sip of wine, the glass glinting as he set it down. "Unfortunately, the moment it does will probably be a day unlike any other for this universe. The Second Chance group will likely make their move, and we may end up losing at least half our universe."
Arbus's face hardened, his gaze dropping to the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Emperor had always been a symbol of peace and hope for the universe. For everyone still alive today, they had only ever known what the universe was like under his rule. He didn't want to imagine what it would look like after his death.
"It's an impending crisis," Bastain added, his tone grave, "that every Sentinel and above knows is coming, whether we like it or not."
Arbus looked up, his gaze landing on Bastain again. "So you're saying you want me to be the weapon against the Primordial because you believe I can reach the 10th stage of attunement and become one myself?"
Bastain nodded once, his expression unreadable. "I do, yes."
The room fell into another minute of silence as neither of them said anything for a while.
Arbus finally broke the silence. "....Aren't you putting a little too much faith in me?"
Bastain raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Why do you say that?"
Arbus's lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile. He took a step closer to the desk, his gaze locking onto Bastain's. "You're very good at hiding it, Bastain. But unfortunately, it's easy for me to see through you. Especially after everything I've experienced. I can tell you're just like Mitz."
Bastain's fingers paused on the glass, his eyes narrowing just a fraction.
"Outwardly, it seems like you trust me quite a lot," Arbus continued, his voice steady but laced with conviction, "but inwardly, I know you really don't. At least not as much as you want me to believe."
Bastain stayed silent for a moment, his face blank. Then he let out a soft sigh. "You can tell, huh? I guess I'm not really as good of an actor as I'd like to believe. Quite a shame, really," he said with a chuckle.
He leaned back, his stern expression returning as he met Arbus's gaze. "Can you blame me? It's an unfortunate thing, but even with my mindset and my plans for you... it's not easy to fully trust someone connected to a Reincarnator."
Arbus's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away.
"Especially," Bastain went on, his voice firm, "since I'm hoping you climb the ranks of the Renegades until you become the Emperor yourself and then surpass him."
He leaned forward, his hands clasped on his desk. "I can't predict the future, Arbus. I can only speculate. Right now, I'm speculating that, based on your experiences, you'd be more willing to help the Rendes universe, given your ties here and your hatred for Reincarnators. But change is an ever-constant thing."
"Halfway through this plan, you could easily change as well. Maybe because of your kinship with them, or maybe because of some random romantic relationship you develop with a Reincarnator. Or maybe it's the bond with your father, who could eventually convince you to turn against this universe."
He paused, his gaze piercing. "I currently have no way of changing that. So I believe it's only natural to wonder if you'll become this universe's savior.... or its destroyer."
Arbus's faint smile returned as he nodded slowly. "I understand your situation completely."
"I wouldn't trust myself either."
"....So I want you to keep watching me. For as long as you can. And if at any point you believe that my motivation has deviated even slightly, then you're free to do whatever you need to do to stop me before I reach the stage where you can't."
"....And what if you've already reached that stage before the deviation happens?" Bastain asked curiously.
"I don't know. Unfortunately, I don't have all the answers either. But I'm willing to search for them with your help.'