From among the trees, at the entrance to the sect, emerged an older man in leather armour. On his chest gleamed a star, a symbol of his office: he was an emissary of the King. His eyes scanned the young man in front of him with contempt, but soon averted their gaze to the girl behind him, and a sly smile crept across his face as he licked his lips with delight.
-Despite being in a place full of rubbish, there are still palatable fruits in sight.
Roxan felt a shiver run down her spine. Without looking at him, she approached her brother fearfully, lowering her head. Hernan took a step forward, his face unperturbed, and made a restrained bow.
-The Elder of the sect, Hernan, welcomes the King's envoy.
The man let out a dry laugh.
-Hmm... A dog will always be a dog. Hehehehe.
His voice dripped with mockery, as if he were talking to some insignificant being. But he did not look away from the young woman, studying her with disturbing interest.
-I am Edgar. I come on behalf of the King to collect this year's tax. We are already in the first week, so you must pay your monthly tribute. Although looking at this pigsty... I don't know what to expect.
Hernan took a deep breath, but did not respond to the provocations. His face remained serene, but inside he was seething with rage. If the circumstances were different, he would have already unsheathed his sword and torn this man's head off. But to do so would mean the annihilation of the sect. He was not powerful enough to take on the kingdom. He could not even be sure that he would be victorious if he tried.
Silently, he pulled a copper ring from his pocket and held it up to the emissary.
-The leader handed me this ring with the gold, the crops from our planting area and some booster pills.
Edgar took the ring reluctantly and examined it slowly.
-Hey, rubbish. There's not much here this year. Is this all you're giving to the King? Are you hiding something for yourselves?
His voice was cold and calculating.
-Your lordship, we have no more. The cave has hardly any gold left, crops are scarce and we barely manage to feed ourselves. This represents 80% of our annual production.
Without realising it, his voice was infused with rancour. Noticing his own tone, he lowered his gaze. His father had always taught him to bow his head, never to contradict the King's emissary and, above all, to give him whatever he asked for so that he would leave quickly. That way, they could survive another year.
But Hernan was tired. Every year they were treated like dogs. Only he, his sister and his father were left. Roxan grew corn on a small plot of land, his father prepared booster pills, and Hernan was in charge of collecting gold in the cave.
In this way they managed to stay alive, paying the King's tribute. But the reality was that the kingdom had condemned them. They waited patiently for them to die, so that the sect would cease to exist. No one came to join; everyone preferred sects that were treated as equals.
-Brother...
Roxan took his hand, trying to calm him. He felt the warmth of her trembling fingers and knew he must control his anger.
Edgar let out another contemptuous laugh.
-Hehehehe, are you angry? Then why don't you attack me, you rat? Come on... I want to see your head fly off.
The mockery did not cease.
-The King has taken pity on their sect and allows them to continue to exist. They should be grateful to be the dogs of the kingdom, but all I see are complaints from rats. Hehehehe. Maybe before I go I should teach you to respect your elders.
His gaze returned to Roxan.
-Though your sister looks succulent too... It's been a while since I've been with a young woman.
She said it, licking her lips, a dark gleam in her eyes.
Roxan felt the air grow heavy around her. She was no longer a child, even though she had never left the cult. At eighteen, she was still innocent about the outside world, but she understood the meaning of his words perfectly. She felt a shiver and hid behind her brother.
Hernan clenched his jaw. His hatred for Edgar was absolute. He cursed himself for not having sensed her presence sooner and removed Roxan from the scene. Then he would never have seen her. They always kept her hidden to avoid this kind of conflict, but today Hernan had been distracted... and allowed it to happen.
Anger burned in his chest, his breathing grew heavier, and his hand clenched into an involuntary fist. But he knew he couldn't act. Not now.
At that moment, a young man in a black robe appeared in the doorway with his arms folded behind his back.
-I'm home at last.
The young man stopped in front of the entrance, his gaze sweeping over the destroyed buildings with a sombre expression. The air was thick with damp and dust, a heavy breeze carrying the smell of old stone and rotting wood. Sadness enveloped him, like an echo of forgotten times, a lingering whisper of the past that dragged him back to blurred memories.
Everything had changed.
-Hmm... Looks like someone got lost in a pigsty," the voice, tinged with contempt, broke the silence. What brings you to this godforsaken place?
Edgar eyed the newcomer warily. He could not conceive of anyone coming here of their own free will. The young man looked to be about eighteen years old, but his attire put him on alert: a black robe with the symbol of the Creation Sect.
A shiver ran down Edgar's spine. This was not possible. According to his information, the sect had three members: two in front of him and the current leader. Who was this stranger, when had he joined, why hadn't the king been informed?
-Excuse me... How is it that you have a robe of our sect? Who are you? -Hernan's voice brought him out of his trance.
The young man moved his gaze slowly, studying those around him. An old man in armour who exuded arrogance, a young man who examined him warily, and behind him, a girl who regarded him with a mixture of curiosity and bewilderment.
Noticing her scrutiny, Roxan stuck her tongue out at him before hiding behind her brother.
-Eyes of Truth," the young man whispered.
The air seemed to stop for a moment. Above each person, words floated in space like an ancient decree, revealing information only he could see.
Name:Edgar Rendon
Age:35 years old
Occupation:Representative of the Mythoria Kingdom
Power:Base, mid-level
Name:Hernán Ferreyra
Age:26 years old
Occupation: Creation Sect Elder
Power: Corporal, level 9
Name: Roxana Ferreyra
Age:18 years old
Occupation: Member of the Creation Sect
Power: Corporeal, level 4
The young man inhaled slowly, an almost imperceptible grimace creeping across his face. The decline of the sect was undeniable.
It used to be that the elders reached the god level. To enter as a member, aspirants trained for a whole year and had to reach the One Rank; otherwise, they were expelled.
When had that standard been lost?
Edgar snorted with contempt.
-Bah, he looks deaf or dumb. I will waste no more time with this boy," he said, dismissing his presence. He turned to Hernan, his voice tinged with menace. According to the King's rules, you must report if anyone new joins your sect. How come you didn't report this, do you want me to bring in the army and destroy this place completely, with you in it?
The words set Hernan's anger on fire. First Edgar had scorned him, then he had tried to take advantage of his sister, and now he was threatening them with annihilation.
The old man gritted his teeth. He did not know who this young man was. He didn't understand why he was wearing that robe, or how he had got there. And on top of that, he seemed unwilling to explain.
-This the King will know, but first, to get me out of this bad mood, leave me alone for a moment with the girl. That is an order.
Roxan felt her body tense. Her breathing became erratic. She knew what those words meant.
The rules of the kingdom were absolute. Decades ago, the sect had signed treaties of obedience. Disobeying royal commands meant being branded as rebels.
Hernan trembled with fury. His mind searched desperately for a way out. If he refused, the sect would be destroyed. If he obeyed... his sister would suffer a fate he could never forgive himself for.
The young man's voice cut through the air like an invisible sword.
-Since when does the Creation Sect obey a kingdom?
The silence was stony.
Edgar frowned, his expression hardening in irritation.
-What did you say? Do you want to die?
The young man's lips curved into an imperceptible smile.
-"Pressure from the King."
The world seemed to collapse upon Edgar.
A crushing force fell over his body, as if the heavens themselves were pressing him to the ground. His legs buckled helplessly, sinking him to his knees with a thud.
His lungs emptied of air.
He couldn't move.
His head fell forward, his breathing ragged, his body shuddering uncontrollably.
It was fear.
Not ordinary fear.
A visceral terror.
Deep.
Primal.
For the first time in his life, Edgar felt like his very existence hung in the balance.
Since when did anyone in this cult possess such power?
Hernán watched in disbelief. The young man advanced with absolute calm, as if the world belonged to him. While Edgar, representative of the kingdom, was kneeling before him, unable to react.
Roxan stepped out from behind her brother, her eyes sparkling with fascination.
She had never seen someone with such authority. But his thoughts were different from Hernan's:
Will he have a girlfriend?
If I ask him to train me, will he make me meditate like my brother?
Could he bring people to their knees just by walking?
The young man came to Edgar with an air of absolute confidence.
He lifted his chin with one finger, forcing him to look him in the eye.
-Little sheep, what did you say to the wolf? He whispered, his voice sharp as a blade. Do you want to repeat it?
Did you say you would kill me?