From Moving Crates to Killing Gods-Chapter 41: Noblesse Oblige

Phinyx’s face crumpled at Kira’s words. He turned away from us, his shoulders drawing inward like a closing door. I’d seen that exact motion a hundred times in the orphanage, the instinctive retreat of someone processing a blow they couldn’t deflect.

"I should have done more." Phinyx whispered. His fingers twisted in the bed sheets. "She was there with me."

"You did everything you could." Kira said, her voice gentle but firm. "We all did."

I watched him struggle with this, his usual easy smile nowhere to be found. The vibe he’d created to hide them both had been powerful enough to make us forget their existence entirely, but not powerful enough to save Lin.

"How many?" Phinyx asked after a long moment. "How many of us made it back?"

The question hung in the air. None of us wanted to be the one to quantify the loss again. Finally, Rolen spoke, his voice steady and factual.

"Six." That word changed Phinyx’s demeanor entirely.

Phinyx closed his eyes. It seemed like the worst odds imaginable, and it was still better than any exile before us.

"What happened after we landed?" he asked, opening his eyes again.

We exchanged glances, silently debating who would bear this burden. To my surprise, it was Finn who stepped forward.

"Ember..." he began, his voice low but clear. "She was alive after the glider crash, but she..." He paused, gathering himself. "She faced the massive Corruptor alone after Cobb abandoned her."

"Cobb." He continued. "He was the first to run for the barrier. The Corruptor got him instantly."

I nodded, remembering the blur of motion, the scream cut suddenly short. "He never had a chance."

"Darien and Mira are both gone." Rolen continued, taking over from Finn. "The Zeros. They had a plan all along to use us as distractions, but it backfired."

"Silas and Petra made it almost to the barrier." Coco added, his voice trembling. "They were so close. I saw them running, and then..." He trailed off, unable to describe the horror of their final moments.

"Yami was with Mira." Kira said quietly. "Mira pushed her towards the Corruptor and tried using her as bait."

"And Gale." My own voice sounded distant to my ears. "He burned everything he had giving us that final wind cushion during the crash. His body was still when we last saw him."

Silence fell as we remembered his last moment, a desperate act that saved us from the impact, it would have probably killed us all.

Phinyx nodded slowly, absorbing this. The weight of survivor’s guilt hung heavy in the room, a shared burden none of us knew how to put down.

"There’s something else you should know." I said after a moment. "Something I learned from the Citadel Master."

All eyes turned to me. I pulled my yo-yo from my pocket, letting it dance at the end of its string. The familiar motion helped me organize my thoughts, sorting through the cascade of information I’d received since our return.

"The Citadel Master told me about the leveling system. About how killing the Corruptor opened up the System’s true purpose for me."

I explained what I’d learned, how we all turned Level One the moment we were exiled, how killing certain entities allowed for advancement, how the secret had been deliberately buried to prevent exiles from murdering each other for power.

"I remember you telling us that you became level two." Kira said. "Did that make you stronger?"

"On paper it will. But I’m not stronger at this moment." I caught the yo-yo in my palm. "The Citadel Master says I need to develop my stats in order to do that. Strength, Agility, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Luck."

"But what about the rest of us?" Finn asked, his eyes sharp. "We’re still Level One. Does that mean we can’t improve?"

Before I could answer, a shadow darkened the doorway. We all turned to see the Citadel Master himself standing there, his imposing figure seeming to compress the available space in the room. His white hair caught the light from the window, it reflected a stronger shine than the dark hair.

"You’ve awakened." he said to Phinyx, acknowledging him with a slight nod. "Good. I wanted to speak with you, the six survivors from this exile."

The way he said ’survivors’ carried weight, recognition, respect, but also expectation. He stepped fully into the room, the door swinging shut behind him with a soft click.

"First, the formalities. My name is Damian."

Somehow his name made sense, it had a weight to it.

"I understand Allaran has shared some of what he’s learned." he continued, his eyes scanning our faces. "But there’s more you all need to know, now that you’re officially Ones."

Officially Ones. Probably that took Phinyx by surprise.

"The stat system is the foundation of our potential." he explained, his voice taking on the cadence of a lecture. "Each attribute represents a different aspect of your capabilities, and each can be developed through specialized training."

"But only Allaran can actually improve these stats." Finn said, his voice carefully neutral but his eyes watchful. "The rest of us have no way to increase them."

"Correct." Damian confirmed. "Level One exiles cannot grow their base stats, but you can polish and refine your abilities through practice. Your skills can become more precise, more efficient, more creative in application."

He turned to me, his gaze intense. "Allaran, as our only Level Two, will focus on training his stats to become stronger, while the rest of you will refine your abilities specifically to support him in combat scenarios."

The declaration landed with the weight of command. Not a suggestion. Not a request. A direction for our futures that had already been decided.

"The Citadel needs warriors." he continued, "And Allaran has proven himself capable of killing Corruptors. This changes everything we thought we knew about our situation."

"So we’re to be his support team?" Kira asked, her voice carefully controlled. "His backup?"

"His shield." Damian corrected. "His sensors. His transport. His healers. Whatever role your abilities best suit." He looked at each of them in turn. "You’ve survived exile. You’ve proven yourselves resourceful beyond expectation. Now you’ll serve Argent by helping our first true weapon reach his full potential."

I felt the weight of their gazes shift to me, not accusatory, but questioning. I hadn’t asked for this role. I didn’t plan to become a weapon. I’d just been trying to survive, like everyone else.

"And if we have other ideas about our futures?" Rolen asked, his tone respectful but firm.

Damian’s expression didn’t change, but something in the air seemed to chill. "You’re Ones now. That comes with privilege, comfort, security and obligation. You weren’t given that title by accident." His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I suggest you embrace that purpose."