The Arcane Guardians Chapter 76: Chapter 70: Moving On

Read chapter 76 of The Arcane Guardians by Mercynarie on NovelPedia.

Felix broke the kiss slowly, reluctantly even. His lips parted from Orpheus’ mouth, and they each took a silent breath. The faint pink twinkled away from Orpheus’ eyes, giving way to his sparkling blue eyes again. There once was a time when Felix would love to stare into those beautiful irises for hours on end, but he could not bring himself to look him in the eyes now. “I’m sorry I subjected you to that memory,” Felix sputtered. “My telepathy is at its strongest during physical contact, and—” Orpheus gasped as he twitched without warning. Felix reached for him in alarm, but the Necromancer turned away immediately, as though trying to hide something in his hand. Orpheus wheezed for a few seconds before standing up abruptly, still facing away from him. “It was nice watching the fireworks with you, Felix.” He materialised his staff and conjured a dark cloud beneath his feet. “I’ll… Uhm— I’ll get going now.” The Necromancer left without another word as his cloud carried him back to the ground. ~ ~ ~ All was quiet on the home front when Felix descended back into the cave. Most, if not all, the residents were already asleep, which left the crystals in the huge caverns free to shed their natural lighting onto the rocky floors. A familiar shadow approached Felix. “Pagonis, you’ve got a moment?” Titus exited the shadows without a single sound. “It’s about time we settled your problem.” Felix followed Titus through a complicated series of airlifts. Of course, he could’ve just flown up himself, but he thought it’d be courteous of him to follow Titus in case he had something to say on the way. Unfortunately, the cyborg remained as mute as a mobster in a silent film. After a couple more twists in the path, Felix found himself walking towards an inconspicuous-looking room tucked comfortably in the far corner of the cave. A futuristic-looking door slid open to a surprisingly down-to-earth-looking room, and Felix followed Titus in. Marcia and Orpheus were already lounging around the sleek metallic chairs that adjusted ever so slightly to accommodate their occasional shifts in a sitting position. “Alright, Pagonis. I’ll give you what you want,” Titus began. “You’re free to leave this place.” Felix raised an eyebrow. It wasn’t what Titus said that surprised him, but how he said it. It might have been just his imagination, but there was a hint of reluctance in his voice. “What, without an apology for kidnapping us?” Marcia asked brashly. Titus scowled in response, before clearing his throat. “But that doesn’t mean to say you’re free to do whatever you want in my world,” he continued. “The arrival of these… ‘Unendings’, as you call it, are a grave cause of concern. Our scans and analysis have already confirmed that these beings do not come from our world. We still cannot confirm how they come about, but—” “Soul magic,” Felix interrupted. “What?” “They are created when a soul forcibly enters a body it isn’t attuned to.” The psychic folded his arms. “What proof do you have?” “I don’t have any, but it’s the only explanation that makes sense,” Felix said. “Marcia, remember Gaius Matthiou? He had thousands of souls in his body and he turned into an Unending. Even your family turned into these monsters when you forced their souls back into their bodies. What other explanation could there be?” “That theory isn’t without merit,” Orpheus spoke up quietly. “Bodies are no longer attuned to their souls when they expire. Forcing them back together will result in a warped physical form. The only way a soul can pilot a dead body without consequences is if it’s naturally powerful enough to bypass natural law. If not, invoking the power of a higher god would work just as well too.” There was a pause in the room. “Janus!” Felix and Marcia piped in unison. “In other words, the Solstices.” Titus took out the Summer Solstice from a compartment in his armour and handed it back to Felix. “Whatever the case, I suppose this lines up with what I’m about to propose.” “Ple