The flight of stairs ended and the two halted within a domed room. It was remarkably plain with barely an etching of decoration on the walls and the floor a simple tile. In the centre however was Councilman Philius Tombre. The instant Kyle saw him he lunged forward but instead crashed head first into an invisible barrier. Undeterred he took a step back and swinging with all he had forced his blade to break the wall before him. The power caused a thunderous boom but in the end what remained was a broken blade and an untouched shimmer.
"Oh dear me," Councilman Tombre held his hand to his heart. "You gave me the biggest surprise. Not even a word before trying to kill me?"
"You bastard," Kyle grit his teeth, "Get out here."
"Hmm, no," the much older man shook his head. "I feel that wouldn't be the best idea. Don't you want to know why I'm here, or why I did all this?"
"That can wait till after you're tied in chains," he struck the barrier with his fists, again with no affect.
"Would your friend like to try or are you done?" he gestured to Lillia spitefully. "No? Can't do much without your armour can you?"
"I'll kill you!" Lillia pointed her hand towards him as a dozen lances of ice crashed against the barrier only to vanish like nothing happened.
"My, looks like I was correct," he mocked a yawn. "Shall we speak like civilised people or would you like to waste your time? I for one am so so curious about you Mr Kyle Barker. How did you become so powerful in such a short time?"
"That's none of your concern," Kyle replied and began to circle the barrier, looking for any gaps.
"You won't find anything," Philius laughed. "It took much more than you could ever do to reach inside here. And contrary to what you just said, it has all to do with my concern. You see I have always wondered why we follow the Church, what plans they have for us and now I know, I can speak with a sound heart that they are wrong."
"What did you say?"
"Curious Kyle?" his expression turned serious. "You must have seen what they truly are by now. Creatures not even human and yet they have been leading us by the nose all this time."
"No matter what they are, they tried their best to give the world what it needed."
"That is a lie," Philius grit his teeth. "What they want just happened to align to our needs. This world and everything in it, they manipulated. But think Kyle, what happens when they get what they want? When they complete their goals?"
Lillia took his bait, "What goals are you talking about?"
He turned to her impressed, "So it seems you Heroes do have a mind of your own. The Church Council more than anything want to tear down our world and return back to their own and when they do, it will only sow the seeds of chaos that will destroy everything we worked towards."
"You're lying," Kyle spat.
"I assure you I am not," he stared directly into Kyle's eyes. "What we have here, what we have now is perfection. This world we govern is perfect to what we need. We have space to still expand and are close enough where order and peace are simple. Should the Church achieve their goals, to remove the boundary of the fog, then what?" He raised his arms, "Chaos."
"How is that chaos?" Kyle couldn't comprehend his words. "We'd be free of the fog, of demons."
"We'd only be free of our security." The Councilman gestured wildly, "Everything I do, I do for the good of our world, not theirs! Without the fog who knows what threat we might face, with our borders expanded how can we remain in control of the people that roam it? But here, as we are now, we can retain perfection. The demons a common enemy, and a world united under the banner of a Hero to face them."
"You...," Kyle finally understood what drove the Councilman. He shook his head, "You're just trying to rule this world on your own terms, to keep us locked up so you can control everything."
"That is a harsh way to put it," Philius sighed but nodded. "But I promise you Kyle under my council, this world would thrive and become exactly what it needs to be, nothing more and nothing less."
Kyle couldn't help but let out a maddened chuckle, "No, I've seen what happens to people like you. Control that becomes oppression and from that, war. All the while you'll never give in, always thinking that you're doing the right thing. Until finally... something breaks and-." He cut his words short as his head began to throb in pain.
"It is a shame Kyle," Philius earnestly spoke with regret. "I feel as if you could have been a great asset to our world."
"Maybe in another life," Kyle frowned. "Surrender Philius. Your army is breaking and your fortress is inert. You can try stay where you are but eventually this barrier will break."
"Perhaps you are right but maybe a miracle will happen."
"What-."
Lillia widened her eyes staring past the ceiling, "Kyle something is happening!"
"You-," Kyle began but the Councilman simply waved his hand.
"Technology these days is amazing isn't it?" and with that he vanished. It was only then that Kyle spotted the small black objects scattered around the dome, all pointing to its centre. A virtual illusion. If it had been magic they would have realised but instead they had been played. The barrier had nothing to do with him. It was there from the beginning.
"He's not gone yet," Lillia grabbed Kyle and ran for one of the other exits to the chamber. "I can feel it. He's preparing to teleport but it's going slower than he realised. We can still catch him Kyle."
"R-right!" Kyle slapped himself. They could still end this and with Lillia leading they ran through the maze of passages climbing higher until they finally reached what felt like near the top of the mountain. Only one entrance, a dead end and overhead a hole showing the true sky above. Standing at the end of the rectangular space the Councilman, two gilded knights, three others wearing the uniform of the Hero's Guard and finally a human member of the church.
"Woah hold it right there," one of the traitors faced towards them and held a kneeling figure. Kyle and Lillia both froze as they recognised the battered man. 1st Officer Bethial Vonteur, their Captain, and a gun pointed to his head.
"Bastards!" Kyle raged but didn't dare take another step forward as the man holding the Captain grinned.
"That's 1st Officer Urza to you," the handsome man Kyle had only met once before gloated. "See Philius this is why you always take a hostage."
"They did arrive much quicker than I expected," the Councilman nodded. "We're almost done here though."
"Like we'd let you-," Lillia began to channel her mana but as a bullet fired she halted.
"Oops," Urza chuckled, eyes crazed. "Next one might just go through his temple. Don't you move another muscle. All my time in this place I've always wanted to meet you Hero, and of course the Guard's pet poster boy. But no, the Church always held us back. Shame isn't it?"
"That's enough Urza," the women behind him reached for the gun but he snapped at her.
"Back off Anna. We're no longer Hero's Guard. Might as well go all the way."
"This isn't what-."
"We're done," the church member interrupted.
A shudder crossed Kyle's body as Urza's smile became even more sinister, "Perfect, I've wanted to do this for years." He kicked the Captain's body out of the teleportation array and pointing his gun, fired. Kyle reacted as quickly as he could. His body lurched forward with a speed he never felt possible before. Despite it all however he was barely halfway before the fatality occurred.
"No!" he screamed and slid catching the Captain's limp body, just as the group in front of him vanished. Maila had been able to protect herself, but the wounded Captain had nothing. Kyle's vision began to blacken as his heart beat far too hard. The man who had welcomed him, who he considered an important friend and confident laid dead. Kyle began to rise with a hatred he hadn't felt before but then a twitch and the Captain shifted.
"Captain?" Lillia noticed and ran towards them. Her shock replaced by relief.
As if by pure strength of will the Captain's eyes broke wide, "Move!" He pushed Kyle back and ripped off his shirt. Implanted into his chest was a makeshift bomb and at its core, pure black fragments. Kyle reeled in realisation as the Captain suddenly became alive. The man moved with a fervour beckoned by death. Quickly realising he couldn't dislodge the bomb he offered one last grim smile and leapt as high as he could. The last thing Kyle recalled seeing was Lillia diving in front of his body as a bright light shook the world.