The manor’s lower chamber was dimly lit, the flickering glow of a single lantern casting long shadows across the stone walls. Seris sat in the center of the room, her arms bound tightly to the chair. Her sharp features were bruised from her earlier encounter with Ari, but her gray eyes still held defiance.

Ari stood before her, his towering presence filling the room. His dark eyes were cold, unyielding as he stared down at her. Behind him, Varrek leaned against the wall, his scarred face impassive.

“I hope you’re comfortable,” Ari said, his tone devoid of warmth.

Seris smirked faintly, though the tightness in her jaw betrayed her unease. “As comfortable as one can be when dragged into enemy territory. You have an odd sense of hospitality, Ari.”

“This isn’t about hospitality,” Ari replied, his voice sharp. “This is about answers. And you’re going to give them to me.”

Seris raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening slightly. “And if I don’t?”

Ari stepped closer, his gaze piercing. “Then I’ll show you what happens when people come after my team.”

The threat hung in the air, heavy and unspoken.

The Interrogation Begins

Varrek cleared his throat, stepping forward slightly. “She’s not going to talk easily. Seris is stubborn, and she’s not afraid of pain.”

“She should be,” Ari said flatly, his gaze never leaving her.

Seris let out a soft chuckle. “You think brute force will get you what you want? I’ve faced worse than you, Ari. You don’t scare me.”

“Good,” Ari said, his tone cold. “Fear isn’t what I’m after. I want you to understand exactly what happens if you keep fighting me.”

He leaned in, his dark eyes locking onto hers. “Your council? Gone. Your plans? Broken. Your followers? Scattered. Everything you’ve built will be ash. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

For the first time, Seris’s smirk faltered.

A Crack in the Armor

The room fell silent for a long moment, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade.

Finally, Seris sighed, leaning back in her chair. “Fine. You want answers? I’ll give you one for free.”

Ari crossed his arms, waiting.

“You can destroy my council, my plans, my base—but you’ll never destroy the reason we fight,” she said, her voice calm but defiant. “The world doesn’t need relics like you, Ari. You cast too long a shadow. You’re holding everyone else back.”

Varrek frowned, his arms crossed. “That’s your justification for everything? Jealousy?”

“It’s not jealousy,” Seris snapped, her gray eyes flashing. “It’s necessity. The world needs new heroes, and they can’t rise while you’re still standing at the top.”

“And that’s worth the lives you’ve taken?” Ari asked, his voice cold.

Seris hesitated, her gaze flicking to the floor for the briefest moment. “Sacrifice is part of the process. You of all people should understand that.”

Ari stepped closer, his presence looming. “Don’t compare yourself to me.”

Pushing for Information

“You’ve made your point,” Ari said, his tone sharp. “Now tell me about your organization. Who’s left on your council? Where are they hiding?”

Seris met his gaze, her smirk returning faintly. “You think I’d betray them so easily?”

“You already have,” Ari said. “The moment I walked into your stronghold, your plans were exposed. You just don’t know it yet.”

Her smirk faltered, and she clenched her jaw.

“You can either help me end this quickly,” Ari continued, “or watch as I dismantle everything piece by piece. It’s your choice.”

For a long moment, Seris said nothing, her defiance wavering. Finally, she let out a slow breath.

“There’s a fallback point,” she admitted. “A hidden base in the northern cliffs. The remaining council members will regroup there. But don’t think for a second you’ll catch them off guard. They’re prepared for you.”

Ari’s expression didn’t change. “They won’t be enough.”

After the Interrogation

As Varrek secured Seris in her cell, Ari returned to the study, his mind sharp and focused. Yuri, Finoria, and Kimi were already waiting, their expressions tense.

“Well?” Yuri asked, her green eyes narrowing. “Did she talk?”

“She gave us a location,” Ari said. “The northern cliffs. That’s where her remaining council is hiding.”

“And you believe her?” Finoria asked, raising an eyebrow.

“She has no reason to lie,” Ari replied. “She knows I’ll find them, whether she helps or not.”

Kimi folded her arms, her violet eyes thoughtful. “So what’s the plan? Are we attacking immediately?”

“No,” Ari said. “We prepare first. This will be their last stand, and they’ll throw everything they have at us.”

Yuri smirked faintly, twirling one of her daggers. “Good. I was getting bored.”

Finoria grinned, her shield resting against her leg. “And here I thought we were just starting to have fun.”

Ari’s dark eyes swept over them, his expression unreadable. “This isn’t about fun. This is about finishing what they started. Once and for all.”

Seris’s Warning

Back in her cell, Seris sat in silence, her gray eyes fixed on the stone floor.

She knew Ari would come for the council. He would dismantle what was left of her organization with the same cold efficiency he had used against her.

But she also knew something Ari didn’t.

A faint smile curved her lips as she leaned back against the wall. “Let’s see if you can protect them when it matters most, legend,” she murmured.