Souls Online: Mythic Ascension-Chapter 412: So what happened

Jeremy lay sprawled on the cold linoleum floor of the Samael Corporation lobby, groaning faintly through a jaw that was no longer aligned. His teeth, shattered and broken, glittered like bits of porcelain across the glossy surface. Blood pooled around him in a slow, spreading circle, the sharp tang of iron mixing with the sterile scent of disinfectant. No one rushed to help him. His presence had always been tolerated rather than welcomed, and now the group barely spared him a glance. The real weight of the moment pressed elsewhere.

Rachel shifted on her heels, her eyes flicking once toward the twitching man on the ground before turning to Adam. He had been admiring Greg’s work on Jeremy’s jaw with a grim sort of fascination. The faintest smile curled her lips as she asked, "Do you know what Melanie is after?"

Her voice carried a note of trepidation. Not fear, but something softer, as if the thought had been gnawing at her for too long.

Adam’s head turned, the amusement fading from his face. His eyes narrowed slightly, but before he could answer, Arachne’s voice cut across the tension.

"It is best that the truth remain in the dark," she said firmly, stepping forward with the calm certainty of someone who had weighed every consequence. "At least for a little while longer. Him knowing will only cause more problems at this time, not solve them."

Adam frowned, his lips pressing into a thin line. He did not like being denied, not when it came to his sister. Still, the weight of his mother’s words held him in place. He tucked the question away, filing it in the part of his mind where loose threads knotted and frayed until he had no choice but to unravel them. There was something about Melanie he did not know, and that was reason enough to watch her more closely from now on.

Sensing the heavy silence, Leo clapped his hands together with forced cheer. "So," he said, his tone just a bit too bright, "what did everyone find out while we were separated? Anything to report?"

His attempt at playfulness drew a few strained chuckles. Crystal rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly before she spoke up.

"From what I heard from my father, most people are Players now," she said. "Leveling speed has accelerated ever since our... disappearance. And because our city has been designated the ’Prime’ City, the government authorized construction of an Academy. Supposedly to train students, though I imagine the real reason is more complicated."

Luna let out a sharp snort. Her red eyes glimmered like coals as she crossed her arms. "Of course. Training is just the excuse. In reality, it is nothing more than a way to keep tabs on powers they cannot control."

Greg shrugged, scratching his jaw where stubble had begun to form. "That about sums it up. Oh, and her dad almost shot me in the face."

The bluntness of the statement drew a few raised brows. Crystal flushed slightly, her eyes narrowing at Greg.

Rachel tilted her head then, her smile returning with an almost careless light. "Well, speaking of governments and truths, Gramps revealed the Umbral Moon Association to the world."

The air froze for a second. Everyone who was not already aware of the shadowy organization stared at her in disbelief. Adam’s brows shot up, Leo stiffened visibly, Luna’s mouth opened in silent shock, Greg blinked twice as if trying to process whether he had misheard.

Rachel leaned back against the reception counter, swinging one leg lazily over the other as though she had not just detonated a bombshell in the middle of the lobby. "Oh, and he is going to be the Dean of the new Academy. He wants us to attend."

Groans erupted almost in unison. Leo dragged a hand down his face. Luna muttered something dark under her breath. Greg tilted his head back and let out a low groan that echoed through the marble columns.

Ethan’s wolf ears twitched visibly, flattening against his skull as he spoke. "Your grandfather... he is scary strong. I do not even know if he is a Player, but I can tell you this much. If I had fought him before I gained my current power, he would have crushed me almost instantly. My sister and I might have lasted a few seconds at best."

Vivian shot her brother a glare sharp enough to cut glass, but she did not argue. Her silence was confirmation enough.

Adam turned to Rachel with wide eyes, incredulity plain on his face. "You act like this is nothing. Like it is not a big deal that your grandfather could snap all of us in half without breaking a sweat."

Rachel shrugged, her grin widening. "What can I say? He is family. I am used to it."

Aria chuckled nervously, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I can see the resemblance. The energy, the humor... yes, I see it now."

Rachel’s grin faltered, and she grumbled, "Oh, come on, I am nothing like that old man."

Leo and Luna exchanged a glance, their expressions tight. A heavy premonition settled between them like a weight. If Rachel truly shared her grandfather’s sense of humor, then the man was going to be impossible to ignore, impossible to escape, and definitely impossible to beat up without consequences.

Before the tension could dig deeper, Lily’s calm voice cut through, steady and grounding. "My father has been asked by the government to help as well. With the rise of Players, police work has become increasingly dangerous. Law and order is slipping. Crime is growing bolder. We all need to be careful. On the surface, things still look orderly, but underneath... the world is reverting to one where might makes right."

Her words drew a heavy silence. Leo’s jaw tightened, and he nodded grimly. He knew what she meant. They all did.

Adam was the one who finally broke it. "In the last three months there has been a boom in new world technology. The Respawn Beacon is just one example. I have not uncovered all the details yet, but I would bet my life there are more atrocities hidden beneath the surface. All in the name of science, all for control."

The group digested his words in silence. Blood still glistened under the lobby lights, Jeremy’s groans faint in the distance.

Penny leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, her eyes rolling so hard it was a wonder they did not fall out of her skull. "Well, isn’t that just peachy. World falling apart, governments pulling the puppet strings, and creepy old men playing Dean like it is some kind of school festival. Fantastic. Sign me up." Her sarcasm dripped like honey laced with venom, and a smirk tugged at her lips.

Morgan, standing nearby, did not share Penny’s levity. His broad shoulders sagged, and his eyes lowered to the linoleum floor where blood still glimmered. "Law and order declining..." he murmured, his voice heavy. "That is the last thing we need. People need stability. They need something to believe in, something to hold on to. Without it... all we will have is chaos."

His disheartenment pressed into the silence, weighing heavier than the metallic smell of blood.

Leo exhaled slowly, his gaze sweeping across his companions. "Then we hold on to each other. Whatever the world is becoming, we will survive it. Together."

His words did not erase the tension, but they lit a small fire in the air. Even Penny, who rolled her eyes again, smirked a little softer. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Rachel stretched her arms over her head, grinning wide again as if to shake off the heaviness. "Well, if we are all doomed anyway, at least we will make one hell of a story."

Her words drew a ripple of reluctant chuckles, the sound cutting through the lingering dread. Even as Jeremy lay broken on the floor and the world outside tilted toward chaos, there was strength in the small circle they had formed, strength in the fact that they were still standing together.

It was a somewhat comforting fact to know that despite the world passing them by in nearly a blink of an eye, they had left an indelible mark on it. Even after three months, their presence was unmistakable.

The only thing that was on Leo’s mind now was the thought that maybe these three months of peaceful development were a sign of something much bigger on the horizon. Now that they were back, did that signal that the flimsy peace was about to fall apart?

Leo didn’t want to know the answer to that question. The world had been somewhat peaceful in their absence. Was coming back really something that was good for humanity. He shook his head to dispel the negative thoughts clouding his mind.

Whatever was waiting for them, they would deal with it when the time came.