Arson stood within the forest full of portals held within the hotel. The grass beneath his feet was so soft that he’d taken off his shoes and socks at the entryway before walking to stand between the gallery of dimensional doorways .

  He’d been stuck inside the hotel since his rampage, and had come to find that something within the hotel left him feeling a gnawing discomfort. Almost like he was being watched; the sensation so irritating that he couldn’t sleep properly.

  Not that I should be wasting time sleeping…

  Arson had never felt so idle before in his life. Normally, he made plans and then made moves to incorporate those plans in between anything else he needed to accomplish from sunrise to sunset.

  Now however, every idea he set in place felt, minimal. Or made him feel as if his every thought lacked validity.

  He wasn’t as inspired as he normally was and had left his friends to experience the rest of the time of their now incredibly extended vacation without him. He didn’t want to get in the way of what they could experience without him being in a rut, all while they continually attempted to pull him from the depths of his mind.

  “Don’t mind me, boss, just need to grab some more chickens,” said Rob. His friends and a few of his assistants heading to the strange gateway filled with the powerfully built poultry that still left Arson wondering if they’d been genetically mutated to become so large, and lay such large eggs.

  Arson merely grunted, glancing at the trio as Rob began to throw potion bottles through the portal after shaking the chemical mixtures.

  “Don’t just stand there, hurry up, get in, grab some eggs and a couple birds and lets get the sparks out of here,” commanded Rob, gesturing for the duo beside him to rush inside the portal.

  Arson laughed internally watching the young woman scurry to get inside even as the gas from the potions made by Rob knocked the birds unconscious. Ruckus cawing escaped the portal mouth as they entered with fear plastered across their faces at the sight of the incredibly sized birds rushing toward them; the pair only calming down as the birds fell flat on their faces.

  It was only then that Arson noted that both wore gas masks. Arson shaking his head at the sight of one dainty young woman struggling to drag two of the large birds, as the other was barely able to lift a basket full of the large eggs.

  “What, not going to help your assistants, Rob, that’s not like you at all,” said Arson chuckling.

  “Trying to give this whole delegating thing a chance, Brianna says I’m too easy on the staff,” said Rob frowning. All Arson could do is nod, completely agreeing with Rob’s sous chef.

  “Yeah, she’s right, we are all orphans brother, but you can’t treat everyone like they are as talented as you are, some people will work hard and never come close to how special some of your meals are. Not because they don’t equally deserve to be as good as you are, but maybe just because of a lack of desire, luck, and even environment, you can nurture them to the best of your ability, but the rest is up to them, so don’t be hard on yourself,” said Arson. Rob simply nodded, dragging his two assistants from the room.

  Arson lifted his hand, summoning a conductive water orb; playing with the spell and its design.

  He often tried to improve the spell he’d learned as a child, only to find out that the spell had already been refined beyond belief. Most likely far before he had ever even learned how to use conductive water orbs.

  During his time in Endless, he learned that developing the spell further would take incredible amounts of mana. Not just in magnitude, but also in variety. He didn’t know how far his mother pushed the spell before she stopped using it herself, but seeing how he still hadn’t confronted her about their potential direct blood ties, he still hadn’t broached asking Jade why she no longer sported the abilities of the SunStorm Sovereign.

  Did this power become even too much for you to handle, Mother?

  Arson pushed more power into the spell. The orb didn’t grow as it once had when his younger self had done the same, but instead began to swirl at its core with a growing volatility. Every type of mana he had access to condensing in the air above his palm.

  There was a version of conductive water orb that he’d used once by accident as a child, but after the attack had blown his right arm from his body completely, he’d forgone using the spell in that fashion. Only now once more tempted by the variation of the spell.

  Smaller orbs formed around the main body of the orb, equally as powerful as the primary orb summoned. The smaller units orbiting around the main orb, until they were sucked into the spiraling core like astroids pulled in by a planet’s gravitational forces.

  A boom occurred as the core of the spell solidified. A pulse of air spreading outward from the center of the spell like a sonic boom. Only for the process to begin again, an even stronger vortex of power created within the now concrete mana floating within the liquid of the orb’s main body.

  Previously, Arson had wrapped this orb around his hand and performed one of the strongest palm strikes he’d ever completed, even when compared to his current abilities.

  Now however, he didn’t stop the creation process, but instead continued to push more mana into the orb. His crown began to vibrate as mana was pulled in toward him, coming from all the open portals around him; Arson unknowing of where all the excess power was coming from. His only focus creating something new.

  He was distracting himself by playing with the orb, and even closed his eyes to evaluate every aspect of what was occurring. Time passed and with Arson being completely fixated on his task, Xani had managed to walk up next to him without him even knowing.

  “Woah, now that looks dangerous,” said Xani, causing Arson to jump. Xani screamed at Arson’s alarm, worried that she would be struck with the dangerous looking orb floating above his hand, as Arson’s eyes shot open and made her feel as if her entire being was frozen in place by his glare. Everything down to her soul unable to move, making her feel as if she was suffocating.

  Arson realizing it was Xani, forcefully pulled the explosive bit of mana that expanded outward from his presence, pushing his immense aura back within the limits of his own soul.

  “Sorry, Xani,” said Arson, looking toward the orb in his hand, blinking in shock as Xani managed to drag in a stuttering deep breath.

  “You okay?” asked Arson, glancing at her. Able to see she was anything but okay even as she nodded at him.

  “What in the sparks is that?” asked Xani, barely able to lift her hand to gesture toward the orb. Arson shrugged, scanning the orb to identify the spell in his hand, honestly wondering if it still even was a conductive water orb; the scan showing that it was anything but.

  *Notification* Scan results - Spell/Construct -

  Ancient spell uncovered - Forbidden Spell Engine -

  This spell has taken on a life of its own. Through the condensing of various volatile manas and manna, a spell engine has been created. In its current state without a desired affinity, it has taken on a neutral state. However, once a desired blueprint for its use has been injected into the spell, its potential is limitless.

  *Warning* - This pure creation construct can be used as planetary core ignitions, Galaxy blackhole disintegrators, and even, Realm Ritual Batteries. You have been warned, Child of Omni! For creating this, you have been added to the Forbidden Knowledge Database. This blacklist will automatically subject you to be hunted by any ArchAngels, Gods of Justice, and even DemonLords.

  Good luck.*

  Now that was ominous, thought Arson as he took in the object in its completion.

  The orb pulsed with a soft vibration that distorted the air around Arson’s hand. It reminded Arson of the snow globe he’d read about as a child, only instead of a small landscape or item within, Arson felt as if he was looking at an ever changing galaxy.

  A thrumming white gold halo was wrapped around its mid section that occasionally shot tendrils of black lightning toward the still spiraling vortex at the center of the seemingly boundless sun made of countless stars at its center.

  “Ever heard of a spell engine,” asked Arson, unsure of what he was holding in his hands. Xani began to laugh, and Arson frowned as he looked up at her, putting the object into his spatial inventory, hearing Anastasia mutter a curse as he did so.

  “What, I’m sorry, but you are hilarious sometimes,” said Xani.

  “How so?” said Arson lifting a brow at her still confused.

  “Dude, if you were really walking around with a spell engine in your inventory, we’d probably be getting hunted by the Oligarchs. It’s why Ikarus was destroyed, they were the only ones who knew how to make them, they’re pretty much the foundation of realm wide portal grids, and the creation of the highest tier spells known to Cultivators in the realms below the heavens. Read a book, my guy, maybe then your jokes will actually seem a little more educated,” said Xani still laughing.

  Arson nodded, now feeling as if he knew why his mother no longer used any of the SunStorm abilities or spells. Whatever technique he made have just stumbled on was probably able to erase him from the face of the realm. Not aware that it was his placement within the portals linked to unknown realms that had even made his success possible.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  “Yeah,” said Arson laughing awkwardly.

  “Pretty sure the last time one was created an Angel wiped out the entire realm it was made on from what researchers say, it’s why some believe that magic doesn’t work in the mortal realms anymore,” explained Xani further.

  “Hmm, well, that actually does seem like something I’d like to research myself. Thanks Xani, but never mind that, did you come here for a reason or just to chat?”

  “Ha, you’re funny, when is the last time you ever knew me or you to waste time with idle chatter?”

  Arson shrugged, smiling at what he knew to be the truth.

  “No, I’m here because Jasmine is freaking out, she is worried that we were targeted.”

  “Because we were,” added Arson.

  “There is also all the bodies we now have in stasis, which Jade and Jasmine are both freaking out over, because it most likely means RaidCorp had an illegal Cultivator Farm underneath the resort.”

  “Because they did,” added Arson nodding with a shrug as he look away, letting Xani continue as if he hadn’t spoken.

  “And to top things off, Graveyard and the Swords are killing each other in the streets all over the resort, and Jasmine is worried it’s all our fault.”

  “Because it is,” murmured Arson.

  “Yeah, so what’s the plan here, boss. Everyone is wondering what our next move is?”

  Arson opened his mouth to speak, and nothing came out. Luckily for him, the elevator opened and Troy and Khalif stepped out, striding toward the pair.

  “Hey,” said Troy stepping close to Arson, taking his hand in her own with a smile. Both becoming less and less surprised by how such slight gestures brought them comfort.

  “Hey, boss, I know you’re in here to collect yourself, but I’m going to be honest, I need your help, and have honestly ran out of ideas.”

  Arson felt relief, hoping that whatever Khalif needed help with would allow for him to break away from the larger issues closing in around his friends, and focus on something smaller.

  “What’s up?”

  “I have a bounty with an end date that I have been pushing off, but now it’s the end date, and my target is pretty much out of reach, not only that, but if I don’t turn her in, I’ll probably end up losing enough points that I’ll have to work in this bloody place for the rest of my life to make up the difference in credits, and with what we found underneath the resort, I’d rather not be tied down to this place in any way shape or form…”

  “I see…”

  Arson looked toward Xani with pleading eyes, knowing that she wanted direct answers to what he believed they should do about the issues with their RaidCorp contract, but hoping that she would handle the situation for him to allow him the freedom to help Khalif. The young woman rolled her eyes at him.

  “Just go, dude, I’ll handle the literal bombshells you’re laying in my lap. I’m sure I can maybe even find a buyer if Jasmine’s crafty behind can’t,” said Xani waving him off.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, just go before I change my mind.”

  “Thanks Xani, I really need this.”

  “Yeah yeah, I know, but if you finish early, please feel free to do your job and lead us, ya brat…”

  Arson smiled, looking between Troy and Khalif. Khalif dove in between the silence of the next moment, explaining to him why he was having trouble, and at first was speechless.

  “So, what should I do, can you help me or what?”

  Arson stayed silent a moment, trying to think of any and every thing that may be able to help his friend; a sudden clucking drawing his attention toward one of the various portals, causing an absurd plan to flutter to the surface of his mind.

  “Yeah, buddy, I think I can,” said Arson looking back toward Khalif.

  “But I don’t think your going to like it,” said Arson smiling; Khalif looking toward Troy and back toward Arson.

  “Why do I suddenly feel like I’m going to regret this?”

  …

  “If we step inside they are going to kill all the hostages sir,” said the Graveyard officer to his commander. The two men stood patiently outside the expansive structure, as they had for countless other hostage situations in the past.

  They’d seen many outcomes, but they’d already lost dozens of hostages already; the bodies of men and women laying splattered against the ground outside the skyscraper of a company renting a building within the resort known as, HyperCoreTech.

  The flawed security system had been hacked and engaged once the gangsters were inside, making the situation impossible. Normally the SWAT teams would be able to sieze the building in a matter of moments by stealth or by the use of infiltration explosives. Except they couldn’t see inside the entirely blacked out building.

  Every window from top to bottom was not only explosive resistant, but also set for light spectrum reflection. An unnecessary system capability normally used to block runic satellite lasers from gaining access to internal formation and array grids. All of which was redundant within an underground city complex with a restricted air space whose night sky was nothing more than a simulation above them.

  However, HyperCoreTech wanted the best, and had paid for absolutely every potential defense system, centuries prior. All of which were now outdated, giving current hackers no more resistance to their invasion than prehistoric tools used to defend against modern weaponry.

  So with the limited access to highly skilled hackers of their own being far away from any standard precinct, they only were given rare opportunities to hack the buildings grid when the windows far above were opened to allow for hostages to be flung to their deaths from incredibly high up. This small window not nearly enough time to result in little more than a brief look at the cameras within the building.

  “This isn’t going to turn out well, they have hundreds of hostages inside and,” started the officer, trailing off as a hover kart drove up to the front of the building with three individuals on the vehicle made for a single passenger. The food kart had a sign hosting the name of a newly popular restaurant found within the resort, both officers stunned by the sight of the brash trio striding through the police barricade and pass the series of splattered corpses as if they weren’t even there.

  The pair looked at the three uniformed delivery personnel in utter shock as the driver got off, and knocked on the front door after pulling on the handles, only to be surprised to find it locked..

  “Delivery,” yelled the young woman, rolling her eyes as she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder toward the locked doors, looking at the two others hanging from the side of the catering kart attached to the hovering mo-ped. Her delivery partners simply shrugging their shoulders as she cursed in confusion at what she proclaimed aloud to be, unprofessionalism.

  “Can you believe this?” said the young woman, pointing at the door, looking directly at the officers, before waving at them as if nothing odd or strange was occurring.

  “What is happening here sir, how did they get pass our barricade?”

  “I have no idea…”

  “Victor!” yelled the commander toward the barricade.

  “Yes, sir!” yelled the officer in the distance, not daring to leave his post.

  “What the sparks are you doing?”

  The man looked confused, staring toward the commander as if what he was doing was obvious.

  “Guarding the perimeter, sir!”

  The commander gestured toward the delivery kart, and the officer’s eyes went wide in shock.

  “What the…!”

  Officer Victor tried to gather men to go and grab the delivery kart, only for everyone there to be stunned further when the front door opened and the group of food delivery personnel entered unhindered. The Commander looked at his second in command and sighed.

  “It’s official, we all lost our jobs today…”

  …

  Lowly hadn’t been a Sword long. Being new to the gang, he often found himself making bad or uninformed decisions.

  He’d been posted at the front door of the corporation building the Swords had captured in an attempt to insure the gang wouldn’t be arrested as a whole.

  Lowly didn’t know why they all of a sudden needed hundreds of captives, but the rumors didn’t seem good. He’d heard everything from illegal slave ring, to child trafficking whispered between the members since sunrise, and feared that his freedom was on the verge of being stripped away forever.

  Hearing a knock at the door, Lowly was confused by the sight of a delivery kart, but after a few rounds of knocking, he assumed that the delivery must be something worked out by the gang’s higher ups and a negotiator outside.

  He opened the door and was brushed aside by a brown haired girl with her hair in a bun, wearing a hairnet, a simple cloth mask and a clean white kitchen uniform.

  “Yo, kid, where is we supposed to be setting this up? We ain’t got all day,” said the beauty with a blue and a green eye.

  “Yeah, kid,” said another two workers behind her. One with silver hair and a mask on, and another with sunglasses that chewed bubble gum, loudly smacking his lips with every chomp.

  “Umm, I think everyone is on the seventy first floor, gotta take the elevator to get that high, the steps only go up seventy of the hundred and one floors,” said Lowly, his puberty ridden voice cracking as he nervously smiled at the young woman in front of him, even though she couldn’t see his face.

  “Yeah, yeah, lead the way kid, we got like thirteen orders afters ya!”

  Lowly quickly nodded, forgetting his assignment, not only leaving his post, but also forgetting to trigger the lock on the front door after letting the group in.

  The trio chatted calmly as the elevator rose higher and higher, and before Lowly knew what was happening, they were all stepping out onto a luxurious floor of the building, filled with glass walled conference rooms; countless hostages sweating at various tables, and dozens of glaring gangsters now staring at Lowly and the group of food delivery people in confusion.

  “Hurry up, boys, we ain’t got time to waste,” said the brunette, receiving a nod from the pair with her.

  The three began unpacking meal after meal, setting steaming food in front of the sweating hostages.

  “Lowly, what the sparks are you doing up here, you idiot, shouldn’t you be watching the front door!”

  Lowly’s boss stormed out from the conference room at the far end of the floor, flanked by a pair of even larger Sword members.

  “Umm yeah, boss, we just got a delivery and I didn’t want to get in the way of you eating, figured you worked this out with the feds outside and—“

  “Worked out what with the feds, five star catered meals, what are you, an idiot? We don’t have time for this,” said Kite. Lowly tried to speak, but only stuttered, feeling like anything he said would only piss the woman off, and give his angry superior another chance to cut him off and slice into him as she always did.

  What am I going to do, this crazy witch is going to, started Lowly mentally, until even his thoughts were cut off by the sound of the brunette delivering food.

  “Can’t blame him for this one, chicita. Our delivery contracts come with a hostage clause, wouldn’t matter if this building was being targeted by a nuke, we’d still be here making ‘liveries. You and yours gonna get fed too regardless if the people in this building hired us, or even if it was your boy over theres,” said the brunette, boldly putting a plate in Kite’s hand as she walked by.

  Kite looked shocked as she looked back at her guards who’d also been handed plates, and had even lifted their masks enough to start eating.

  “What are you two doing? Are you serious right now? Don’t tell me that you two are as amateur as the rest of these idiots,” said Kite, still holding the plate with piping hot food.

  “Sorry, boss, this is Momma Jade’s, we tried getting reservations weeks ago, ain’t nobody in the Swords going to pass this up, this plate cost more than we make in a week,” said the first guard.

  “Nope,” said the second guard through a mouth full of food.

  Lowly had also been handed a plate, but didn’t dare take a bite until Kite shrugged and started to eat herself. Kite and her guards made their way back to the main conference room, and Lowly decided to press his back against the wall in the hall that connected all the conference rooms and dug in as the food delivery workers continued to serve everyone.

  By the time Lowly finished, he stood to see everyone in every direction eating. Even many of the Swords had sat next to the hostages, eating with the employees of the building, conversations overflowing from every room as if none gathered were at risk from dying by the actions of those around them.

  Lowly made his way to the main conference room to thank Kite and the delivery team, only to see Kite starting in on her third plate of food beside the HyperCoreTech CEO, who also tucked into a second plate of food beside her.

  The well dressed man had rolled up the sleeves of his suit and begun eating with his hands, chatting easily with Kite beside him.

  “Is this him?” asked the CEO smiling with a glance between Kite and Lowly.

  “Yeah, this is my guy right here, he’s the one who ordered the food for all us, I’da killed him in any other circumstance, but this was well worth it,,” responded Kite.

  “Smart kid, and I’m pretty sure it’s going to land on either my dime or the polices. Seems like you all are going to get off with whatever crimes brought you all to do this, and even get a bonus luxury meal on top of it all,” said the CEO, licking his fingers as he finished his second plate and waved a hand in the air, signaling the caterers to serve him another plate.

  “Yeah, we’ll see, my boss says we might not get out of whatever pushed him to tell us to raid this building no matter how many hostages we turn over, but if we do, I’ll be visiting this restaurant for sure.”

  The conversation continued but Lowly’s thoughts drifted. His boss gestured for him to sit, so he did, but the more he ate, the more he felt the need to speak up.

  “Hey Kite,” mumbled Lowly.

  His boss continued to talk and laugh with the CEO, ignoring him.

  “Kite,” tried Lowly again, getting nothing more than a glance.

  “Kite!”

  The woman rolled her eyes, and finally raised a hand to interrupt the still laughing CEO.

  “What is it, Low?”

  “I didn’t order the food, I thought you did, or this guy did.”

  “What?” asked Kite.

  “I didn’t order the food, if this guy did before we rushed in here they’d still deliver, but if he didn’t do it, and you didn’t, then who did?”

  It was in that moment that the first thud could be heard, and Lowly looked over to see men and women in every direction, dropping their heads directly down onto the tables, into plates of food, or simply slumping in place.

  “What the,” murmured Lowly as the sound of whipping wind could suddenly be heard in the room.

  Lowly turned his head to see the food delivery team pushing their kart through a missing section of wall. No, not a missing section of wall, but instead an open portal that seemed to be formed from pure shadows that opened directly outside.

  “It’s been a pleasure,” said the brunette with a bow, before she grabbed the back of the CEO’s chair and wrapped a parachute that Lowly hadn’t seen her holding around the back of the man’s chair; the straps clasping closed around his chest, locking his arms in place before she tipped his seat backward and pushed the hovering chair straight through the portal mouth, causing the man to scream as he was slung out into the open air of the night sky, Kite and Lowly gaping at the absurdity of the moment.

  “Again, hope you enjoyed the food, and if you make it out alive Lowly, come find me, we like ‘em clever at BlackHole Conglomerate,” said the delivery man with the sunglasses before he put on a parachute and jumped through the portal.

  The silver haired young man also performed a fanciful bow, before blowing Kite a kiss.

  “Toodles…!”

  He too jumped through the portal after strapping on a parachute, as Kite stumbled to her feet, wobbling as if the breeze that blew into the room through the portal could knock her over.

  Lowly’s blood ran cold as Kite turned to him and he also rose to his feet slowly, surprisingly not feeling affected by the food at all.

  Was I not drugged…?

  Lowly glanced toward the hall, his eyes sweeping over all the sleeping employees and gangsters, and then landing back on Kite before he shrugged, and took off running down the hall in hopes of freedom.

  More and more people dropped unconscious as he ran by, ripping off his mask and darting into the elevator as Kite stumbled after him, seemingly drunk. Forced to use the glass walls to stay upright as she unsteadily loped after him, the doors to the elevator closing as Lowly smiled back at her.

  “Lowly!”