The Blood of God.
This was supposed to be the first of three conditions Adam had to fulfill, or at least that's what he thought.
For so reason, he was convinced that if the Winding Fragnts had led him to the Primal Lands, then there he would encounter a monster possessing this blood. When he confronted Vaarh and saw the dragon's head for the first ti, everything fell into place, until it didn't.
He didn't need Vaarh's blood, he hadn't co there to obtain the Blood of God, but for the Highest Bliss.
Sure, Adam kept wondering what, then, the Blood of God must be, and it was Gladius, their unexpected guest, who provided him with the answer to that question.
Tremble. Tremble. Tremble.
The cube's fragnts trembled slightly, hovering above the case. Purple energy waves wandered around, connecting the pieces, showing that they were all part of a single powerful seal.
All of this was needed only to hide a rare treasure from prying eyes: the vial containing a small amount of blood — special blood.
The vial looked quite simple, just sturdy glass with a cap, but what was truly valuable was what was inside.
One glance was enough for Adam to realize that the blood inside this vial was exactly what he needed.
With every fiber of his being, he sensed that before him lay the Blood of God, one of the two remaining conditions for the Third Grand Star.
But… Gladius felt that wasn't enough.
"W-What?"
Silvana's voice trembled as she took a step back, holding onto the back of a chair to keep from falling.
"What did you just say?"
Gladius nodded deeply, confirming all of their wildest assumptions.
"My words are the truth, and nothing more."
He waved his hand as if presenting a rare exhibit, which wasn't far from the truth.
"If you disregard Adam's condition, what stands before you is none other than Queen Elisa's blood."
Adam gulped.
He heard what Gladius said, but he still hadn't fully grasped his words.
"Queen Elisa's blood…? Where from? No… How? Isn't she now little more than a half-living statue?"
Gladius didn't answer, he just stood in the half-shadow with a slight smile on his face. He was being honest with himself.
Adam and Silvana's reaction, their shock mixed with fear and curiosity, amused him. This was exactly what he had expected.
"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you exactly how this blood was obtained, but you can trust that it is indeed Queen Elisa's blood. As proof, I can offer you a simple demonstration."
With those words, Gladius pulled a simple coin from his pocket and, with a deft motion, tossed it upward.
Based on its trajectory, the coin should have fallen directly onto the vial, but as it approached it, the coin began to spin slower and slower. So force was acting upon it.
In the end, the coin ca to a complete stop, hovering above the vial.
Tremble!
The black cubes trembled as an energy pulse flung the coin aside.
Gladius reached out his hand, nimbly catching the coin.
Adam's pupils dilated as he watched the wisp of smoke rising from Gladius's palm.
'The simple coin reached such trendous speed? No… It's all because of those cubes, in the seal. Gladius did it easily, but I doubt that even Tron or I could open that seal, considering what's inside.'
"But… Why is this my condition? Moreover, how do you know about this?" Adam grew wary.
Gladius waved his hand.
"I have my sources. I knew you would have this reaction to the blood, it's logical, given your condition."
However, Silvana had another concern. Her eyes darted from the vial to Gladius and back.
"Mr. Gladius, we are grateful to you for your earlier help and advice, but where did you get sothing like this? As far as I know, you are not a mber of any of the three main factions. How do you have access to sothing so valuable...?"
Adam nodded.
He was still in shock, but he understood that of all the countless treasures and artifacts found in the vaults throughout the Citadel, Queen Elisa's blood must hold a special place.
In fact, Gladius had an answer.
"I understand your concern. I didn't want to delay this mont any further, so I haven't ntioned one important detail yet."
"Detail?" Adam was confused. "Will that explain where you got this blood?"
Gladius's devious smirk flashed across his face for a mont before vanishing into his calm expression.
"To so extent, yes, Adam. I'm afraid that since our first eting, you've been unaware of one fact about . It's important for you to understand the current situation better."
Under their gaze, he placed his hand on his chest and nodded slightly.
"You're right, I'm not a mber of any of the three main factions. I don't belong to any organization. But the man I work for wields vast influence throughout the Citadel."
A shiver ran down Adam's spine as Gladius waved his hand.
"Aiden Henk. I'm sure you're both familiar with that na, especially you, Adam, aren't you?"
Adam's heart began to race. Every ti Gladius revealed a secret, it struck him with shock.
"You… Do you work with Aiden Henk? But… How? You helped back then. Why didn't you say anything?!"
Gladius spread his arms wide, shaking his head theatrically with a sad look.
"Last ti, there just wasn't a suitable mont. Besides, you didn't ask about it. Now, there's no point in hiding it anymore."
Step.
He stepped aside, stopping in front of the vial.
"You must understand that even though I acted of my own free will, without Aiden's approval, I wouldn't have brought sothing so valuable here. So, to so extent, this is yet another thing for which you can thank him."
Adam clenched his fists in anger.
"Thank him? Do you even know what he did?"
Gladius put a finger to his mouth, mimicking a gesture of silence.
"Of course I know. But, now… It's ti to get down to business. Am I right, Xyrea?"
Adam wanted to step forward, but sothing stopped him.
Deep in Gladius's eyes, he saw a figure standing behind them, a woman with long purple hair, waiting all this ti in the shadows for her Phantom's command.
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