My Shard Bearer System - Elias's Legacy
Chapter 61: An offer to the Trio

Chapter 61: An offer to the Trio

A faint white glow clung to Paul’s wrist as his Ikona activated, its presence materializing with an almost fluid motion. The air around him shifted subtly, refracting light like a heatwave. A spiral of multicolored glass began to swirl around his arm, condensing into a single, precise point.

The glass-like projectile fired with a sharp crack, hurtling toward Silas at impossible speed.

Silas didn’t flinch.

Before the attack could reach him, Rirana stepped forward, tossing a small capsule to the ground. It popped with a faint hiss, releasing a grotesque mound of flesh—a patchwork monstrosity of stitched-together body parts that lurched to life as the projectile made contact.

The effect was instantaneous.

The glass energy spread across the creature’s surface like wildfire. The glowing, multicolored ripple expanded outward from the point of impact, transforming its flesh into a transparent, glass-like material. The veins and muscles froze mid-pulse, locking the grotesque patchwork in place as it let out a guttural, distorted wail. Its body trembled violently, the ripple threatening to overtake it entirely.

Silas, unaffected, watched casually as the creature writhed. He strolled forward, unhurried, reaching into his pouch.

"Such predictable results," Silas muttered, pulling out a sleek syringe filled with a dark, swirling liquid. He knelt by the edge of the grotesque mass, plunging the needle into what might have once been its chest.

As the contents of the syringe emptied, the effects began to shift.

The glass-like surface stopped spreading, its crystalline edges shrinking as the transformation visibly reversed. The glass structure fractured and cracked, breaking apart and dissolving like vapor. Flesh that had turned transparent reverted to its original grotesque form—if it could even be called original.

Paul, watching the entire process unfold, clenched his fists. "What the hell did you just do?"

"You wouldn’t understand," Silas said with a smirk. "But since I’m feeling generous, here’s the gist."

"You’re using the chemical hydrogen peroxide and sodium percarbonate along with blood that has come into contact with soul energy to attack and eliminate its presence. Almost like bleaching a surface clean."

He extended a hand toward them, his expression unreadable.

"If you’d like to join me, I can spare your lives now."

The trio stood still for a moment, their eyes fixed on Silas’ outstretched hand, his white glove pristine despite the dust swirling through the air. The fabric of his coat shifted slightly in the wind, his confidence unwavering.

Kikaru exhaled sharply, eyes darting between Paul and Colby before speaking.

"Listen, it’s not that some of us might not want to join a rebellion against the military—or whatever faction you’re really fighting." Her voice was edged with frustration. "But we have much bigger problems. There’s a possible alien invasion looming over us, and we don’t even know what they’re coming back with."

Her teeth clenched as she took a step forward, her patience snapping.

"THERE IS NO TIME FOR THIS SHIT!"

Silas remained composed, lowering his extended hand but keeping his expression neutral.

"On the contrary, my dear Kikaru, this is precisely the time to plant the seeds of succession."

His tone was even, but there was an underlying weight to his words.

"Your grandfather and those sitting atop the world’s throne aren’t looking for balance or fairness. They will use the threat of an alien attack as a pretext—a means to lock the world into permanent rule under a government that no longer has checks, no longer has balances."

His hand gestured outward, as if painting a picture in the air.

"The world is already fracturing. Entire cities remain in ruins from the last invasion. Law and order exist only where the military can afford to place its foot. And now, with alien technology at their fingertips, do you think they’ll relinquish that power?"

His voice darkened slightly. "No. They’ll turn these Ikonas into weapons of control. And those who resist?" His eyes flicked toward them, "They’ll be erased."

Paul let out a short, humorless chuckle. "You’re really selling this whole ’fight the system’ thing, huh? You sound like a scorned kid who didn’t get to play in the big leagues."

Silas’ smirk didn’t waver, but there was a shift in his demeanor—calculated, controlled.

"If that’s all you think this is, you’re not paying attention."

Colby crossed his arms, his tone blunt. "We saw what you did back there. You brainwashed civilians and sent them to die. Don’t act like you’re any better than the people you claim to fight."

Silas inhaled slightly, before exhaling in a quiet sigh.

"I won’t deny that I had to make... calculated moves." His voice was softer, almost contemplative. "But I do what I must to stay ahead."

He lifted his hand to his mouth, fingers lightly pressing against his lips before dropping them.

"All those you saw fighting? They were already dead. I merely manipulated their bodies—stimulated their neural pathways to act as a distraction. My real soldiers? I don’t waste them."

Paul’s fists tightened. "That’s supposed to make it better?"

Silas tilted his head slightly. "You’d rather they be used for nothing? Besides, I left Dr. Anders alive for a reason. The things I extracted from his mind—" he paused, his expression unreadable, "It’s disturbing. Even to me."

The wind picked up slightly, carrying the weight of his words in the silence that followed.

"That cube you think you understand?" His voice lowered slightly. "It goes back much further than you realize. Dr. Anders knows more than he’s been letting on."

He exhaled, shifting his posture slightly before speaking again.

"Come with me, and I’ll show you everything. I’ll make sure you’re protected. You’ll see what they’ve been hiding."

The moment lingered for only a second before Colby’s arms relaxed at his sides, his hands subtly moving outward. The air around his palms began to shift, currents forming in a slow, deliberate motion.

Colby took a slow breath, his stance firm as he finally spoke.

"I’m sorry," he said, his voice steady. "I really would love to take that offer. But for the well-being of someone I have to protect, I can’t risk making an enemy of the military."

Silas gave a slight nod, his expression unreadable. "I see... I thought as much."

His gaze flicked to Paul.

"And you, Paul Wilshire?"

Paul’s brow twitched slightly at the use of his full name. "You know who I am." His voice was even, unwavering. "It’s still a no from me. I won’t repeat my reasoning."

Silas studied him for a brief moment, then exhaled through his nose.

"So be it."

His fingers snapped.

A chain of controlled detonations erupted in a perfect line around them, bursts of flame rising from tiny capsules buried in the ground. The sudden wall of fire cast flickering light against the metal plating of the landing bay, trapping them inside a ring of heat.

Kikaru’s eyes narrowed, shifting slightly to glance at the floor. Tiny metallic legs twitched beneath the flames.

Rirana had been setting this up the entire time.