The chill of the deep sea surrounded Rhea as she made her way through the dimly lit corridors of Hellsea Bastille. The pressure of the ocean above seemed to weigh down on everything. Walls, ceilings, even the air itself felt thick, almost suffocating. Yet, Rhea strode forward, undeterred. She had already spent several days in this submerged prison, her mind still buzzing from her recent encounter with Erebus. She had grown familiar with the place, its inhabitants, and the eerie silence that would occasionally be broken by the muffled roars of the beasts that prowled the waters outside. Gigantic sea creatures, their silhouettes barely visible through the reinforced windows, loomed and passed by, ever-watchful guardians of this fortress.

The prison itself was a massive, towering structure plunging deep into the seabed, with each level sinking further into the abyss. Rhea moved through the upper levels now, where the prisoners were slightly less dangerous, petty criminals compared to the monsters below. Still, the clanging of chains echoed all around her, along with the sharp, rasping voices of the prisoners. Some of them hurled curses her way, others pleaded for freedom or simply tried to catch her attention.

"Hey, Sergeant!" one of them barked. "You too good to talk to us now?"

Another inmate banged on the iron bars of his cell, rattling the metal so hard it reverberated like a drumbeat. "Rune Knight! What’re you here for, huh? Trying to prove something?"

The Stellan kept her eyes forward, her expression stone-cold. She didn’t so much as flinch at their attempts to rile her up. Once, she might have spat back, letting her temper get the better of her, but now there was no room for such distractions. Rage, yes. But a cold, calculated rage that simmered just beneath the surface. Her thoughts were consumed by the weight of her father’s legacy, by the trail of blood and betrayal that had shaped her existence. Vengeance was her only focus now.

Each step she took was heavy with purpose, the black boots she wore echoing through the corridor. Rune Knights stationed at various points along the walls acknowledged her with stiff nods as she passed by, but none dared engage her in conversation. There was something about her lately that kept even her own comrades at bay, a hardened edge that had only sharpened in the days since she'd been stationed here.

She descended deeper into the belly of the prison, her senses sharp. The faintest scent of saltwater clung to the air, mixed with rust and mold from the corroding metal that lined the halls. The further down she went, the darker the levels became, and the more dangerous the criminals. Some of the cells she passed were in complete shadow, hiding the horrors inside. Others housed notorious mages, who watched her with predatory eyes, smirking as she passed. But the closer she got to the heart of Hellsea Bastille, the fewer sounds there were. The deeper she descended, the more silence swallowed her.

Still, the question lingered in her mind: Why had she been requested here? She had yet to meet the high-ranking official who had summoned her, and the rumors had already begun swirling among the Rune Knights stationed at the prison. Was she being punished for her connection to Erebus? Had the Magic Council discovered her doubts about her role as a Rune Knight? Or had they finally realized that they needed her—that she could be more than just a soldier following orders?

As she approached the final door, which led to the office of the official, her pulse quickened. It wasn’t fear, it was anticipation. She wanted answers. Whether she was being reprimanded or recruited for something different, it didn’t matter. Her path was already set. Vengeance drove her, clouded her sense of right and wrong, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered now was that she kept moving forward.

The door loomed ahead, a heavy iron slab with no windows, no sign of what was on the other side. With a steady breath, Rhea reached for the handle, her grip firm, her heart cold. Whatever waited for her in that office, she would face it head-on, as she always had. There was no turning back.

The door flew open, and Rhea stepped through with a measured stride, her boots hitting the cold stone floor of the office with a deliberate cadence. The room was darker than expected, dimly lit by a single, hanging lantern that cast long shadows across the stone walls. The scent of metal and brine filled the air, a subtle reminder of the crushing ocean that surrounded them while the hum of distant machinery resonated through the walls of Hellsea Bastille.

Rhea’s expression remained neutral, but her mind raced. There had been far too much weighing on her conscience lately, from her discovery of her father’s rebellion, and the sickness she had developed, down to her simmering anger at the Rune Knights for their complacency. Each step into the room felt heavier than the last, her inner turmoil roiling just beneath her cold exterior. And then, she saw him. Her heart stopped for a brief moment.

Konstantin Sokolov.

Her eyes widened in recognition, though she quickly schooled her expression. The former General. The man whose name echoed through the ranks of the Rune Knights like a legend, but also like a cautionary tale. His form, as imposing as she had heard, loomed before her—a mixture of chrome and flesh, more machine than man. His presence was undeniable, casting an aura of quiet authority, though tarnished by the whispers of corruption that followed him.

"You called for me, Colonel Sokolov?" Rhea asked, her voice even, but laced with a sharpness that could cut. She moved closer, her gaze unwavering as she stopped a few feet from his desk. Her Stellan accent, more pronounced in the confines of the quiet room, curled around her words like a soft, but deliberate challenge.

As the Storm Weaver waited for the fallen general to respond, she couldn't help but study him. The gleam of polished metal reflected the dim light, his mechanical limbs a testament to the power and ruthlessness that had once defined him. He had been at the heart of the Rune Knights’ reform - some praised him for it, while others couldn’t forget the cost of his decisions. The corruption, the bloodshed. His demotion was a mystery to many, but here he was in this suffocating underwater prison.

Rhea’s thoughts flickered like lightning. Why here? Why would a man of his stature be stationed in a place like Hellsea? Was this punishment? Or something else entirely? Rhea had never been one to trust too easily, especially not after everything she had endured. But she also wasn’t blind to the fact that being summoned by a figure like Konstantin was no ordinary call.

The office itself mirrored his cold, mechanical presence. The walls were bare, save for a single emblem of the Rune Knights hanging like an afterthought, dulled and weathered from years of neglect. It didn’t feel like a place of power - it felt more like a tomb, a relic of something that had once been grand but was now forgotten. Rhea straightened her posture, her eyes narrowing slightly as she met his gaze. Whatever game the colonel was playing....

"I’m curious," she continued, her voice lowering with a hint of suspicion. "Why would someone like you want to see someone like me? Last I checked, I wasn’t important enough to draw the attention of a former General." Her words were edged with a daring challenge, though measured. She would not tolerate disrespect, but she also wasn’t foolish enough to provoke him recklessly.

Rhea stood still as Kon circled her, his presence imposing, but not enough to intimidate. She kept her expression neutral, the weight of his stare barely registering to her as anything more than a provocation. His remark referring to her as “serviceable” echoed in her mind, a thinly veiled judgment, as if she were an object, evaluated for utility and not worth. A flicker of irritation crossed her, but she kept it buried deep, opting to remain composed. Her gray eyes followed his movements, taking note, the way his mechanical parts moved with precision, the cold detachment in his gaze. Rhea could feel him assessing her, testing the limits of her patience and resolve.

When he finally spoke of Stella, the slightest of smiles tugged at her lips, but it was far from a kind one. The Major let him finish before offering her own correction.

"With all due respect, Colonel," her voice laced with the grace of her Stellan accent, calm yet unyielding, "the Rune Knights may not have formally answered the call to arms, but Fiore’s hands are far from clean. Some of your nation’s most revered heroes aided in that war, and many of them were Rune Knights—your own, standing beside Brunhilde, a zealot who bathed my homeland in blood and destruction."

Her eyes narrowed, just for a moment, but her expression softened again quickly, pulling back the storm that swirled beneath. "Perhaps they were not officially deployed, but many of them sought to defeat the resistance. We mustn't forget that."

There was no tremor in her voice as she spoke. She wasn’t foolish enough to be led into believing the Rune Knights had simply overlooked Stella. No, they had played their part, albeit discreetly. Her words hung in the air like a blade drawn, poised but not yet striking. She wanted Kon to know that she wasn’t a naive patriot blindly loyal to a corrupt organization.

"And as for my service to the Rune Knights…" She paused, her silver eyes gleaming under the dim light of the office, calculating whether she should speak her next words. "I harbor no love for Fiore or the Knights. I joined for the immunity, the resources, and of course, the jewels. I had no illusions of loyalty. This… organization has never served me, Colonel, nor my people."

There was a dangerous glint in her eyes now, her words like frost settling on cold steel. What The Stellan said could easily have her stripped of her rank, maybe even worse, but the thought did not faze her. Rhea was nearing the end of her time with the Rune Knights anyway, having already begun the process of emotionally and mentally detaching from the institution. Whatever punishments Kon could dish out no longer held any sway over her decisions. The silence that followed felt heavy. She let him absorb her words, and then, after a breath, she pressed on, probing deeper into his intentions.

"I see now why you’ve called for me." Her voice lowered, as if weaving her words with subtlety, careful not to step too directly into accusation. "I can’t help but wonder if these plans… involve leading something new? A different organization, perhaps, one that aligns with your own vision now that your title has been taken?"

She tilted her head, her tone curious but cautious, though her mind was far sharper than her words let on. "Or… perhaps this is something more personal. A reclamation of what you feel was unjustly taken from you? A petition to the council, perhaps?"

She let her question linger, unspoken accusation simmering just beneath the surface, careful not to overplay her hand. She wasn’t entirely certain, but his hints were enough to spark the notion that he wasn’t merely planning to sit idly in demotion. His allusions to Stella’s suffering and the role of Fiore in her people’s oppression seemed to be more than a casual conversation topic.

Was this about vengeance? A new power play? The allure of it all intrigued her, but she wanted more clarity before she fully invested. With Fiorian politicians and soldiers, one could never be too sure, and Rhea was not one to leap into the unknown without first studying the shadows.

Rhea’s composure, though outwardly calm, masked the tempestuous fury stirring within her. The revelation that Kon hailed from Bosco...Bosco of all places, sent a jolt of anger through her. For a split moment, she envisioned unleashing a storm upon him, tearing through his poised demeanor with the same ferocity that once ravaged her homeland. Yet, her restraint, honed by battle and self-discipline, kept the tempest at bay. She steadied herself, observing him with a gaze as sharp as the blade she carried.

The irony clawed at her. A man from Bosco, the very land that sought to conquer Stella, sat before her as a superior officer. But Kon, ever unpredictable, apologized. The tension in the room shifted subtly when he not only admitted his error but disowned any allegiance to Bosco, denouncing the nation that had once been his home. His words tempered the storm within her, though she remained cautious, unwilling to fully accept his sincerity just yet. But, the Major had known Boscosi who loathed their own kind, rebels in their hearts, much like she had known Stellans willing to betray their own.

Sorceress's eyes followed the Machine man's every movement as he produced documents from the drawer, her mind racing ahead of him, trying to anticipate the next revelation. She listened intently, still quiet, as he spoke of creating something new, of breaking away from the oppressive grip of the Magic Council, of plans set in motion. Her interest deepened, but she revealed none of it. Not yet.

Then the door locked with a forceful gust of wind. The subtle shift in atmosphere wasn’t lost on her; the weight of the room pressed down as Kon, with a flick of his fingers, revealed the contents of the files, burning away the ones that he believed didn't matter. Rhea’s breath caught slightly when she understood what was before her. Information. Critical, damning information. Evidence of the atrocities committed against her people and who had committed them. And he, the former General, was offering it to her, along with something far more valuable...his assistance.

For a long moment, silence filled the space between them. Rhea’s thoughts raced, assessing every angle of this offer. It could be a trap, a cunning setup to test her loyalty or catch her in an act of treason. But the risk… the risk was one she was willing to take. Trust was a delicate thing, fragile in its infant stages, and though Kon had given her this olive branch he would need to earn her trust fully, just as she would have to earn his. Leverage could only carry one so far before the stakes grew too high.

With deliberate grace, Rhea extended her hand, calling upon her magic. The wind responded to her command, lifting the documents off the table and guiding them to her fingertips. As she began to flip through the pages, her silver eyes skimmed the lines and absorbed the weight of what was written. When she finally spoke, her voice was steady, but it carried an undercurrent of intensity, a quiet strength woven into each word.

"Alright. You have my word, Colonel," The Stellan said as her tone held both a formality and a subtle challenge. She acknowledged the gravity of the promise while hinting at the fact that her word was not given lightly. Her gaze remained on the papers for a moment longer before returning to him as sharp as ever. "Seeing as you have presented me with...course changing information, you must be eager for whatever it is you want."

"But, there are great risks that come with opposing not just the Rune Knights, but the Magic Council. If I am to be a part of whatever it is you're building, and whatever it is you're planning…" she trailed off, her voice lowering, almost conspiratorial now, "I will need more details."

Her eyes, piercing and unwavering, locked onto his. The weight of her next words hung in the air, laden with purpose. "What role do you expect me to play, and who else have you recruited?"

Rhea’s calm facade was deceptive. She was no fool. She knew full well the danger she was stepping into, but she also knew that vengeance came at a price. If Kon had the tools to help her achieve what she desired; vengeance for Stella, for her people, then she would pay whatever price was necessary. But she would not walk blindly into this. If he wanted the Sorceress to trust him, she would press for answers, demand clarity. Only then could she decide the full extent of her involvement.

Rhea clutched the documents tightly, her eyes unflinching as Konstantin unfolded his plan. Her mind whirled, stitching revelation after revelation together with the weight of the commitment she had just made. In just a few moments, she placed herself squarely against the Rune Knights.

As Kon recounted his hand in the Rune Knights' evolution, her mind wandered to memories of allies and friendships forged during her early days within its ranks. Faces and names meandered through her mind, and she knew that sooner or later she would have to betray those bonds. Once, they had been friends, comrades even, but here she stood on this journey of protection for Stella, knowing full well the undeniable truth that the Rune Knights were far from the paragons of justice they boasted themselves to be. They had abandoned her homeland, and clinging onto them despite such betrayal would eat her soul bit by bit. For the sake of her father's legacy, The Sorceress couldn't afford to fall into that trap.

Rhea's gaze sharpened as he finished, stating his intent to reclaim the construct--a move she knew would stir the hornet's nest. And then there was Kon's final request: for her to not only assist in this daring endeavor but to guard him during its most vulnerable stages. "Gods protect me, for I think I have given my word way too soon." The Wood-elf muttered within a sigh, bringing her hand to her head as if utterly disappointed by the plan. She held her silence, considering his request, then exhaled slowly as she leaned forward, arching a brow.

"You've gone mad." The Sorceress began, her tone a calm current beneath the tension. "You not only intend to take back the very building you offered to the government, but now you wish to carry it away, bold as daylight. And you expect me to do what, Konstantin? Cut down Knights as you take this…monumental construct and we fade into the sunset?" She leaned her head to one side, the tone dry, if slightly amused. "Perhaps you could let me in on who else is privy to this whole ordeal. Knowing who walks alongside me may make it easier to visualize how you expect us to bring this plan to life, for I assure you, even in Fiore, a man cannot simply carry a building on his back."

Rhea held her gaze on him, awaiting an answer with patient but pressing curiosity.