In Chaos, Lies Opportunity

"No..."

"..."

"..."

Silence stretched between them, thick and weighty like a fog… The dim glow of the kerosene lamp cast wavering shadows, dancing like waves… There was…

No reaction… 

It was for only but an instant, but Alton's eyes— sharp and discerning, widened ever so slightly and a bead of sweat traced its way down his forehead. 

Then, instantly his eyes narrowed once again. 

Now somehow more scrutinizing he gazed, observing every micro-expression, every slight twitch or hesitation. But, all he saw was an open book of emptiness— A void… the slave mark inert and unlit. There was no doubt… The truth was spoken.

Alton leaned back, the creak of his chair breaking the heavy silence. He tapped his pen against the desk, a rhythm now oh so familiar, as if to summon his thoughts. "Tell me about what happened then, from your perspective. Everything. Don't leave out any detail, no matter how insignificant it might seem."

"Yes, Captain," Zephyr began, his voice steady but tinged with emotion. "Me and Skylar were in the mines, mining a large deposit of arcane crystals when Norman came threatening to hurt us unless we handed over our crystals. To keep Skylar safe, I sent her away and agreed to Norman's threats– once she was out of harm's way. But Norman... he still attacked me. When we fought... I still don't understand how, but I managed to beat and restrain him. Maybe it was luck, or perhaps he had already been weakened… I really don't know…"

Zephyr paused, collecting his thoughts. "After the fight, we talked, Captain. You see, I only just woke up, and I was new to this prison… I was confused and looking for answers… So, I decided to just take advantage of what happened and asked him… I honestly couldn't have predicted what happened next… Norman and I, we shared stories, laughed together... In that brief time, I felt... a strange kinship with him… When we parted, I thought we had formed a special bond… He was one of my first-ever friends…"

"You talked with him as if he were an old comrade… After… beating him up?" Alton asked, his tone a mix of skepticism and intrigue.

"I suppose, Captain. It might sound odd, but that's the truth. I had no intention of playing nice, I was only interested in myself when I managed to win. But… As we talked, I realized he wasn't evil, just... desperate, like all of us here."

"And the injuries you inflicted on him during the fight? How did you subdue him?" Alton pressed on.

"Nothing serious I think, Captain. A knee to the stomach, but he seemed to recover quickly from it, and I subdued him using his belt by tying his foot to a rock…" Zephyr replied, his voice low.

"What about when you last saw him? Didn't it concern you when he didn't follow you?"

Zephyr's gaze drifted apathetically, lost in the memory. "I assumed he needed time to gather himself. My vision was injured and blurred from the fight, so my last glimpse of him was very unclear… I went to go see if I could clear it somewhere else"

"And the sound of falling rocks? Didn't you hear anything?" Alton probed.

"Rocks falling? No, Captain, I heard nothing of the sort. Maybe I was too far away by then, or I wasn't paying attention…."

Alton sat back, his expression inscrutable. "I see…"

As Alton was making notes something caught his eye. Zephyr's hands had suddenly started to shake, small but noticeable tremors. His breathing off only slightly, yet enough for Alton to notice what was to come…

"How could this have happened, Captain? Norman... he was really my friend…."Zephyr's composure began to crack, his voice breaking and crackling as he spoke. "The thought of people thinking I'd be responsible for his death... it's unbearable. He opened up to me, and now… HE'S DEAD!! WHY WOULD I EVER KILL HIM!? I—" He broke, tears streaming down his face as the weight of the situation seemed to fully hit him.

Alton cut him off, his voice firm yet not unkind. "I believe you, Zephyr. The detector hasn't flagged a single lie. As any fair, self-respecting investigator would, I must trust the evidence before me." He tightened his grip around his pen.

Zephyr wiped his tears, taking several seconds to compose himself with long, deep breaths before he gazed ahead— a firey determined look in his hurting eyes. "Captain, I swear, I'll do everything in my power to help. We must uncover the truth behind this tragedy."

"Your cooperation is appreciated, Zephyr. We'll need all the help we can get to untangle this mystery." He stood up, his uniform creasing as he lazily fixed his spectacles. "A few more questions and you're free to go…"

_________________________________

Prison Guard Urslan (The Arcanist of Flames)

Zephyr. Zephyr. Zephyr. Zephyr.

No matter what I did, he was still all I could think of… And how could I not after he humiliated me like that!? ESPECIALLY IN FRONT OF THE WARDEN!!

That boy was not fucking normal, arrogant ass stood in front of me prepared to die.

Was I really gonna call him special and brave for doing that!? Fuck no, he was retarded! But… really… that boy was definitely not normal… Especially those eyes and his movements… I knew a beast when I saw one!! My eyes and instincts never lied!

To think he'd make even me shudder? He was gonna dodge my last attack… He may have actually caught me off guard and hurt me…

'A fucking dreg!? Hurt me!? AGGHHHHH!!!' I shook my head aggressively, my teeth gritted so hard they began to crackle. 

These thoughts were so untrue, but never got out of my head!!

How could no one else see it!? Even without any Arcane energy, he still managed to do that!? I've told so many people now, but they just laughed at me and called me 'salty'!??!

As I walked through the prison halls, the tall behemoth I was, shook the ground… I needed answers and I had a destination in mind…

'Alton must know something more about this kid… I need to know… Is he really so ordinary and bland as they say!? I refuse to believe that…'

'Hmmmm?' I thought to myself, seeing red, rank 1, wom-like Intrusion arcane spirit glowing on the door handle, meaning that he was busy or there was someone already in there. 'Who cares!! My peace of mind comes first!!' I thought to myself as I barged in.

"HEY!! Alton buddy ol' pal! Mind if I pick your brain on—"

______________________________

The door slammed open with such force that it nearly came off its hinges, interrupting the tense atmosphere in Alton's office. Captain Alton Grey, known for his keen insights and unshakeable calm, shot a sharp glance toward the door, his pen freezing mid-tap on the wooden desk.

"HEY!! Alton buddy ol' pal! Mind if I pick your brain on—"

"Urslan!" Alton's voice was a mixture of surprise and irritation, "Ever heard of knocking you big oaf?!"

Guard Urslan, the towering Arcanist of Flames, stood in the doorway, his massive frame almost filling the space. His expression completely shifted— his face was now flushed, eyes burning with a mix of haunting anger as he slowly turned towards the seat ahead of him with deadpanned eyes…

 "What… is… this… brat… doing… here…?"

Alton sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before removing his spectacles. "Urslan, as you can clearly see, you're interrupting an important interrogation with my suspect. Now, if you'd escort yourself to the door, I'd be happy to discuss whatever you wanted after I'm done with this…"

Urslan's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint reflecting in them as he glared at Zephyr. It was then that Zephyr slowly turned his head, lifting his gaze to meet Urslan's. There was a subtle shift in Zephyr's expression, the faintest curl at the edge of his lips. 

'Why so agitated?' Zephyr seemed to mock.

Perhaps a smirk or perhaps just a trick of the dim light, but to Urslan, it was a taunting, mocking smile, a silent challenge that stirred the embers of his anger into a roaring flame and his veins into bulging pumps.

"Urslan," Alton split the tension, his voice taking on a stern edge, "I won't repeat myself. This is my investigation, and you will respect that. Now leave. We can talk later. Unless… You have something pertaining to my current investigation?"

"DAMN RIGHT I DO! Whatever it is your suspecting him of, he's guilty as fuck! Bastard was just smiling at me!!" Urslan's voice thundered through the room.

"Smiling?" He paused with a sigh. "I guarantee he was doing no such thing… Look at him. If you have any spec of investigative knowledge you'd know he's scared out of his wits right now, yet trying to maintain a facade of bravery… To put it in words your simple brain would understand he's 'scared shitless and pretending to act tough'. Furthermore, even if he was smiling, how could that be any kind of conclusive evidence over this suspected murderer case?"

Urslan's fists clenched, his frustration evident. "DON'T MOCK ME!! It's not just that! It's everything about him. His eyes, his posture, the way he moves... He's hiding something, I know it!"

"Enough, Urslan," Alton interjected firmly. "Your 'gut feeling' isn't evidence. We've gone through the proper procedures. The lie detector—"

"FUCK THE LIE DETECTOR!" Urslan interrupted, his voice booming. "What if it's wrong!? I've been at this long enough to know when someone's off. And this kid… my gut's never wrong… he's off! I trust myself more than that dumb toy!!"

Alton's expression abruptly hardened. "I respect your instincts, Urslan, but my investigation must be grounded in facts, not feelings. You're letting your pride and ignorance cloud your judgment. What kind of justice is your pure instinct!? There is a reason we use a lie-detection artifact! Sanctum would be doomed if people like you were at the helm!"

Urslan bristled at the comment but held his tongue. Alton's words, though harsh, carried weight.

"..."

Finally, it was in this heavy silence that Zephyr chose to speak, his voice cutting through the tension with a calm yet firm resolve. "Sir Urslan, if you have any concrete evidence against me, I'll gladly face it. But suspicion alone isn't enough to prove anything! Like I'd really kill one of my only friends!?"

Urslan's fists clenched involuntarily, his knuckles whitening. His breath quickened, a storm brewing in his chest. The mere thought that this insignificant brat was mocking him, a 5th Act Arcanist of Flames, was unbearable.

'...'

'... What… What am I even thinking?' at that moment, Urslan's gaze softened, a flicker of realization dawning within. 'What am I so flustered about? I'm the one with authority, not him!' Shame and frustration mingled within him; he had been played for far too long. His clenched fists relaxed, and with a heavy, conceding sigh, he said in a calmer tone:

"Fine… Whatever! This is not my jurisdiction, I came here for a purpose, but I guess I'll leave it for another time… But I'm gonna remember this… I'll just be more professional about it next time…" 

"Good grief… Just make sure you don't meddle with Zephyr or his cellmates… If my memory serves me right, the warden prohibited you from even getting close to them! So, if you'd be so kind as to leave, I'll make sure to keep this interaction a secret from her."

Urslan's stance eased, "I appreciate it… Just make sure to keep an eye on this Zephyr for me… He's not normal… And I stand by that," he muttered in a solemn voice, glaring daggers at Zephyr, before turning on his heel and exiting the room with heavy steps, leaving a trail of unspoken mystery and simmering tensions in his wake.

"Apologies for that Zephyr… Urslan is… you see… special…" Alton groaned, 

Turning back to Zephyr. "You're now all but cleared and have nothing to worry about. You're free to go, Zephyr. But you are to stay in solitary confinement while I conduct further investigations as I've yet to see the scene of the crime. Once again, this is just protocol. I'll send someone to fetch you if needed."

Zephyr nodded, a mix of relief and uncertainty in his eyes. "Thank you, Captain. I just want the truth to come out."

"Worry not. With me, the truth always prevails,"

Alton picked up an old telephone. Its brass body was adorned with intricate engravings of mysterious symbols and a crystalline dial that glowed faintly with an otherworldly light. He dialled using the crystalline knobs, each turn emitting a soft, harmonious chime. The device hummed with a subtle energy as he called for Lieutenant Robert, the guard from earlier, to escort Zephyr out.

As Zephyr walked out of Alton's office, the captain sat back down, his gaze lingering on the closed door. He picked up his favourite blue embroidered pen, once again tapping it lightly against his desk, lost in thought. Something popped up in his mind. It had bothered him ever since the beginning of the interrogation. He tried to disregard it as he usually did with any other useless information— it was a waste of brain space in his eyes. But for this one, the thought endured and lingered in his mind, like an itch he couldn't quite scratch.

"I better get going to the mines about now… Shouldn't I?" He spoke with a sigh.

Outside, Zephyr was escorted through the dimly lit corridors of the prison. He looked through the bars to his left, past the center chasm that led down to the mines, and up at the hole that revealed the dark sky that shimmered dimly with small, white, beating stars.

His mind raced, thoughts swirling within that dark, empty tempest, 'In this chaos, I can finally see the light…'

Though only but a thread.