Chapter 10: Renegades
Bastain took another sip of his wine, savoring the taste for a few moments before setting the cup down. He was really happy that he had gotten to keep some of the old Sentinel's stuff. His predecessor's wine collection was incredibly diverse, and almost as old as he was.
"I'm assuming you already know about Heart shards," he asked, turning his attention back to Arbus.
Arbus was still processing Bastain's words. For the last few years, it had been one of the things he thought about the most. He had always wondered why Bastain, the Sentinel, had put his faith into him years ago, when he was simply a mere child.
The sudden shift in topic had caught him off guard. "Of course I do. Every Renegade does. Sentry or not."
Heart shards were the core of the organization known as the Renegades. They were the only reason the species of the Rendes universe had been able to stand against the Reincarnators. Their origins were well known. They were fragments mined...
From the very heart of the Universe.
By the Emperor himself.
For some unknown reason, the Heart shards resonated deeply with the life force of those within the Rendes universe.
Little remained of the knowledge from the lost era, but it was widely known, thanks to the Emperor, that the Heart shards enabled the people of that time to rise up against the Reincarnators who ruled the universe. That uprising was what led to the formation of the Renegades later on.
"What does that have to do with our conversation?" Arbus asked, perplexed.
Bastain continued, ignoring Arbus's question. "I'm sure you are also aware of the Stages of attunement."
"Stage 1: Bonding."
"Stage 2: Surge."
"Stage 3: Integration."
"Stage 4: Harmony."
"Stage 5: Dominion, my current stage."
"Stage 6: Ascension."
"Stage 7: Sage."
"Stage 8: Transcendence."
"Stage 9: Exodus."
Bastain paused for a second.
"There is a hypothetical 10th stage however, that most are unaware of. The stage the previous Emperor attempted to reach
"Stage 10: Genesis."
Arbus's brow furrowed.
He was surprised that Bastian was simply giving him this information.
Bastian leaned back again. "The Heart shards are truly quite amazing, but most species can only go so far with them before reaching their limit. It pains me to say this, but the Emperor has unfortunately reached his. He's the most powerful man I've ever met. And yet it wasn't enough."
Bastian's expression darkened.
"The day is coming"
"The day his lifespan will reach its limit, and a new Emperor will be chosen from the Pinnacles to continue the same cycle."
Arbus's eyes widened, his breath catching for a split second.
"..What?"
"My hope for you, Arbus," Bastain continued, "is for you to break that cycle. You're the only Renegade alive who could possibly reach Stage 10. A stage so powerful, that the previous Emperor believed it would grant him power on the level of the Primordial."
"That's your ultimate goal, right? To kill the Primordial.
"All I want to do is help you along towards that goal as much as I can, for the sake of this universe and its people."
"Wait, what are you saying!? Are you saying the Emperor is dying!?" Arbus shouted, unable to control himself, his voice laced with disbelief.
Bastain tilted his head. "Isn't it only natural? He's been alive for such a long time already. Contrary to popular belief, he is not immortal. It's only natural that even his time eventually runs out, as well."
He took another sip of wine, before setting it down. "Unfortunately, the moment it does.."
"Will be the darkest period this universe will ever experience. A day unlike any other. The Second Chance group will make their move, and we will most likely end up losing at least half our universe to them."
Arbus's face hardened, his gaze dropping to the floor. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. The Emperor had always been a symbol of peace and hope for the universe. For everyone still alive today, they had only ever known what the universe was like under his rule. He didn't want to imagine what it would look like after his death.
"It's an impending crisis," Bastain added, his tone grave, "that every Sentinel and above knows is coming, whether we like it or not."
They both remained silent for several moments.
Arbus looked up, his gaze landing on Bastain again. "So you're saying you want me to be the weapon against the Primordial, because you believe I can reach the 10th stage of attunement and become one myself?"
Bastain nodded once, his expression unreadable. "I do, yes."
The room fell into another minute of silence as neither of them said anything for a while.
Arbus finally broke the silence, as he chuckled. "....Aren't you putting a little too much faith in me?"
Bastain raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? Why do you say that?"
Arbus's lips twitched into a faint, bitter smile. He took a step closer to the desk, his gaze locking onto Bastain's. "You're very good at hiding it, Bastain, truly. But unfortunately, it's easy for me to see through you. Especially after everything I've experienced. I can tell you're just like Mitz. You see my use. You want to help me. You want to trust me."
"...But you don't. Not really. You can't get the possibility of me turning against you out of your mind."
Bastain remained silent for a moment, his expression blank.
Then he let out a soft sigh. "You can tell, huh? I guess I'm not really as great of an actor as I'd like to believe. Quite a shame, really," he said with a chuckle.
He leaned back, his stern expression returning as he met Arbus's gaze. "Can you blame me Arbus?"
"It's an unfortunate thing, but even with my mindset and my plans for you... it's not easy to fully trust anyone connected to a Reincarnator."
Arbus's jaw tightened, but he didn't look away.
"Especially," Bastain continued. "since I'm hoping you climb the ranks of the Renegades, until you become the Emperor yourself and then surpass that."
He leaned forward, his hands clasped on his desk. "I can't predict the future, Arbus. I can only speculate. Right now, I'm speculating that, based on your experiences, you'd be more willing to help this universe, given your ties here and your hatred for Humans. But change is an ever constant thing."
"Halfway through my plan, you could easily change as well. Maybe because of your kinship with them, or maybe because of some random relationship you develop with a Reincarnator. Or maybe, it's the bond with your father, who could eventually convince you to turn against this universe."
He paused, his gaze piercing. "I currently have no way of changing that. So I believe it's only natural to wonder if you'll become this universe's savior.... or its destroyer."
Arbus's faint smile returned as he nodded slowly. "I understand your situation completely."
"Honestly, I wouldn't trust myself either."
He paused for a moment, then continued.
"So I want you to watch me. For as long as you can. And if at any point, you believe that my motivation has deviated, then you're free to do whatever you need to do to stop me, before I reach the stage where you can't."
"....And what if you've already reached that stage before the deviation happens?" Bastain asked curiously.
"I don't know. Unfortunately, I don't have all the answers either. But I'm willing to search for them with your help.'