Sequelae

"You know, when I got the call about this, my reaction was… unexpected. I thought I would be surprised, but with the way you've been acting recently, your actions didn't seem impossible," remarked Theodore calmly, his gaze fixed on Ivan sitting across the table.

Commander Theodore Fireheart—his hair, beard, and eye color betrayed the truth of his lineage. The fiery red colors made his appearance more imposing. Even while sitting, he towered over Ivan, his physique speaking of his strength.

It was no surprise that this man was among the top 50 ranked officers of AetherGuard.

Normally, the top 50 ranked officers would never be found at the headquarters unless there was an emergency since they were usually at the border of Eclipsis. Having such powerful figures there ensured that external threats were close to none, especially now that tensions were rising.

Theodore, however, was an exception since he was the ranked officer in charge of overseeing all the activities in AetherGuard, reporting directly to the person above.

"It was a mistake, Lord Theodore. I will make sure to—"

"Do you even listen to yourself, Captain?" Theodore interrupted Ivan. "You call this a mistake? You let one of the most influential figures in the criminal underworld and a high-ranking member of Legion escape, and not only that, you destroyed a large part of Luminescent Haven's Zone 15 in your battle. I believe this to be more than a mere mistake!"

"Forgive my choice of words," Ivan responded. He could sense Theodore's growing anger, and despite how much lack of care he held, he knew better than to let that anger thrive.

"Your team was created for a reason, and if you cannot utilize them like you should, then I would have no choice but to do what is necessary. You have set this agency back significantly in our search for both those people," Theodore voiced with an underlying tone of anger. "You are a captain, for heaven's sake! If you can't control yourself, then how do you expect your subordinates to do the same?"

Throughout this conversation, Ivan's gaze had been locked with Theodore's. Ivan took in a deep breath, then broke eye contact as he exhaled.

"I come from one of the most powerful noble houses in Eclipsis," Theodore said, "As much as I worked hard to be what I am today, that was my stable foundation. You have nothing, and yet you are what you are, but that is what makes it all worth more to you because a single bad decision, and it all crumbles down."

Ivan remained silent as these words were thrown at him, and Theodore could not decide if it was because of remorse or he just didn't care about all of this.

"Well… say something," Theodore urged.

Ivan shrugged, "It's not like I could change the outcome of what's about to happen now, can I?"

"You are suspended until I say you're fit to come back. Tempest Vanguard will be inactive until then as well. As per the rules, you're still allowed to work within AetherGuard's jurisdiction, but benefits associated with your rank and other perks are revoked. Leave my office," Theodore commanded.

__________

The door automatically closed behind Ivan as he walked out of the office. He stood in the lonely hallway as a thousand thoughts crossed his mind.

He knew Theodore was right. He was jeopardizing his future in AetherGuard, but still, his heart kept urging him forward.

There was no way he would be able to rest when the person who had destroyed his life was still out there.

Ivan was broken, and the only thing keeping him together was his rage. If he let go of that… he would shatter like glass.

He leaned back on the door and closed his eyes while facing the ceiling.

It's been two years, but he could still see Eve begging for him to help her with her tear-filled eyes. Struggling to breathe as her neck was held tightly from behind.

BANG!

Ivan had hit the door so hard that it created a dent. Inside the office, Theodore could see the bulge on the door, and he released a sigh. He could sense Ivan walking away.

Theodore's composure returned as a beeping circle appeared on his table. He tapped on it, and a weathered, ancient voice echoed through the room.

"Commander," the voice called out.

"At your service, my lord," Theodore replied with a respectful tone.

"I trust Captain Ivan has been dealt with?" The voice asked.

"Yes, my lord. As requested, he has been indefinitely suspended, and Tempest Vanguard disbanded until his return," Theodore affirmed.

"Good."

"But I have to ask, my lord, issues of these natures are something you usually leave to me. So why did you decide to handle this?" Theodore asked out of curiosity.

"Just keep up the good work, Commander; everything will reveal itself in time," the voice responded.

"Of course, my lord, as you wish."

"For the glory of Eclipsis," the voice stated.

"For the glory of Eclipsis," Theodore responded.

With a beeping sound, the call ended, and Theodore exhaled before tapping on the table twice, and a blank holographic screen appeared.

"Welcome back, Commander Fireheart. How may I assist you?" an automated female voice sounded.

"Check recent history and open up the Shadowcaster investigation file."

A loading screen appeared and disappeared a few seconds later, only to be replaced by almost a hundred photos of Ivan and thousands of written documents.

Ever since Ivan's sudden rise in AetherGuard, Theodore had grown suspicious. He didn't act on his suspicions at first, but when he started to get attention from the person above, Theodore deduced that something more was at play.

As much as he wanted to believe it was because of his phenomenal talent as a mage, to be able to get to rank 7 before he was even two hundred years old, there still had to be more to it.

Even though such talent was rare among commoners, it wasn't as rare among the young members of the noble houses, so even if he deserved some of the attention he was getting, this was much more attention than people more privileged than him got!

Who exactly was Ivan Shadowcaster, and how did he, someone with no relation to a noble house, get to this point?

Theodore's suspicions deepened after the attack two years ago by The Legion where Ivan was targeted by who the agency believed to be one of their most powerful figures.

To be able to wreck that much destruction in mere seconds and brush off the full-fledged attack of a rank 7 mage, that person needed to be somewhere around the final stage of rank 8!

There was just too much going around in his life to be considered normal, so away from the eyes of the agency, Theodore launched a full-on investigation on Ivan.

So far, everything came off as ordinary, and there was nothing unnatural about Ivan Shadowcaster, but Theodore was unmoved.

He had lived for hundreds of years, and when something was off, he always knew.

"What are you hiding, Shadowcaster?" Theodore murmured.