Chapter 80: Global Level Deployment Slowly, the fake smile on Finn’s face washed off, and he met Priest’s gaze directly. In the face of his unspoken question, Finn replied with his own unspoken answer: I see what you’re doing... But I’m not playing your game... There was no defiance in his eyes. If anything, it was just a declaration. A declaration that Priest could do anything he wanted, but he was not going to dance to his tune and squirm under him. And Finn knew this was not the Ferropteryx at play. At least not to a large extent. The Ferropteryx’s influence had been calmed by Althea not long before they’d entered the Soul Sanctum, so Finn knew this wasn’t just his soul debts... This was mainly him. The way this man — Priest, looked at Finn like watching him squirm was the natural order of things and Finn should be grateful he wasn’t revealing anything rubbed Finn the wrong way. Do what you want, Finn’s expression said clearly. For a brief moment, genuine surprise flickered across Priest’s face. Then he smiled — a brief smile that was gone so quickly, Finn might have imagined it. Priest held Finn’s gaze for one more meaningful second, then turned away as if Finn was no longer worth mentioning. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂 "Elias," Priest said, already moving toward the observation room’s door with lazy, unhurried steps, "depending on what happens in the next few days, both you and I may be required at the World Tear. There’s also something you should know." He paused at the door, glancing back with his usual bored expression firmly back in place. "There’s a standby order to summon half the Ossuarists from each continent to Feraxia." The way he said it made it clear he knew something the Preceptor didn’t. As if he had information suggesting this standby order wasn’t going to remain on ’standby’ for much longer. "I’m telling you this now," Priest continued with meaning in his tone, "because if the order is actualized, you won’t have time to choose. The summons will be random, chosen directly by the Sanctum’s registry from every jurisdiction. But if you act now, while it’s still theoretical, you can... adjust certain assignments. Move promising talents into positions where they’d be selected. Help people you want to help." He waved a hand vaguely, already stepping through the door. "Just a thought. Do with it what you will." Then he was gone, disappearing into the dimly lit corridor beyond as if he’d never been there at all. Finn immediately released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Relief washed through him, not because Priest had left, but because his gamble had apparently paid off. Besides the fact he just didn’t want to bend to Priest’s will, he was also hinging his bet on the fact that for people like Priest, who seemed to thrive on novelty and interesting reactions, bending to their will was not the right choice. Not that the outcome had changed his resolve, he never would have bent to Priest’s will regardless of the potential consequences. Though now it remained to be seen what Priest’s next move would be. Finn was sure the man had something in store for him... and he was not going to like it. But for the time being, he was safe. He quickly put that to the back of his mind and turned his attention to what Priest had told the Preceptor. Half the Ossuarists from each continent would be summoned to Feraxia... Why such a bold move? The World Tear was described to be similar to what he and Althea had experienced in Aethelos — a pocket space containing remnants of the Lost Age, visible structures beyond a barrier that rejected entry. So what was the real concern? What was inside that plane that required the Ossuary to prepare for potential war and mobilize forces on this scale? Finn already knew about abstract magic, about Transcendent fragments like Althea’s Order, the Preceptor’s Restriction, and Priest’s Truth. But he was sure this secret knowledge was not what the Ossuary was deploying forces on this scale to protect. Everyone would very soon find out about the existence of Abstract magic, and that was if they hadn’t already gotten ideas from the information the Aethelosian Emissary had released back in Xanth. There was only one explanation that made sense to Finn for why the Ossuary could be this domineering and high-handed with their lockdown of the world tear... Unbound fragments. Free Transcendent fragments inside the World Tear. Not already bonded to hosts like Althea or Priest or the Preceptor, but available... Claimable by any Soul Mage. And the Ossuary wanted control of them before anyone else could reach them. It was the only logical reason for this level of mobilization. The only thing that would justify risking open war with continental powers. Finn filed the theory away, watching as Preceptor Elias stood in silence for a long moment, clearly pondering Priest’s words. Then the old man reached into his robes and withdrew a specialized scroll, one that Finn recognized as a long-distance communication artifact. Using his single hand, the Preceptor wrote a message across its surface with his soul essence flowing through his fingers to form the characters. The words burned away as soon as he finished, sending the message to whatever recipient he’d designated. "Let’s go," the Preceptor said curtly, rolling the scroll back up. "Both of you." He led them out of the observation room without another word, leaving the Grade 3 Caretaker still struggling with the dragon soul mass far below. . . The next five days went by in a blur. After their meeting with Priest in the observation room, the Preceptor designated them to those who would assign them to their roles, after which he became scarce himself. Finn only caught glimpses of him occasionally — crossing the chain bridges deep in conversation with other high-ranking Ossuarists, or disappearing into secure chambers that required special clearance to enter. But mostly, the old man was simply absent, dealing with whatever preparations the Ossuary deemed necessary. Althea, meanwhile, was treated like she was a visiting dignitary. She was given private quarters on one of the upper levels — a spacious room with actual windows that let in natural light, a luxury almost unheard of in the Soul Sanctum’s lower depths. Old, knowledgeable Ossuarists who served as custodians of the Sanctum’s vast libraries sought her out personally, offering to guide her through restricted sections that detailed the history and nature of Transcendent fragments. Finn saw her occasionally during these five days. They’d cross paths in corridors or on chain bridges, and she’d pause to update him on what she was learning about Transcendents: theories about fragment resonance, techniques for channeling Transcendent power without losing yourself to it, secret historical accounts of fragment-bearers from the Lost Age... Her eyes had that ancient quality more often now, as if repeated use of her Order fragment was slowly changing her in ways that went beyond temporary possession. It worried Finn, but there was nothing he could do about it. Because while Althea was being educated and cultivated as a valuable asset, Finn was being integrated into his ’honored’ position as one of the Vested. And within days, he’d come to understand exactly what that title really meant.