Chapter 5: DEVIANTS PART-5

Vael’s PAST: THE EMPEROR’S GREATEST MISTAKE

The world was cruel long before I learned what cruelty truly meant.

Born with nothing but the flames in my hands and a mind sharper than any blade, I grew up in the slums—starving, stealing, surviving. The empire didn’t care about nameless orphans like me. They never did. But the emperor? The emperor found me.

A man draped in gold and power extended a hand. “You don’t belong in the filth. Come with me, child. I will give you a purpose.”

For the first time, I thought I was safe.

At first, the palace felt like paradise. Food, warmth, knowledge—things I never had before. The emperor treated me like a protégé, a chosen one. I was given a room in the grand halls, dressed in silks, trained in combat, strategy, and governance. I was meant to be the emperor’s right hand. Or so did, I think.

Then one night, the truth came in chains and fire.

Strapped to a cold metal table, I woke to needles piercing my skin, my head pounding with an unbearable force. The emperor loomed above me, eyes glinting with something far colder than before.

“I was right about you. You are different.”

That night, the experiments began.

For weeks, I was torn apart and stitched back together, forced to endure pain beyond reason. The emperor's goal was clear—extract my power, steal it, or break me entirely. But something happened that even the emperor didn’t expect.

Instead of losing my gift, my power evolved.

From the ashes of my suffering, Time Management awakened. I didn’t just control fire anymore. I could manipulate time itself. The emperor realized his mistake too late.

And that’s when I made a choice.

The emperor believed he could control me. He tried to bind me with a spell, a failsafe, a leash to keep me obedient. But what the emperor didn’t know—what no one knew—was that I had another ability.

Cognitive Manipulation.

The spell never worked on me. Not even once.

But I pretended it did.

For years, I played the role of the emperor’s most devoted soldier, waiting for the perfect moment. Waiting for my chance to escape.

And when the opportunity came, I vanished.

Now, standing before the emperor again, flames curling in my palm, I was no longer a lost child. I was a weapon sharpened by betrayal, a storm waiting to be unleashed.

This time, I wasn’t running.

This time, I was ending this.

Vael AND Elias’S SECRET MEETING

Hours before when the spy extended his support to the members, Vael pulls Elias aside. The others are busy going over the stolen documents.

Elias: "Alright, let’s hear it. You clearly have something planned."

Vael: Glances at the others, lowering my voice "I need you to fake your death."

Elias: Raises an eyebrow "Excuse me? You want me to just drop dead? Great plan."

Vael: "It’s the only way to get close to the emperor. If he believes I killed you, he’ll think I’ve sided with him. I need him to trust me."

Elias: Crosses arms "And what exactly is your endgame? You knew the emperor was experimenting on Deviants, so why did you make us go after the documents? You already knew everything, didn’t you?"

Vael: Pauses, voice calmer "I needed confirmation. There was one thing I wasn’t sure of."

Elias: Narrows eyes "And what was that?"

Vael: Meets Elias’s gaze "I had to know if he was still searching for me."

(Silence. Elias watches as Vael clenches his fists, flames flickering at his fingertips before disappearing.)

Elias: Scoffs "So this whole time, you weren’t just leading us to the empire’s secrets. You were leading us to your past."

Vael: Quietly "Yes."

(Elias exhales, shaking his head.)

Elias: "You’re seriously something else, you know that? So, how do you want me to go down?"

Vael: Smirks slightly "Dramatically."

(Elias chuckles, then cracks his knuckles.)

Elias: "Alright, let’s put on a show."

(Back in the emperor’s grand chamber, Vael stands before the throne, flames flickering in his hands. The other members, wounded but ready, face him with disbelief and anger.)

Emperor: Smirks, seated on his throne “Well? What are you waiting for? Finish them.”

Vael: (expression unreadable, eyes dark as I raised my burning hands)

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

Lucan: Shouting, furious “I knew we shouldn’t have trusted you!”

Jett: Gritting teeth “You planned this all along, didn’t you?”

Alaric: Shaking head in disbelief “Was anything you said even real?”

(Vael doesn’t respond. I lunged at them, flames roaring as the fight erupts.)

THE FIGHT BEGINS

Jett dashes forward in a flash of lightning, striking at Vael, but Vael narrowly dodges.

Lucan slashes at him with dark tendrils of blood magic, draining his energy bit by bit.

Orion summons a whirlwind, trying to push Vael back, but he resists, flames colliding against the storm.

Alaric creates dozens of illusions to confuse Vael, but somehow, Vael finds the real one and attacks.

(Blow after blow, Vael takes the hits but keeps fighting. He’s powerful—too powerful. But then… something feels off.)

Orion: Panting, frowning “Wait a second…”

Lucan: Breathing heavily, confused “Why… Why isn’t he using his full power?”

Jett: Eyes narrowing “He could’ve wiped us out with his flames by now.”

Alaric: Realization dawning, voice sharp “Why is he holding back?”

(Just then, a soft shimmer appears in the air. A translucent figure flickers between them—Elias, his astral projection.)

Elias: Arms crossed, rolling eyes “You idiots took long enough to realize. Yes, this is an act.”

(Elias’s translucent figure smirks at the others, but the emperor… doesn’t react. He doesn’t see it. He still believes Vael’s betrayal is real.)

Emperor: Grinning, leaning forward on his throne “Hah! Look at you all, struggling against one of your own. How pathetic. This is why Deviants like you will never be more than tools.”

(Vael, still ‘fighting’ them, glances at the emperor. Good. He still doesn’t suspect a thing.)

Jett charges in with another electrified strike, sparks flying as Vael dodges with precision.

Lucan feints an attack, pretending to go for a fatal strike, but Vael blocks it just in time.

Orion roars, summoning vines from the floor, trying to ‘trap’ Vael in place.

Alaric: (gritted teeth, still playing along) “Damn it, he's too strong! We have to take him down before he destroys us all!”

Vael: (eyes flashing, playing his part perfectly) “You should’ve known better than to trust me.” (throws a blast of fire toward Jett, who barely dodges.)

(To the emperor, it looks like an intense battle. To the members, it’s a carefully crafted performance. Little did the emperor know that the members were talking inside their heads)

Elias: (voice echoing in their heads through astral projection) “Alright, you guys keep this up a little longer. The emperor needs to be fully convinced. Vael, a bit more aggression to sell it.”

Vael: (mentally responding, smirking slightly) “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make it look very real.”

(With a battle cry, Vael sends a massive firestorm toward Lucan, who raises a blood shield just in time. The impact shakes the throne room. The emperor watches, delighted, still oblivious to the act.)

THE TURNING POINT

The entire throne room is bathed in flickering firelight. Smoke rises from the unconscious bodies of the members, sprawled across the marble floor. The emperor, standing triumphantly on the steps of his throne, laughs—a deep, victorious laugh, full of arrogance and cruelty.

Emperor: Grinning, arms outstretched in triumph “At last. At last! You see, Vael, this is how it was always meant to be. You at my side, the others beneath our feet.” (chuckles darkly) “You were my creation. And yet, you tried to run. But look at you now—right where you belong.”

(Vael, kneeling in front of the emperor, lowers his head slightly, his flames dimming. The emperor smirks, stepping closer, placing a hand on Vael’s shoulder.)

Emperor: Soft, condescending “Good. Very good. You've finally come to your senses. I knew you would.” (leans in slightly, whispering) “After all, no matter how much you resist… you’re mine.”

(Suddenly, flames burst to life around Vael, roaring and spiralling upward. The emperor stumbles back, eyes widening as the fire licks toward him.)

Emperor: Panic rising, voice trembling with rage “You—What do you think you’re doing? Stop!”

(Vael stands, my eyes gleamed like molten gold in the fire’s glow. I stepped forward, slowly, deliberately, as the emperor instinctively moves back.)

Emperor: Gritted teeth, voice turning sharp “I command you! Obey me!”

Vael: Calmly, voice steady and unshaken “…The spell never worked to begin with.”

(The emperor’s breath catches. For the first time in years, his hands tremble.)

THE FINAL STAND

The emperor’s hands clench into fists as shadows move behind him. A group of elite Deviants—his personal enforcers—step forward, their eyes gleaming with suppressed power. Each of them is a force to be reckoned with, battle-hardened and trained to obey without question.

Emperor: Smirking, regaining his composure “You think you can defeat me alone, Vael? How amusing.” (gestures behind him) “Unlike you, I plan ahead. Did you truly believe I wouldn’t have backup?”

The sound of shifting armour and crackling energy fills the air as the Deviants prepare for battle.

Emperor: Mocking “I built you, trained you, taught you everything you know. But you are nothing compared to them.”

But then… a groan. A shuffle. A dramatic sigh from the other side of the room.

Orion: Stretching, sitting up lazily “Man… I was really hoping to lie down for a bit longer.”

Lucan: Rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck “You couldn’t have wrapped this up yourself, Vael? I was actually comfortable.”

Jett: Glaring at Vael, crossing arms “You idiot. You should’ve told us your plan.” (huffs) “I really thought you killed Elias.”

A voice suddenly cuts in from behind.

Elias: Smirking, leaning against a pillar “Were you talking behind my back?”

The emperor’s face twists in rage as he realizes—he’s been played. The six stand together, side by side, power radiating from them like a storm ready to break.

Emperor: Furious, voice booming “Then so be it! KILL THEM ALL!”

The final battle begins—flames, lightning, illusions, and raw power exploding across the throne room as the ultimate fight for freedom unfolds. The six members against an empire that never saw them coming.

The members struggle, their breaths ragged, their bodies aching from the relentless battle. The emperor’s Deviants are ruthless, pushing them back with brutal efficiency. The members, already weakened from the earlier fight, begin to falter.

Lucan: Panting, wiping blood from their lip “Damn… they’re strong.”

Orion: Clutching their arm, struggling to stand “I don’t think I can push them any longer…”

Vael sways slightly, exhaustion clear on his face.

Vael: Breathing heavily “I fought one versus four against you guys… I’m completely drained.”

Jett: Grinning despite the situation “Well deserved, honestly.”

Suddenly, a low chuckle fills the throne room, and the emperor steps forward, his eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement.

Emperor: Mocking “Tired already? Too bad… because my real weapon hasn’t even come out yet.”

THE ULTIMATE WEAPON

The members turn to see a massive armoured figure stepping forward from the shadows, standing beside the emperor. Towering over them, its presence alone is suffocating—it looks ten, no, a hundred times stronger than anyone they’ve faced so far.

Its armour gleams ominously, thick and unbreakable, and the sheer pressure of its aura makes the air feel heavy.

Emperor: Smirking, extending his hand toward the figure “Go, my little weapon. Bring them to me.”

The monstrous warrior moves—fast. Too fast for something so huge. Before they can react, it slams into them like a wrecking ball, sending them all flying into a corner. They groan in pain, barely able to move.

Everything slows down. The members, battered and broken, realize—they can’t win. Not like this. The fight was over before it even began.

The armoured figure steps forward to finish them off.

And then— BOOM. Time bends, reality warps. A golden glow explodes outward as Vael, lying on the ground, forces himself up, blood dripping from his lips, eyes glowing with raw power.