33 Risen#re

"All of that happened, long before my time, but I know that it was in the same period," Anya answered hesitantly, the certainty in his words scared her, she knew that everything he said was no lie at all.

Lirian nodded, he couldn't see her face but he could smell the fear, of all the scents a person could produce, the most potent was fear and he had come to miss that smell over the years.

---

At school he set out towards the candidate's room as soon as he got the chance, as he stepped in he was surprised to find the other five waiting, and like a bunch of vultures they grabbed onto him, he felt Media and Cole grab on to his legs, and he felt Tobias's giant hands lock onto one of his hands while Wentian grabbed his last hand.

He didn't feel any ill intent so he didn't attack as yet, "What's going on guys?" he asked as Edith grew closer, he felt her hands on his face.

"Keep quiet for now, we need to confirm something," Edith said and pulled of the blindfold.

Lirian sighed as the world turned brighter, while blind he was still sensitive to different light intensities when in a bright place the world would appear white and in a dark place it would be darker.

Edith raised a hand to her mouth as she gasped, "It's true, he's really blind," she said as his eyes did not react to anything and that magnificent silver radiance had been mixed with a murky black.

The others quickly released him and got up to see for themselves, "How did you beat up an entire class of cultivators while blind," Wentian broke the silence, and asked with an edge of worship in his voice.

He would have a tough time fighting against a single new cultivator, let alone an entire group of them, out of all of them only Tobias had ever managed to beat a cultivator before and it was a brutal fight.

"I'm just that good," Lirian said with a grin before picking up the blindfold to tie it back on.

They shook their heads as they heard him praise himself, some things would never change.

"Let me," Edith said quickly snatching the blindfold from the floor before he could reach it and begun to gently tie it around his head.

"Tighter," Lirian complained, she was tying it like his head was a fragile piece of glass that could break if she over tightened it.

"Fine," she came closer and yanked the two sides with as much force as she could, ", better?" she asked sweetly.

Lirian felt her elbows rest on his shoulders, and her chest touched his slightly, he could smell her strawberry-scented lipstick, and lavender perfume as she remained close by him still not moving an inch.

"Much better," he answered with a dazzling smile that left even the onlooking candidates and students that were looking through the transparent glass in a daze.

Edith felt her whole face change temperature and couldn't stop herself from feeling embarrassed, she was one of the oldest candidates and a simple smile had rendered her breathless.

"Did, my devasting beauty render everyone breathless again," Lirian teased them with an exaggerated sigh after a pile of messages sounded on the system.

Media was the first to break out of her stupor, "Do you ever know when to shut up, you ruined such a lovely moment," she sighed.

"Of course, I do, but I do love the sound of my voice," Lirian retorted with a pleasant smile.

"By the way, meet me up on the roof at lunch I want to discuss something," he pulled out of Ediths hands that were still wrapped around his head and left.

A while later Edith finally snapped back to reality when she turned around, she saw the others looking at her with little smirks, "What?" she snapped at the stupid faces they were making.

"Someone's got a crush," Tobias teased her.

"A might big crush at that," Cole added with a goofy grin.

"So, what if I do?" she snapped at them while trying to stop her face from changing color any further.

"You're acting like a bunch of two-year-olds as if none of you have ever felt the same about someone," she chided them and stormed out of the room with her head held high.

---

The hours quickly passed and Lirian found himself crossing the transmat bridge that overlooked the portals that led to the trial worlds, it was a bit of a long journey to reach the rooftop of a 50-story building.

He sat in the rooftop gardens under the shade of a tree that had a neatly rounded top, he waited only a few minutes before they arrived.

"What's this about Lirian?" Media asked curiously.

"Well, it's something important but I can't have too many people hearing about it, for now, just a select few and they can't go around spreading what I'm talking about," he spoke meaningfully and they all nodded in understanding they had long ago suspected that the candidates' room was monitored.

"Do you want us to tell only our families?" she asked carefully.

"Only those that you can trust not to go spreading the word to every person they meet it has to go into important people's ears only," he said seriously.

"Care to tell us what it is that you want to know?" Tobias asked, he didn't mind helping Lirian but he first had to know if it could cause any trouble for him.

"I need to know if there are any special, privileges, or advantages, that a headmaster receives when it comes to the intel concerning candidates," he said with a rare solemness they seldomly ever saw in him.

Their eyes went wide and they glanced at him in shock, they all knew about the bad relationship he had with the headmaster, there was even a list of legendary stupid deeds done by candidates throughout the years, and the list was numerous, there was one new entry that topped the entire list and it had Lirian's name on it.

His threat against Telamon on his first day was on that list and it was one of the most iconic and stupid things ever done, and by Lirian no less, to those that didn't know him that well it seemed like it was a stupid thing, but to those that knew him it held a lot of their focus.

After all, Lirian was already recognized as the greatest genius in the history of the empire, and when you look at his track record nothing he did was without reason, so what could possibly be his motive to do something so stupid.

It didn't add up, and they had asked him several times about it, but he never gave them an answer with any value.

"Are you trying to say that the headmaster is selling the information on candidates?" Edith asked seriously, it was a very dangerous topic that they were discussing, it wasn't like treason it was exactly that pure treason, to make such an accusation against such a figure.

"Not all, just the children of my mother!" he admitted without holding back, ", now it's up to you, ask your families if you want, don't if you don't want to, I know that this can cause you a lot of trouble if word gets out, so I won't hold it against you if you don't do it."

They all had a hard time imagining what Lirian was implying, it was Telamon Dao, the man who stood as an advisor for five rulers and the one who raised the current empress, how could he have tried to harm the empress and her children, it was a very well-known fact that he doted on the empress and her kin.

"I know it's hard for you to understand, but I need to know why is it that he always takes on the position of a headmaster when he goes to the academies my mom chooses, he can take on the role of a teacher but he always takes the position of headmaster, there has to be a reason," he said more to himself than to the rest of them.

For once Cole was glad that he didn't come from an influential background, this matter was far more serious than he could have imagined and there was really nothing he could do which meant that he didn't really need to do anything.

"I'll see what I can find," Wentian said as soon as Lirian finished, it was just like him to always be straightforward.

"This could bring you trouble," Media cautioned him.

"If someone is selling intel on the candidates, the emperor's and empress's children no less, it's our duty as candidates to learn what we can and stop it from happening," he shook his head in disappointment at Media.

"How sure are you of this?" Media asked Lirian not letting Wentian's disapproval affect her, she didn't mind helping, but if it caused her and her family trouble it was a deal-breaker.

"I only lack, his motive, as for the rest I have absolute confidence," he spoke confidently surprising them, to have absolute confidence was a lot more than they were hoping for.

"If that's the case then for the right price I can buy the intel from my family and ensure that no one talks about it," her squeaky voice had matured over the years but it still held a soft slyness to it.

Tobias chuckled, "It's pretty mean to try and profit in this situation."

"I need to impress my family, just like the rest of you, and since a certain someone appeared it's been hard to stand out in comparison," she complained.

"Wait," Edith interjected, ", it's impossible to ensure that no one talks no matter how much money we pay, info brokers will always be willing to sell for the right price."

"If you don't want us to by the intel then how do you suppose we get it?" Lirian asked.

"Just give me a few days, I know someone that might know what you're looking for," she spoke a little hesitantly, "If I can't find out what you want then we can buy it."