Arthur and the others exited the portal to the bottom floor of the relic tomb. The room itself appeared to be a lab of some sort, reminding Arthur of Gideon's, if it was kept clean and organized. Unlike the others this room was clean and sterile, as if a cleaning crew had just finished their work. Shelves with scrolls and books lined one wall, along another tools were hung, and the third held shelf upon shelf fully stocked with parts.

"A place for everything, meticulously organized. Reminds me of Kathyln's room," Curtis teased.

No one said anything as they took in the view, looking for anyone.

"Are you sure this is the lowest floor?"

"Yeah, I was kind of expecting someone to be waiting for us," Theo added.

"We're in the right place. I think the Dijin here is just a bit shy," Arthur replied as he looked up. "I would apologize for the intrusion, but I feel like you were already expecting us.

Ever since they entered the room Arthur couldn't help but feel like they were being watched. As they walked deeper in Arthur shifted his eyes to see five aether crystals hanging from the ceiling, four small ones surrounding a larger one. Despite the crystals not having eyes or a face he could feel as if a pair of eyes were boring into him.

The five crystals glowed and a purple human figure formed on ground level as if it were a hologram from science fiction. The figure was meticulously detailed to the point that you could even see the texture of his facial hair. He was a little over six feet tall with long hair pulled back tightly into a ponytail, and facial hair that made it look like he hadn't shaved in a few days. He wore what looked like a lab coat that even moved as he walked towards his guest.

"Welcome, now I'm not exactly one known for my hospitality, so I'll get straight to the point." He stopped right in front of Arthur, standing perfectly straight to and expecting expression. "What do you think of my creation?"

"Creation?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, the relic tombs. Back when I had a physical body I was the one who came up with the idea and base design for all of the relic tombs."

"Extremely dangerous," Arthur replied. "Even a seasoned adventure would be pushed to his limits to stay alive through here. While also providing good training for anyone learning to use aether."

"Excellent, just what I was hoping for," the Dijin replied with a satisfied expression. His expression then turned sour as his eyes narrowed on Arthur. "And if you feel like this was such a great training experience, why did you hog it all to yourself? Don't you think your disciple would have benefited from all of this?"

Arthur looked confused. "Wait, do you mean my sister? She's not nearly ready to start diving into a relic tomb yet."

"No, not the young girl on the first floor. Him!" He stated while pointing to Feyrith.

"Feyrith?" Arthur questioned as everyone looked at the confused elf. "He can use aether?"

"His affinity is very weak, weaker than the girl on the first floor. But he's by no means a lost cause." He stuffed his hands back into his coat pockets and looked up deep in thought. "I'd say his bloodline can hold the affinity for another generation before they become hopeless, but if he trains his affinity will grow and future generations could easily surpass him."

"So I can learn to do the same things as Arthur?" Feyrith asked with excitement.

"Who knows," the Dijin replied with a shrug. "You have the potential, but it's a long road till you can do anything like he can. You've got a good mind for learning to gain understanding so it's not impossible, just don't expect to be able to do everything. Even by our standards someone like him was rare."

"I never considered one of my friends could actually use aether," Arthur mused.

"Of course not considering how much of a fool you are," the Dijin shot back.

"Excuse me?"

He got closer to Arthur and poked him between the eyes. "As smart as you are, that was very stupid of you. To turn back time with your level of understanding. You're lucky you're still alive."

"What do you mean?"

"You know our history. Tell me, why do you think we didn't turn back time to prepare for the Asura, or perhaps avoided the war all together?"

"War with the Asura?" Memebers of the team questioned, as Arthur never told them how much of a threat the Asura actually were.

Nevertheless, Arthur ignored them and focused on the Dijin's question. It was a good question that Arthur had not even considered before. "I would have assumed that the power they held was just too great?" He replied with uncertainty.

"Wrong," the Dijin replied bluntly. "One needs an advanced understanding of Aevum to successfully turn back time like that. You see turning back time has a nasty consequence. Aether may be needed to start the spell, but your life force is needed to execute it."

All became silent with wide eyes as they look at Arthur.

"Is that why my core has been hurting?"

"No, the pain is normal even for someone with peak understanding. It will subside after you've reached the time you started from. Think of it as a countdown, the pain will become less the closer you get."

"So wait," Tess said as she stepped forward with a look of worry as she clasped Arthur's hand. "Does this mean Arthur won't live as long as he would have?"

"Correct. With advanced understanding of Aevum one can resist this by halting their aging during the spell. Hence why we couldn't do it, we didn't have anyone alive with a high enough understanding throughout the entire war, despite all of our best efforts to train someone."

"How much time do I have left?" Arthur asked, his voice showing a bit of fear.

"Hmm," the Dijin stroked his beard as he appeared deep in thought. "I've never met a human that reached the integration stage before. In fact I believe you are the first. But from what I've been able to see through my tests so far, I would wager you'll live to maybe...two hundred and twenty years, two fifty at best."

Everyone looked at the Dijin with a deadpan expression.

"How many years did Arthur burn through?" Curtis asked in confusion.

"I can't say for certain. Remember he's the first ever integration stage human. But at least a thousand year, no more than two thousand."

"You know, I think I'll be ok with this," Arthur replied sounding more upbeat.

"My biggest concern has always been a humans short lifespan," Tess commented with a tone of relief. "Even in the white core stage, I was told a human doesn't live longer than one hundred and fifty, while a white core elf can usually live to around two fifty."

"I guess we'll actually be able to grow old together," Arthur replied with satisfaction.

"Good, happy that you're happy," the Dijin grumbled. "I would honestly have wanted to have a physical body for over a thousand years, but that's just me I guess. Anyway, let's stop wasting time and get to work."

He then looked to Nico, and with a snap of his fingers the mana suppression bands fell to the ground. A wicked smile formed on Nico's face, but his expression quickly fell.

"Let's get him started first. He's an interesting specimen in several ways, so I'll get him started first."

"Wait," Arthur said quickly before he could continue. "About Elijah..."

"I know I know," the Dijin said dismissively. "You want me to remove the other personality. That's easy." He then looked at Arthur and Tess. "Now for you two." Instantly Arthur's body became rigid and his expression blank.

"What did you do to him?!" Tess started to panic.

"Don't worry they're fine," the Dijin replied. "I'm a scientist, and you three are interesting test subjects, so I obviously wouldn't want any harm to come to either of you."

"Test subjects? I was told you would help Arthur get close to unlocking fate!" Tess shouted.

"Please don't shout," he said, sounding annoyed. "Your lover already stands at the presaphis of achieving fate, all he needs is a moment of clarity, a breakthrough in understanding to finally unlock it."

"Then why did you take him to that mental training site? You want to go a round with him too?" Regis asked.

The Dijin looked at Regis curiously with a raised eyebrow. "There has never been a being like him before, and there probably never will be again. This is an opportunity that I can't waste."

"So in other words you want to study his aether core?" Lilia asked in confirmation.

"Among other things, but that core is something my people were never able to achieve. My curiosity has to be satisfied," he replied, his voice hiding his excitement.

"And what about Tess?" Claire asked as she held her sword, ready to draw and fight. "Your words suggest that you want to study her too."

"Oh yes, thank you for the reminder. I haven't divided my attention like this in centuries." He then snapped his fingers. "Please remove the item I just deposited into your storage ring."

Everyone looked a little confused, but Tess did as she was told and removed a purple pill the size of a peach pit.

"How..."

"Those are cheap knockoffs compared to the storage runes we designed. No doubt a descendant of one of my people that barely understood Spatium enough to design and create these."

"Runes like Arthur's?" Tess asked.

"Exactly! That was the peak of storage design, no one can access it except the user, and those of us who are now one with the aether," he said with pride. "Enough about that though, back to business. Young lady, swallow that."

"What does it do?" She asked.

"Ugh, just like him. So many questions. That is my plan to take one last shot at those Asura bastards. You see, normally humans, elves, and dwarfs would eventually develop an affinity to aether after a few more generations. However, the Asura took measures to ensure that affinity never developed to ensure no one gained a better understanding of aether than them. The downside is they also made it so none of you would develop mana cores naturally."

"But we all have mana cores," Kathyln pointed out.

"But not everyone does. To make up for this mistake they at least took some responsibility and used artifacts to start your people having mana cores again, although it didn't work on everyone. But it was enough for them to feel relieved of their guilt. This pill, in theory, will essentially give anyone an affinity to aether."

"Are you serious?!" Tess questioned.

"Eighty seven percent probability of working. Best I could come up with on such short notice," he said with pride.

Everyone else looked excited, but Tess who looked nervous.

"Are there any side effects?"

"No clue," he said with a shrug. "That's the point of testing. But I feel you have the best chance of success out of the others."

"Why me?"

He gave a teasing grin. "For some reason you have a higher concentration of aether inside your body than anyone else here, excluding your lover. No doubt due to your close proximity to him."

Tess looked at the pill hesitantly. If this worked she would near instantly become stronger. But something about this bothered her, she didn't trust the Dijin and his lack of information.

"I'm sorry, but I'll pass," she replied. "I just don't feel comfortable with this. Who knows what it might do to me."

The Dijon's excitement fell.

"Come now," he said with a businessman like grin. "With this pill you'll gain the same kind of power as your lover. Despite how powerful he is, he and no one else could ever even think to call you weak. Don't you want that? To show you aren't some glass statue?"

"I did, but I don't feel inferior like that anymore," she said sternly.

"I see. Let's try a different approach." His smile disappeared, and was replaced with a dark sinister expression of a villain. "Take the damn pill or I will keep him trapped in that mental prison till the sun grows cold and dead. I will try these pills on each and every one of your friends here, and by the way, they will have a lower chance of survival."

Tess looked at Arthur who was stuck frozen in place in a trance like state, then back at her friends who had their weapons drawn to fight back.

"Is there a chance that I'll die?"

"Very slim, but I doubt it will be a pleasant experience."

"And I don't really have a choice so I?"

"Of course you have a choice, but it seems you won't like the alternative."

Tess glared at the Dijin before her, she hated him. He was nothing like the others Arthur described. She could have accepted him being rude, conceded, arrogant, but basically forcing her to choose to partake in an experiment or have her friends do it, with them supposedly having a lower chance of survival...she wished she could just punch him in the face. With a deep breath and a sigh Tess popped the pill into her mouth and swallowed.

"Tell me, are you capable of dying?" Tess asked the Dijin.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because if I die I don't see this ending well for you."

Tess' eye went wide and her mouth hung agape as dropped to her knees holding her abdomen.

"Tess!" The others shouted as they ran to her side.

Tears began streaming from her eyes, the pain she was experiencing was so great that she couldn't even scream. The pressure of a white core mage bore down on all of them, forcing everyone to their knees. Only those with a silver core were able to endure enough to crawl to her side.

"Excruciating pain, loss of control of one's core.." the Dijin mused as he took note of her symptoms.

The others wanted to yell and scream at the heartless Dijin, but with the pressure of Tess' core on them they were unable to get the words out. A blast of wind emanating from Tess' body erupted, sending everyone back a few feet as long emerald green tendrils wrapped around her like a cocoon. Finally everyone could breath a little easier and stand up as the pressure from Tess' core lightened.

"You.." Claire struggled to say as she got back to her feet, her eyes glaring at the Dijin.

Grabbing her blade she charged at the Dijin. He made no effort to move nor did he try and draw a weapon, he only looked at her neutrally. Claire thrust her blade forward towards his throat, but a small panel of aether formed to block her attack. Everyone was then dragged to the ground with their arms pinned to their sides, as chains of aether restrained them all.

"YOU BASTARD!" Claire shouted as she tried to break free.

"You don't like me do you?"

"Of course not! None of us do!"

The Dijin looked around to see the aggressive looks in all of their faces.

"I can see that, but how can you hate me if you don't know the reason behind my actions?"

"What does that have to do with anything?! You said it yourself, you find them to be interesting specimens."

"While that is true, everything I am doing is for their benefit."

"How is capturing Arthur and Elijah, and putting Tess through all this pain for their benefit?!"

"The one you call Arthur doesn't tell you all much, so let me explain what's really going on in this world. We the Dijin were pasifists, but were tortured and exterminated by the Asura, because the dragons were jealous of our mastery of aether, something they were supposed to be the best at. One of the other clans, the Vritia learned of this lie and tried to expose the dragons, but were banished instead. This war you are facing is just a big chess game between the Vritia and the Asura. You see, niether one of them really gives a damn about the two continents or the survival of the inhabitants. All they care about is their own survival." He then pointed to Arthur. "That boy their is not only planing for this war, but the next one. You see, as long as the Asura don't have anyone to keep them in check, they will do whatever they want. He knows that a third power is needed to bring peace, and he has chosen to be that power. He is determined to not only defeat the Vritia, but also topple and expose the dragons for the genocide of my people."

"What does that have to do with what you're doing?" Claire asked, sounding more confused than angry.

"Do you think he is strong enough to oppose all of the Asura clans? That he can protect not only himself, but also his loved ones?"

"You're making them stronger?"

"Correct. Arthur is focusing on becoming stronger as we speak. Growing the strength of his aether core to a point that he can fight on equal footing with the Asura clans."

"But what about Elijah and Tess?"

"The one you know as Elijah is capable of growing his strength at an incredible speed. With the one known as Nico removed he is growing his mana core so that he can fight. As for the girl, being able to use aether will be a tremendous advantage if she were to face an Asura since they cannot sense it like mana, and it won't run out on her like mana would. All she would need to do is just use the aether around her. Yes I do wish for this pill to be given to all so they may also use aether, but if it wasn't for this threat she may face, I wouldn't have given it to her. I would have refined it further to reduce the pain and better the chances of success."

The others were now more relaxed. Seeing this the Dijin removed the chains. It wasn't that he was cold and heartless, he just had the resolve to do what he felt needed to be done.