He tilted his head and observed Finn scrutinizingly, as if he was assessing a lower creature for any sign of worth.

Finn glared at him, causing the guy to pause and meet his gaze. And slowly, he also frowned, as if slighted.

Finn tore his gaze away, looking instead at Althea, who signaled him to come up.

Carefully, he made his way up to the high chain bridge, ascending the narrow spiral staircase carved into the Soul Sanctum's wall as the three Ossuarists, and in particular, the black-haired new guy, watched him.

By the time Finn reached the level where they waited, his jaw was clenched tight enough to ache. He didn't know who this new guy was, but he had better stop looking at him like he was some kind of lesser creature to be observed.

The guy stood with his arms crossed, watching Finn's approach with undisguised disdain. He was perhaps twenty-one or twenty-two, with sharp, aristocratic features and eyes so dark they looked almost black. His Ossuarist uniform was immaculate, without a single crease or a speck of dust to be seen.

From first glance Finn could tell the guy was someone from a very noble lineage. Everything about his posture reeked superiority.

And it was not the overly superfluous or performative kind that Finn had seen in nobles back in Aethelos. No, his was natural and effortless. The way he carried himself suggested he'd never once questioned his place at the top of any kind of hierarchy he'd ever found himself in.

"This is him?" the young man said without bothering to hide the disappointment in his tone. "The third member?"

Finn's wings twitched. The Ferropteryx debts in him riled up, trying to make him assert dominance, to challenge this blatant disrespect.

But he forced it down.

"Finn," Althea said as he finally stepped onto the bridge proper and kept a careful distance that respected his isolation debt. "This is Tron. Tron Croft. He's from the—"

"Sepulchre House Croft," Tron finished, as if the name explained itself. His eyes never left Finn, still conducting that scrutinizing assessment that pissed Finn off for reasons that had nothing to do with his soul debts.

"Our House Croft has borne seven generations of Preceptor bloodline. My great-grandfather currently serves in the Inner Circle." Tron continued after seeing Finn react like he had no idea what he was talking about.

Finn said nothing. He simply met Tron's gaze steadily, refusing to show any sign of being impressed, despite the fact that it was actually impressive, especially when one considered how minuscule a chance it was to birth a Soul Mage.

Priest was content to watch the exchange in silent amusement. His gold eyes glinted in like he knew an inside joke, before he finally interfered.

"Now, now," Priest said, though his tone suggested he would've loved the tension to continue rather than defuse it. "Let's not start the introductions with a dominance contest, shall we? We have more important matters to discuss."

He gestured at the three of them.

"The three of you have been specially selected for deployment into the World Tear. This assignment comes directly from Preceptor Elias's personal recommendation. It is one of the few privileges afforded to Preceptors during mass mobilization. Each Preceptor can officially recommend a small team of talents they believe deserve priority access."

Priest's smile widened slightly.

"Elias was using his recommendation for promising individuals from the Aethelos region. And since Tron here was the only one on my list… I simply did Elias a favor and added you two to fill up my quota." He shrugged. "Efficient, wouldn't you say?"

Why would Preceptor Elias personally recommend me? Finn immediately noted in surprise.

The obvious answer was Althea. The Preceptor clearly valued her Fragment of Order, and perhaps he wanted Finn there as... what? Support? A familiar face to keep her grounded?

In a way that kind of made sense. But it also felt very incomplete.

Still, Finn wasn't about to question his good fortune. This was exactly what he'd needed. Just when he thought he wasn't a part of those deployed to the World Tear, this opportunity came.

It was like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man. He'd take it, regardless of the reasons behind it.

"I don't understand," Tron said suddenly, bringing Finn's thoughts back to the present. His frown had deepened, and his expression was openly skeptical.

"Althea's value is obvious. She has a Fragment of Order, while even I don't have any yet. But him?"

He gestured at Finn with undisguised dismissal.

"Look at his manifestation. Look at those wings. Such a crude embodiment. His integration is unstable, probably from a desperate assimilation attempt that went poorly," he dissected with surprising precision.

"His feather-furs too, that's bestial contamination, meaning he's likely fighting constant soul debts. His posture shows physical exhaustion. His eyes..." Tron leaned forward slightly, scanning Finn like he was looking at a failed specimen rather than a person. "His eyes are those of someone barely holding himself together."

"He's a liability," Tron concluded flatly. "Even at best, he's still a dead weight we'll have to protect. And at worst, he's a corruption risk who'll fully corrode the moment we encounter anything genuinely dangerous inside the Tear."

Finn's hands clenched into fists. But he kept still and said nothing.

He just needed to get into the World Tear with them. All of what Tron said didn't matter as long as he could get into that World Tear.

So instead, he simply glared at Tron in silence, letting his eyes promise future retribution without saying a word.

Tron met his glare with a raised eyebrow, clearly unimpressed.

Priest's smile had grown wider, more genuine, as if the exchange delighted him on some fundamental level.

"Tron," Priest chided with a voice that still carried that playful tilt to it, "you're not wrong in your assessment. Finn is indeed struggling with soul debts from a recent, difficult assimilation. And yes, by conventional standards, he might appear to be… 'not optimal' for this deployment."

He paused, letting the words hang.

"But I'm telling you now. Finn has worth. Significant worth, in fact. Worth that can only develop and reveal itself inside the World Tear, under the right conditions."

Priest's gold eyes fixed on Tron with a sudden intensity.

"If you cannot believe in him based on your own observations, then believe in me instead. I am the bearer of the Truth Fragment. When I say something has value, that assessment is not made lightly or in error."

The bridge was silent for a second.

Finn looked like he was deep in thought, staring at Priest with an unreadable look in his eyes at his surprising words. He couldn't tell what Priest meant by that, but the man's tone hinted at something deeper and unseen.

Althea looked as if she was pondering something of her own too.

Tron on the other hand, although his frown didn't disappear entirely, it softened fractionally.

He looked between Priest and Finn, clearly wrestling with his judgement versus the authority of a Fragment-bearer's judgment.

Finally, he gave a curt nod.

"Fine. I'll reserve final judgment until I see him in action inside the Tear." His tone made it clear he expected to be proven right about his own assessment of Finn, but he'd at least give him the benefit of doubt.

Priest turned his attention to Finn, and that playful smile returned, tinged now with something that looked almost like mischief.

"Of course, if you're curious about what specific 'worth' I'm referring to, Finn, you could always just ask me directly. I am the Truth Fragment bearer after all. I'm physically incapable of lying to you if you phrase your question correctly."

"Just a thought." He shrugged with exaggerated innocence.

Finn held his gaze for a long moment, recognizing the game Priest was playing. The man knew Finn didn't trust him, probably knew he didn't even like him, and was now teasing him with the possibility of answers while fully aware Finn wouldn't take the bait.

And he was right, while Finn's curiosity rose immediately, feeling the urge to ask. He stopped himself and looked away with a blank expression.

"Excellent," Priest laughed, as if Finn's refusal had been the response he'd hoped for.

"Now then, let's discuss what you three will actually be doing inside the World Tear."

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