Cyrus' POV
The next morning, everyone was given their tasks regarding the raid we were going to perform to help Lady Arya. As I waited patiently for the other groups to leave, my father approached me. From the way he avoided direct eye contact, I could tell that something was on his mind.
"Is it time for us to go now too?" I asked as I got up from my spot and grabbed the sword Rava had made for me.
"Yeah, about that… I think you should tail the volunteers and the guards and back them up."
"Why? I can help. I have more reserves now, and my constellation's powers would be perfect for holding something off."
"They are, but the potency of your cosmic energy is not enough to harm or even make a dent in Yggvalk's exterior. I have a plan for it, but I can't have you near me when I enact it."
"What exactly is this plan that I can't be near when it happens? I can handle myself, Dad. You know I can handle a Category Two Rift by myself."
"I'm going to use my Celestial Domain. When I activate it, you won't be able to withstand the heat and cosmic energy it will generate. I don't want you to become collateral damage, Cyrus. After this, I promise—no more splitting up." My father looked me in the eyes as he placed both hands on my shoulders.
The intense sincerity in his gaze slowly eased the frustration that had started to build up inside me. If this thing was going to force my father to use more of his power, I couldn't be upset that he didn't want to risk me getting caught in the crossfire.
"Alright, but this is the last time. And if I find out you just wanted some alone time with your ex, I'll be pissed."
"Okay, good. And I promise you that's not the case," my father chuckled, the tension in his shoulders finally relaxing. "Besides, with your help and your abilities, I'm sure you can speed things up. From the intel Arya provided, most of the people in the Hollow Branch Cult are at the Embryonic Stage, with maybe a few Adept Stage Starbound. That should be fine since a third of the guards are also at the Adept Stage. So don't go in there all guns blazing—just hang back and provide support when needed."
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," I said, strapping on my sheath and pulling my hood over my head. "Can I go now? I'm ready to get out of here."
"Yes, you can," my father said, patting me on the head. "Please be careful and mindful of your reserves." He opened his dimensional storage and handed me a dozen celestial cores. "These are from Arya. I explained that we'd need more supplies since we're in our fused astral forms."
Giving my dad a smirk as I placed the cores in my storage, I turned to leave. "Don't go getting married just yet, alright?" I quipped before heading out toward the guards and volunteers.
The group wasn't far ahead, so I caught up relatively quickly. I found the commander of the four dozen militia and informed him of my orders. He seemed off-put by what I said. I wasn't sure if it was because I was young and heading into battle with them or if he felt insulted that a mere kid had been sent to back them up.
Honestly, I didn't care much about his cold and indifferent response. I didn't want to be here anyway. So, I just faded into the group and kept to myself. As I listened to the chatter of the guards and volunteers, I could tell they were confident in their plan and its execution. Their energy and morale made it seem like they were certain of their victory.
This was one of the first few times I had been in a situation without my father backing me, where I felt like nothing could go wrong. So, I decided to use the time to refine my Gravisense and provide additional support.
Letting myself fall into a deep meditative state, I expanded my senses with cosmic energy, absorbing every bit of information my brain could process. I felt the gravitational distortions caused by the militia members, the sway of astral flora in the rainforest-like terrain, and even the tiny creatures native to the Celestial Grove bouncing between trees.
My understanding of this innate sense grew sharper with each step I took. As I drifted toward the back of the militia to avoid getting in anyone's way, I prepared to release myself from the trance—until I sensed a disturbance.
A large group of people was approaching us from all angles.
"Why aren't the guards and volunteers reacting? Do they not sense them coming?" I thought to myself.
Immediately, I tapped one of the guards in front of me and asked if he had noticed anything unusual. His confused expression told me everything I needed to know.
I quickly withdrew from my meditative state and tried to sense the incoming threats' cosmic energy—but I couldn't.
"Damn it. They're concealing their cosmic energy," I muttered.
With barely any time to react, I shouted, "We're getting ambushed! Prepare yourselves now!"
The next thing I knew, massive vines shot out from the brush of the astral rainforest, impaling several volunteers through the chest.