Fallout

[Ascendancy]

In minutes, Viktor knew more about the Atharim cult than Nikolai ever told him. The man's obsession with privacy was going to get him killed someday. If he believed everything Aria was telling him, that is. It would need corroborated with Ascendancy himself once he woke. Or they would need to shut down this cult. He still didn't understand why Nikolai allowed them to exist all this time if he was aware of the danger they posed. Another question to ask when the man woke. For now, he focused on Aria. He wasn't going to tell her Nikolai's state, but he didn't overlook the fact that she hadn't inquired about him. Either she thought him dead, knew he was alive, could read minds, or didn't give a fuck. Some loyalty.

"Those gods in story were once really alive, and they channeled like Ascendancy did.


Something else that didn't escape his notice was Aria contradicting herself. She said Nikolai was no more a god than anyone else, but then described a friend as a god. The semantics didn't matter. But from Viktor's point of view, if gods existed, Ascendancy was as close to one as possible. Jensen too, perhaps. The man was a walking miracle.

"Alright. That's all I have for now. As you understand, I can't allow you to leave yet. It's too much of a security risk and while the evidence suggests your story is true, I have to be careful. I will make sure you're comfortable in the meantime waiting. Food, drink. Is there anyone out there you want to get a message to? I can make sure it happens. Though we will have to approve the message to ensure its security."


He shot the ZARS agent a harsh look.