Fires burned in the distance as another building came down. A teenage boy watched from his bedroom window as his eyes drifted down to the street. He could see people running away from the nightmare, and sharply looked away as red things tore through their bodies. Another building fell, and he swore he heard the screams. He didn't want to witness anymore until a rumble rolled past his house. Chancing another look he saw a convoy of vehicles, driving down the road where the people fell. The soldiers were here to stop this horrendous attack, but as another building crumbled he wondered if they'd be fast enough. Would they stop the devastation from getting closer to his house? Would he be okay? Was watching all he could do? He swore he saw a truck flip through the air, and as it crashed down, he went back to saying prayers. His parents sent him to his room just in case the Arbiter didn't hear them. They thought they'd be the final line between death and life, but he wasn't so sure. Why wasn’t the Arbiter answering their cries? Were this many people supposed to die before everyone else was safe? It was almost as if he was praying to deaf ears, and that put a new thought in his head.

He was a devout worshiper of the Almighty Want, but he heard strange whispers recently in school. One boy he knew to be the brother of a soldier said to another that there was a different way to pray. He said he tried it himself, and God actually answered back. Looking back outside, he wondered if it was safe to be uncertain. Thinking back on the whispered words, he thought the alternative was the better answer.

“I call thee God dwelling on the edge of the court. I stand outside and wait for thee, asking that my words be heard. I know that I am not worthy of thy eyes, but may I still have thy ear?”

“Yes, my child?” A voice spoke into his head. His heart swelled and almost brought him to tears.

“God! I really want to protect my mom and dad from the monsters outside! Is there anything I can do?”

“Yes, my child, accept this small morsel of my power.” A cerulean marble whirled together, splashing its light upon his face.

“Is this really all right?”

“Yes, my child.” He could feel god’s warmth in his heart.

The boy took it and shoved it in his mouth. For a moment he felt the wind around him, and then it was like it was rushing into his body. It took him another moment to realize he was floating off the floor, and the moment after that he realized he had three extra eyes. His arms were covered in crystal spikes, and his legs felt bestial and strong. He smiled a row of sharp teeth and rushed out of the room to share the prayer with his parents.

He called out as he arrived downstairs, and they looked over with terror on their faces. He couldn’t understand why, he had only called for mom and dad, but his father picked up a knife and pointed it his way. He called again, with his hand reaching out, and his father barked something he couldn’t understand. He suddenly realized he couldn’t understand a lot of things. Not their terror, or their words, or how he thought these things could be his parents. Parents? Wait, what was that? He looked at them again and could only see floating beads of light. Didn’t those belong to him? Why were they over there? He fired spikes and as they hit the wall, he hurried over, plunging his hands into their flesh. He pulled the lights out and ate them too. He peered out the window and could see so many more. Breaking through the glass he stared out into the night. Down the street, lights rushed toward him. They looked ever so much like a feast…

⁘⁛⁘

In Sector Two King stood outside of the lab. Khalaf stood behind him writing his strange letters into the air. To his right, Micaela stood, looking on with confusion and intrigue. King didn’t have much to say, he knew he had no involvement at this point, but the woman couldn’t help staring at the letters, trying to interpret what they meant. He couldn’t help staring at her himself. It was clear she saw them in another way, and he wondered how that was.

“All right, I gotta ask…” Micaela suddenly said. “What exactly are you doing?”

“A fantastic question Micaela, and it’s actually quite simple. King here is an interesting specimen—far different from you and leagues different from me. When light comes in contact with him, it sort of disappears! I’m using math to figure out how to make that all better.”

“And why are we doing it outside where somebody might fly by and accuse us of treason or murder?”

“That’s even simpler, it’s because of how Sector Two is.”

“It’s flooded with the light of the Cerulean Luster.” King tossed in.

“I pretty much figured that out, but I don’t understand why we’re outside instead of in.”

Khalaf replied, “It’s because the buildings act as focal points, making the light something other than raw data. It’s all very efficient when you think about it. I have to say, your pillars had an interesting thing going on.”

“Are you going to explain?”

“As long as you keep asking! Sector Two is so large because the light moves in three different ways. The military grounds is where it’s most flooded, meant to help your soldiers better adjust. The cathedral is where it flows out the most, moving toward Sector Three, as you might imagine. Finally, there’s the lab here, where it moves the opposite way. All the light goes into the building, where it’s repurposed into other things.”

“And because the building makes it something else, it’s useless for what you’re trying to accomplish?”

“There’s that illuminating mind. Yes! It’s useless, however the grounds outside the lab are the best for light based rituals. All of it is moving inward after all. By putting King here in the way, I have plenty of resources to figure this out.”

“You said that phrase before, illuminating mind. What exactly does that mean?”

“Ah yes, of course, you wouldn’t know about Refraction yet, would you?”

She stared flatly in response.

“Refraction is how you Acolytes utilize god’s light. Bending it into other things, like your equipment in the lab. Bestowing it upon another with a distinct purpose. Adorning it as if its something to wear. Guiding it out and in, making it flow to your designs. Forging things from it, turning it from light to something physical. Illuminating the mind so no distracting information leads your thoughts astray.”

“So when you say there’s that illuminating mind you’re talking about how I use God’s light to process data?”

“Bingo!”

King considered what he just heard. “This sounds familiar to the Luminance Bands. In fact, forging is the same word. Arming would be...bestowing, and Amplifying would be guiding!”

“It would appear that despite the darkness, King here has an illuminating mind himself.”

“Would that mean the refraction armor is adorning?”

“Ah yes. Though I suppose New Dawn didn’t quite leave notes about it in their book. So much our dear New Dawn didn’t know…”

“So what are you doing then?” Micaela asked.

“You mean other than standing behind him, menacingly?” Khalaf smiled. “I’m working on a thing. Perhaps the last bit New Dawn needed for the armor.”

“I see!” King said sharply, and Micaela frowned.

“You two aren’t going to explain this part, are you?”

“Why explain it? In a moment you’ll get the chance to see!” Khalaf answered.

“What?”

A light shined down from above. Micaela stiffened as her eyes moved up. Julius floated in the sky, looking down with venom in his eyes. He dropped like a bomb and she almost fell over as he rose from a crouch. His approach was mechanical, an impeding saw threatening to tear a log apart. She moved just a bit behind King, but he looked up to meet the man’s eyes.

“What are you doing here intruder? What do you have to do with this accursed ritual?” The dutiful type; it seemed he wanted answers more than he wanted to sate his rage.

“If you’re talking about the dead soldiers ahead, I don’t know anything about that.”

“I do!” Khalaf raised his hand. It seemed he was done. “But I’m not interested in telling you.”

Julius’s eyes snapped to Micaela. “And you’re apart of this?”

“Can I answer after the fight that’s clearly about to happen?”

He glared, and Khalaf smiled. “King, be careful with this one, Brigid’s attendant is at Seraphim rank.”

“What does that mean?”

A form blossomed from a flash above Julius’s head. Six burning wings gazed out with eyes dotting them, surrounding a head sculpted from ice. A light pulsed inside of it; a reflection of its power radiating off the attendant. The force of it felt somewhat familiar, like being in front of the Crimson Prophet again, unable to move. Micaela was completely terrified, beads of sweat running down her face. Khalaf, however, still smiled, as if he was hoping for this moment.

“By the Grace of God’s Chosen, I bring ruin unto you!” The form rained a beam upon Julius’s body, slowly coming undone as he transformed. Wings grew out from his head, as his skin coated blue from his jawline down. The ice face glared out from his chest, and more wings shot out from his back. The fire that once ignited them rolled up his arms and from them, he made a partisan and aimed its blade at King. His wings beat as if to drive him forward, but he found he couldn't take a step.

“I don’t think he expected that.” Khalaf laughed to himself. “You know King, I always wanted to see this in action.” He leaned on King’s shoulder.

“Luminance Forge.” King replied, holding up a hand. A marble came together and he said next, “Luminance Arm.” It burned blue, shining with luster to match Julius’s flames. “Luminance Amplify!” The light bloomed out, taking the familiar shape of a heart.

“Here comes my favorite part!”

“Shining Heart: Beat.” And it did, its pulse rippling up his arm as he grabbed it. The dark armor glowed in the wake, matching the light as it flowed across his body. As his hair shone, bug-like wings burned out from his back. He looked at them, and then at Khalaf.

“I have nothing to do with that, blame New Dawn if you object.”

“What is the meaning of this!” Julius roared.

“New Dawn calls it an Omen when you’re paralyzed by an antagonistic Luminance. It’s part of why they chose the name, Refracted Harbinger. What you felt was an omen yourself. I herald the future of Cerulean’s Demise.” King made his glaive and his visor closed over his eyes. He wondered what went through Julius’s mind as his paralysis faded. He tried to read it in those glowing eyes; was that his duty changing its focus, or his fear of what he heard?

Whatever it was Julius shot across the grounds, stabbing the partisan out. King stopped it, swinging his glaive down, and Julius let it spin in his hand. He spun around next, swinging it with him. King blocked with his shaft and went flying. Julius pursued with the same charge as the first, and buzzing wings carried the Number out of his way. That didn’t stop him from turning and throwing the spear. It crashed against a translucent pane of glass. King dropped before it broke through, and Julius forged one anew. Consideration moved through his eyes. King could see it as clearly as the consideration in his mind.

His visor said it all. Julius favored adorning and forging, making his weapon just as dangerous as the changes to his body. Making matters worse, King was never much of a fighter. This would be his chance to improve New Dawn's design, but as he was now he feared the next attack. That clash had shown him Khalaf hadn't put them on the same level. Maybe he could beat the Blues from before, but this opponent was far too familiar with his power. Wait...that put a spark in King's mind. As Khalaf said, there was much New Dawn didn't know, but it seemed he had a scholar in front of him. If you could adorn your weapon with light, what did that say about the way one forged the armor? What more, he wondered why it was armor in the first place. Julius looked like he had a coat of paint on his skin, and not one drop of it made it hard for him to move.

Feeling the Luminance in the chest piece, King willed his armor to transform. He did away with the plates of glass, envisioning something more organic as liquid wrapped around his body. The glowing parts congealed around his arms, chests, and legs, while his darkened abdomen shined with lines of circuitry. Refraction Armor no longer applied; King wore a Refraction Suit and could feel the next step in New Dawn’s design. It seemed Julius could as well, for he got the answer to whatever he considered.

“This is heretical,” He said with a glower. “The power of God should be wielded through prayer and diligence but you’re no different than those soldiers working with a deceiver. This is why the Enclave could never be allowed to persist. God is nothing to you but a thing to exploit.”

King shook his head. “God is a thing for us to kill. Be it yours or any other.” He leveled his glaive, more confident now. Julius sneered, leveling his spear.

With a buzz of his wings, King started the attack. He came at Julius like the man had done before, stabbing out like a soaring arrow. Rather than block, Julius stepped to the side. The partisan came for the back of King’s head and the glaive turned inward as he ducked back. The weapons clacked loudly as Julius drove the stab away. He twirled it over King and kicked, going for his exposed chest. A twirl of the glaive made his point go wide, slipping him forward as King stepped in. With his glaive swinging on his tail, he landed the first blow, blade slashing the man’s stomach. Light poured out but sealed just as fast, making Julius take to the sky.

King followed, and his wings beat, spilling a spear rain. The Number met the first, but swerved away from the second, finding that there were far too many to block. Meanwhile, the attendant brought his hands together. A warning sign flashed across King's visor, but his mind was more confused that one was there.

“O’ God dwelling upon the throne in court, guide my spear to punish the sinful!" Julius raised his hand and a glowing spear emerged. He launched it at King, already moving, only to find it homing.

The spear hit and King held it back against his pole. That did little more but make it a ram, smashing him through the ground to tear up asphalt and dirt. That one broke and another came as Julius swung down. King quivered but tried to meet it, catching it with his blade as if to take it apart. But this too threw his body, spinning him around as it tossed him in the air. Another spear came and ran through him. It pinned him to the ground, burning so cold he felt his nerves freeze and break. He grabbed hold as if to pull it free, and knew it would never budge. His eyes lingered on Julius instead.

The man still hovered above, as if he wasn’t sure the fight was over. King could feel parts of himself dying, but his foe watched as if another trick was stored away. Meanwhile, he couldn’t understand what had changed. He had only landed one attack, but the man fled as if he almost lost his life. That prayer felt like amplifying a Luminance, a last-ditch effort made against an overwhelming force. What had Julius felt that King had not? What was written in that wound that so easily healed? It would have disemboweled a man in a normal fight, but here it bled light. Was the severity still the same magnitude? King considered what he learned so far, and what Ace had shown before. These were battles of light. Assassin could win because his Umbra let him tear it. Ace could win by overwhelming the light of another. What did it mean to make the light bleed? To break it? To make it spill? To force the Luminance out of a person’s body? Ah! There it was. That was the mistake King had made before. Refracted Harbingers came after the armor. Castle Cerulean attacked New Dawn to get their hands on the halos. King had pushed forward the design at the moment he made contact with Khalaf. As a Dark Disciple, he couldn't tell, but Julius's caution had given it away. The bands granted you control of your Luminance, while the halos offered control of another. His focus had been on the band too much.

“Luminance...Break.” He wheezed and the spear in him shattered.

Julius launched another and King broke it with a swing. The wound in his chest was already healing. He could see why this was New Dawn’s first plan. When it was complete, he would be able to alter any light with a touch. With a buzz he shot at Julius, breaking the raining spears as the man tried to get away. A different word came to mind as the distance closed. It would be a shame to break a Luminance that had been cultivated this far. As his glaive swung down, he called it out.

“Luminance Reave.” He tore through, peeling the light from the man’s body. Julius turned gray as he was knocked away. With light swirling in his blade, King returned to the ground.

“That went places I didn’t expect!” Khalaf clapped. King turned to him and stabbed the glaive into his chest.

“Luminance Transplant.” His body brightened like a flare. When it dimmed, he patted his chest.

“Interesting. Is that the name of the game from now on?”

“Do I even need to ask the question at this point?” Micaela crossed her arms.

“I transferred the angel’s Luminance into Khalaf. If I can keep doing that, he won’t need a vessel anymore.”

“Which means that eventually I’ll be able to help him improve the armor in new ways. Is Refracted Harbinger the name you’re going for? I have to admit, I’d be a little confused.”

“No. While it doesn’t fit New Dawn’s style, I have a better name for what the band and suit makes people—Luminance Hackers.”

“I see! And with the power of a Harbinger like me, there’s no limit to the Luminance you will hack.”

“Does this mean that you—we—are done in the castle?” Micaela asked.

King shook his head. “Not yet. There’s something I think you’ll need to do. Besides that, we still have to wait for Ace and Fang…”