999,999+ Max Stat: Even the Gods Can't Stop Me

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Disciples

Flashback!

The streets of Rome stank of sewage and smoke. She huddled against a cracked stone wall, her small body shivering under a torn cloak.

Dark hair stuck to her face in clumps, streaked with faint purple marks that had never fully faded after the plague ripped through her village.

She was maybe ten years old, maybe less. Hunger clawed at her stomach so hard she could barely think straight.

"Please," she whispered to the people rushing past, but nobody heard her, or pretended to hear, no one knew, as her voice came out thin and cracked.

"Water. Just a little bit..." She begged.

But no one stopped. A merchant kicked dirt in her direction without breaking stride. A woman carrying a basket of bread glanced at her, then looked away fast.

Knowing she needed to stand up, and speak a bit louder, hoping someone would hear her, she pushed herself up on shaky legs.

Her knees buckled once, but she caught the wall and kept going. Ahead, towards the two men in armor near a fountain. Their helmets gleamed with gold trim, they looked like they had everything.

A glimmer of hope rose, maybe they would find some pity towards her.

She shuffled closer. "Please, some food. I’m so... hungry."

The taller guard turned first. His face twisted into a smirk. "Look at this," he said to his companion. "Poor peasant. Survivor of the plague, it seems."

Before she could react, his boot slammed into her ribs. She flew back and hit the ground hard as pain exploded across her back.

She heard something crack. For a moment she couldn’t breathe. She tried to push herself up, but her arms gave out. The second guard laughed, seeing her struggle.

"Stay away," the first one barked. "We don’t want your sickness here."

"Hey!" the other guard called out. "She could be Zeus in disguise. Don’t go breaking the law now."

The first guard spat on the ground next to her. "Her? Olympus doesn’t have time for hide and seek. The war is still heavy and burdensome."

Thunder cracked overhead and rain started pouring down in sheets. Everyone scattered for shelter. The child stayed where she was, too weak to move, body in pain.

Cold water soaked through her clothes and ran into her eyes. She tried to stand again but her legs trembled, then folded. She hit the mud face-first.

I can’t, she thought. Her mind felt heavy. Like she was holding herself before falling to death.

This rain, no, I can’t get sick. If I get sick now, I will... die.

I don’t want to die. She thought, seeing her body shiver in cold.

She wanted to cry, but nothing came out. The rain mixed with the dirt on her face and ran down like tears that weren’t hers.

I don’t want to... Her eyes started to close down, maybe, just maybe, if she slept here, she would feel warm, she would have energy for tomorrow.

But the rain stopped hitting her face.

She forced her eyes open. A man stood over her, blocking the downpour. His hair was sharp and golden, like it had been cut with a blade.

His eyes matched, bright, unnatural gold, but it was kind, and it looked at her, the way she wanted to be looked upon.

He reached a hand down toward her.

"Wake up," he said. His voice cut through the storm like it belonged somewhere else.

Liliana jerked awake with a sharp breath. The same golden hair, the same golden eyes stared back at her.

Amon sat in a heavy wooden chair across the room, watching her with that same calm expression from her dream.

"You’re finally awake," Amon muttered.

She huffed and pushed herself up from the couch. Her body felt stiff, like she had actually been lying in that Roman mud. "I thought I had you," she said.

"You had me, all right. Mixing time with darkness. You must have placed your own essence in that spell."

"Yeah, that was my mistake..." Liliana looked around the chamber. Claude leaned against one of the marble columns, arms crossed, watching them both.

The room smelled of old stone and faint incense. Torches burned low on the walls.

"What’s your name, cutie?" she asked Claude.

"Claude," he answered, giving a low bow. "I thought I was the oldest disciple. Consider me surprised to see a senior in this time."

"Oh, cutie." Liliana stood up straight now, putting some distance between herself and Amon. "I thought the same until I met my seniors."

"Huh..." Claude stepped back, surprised. He turned to Amon. "How many of us are there?"

Amon said nothing at first. He leaned back in the chair, one finger resting against his lips. "No need for that information." He turned his gaze to Liliana. "Don’t try to run now. Give me the key, Liliana."

"Okay, okay, I’m getting to it," she said. She walked over to a large painting on the far wall. It showed a mountain scene with storm clouds. She grabbed the frame and pulled it open like a window.

"I know I can’t outrun you, so I won’t even try."

Behind it sat a metal locker built into the stone. She spun the dial, listening to the clicks. When it opened, light spilled out.

Inside were gems, diamonds, and crystals stacked in neat rows. Some of the crystals glowed with enough power to light up an entire city for months.

Liliana rummaged through them until her fingers closed around a small, colorful crystal key. She held it with a grip as it felt cold and heavier than it looked.

She turned back to Amon. "And when you do show up, you don’t even ask me how I am? You just say, give me the key, just... wow."

She walked closer and tossed the key straight at his face. Amon caught it without moving much. His hand closed around it smoothly.

"Thank you," he said. He didn’t sound grateful. "But I’m surprised, you still call me master. Not even Claude calls me that anymore."

"Hey, you told me to," Claude shot back. "And you... you taught me nothing. Freaking nothing."

Amon simply ignored him as he examined the key, turning it over in his fingers. The crystal caught the torchlight. "Because you had zero talent, Claude, I can only teach if there is something to grow... and besides, I don’t want you going crazy like Liliana here."

"Hahahaha..." She laughed once, short and bitter as she dropped into a chair across from him.

"Power? I spent centuries hiding that power because you never told me what it was for. I thought I was the first one you picked up. Some broken kid in Rome. Turns out I was just another stray."

Claude cleared his throat. "How long ago was that for you?"

"Too long," Liliana said. She rubbed her side where the guard had kicked her in the dream. The memory still ached. "I remember the rain. I remember thinking I was going to die in the street like a dog. Then he showed up."

She pointed at Amon. "Golden hair. Golden eyes. Same as now, not even a hair’s difference. I followed him and next thing I know, I’m not dying anymore, turned into something else."

Amon slipped the key into a pocket inside his coat. "You wanted to survive. And I helped you do so."

"Survived?" Liliana leaned forward. "I followed you for decades after that. Learned to pull shadows out of nothing. Learned to twist time just enough to stay alive and stay safe.

I helped you with your wars, brought the age of witches like you ordered. I did everything, everything!

But every time I asked why, you gave me half-answers. Then one day out of nowhere, you disappeared. Left me with nothing but warnings and that damn key."

Claude pushed off the column and walked closer. "Damn, harsh. Here I thought he was only bullying me, and didn’t tell me there were others..."

"There are always others," Amon said quietly. "The circle is larger than you think."

Liliana watched him. "Then do tell, Master, how many?"

Amon didn’t answer. He stood up slowly, adjusting his coat. The chamber felt smaller with him on his feet.

"Enough. Some are gone. Some are sleeping. Some are waiting for the right moment."

Claude frowned. Again with his half-answers, he thought.

"So you got the keys, are we ready now?" He asked instead.

"Wait, you are collecting them?" She asked. "Don’t tell me..."

"Yes." Amon replied. "Just need one more and it’s time, I will release them, all of them."