_______________________
• —Aeron's POV— •
_______________________
[Several days after Aerra's departure...]
"How long will you be moping around?"
The door slammed open in a loud thud.
I'm sitting on the divan by my windows' sill, just idly staring at the view outside when Levi stormed inside my bedroom. The guards and butlers tried their best to stop him but he paid no heed. I turned my head and looked at Levi.
He marched across my bedroom and stood just in front of me, "Didn't you receive any of my messages?"
"I did..." I answered, pointing at the corner table where few envelopes are seen with a red wax sealed with Morlock's household crest.
"You didn't read it?"
"I was planning to... I was busy." I replied
"Busy? —BUSY?! Spiders are already building their webs on you! You're wasting time moping here like a slob! You are coming with me!" He grabbed my wrist.
"It's no use, Levi. She made up her mind..."
"No! We will take her back and I need you to accompany me! We will make courtesy calls to gather allies."
I swept my eyes pass him and focused on the guy perching by the doorway— realizing it's Eriol, just watching us. He must be the one that helped Levi in. I remembered strictly instructing all the guards that I didn't want any visitors.
Eriol just eyed me coolly as if to examine my response to Levi's arrival.
"I'm staying here, Levi. It's pointless to search for my sister. She's already decided..."
Levi dropped his grip, "And just like that... you're giving up?"
"It's not about giving up... it's about accepting her decision." I sat back down on the divan and switched my gaze to the scene beyond my windows.
"This makes no sense. Why would she come with them?"
I hear the door closes.
I shifted my focus at the reflection on the glass and saw Eriol shutting the door close, assuring privacy perhaps. "I'm sure you have heard of a dark magus, right Levi?" he says, joining the conversation.
"Of course."
"Aerra is one..." I supplied. "Faram and his group are also dark magi..."
"A... dark elemental user?"
"She has her own reasons why she has chosen to come with them. Let her spread her own wings and just respect her decision too, Levi." Eriol says, walking towards us. "She will return when the right time comes."
"Reasons? And what reason would that be? Because she's a dark magus?! Are you two seriously just going to leave her alone when she needs us the most? Instead of letting those mercenaries take her away, we could have just helped her to whatever she might want to do or go to!" Levi insists. "I'm going to take her back! Are you two going to help me or not?"
"It's pointless, Levi. It's actually more complicated than you think." I uttered, heaving a sigh. "The element she possess... is not exactly treated kindly to anywhere in the entire continent. This is not a matter of who is needing who! My sister would have asked us herself if it was that easy. Aerra knows what she is doing! I'm sure she had a hard time to make this decision herself and if she believes leaving is for the best then I, as her twin brother, will accept that."
I noticed the shift of mood in Levi's eyes. But his uptight shoulders loosen and he pulled his straight back and gave me that imperative gaze. I can feel his displeasure over my argument.
"I get it... she's a dark magus. That's why she left. She knew she might jeopardize her family if she stayed. She must've thought out completely that we shouldn't get involved in her predicament. But don't you get it? What you're doing is just abandoning her! Why not join her and make her realize that we can help her ourselves instead of putting a blind trust to those heinous mercenaries?"
"You just don't understand..." I rubbed my temples
"No, you're the one who doesn't understand, Aeron!—Letting your own twin sister run off with the very same people who abducted you two few years ago?! What kind of a brother are you?"
His words made everything around my sight blank and all I saw is Levi. I clenched my hands into a fist, hoping to hold on to my infuriation like a false sense of control. "What kind of brother am I, you ask?"
"Aeron..." Eriol puts his hand on my shoulder. "This is enough you two."
"I'm her selfish twin brother! Is that what you wanted to hear? Hold on, Eriol. He has a point!" I stood up and walked up to Levi. "After all, this is a dream come true for me! Who wouldn't want this to happen? First and foremost, it's I! How silly of me not to realize how wonderful these days are without her! I should have been celebrating! After all, ever since we were younger, I'm the one who she tailed every. single. day! She never gave me my own space because she makes a scene whenever she's left alone.
I'm the one who had to listen to all her dumb questions and relentless weeping when she's scared about the silliest things!
I'm the one who watched her fell off the tree and carried her all the way out the maze because she can't follow the simplest of instructions! It's all that dimwit's fault why our mother cried for so many days, and I've been literally forgotten because she wouldn't wake up!
I'm the one who our parents depends on to look after her, never really asking what I feel like for being my own twin's nursemaid!
Levi, you have no idea how much it feels for me to let her go! I'm so... happy... right now because finally..."
The fisted hands I held were trembling uncontrollably.
"Finally..." I repeated, "I am on my own...
I got the space and privacy I have asked for all my life! Yes, I'm this kind of brother! I'm the worst, aren't I?"
I can see Levi's eyes softened but I can't study him clearly anymore. Tears had blurred my vision.
I can't even understand why even my voice is wavering when I'm supposed to sound sarcastic.
"Yes—! I'm so happy.... Watching her leave is the happiest thing ever!"
Behind my lids, as I closed my eyes, the image of Aerra's back is burned on my memories as she walked away from me.
I wanted to sound tough and sardonic but I dug my own grave and just ended up crying in front of two of my friends.
"That was thoughtless of me. I'm sorry..." Levi bows his head down. "I'm... not usually like this... forgive me." he says in a penitent tone.
I earnestly wiped my tears with my sleeve and turned my face to look away.
"I know! Ahem. I was just being sarcastic..." I murmured, clearing my throat. "I understand why you're being like that... and I'm thankful for your efforts for trying to help us... especially for worrying about her..."
"Still— I want you think about this thoroughly. I will wait for you at the antechamber by the main corridors." Levi raises his head up, "Let's get her back and help her ourselves. We can change so many things if the four of us stick together..."
I watch Levi step out of the room in silence.
Eriol whistled. "Wow! He's uptight as usual. And you— you just lost your shit back there!"
"No need to point that out. How can you act so carefree at times like this?" I grunted, throwing myself down the divan. "You're unbelievable, Eriol..."
"Although... honestly speaking, Levi has a point. We still have our chance of changing the tide of fate from here. I just don't agree with his plans exactly but we should move and do something else! That is, if you're done decaying here by the windows!"
"You're the one who let him in! You knew Levi will snap at me like that!"
"And you snapped back!"
"You and your ploy... seriously, Eriol!"
"Yet look at you now! At least you're back talking like a normal human again." Eriol winds his arms together in front of his chest, "Levi is also worried for you, snow head. He has been sending a bunch of healer magus for you, round the clock. The same ones you've been turning away. How're your wounds anyway? Still hurting anywhere?"
"I'm good as new. All my wounds are completely healed now." I hanged my head low, "Sorry for causing all of you to worry... you're both right. I should do something instead of locking myself in here... but I don't want to stop Aerra."
"What's your plan then?"
"There must be another way to help her."
Eriol nods. "I suggest we continue with our lead from the last time..."
I took a deep breath and tried to gather my scattered thoughts.
"You're right... but do you know what Levi might be planning to do?" I asked, lifting my head to eye Eriol tentatively.
"He seems to assume that Faram is taking the route towards the southernmost Kingdom. He already had his 'entourage' with him outside." Eriol answered in a sneer. "If I guess it right, he must've considered checking the ports. After all, Ak'hilheim is the only Kingdom that provides airships to travel outside the continent! It's that or— he's gathering allies altogether!"
"Allies for the search?"
"Not just for the search... It seems like he's preparing for something else. He could be multi-tasking."
"What exactly are you implying?"
Eriol shrugged, "I can be wrong. Nevermind!"
"Well this is no time to make suspicions. Let's just focus on where we left of. If Levi is really going to Ak'hilheim, let's go with him! One of our leads is the existence of that rounded chamber underneath the lake we found way back when we were trying to hunt down the bandits! The symbols we found there must be somehow tied to my sister. Why else would she awaken to her shadowed self? And Ak'hilheim has one of the greatest archives when it comes to foreign trades! I want to personally ask Ifrit about it myself."
Eriol chuckled, "Ah, finally! You're back in your senses! I like it better if you're a bossy smart ass like this. Let's set off and continue with our investigations then!"
"How's my parents?" I digressed, making my way towards my wardrobe.
"His Grace is holding up pretty well. The duchess, however, is locking herself up in her room like you... she barely eats too."
"Wait for me at the anteroom. You can tell Levi we're coming with him. I'll just visit Mama"
Eriol nodded and exited the room.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
"Mama?" I slowly stepped inside my parent's bedroom and found all the windows covered by the thick curtains; not a single light has shed inside.
I walked towards the bed, letting the light slip in from the doorway, and saw my mother curled on the bed in her nightgown. "Mama?"
Her eyes wearily opens.
"Aerra?" she calls out in a weak voice.
"No, mama. It's me, Aeron."
I can see her swelling eyes study me. "Hasn't your sister returned yet?"
I shook my head, "No but... I'm sure she's going to return someday, Mama."
She took a deep breath, "This is all my fault..."
Mama is inconsolable when she's like this... I know that for a fact.
Speechless, I just hugged Mama.
I stayed for a couple of minutes until she went back to her nap. I pulled her blanket up and then stepped out the room.
I wish someone tells me what to do at times like this... my twin sister is destined to become the fallen one someday— I tried to sought for a way for her but she ran away even before I could have done more; my mother is crying nonstop again and this time she's not leaving her bed; Papa probably is trying his best to put everything under control after the incident last harvest moons but nevertheless unreachable.
I marched the corridors and decided to just put on a brave front.
One step at a time...
There's so much more to do first and fight for.
I need to be stronger!
I went on following the hallways that leads to the antechamber where my friends are waiting for me.
I pondered about the things I already found out about before. I manage to acquire information from Scias about Cerguz when he went to the East to investigate on a rot found at the Osteell. That means Greenrun isn't the only one that had a rot growing. And to date, Cerguz found Aerra from that event so that means Osteell have a rot growing for more than two years now. In that case, there's no telling where the rot has manifested as well.
If the rot manage to spread all over the continent, the Grand Central City's septal church might be forced to hold the centennial ritual soon. I'm still not sure what effects it will do in relation to my sister's fate but I can use these things to estimate the arrival of the Priestess. I need to get her on my side!
I would've considered it as coincidence that Faram and his men were able to tract where Aerra is just because they were following a pattern about the rot growing inside Greenrun as well but... as I recall about what the bandits spilled, when we were interrogating them, it seems like Faram didn't just aimed to had that passage underground opened solely for the purpose of sneaking a way in our castle; as it turns out, he's the one that instigated the bandits to dig the walls of the rounded chambers as well.
He knew the bandits will be enticed with the crystals but by digging them out, they manage to excavate a layer off the walls where those tribal looking symbols are revealed from.
I didn't follow that lead before because I was focused on understanding how Ouboros is functioning and retracing the past on how Cerguz spotted her in the first place. But now that one is cleared, I'll have to return and copy those symbols to study what they are. They don't seem to be any form of writing system so I'm curious what they are for.
Ak'hilheim's King is known as the Sultan of Trades not only for the blooming commerce they have in his Kingdom but for his predilection of trading special scrolls and items only found outside the continent in return for anything. That way, they have the greatest archive in foreign items and scrolls about symbols. Surely, he won't allow us to gain access to his collection vault but
—we have Ifrit and Maru on our side for that.
"I need to visit the rounded chambers underneath the lake first..."
I joined Levi and Eriol as they stood waiting by the antechamber.
"I just want to check something... Can you wait till I return?"
"No need, we will come with you" says Levi, glancing at Eriol, who nodded along as he crossed his arms behind his head.
••▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅▅••
Since father seemed to have barred and sealed the access to the dungeons, we headed to the outskirts of Greenrun, to the woods near the Lake where we found the hole that the bandits dug to get into the sealed chambers.
The forest is covered in a blanket of snow now and looking for the hole became a challenge.
"I'm starting to think the Duke have had the hole covered already" says Eriol.
"In that case, let me just teleport us." Levi interjected, "The distance we are in is enough. It's the rounded chambers, right?"
I nodded.
I watch Levi chant some runic symbols hovering around him again. The symbols he uses are the same ones I've seen inside a ruins two years ago. They're far different from the triangles and parallel lines chiselled on the walls of the chambers though. I wonder where those things are from then? I know for a fact that Greenrun has no history of customary patterns so those symbols must be significant at some point.
"It's ready." Levi calls out. I looked at the circle he manage to summon, it glew in a golden threads of light. "At your signal, Aeron."
"Let's go"
I stepped inside it and Eriol and Levi followed behind me.
In a blink of an eye, our surroundings changed.
It was pitch black. The lights the bandits lit either died already or was put out by my father's soldiers.
I summoned my ball of light which illuminated the entire room, hovering up overhead, and then took out a small piece of paper I got with me and began to scribble the symbols down.
Few minutes fleeted and the light suddenly went off.
"I'll make light. Go ahead and finish your task." Levi says, pacing forward and chanting something as a alchemic circle lit around his feet.
I can't help but to watch him. It must be handy how he has two sources of man-made magic.
The dwindling darkness while Levi chanted only lit the chamber in a partial gleam of gold and red. I let my eyes wander around and looking up at the high ceilings.
Hmm... ceilings?
I suddenly remembered the place where me and Aerra got teleported with that red occult symbol that suddenly appeared before us.
It was a rounded chamber like this as well...
"Done" Levi uttered, as several golden balls of light scattered randomly to lit the entire place; floating like pyreflies underwaters.
I hurried to the middle of the chamber and examined the floor.
"What is it?" Eriol asks, following me.
"I remembered... there was this thick metal chain that me and Aerra saw back then. It lit red when..." I paused when Levi stepped close to us.
I never told Levi about what we know yet. I doubt he'll believe me now of all times if I tell him that the Legend is real and Aerra is the destined Fallen one...
I sighed and carefully reconsidered my words, "There were another set of red symbols that lit in red light from those chains. When it did, the entire walls showed the same symbols"
"The same symbols as these stuff?" Eriol replied, pertaining to the walls.
I shook my head. "The ones I saw back then resemble some kind of writing system instead of patterns of shapes and lines..."
"Can you still remember what they look like?" Levi added.
"Maybe if I saw them again, I would recognize them instantly but I don't think I can write them out now."
"Let's try to check the other passages, maybe there's another way to that chamber you both got teleported into."
"What does the place look like?" Eriol asks
"That's the thing actually... there wasn't any doors. It was just a big round chamber like this one... but without the ceilings."
"Interesting..." Levi puts a finger under his chin and pondered. "I have an idea. Eriol, can you try to run your wind through all the passages and see if there are paths that leads to a dead end?"
"Sure thing!" Eriol walks towards the door and paused midway.
I can see draft building around him. His hair began to dance frantically as wind circled him. Slowly, he raised one hand and the entire chamber howled with gusting winds.
I closed my eyes as everything became buzzing and wild winds are making it hard for me to keep my eyes open.
Amazing, I thought. He can summon so much wind from nothing.
In an instant, the wind vanished.
I opened my eyes back and saw a form of hurricane is emitting out from Eriol's hand and exiting towards the doors, releasing it.
He then walks back to us as if nothing happened.
"Well?" I murmured at Eriol. I glanced at Levi but he seems speechless. I can't blame him, it was an indeed a spectacular feat.
"There were few dead ends from the tunnels but when I tried to check beyond them, I found no chambers similar to this one."
"Wait, what do you mean beyond them?"
Eriol just shrugged. "Anyway, the facts are laid. Whatcha planning now, snow head?"
"We can go back and search for a map of this place to see if there are hidden passages somewhere but that might take us the entire day."
I turned around and finished copying the symbols on the piece of paper I have on my hand.
"If I get enough information, I can confront father about this chamber. He won't tell me anything if I go back now. He'll likely dismiss me like the last time and tell me again that he will tell me the entire history of our family if I'm old enough to understand!"
"Sounds like a deep matter to dig." Eriol says in a sneer. "So should we continue with the travel to the south then?"
We both look at Levi.
"Alright. I'll teleport us out."
————