I found that there was no real value to what my father was saying. Yes, he meant every word. I could even enter his mind and know for sure. But to me it had no real meaning. I would just keep making these mistakes over and over again without ever learning.
But for now, I just wanted to give him hope.
I followed my father back to the others. Of course, they showered me with questions. But yet again I did not answer. It was not like I did not want them to know how things really were. I just did not know how to explain, mainly because I myself did not know for certain how things were. Apart from that I was scared of what they would do when they found out that I had not always been what I am now. which surely was quite ironic given that just a moment ago I wanted to drive them away.
Once I had re-joined the group Noah and Beatrice went to find the civilians who had fled from me. they truly tough that I saw at least some value in them given that I had let them live. They wanted to heighten their survival by making sure that we would all form one big group. That way it was easier for me to intervene should something happen as well as making sure that less people would be fond by the search parties.
While those two made sure that none would be left behind, I had contacted the dwarf and asked him to go back to Atlantis and find Elisa and Nathan. He was the only one that could go back in there without immediately getting caught. So that he could at least tell them that we were going to leave Atlantis soon. And that they could come with if they wanted to.
My plan had not changed. There were too many people here searching for us and other hordes of demons were bound to come again soon. It was no longer as safe as it was, and it had thus lost all the reasons for us to stay here.
I stretched out all four of my wings and then neatly folded them behind my back again. It was currently late at night or at least I would assume it was. During these times, the Lightsource in the heart of Atlantis would dim allowing the people to rest. We were currently waiting for word of the dwarf. When he came back, with or without Elisa and Nathan, we would leave.
Everyone was exhausted from the escape and what they had gone trough before and after that. Since I did not need to sleep as much as them, I stayed awake to make sure that no one would ever hear of unwanted visitors.
Quite bored I glanced at my left and saw that Leonor was taking a seat next to me.
"Shouldn't you go to sleep already?"
"Nah, I don't feel like it."
"You have a lot of nightmares."
Quite surprised she looked up. "How did you…"
I softly smiled. "I can enter people's minds. It is also how I make a lot of my illusions. But don't worry I also used to have similar types of nightmares. It will get better eventually."
"You truly think so?"
"It happened with me at least. But that is not the only reason why you are still awake, is it? you came here because you wanted to ask questions. That is all you humans ever seem to do. You hope some higher being has all the answers even if said creature is seen as evil."
"Yes indeed. You showed me hell and opened up different world for me. How many more worlds like this are out there? Do they all resemble my original one? If so, why? If all worlds do have humans but completely separate timelines. Can I still say that I am a human in this world? What if we all just happen to look and function the same, much like how a platypus has a beak verry similar to a duck? And if people usually don't go beyond their world, what does it all matter if all what they can do is leave a mere imprint in history in a world that is nothing more than a grain of sand in an infinite beach?"
As she was ranting on about all her questions her voice clearly rang out over the near quiet ruins.
"I am sorry, but I have not been around long enough to provided you all the answers. And even if I did, I doubt that you could trust my word. But please speak a little softer you are going to wake the others. really, my hearing is a lot better than yours there is no reason for you to talk this loud."
She moved a little closer and leaned against one of my wings. "It is quite funny that you made a deal with me in hopes of getting answers for your questions, only for me to ask my own. And yet neither of us can give an answer to the others question. Well then filius solaris, lets just be confused together. "
I slightly moved my wing so that more comfortably lean on it. to me it felt quite weird to have something pressing against my wing. But it was not all that terrible. "Don't speak so highly of me. I am merely the final step to get to a destination. Not the destination itself."
"Well, you are more than just your name, right? You think, you have power, you have emotions and memories. How can all of that be summed up by one name?"
"Maybe. But maybe that name is more than I will ever be. I guess only time will tell. Tough there are other things that I would like to ask her."
She looked up at me. "You sure you are not also tired? You are saying weird things."
I nervously chucked. "Yea, but after all of this settles down, I might explain it to you one day. Maybe I will also show you some more worlds so we can find the answers to your questions together."