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Is it fate that brings you? Or is it a choice that brought you to the circumstances that you have now?
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"With a shock on Thomas" face. "I would never kill someone I knew; your grandma is safe; the store owner is alive she is living somewhere in the city."
Although Thomas sticks to his principles and his principles are true, by that time he had never known who Raj or her grandmother was. Thomas knew within himself it was not him, but he needed to pretend to let things flow smoothly and easier.
Raj and his team went back to the headquarters, there was no newly issued mission for all of them. They were ordered to rest for there might be sudden missions and activities or trainings that might occur.
BOHOL
Thomas went to Bohol to check on his lab where he kept Raj's grandmother as captive. Thomas or Rey Thomas was a clan leader. Unlike other Quanta bearers he was not born with it, instead he acquired it from another being.
A Divine Creature. When he was younger a magical beast, the Divine creature was wandering alone causing a rampage towards their town. The town beside their clan has already been wiped out. Preparations were already made, and they are already anticipating it. They prepared an all-out attack to slay the beast.
Bohol is an island separate from Cube Capital. It would take days for the trip to arrive at the destination. The name originates from a tree found on the island when the foreigners first visited the place and could not understand the language, and the locals were pointing out and calling out the name which was originally called Bool till it was named Bohol in the present time.
After the rain had poured, the sun had already set, the wind stopped blowing, and the one who was left on the ground was Thomas. The young poor child who was bestowed the beast's powers.
When a Quanta bearer dies the energy usually automatically transfers to a source or a new bearer, or it can also be contained and trapped. Like what the Regulus group has been doing to supply and sustain their weapons.
In the case of Thomas, he was half-dead when the beast was already dead, then the energy detected a life form of little energy and joined the body. The next day he woke up with the great massacre around him.
Thomas what he needed from the ruins. He did not acquire Pandora's Box which contained the unleveled energy but instead, he found the scroll which contained the vital information needed for him to continue with his next steps. It said then.
THE ANCIENT SCROLL
"The world is vast, and upon this day the heavens showered with burning lights. Huge and bright. Civilizations were after these falling lights, they are catching them even not knowing what it would bring."
There were signatures of abnormal energy levels that caused anomalies. It has been like this since they examined and ventured into the ruins. It has been months and Regulus and Chara Venatici were coming back and forth to the ruins to acquire the lost Pandora's Box. They had been battling, they were in the field and lives were sacrificed because of their selfish leaders' interest in acquiring such power.
Raj contacted Thomas after months passed. Thomas wanted to meet Raj to relay the information that he had acquired after several trips and travel to try to solve the anomaly of the world.
They met at the harbor near the shore. "Raj, I have found out new intelligence about what was happening in this world."
"The world was already in an anomaly since the beginning of time."
"What do you mean Thomas?"
"The world corrects itself and these happenings are the way of the world," Thomas explained more about the scroll he had acquired in the ruins.
"Why did you keep quiet when you had information like this?"
"I don't trust any organizations that are present. Government affiliated or not."
THE ANCIENT SCROLL
"There were three large burning orbs unique among the others it was kept hidden because of the unusual and pleasing energy that they emit."
"What's your progress in the ruins right now? The ruins themselves are a labyrinth and the closer you approach to the Ultima Quanta, traps will emerge, and it will be more difficult for average scouts and troops to proceed."
"I don't know I haven't heard from the headquarters, when I met you in that desert was also the last time I came from there."
"So, what have you been doing these past months?"
"Strawberry is still mentoring me and teaching me various things, skills, and techniques I needed."
"I can spar better right now, and I have more control over my Quanta. Socrates also taught me about energy manipulation and concentration. I can now do power beams with my hand or even my fingers."
"That's good. My training was to spar with monsters and creatures from Sicily Island, the Island where it is said in the scroll where one of the huge orbs landed."
"I have been traveling for six months, and I took the quickest way possible to arrive, but I only lasted in that continent for a month. I need to travel back to survive."
In the middle of their conversation, Thomas noticed another sailboat while looking at the sea. He had felt a strong presence, but it was too late now. Socrates was already ready to press the attack. Thomas unarmed was forced into a duel.
"He is…". As he was about to block Socrates from launching his attack from the air.
"I didn't know you were keeping such things young boy.". While Socrates was continuing to attack Thomas with his fists. He was talking to Raj as he spoke.
"Wait. Socrates."
"You should not keep enemies you see."
Their meeting was supposedly only between the two of them, but Socrates managed to notice an unusual action of Raj.
"I followed you here, you might be lost traveling for the first time.". Striking another fist towards Thomas.
He immediately retreated. "What do I need to wait for? Isn't he one of your enemies from that nasty organization?"
Socrates was preparing an open fire aimed at Thomas. "I need not worry here, you found a good place to burn."
Thomas, clearly exhausted exclaimed. "Tell him to stop Raj! I don't have enough power to block that attack."
"But I don't know how." He remembers what Pierce said to him. "He usually just kills anyone he doesn't feel good."
"Tell him I have one of the ancient scrolls."
Thomas knew Socrates but Socrates never knew him and perceived him as a threat. When Socrates heard of it, he immediately paused.
"I've already killed him once and deserve my justice." Raj was about to make himself a shield to accept Socrates' attack before he paused.
Socrates was poking him. "Don't be dumb." Irritated.
They introduced themselves to one another. Thomas knelt before Socrates.
Socrates and Raj looked at each other with question marks on their faces.
Socrates is feeling weird.
"uhm? What are you doing?"
Thomas then stood up. "Nothing. I apologize."
Thomas knew that the Papa's, Socrates' lineage was one of the keepers of the Box.
"I need you to pay attention to what I've found. It turns out that the Pandora's Box that both organizations are referring to is the chest handled by the Sugboanons. Turns out also that it was not the only one that contained power. But from what I know it was the only one left."
"What do you mean?" Raj asked.
Socrates in the moment was listening and paying attention in the conversation.
They are preparing for their small camp to stay the night before continuing to move inside the island.
"It also came to my intelligence that there was a time when the Sugboanons traveled to Bohol to transfer their treasures to the Boholanos because colonials prevailed in the Cube. Which was originally called Maniolas, before the earth rose it water levels it used to have a larger land mass."
"So, what you mean is that…?"
"Yes, exactly, there is a huge possibility that one of the treasures was the box. But we cannot assure it. Since the box according to history was revealed several times for rituals then kept again."
Socrates entered in chorus.
"Yes, we even managed to use it before in our studies. Before the government wiped out all its descendants, you see, the natives."
Thomas was excited as he was about to speak.
"What I am saying is that. There was another Quanta energy source that they had acquired even before the Fallen Stars event happened."
Raj was still confused.
"Fallen stars, during the early 3000 the Earth experienced a meteorite shower. The name they gave the event."
Raj begins to understand.
"The former Quanta energy is said to be more powerful than the one that came next in the fallen stars event."
Socrates stood up and began to sit beside them as he was interested in the story that was about to unfold.
"So, you mean, there was another Quanta that existed even before it came to Earth?" Asked Socrates.
"Yes, and I am thinking, if Axel can extract Quanta from another then I guess it's also possible for them to merge and be one."
"But you know that Axel's was aided by the technology, right?"
"Yes, but what is more prevailing is his Quanta source and the technology he is using is just for a supplement."
"I mean how can they conceal its presence if it was not kept together? It is said that the core if not contained is overwhelming with energy that it attracts all life forms."
"But if I were the one who has it, I would not merge them."
Socrates was thinking. What if.
"It was the box. The chest that Raj was carrying with him all along. Romeo was one of the members during the expedition decades ago. With his fellow doctors and archeologists, Romeo was the one to find and own the chest. The box-like chest. The team of researchers sensed a strong urge for energy and power from the box. It was later then left in the hands of Romeo."
"…And the other one was hidden in the ruins."
Socrates asked without hesitation.
"Raj do you still have the chest that your father had? The one you showed me before."
Thomas was perplexed when he heard Socrates.
"What do you mean chest? You… the chest Raj? From your father?"
"Yes, is this the reason why you murdered my grandmother and what you kept searching for? Thomas?"
"No, yes, I mean, no." He was stunned.
Thomas needs to tell them the truth so that Socrates and Raj will have better enlightenment.
"I told you she is alive. I have no means of hurting her. I approached her lightly, but I did not know that she was capable of fighting."
"Much capable of fighting perhaps than Axel I guess?"
Thomas then explained his motive.
"What do you mean? You fought with grandma?"
"I only asked about the chest, then she started assaulting me. I burned the house, but she was the one who destroyed it while channeling his punches and kicks."
"She was capable of fighting even without any Quanta at hand. More skilled than Axel in hand-to-hand combat."
Raj does not even know that her grandmother can fight. You can see it clearly on his face. His jaw dropped while his eyes were running in circles clearly because of confusion.
"I was forced to use my Quanta, which resulted in piercing her body. That was the blood you saw. But that was never part of my intentions."
"I worked alone for a while. I was scanning the database when I saw your father's credentials in the hands of Axel. Then I decided to step ahead for a while. The database lacks records then it happened that I met a person who happens to know your grandmother while doing my search."
"I was brought to your place. I approached lightly… but then… yeah … like I said."
Raj was already floating in the air murmuring.
"My grandmother can fight?"
"Don't worry, I will bring you to her. She hasn't been conscious yet for years, I hit the vitals accidentally."
Raj was brought back to his senses.
"But she is alive right?"
"Yes. I'm sorry." Thomas bowed down on his knees.
"I am reckless, I need to take her body to cure her. I know you're your place is not capable and doesn't have the technology for that."
"…Also, I need to keep it a secret from the organization."
"When they searched it, they thought that Chara Venatici had it already. Then I just confirmed that you had it."
Socrates was at the back of Thomas suddenly pointing one of his fingers towards his neck.
"You don't have any plans of reporting, right?"
Thomas grabbed his fingers and pointed it out.
"They do not know that I am still living. That is a question for you. You don't have any plans of reporting it right?"
"Why would I, I still even work for them, well technically they don't know it's me. If I were to tell them I should've said it earlier."
Socrates then went back lying on his back.
"By the way Raj. Regarding that symbol from the mask. That was not me. I need to clarify it."
"It was different from what you saw."
Thomas's/Regulus's
"This is a six-pointed star with wavy beams. It very well may be set on the shields of powerful knights and generally shapes part of seals in a banner. A six-pointed estoile can likewise be an eight-pointed one at times. Changing straight and wavy lines are made to shape this star image. It fundamentally alludes to a divine star."
What Raj saw at that time was a celestial member of Regulus. A tier of people Par with Axel's
"You see. What I am using is the one from my village. The reason why I joined them is because I thought they had something related to my village when I first saw the mask symbol."
Both were an Estoile star the only difference is that the Regulus group has lines from the five corners toward the center which cannot be found in Thomas' clan star.
"It turns out there was none."
"I see so I did not spot it. It was a tough time to observe it that much. But right now, I can see the difference."
Socrates was already sleeping and snoring.
"But why did you need to…oh yah."
"I need to bring her here because the organization might catch me. I used their machines temporarily for support before I moved her and traveled here."
"I took the public transportation that time. It was safe, they did not catch me. Don't worry."
The night passed by and the first ray of sun showered in the horizon of the Earth.
"By the way it might take a few days before we reach our destination here at my place. A week if we can't find any vehicle to ride one."
Luckily, a vehicle passed before them.
"Horses will do, this cart is somehow nice."
As they entered the carriage.
"By the way, Raj do not worry about Strawberry, I already made some excuses for you. I told her that you are gonna stay with me for a while. Also, Pierce knows what to do in case she visits again."
Meanwhile in Pierce's situation. He was lying on the ground facing the sky. His eyes were swirling and some of his limb parts were broken.
"Can't they be gentler to others?"
Pierce's eyes continue to roll.
THE ANCIENT SCROLL
"Socrates, Raj, there was also something written here about the Pandora's Box."
"What else?" Said Socrates.
"I think it does not only contain the ingot cores of the Quanta."
Here it says.
"Story of the Pandora's Box. The tale began long ago, probably dating back to the ancient times with the ancient ruins."
"When the history summoned the guardians of nature for the Earth. Every ancestry always followed the rituals correctly everything done pure heartedly with the will to serve and lead."
Raj interrupted.
"Wait, wait. You mean it summons something?"
"Shut up." Socrates spanks his face.
"Continue please."
Socrates and Thomas smiled at each other while Raj's face was still smoking roasted from the spank of Socrates' hands.
"All changed. One ancestry's turn to summon the new guardians at that time. The summoner wanted to use the guardians and the source for the summon selfishly. Because of his dark intentions, the guardians that were supposed to guard were corrupted and created evil. That is why the guardians together with the monsters are sealed."
"It is said that the created monsters contaminated the guardians making them one of them. The guardians cannot destroy the same fellow guardians for it came from the same source."
"These strange creatures were never seen in a millennium. No one knows how they looked and sized. The ancestors never passed the story for it is a shame in the line of their ancestry. Relatives and the family's friends despised them. Throwing them out in the land never to return."
"The creatures are said to be fed by hatred, greed anger, and envy. The darkest creatures to ever exist and the most powerful. Descendants guarded the box generation to generation it has its human protector but years after years the box was forgotten and was set aside unnoticed."
"Wow. That was weird, right Raj." Socrates hits up Raj with his elbows.
"It also has something like a chant or a poem it says here."