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Sersi and Sprite exchanged a solemn glance. Their expressions instinctively grew serious. There was no other reason.
The question they were about to verify was of such monumental importance that it could overturn their worldviews. Neither wanted to believe it was true, yet they feared it might be.
Ajak, watching them, sensed something significant had transpired. But what could it be, given that the Deviants had been extinct for hundreds of years?
Even after some thought, Ajak couldn't guess.
"Ajak, before we proceed, we need to clarify something," Sersi began, her tone serious. "I know this might sound strange, but what is our purpose for coming to Earth?"
A series of question marks instantly appeared in Ajak's mind. What was this absurd question?
Wasn't the mission of the Eternals to eliminate the Deviants? This mission was etched into their DNA—a sacred duty beyond doubt. Why would Sersi question it?
Could it be...?
A thought crossed Ajak's mind. Did Sersi discover the true purpose of the Eternals? But how could that be? Aside from her, no other Eternal knew the truth.
Wait! Ikaris!
Ajak's expression tightened. Ikaris also knew the truth. Could he have told Sersi? It seemed unlikely. Ikaris had separated from Sersi precisely because he couldn't bear deceiving her. Revealing the truth to her after more than a century apart didn't make sense.
If it wasn't Ikaris, how could Sersi doubt their undoubted mission? A series of questions flashed through Ajak's mind.
Deciding to feign ignorance, Ajak said, "Sersi, I don't quite understand."
"What I mean is, we've been dedicated to eliminating the Deviants for thousands of years. But why?"
"We are saving lives. We are saving this planet."
"Then why do we not intervene in other matters besides the Deviants?"
"We want Earth to prosper, but we are not its caretakers. We can't do everything."
Sersi and Ajak began a subtle exchange, with Sersi trying to probe and Ajak deflecting smoothly. Sprite, shaking her head repeatedly, couldn't stand the indirect conversation any longer.
"Let me do it, Sersi," Sprite interrupted, getting straight to the point. "Ajak, is our mission to eliminate the Deviants meant to ensure the birth of Tiamut?"
Ajak's face immediately changed, causing the two women to gasp internally.
It was true? Such a terrifying revelation was actually true?
"So, it's all true?" Sersi's voice rose, full of disbelief and refusal to accept it.
"So, we are not from the planet Olympia, but were created by Arishem? Our mission from the beginning was to ensure Tiamut's birth, the birth of the Celestial hidden within Earth? Ajak, why didn't you ever tell us the truth!"
Sersi's anger was evident, her tone sharp.
Ajak opened her mouth but couldn't find the words. Sersi and Sprite had learned the whole truth. Hiding it further was pointless.
After a brief pause, Ajak sighed. "So, Ikaris told you everything?"
In Ajak's view, the only person who could have leaked this extremely sensitive information was Ikaris.
But Ajak didn't expect the reaction from Sersi and Sprite.
"Ikaris?" Sprite's voice now rose. "Wait, Ikaris also knew? Sersi, can you believe it? Ikaris knew all along and never told us? At the very least, he should have told you!"
A bewildered Ajak absorbed their reactions. If not Ikaris, who else could it be?
"Ajak, aside from Ikaris, who else knows this?" Sersi asked, her expression complex.
"Only Ikaris," Ajak replied without hesitation. "The truth is too heavy. I told only Ikaris."
But Ajak quickly wavered. It was clear that someone besides Ikaris had revealed the truth.
However, among the Eternals, only Ikaris had a close relationship with Sersi. Who else could have told her?
Ajak asked Sersi this question, only to be surprised by the answer.
"Actually, this is why we came to you," Sersi said thoughtfully before explaining the diary's existence and its contents.
Ajak frowned slightly at this—an object that couldn't be shared with others but could predict the future? It sounded absurd.
Yet, recalling that Ikaris wasn't one to casually divulge such a secret, it seemed plausible. It didn't align with Ikaris' character or reasoning.
So, Sersi's story about the mysterious object might be true?
Considering her extensive experience as an Eternal, having followed Arishem for millions of years and undertaken countless missions on various planets, Ajak's skepticism began to waver.
After a brief hesitation, Ajak chose to trust Sersi.
Though Sersi had her memories erased several times, Ajak knew her well—they had been comrades-in-arms for millions of years.
"So, Sersi, what else did that 'mysterious item' reveal to you?" Ajak asked seriously after a moment of confusion.
"Because of the 'Emergence,' the Eternals have split and even had a civil war," Sersi hesitated for a moment but eventually told the truth.
"Civil war? What's going on?" Sprite exclaimed first. It was the first time she had heard Sersi mention this.
Ajak's expression also became extremely solemn. Was it so serious that it caused a split and a civil war among the Eternals? Could it have something to do with Tiamut? After all, the Deviants had been exterminated. Besides Tiamut, Ajak couldn't think of any other possibility.
"Ajak, do you really want to watch this world be destroyed? To see this planet turn to dust because of Tiamut's birth?" Sersi ignored Sprite and stared into Ajak's eyes, asking soulfully, "Is that what you truly want?"
"This question has troubled me for hundreds of years." Ajak slowly stood up, looking at the vast prairie ahead of them, and sighed, "I love this place. Just like you, I love it."
"Then we must find a way to stop the Emergence! We can't sacrifice billions of lives on this planet because of Tiamut's birth! It's too unfair to them!" Sersi exclaimed excitedly at Ajak.
"What about our mission?" Sprite focused on a different issue. "Arishem created us to ensure Tiamut's Emergence, didn't he?"
"There has to be a way!" Sersi emphasized firmly, "There must be a way to ensure Tiamut's birth without sacrificing this planet!"
"Do you really think there is?" Sprite murmured. Could such a perfect solution be found so easily?
"Ajak?" Sprite then shifted her gaze to Ajak. The truth about Tiamut was shocking, but it wasn't what concerned her most. Even if she chose to follow Ikaris in the future and oppose Sersi, her motivation wouldn't be loyalty to Arishem but her own desire to grow. Hence, her stance on Tiamut wasn't very clear.
"For millions of years, I have witnessed the destruction of countless planets, and I never doubted my mission." Ajak's voice drifted away. When she turned around, her eyes were filled with determination. "But now, I think I'm not so sure anymore."
Sersi was overjoyed.
"Are you going to defy Arishem's orders?" Sprite immediately pointed out the critical issue.
"No, my loyalty to Arishem remains unchanged," Ajak shook her head. "It's just that maybe things can be done differently. It's worth a try."
"We need to gather everyone!" Sersi stood up and said solemnly to Ajak, "We need to get everyone back together."
"I will." Ajak nodded. After pondering for a while, she changed the topic, "But before that, Sersi, what else did that 'mysterious item' reveal?"
Sersi started recalling and recounted everything in the diary about the Celestials and the Eternals to Ajak. During this time, Sersi also took out the diary and conducted an experiment in front of Ajak. The result remained the same. Ajak couldn't perceive the diary's existence, and Sersi couldn't reveal its existence to Ajak either. Sersi gave up on exposing the diary completely. Since neither Ajak nor Sprite could recognize it, it would be the same for others as well.
Putting thoughts of the diary aside, Sersi began discussing Tiamut and other hidden secrets with Ajak. Their exchange was "deep" and the atmosphere was quite pleasant. Ajak and Sersi nearly shared the same idea: to protect Earth. While Sprite didn't have as deep an attachment to Earth, she didn't show any opposition either.
They began detailed and profound discussions on how to protect Earth. Unfortunately, no clear solution emerged. It was indeed a very tricky problem.
The "mysterious item" did reveal methods to solve the Tiamut problem, like using Pym Particles or the Infinity Gauntlet. However, these methods were impractical for Sersi and Ajak. Pym Particles seemed unreliable, and according to the diary, the Infinity Stones were scattered across the universe. Were they supposed to start collecting Infinity Stones now?
"Sersi, did the 'mysterious item' reveal anything else that might give us a clue?" Ajak asked, suddenly inspired.
"Yes, exactly!" Sersi's eyes lit up. "Since that guy knows so much, he might know other methods. I must find him!"
"Him?" Ajak raised an eyebrow. "You mean the 'mysterious person' who gave you the 'mysterious item'?"
"I'm not sure if he gave it to me, but his name is written on it—Zhou Cheng," Sersi explained.
Zhou Cheng? Ajak fell into thought. The name was just an ordinary Asian name, with nothing special about it.
"Do we have any more information besides this name?" Sprite asked.
Sersi shook her head.
Ajak and Sprite both felt a sense of frustration. There was only a name and no other information—finding him would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.