As they both stepped into the lift, the room was bathed in a soft, ethereal glow, unsimilar to the one of the halls they once came from the walls made of transparent, condensed rasvian energy.
It was like being in the heart of a crystal, the stars beyond twinkling brightly in the vast expanse of space, closer than they had ever seemed before. The sight of countless stars, each one a burning beacon in the dark, filled Leonardo with awe.
"I still can't wrap my head around the fact that all those are stars," Leonardo murmured, drawn to the edge of the room where the universe seemed to stretch out infinitely. The vastness of it all made him feel both small and immensely curious.
"They built this so fast," Marquis responded, marveling at the construction around them.
The lift itself was an engineering marvel, a testament to the abilities of the sages who commanded the energy that powered their world.
"For whatever reason I didnt see it when leaving the tower" he said slowly
As they stood there, Leonardo's thoughts drifted to the others. "Anna and Elara stayed with Mei Ling, right?" he asked, remembering the others who had been part of their group.
Mei Ling's presence was always noticeable, her guide's figure always a constant in their company, his golden mane gleaming under the artificial light of the lift.
Her guide was something out of a myth—a human-lion hybrid whose golden lion's mane headdress cascaded down his back, nearly reaching the floor.
His eyes, sharp and feral, glinted under the light, and the sharp, claw-like gauntlets he wore added to the aura of danger that surrounded him.
He was a figure that demanded attention and respect, both terrifying and intimidating, a protector of whatever place he came from.
Leonardo's attention shifted again, searching the room as if looking for someone in particular. Marquis noticed his distraction and offered, "Ryuji is with Wata."
"You call him Wata too?" Leonardo asked, surprised by the familiarity.
"Yeah, it's easier to remember," Marquis said with a shrug. "That's what I thought too, but Takashiro didn't allow me to call him by a shorter name."[Leonardo]
Leonardo chuckled lightly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Yeah, he's really single-minded."[marquis]
Marquis's gaze drifted across the room to where Ryuji was resting, his body still as stone.
Wata stood nearby, always a few feet away, his watchful eyes never straying from Ryuji. "That guy is still gripping his sword," Marquis muttered, noting the tight grip Ryuji still had on the hilt of his weapon.
Ever since Henri had struck him and Ryuji had fainted, his hand hadn't left the sheath of his sword, not even during the ceremony where the unwritten skills—what the sages liked to call "blessings"—were handed out.
"Leonardo," Marquis began, his tone shifting to one of concern, "why didn't you accept the unwritten skill? I know I talked about the disadvantages, but…" Marquis closed his eyes briefly, as if trying to block out the swirl of emotions. He waved his hand dismissively over his shoulder.
"The tour guide wouldn't accept it, I think," Leonardo said, his voice distant as he looked back at the stars, their light reflecting in his amber eyes like tiny fragments of lost hopes. "But it's still a maybe… I maybe should've gotten it," he added, his voice tinged with regret. "Argh, I should've—"
Marquis interrupted him, his curiosity piqued. "Tour guide? What do you mean?" There was confusion in his tone, laced with a hint of concern.
Leonardo hesitated, feeling the weight of what he was about to reveal. "I just got the job… Tour Guide Practical Officer," he said, t
"Huh?" Marquis responded, his confusion deepening. His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of Leonardo's words. "What are you talking about? That doesn't make any sense."
Before Leonardo could explain further, a familiar voice broke through their conversation. "Get ready, the lift is about to descend!"
Leonardo turned sharply, his heart lifting as he recognized the voice. "Hector!" he exclaimed, visibly excited to see him.
There was something about Hector that always made Leonardo feel at ease, as if there was an unspoken bond between them.
Hector smiled, his presence a welcome relief in the tension-filled room. "Haha, how are you?" he asked, turning his attention to Marquis.
The warmth of the room seemed to evaporate in an instant as Marquis's expression darkened.
His eyes narrowed, a shadow of sternness replacing the earlier warmth. He fixed his gaze on Leonardo with a gravity that was hard to ignore.
"Leonardo… let's not change the topic again, alright?" Marquis said calmly, though the tension in his voice was palpable. "Could you excuse us, sir?" he added, turning to Hector with a firm but sincere tone.
Hector looked taken aback but nodded, sensing the shift in atmosphere. "Well, sure but—"
"Leave," Marquis interrupted, his voice leaving no room for argument.
Hector's face flushed slightly with embarrassment as he muttered, "Well, I'll take my leave now!" He quickly made his exit,
Leonardo, bewildered, stared at Marquis. "What was that for?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and irritation.
Marquis's gaze softened just a fraction, but the intensity of the moment remained. "Back to the topic of the tour guide," he said, his voice steady.
"What about it?" Leonardo responded, his mind racing. He had kept the news of him coming from beneath the museum . He hadn't even fully processed the gravity of it himself. I mentioned I got chosen, but—
I didn't tell Anna or Elara. Should I? Could I?
Marquis watched him with a mixture of concern and frustration. "Leonardo, this is not just about you. the thought of another tour guide"
Leonardo's thoughts churned, tangled in confusion and disbelief. The thought of another tour guide… someone from beneath the museum… the contract—I should've read it more carefully.
The tour guide told me to explore, but… should I do it with or without care?
Leonardo continues thinking.
Suddenly, in a moment of reckless honesty, Leonardo blurted out, "He's my dad!"
The words hung in the air, thick with surprise. Marquis's eyes widened. "Wait—what do you mean your dad?"
Leonardo felt a pang of vulnerability. His voice wavered as he continued, "I didn't want to say anything, but… the tour guide, the one who gave me this job… he's my father. I didn't know how to tell anyone. I didn't know if I should. It's complicated."