Luke left the room with Clara's words echoing in his mind: "Don't pursue revenge against Solen." Time seemed to slow as her warning weighed heavily on him.
I'm sorry, Clara, but I'm not the same weakling who first stumbled into Aethereon. I'll get that monster, even if it's the last thing I do, he thought, his gaze sweeping across the Abyssal Theatre.
The room was alive with activity, abnormals seated in circles around storytellers. Children napped in their parents' laps, even as information of the labyrinth's ever-changing layout were being told. The warmth of the scene grounded him for a moment, but then he recalled why he'd come here in the first place.
Wait… I was supposed to ask for the location of the Glow Gardens!
Turning back toward the room he'd left, Luke approached the door. He reached for the knob, but before his fingers could touch it, Clara's voice carried through the wood:
"Don't bother asking me. I haven't left the theatre in years. I have no idea where it is."
Luke froze, eyebrows raised in mild disbelief, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as if to say, Alright, you got me.
With a shrug, he turned back into the main hall, weaving between the circles. He strained to overhear useful snippets from the storytellers, though his attention soon shifted to a group of abnormals lined up against the walls. Their quiet patience piqued his curiosity, and he made his way over.
"What are you all waiting for?" he asked.
One of them, a tall, arachnid-like abnormal with eight main eyes and four smaller ones on its brow, answered without shifting its gaze from the entrance. "The Exploration Team. They're relaxing in the Crimson Pools with Kuro. They know the most about the labyrinth's recent changes."
Kuro? Luke's interest sharpened. He'd been meaning to regroup with Kuro and share whatever information they'd gathered. Besides, the Exploration Team might have the details he needed about the Glow Gardens.
"Where are the Crimson Pools?" he asked.
The abnormal gestured with a spindly leg. "Just head outside and take a right. You can't miss it."
Stepping outside, Luke immediately spotted the building in question. It bore a distinct, Asian-inspired design with curved roofs and intricate woodwork. Cardboard cutouts above the entrance spelled out Crimson Pools in jagged lettering. Luke froze as he processed the sign.
Wait… How am I reading this? The realization sent a jolt through him. The letters here is completely unfamiliar, even the "Eternal Oracle" sign inside the Abyssal Theatre.
His head throbbed faintly as he tried to unravel it. It says "Crimson Pools," and it's shaped like a sentō aka a Japanese bathhouse... How do I even know that? Was I unconsciously reading signs this whole time?
Shaking off the strange feeling, Luke pushed the thought aside and made his way inside. The front desk was manned by an abnormal whose body shimmered like a kaleidoscope of gemstones. She regarded him with a courteous nod.
"My apologies, Luke, but the Crimson Pools are only safe for abnormals. If you'd like, we can prepare a separate pool for you, but it may take some time."
Luke hesitated, debating. Should I take the offer? I really just need to see Kuro. A sniff of his clothes settled the matter. Never mind. Definitely taking the bath.
"That's fine," he said, nodding. "I'll wait. I need to talk to Kuro anyway."
Luke had bathed before during his time in Aethereon, particularly in Sylvera. Though the facilities there were rudimentary compared to what he was accustomed to, they still offered a certain charm. The current state of his body, however, told a different story. His recent journey to the giant tree had left him with a grime that seemed to cling to his skin. Thanks to the accelerated aging, it had effectively been ten months since his last proper wash. By Aethereon's standards—where bathing even once a month was considered a luxury—this wasn't unusual, but to Luke's more modern sensibilities, it was unbearable.
"Very well." The abnormal gestured toward a side door. "Sir Kuro is just through there."
"Thank you!" Luke replied, stepping through.
The pools were exactly as their name implied—crimson red in color. What caught Luke off guard was the viscosity of the liquid. It was thicker than water, the faint metallic tang in the air unmistakable. It's blood, he realized.
The holes themselves were carved directly into the stone, suggesting the liquid had been deliberately poured in. Kuro and several abnormals were fully immersed, the crimson liquid clinging to their forms. Yet, to Luke's amazement, their skin and fur didn't stain; instead, the blood seemed to be absorbed, cleansing grime and filth from their bodies.
"Hey, man!" Kuro called out. "I'd stay back if I were you—abnormal blood's harmful to non-abnormals."
"So it's blood," Luke muttered. "And it heals you guys?"
"Oh, yeah," Kuro said with a grin. "We evolved to use it, especially in emergencies. It lets us recycle the strength of fallen allies, too."
Adapt or die, Luke thought, recalling Kuro's words about the harsh reality of the Abnormal Kingdom. No wonder they've survived in the labyrinth. They've literally adapted to everything, even their own deaths.
"Anyway, I had a conversation with Clara—" Luke began, only to be interrupted by a thunderous voice.
"The Eternal Oracle?!" The outburst came from a towering abnormal whose mandibles twitched as he spoke. His massive form took up nearly a third of the 50-meter-wide pool.
All at once, the abnormals turned to face Luke, their jagged, battle-worn appearances a testament to their survival in the labyrinth. Wounds were knitting together as they soaked in the blood, grime falling away from fur and scales alike.
"Ah, I remember her!" someone exclaimed. "She used to tell me stories 200 years ago."
"She threw me out the moment I became an adult!" another grumbled.
"Get over it, you wimp. That was 800 years ago," a third scoffed.
The room descended into overlapping chatter as they reminisced, occasionally splashing each other with the crimson liquid in playful aggression.
Luke leaned toward Kuro, lowering his voice. "Just how old is she, exactly?"
Kuro smirked. "Didn't you hear her story? She talked about the primordial abnormals. How do you think she knows about them?"
The weight of Kuro's words hit Luke. So Clara's not just old—she's one of the first abnormals. A primordial herself…
Shaking his head, he refocused. "Alright, well, I tried asking her about the Glow Gardens, but she didn't know. Did you find anything?"
"Yeah, don't worry," Kuro said. "The Exploration Team gave me what we need."
Before Luke could respond, the crystalline receptionist entered the room, visibly flustered in the presence of the unclothed abnormals. Luke found her reaction puzzling, as Clara was the only abnormal he'd met who wore clothes.
"Sir Luke," she said, bowing. "Your bath is ready."
"Great." Kuro waved Luke off. "Go clean up. I'll grab you when we're ready to head out. We'll find Eleanor and move from there."
Following the receptionist, Luke entered a freshly dug room. Warm water filled a small basin, with a table and cloth set nearby for his belongings.
"Enjoy your bath, sir," she said with another bow before departing.
Luke stripped down and sank into the water, sighing at the contrast between its warmth and the cool air. It wasn't scalding, but it was comfortable enough.
Feels like I've been awake forever, he mused, his thoughts drifting. But I don't feel tired. Is it because of the time warp in the tree? Or maybe the lack of natural light? He frowned. How long has it been since I left Sylvera? Three… four days?
For once, the answer didn't come to him. He let the thought fade, replaced by a different realization.
Abnormals have taken a lot of inspiration from humans. The Abyssal Theatre is like a circus tent. The Crimson Pools are basically a Japanese bathhouse. Even Kuro's name…
Luke groaned, closing his eyes. I don't understand how this knowledge thing works anymore.
The water rippled as he shifted, letting his mind quiet. He'd need his focus soon enough.