The night air at Aldermere felt cool and crisp, cutting against the tension over the city, however temporarily. Evan went fluid and silent through the narrow streets of old city as his senses were heightened up to the nanites streaming his body. The sensor crystal pulsed steadily around his neck; leading him toward the cathedral where mysterious relics are being hidden.
Walking towards the grand building, he could not but stare in awe at the monstrous size before him. The spires of the cathedral reached for the heavens, carvings dancing in a faint light that spilled from the silvery moonlight. Evan's heightened senses picked up the subtle currents of Aether energy which seemed to flow through the stones of the building itself, reminding him of the secret technology which lay within.
Evan slid into the shadows noiselessly and fluidly. Now, he had to be careful because he knew the city guards were on the lookout since the recent disturbances happened, and a wrong move was all it took to jeopardize his mission. There was a side entrance-it was a small wooden door that people rarely used. A look around showed no one was paying him attention, and with the palm of his hand against the door he could almost feel the shiver the slight movement by the locking mechanism made.
The nanites in his system responded to his mental command and sent a precise pulse of energy through his fingertips. The lock clicked open, and Evan slipped inside, closing the door quietly behind him. He found himself in a dimly lit corridor, the air thick with the scent of incense and old stone. The pulses of the sensor crystal grew stronger, guiding him deeper into the heart of the cathedral.
As he walked through the maze of corridors, Evan's mind became wild. Maybe these relics Marcus spoke of would unlock an understanding of what was going on with the Aether disruptions and what this simulation was all about. However, he had to be careful; the cathedral was a place of power and mystery, and he couldn't afford to draw unnecessary attention to himself.
Evan approached an incredible wooden door that was carved with heavenly bodies. The sensor crystal was throbbed bright, and he knew he was reaching his destination. He took another breath in and grabbed the handle and swung open a gigantic chamber of ancient tomes and scrolls. The air was heavy with the scent of parchment and dust.
A figure stooping over a great table at the end of the room peered into an assortment of objects. There confirmed, was Helena the mysterious scribe to whom everyone talked. There, these objects proved of utmost importance.
Helena turned as Evan came into her space. Narrowed eyes at him in question. "Who are you?" she demanded with voice firm and authoritative.
Evan raised his hands in peaceful gestures. "I'm a healer," he said, his voice as steady and calm as his steps. "I've come to help."
Helena's eyes flicked to the sensor crystal around his neck, and her expression softened ever so slightly. "You're not from here, are you?" she asked, her tone more curious than accusatory.
Evan shook his head. "Iam Evan, I'm not from around here. But I think we have a common goal. I'm here for the purposes of getting to know about these ancient relics."
Helena looked at him for a moment before nodding. "Oh you are the healer my brother told me about"
He nodded, as he walked closer to the table to take a closer look; on display were the ancient relics; one after another, each pulsed with faint glows of Aether energy around them, He could feel the power emanating from them,indicating their significance to his investigation.
"These relics,' Helena said, 'were found in the rubble around a town. They go back quite some time, when miracles did indeed happen, at the age when the original priests were using the Divine Aura. More is carried within them than what exists of them.".
He stretched out to touch one of the relics, a small crystal sphere that hummed with energy. His fingers just touched it and opened floodgates in his mind. He was suddenly overwhelmed by visions of a world long gone by: a world where Aether flowed free and where technology and magic were as one.
"The Aether disturbances," he said, and his voice was full of wonder. "They are tied to these artifacts. They are from a time when the power of Aether was at its peak."
Helena nodded. "Yes. And perhaps if we understand how to utilize the artifacts, perhaps we could stabilize the flow of the divine aura."
Endless possibilities were racing through the mind of Evan: relics, maybe a key that could unveil how the simulation worked, and even the disturbances of the Aether itself. Much would have to be learned in too little time.
"We must research these relics further," said Evan, his voice of confidence solidly evident in his voice. "Then, we shall identify the powers behind these disruptions."
He looked into her eyes, and Helens did the same, and for a moment, they grasped something. They were fighting on the same side, perhaps saving each other's worlds at the same time.
As they began working, Evan couldn't help but feel that they had finally reached the point of discovery that would change everything. Answers were within the relics, and with every passing moment, they were one step closer to unearthing the truth.
But with Cheso forces closing in on Habellion and growing Aether disruptions on earth, Evan knew that he had to act fast otherwise everything would be lost.
The night was spent, but still, the room glowed softly from Aether energies as Evan and Helena read deeper into the mysteries the relics hold.The fate of two worlds hung by a single string, and his journey had barely started.