The way back to the academy was filled with questions. With quiet and concise answers, Devina helped us understand that there existed a city beneath Nautilus. This underground place was where criminals were exiled if the death penalty was not available. The people we had met back on the cliffs were from the underground.
"So all of them are criminals?" Aylin peeked behind me and asked Devina.
"Most certainly not. Some are born to parents who were criminals," Devina said, gesturing with her hand.
"Can they come up to Nautilus again?" I asked.
"The state views them as criminals, so they would be promptly sent back or executed on the spot."
"Even the ones born there?"
"No. Those born there would not have been registered in the Nautilus database, so they would be able to come up to the city. Though methods of coming up from the underground are quite intricate."
"That Zerstörer guy, he seemed familiar to you. Have you met him before?"
Devina sighed before rubbing her face with her palm, clearly uncomfortable upon hearing that name.
"He's a weirdo who's into my sister."
"Why would he be interested in your sister?"
"Too many questions for today. Go get some rest for now," Devina said before sending us off and heading her own way.
I laid down on my bed, exhausted, while Aylin sat on my chair and began pondering.
My head calmed as I closed my eyes to rest, but then I felt a slight tug on my shoulder.
Aylin's pink eyes stared straight at me with curiosity. Then her eyes lit up and she tugged on me even harder until I opened my eyes fully.
"Do you think the Head Professor is an Aeon? If Devina and Sekito are sisters, and Sekito is the Serenity sovereign, and she hasn't aged for decades. And Devina herself doesn't look that old, she barely looks like an adult, don't you think? Aeons don't age like normal humans and stay the age they awaken their Aeons. So I can draw the conclusion that Devina is an unaging Aeon. Furthermore, that yellow spark on her cheek when she confronted Zerstörer was the purest form of Aeonic loxes. I can feel it in my heart that Devina is no ordinary human." She placed her hand on her chest and stared at me adamantly.
I remembered Devina's words. She had only mentioned that I should not tell anyone about the Aeon within me, not about hers. Telling Aylin would not cause anything bad to happen.
"Well, you are correct. Devina isn't a normal person. She does, in fact, wield the Aeon of Dexterity."
Aylin smiled before spinning around on my chair. She went faster and faster until she got too dizzy and fell off, landing against the edge of my bed.
"There's something new we can add to the collection then." She tried to reach for my face but missed entirely.
Fiviana and Aylin were doing puzzles together as usual. In the middle of everything, Fiviana asked if she could also add her stories to our archives.
We accepted her request, and she started writing immediately. Aylin remembered what had happened yesterday and wrote it down in her little book.
I decided to write a story as well.
At the beginning of time, the moon bestowed the earth with its glow, for its purpose was to guide people to their destinations. Yet where does the moon go? The Gods cursed the moon into lifelong servitude for its crimes. Though benevolent and innocent, its lunar eyes were gouged out and its light stolen. It was left with no purpose other than granting wishes, even from Gods. One sought to break this curse upon the moon. His savagery and destruction brought the world to the brink of extinction. Known as the Lunar War, it was a bloodbath. Innocent lives were forced to fight against the man who sought to break the moon's curse. Those who stood in the sinner's path were soaked in their brothers' blood.
The ground turned red as blood seeped into the soil. Vegetation became crimson. Bodies lay scattered across the plains. A God cannot be killed. This is fact. No matter how hard the man tried, immortality could not be undone. The world crumbled. Humans lay dead. The Gods weakened. Yet the sinner was imprisoned. His soul was detached from his body by a curse placed upon him by the other Gods. His corpse was scattered across the world. His spine became the foundation of the land, forming mountains and valleys across the globe. His arms became the building blocks for humanity to learn again. His legs became the frost that stabilized the world. His eyes were taken by the Gods. His blood refilled the oceans he had burned. His heart became the life force of all living beings. Because of this, humans possess an emotion called guilt.
Aylin peeked over my shoulder and read the text.
"The story of the Aeon of Desire and Guilt?"
"Yeah."
Aylin chuckled and teased me.
"You've got a real one right in front of you. Why not look at me instead?"
It was still strange to think that the person in front of me was the Aeon of Desire. No, she was not just the Aeon of Desire. She was Aylin too.
Fiviana looked up, confused, and asked what we were doing. Aylin quickly shoved her hands behind her back and told her nothing.
"Hey Fiviana, I've never asked you, but I've been curious for quite a while about your family," Aylin said.
"Yeah, you've barely told us anything about them."
Fiviana looked concerned before saying she had an older sister and a younger brother.
She then refused to go into further detail, saying it was confidential, before apologizing. Aylin pouted slightly, but curiosity about Fiviana's family lingered in my mind. A trip to the library of Landia that afternoon revealed something shocking.
The Fivindus bloodline was near noble status, second only to the royal family. They maintained close ties through arranged marriages and diplomatic roles. So Fiviana was a noble? Then why could she walk the campus without attendants? Digging deeper, I discovered that a faction of the Fivindus clan had once served as assassins, highly skilled operatives used by the royal family to eliminate opposition.
They were also known for hosting the Aeon of Conservation, who aided the hero of Nautilus, Hectima, in protecting the city. As of now, however, there was no clear successor to the Aeon of Conservation.
After pondering this, it was safe to say the Fivindus family was dangerous. Their bond with the royal family and the bounty placed on my head by the prince made me uneasy.