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After a few minutes, Raina's eternal half, Titen, and their son, Tuka, reentered the room.
"We are at your service," Titen said warmly with a soft nod. "What would you all like to do next? Would you like to be taken straight to your district?"
"Could you show us around the palace first?" I asked politely. "If it's allowed, I want to explore more of this place before leaving."
"Ah, of course, you've only seen the council room, right?" Titen asked.
"Please, follow me," he said, leading us out the door. We walked back down the spiraling staircase and past a few doors to our left and right. "Most of the Royale Palace isn't meant for public viewing, unfortunately, but there is one or two places that Crest members can access should they decide to..."
As we followed quietly behind him, Tuka continued to leave trails of sand on the floor. I'd lift it with my telekinesis, and Za'Fia would heat them to the point that they turned to glass that broke instantly.
"Whoa!" Tuka exclaimed with hushed excitement. "Mom and Dad once took me to a scary place, and I shaw a girl who could make that! But hers didn't break tho... She was scary, too, so I didn't say hi to her."
Za'Fia continued to entertain the child through small conversations as we walked. She was very maternal with him. I'd never considered her as motherly until that moment. It made me realize that there was a lot more to her, to each of them, that I had yet to see despite knowing them for so long at that point.
Somehow, I found myself subconsciously fiddling with Trik's memory nodes that hung around my neck. Trik was always better at noticing that sort of stuff...
I let out a bittersweet laugh. He would've loved coming to another planet.
We soon entered a large room that was an archive or library of sorts.
"Here we are," Titen said as he let us enter past him. "There's a historian specialist, a librarian, here as well, in case you need assistance. I believe there are no other visitors at the moment, but he will be the only noncindarian here."
Looking around, the room was filled with artifacts that were on display. One of the first things we noticed was the extensive techno system in the center of the room.
That is the Transcript of Cintracies, Viraa told us. The one in Pneuma City, at least.
"Why is it out in the open if it's supposed to be protected?" I asked her.
This is only the tip of the system—the surfaced portion. The access point is far below, where only a few have access.
Four holographic screens rotated around the system, protruding from the floor. On the screens were names of dozens of cintracies as they cycled randomly. There weren't descriptions of them, but some were pretty telling based on their names. I was amazed at the different abilities that were out there.
We each split up after that. Tymon trailed off somewhere with Za'Fia walking beside him. Avarice went off on his own to examine other artifacts. I doubt he was dumb enough to try anything there, so I wasn't too concerned about him. And there was Michael: he was asking a small-framed guy with yellowish skin and glasses stuff about the medical history of Cindar.
That must be the specialist Titen mentioned, I thought to myself.
I walked on my own. I saw several different artifacts I knew nothing about, but between the descriptive texts and Viraa, I learned enough about them. Eventually, I came across a snake-like statue. Based on the explanatory text, it was capable of prophesizing a piece of one's future within the next millennia.
I instantly turned away, uninterested. I'd had enough of viewing too far into the future. I was about to walk away when Tuka suddenly blasted past me, pushing me back.
"Woah! Sorry!" he apologized as he hovered clumsily in the air. "I'm still learning how to fly."
"Tuka! No flying in the archive room. Where's your father?" The historical specialist called out.
"Sorry..." Tuka said as he dropped to the floor and ran off.
I noticed that I was leaning back on the stand with the snake artifact on it, so I stood forward. When I did, the statue fell, and instinctively, I quickly snatched it before it could hit the floor.
Immediately, the snake came to life, and its reptilian eyes glowed before reciting the following prophecy in a low trance-like hum:
The Downfall of the Ones Before -
In the tapestry of time, five threads shall fall,
When the veiled future is present to all.
A call to rise when shadows converge,
Two lives entwined, fate's cruel, ruthless urge.
One thread sacrificed for love's eternal grace,
Another claimed by youth as they stare face-to-face.
A heart's final beat, a blaze of vigor now still,
For the fourth, beneath fire's touch, a river's mournful trill.
For all to retain life, the final must endure the bane,
Yet survivors will each forever be touched by sorrow's stain.
I quickly placed the artifact back on its stand as I stared at it in a panic.
"Wha-" I said as I stepped back, my mind reeling as the prophecy replayed itself in my head. I immediately wanted to share what I had learned with the others, but I was stopped by Viraa.
Wait, Lisa. Remember what would have happened when you wanted to warn the Watchers. This is similar.
Didn't you hear what that thing said? The Downfall of the Ones Before...that's the Primordials! It said five are going to die. If even one dies, Earth is doomed, and even if that weren't the case, I don't want any of my friends to die, I shot back rapidly. I'm not going to sit back and just let that happen.
Unfortunately, that may not be up to you or any of us. However, I do agree that something must be done to prevent such a catastrophe, Viraa said with genuine concern in her voice.
You do? I said, shocked by her willingness to act.
You all are my children, and I spent a great deal of time on Earth. I was there when the human race began. I do not wish to see it perish. Still, there is too little about the prophecy or the future to decipher it. Based on its phrasing, it is likely not to come to fruition for a very long time, so until we learn more, you should keep the team's focus on matters at hand.
Yeah, you're right, I agreed, my mind calming down and rationalizing what she said.
"One thing at a time," I exhaled, moving on to another part of the archive room, where I bumped into Avarice.
13Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8r9o7Shma
