Ch 5: Fate and Mysteries

Grey discusses his next move with the Headmistress. Unaware of the academy's secret, Grey is set to head out for Loralu, his friends reluctant to say goodbye. Behind the scenes, the Seeker moves.

            Arriving at the Headmistress’ office, Grey, Marcyl, and Pyro took seats in front of Elizabeth’s desk while Johnny and Tory stood behind them. Sitting in her chair, Elizabeth sighed and said, “So, the Nameless One is it? Things are going to get messy…” Raising her hand, Marcyl waited patiently to be called on as the others stared at her, and Elizabeth merely said, “We’re not in class Marcyl. What is it?” Lowering her hand, Marcyl said, “Wasn’t the Nameless One some sort of ancient being that tried to do something really bad?” Leaning back in her chair, Elizabeth said, “That’s a rather simple way of putting it, but yes. Defeated and sealed away a thousand years ago by the heroes of legend, Angelorum Lux, the Nameless One was supposedly the true face behind the Dark Crusade.” 

Turning to stare down at her feet with a serious look on her face, Marcyl uttered, “Hmm…” Then looking up suddenly, she exclaimed, “So Grey IS a legendary hero after all!” Turning red, Grey said, “No, I’m not! I mean, I still don’t remember who I am but… I think hero is a bit too much…” Crossing his arms with a smirk, Johnny said, “Yeah. I mean c’mon, this guy?” As Pyro turned to glare at Johnny, Elizabeth opened one of her desk drawers and withdrew the sheet of paper with the altar’s translation on it. Staring at the words written on it, she said, “Actually, Marcyl has just voiced the very conclusion I have come to. Rumor has it a new He of the Infinite has arrived in our world, and while I cannot say for sure that is who you are Grey, the inscription on the altar has me convinced you have an important role to play…”

            As Elizabeth finished reading the translation, there was a sparkle in Marcyl’s eyes as she exclaimed, “Wow! I was right after all! So cool, I gotta find my autograph book!” With an exasperated look, Elizabeth said, “Please Marcyl, this is serious…” Seeming confused that no one else was excited, Marcyl said, “Did I say something wrong?” Glancing at Grey, who looked lost in thought, Pyro hesitantly said, “Marcyl, it may be nice to imagine, but this isn’t fun and games anymore. What happened today was pretty bad, so just imagine how dangerous things are gonna be next time.” Nodding solemnly, Elizabeth said, “Yes, the return of the Nameless One could mean total war will soon erupt in this world. If Grey is to play his part, he also will not be here to attend the academy with you.” 

As Marcyl’s face fell, she said, “No! Can’t we do something? Grey was looking forward to going to class with us, isn’t there some way he can stay?” Unable to contain himself, Johnny shouted, “Yeah, this sucks! This is where he belongs, here at the academy with us! I won’t let anyone drag my fated rival off to some stupid war!” Smirking, Elizabeth said, “Oh, I’m afraid you misunderstand. I hold no power here, and neither do you. Grey alone holds the power, and it is completely up to him what to do with it.” As all eyes turned to Grey, he closed his eyes and said, “Elizabeth, you told me that this academy exists to help its students understand themselves better, and to give them the power to protect what’s important. In the short time I’ve been here… Even if I haven’t gotten my memories back, I’ve come to understand who I am and what I have to do. The friends I’ve made here, and those I’ve forgotten, they’re all important to me.” Reluctant smiles crept onto everyone’s faces. Opening his eyes with a determined look, Grey said, “No matter what stands in my way, I have to protect what’s important! That’s all there is to it!” Tearing up, Marcyl said, “Grey…” Nodding with a smile, Elizabeth said, “Excellent. Though I have no desire to see one of my precious students carry such a burden, it’s clear you’re ready. The new journey that awaits you will not be easy, but keep those words close, and I’m sure you’ll find a way.”

            Rising from her chair, Marcyl exclaimed, “I’m going too!” Turning to her in surprise, Grey said, “No way! Are you crazy?!” Looking at him with a pleading look, Marcyl said, “Why not?! I know I can’t fight, but I can still heal!” Closing her eyes and shaking her head, Elizabeth said, “Somehow I knew you would do this. Sorry to say, but the idea is absurd Marcyl. Forget it.” Then with a determined face, Pyro said, “Let me go along with her then! Even if it is dangerous, I have to protect what’s important too! I’ll make sure nothing happens to her!” With a cocky grin, Johnny said, “You’re not leaving Johnny Spark behind! With me around, they’ll both be just fine!” 

With a frustrated sigh, Elizabeth said, “Absolutely not.” Before they could object, Tory firmly said, “I agree with the Headmistress. We have neither the strength nor the skill Grey possesses. It is not our place. I for one cannot abandon my mother…” Marcyl started to say, “But I don’t have-” Frustrated, Grey said, “Just stop it! Do you think I want you all to throw away your academy life too?! I don’t want anyone coming with me, alright?!” With a defeated look, Marcyl went silent, as did Pyro. Johnny still looked like he wanted to argue, but then Elizabeth said, “Now that you all understand, Grey and I need to discuss his next destination. I think it’d be best if you leave us. Go home and cool down.”

            Once the others had left the room, Elizabeth opened a desk drawer with a sigh and said, “Honestly, I wouldn’t have expected Erika to be so reckless as well. Tor is thankfully more level headed, not that he wasn’t just as concerned. They all seem to have become quite attached to you these past two days.” Withdrawing a scroll of paper, she added, “Myself as well. I’ll be expecting you to come back to visit someday, understood?” With a grin, Grey simply said, “Got it.” Unfurling the scroll of paper and spreading it out on the desk, revealing it to be a map, Elizabeth said, “Now, again I am unsure, but if your opponent is the Nameless One, then it’s almost certain you’re the new He of the Infinite. As a member of Angelorum Lux, you would have had allies by your side. For you to have been resurrected by the phoenix stone, you must have been killed in battle, which makes it unlikely they’re searching for you. Still, you must find them, as I’m sure you cannot do this alone.” 

Adjusting her glasses, Elizabeth placed a finger on the map and said, “That may be even more of a challenge now though. I keep tabs on matters of the outside world, and today I received news of an incident that just so happens to have occurred around when you were likely killed. Three nights ago, the seaside city of Gatria was razed to the ground. The ruling noble in charge of the city, Count Ferid, survived and claims that it was an act of aggression by the demonfolk. The demonfolk strongly deny it, and there are conflicting reports from other survivors that some form of airship was responsible. It’s all very suspicious, especially since Ferid has also stated Angelorum Lux may have aided the demonfolk in their attack.” 

Taken aback, Grey said, “What? That can’t be right!” Tapping her finger on the map as though in thought, Elizabeth said, “I never said I believed it was. The founding members of Angelorum Lux are revered as gods in halman society. The fact that he has accused them openly and moreover the fact that the halman government is taking his word for it shows that something sinister is going on here. Ferid may have been behind it all, maybe he’s even an agent of the Nameless One. Whatever the case, things are getting bad. A war between halmans and demonfolk seems to be fast approaching, and Ferid is using his control over the halman government to try and capture your friends, throwing the beliefs of his people into chaos.”

            Having decided that Grey would avoid the capital of Xandaris and instead go west around the mountain to reach Loralu, then travel south through the Barrier Marsh to reach Verrel, once Grey had left her office, Elizabeth got out of her chair and moved to look out the window. Watching him walking back to the dorms, she muttered, “I suppose it’s for the best that he doesn’t know. He needs no more worries to deal with, and for now it seems as though the Nameless One has no idea that it’s hidden beneath the academy. We seem to be safe for now.” Suddenly, a voice said, “He knows. He will come for it.” Whirling about, Elizabeth found a woman with long brown hair and golden eyes wearing a frilly brown shirt, a long brown skirt, and a brown beret stood before her desk. With a warm smile, the woman said, “I am Claire, the Seeker. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

Pulling up a chair, Claire continued, “I’ve come here today to make a request, but why don’t we chat a bit first? I know a great deal about Grey and his situation. I’m sure you have questions, though you must understand there are some answers I may not have or may not be at liberty to reveal at this point in time.” With a slight laugh, Elizabeth took her seat and said, “Alright… Let’s start with what you were saying earlier. The Nameless One knows does he?” Folding her hands in her lap and nodding solemnly, Claire said, “The vessel Gabriel the Immortal used to subdue the Nameless One’s essence within him is somewhat crudely made. If his mind is weakened to a great extent, his thoughts will become vulnerable. Recently he was attacked with a powerful hypnotic ability that nearly destroyed his mind, and during the confusion, the Nameless One picked his brain for information. He now knows that Gabriel founded Lorem Academy, and that Vas Initio is hidden within it. It’s half the reason Malum came here, the other half being to prevent Grey from overcoming his first trial and regaining his power. When it became apparent that he could not dissuade Grey, Malum decided to eliminate him immediately, but he lost due to the fact that he has not recovered his full strength. It was a bold move to attack in such a state, especially considering he only holds a fraction of the Nameless One’s power within him. He won’t give up though. He has always excelled at manipulating others. As strange as it would be, I fear he may very well form an alliance with Alastor Bastille.”

            Drumming her fingers on the desktop, Elizabeth muttered, “So Alastor is back as well? Moving Vas Initio would probably be dangerous, but then how would we possibly defend it against such odds?” With an apologetic look, Claire said, “I’m afraid that neither of those is possible. For that reason, I’ve come to ask you to evacuate Lorem Academy and the city, before there is any needless bloodshed.” Curtly, Elizabeth said, “Not a chance. Even if it comes down to a battle, I will find a way to defend my precious students!” Smiling sadly, Claire slowly replied, “Of course, forgive me. Defending the secret here is your grandfather’s legacy, after all. I suppose I should have learned by now. Some futures cannot be so easily changed…” 

Rising to go, Claire walked to the door and placed a hand on the doorknob, channeling magic through that hand. As she opened the door, it opened to reveal magical light beyond, and stepping through it she disappeared, the door swinging shut behind her. After simply sitting there a moment, Elizabeth looked over at a framed photograph sitting on the desktop. It was herself and an elderly looking elven eared man with a class of students, the elderly man with a big grin on his face. Staring at the photo, Elizabeth thought, “Evacuate everyone to where? This is our home, the home you loved so much grandfather! All our memories together are here… Just what should I do?”

            Wednesday July 18, 520NA. Finding herself in a circular room with glossy black floors and walls, Marcyl looked up to the roof of the tall room to see there was a small, glowing spherical object suspended in some form of ring shaped device that floated in the air just beneath a spotlight that was casting a shaft of light down through the room. Stepping further into the room as though guided by an unseen force, as she moved further in, the black metal floor panels in the center of the room began rising up into the air all on their own. They soon formed a floating spiral staircase that led up to the strange glowing sphere, and stepping onto the first floating step, Marcyl thought, “I feel like I’ve been here before…” 

Ascending the floating staircase, at last Marcyl arrived at the device, the spherical object glowing as flame colored energy raged within it, making it look almost like a ball of fire. Staring at it, feeling as though the energy within it was somehow familiar, Marcyl thought, “Didn’t this… happen before…?” Suddenly the object’s glow intensified and a burst of energy shot out at her. Crying out in fear, next thing she knew, Marcyl was sitting up in bed in her room at the dorm. With a sigh of relief, she muttered, “Just dreaming…” Turning to her clock on the nightstand, as she looked at the time her eyes went wide and she exclaimed, “Oh no! Ohhhhh, I’m gonna be so late!”

            Walking out of the main school building with Pyro and Tory, Marcyl looked somewhat depressed. Having noticed her disheartened state during class, Pyro said, “Don’t be so down, you’ve been late plenty of times before.” Pausing in her stride and putting on a forced smile, Marcyl tried to sound cheery as she said, “What are you talking about? I’m not down at all!” Pointing at her smiling face, she added “See? See?” Convinced he knew what was wrong, Tory said, “You won’t be able to see him off properly if you keep this up.” Marcyl’s smile disappeared, and after a moment she said, “I never told either of you guys this, but… I had amnesia too.” 

Pyro’s jaw dropped, and she sputtered, “Wh-wha?! You?! Since when?!” Quickly Marcyl said, “I never forgot anything about you guys, I swear! It was before I was brought to the city.” Feeling guilty that he never knew, Tory said, “Why didn’t you tell us?” Laughing nervously, Marcyl said, “Sorry… It wasn’t until I was old enough to attend the academy that the Headmistress told me. She didn’t know what caused it, and since I had been lost before coming here, she couldn’t really tell me anything about where I’d come from. I told her I’d prefer it if no one else knew, because it really didn’t seem important to me. My memories of starter school and graduating to the academy, of the friends I’d made, they were enough.” With a sad smile, Pyro said, “Man, you dummy. It’s great to hear how much we mean to you, but don’t you ever wonder what you might have lost?” Starting to smile genuinely as she talked, Marcyl said, “Not until I met Grey. It’s not just because he also has amnesia though. Being around him, I get a familiar feeling, the feeling of something from the past I forgot. I wanted to tell him about it, but now that he’s leaving, it just feels pointless…”

            Getting lunch from one of the cafeteria’s, as Marcyl and the others sat down at one of the cement tables, Marcyl with a titanic platter of food, Pyro said, “Well I still say you should just tell him. I mean, it could be awhile before we see him again.” They had been discussing the topic all the way to the plaza, and hesitant to give in, Marcyl said, “I dunno. It’s not like it’s really such a big deal…” With a frustrated sigh, Pyro said, “You’ll regret it if you don’t! I don’t know where he’s gone to though. We haven’t seen him since the other night. I wonder if something happened.” Swallowing a bite of food, Tory said, “Let’s ask the Headmistress. She should know.” 

After they’d finished eating, they made their way back to the main building and up to Elizabeth’s office. Knocking on the door, they heard Elizabeth say, “It’s open.” As they stepped in, Elizabeth held an old looking blueprint before her. Looking up from it to see them, she folded the blueprint up and said, “Yes?” Eyeing the blueprint curiously for a moment, Marcyl finally said, “We haven’t seen Grey all day, do you know where he went? I wanted to talk to him before he leaves.” Stuffing the blueprint in a drawer and locking it with a key, Elizabeth said, “He said he was going to the city, to that old church I believe. He wanted to see the statues of Angelorum Lux again. I’ve arranged for a hover bus to drive him to Loralu once he gets back, but he said he’d talk to you all before he leaves. If you can’t wait, I suppose I could excuse you three from class…” Quickly and eagerly, Pyro said, “Seriously?! Err, I mean, if that’s alright…” With a slight chuckle, Elizabeth said, “Just go hurry up and find him.”

            As they arrived at the battle scarred church, they stepped in and looked around for Grey. Not seeing him at all, Marcyl said, “Guess we missed him?” Walking in further, as they continued to look around, Tory said, “We must have passed him in the streets.” Shrugging, Pyro said, “At least it got us out of history class.” Then a voice called out, “Are you all looking for someone?” Sitting on the bench at the front of the left row of benches, Claire was looking back at them with her golden eyes. Walking up to her, Marcyl said, “Did a boy a bit older than us with brown hair come here?” With smiling eyes, Claire said, “I believe I know who you mean. I’m afraid he left shortly before you came here.” With a slight sigh, Marcyl said, “Oh phooey. Well, thanks miss. I guess we’ll just be heading back now.” Nodding, Claire replied, “Sorry you missed your friend, I hope you find him.” As Marcyl turned to go, she added, “By the way, you have an interesting item there…” 

Turning around in confusion, Marcyl said, “Item? Where?” Suddenly, Pyro exclaimed, “Marcyl, in your hand!” Looking down at her right hand, Marcyl found she held a beautiful silver scepter with a crescent shaped design on the end of it, a blue sphere shaped gem in the center of the crescent, and a smaller blue gem studded into the bottom end of the scepter. Staring at it momentarily, Marcyl blinked in surprise, and then with a sparkle in her eyes, she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh wow! It’s so pretty! Where did it come from?” Rising from the bench, Claire said, “It’s the symbol of the fragment of power within you, a power that evil will come for.” Moving between her and Marcyl, Tory said, “Who are you?” With a warm smile, Claire said, “No one important. Forgive me if I frightened you.” Walking past them to leave, she added, “I never predicted it though. Perhaps it’s not too much to hope that his existence has made the difference even in the fate of this academy…” Once she had gone, Pyro stared after her and muttered, “Man, what was that about?!”

            Sitting upon the throne in the command room of the Citadel of Noctivagus, entering commands into the various control panels around it while monitoring the citadel’s status on the holoscreen before him, a man with short white hair and red eyes wearing a black suit over a red shirt with a white collar said in an empty voice, “There. We’re fully operational.” As his subordinates at the various command stations throughout the room cheered, from where she stood next to the throne, a woman with dark skin and silver hair braided on one side wearing black clothes said, “Shall we prepare our forces for battle Lord Alastor?” Pressing a button, as the control panels before him moved aside to let him out of the throne, Alastor got to his feet and said, “I have been thinking of our next step as well Giselle. Because of Ferid’s blunder, we do not have Deus Amictus, without which we cannot begin the Merge. I’m not about to leave the important matter of Mr. Greyson’s sister and the sword to that incompetent fool, so for now we may simply have the Morsus Brotherhood take preliminary steps in Teramis while we sort matters out in Gaia.” 

Suddenly a voice said, “Might I make a suggestion?” Rising from a dark vortex in the center of the control room, as Malum appeared, Alastor stared at him blankly and said, “You…” Quickly Giselle shouted at Alastor’s men, “Intruder! Don’t just sit there you peons!” Getting out of their stations and drawing EDE weapons, Alastor’s men surrounded Malum. Looking side to side at the group of henchmen, he sighed and said, “Is this really necessary?” Moving towards Malum, the henchmen made way for Alastor as he approached. Standing before him, Alastor said, “How did a puppet of the Nameless One like you get a new body of flesh and blood?” Coming up behind Alastor, Giselle said, “Who is he sir?” Alastor simply waited for Malum, who replied, “A puppet I may be, but you’re not much more now are you? An empty shell, driven only by hatred and fear, you cling to a dream that can never become reality…” 

Staring at Malum with an empty gaze, Alastor said, “Is that all you’ve come to say? I’m afraid I’m far too busy to relive the thousand years I spent playing these mind games.” Reaching up to remove his mask, Malum replied, “Oh really? I suppose I’ll have to come up with some new mind games then, but in answer to your question before…” As he took off his mask, Alastor’s eyes went wide and he said, “What…?” Grinning at his reaction, Malum said, “Both I and your darling nephew have been reborn, and he’s becoming more and more powerful every day. It would be bad enough even if the core essence of the Nameless One were only divided amongst you and your brother, but the boy also has the piece you so carelessly split off from your own. I’m not really sure I understand how it all worked, but the power I received after being reborn is basically a small fragment of his core piece, and Vanitas, who was also reborn, is off doing god knows what and refusing to answer me. With our power split like this and so many unknowns about, we may very well only stand a chance if we work together. As a gesture of my sincerity, I’ll tell you a little secret the Nameless One has been keeping from you about the location of Vas Initio, as well as some things you don’t know about the rewrite of the Inanimate Dream. Once we’ve dealt with Grey and Angelorum Lux, we can settle our own little dispute…”