"What the hell do you mean she is nowhere to be found?" I slammed my hands onto the teacher's desk.
"Calm yourself." Professor Linus entered the room with an unlit cigarette in his mouth.
"As I said, Vivshi, we couldn't find her in her room. The school was notified once her absence notices came in, and we went to check on her. When there was no response, we decided to unlock her door, but we couldn't find her anywhere."
My fists curled in anger, and I yelled at the teacher again.
"This is your last warning. I know you are pent up, but calm yourself," Linus said sternly.
The teacher sitting in front of me reassured me that the academy took cases like this seriously and would investigate.
"Had you realized even a day sooner, none of this would have happened. If you teachers didn't do such a sloppy job of keeping students safe!"
A sudden thud rang out inside the faculty room as I was slammed onto the table by Professor Linus.
"I kindly ask you to let the academy handle this matter."
He pressed my head against the table and held my arm behind my back with great force. I could feel my muscle fibers tearing as he applied more pressure. It felt like the force of the Aeon of Breakage.
"Unhand me now."
The entire faculty room felt as if it were swallowed by crushing pressure. An authority that commanded them to stand down, to prostrate themselves. I could barely hold in my anger anymore, watching the school refuse to take action. I was breathing heavily, and Professor Linus, who was restraining me, felt as if a hand had wrapped itself around his heart. Black ooze began to drip down from the teacher's desk.
"I SAID UNHAND ME!"
I broke free of the professor's grip and stared at him, panting like an animal ready to attack.
"Vivshi!" It was Lua's voice.
I didn't care anymore. If these teachers wouldn't do anything, then I would. I stormed out of the faculty room, leaving everyone in a state of shock.
"And you ask why students hate you, Linus," a teacher commented.
Professor Linus stared at his trembling arm. In his mind, he wondered how a mere student could overpower him, especially when he had specifically enhanced himself with the Aeon of Breakage.
"I think I'm going to go out for a cigarette break." Linus walked onto the balcony and began smoking.
The sensation around his heart was no ordinary lox interference. He detected no loxes being used to cause such a feeling.
"Jeez."
Lua watched with worried eyes as I walked down the corridor.
"Aylin, I'm not leaving you, no matter what."
But where would I even find her? In a massive city like Nautilus, it was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. At that moment, a name surfaced in my mind, someone who could help me.
Devina was stamping papers at her desk as I stepped into her office. She had dark circles under her eyes, but her hands moved swiftly and her gaze darted from side to side as she read documents.
"So, what do you need this time?"
"Aylin. She's gone."
"Figured," she said nonchalantly.
"So you want me to help you find her or something?" she asked, still completely focused on reading.
I nodded, and she finally looked up from her papers.
"You asked her whether she was an Aeon or not, didn't you?"
I took a step back, eyes wide, and asked her how she knew.
She pointed at her eye.
"Nothing can remain a question in my eyes."
I nodded again.
She smiled enthusiastically before standing up and walking over to me.
"She is," Devina said calmly, a smile on her face.
"She is what?" I asked, confused.
"She is an Aeon."
I didn't care whether she was an Aeon or not. I just wanted to know if she truly was one. It wouldn't change anything.
"If you didn't care, then why did you ask? You could have lived a perfectly normal life with her had you not asked."
"That doesn't change how I view her at all."
"Not even the slightest?"
Aylin was Aylin. Nothing else. Even if she hid another identity from me, she just wanted to be happy and live a normal life.
"She hid the fact that she is hosting a god inside her, and you're willing to trust her?"
"I'm no better than her. I'm lying to her as well. I'm human first, and then Aeon."
My answer made Devina giggle before she burst into laughter. Her laughter echoed throughout the room, and she told me she would help me find her.
Devina turned her back to me and asked another question. She asked if I wanted to know another secret.
"If it means you helping me, then I…" I nodded.
She spun around and touched my cheek with her soft, delicate hand. A smirk etched itself onto her face as a magical golden flower bloomed on her cheek. Its roots dug into her neck as she whispered into my ear.
"I too."
Then my vision went black.
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing in an empty void. A dot appeared in the distance. Then another. Then another, until the void was filled with endless stars.
I tried to breathe, but couldn't draw in a single breath.
Devina appeared before me.
"This is the Space of Dexterity, or the edge of the universe if you want to call it that. No biological functions work here, so you don't need to breathe. Only your soul is present."
Translucent stairs formed beneath my feet, spawning wherever I stepped.
"The reason I brought you here is because the Aeon of Dexterity allows access to any knowledge in the universe. Past, present, and even foreseeable futures. Alternative universes as well. You know where I'm going with this, don't you?"
"You… are the Aeon of Dexterity."
Devina burst into laughter again.
"Yes. I Devina Tetolis am the Aeon of Dexterity," she said, still trying to contain herself.
"Now, the universe lies before you. But remember, this knowledge is something the human mind cannot fully comprehend. One wrong step and your brain will overflow with information, leading to a painful death. Single out only what you wish to know."
We flew across the universe, passing ringed planets, scorching red stars, glowing purple nebulas, and black holes that swallowed all light.
With a wave of her hand, a line of archives stretched endlessly across space.
"Now, ask the universe," Devina said, gesturing for me to find the archive containing information about Aylin.
An image formed in my mind. Snow fell from a dark sky. The wind was calm. I stood alone on a cliff overlooking Nautilus, tears falling into the snow.
"You're viewing a future, Vivshi. Focus on the present," Devina's voice cut through my thoughts.
I imagined Aylin's smile. Aylin lying in my bed. Aylin eating lunch with me. Aylin studying beside me.
Universe, tell me where she is.
Finally, I saw her. Aylin sat at the edge of a cliff, watching the sunset. My body jolted as the answer reached me.
When I opened my eyes again, Devina stood before me, looking unsettled. Her gaze avoided mine as she returned to her desk.
"Is there anything I can do to repay you?" I asked gratefully.
The flower on her cheek wilted, and the smile on her face vanished. Her eyes were filled with guilt as she told me I didn't need to repay her.
I thanked her before rushing out into the city to find the cliff where Aylin was.
Devina smiled once I had left, though it wasn't a smile of happiness.
"Fate really loves messing with people, doesn't it? Still, I won't let it have you, Vivshi."