On Anka's side, the break finally came to an end, and Fahim and Tenin returned to their balcony. On the way back, Anka noticed that the phoenix who had been speaking with their guest was looking at her.
She smiled politely, trying not to offend him. She didn't know it, but that simple gesture erased all of Dezz's suspicions. In his eyes, Csendez would never smile at him so politely.
The human girl also overheard part of another conversation concerning the phoenix and the Academy. She soon realized that she had probably missed an important discussion and felt slightly frustrated.
"His reaction was suspicious," Tenin said casually. "He looked happy and terrified at the same time. That's quite a contradiction."
"He probably knows something about the Academy's purpose," Fahim replied. "And that purpose seems to have something to do with the rankings and classes. Still, we have too little information. Making assumptions now will only lead us in the wrong direction. Let's wait and see."
Their exchange happened only moments before the curtain rose again. The lights of the theatre slowly returned. Caissier's voice echoed through the hall.
"My lovely guests—ladies and gentlemen, nobles and commoners, masters and servants. Caissier, the storyteller, welcomes you back."
He paused. "Now, now… before the break, we stopped at the beginning of the Nanku Era. A period no one remembers anymore, and for which no records remain."
His voice became quieter.
"But… the legend continues."
<<<<<<<<
Ten thousand years passed after the death of Life.
In a distant universe, on an underdeveloped planet, Life and Death were reborn in two rival tribes.
(The scene divided into two parts. On one side, a baby girl with white hair and red eyes sat alone on a cot. On the other, a baby boy with black hair and golden eyes was surrounded by several wax figures filled with joy.)
One had hair as black as night but eyes as warm as the sunrise. The other had hair as white as snow and eyes as red as blood.
They grew up as rivals, constantly fighting one another. Their tribes followed them into conflict, and eventually, the rivalry between the two races erupted into war.
At the climax of the conflict, something awakened within them. Their memories returned. Their powers returned. And the two once again awakened as gods.
(The children grew, showing completely different personalities. The girl was rebellious and impatient, while the boy was polite and responsible. Wax figures surrounded them as they grew older. Then the scene transformed into war. At the end of the battle, the two young figures stood among the destruction, staring at one another in confusion. The stage went dark for a moment. When the light returned, the surrounding figures were kneeling before them.)
The two reclaimed their powers. They reclaimed their thrones. And once again, the universe had its rulers.
(Only the two figures remained on the stage. The white-haired girl was Death. The black-haired boy was Life.)
Death wanted to erase the existence of the four species responsible for Life's death. But Life refused to allow it.
(The white-haired girl stood behind the figures that had changed greatly from the creatures she remembered. A scythe was raised in her hands, ready to destroy them. The black-haired boy stood before her, blocking her path.)
The years had changed the creatures born from the four fruits. Their bodies had changed. Their races had changed. But the memory of what they had done remained.
Death was ready to fight Life again. She couldn't understand why he still cared about those ungrateful beings.
But this time, she submitted.
(The girl's body moved angrily, gesturing toward the creatures, while the boy remained still. Eventually, she lowered the scythe. Life turned toward the creatures, watching them just as he had done in the distant past. Death remained behind him, just as she had before.)
And so, once again, many years passed.
(The image of the clock appeared above the stage. The two figures disappeared, and the scene slowly changed.)
During this time, the two species from which Life and Death had reincarnated received special privileges. One could see the rules and manipulate the laws of Space. The other was freed from those same restrictions and received the power of light.
The two species became known as Damionus and Valade.
This era became known as the Golden Era—Tankam—because life flourished throughout the universe.
The hall became restless for a moment. Then silence returned as the audience tried not to make a sound.
(From both sides of the stage, two figures with distinctive appearances walked toward the center. Two thrones stood there, and upon them sat the now-mature forms of the white-haired woman and the black-haired man. The figures approached the thrones and received a small glowing pebble, which they immediately consumed.)
But one day, Death and Life quarreled again. No one knew what the argument was about. No one knew how it ended. But after that day… Death disappeared.
( The curtain lowered and rose again. A forest appeared in the background. The figures representing Life and Death walked among the trees. The white-haired woman spoke continuously, apparently trying to convince him of something, while the black-haired man ignored her. Eventually, she stepped in front of him and grabbed his coat. He caught her hand. )
The scene froze. Then it melted away like ice. Something unexpected happened. All races united against Life.
(The scene changed like smoke. In the center stood the black-haired man, covered in wounds but showing no expression. Around him stood figures representing different races.)
A bloody battle followed. One for which no records remained.
(The scene changed into a blood-red field. Various figures surrounded and attacked the man. Eventually, he collapsed onto his back in a pool of blood.)
Life had no one by his side. He was hated by his own creations—the very beings he had protected and brought into existence.
Even then, his heart refused to destroy them. But his creations had no such hesitation. They destroyed their creator.
(The man lay surrounded by figures with hateful eyes. Their hands pointed toward him as their mouths opened, shouting accusations and grievances.)
Life died on a deserted planet. After the dust settled, Death appeared beside his body as if she had always been there.
The last trace of vitality within her disappeared.
(Next to the man's body, the white-haired woman emerged from the blood. She stared at him for several moments before slowly lying beside him.)
The body of Life created another tree. The body of Death vanished like dust.
(The man's body melted like water and formed another tree. Two small fruits could be seen among its weak branches, while the woman's body slowly turned into dust and disappeared.)
Over time, the tree grew. The planet became prosperous.
(The image of the clock appeared above the tree. As it turned, the tree grew larger and more beautiful. The scene transformed into a flourishing forest.)
One day, an animal ate one of the fruits and shared it with its family. Small insects gathered around the other. And from those two fruits… Beasts and Fairies were born.
( Under the imposing branches of the tree, beastmen built their tents. Above them, fairies danced happily through the sky. )
The audience was stunned. For a moment, even the murmurs disappeared. Beastmen and fairies were mortal enemies in the present. Yet according to the legend… They had once been born beneath the same tree. And they had once lived together.
Since then, it is said that there have been many reincarnations of the two gods. But the last one, which occurred two thousand years ago, ended differently.
Legend has it that our not-too-distant ancestors somehow managed to capture the soul of Death and cast it into a poor and distant dimension. They believed that without the goddess of Death, they could finally obtain immortality.
But sealing a deity and opening a portal to another dimension came at a terrible price. Their lives were consumed by the act.
(On the stage, wax figures appeared holding chains. The chains bound a white-haired woman whose face could not be seen. A black hole opened beneath her. The figures pushed her into it. When the hole closed, the figures collapsed and melted, their bodies imitating despair and rage as death approached.)
After the disappearance of Death, the end of Life followed the same pattern as before. He was betrayed. He died alone. But this time, the white-haired woman's body never appeared.
The man's body simply disintegrated into the ground. No tree rose again. The beings who had been waiting for the tree to grow were disappointed. But soon, another thought spread among them.
Perhaps… This time, the reincarnation cycle had finally been broken. So the throne belonged to no one. Joy spread through the species.
But it did not last long. Without their common enemy, the races returned to fighting one another for supremacy.
(On the stage, the black-haired man's body melted into the ground. The wax figures remained nearby. Behind them, the peaceful scene transformed into war.)
The war never truly stopped.
Eventually, powerful figures from the different races united and formed a Council to maintain balance and peace. Since then, the universe has continued to exist under its rule, led by the heads of twelve superior races.
Not many know why these twelve races are considered superior.
But according to the legend, they all trace their origins back to the fruits born from the tree created after the deaths of Life and Death.
The hall erupted into whispers.
This time, the reaction was different. It wasn't only the amount of information that shocked them. The name Alocanai Council had been mentioned.
(The curtain fell and then rose again, revealing twelve stone chairs. A wax figure representing each of the twelve superior races sat upon them.)
(The stage was suddenly swallowed by darkness. The presenter's voice echoed from every corner of the amphitheatre. As soon as he finished speaking, everything returned to normal. No one remained on the stage.)
That was the power of a Changement. Caissier's voice returned one final time.
"Has the legend of the living god and the dead goddess come to an end?" A brief pause. "Of course not. If that were the case, this legend would have no reason to exist. Has the cycle of rebirth finally been broken?"
A quiet laugh echoed through the theatre.
"We may find out during our own lifetime…Or perhaps we won't. And is there any consequence to all these actions?" The voice became strangely quiet.
"In response to that…">>>>>>>>>>>>>
The rest of his words were suddenly swallowed by a barrier. Someone had used their power to prevent the audience from hearing the answer. A wave of discomfort passed through the theatre. Many people wanted to know what Caissier had been about to say.
But whoever had created the barrier was powerful enough to silence the entire hall. No one dared to speak.
Outside the ship, far above the sea, stood a mysterious figure. His face and body were hidden beneath a long coat. Yet his aura was impossible to conceal. It felt untouchable.
"You are certainly brave." The voice of the figure was calm. "I would call it a death wish. Should I move you to the front of the chair?"
At the lowest level of the deck stood the captain of the ship. An old siren whose presence carried the quiet sensation of water moving beneath the surface.
"It is useless to hide this. They will eventually discover the truth. It is inevitable." He looked toward the mysterious figure. "You are a powerful person. Someone responsible for many lives. Don't you think it is time to admit your mistake and pray for the gods' mercy?"
The figure looked at him. Then vanished. Only a few words remained behind.
"The four chairs have decided your fate. Tomorrow, you need to go there."
A letter suddenly appeared in the air and flew toward the captain. He caught it.
For several seconds, he simply stared at it. Then he began to laugh. It was a strange laugh. Almost childish.
A wide smile appeared on his face.
......…..
Inside the theatre, the performance had ended.
The audience slowly began to leave. Everyone carried something different with them. Some carried fear. Some carried confusion. Some carried anger, and many carried questions.