The figure clad in dark armor slowly turned, his imposing presence filling the room with a sinister energy. "I will be your guide," he announced in a voice that seemed to resonate from the shadows, "and you will report everything to me." He paused briefly before continuing: "My name is Aresus."
All members of the group exchanged glances through the mental link connected by Golden. "Wow, this guy is completely armored," Lukeandria thought, observing every detail of the figure before them. "He doesn't reveal any part of his body, just his gleaming dark armor, a red feather protruding from his helmet, and a cape that's red in the front but black in the back."
"That said," Aresus continued with calculated calm, "where do you want to start the search?" His tone was neutral, but something in his demeanor suggested he wasn't particularly interested in their answers. However, everyone noticed something strange: despite wearing a helmet, it felt as if he were staring directly at Mok. Wherever the butler moved, Aresus's helmet followed, turning toward him as if guided by an invisible radar.
"Well, first Paltio must find the scepter piece through his meditation," Pax interjected, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "It's the only viable path."
Paltio nodded with determination and positioned himself on the floor, adopting his characteristic pose to enter the search plane. He closed his eyes, and after a few seconds of concentration, he entered the search world. But this time, the scene was different. There were no familiar landscapes or vibrant colors; everything was shrouded in absolute darkness. It was a bleak place, devoid of light, where the pure essence of darkness emanated from every corner.
"Golden, what's going on? Why is everything in darkness?" Paltio asked mentally, seeking some response from the golden being who usually accompanied him. However, before Golden could reply, something suddenly enveloped him, pulling him into nothingness.
"But what happened!" Paltio exclaimed, alarmed. He looked around, but no one could hear him. He was completely alone.
In moments like this, he wished Rykaru had been there to support him. However, just as panic began to take hold, a path started to weave itself in front of him. It was a long, narrow bridge, forming gradually as if made of threads of energy. Behind Paltio, the path he had just crossed began to disappear, leaving him no choice but to move forward.
With determined but cautious steps, the prince pressed on. The bridge seemed to stretch infinitely, but eventually, he reached what appeared to be a bright light in the distance. As he approached, he entered it, hoping to find something that could help him. Instead, he was met by a viscous force that grabbed his hands and legs, immobilizing him completely.
"Who are you, boy? What are you doing in my domain?" said a deep, distorted voice, emerging from the gelatinous mass that held him. The dark substance began to stretch, taking shape in front of him. What appeared to be glowing eyes and an irregular mouth emerged from the gel, staring at him intensely.
"What are you?" Paltio asked, trying to remain calm as he futilely struggled against the pressure of the viscous substance.
"I am the one who asks the questions here," the creature responded in an authoritative tone. "You will only answer when I allow it." Without warning, a small portion of the gel forced its way into Paltio's mouth, silencing him. "I told you to only speak when I ask," the thing added with evident irritation.
Paltio nodded slightly, accepting the rules imposed by the creature. "Good, now that I have your attention," the entity continued in a calmer but still menacing tone. "First question: what are you doing here?"
Paltio swallowed hard and responded as clearly as he could, despite the obstruction in his mouth. "I'm looking for the last piece of the Avocios scepter." Before he could add anything else, the creature sealed his lips again with another portion of its gelatinous mass. "I told you to only speak when I ask," it growled irritably. Paltio blinked rapidly, signaling his compliance.
"I hope that's understood because there won't be a third chance," said the viscous mass.
"Second question," the gelatinous creature said, slowly retracting the tentacle-like appendage that had sealed Paltio's mouth. "Who are you?"
"I am Prince Paltio of Avocadolia," the young man replied firmly, though his voice still trembled slightly under the pressure of the situation.
"Interesting... A prince from another kingdom," the being commented thoughtfully, as if evaluating every word coming out of Paltio's mouth. Then, without giving him time to catch his breath, it continued: "Third question: Why are you golden?"
"Well... How do I explain this..." Paltio hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words. However, before he could elaborate on a more detailed response, the creature emitted a guttural sound of annoyance, like a low growl that echoed through the surrounding void.
"Keep your answers concise," the creature warned, its voice laced with impatience.
"Well... All I know is that my family and I were chosen by Avocios to carry out his will in this world, and that's why we're this color," Paltio explained quickly, hoping his answer would suffice.
"I see," the creature murmured, its glowing eye fixed on him. It seemed to be analyzing every detail of what it had just heard. "So you're searching for a piece of your god... And it's the last one." It paused dramatically before continuing, its tone now more curious than threatening. "Why?" it asked, as if posing its fourth question.
Paltio took a deep breath before responding, knowing this time he needed to be clear and concise, "Because my people were transformed into red jade by an evil badger named Tejod. He told me I must bring him the pieces of the scepter within 30 days, at the start of the known Marine Dawn, or else he'll destroy my kingdom."
The gelatinous creature remained silent for a few seconds, processing the information. Finally, it spoke in a deeper, more reflective tone: "Interesting, boy. So that's what's happening outside: an unbreakable imbalance. I see that everything is perpetual darkness, something is missing... And that something is your life-giver, Avocios. It seems he's lost. I cannot allow the imbalance to continue."
The being began to move slowly, its gelatinous tentacles sliding across the floor as if pondering what it had just said. Then, looking directly at Paltio, it added: "So, you're seeking the weapon to give to the villain. That would only worsen the situation further."
"If you'll allow me to respond to that," Paltio interjected quickly, trying to defend his position.
"Very well, I'll allow it," the creature replied, crossing its tentacles in front of itself as if waiting for justification.
"At first, I planned to hand it over to save my family and my kingdom," Paltio admitted frankly. "But after everything that happened and the revelations from Avocios, I realized I couldn't hand it over. Once I have the complete scepter, I plan to confront him and his dark forces."
The creature observed the prince in silence for a few moments before fully retracting its tentacles from his body. "I see, boy. You spoke the truth," it finally said, its voice adopting a friendlier tone. "Though, I must tell you, even without your words, I could already sense your thoughts when I touched you. But I wanted to hear the truth from your own lips."
"And so... are we good?" Paltio asked, still a bit nervous, as he slowly got to his feet.
"Of course, boy. In fact, to show you there are no hard feelings, you can ask me three questions," the viscous being replied with what seemed like an almost friendly gesture. "But choose them wisely, because there will only be three."
Paltio furrowed his brow, trying to decide which questions to ask. He had never been good at situations like this, and the pressure of choosing correctly was making him anxious.
"Come on, boy, hurry up! You're boring me already. Or do you want me to read your mind?" the creature pressed, its tone growing impatient again.
"No, no! I'll tell you," Paltio quickly responded, raising his hands in surrender. After a few seconds of thought, he finally posed his first question: "What are you?"
"Well chosen, boy," the creature replied with a sort of satisfaction. "I am Truth itself, the one you cannot escape. I will always detect the truth in you, even when you yourself believe something is true, but it isn't."
Paltio nodded, impressed by the answer. He decided to pose his second question without hesitation: "What is your name?"
"As I have already told you," the creature responded in an almost didactic tone, "I am a being that only sees the truth in others. My name is implied in what I just said." It paused, gazing at Paltio with a penetrating look, as if expecting the young man to connect the dots. "But it seems you're a bit slow to grasp the obvious. My name was implicit in my words. I am known as 'The True'."
"Oh! I see," Paltio murmured, scratching his head as he processed the information. Though the name sounded imposing, something in its tone suggested it wasn't just a randomly chosen title. It was more of a declaration of its absolute nature, an affirmation of its role in the universe.
"Very well, you only have one question left," The True continued, crossing its tentacles in front of itself as if evaluating the situation. "You'd better know what you're going to ask. Didn't you come to the search space to find out where the last piece of the scepter is?"
"Ah, yes! You're right," Paltio admitted quickly, feeling the weight of the decision fall on his shoulders. He knew this was his chance to get the key to completing his mission. But he also knew he had to choose carefully. He couldn't afford to waste his final question.
After a few moments of silence, during which Paltio closed his eyes and focused deeply, he finally spoke: "I know what I'm going to ask."
The True leaned its viscous form forward, as if genuinely interested in what the prince had to say. Its glowing eye seemed to scan every gesture, every change in Paltio's expression. "Interesting... I see where you're going with this, boy," it said, letting out a low, resonant laugh that filled the surrounding void.