Aaron's body shook as visions of the Old Man flashed throughout his mind, creating splitting headaches.
His expression was playful as he winked and smiled before vanishing back into the depths of his mind.
Why do you feel the need to appear now of all times…
He groaned as he rubbed his forehead in pain while grinding his teeth.
Continuing down the steep staircase that descended into the depths of the cathedral, he looked down at the creaking steps.
The wooden floorboards gradually gave way to metal, and an ominous voice began to echo throughout the tunnel.
Sounds like wails… It could be a prison, but this is a church, so why…?
His thoughts were interrupted by a vicious migraine that blotted his vision, causing him to slip on the frigid metal.
Oh no…
He collided with the cold floor as he tumbled down the remaining stairs, somehow landing at the bottom without breaking anything.
Aaron looked up, scratching his head before noticing a large stone door that towered over him.
His eyes quickly located a glowing lock in the direct center of the entryway.
After all that, I still need a key. Of course, it wouldn't be so easy…
As he stood up and moved closer to the door, he realized his error.
"I-It's already unlocked?"
Furrowing his brow in confusion, he pressed his hands against the heavy stone opening a small crack allowing him passage.
The blonde-haired boy slipped through the crevice he had made and found himself in a large circular room with a magenta glow.
He scanned the structure before turning his gaze to the center, where he noticed three figures huddled around a crystal.
In confusion, he attempted to take a step forward; however, the moment his foot touched the floor, a flash of purple shone from the center of the room, blasting toward his body.
Aaron tried to duck to the side to dodge, yet as he tried to move, he felt as if his feet were glued to the surface.
Dammit, body this isn't the time for more backlash…
Throughout his stroll around Sea Fallen, he had constantly been faced with remnant waves of paralysis in his legs and tongue that hindered his pace.
He moved his arms to protect his head from the flash of purple, bracing for the impact; however, it never came.
Huh?
Lowering his arms in confusion, he widened his eyes in surprise as a turquoise shield formed around him, protecting him from the flashes that spewed from the central crystal.
Saved by luck again…
He grumbled under his breath yet silently thanked whatever had helped him as he slowly regained feeling in his legs.
Without wasting a moment, he continued his advance to the center of the room, stepping fully into the ominous space.
The stone under his feet felt cold with a low vibration radiating from it.
Aaron gradually felt the steady movement from the ground below rapidly intensify the rumblings shaking the entire room.
In the center of the chamber, one of the people let out a yelp, and to Aaron's surprise, he recognized the voice immediately.
"Eleanor…"
He focused his gaze on the shortest of the three, noticing blonde wispy hair matched with a dark color.
Why would she be in the Church of Dreams? And what is this insane shaking?
Questions bounced through his mind as he approached the three individuals, finally noticing that one of them was a girl sprawled across the floor with a sword jutting from her chest.
His eyes immediately narrowed as he sped up to a full-on sprint, running towards the group.
Behind him, the stone doors creaked as a force sealed the room from the outside, with the shaking reaching its climax, dislodging large segments of the roof.
Aaron subconsciously took note, but he was thrown to the ground along with the others who sat around the dead girl in the middle.
He attempted to crawl toward them, with the force field around him deflected the falling stones with great success.
This is quite a handy effect… If only I knew how to use it…
With intense struggle, he finally managed to reach Eleanor, who kneeled on the floor, not moving even with the tremor rocking the room.
"Eleanor…"
He touched her shoulder, causing her to flinch before turning around.
Aaron looked up at her with a frown, yet he soon realized tears streamed from a blank expression that covered her face.
She didn't react further, only staring dully at him without the slightest hint of recognition of their journey or the weak friendship they had forged.
The red-haired opposite to her had tears streaming down his face with sobs hidden by the loud cover of the destruction that encompassed the room.
Aaron narrowed his gaze, thinking carefully of his next move, yet he was interrupted by a crystalline shattering that deafened him instantly.
…
Inside a large banquet hall, two men sat across from each other in a heated debate.
One was an older purple-haired man with long, flowing hair and a meticulously groomed beard that suggested both a seasoned warrior and a high-ranking noble.
His dark military uniform adorned with gold accents reflected authority and discipline, while his piercing magenta eyes drilled into the man opposite him.
"That is preposterous!"
In another chair sat a tan man carrying an air of calm confidence, with emerald eyes that seemed to dance with sparks of lightning.
The man's hair was pulled back into a bun, as his beard was neatly trimmed, giving him a rugged yet approachable charm.
He was dressed in flowing robes and a leaf-colored cloak tied with a simple rope; he resembled a wandering sage or a seasoned adventurer.
His pose was relaxed, and a playful smile spread wide across his chiseled face.
He simply laughed at the outburst, pulling a strand of his hair and twirling it in amusement as he spoke calmly.
"It's non-negotiable, Quinn, you really must return to the Sea of Dreams immediately. Her prophecies are never wrong."
The purple-haired man listened half heartily before grumbling under his breath.
"I wouldn't care if that old hag told me that I was going to die tomorrow, but telling me to return home before the conference has ended? Absurd. Even you wouldn't do something like that, would you, Cosmoti?"
As he spoke, he glared at the green-haired man, intently watching his reaction.
Cosmoti opened his mouth to respond but suddenly shut it before whipping his head towards the East.
The hot tea that lay in front of him on the gilded table rippled very slightly; however, the two powerful men who sat in the chamber felt something far in the distance.
"This feeling…"
Quinn spoke in a daze before standing up and straightening out his uniform in a hurry.
He reached down, picking up his tea with one hand, taking one final sip before bidding farewell to Cosmoti.
"It was unpleasant as always with you, Orion. You were unfortunately correct, so I admit my loss. Until we meet again."
Sighing deeply, he wiped his forehead with his handkerchief and marched outside the chamber at a steady pace.
Cosmoti stared into the distance for a moment before returning his gaze to his tea and mumbling to himself.
"We shall see how this alters the course of the world, yet I have a suspicion that the true incident is yet to come…"
He paused his speech for a second as he noticed his first mate, Palmer White, enter the banquet hall with a worried expression plastered across his face.
The black-haired man bowed politely before speaking in an alarmed tone.
"Sir Cosmoti, your presence has been requested by Marshal Alfonso Twynam."
As he spoke, the green-haired Sea King raised his brow in curiosity, pleasantly surprised by his impromptu summons.
"Who else has been called upon?"
His tone had changed from the playful and calm voice he had used with Quinn and was instead replaced by that of a commander who rightfully upheld the title of Sea King.
Palmer paused for a moment before replying in a stern voice as he erased the nervousness from his appearance.
"The request only contained a request for Orion Cosmoti and Lepaie Quinn."
He watched as his captain's face relaxed to the point where he even looked as if he could fall asleep where he sat.
Cosmoti looked at Palmer reaching into his pocket slowly and speaking in a quiet voice.
"Quinn has already set off towards Sea Fallen, so I shall be the only one in attendance. Please inform Marshal Twynam of this development."
He retracted his hand from his coat, revealing a small emerald pocket watch that glowed in the sunlight.
Palmer widened his eyes at the sudden appearance of such an object before coming to his senses and responding to the Sea King.
"Of course, sir."
He bowed before rushing out of the chamber while Cosmoti sat twisting the nob on the watchface.
"Perhaps I should get moving."
As he spoke, he stood up and, similar to Lepaie, took one final sip of his tea before following the trail his crewmate had left behind.