Gazing downward at the open diary, Aaron began reading slowly, her improved handwriting bringing a small smile to his face.
…
– January 2nd, 3124 –
"To my reader,
I left my island and my parents behind on the first boat out of the Sea. They refused to accompany me even after I begged and pleaded for hours on end. My brother is out at sea, and my goal is to find him and tell him about our homeland before it's destroyed.
The ferrymen requested two silver Draughts for the ride to the Sea of Dreams. I had been wary of the cost since it was nearly half a year's allowance; however, I cherished my freedom more than money. I swiftly handed over all I had and boarded the ship, the sunrise in the distance warming me as I sailed through the rough waters.
I'm scared of what is to come, and I have no idea where my brother is. Mom and Dad are as good as dead, and the entire island is doomed to follow. If I can't find somewhere to live, I'll try to get a job as a slave. It's better than starving."
…
Tracing his finger over the page, he looked at the scribbled ink at the end, a wall of black covering the remainder of her thoughts.
Looking upward at the woman to signal his completion of the first entry, she nodded at the sight and spoke in a firm tone.
"Open to page seventeen."
Doing as ordered, he made sure to look away as he skimmed the pages, careful not to pry into the private details entrusted to the parchment.
After he found the right page, he shifted his gaze to the top and began to read, the entry being much longer this time than before.
…
– February 22nd, 3124 –
"To my reader,
I have arrived in Sea Fallen this morning, the Great Sea Walls' majesty bewildering me as I stood below its massive shadow. Once I made it through the docks, I met people from the Church of Dreams by coincidence.
They offered to assist in tracking Palmer down, but they haven't confirmed anything as of yet, with their information network yielding no results. They say if he were located outside of Dreams that he wouldn't be found; however, I remember his own words.
One night, he told me that he dreamed of becoming a Hunter in the land of Sea Fallen, his name known to all. I laughed at him and called him crazy, but as he is missing now, I wish his fame were widespread enough to find him easily.
With my background on Gharr, they were happy to allow me to become a temporary intern who tends to the flowers outside the grand cathedral. The food is fine, and the accommodations they have given me are far exceeding what I deserve for my light labor.
I have not received any other information about my home yet, either. I have no clue if they are still alive or not. I do not know if they have evacuated. And I do not know whether they got my warning.
The Church sent a representative there to purify the region; however, as I told them of what had cursed the island, their faces had paled.
Without them noticing, I overheard their hushed conversations about the horn, fear gripping their every word. According to them, the description matches that of a devil's horn, one from a beast that roams in the Sea of Polar Storms and the Abyss itself.
This revelation scared me to my core, for my home, one already closely tied with a mid-tiered terror, was now under the threat of ancient devils from the most dangerous reaches of the world."
…
Tightening his jaw and closing the book, Aaron watched Alicia furrow her brow and speak up.
"Why are you closing it now? There are still more pages you need to read."
She tilted her head to the side; however, the blond boy responded slowly, a feeling in his chest making him uncomfortable.
"I can't just read through your entire personal life. These are private moments and thoughts of yours, and I'm just a random helper who has been assigned here for the day. Shouldn't you be sharing this with your brother or Priest Braun?"
With that, he placed the book down and returned to his cleaning, while the woman stood there frozen, giving him a long look.
Then, she suddenly asked in a whisper.
"Would you like to see a rarity provided by a Sea King?"
Her speech lofted through the chamber and into Aaron's ears, hitting a sensitive spot inside his heart.
Rarities? Sea Kings?
Instantly intrigued by the offer, he stopped his work, gazing at the woman who smiled gently.
"I have nobody else to share this diary with, and inside it lies something written by Orion Cosmoti. My brother is his first commander, and when the Church located him, I also spoke with that King myself."
Flashes of the green-haired man who had visited Strava appeared in the boy's mind, curiosity tugging at his heart.
"Lord Cosmoti told me about all sorts of things my brother did, even offering to write me a Guild recommendation himself. I turned down the offer, of course, the dangers of the job far outweighing the benefits. Yet, that day, I heard him and my brother discussing something strange together."
She stopped, turning her eyes to Aaron with a wry smile and fox-like sparkles in her eyes.
The blond boy stared quietly, waiting for words that would never come, Alicia quickly returning to her work.
I-Is she not going to continue?
Pursing his lips slightly and returning to organizing, he placed random assortments of seasonal decorations, food preserves, and pottery wherever there was room.
"So… What did you hear them talking about?"
Acting nonchalant about the topic, he glanced over, attempting to read the woman's expression; however, a thick pile of crates blocked his view.
"Oh, never mind that. I must've misspoke. You don't have time to read through my personal life, so there's no need to share specifics…"
Her obvious sass made Aaron flush red, his words from earlier resounding in his head as he slammed his fist into his skull.
Dammit, I'm such an idiot! Why couldn't I just keep my fat mouth shut for once…
Infuriated with his phrasing, he further dove into his job, sorting through items at an almost inhuman speed.
"You said your name was Aaron, right?"
She paused, a certain level of affirmation in her words making shivers roll down the boy's spine slowly.
"Aaron, do you believe in the existence of gods?"
The black-haired woman's question was innocent in nature; however, to him, it sent an icy chill through his heart.
Feelings of endless gazes watching him bore down onto him at once, dragging his mind into a state of sluggishness.
"I'm not religious, and I would never convert if that is what you are asking."
Deciding that any anger or hostility that came from his response was worth it compared to the alternative, he answered quietly.
There was a long pause before she spoke again.
"You really don't mince your words, do you?"
She chuckled softly, continuing again without delay.
"I don't know why I trust you enough to share all this with you, nor do I understand your motives for becoming a Hunter, but…"
A thick and weighty silence descended upon the chamber as she moved a box to get a clear read on the boy's face, a rush of cold air oozing into the room.
"On the day I met with Lord Cosmoti, I heard him discussing certain things the president of the Hunters' Guild was planning… I didn't get the specifics. All I know is that you shouldn't tie yourself too closely with them. Something isn't right with their damn system, and I swear to every god in the sky that they have some dirty secret hiding behind closed doors."
Finishing her words and looking off into the darkness of the room, her smile returned slowly, and she shook her head.
"Never mind that. How about we finish organizing here so you can get some rest?"
She patted the boy on the shoulder, and they continued their work without another word for a while.
Eventually, though, they broke the silence again, talking about everything and anything that came to mind.
By the time they were a quarter of the way done, they had discussed most of the common things about their lives, the long hours passing by like minutes.
However, with one wrong step, her diary fell to the floor, opening to a page scrawled with odd text and blacked out at every other word.
Only a few paragraphs were written on the page, the panicked lettering enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.
Yet Aaron and Alicia paid no mind to it, too engrossed in their work to be distracted by a tiny book that had fallen into a crevice behind a shelf.
…
– Scr■bbles of Ori■n Cosm■ti, May ■st, 31■4 –
"De■r Lord Th■rn,
You are re■eiving this message from a young woman ■ho is the sister of my sub■rdinate, so ple■se do not be ala■med. There is nobody else other than yourself that I can tell this information to, not even Lepaie w■uld unde■■tand.
I have b■rne witness to the master plans of the Hunters' Guild, and t■ey are truly insane. Th■y seek to undermine the world gov■rnment as a whole and rebuild it anew. Please, Lord Thorn, I understand we are not on the best of terms, but we must d■■cuss this s■on.
The t■me you read for me is running s■■rt, and I don't know how much lo■■er I will have to try to prevent t■is before it arrives. You must al■rt the highest au■■ority to this event imme■iately, or we are truly doomed.
I wished for a world whe■e all could be loved and equal, yet, in my foolishness, I have awoken a slee■ing beast, one that lurks far in the ni■ht sky above and roa■s deep at the sea fl■or. You must save t■em, Cau■on. Please. It is all I ask. W■en I am gone and bu■ied, you must co■tinue my legacy.
And, wha■ever you do, my fr■end, do n■t attempt the ri■■al. It is too dang■r■us and will not bring h■r back. T■o months remain until the day of d■■■est storm, and I have c■me to my decision.
O■ce I am g■ne, please activate the ■■■■