As the days went on, the population slowly got used to their new sky and the changing surroundings. The Realm Gate, after successfully being closed with the help of the Realm key, gradually faded away, no longer visible in the sky. Its disappearance was giving the false impression to billions that the genuine danger was finally averted.
News of what happened was constantly spreading, announcing the complete defeat of the Undead and their glorious destruction. Some places broke out in celebration while others took it skeptically. What most forces were now dealing with were no longer necromancer cults or worshippers of the dead, but a multitude of new cults appearing, saying that the actual apocalypse had happened and soon everything would be destroyed. They believed that everyone was just living in the calm before the storm and that salvation would only come for those who believed in the savior of their souls. As to who was that savior? Supposedly, the true believers would see her in their dreams, but only if they were worthy.
"What a bunch of bullshit..." Sion murmured, reading the report as his group of fifty Amarin warriors was camping in a deep forest just outside of the House's territory.
"More and more such cults are being reported, and weirdly, all of them follow the same pattern of teachings," Aurora explained, looking at him while standing at the opposite ends of a table filled with maps and scouting reports. "Many of them are too far away. They could not have been in contact, yet they are spewing the same propaganda."
"Undead? Remnants?" Sion shrugged, feeling tired of not getting ahead in their search for Reyra. Instead, they were diverted to start dealing with these cult problems.
"It is how they operated, so it could be that. Or worse, but we have no clue right now. That is why we are being sent to investigate. We can't relax just yet; there is a high possibility not all of them died! Splinter cells could still be operating in secret! So far, no leaders of these cults have been captured, and the people whom we interrogated were free of mind control. They were, well... true believers."
"I know... I know!" He sighed, looking up at the tent's ceiling, "We will follow Razael's orders and leave the search for Solren and Lauron. I just... don't like it."
"Me neither... she is my mother." Aurora nodded while writing in the air, "But her candle is still on; she is still alive. Our biggest fear is that she was lost in a sub-realm and is now cut off from Meriath. Who knows what kind of effect that could leave on someone!"
"She is one of the strongest beings! If that is what happened, then I would be more sure she will be fine!" Sion countered with a half-smile, "What about the dragons?"
"Arcus is with Erias," Aurora explained, picking up another report that came just an hour before, "The two are accompanying Rinzen as they reclaim the Berisons' territory and start the rebuilding efforts. Neesa, the gold dragon, is with Lakhmu as they are patrolling the two sides of the Marduk's territory... it is being split from the continent the fastest, so they are overseeing it and saving any settlement that is too close to the spreading cracks."
"I can't believe this is happening... what do you think? Are the cults right? Is this the end, and we are just slowly going to be destroyed? Who says the drifting, new continents won't be swallowed by the sea?"
To his question, Aurora simply smiled, walking over and kissing Sion before pulling his head between her breasts and gently stroking his hair. She knew full well he would not even dare ask questions like this from anyone else or think about voicing his concerns.
"Nobody knows, but I don't believe it," Aurora answered, writing the words onto his back, running her fingers over it, and Sion could understand her clearly. It is a significant change, but we will get through it. The moment the sky clears up, a new Era will dawn upon us!"
"Mhm... I hope so." He murmured softly before letting her go, feeling much more relaxed now. That simple hug was all he needed to banish his worries once again. "What about Tolemia and Albert?"
"The former is with Rangi, helping his side of the breaking. Albert... he is already with Lia as they are rebuilding the Academy. She just sent word," Aurora continued, smiling uncontrollably and feeling deep nostalgia in her heart, "The main building is already being erected, and the emerging city has already become the home of about 20,000 souls."
"They work fast! If this goes on, she will become a Headmaster soon enough!" He listened on with a laugh, happy to hear it and feeling an itch growing within his chest, wanting to visit the new Academy.
...
....
......
"Let me guess... Another complaint?" Lia grunted the moment she saw Lorin walking into her office in the completed tower, which was built in the middle of the institute's new building. While it was still being constructed as an octagon, having a 'Wing' of every element, the Headmaster's office was completed first in the middle, surrounded by a vast, beautiful park. Those who knew Lia also knew what that tower symbolized as it was an exact copy of the old Tower of Misfits, built to be a one-to-one replica... except it didn't have a No-Space telescope, instead, it had her office at the top with a panoramic view.
"Yep." He sighed, placing a thick letter on her desk, signed by multiple signatures from different departments. "Mostly about the fairies. Melody and the rest are sometimes helpful, but... they tend to steal tools. Hide them and giggle as people are getting frustrated when they can't find them."
"I just can't send them away now, can I? They lived here first... haaaahh... I will think up something to keep them in check! Maybe I can rehabilitate them somehow."
"I highly doubt it. For that to happen, they will have to live among us for generations."
"Ugh... I know..." With another tired grunt, she grabbed the complaints and just put them into her drawer, leaning back in his big, leather chair, rocking back and forth with closed eyes.
"You look more tired than when fighting the Undead."
"I feel more weary! I didn't imagine that the Silly Fox was dealing with this much... paperwork! Administrate this, delegate that, copy it, write it down, blah, blah, blah! Uuuuugh... I feel like a scribe and not a witch!"
"Welcome to the adult world, Lia!" Lorin chuckled while walking to the fireplace and starting to brew tea with the fancy, magical applications present in Lia's office. "Being the Headmaster is not that dissimilar to being the head of a kingdom. Or of a House."
"Haaah... I know, I know! Thank the Cosmos that it was Razael who inherited the House and not me! I think I would have gone insane! Damn... Hopefully, after everything is back in order, I will have less to deal with!"
"I can help if you want." He smiled while pouring out the finished tea for her, making Lia gently shake her head.
"No, you are already a big help! Your side of the administration and re-establishing the flow of potions is already a significant undertaking! The same goes for Opparu and Cici... I can't put more work on your shoulders; I will deal with it! If anything, I will complain to the Silly Fox and press him to help more!"
"You have grown up~! I still remember when you first arrived at my office, ahaha!"
"That reminds me!" Lia sat up, emptying her cup and putting it down to search for a sheet of paper, presenting it to Lorin.
"What's this?" He took it with a raised eyebrow before silently reading through, looking surprised. "You want me to become the Head of the Wing of Water? Why?"
"Because!" She pouted.
"What about Koadriana?"
"She won't come. Her father became the new head of their branch, while Parthorn stepped down and went with the Berisons to help rebuild their House. Now Koa will be named as a successor and will have a lot of things she must learn and adapt to."
"Damn... she must be frustrated, huh?"
"She is!" Lia couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, nodding her head repeatedly. "Well, that is what she got for getting pregnant and now stuck at home!"
"But... Still, being the head? That still feels weird. I am not that good!"
"You are an outstanding businessman and also a helluva alchemist! There will also be changes in studying the elements, but I haven't mentioned this to others yet." She continued with a more serious voice, "I will have a course that I will teach personally, and it will be about mixing the elements."
"I'm listening!" Lorin exclaimed, grabbing a chair and sitting down, looking at her like a student would look at his teacher.
"This time, the eight elements and their leaders will have to work closely with each other. I already asked Ceiline, and she will be the head of the Wing of Nature while Simbad will take up the position of leading the Wing of Light! In the first year, I will teach everyone the theory of combining elements, but after that, people will have to work it out themselves! I suggest having you and the other leaders host classes together! But you will have to work them out between yourselves on how to do that!"
"I am still compiling Lia's ideas into a coherent subject." Hajna interjected, appearing from nowhere and bowing towards them, "She tends to ramble a lot; she reminds me of the real Hajna."
"Ha... Ha..." Lia grumbled, rolling her eyes, but Hajna just kept smiling while continuing her report.
"But I am already clearing it up, and by the time the constructions are finished, her curriculum will be completed, and the basis of the new study of the elements will be ready."
"Well, it is my take on the knowledge Arcus taught me." Lia nodded softly, "Its origin is the Golden Claw; I am just incorporating my own experiences into it. The biggest part is still the individual; they must feel it and make it happen... My best bet is to highlight the intricacies between the elements and how they all come from the same source! With how the sky is now, it will be much more... understandable! I will teach them to notice that there are more connections than they thought and awaken a kind of sense in their minds and souls so they can follow it through!"
"And I come into the plan as...?"
"Well, as an alchemist. You are a very good one at that, and you work with the elements of nature and fire. I think, after you read my completed works, you may start combining them, too! I couldn't think of anyone better for the position! And if you managed it, you could teach the rest!"
"Woah, woah, wait a moment! Me? Doing what... your House is famous for?!"
"Of course! I know you can! Soon, it won't be an 'Amarin Speciality' to have control over elements that are being combined! It will be the norm!"
"You really are reinventing the Institute, eh?" Lorin murmured, still part shocked and part excited... he couldn't deny the fact that he felt motivated all of a sudden and wanted to give it a try.
"That is the plan!" Lia grinned proudly. "I know it can't be done quickly, and it won't be forced. I plan to do it as not part of the mandatory curriculum but one that students can sign up for. I will be the one laying down the foundations, and hopefully, we can evolve together! I want to raise mages and witches who can not just use multiple elements but can fuse them! Create their own unique ways! And then... they could teach the others too! I want to make sure that the name of the Institute of Eight Elements will mean much more for future generations..."
"I wonder what your ancestor thinks about it..." Lorin whispered, leaning back, his eyes twinkling.
"I mentioned it to him, and he is willing to come and help teach it... but he is needed in many places right now. But one day, I think he will be the one who will guide others about mixing elements, and I can be a laid-back Headmaster, watching everything work out perfectly!" She finished with a wide grin, winking at Lorin, who couldn't help but chuckle, watching Lia's glowing, excited face.
As the days went on, the population slowly got used to their new sky and the changing surroundings. The Realm Gate, after successfully being closed with the help of the Realm key, gradually faded away, no longer visible in the sky. Its disappearance was giving the false impression to billions that the genuine danger was finally averted.
News of what happened was constantly spreading, announcing the complete defeat of the Undead and their glorious destruction. Some places broke out in celebration while others took it skeptically. What most forces were now dealing with were no longer necromancer cults or worshippers of the dead, but a multitude of new cults appearing, saying that the actual apocalypse had happened and soon everything would be destroyed. They believed that everyone was just living in the calm before the storm and that salvation would only come for those who believed in the savior of their souls. As to who was that savior? Supposedly, the true believers would see her in their dreams, but only if they were worthy.
"What a bunch of bullshit..." Sion murmured, reading the report as his group of fifty Amarin warriors was camping in a deep forest just outside of the House's territory.
"More and more such cults are being reported, and weirdly, all of them follow the same pattern of teachings," Aurora explained, looking at him while standing at the opposite ends of a table filled with maps and scouting reports. "Many of them are too far away. They could not have been in contact, yet they are spewing the same propaganda."
"Undead? Remnants?" Sion shrugged, feeling tired of not getting ahead in their search for Reyra. Instead, they were diverted to start dealing with these cult problems.
"It is how they operated, so it could be that. Or worse, but we have no clue right now. That is why we are being sent to investigate. We can't relax just yet; there is a high possibility not all of them died! Splinter cells could still be operating in secret! So far, no leaders of these cults have been captured, and the people whom we interrogated were free of mind control. They were, well... true believers."
"I know... I know!" He sighed, looking up at the tent's ceiling, "We will follow Razael's orders and leave the search for Solren and Lauron. I just... don't like it."
"Me neither... she is my mother." Aurora nodded while writing in the air, "But her candle is still on; she is still alive. Our biggest fear is that she was lost in a sub-realm and is now cut off from Meriath. Who knows what kind of effect that could leave on someone!"
"She is one of the strongest beings! If that is what happened, then I would be more sure she will be fine!" Sion countered with a half-smile, "What about the dragons?"
"Arcus is with Erias," Aurora explained, picking up another report that came just an hour before, "The two are accompanying Rinzen as they reclaim the Berisons' territory and start the rebuilding efforts. Neesa, the gold dragon, is with Lakhmu as they are patrolling the two sides of the Marduk's territory... it is being split from the continent the fastest, so they are overseeing it and saving any settlement that is too close to the spreading cracks."
"I can't believe this is happening... what do you think? Are the cults right? Is this the end, and we are just slowly going to be destroyed? Who says the drifting, new continents won't be swallowed by the sea?"
To his question, Aurora simply smiled, walking over and kissing Sion before pulling his head between her breasts and gently stroking his hair. She knew full well he would not even dare ask questions like this from anyone else or think about voicing his concerns.
"Nobody knows, but I don't believe it," Aurora answered, writing the words onto his back, running her fingers over it, and Sion could understand her clearly. It is a significant change, but we will get through it. The moment the sky clears up, a new Era will dawn upon us!"
"Mhm... I hope so." He murmured softly before letting her go, feeling much more relaxed now. That simple hug was all he needed to banish his worries once again. "What about Tolemia and Albert?"
"The former is with Rangi, helping his side of the breaking. Albert... he is already with Lia as they are rebuilding the Academy. She just sent word," Aurora continued, smiling uncontrollably and feeling deep nostalgia in her heart, "The main building is already being erected, and the emerging city has already become the home of about 20,000 souls."
"They work fast! If this goes on, she will become a Headmaster soon enough!" He listened on with a laugh, happy to hear it and feeling an itch growing within his chest, wanting to visit the new Academy.
...
....
......
"Let me guess... Another complaint?" Lia grunted the moment she saw Lorin walking into her office in the completed tower, which was built in the middle of the institute's new building. While it was still being constructed as an octagon, having a 'Wing' of every element, the Headmaster's office was completed first in the middle, surrounded by a vast, beautiful park. Those who knew Lia also knew what that tower symbolized as it was an exact copy of the old Tower of Misfits, built to be a one-to-one replica... except it didn't have a No-Space telescope, instead, it had her office at the top with a panoramic view.
"Yep." He sighed, placing a thick letter on her desk, signed by multiple signatures from different departments. "Mostly about the fairies. Melody and the rest are sometimes helpful, but... they tend to steal tools. Hide them and giggle as people are getting frustrated when they can't find them."
"I just can't send them away now, can I? They lived here first... haaaahh... I will think up something to keep them in check! Maybe I can rehabilitate them somehow."
"I highly doubt it. For that to happen, they will have to live among us for generations."
"Ugh... I know..." With another tired grunt, she grabbed the complaints and just put them into her drawer, leaning back in his big, leather chair, rocking back and forth with closed eyes.
"You look more tired than when fighting the Undead."
"I feel more weary! I didn't imagine that the Silly Fox was dealing with this much... paperwork! Administrate this, delegate that, copy it, write it down, blah, blah, blah! Uuuuugh... I feel like a scribe and not a witch!"
"Welcome to the adult world, Lia!" Lorin chuckled while walking to the fireplace and starting to brew tea with the fancy, magical applications present in Lia's office. "Being the Headmaster is not that dissimilar to being the head of a kingdom. Or of a House."
"Haaah... I know, I know! Thank the Cosmos that it was Razael who inherited the House and not me! I think I would have gone insane! Damn... Hopefully, after everything is back in order, I will have less to deal with!"
"I can help if you want." He smiled while pouring out the finished tea for her, making Lia gently shake her head.
"No, you are already a big help! Your side of the administration and re-establishing the flow of potions is already a significant undertaking! The same goes for Opparu and Cici... I can't put more work on your shoulders; I will deal with it! If anything, I will complain to the Silly Fox and press him to help more!"
"You have grown up~! I still remember when you first arrived at my office, ahaha!"
"That reminds me!" Lia sat up, emptying her cup and putting it down to search for a sheet of paper, presenting it to Lorin.
"What's this?" He took it with a raised eyebrow before silently reading through, looking surprised. "You want me to become the Head of the Wing of Water? Why?"
"Because!" She pouted.
"What about Koadriana?"
"She won't come. Her father became the new head of their branch, while Parthorn stepped down and went with the Berisons to help rebuild their House. Now Koa will be named as a successor and will have a lot of things she must learn and adapt to."
"Damn... she must be frustrated, huh?"
"She is!" Lia couldn't help but let out a low chuckle, nodding her head repeatedly. "Well, that is what she got for getting pregnant and now stuck at home!"
"But... Still, being the head? That still feels weird. I am not that good!"
"You are an outstanding businessman and also a helluva alchemist! There will also be changes in studying the elements, but I haven't mentioned this to others yet." She continued with a more serious voice, "I will have a course that I will teach personally, and it will be about mixing the elements."
"I'm listening!" Lorin exclaimed, grabbing a chair and sitting down, looking at her like a student would look at his teacher.
"This time, the eight elements and their leaders will have to work closely with each other. I already asked Ceiline, and she will be the head of the Wing of Nature while Simbad will take up the position of leading the Wing of Light! In the first year, I will teach everyone the theory of combining elements, but after that, people will have to work it out themselves! I suggest having you and the other leaders host classes together! But you will have to work them out between yourselves on how to do that!"
"I am still compiling Lia's ideas into a coherent subject." Hajna interjected, appearing from nowhere and bowing towards them, "She tends to ramble a lot; she reminds me of the real Hajna."
"Ha... Ha..." Lia grumbled, rolling her eyes, but Hajna just kept smiling while continuing her report.
"But I am already clearing it up, and by the time the constructions are finished, her curriculum will be completed, and the basis of the new study of the elements will be ready."
"Well, it is my take on the knowledge Arcus taught me." Lia nodded softly, "Its origin is the Golden Claw; I am just incorporating my own experiences into it. The biggest part is still the individual; they must feel it and make it happen... My best bet is to highlight the intricacies between the elements and how they all come from the same source! With how the sky is now, it will be much more... understandable! I will teach them to notice that there are more connections than they thought and awaken a kind of sense in their minds and souls so they can follow it through!"
"And I come into the plan as...?"
"Well, as an alchemist. You are a very good one at that, and you work with the elements of nature and fire. I think, after you read my completed works, you may start combining them, too! I couldn't think of anyone better for the position! And if you managed it, you could teach the rest!"
"Woah, woah, wait a moment! Me? Doing what... your House is famous for?!"
"Of course! I know you can! Soon, it won't be an 'Amarin Speciality' to have control over elements that are being combined! It will be the norm!"
"You really are reinventing the Institute, eh?" Lorin murmured, still part shocked and part excited... he couldn't deny the fact that he felt motivated all of a sudden and wanted to give it a try.
"That is the plan!" Lia grinned proudly. "I know it can't be done quickly, and it won't be forced. I plan to do it as not part of the mandatory curriculum but one that students can sign up for. I will be the one laying down the foundations, and hopefully, we can evolve together! I want to raise mages and witches who can not just use multiple elements but can fuse them! Create their own unique ways! And then... they could teach the others too! I want to make sure that the name of the Institute of Eight Elements will mean much more for future generations..."
"I wonder what your ancestor thinks about it..." Lorin whispered, leaning back, his eyes twinkling.
"I mentioned it to him, and he is willing to come and help teach it... but he is needed in many places right now. But one day, I think he will be the one who will guide others about mixing elements, and I can be a laid-back Headmaster, watching everything work out perfectly!" She finished with a wide grin, winking at Lorin, who couldn't help but chuckle, watching Lia's glowing, excited face.
