—Aleph Arknite's Point of View—
The hallways of Rozium Academy are creepy. It's almost like all these statues are alive. Who was the genius who made them? I'd like to file a complaint.
Also, the smell is horrible… it smells like… damn, it smells like so many things that I can't even tell what's what.
But here I am, unfortunately.
I'm only here on a mission to find the seeker Rowan. Apparently, the High Master and he are old acquaintances. I wonder what he's like. When I asked about him at reception, I overheard some people saying it was better not to see him, that he was huge, a mountain of muscles, and that his mouth looked like the jaws of a monster. Someone terrifying.
Just thinking about it makes me want to leave. What if he kidnaps me or kills me?
Master! Why did you send me here!? Are you insane?
Ahhh…
There's no point. Maybe I should just accept my fate…
I kept walking where the woman at reception had told me to go.
Two turns to the left, then one to the right, straight to the end, then right again… is this a damn maze or what?
—What a terrible job the people who built this place did. If I see them out there, I'll give them a lesson on how to do things ri—
I was so distracted talking to myself that I didn't notice the person coming toward me.
I bumped into him.
—Ah, sorry! I was distracted and—
Huh? What the hell? Who is this guy? He's terrifying. He's huge. Even bigger than the guy at the reception in the central town where Mr. Albert lives!
—Hah!? You need something, kid?
—Ah, uh… no.
Why is my voice shaking!?
I've been inside caves many times, faced plenty of creatures big and strong enough to destroy a building with a single blow in the mountains.
So why now?
Wait… this man… huge, intimidating…
Don't tell me… is this the seeker Rowan?
Why is the High Master friends with someone like this?
No, wait, I came here specifically looking for him. I can't back down now. This is a task the Master assigned me. I must see it through.
—Then get out of the way. You're just in the way.
I gathered my courage to speak to him; not even when I asked that girl to be my girlfriend was I this nervous.
—Hey! Excuse me, are you by any chance the seeker Rowan Thunderwolf?
—Eh!?
—Ah, sorry… it's just that I came here looking for someone with that name…
—And what if I am? What business do you have with me, kid?
—Ah, it's just… I'm Aleph Arknite, from the Palace of the Great. The High Master Enzo Atlas sends me.
—Enzo, huh? Hmm…
He started rubbing his chin. I didn't want to say anything else, afraid I'd get punched.
—Damn, that guy never leaves me alone. Follow me, let's go to my office.
—Of course! I'll follow you…
Should I write my will while I'm still here? I might not come back from that office…
Sorry mom, dad, Master Enzo… this is the last day of Aleph Arknite.
Just remember I died bravely!
—What the hell are you waiting for, huh!? Move it!
—I'm going, sir! Sorry!
Although, he doesn't look that old actually. His beard is neatly trimmed and his long hair is wild. Maybe calling him "sir" was a mistake?
I hope not… Either way, I just have to follow him.
His office wasn't far from where we were, so if he tried something, I might be able to escape.
—Since Enzo sent you, tell me. What does he want this time?
—Well, to be honest, he didn't give me much information. He only asked me to find you and tell you about something you had discussed.
—And? What is it?
—He only told me two words… The Gallery.
—The Galle—
His expression turned into an angry one.
What? Did I say something wrong? Did the Master set me up? He looks mad… someone, please help me!
—Ahem, sorry for scaring you. Now tell me, what do you know or what did Enzo tell you about The Gallery?
Looks like he calmed down. Good.
—To be honest, absolutely nothing. Sorry.
—Then tell me, does this ring any bells?
Rowan pulled out a book from a drawer next to his desk, apparently quite old, and blew off the dust that had gathered on it.
He opened it and began to read.
—The Gallery, a blank world. There's no one. You feel nothing. Where are you? Nobody knows. Why does it happen? They don't know either. But if this exists and it's not a dream or hallucination, it must be somewhere out there in the vast, immense world… or hidden inside someone's mind.
I was stunned hearing all that. It was too accurate to be just a made-up story or a fairy tale.
—That's… pretty precise. How is it that…?
—Now tell me, who saw it? Was it Enzo? Or someone else?
—Actually, it was me, sir.
—Lucky me then. Tell me everything. I want every detail. If there was an ant nest, I want to know how many ants there were. If it was raining, tell me how many drops fell from the sky. I want it all.
—Erm… alright.
Didn't it say nothing happened? But whatever.
—It all started the day I was sent to evaluate the potential of a boy in the town of Arishtar. When I arrived, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. In fact, it was pretty normal. A bit disappointing, to be honest.
I remembered the place a bit better. But that doesn't matter.
—But all that went to hell when I started the temporary bonding ritual. As you know, since Master Enzo told me you were a beast-bond master at some point in your life.
—Ah… yes, of course. Go on.
—Right. As you know, every person is a different place, a world to explore. Their thoughts, emotions, and decisions determine the appearance of that world. It can be a vast forest full of life, or a barren, desolate land.
It's amazing to see all that, honestly.
—Well, when I entered this boy, the only place I ended up in was a blank image. I had never seen anything like that before. I thought something had gone wrong, so I tried to cut the bond, but… it seemed like something didn't… want me to. I didn't think too much and just went on.
I wanted to dig deeper but something told me not to.
—I don't remember how long I was there, but I do remember the last moments: before leaving, two glowing spheres appeared in the distance. One golden with dark spots, and another deep blue, with a bright blue center.
—When I saw them, I wanted to move, but I couldn't, much less speak. The place turned dark. I felt the void swallowing me. That's when the bond broke and the ritual ended.
Honestly, I lied to that family. Seeing the golden sphere, I thought it was associated with earth. And the fire, well, that was just an extra detail.
Maybe I should've said it was water?
—I told them the boy was a single-space wielder with two elements. That, of course, was only partly true. The family seemed happy. For them, that was enough. I said goodbye to them and left. I went straight to the palace and told the High Master everything.
That's all.
—Hmm… that could be useful.
I wanted to ask what for, but I held back.
—Alright. I want you to go back to Enzo. Tell him it's fine, I'll help.
Huh? What's he talking about?
—Sorry to be rude, but I don't remember mentioning that the Master asked for your help.
—I've known him for so long I've lost track of how many years it's been. I know what his words mean, kid. You're still a rookie.
That was rude… but who am I to judge?
—Alright. See you, Mr. Rowan.
—Yeah, yeah… goodbye…
I left his office, closing the door behind me.
———
—Rowan Thunderwolf's Point of View—
That kid, even though he's young, seems to have reached category three judging by the amount of energy, and he's a double wielder.
Aleph Arknite…
Enzo always knew how to find competent people. He must have some trick up his sleeve.
But those spheres of light at the end… I've never seen anything like that either. Hmm…
Heh… I still can't believe it.
The Gallery, huh? How long have I been waiting to hear that name again.
It feels like a dream, but if Enzo asked for my help, that means he already has a plan in mind.
—Filthy rat, hahaha.
Arishtar… I remember that town.
I was there when King Caleb was still at large. The bastard hid there for years without us noticing.
That guy was the source of information and the most intelligent person this world has ever seen. Nobody, not even Enzo, could compare. He was the embodiment of knowledge. So much… that it was his downfall.
And he was also the key to finding The Gallery.
He died, according to rumors, but his body was never found, almost as if he had simply been erased from existence.
But…
Now we have a lead.
I won't let this chance slip away… even if I have to die for it.