Capítulo 14: Chapter 12:
I read the letter twice, my mind racing as I tried to process every word. A fake god? The world in danger? And me—the thought that I was somehow crucial to all of this seemed too big to grasp. I felt a tightness in my chest, a feeling somewhere between dread and urgency.
I looked up at Xenos, my voice barely a whisper. "Could you pass me the notebook behind you?"
He reached over, handing it to me silently, his eyes searching my face for any sign of what I'd read. With a deep breath, I opened the notebook, flipping past the first blank pages. And then I stopped, my heart pounding.
There, painted with delicate strokes, was an image of my mother—young, vibrant, with that same calm, knowing expression. But beside her stood the man I'd seen in my visions: tall, tanned, white long hair that looked like a milk river, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder. They looked so at ease, as if they belonged together, as if he was someone she trusted.
I turned the picture over, my fingers trembling, and read the words written on the back in my mother's familiar handwriting:
My father, you're the only real one.
The words hit me like a tidal wave. I stared at the painting, barely breathing, as a thousand questions flooded my mind. This man… he wasn't just a random figure. He was my grandfather, the god Smokey. And what does my mother mean by "the real one"...?
Xenos leaned closer, his gaze flicking from the painting to my face. "Sage, what is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."
I swallowed hard, still processing. "This man… the one I saw in my vision. He's my mother's father. My grandfather. And my mother… she called him the only real one."
Xenos leaned in close, his cool presence lingering just beside me. His gaze was steady as he spoke. "It resembles the god."
Alohi's eyes widened in recognition. "Yes—that's Smokey, the god of smoke and secrets… your grandfather. Wait—don't tell me you've never seen him before?"
Xenos glanced at Alohi, a faint sigh escaping him. "As I suspected… Astrid never told you, did she?"
I let out a sigh. "That's not important right now. What is, though, is what my mother meant by 'the only real one.' The person who sent me this letter called himself Lux, which I'm guessing is a code name. He also warned, and I quote, 'The world you find yourself in is teetering on the edge of danger, its balance threatened by a false god.' So, what could that mean?"
Alohi's eyes flickered with recognition as she glanced at me. "Did you just say Lux? I swear I've heard that name somewhere before…"
Xenos groaned and slapped a hand to his forehead. "You're so clueless sometimes that I wonder how you're supposed to be my superior, Alohi." He sighed, then continued, "Lux is the name of the empire we live in, which means whoever sent this is likely someone from here." He took the letter from my hand, studying it with narrowed eyes. "This handwriting… it looks familiar," he muttered in a low, thoughtful tone.
"Lux said that if I wanted more information, I should meet him in the castle's secret room," I explained, frowning. "But I have no idea where that is. Plus, the castle's closed while we're on break." I looked to Xenos, hoping he had a solution.
He sighed, his expression turning serious. "The castle's secret room is hidden within the maze. But as your guardian, there's no way I'm letting you go there alone—it's dangerous, and you can't even use your magic properly yet."
Alohi shot Xenos a determined look. "Well, then, she won't be going alone, will she? We'll both be there with her. There's no way I'm letting Sage go into that maze without backup."
Xenos folded his arms, frowning. "Absolutely not. That place is dangerous, even with someone as… unpredictable as you. This isn't a game, Alohi."
"But Xenos," I pleaded, my voice soft but insistent, "this could be my only chance to find out what's really going on. I can't just wait and do nothing. Please."
Alohi nodded, backing me up. "Look, we know it's risky. But if we're with her, we can keep an eye out for anything dangerous."
Xenos looked between us, his jaw clenched in frustration. After a moment, he sighed in resignation. "Fine. But only because I'd rather be there to keep you two out of trouble." He turned to me, his expression softening. "For now, get some rest, Sage. Tomorrow morning, we'll talk and make a proper plan. This isn't something we'll rush into unprepared."
With that, he turned and walked out, with Alohi following him. I slipped into bed, exhaling the tension of the conversation. Moments later, Aurora, my little fairy, fluttered over and nestled onto my shoulder, her tiny warmth comforting against my skin.
"It's all so confusing, Aurora," I murmured. "It's like… each new answer just leads to more questions."
Aurora sighed, her voice a faint whisper. "That's often how these journeys go, Sage. But you'll find your way."
We talked softly for a while, trying to make sense of it all. Eventually, the weight of the day caught up to me, and with Aurora's gentle presence beside me, I drifted off into a deep sleep.
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Aurora's soft voice woke me, and I slowly opened my eyes. As I made my way to the bathroom, she flitted around, using her magic to tidy up the bed, humming a cheerful tune. I slipped into a casual, baby-blue gown, comfortable but still neat.
Just as I finished, Scale burst in, giving me a disapproving once-over. "Why on earth are you dressed like a peasant?"
I rolled my eyes. "Maybe because I wanted to look like you."
Aurora raised an eyebrow, her tiny hands on her hips as she snickered. "Why would anyone want to look like a stinky lizard?"
Scale shot her a glare. "You're like Monday mornings—nobody likes you."
I couldn't help but laugh at their bickering. Their back-and-forth felt like a funny start to what was sure to be an intense day. Together, we made our way to the kitchen, where we found Alohi already there, happily devouring her breakfast.
I took a seat at the table, glancing around the kitchen as the scent of breakfast filled the air. Xenos stood at the stove, cooking eggs, his back turned to us—and his shirt nowhere in sight. The large dragon tattoo stretched across his shoulder blades, its intricate scales seeming almost alive in the morning light.
I tried to keep my voice steady, though it came out softer than I intended. "You know… you should really stop walking around the house shirtless."
He let out a sigh, clearly annoyed. "It's my house, Sage. I can do whatever I want."
A moment later, he placed a plate in front of me, piled with eggs and sausages. Alohi shot me a sly grin. "Wow, Sage, I bet that view must've made your breakfast a little extra spicy this morning, huh?"
I flushed and gave her a quick slap on the head. "Alohi, that's embarrassing!"
She just laughed, unbothered, as we all dug into breakfast. After we finished eating, I stood to clear the dishes. I'd gotten into the habit of doing them every morning, and even though no one asked me to, it just felt like a small way to contribute.
Alohi stood up too, stretching. "Hey, I'll help you with these."
Together, we made quick work of the dishes, chatting about the day ahead. Once everything was cleaned up, we headed to Xenos's study, where he was waiting, ready to talk through our plan. The weight of what we were about to do settled over us, but I felt a strange sense of readiness too, surrounded by these people who'd become my odd little family.
Alohi and I stepped into Xenos's office, the warm morning light filtering through the tall windows. Xenos stood by his desk, arms crossed and his usual intense expression softened just slightly.
He nodded as we entered. "Good, you're both here. I've thought through how we're going to reach the castle's secret room."
Alohi leaned in with a mischievous grin. "So, we've got a plan, then? Does it involve breaking some rules?"
Xenos shot her a dry look but continued. "First, we're going to need disguises. We'll pose as castle staff so we can move around without drawing attention. Alohi, you're in charge of creating a small distraction in another part of the castle to keep the guards occupied."
Alohi raised a hand in a mock salute. "Got it. I'll make sure it's… memorable."
"Then there's the maze," he continued. "I know the layout well enough to guide us, but it's still dangerous. We'll need to stay together, and any magic you use has to be subtle. Sage, bring Aurora along. She can scout ahead for us—she's small enough to stay hidden and alert us to any traps."
Aurora perked up from her spot on my shoulder, nodding eagerly.
Xenos glanced at me. "And Sage, if you're up for it, we could use a few simple secrecy charms. Things that could mask our presence or muffle our footsteps would be helpful."
I nodded, feeling a spark of excitement at having a task to contribute to. "I think I can manage that."
He handed me a small, tightly wrapped scroll. "This is a backup teleportation spell. If anything goes wrong, we'll use this to return to safety. Remember, this is only if we're in real danger."
Alohi gave him a sly grin. "I like this—starting the day with a good bit of adventure."
Xenos's gaze softened as he looked between us. "Just remember, this isn't a game. Stay close and listen to what I say."
With that, we all shared a determined look, ready for the challenge ahead.
We spent the next few hours going over every detail of the plan, fine-tuning each step and making sure we knew our roles inside and out. The excitement was building, but I could feel a touch of nervousness, too. This wasn't just a sneaky excursion—this was about finding answers that could change everything.
As the final pieces came together, Xenos gave a firm nod. "That's it, then. We move at dawn tomorrow. Get some rest tonight and gather anything you might need. No room for errors."
Alohi threw an arm around my shoulder, grinning. "Rest easy, Sage. Tomorrow we're finally going to get some answers. And hey—try not to dream about Xenos' tattoo this time, yeah?"
I shoved her lightly, rolling my eyes as she burst into laughter. Despite her teasing, I couldn't help but smile. Alohi had a way of lightening even the heaviest moments.
Xenos shot us both an exasperated look but didn't say anything, simply heading out of the room, leaving us alone. Alohi winked and gave me a quick hug before slipping out after him, her footsteps fading down the hallway.
As I made my way back to my room, I felt Aurora flutter onto my shoulder. "Big day tomorrow," she whispered, her tiny voice filled with excitement and comfort.
I lay down, the weight of everything we'd prepared for settling over me. Aurora nestled beside me, and as I closed my eyes, I whispered, "Tomorrow… we're finally going to find out the truth."
With that, sleep took over, carrying me into a night of dreams filled with shadowed mazes, flickers of light, and the promise of long-hidden secrets waiting to be uncovered.
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