Chapter 758: The Meaning Behind The Words
Chapter 757: The Meaning Behind The Words
13 Days To Go
The library was quiet.
The familiar scent of aged paper and ink hung in the air, mingling with the faint aroma of dried herbs that seemed to follow Madam Tyler wherever she went.
Sophia sat at the long oak table, her hands resting on the worn surface, her gaze fixed on the parchments spread out before her. The translations from the stones and shrine were there, along with an ancient book. She had been here before, but she left to check up on Orion, and then she met Brynhild at the training grounds, where she had seen Ethan, Dren, and Nia return from Nirvana. And now she was back.
Around her sat the others. Eldric, his glasses perched on his nose, his fingers tapping thoughtfully against the table. Madam Tyler, her silver hair pulled back, her staff resting against the wall beside her. Tobias, his dark eyes sharp and focused. And Jarek, quieter than the rest, but present.
Tobias leaned forward slightly. "Did you settle everything you had to do?"
Sophia nodded. "For now."
Eldric pushed a book towards her.
"This is the text I mentioned," he said. "The one that contained the phrase ’wash the eyes of the earth.’"
Sophia picked it up and read through it carefully. The words were written in faded brown ink, the script flowing and elegant, but the meaning was clear. Her brow furrowed as she absorbed them.
...and there comes a time when all things must be made anew. When the spirit must be washed clean, and the soul returned to the path of the Goddess.
A rite is called to wash the eyes of the earth, where all gather beneath the moon’s witness. Each is marked, their wolves present, for this is something beyond mortal understanding. Something beyond all who walk the earth.
This cleansing is not of water. It is deeper than that. It is a purification of the soul, a return to balance, and a reminder that the Goddess still walks among her children.
She set the parchment down, her fingers still resting on its edge. Her gaze lingered on the words for a moment longer before she looked up.
"It’s basically a purification ritual, isn’t it?" she asked slowly. "A cleansing of the soul. A return to balance."
"That’s what we think too," Eldric said.
"We’ve been of the opinion that these writings were warnings of sorts," Tobias spoke up.
"We concluded that this one was about a purification and the successor of the night, which obviously is Victoria. But that’s not the main focus. What you did just confirmed what we thought." He pointed to a specific line on the parchment.
’The first key has turned, but the wheels turn too, for an ancient shadow may no longer be left a shadow.’
He paused, his finger still resting on the words. "This is the issue. What does the first key turning mean? I first thought perhaps it was Sophia being the Luna from the prophecy, but maybe that’s not it?"
Madam Tyler leaned forward then, her voice calm as she spoke. "Isn’t that just that things have started moving?"
They all turned to her, their attention shifting.
She continued, "The prophecy was told centuries ago. But for a prophecy to be told, something must have happened, right?" she asked them.
Sophia nodded as she listened.
"Dolion was obviously the start of everything, right? So he is the first key." She paused, then added, "At least that’s what I think it is. I could be wrong though."
She paused, choosing her next words carefully. "And the wheels turning too—Dolion may have started all this, but there are other forces involved. Sophia, Victoria, the Black Circle, us. We are all the wheels. Each one of us is turning the prophecy forward, whether we realize it or not. And again, this is all just my opinion."
The library fell quiet. Everyone was processing her words, turning them over in their minds.
Eldric adjusted his glasses, his brow furrowed in thought. "Perhaps there’s a way to know if what you say is true or not?"
He looked around the table, his gaze settling on each of them in turn.
"Everything we’re saying now is mere speculation. We have little knowledge, and we’re trying to piece things together from fragments. And while I like knowledge, I have to ask—why are we so focused on trying to understand these writings when we already have the information we need? Oculum, Dolion, Victoria, the Black Circle. We know who our enemies are. We know what they want. What more do we need to know?"
Sophia met his gaze, her blue eyes steady and unyielding. "Haven’t you heard? Knowledge is power."
Eldric tilted his head slightly, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "And what knowledge could we possibly gain from this that would give us power? What could these ancient words possibly tell us that we don’t already know?"
Sophia was quiet for a moment. And when she spoke, her voice was soft.
"The truth is, I want to know."
She looked around the table, meeting each of their gazes in turn.
"I don’t know if that is enough reason, but it’s the best I can give you guys. I want to know what exactly ties us to all this. The ritual, everything that happened in the past, is tied to Nirvana, which is our home. History older than any of us here. And to be honest, I’m hoping that perhaps we could get something to help put an end to all this."
She paused, her fingers curling against the edge of the parchment.
"I know it makes little sense. And that’s why... I must give you guys the option of leaving it. Perhaps until after the war, or we can just abandon it entirely."
The others were silent. Jarek just stared at them, wondering what their answers would be.
"I have a question for you," Madam Tyler said to Eldric.
"What is it?" Eldric asked her.
"Do you think there’s nothing to gain from what we are doing now?" she asked him.
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