John let go of the necklace, eager to hear what the sage had to say. He was disappointed that he wouldn’t get an answer to the first two questions, but he wasn’t surprised. That information was probably worth way more.

The sage studies the necklace from afar, deep in thought. “... Its origins are unknown to me. I’m not entirely sure about the functions of the necklace, but the black sphere is a special type of essence, only produced by intense emotions. I would advise you never to put it in your core, unless you are at the end of the road.”

“... So you’re saying more can be produced?” John asked, wondering if he might be able to. The talk of intense emotions made it sound unpleasant, though. But he might be able to use the remnant.

“Well, anything can be produced. But the means to do so are very unique, and not at all pleasant. Only one being can do so at will, and that’s all I will say about that… The necklace, though, can be understood better if you make it into your equipment.”

“I can do that? But wouldn’t that bring the black essence into my core?”

“No, the necklace keeps it well contained. It seems like retrieving it would be challenging, but perhaps your bond to the Aasvedans and the remnant helped you. The necklace seems quite special, but considering who it’s tied to, I’m not surprised.”

“You’re teasing me with hints, Sage. I know the Lord of Death was involved. He answered the prayer of the final Aasvedans, and they performed a ritual. The vestige, a message, and this necklace was all that remained…”

“A message?” the sage asked, once again having his curiosity piqued. “Could you tell me what it contained?”

John narrowed his eyes and smiled. “What would you offer in return?”

The sage seemed hesitant, looking up into the sky, almost like he could see through the fog. “... Haaah, how about letting you join the Loreholders? You seem to have a sense for finding mysterious knowledge.”

John was taken aback by the offer. He never would have expected something like that to be on the table. “Are you serious? What would that mean for me?”

“Ah, the eternal search for truth and knowledge! Commitment to finding the traces of lost history, of the greatest secrets of the universe!” Sage Full Blue gestured energetically as he sat on the demon’s back. “But more immediately, I would take you away from here and start teaching you our ways. You would be free to return to Earth occasionally, but you will be restricted from fighting or acting on their behalf.”

John only needed a moment to consider the offer. He couldn’t leave Dennis and Rain alone here, and he wanted to fight for the sake of humanity in the future. He was a fighter, not a truth-seeker.

“I’ll have to turn you down, Sage. But I appreciate the offer.”

The sage seemed disappointed but not surprised. “I understand. Are there any other questions I could help you with, then?”

John turned to look at Rain again, and she looked back. Her eyes reflected a hint of fear, but it was well hidden under a layer of skepticism. She shook her head slightly as if understanding his silent question.

‘Fine, I’ll let you tell me on your own terms…’

He turned back to the sage. “The last time we spoke, you knew I was a human before knowing about Earth. How is that possible?”

“I cannot say. But the obvious is obvious. Anything else?”

‘The obvious is obvious… So, there are other humans in the universe. Taken from Earth? Or were humans sent to Earth long ago?’

“Okay… How can you understand my language? Does it have to do with the meaning hidden inside words?”

“Exactly! Understanding your language is easy enough if you let the meaning spill through your words. It’s a special ability, though. You don’t have it yet.”

“... Then how can you speak English?”

“I’m not! I merely send you the meaning of my thoughts, and then you hear them in English. I don’t even have a mouth!” The sage put his hands in front of his helmet where the mouth would usually be, and nothing changed in his voice. “Is that enough for you?”

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John considered it, finding the knowledge of universal translation very interesting and handy. But he wanted to ask one more question: “Is Earth in danger?”

“Of course. Everything is.” The sage put his hands forward, mimicking a scale. “There is only balance and imbalance. Imbalance is dangerous. However, one only needs a small push to make the balanced even more so. We seek to keep the scales even and informed, preventing the mistakes of the past… And it is no easy task.”

‘The forces of the universe sound like a lot of trouble… Let’s not get involved, fellow Earthlings.’

The sage’s hands fell to his sides, making him look tired. “I am nearing my limit, young one. Please tell me what you heard.”

“Right… The message was: Take this last vestige of our kind, granted by the Lord of Death for our sacrifice, the last vestige of our world and our everything. Weep for us, and survive the doom upon you, child of the creator…”

Once she heard the message, Rain made a noise, prompting John to look at her. She seemed genuinely scared now, but she looked at John like he was the one in danger.

“Rain, what’s wrong?” he asked, not understanding her reaction. She hadn’t understood the language well enough to know what the message had said back then, so he suspected that it contained bad news for him somehow.

She shook her head and turned around, leaving him to stare at her back. ‘What spooked her so bad? The part about surviving the doom upon me? But that’s what I do, surviving doom.’

“He granted them for their sacrifice? Very interesting… You’re in trouble, young one.”

John turned back to him, hoping for an explanation. He had thought the message meant he would be safe if he wept for the Aasvednas, and he had wept once he woke from the visions of their past. “Why am I in more trouble now than before?”

“The word ‘doom’ has some meaning behind it, but that’s all I can say. At least it seems you have a chance to survive.”

“... Well, I’ll just keep doing that, then.”

“An excellent idea! If there was nothing else, I really should get going now. Could you tell me your name, young one?”

John hesitated, knowing what power names could have. “Is there any chance I’ll regret it?”

“It’s mostly just for recordkeeping, so not a significant one. But I will also keep it in mind for the future, in case you pop up again.”

“... It’s John Tarvo.”

“Good! I will record it, making you the source for both Earth and Aasvedan. We might see each other again, but not on this planet.” The sage bowed his head to them and clapped the back of the red demon, making it turn around. “Farewell!.”

“Safe travels…” John responded, waving him off with a half-smile. He had learned enough to be happy about the encounter, even if much of it would have to be pondered more later.

‘That doom thing will be future John’s problem. Strength should help me in any case. And the necklace might bring more power than I expect.’

After watching the sage disappear out of sight, carrying the corpses of their comrades, John felt grateful to have met the sage again. Even if he couldn’t answer most of his questions, there was plenty of information he could put to good use.

“Nice guy, huh?” he asked, turning to the others.

Dennis chuckled nervously. “Sure, but I’m glad you took the lead. Sorry, I was a bit out of it during that whole thing.”

“... The captain?” John asked, guessing what had caused him to stay quiet.

“Yeah, that… that was a surprise. She was one of the two invokers on our expedition base, so I knew her well. Everyone did. Tough lady, but…” He sighed heavily, looking out at the fog. “... not immortal.”

“My condolences, Dennis. I’m guessing most of the other bodies were from our fresh group, then.”

“No, I recognized two more. One of our scouts and a spell specialist. Both aspecters.”

John nodded, putting a supporting hand on his shoulder. “... I’m not sure what to say.”

Dennis smiled and put his hand on top of John’s. “It’s enough, John. Thanks.”

A moment of silence passed as they looked each other in the eyes. Dennis let his hand fall, ending the silence as John moved on to Rain.

“You alright, Rain? What was that about earlier?”

She was turned towards him, but her eyes were on the ground. “Rain not know before. Message of doom.”

“Oh, that’s all? I’ve survived plenty of stuff already; what’s a doom or two? Come here.” He pulled her into a hug, holding around her shoulders gently. “I’ll be fine, Rain. Don’t worry, alright?”

She nodded slowly, poking him on the forehead with her antlers. “Rain won’t worry. John strong.”

“Correct! Now, what do you say you point us out of here, huh? We’ve got some water, but it won’t last us for weeks.” He let go of her, but she stuck to him, wanting the hug to last longer.

“Rain won’t worry...” Her voice was muffled by his chest, but it was clear she was on the verge of tears. And not long after, she was sobbing into his chest.

‘... Rain. This reaction makes it seem like you know what ‘doom’ means, you know. And it’s not making me feel great about my chances…’

He put his arms around her again, letting her release her sorrows. Whether they were for him or something else, she needed support.

‘... I’m not in any hurry to know your secrets yet, but it would be nice if I knew how to help... It can wait until we’re out of the fog, at least. Then we’ll be close to our target.’