The moon no longer covered the sun. That's right, it was still only a little bit past midday. Seeing the sun and feeling the natural sunlight grace his skin unsettled him a bit. Only a few moments later, the Vitreus moved.

He had difficulty tracking such a small and bright entity in the natural daylight, but became fully aware of its position. It hovered right above the Throne Room.

"Looks like you were right," Aunt Lavinia said as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "The crystal chose Mitre. Good guess."

"You know," Aleister kept his eyes squinted, "Couldn't it be anyone of us in this room or castle? I only mentioned Mitre because I thought his state was curious and I saw a vague thread connecting them. And I'm not aware of any rule that said the crystal had an age limit or anything."

"Is there a possibility? Maybe one in every million years," the Empress said. "A million might be an exaggeration even. Our lack of knowledge about isn't providing us with answers. However, I didn't bring any of us into question, as a possibility of being chosen wasn't due to our age. It was because of the fact we've all advanced our loops too far and have reached almost the maximum rank. Changing our decades of knowledge and usage of Loops to a new one would be an arduous process. You technically aren't a Weaver yet, but you should still understand the simple fact of how hard it is to change your way of thinking, even at your young age."

When she put it that way, Aleister understood why she didn't mention any of them here. Or why Aunt Lavinia didn't mention herself.

The Vitreus continued its decent and now hovered above Mitre.

"How do you feel about this?" Aunt Lavinia asked. "It wasn't one of her children that was chosen, it was yours."

Ryellia lightly smiled. "I'm sure we both share the same mixed feelings."

"The Vitreus choosing Mitre is still slightly incomprehensible to me," Gilmore said. He had been much quieter than usual.

"I agree," Ryellia said. "The only reservations I have is how this will affect his growth. Such a large burden on his shoulders. He's still only a child after all."

"Are you planning to go somewhere?" Gilmore asked.

Ryellia tilted her head as she looked at him oddly. "No, why?"

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"Then both of us will be here to teach him, won't we?"

"Yes."

Gilmore roared with laughter. "Then don't ruin such such an excellent surprise with your sentimental bullshit! If we're here to teach him, of course he will find success in the future!"

Ryellia opened her mouth before letting out a soft chuckle. She rested her head against Gilmore's shoulder. The Empress and Aunt Lavinia had smiles plastered across their faces. Even Aleister couldn't stop himself from smiling as well.

The Vitreus dropped down. It merged seamlessly with Mitre.

"Do you think the Crystal merging with him will cause any issues with his awakening?" Gilmore asked.

"There's no way for me to tell," Aunt Lavinia said. "But I wouldn't count on any negative side effect from this."

With two fingers pressed against his chin, Aleister nodded. "Based on what I've heard, I'm almost inclined to believe that the Crystal chose him because he isn't a Weaver yet. After all, if there is a problem with teaching one of you because of how much you have already learned, what better option is there than someone who knows nothing? Wouldn't that person be the easiest to change and mold?"

"Your logic seems to check out," the Empress said in agreement.

Aleister smirked as he pat himself on his back—mentally. "I assume we'll just have to wait for Mitre to wake up now."

"The changes he will now undergo are massive," Aunt Lavinia said. "He will probably lie dormant for at least another month, if not longer."

Ryellia rubbed her forehead and through held back tears of joy, said, "All's well that ends well I suppose."

"That is well, and all, but," Aleister tried to maintain a straight face and pointed up, "Can one of you explain to me what happened to the roof? It didn't seriously just vanish because the Vitreus acted up, did it?"

"No," the Empress said. She flicked her hand as the ceiling reappeared. "Some rooms in the castle were created from the natural growing crystalline structures you may have seen." She waved her hand again. This time, pillars from the ground spiked up. "My brother and I are able to control those rooms in their entirety. And to a much lesser extent, so can Kyoko and Nana, and eventually, your little brother."

"And one more question, what are we going to do with the giant skeleton, the ethereal reaver, the now gone spacial fissure in the Crystal Throne, the mysterious entity—"

Aunt Lavinia clicked her tongue and waved her finger as she cut him off. "Leave all that stuff to the grown-ups. You should go back to your little puddle and roll around in the mud."

"Little puddle and roll around in the mud? Really? Was that the best you could come up with?"

Before Aunt Lavinia could respond to his teasing provocation, the Empress spoke up. "Those matters are indeed beyond your current capabilities, however, you are a contractor and thus, can become an asset. The stipulation being you become a Weaver sooner rather than later. Luckily for you, this conflict won't meet its resolution. This should provide you with plenty of time."

Aleister sighed. "I understand." He would just ask Syn once she was available. Today's events only piqued his interest in the mystery of this room even more.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," the Empress made her way forward, "I need to at least start cleaning up the absolute mess that the universe just handed me." She scrunched her brows and rubbed her eyes with the hand she rested upon her face. "That reminds me, I have bad news for you."