Ien's daughter turned to look at him, curious how he knew this. Finally, she simply replied: "No one likes spoilers."

The boy lowered his gaze, feeling guilty.

"I was joking!" Marina hastened to add, "He told you. Rakion defeated Niri and Randi despite his handicap and remained the only active deity."

"Why are there twelve names there then?" They asked her, pointing to the blackboard.

"Because he built his own empire, choosing to elevate his eleven allies to divinities. His rule lasted for millennia, until he decided to have a son with his consort Uvmis," the girl hesitated to continue as some thoughts connected in her head, "Their offspring was the divine Emion, leader of the fourth generation, who succeeded in Rakion with the last passage of the masks about three thousand years ago."

The same demigoddess in the second row raised her hand again, "What happened to the third generation of gods?"

"Unfortunately there are not many sources on this topic. Many say that they constituted the stars of the Celestial World while others say that they went out in the Abyss."

Before they could interrupt her, she added: "Don't worry! Shirei will explain everything you need to know about this."

Cragar's son looked at her in confusion as the demigods began to shout.

"Come on, follow carefully, I expect some interesting questions at the end of the lesson!"

Marina stepped aside and looked at Shirei with a smile, she was really curious to hear him explain. Cragar's son walked to the blackboard without saying a word and began drawing with chalk. The demigods leaned in, trying to see over his shoulder. The blonde did the same, before simply waiting.

"Good morning," Shirei said before moving on, "I'll just explain the rest, so we can all return to our respective homes."

Ien's daughter made a disappointed expression. She hoped to catch him doing something he wasn't capable of, given his persistent asociality, however the boy always remained calm. The various worlds were depicted on the blackboard in an image of concentric circles that left no doubt about the general organization.

"As you have already been told, There are various worlds, starting from the outside: space, the Celestial World, the mortal world", the boy pointed to some bubbles he had drawn, "The Otherworld, I am imagining it like this."

Cragar's son turned to Marina for confirmation, the girl nodded.

"The Underworld is present inside the earth, but you cannot dig to reach it because, in reality, I believe it is included in the Otherworld."

Marina tilted her head slightly. What he said was true, but if Shirei had never heard of the Otherworld, that meant he had come to the conclusion after hearing her words. Ien's daughter had not taken him for a fool, but was amazed at how intelligent he actually was. Coming from someone who was surrounded by demigods who had in common only the wisdom inherited from their mother, it was a great compliment.

"The Underworld is the domain of Cragar, the god of the dead. I don't know what's written in the books, but it's an almost completely deserted land," Shirei began to explain, his tone calm and confident. "It is crossed by five rivers that converge in a large lake in the center."

Shirei pointed to the chalk lines on the slate board: "I only give you the names of the rivers, because I hope for your sake that you never have the chance to see them with your own eyes."

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Marina stopped him, "There's no need, I think a lesson will be dedicated to that by Mardi's children in a few months. They just arrived, so I don't want to overwhelm them with more information. We have already greatly exaggerated."

The boy nodded as he continued to explain. "As I was saying, the rivers become tributaries of the infernal lake, in the center of which stands an islet, and on it stands the palace of Cragar."

Shirei's words filled the room, creating an atmosphere of curiosity among the students. Then, in a more serious tone, he continued: "Below Cragar's palace lies the Abyss, an extremely dangerous area."

The expressions of those present became more serious as Shirei continued his description. Marina observed him, attracted almost by a magnetic force, "Here, the monsters' bodies are regenerated and are virtually immortal, since they will continually reform."

A demigoddess raised a hand to ask for an explanation. "Sir, why is it called the Abyss?"

Marina smiled at the word 'sir', she had to admit he had a certain air of authority as he explained.

Shirei took a moment before responding, searching for the right words. "It is called like this because the scarlet moor slopes inward, as if it were a colossal funnel," he explained with a serious expression. "At the end of this funnel there is the actual abyss: a giant, dark chasm, into which even Cragar fears descending."

His words were lost in the silence of the classroom, as the students carefully absorbed every detail of the mysterious land forming in their heads.

Marina opened her eyes wide, a light of understanding illuminating her gaze. Finally, the truth loomed before her, like a sudden and powerful revelation. Now she understood the reason for the lesson and why Shirei had to accompany her. The puzzle of recent experiences was coming together in his her, revealing an intricate pattern that connected every single event. Mr. D'Agostini and the goddess of love had wanted to prepare the new demigods for something big, and everything revolved around the clash that had occurred just a few days before.

Marina felt the connections revealing themselves, one after another, like pieces of a mosaic finally fitting together. Shirei, the Otherworld, the Abyss, Rakion... everything was linked. Her mind raced with thoughts as she tried to process the extent of the truth that might be hidden.

But, even as she understood the bigger picture, a feeling of disbelief crept within her. It all seemed too big, too far-fetched to be true. It was difficult to accept that every single detail of the events that had occurred since Shirei's arrival was part of a greater plan, orchestrated by the gods themselves.

Yet despite her uncertainty, Ien's daughter knew she could not ignore the truth. She had to face reality, however shocking it might be. Rakion the Ancient must have been alive despite the passing of the masks.

"And what is there in the end? At the bottom I mean," asked a demigod from the back row, distracting Marina.

Cragar's son hesitated to answer, "I don't know, I never figured it out."

The blonde immediately came to her rescue, "Okay! Do you have any other questions?"

Ognia's daughter raised her hand, "Are you together?"

Marina opened her eyes wide and blushed, "Okay! We are done!"

After having decreed the end of the lesson, Marina quickly exchanged greetings with the demigods present, thanking them for their participation and attention. The young demigods reciprocated with smiles and friendly gestures. Once she was done, Shirei and Marina exited the cabin, leaving behind the gossipy atmosphere the boys were creating. The fresh, life-giving air enveloped them as they headed towards the tree-lined avenue that led to the heart of the park.

The sun glinted through the leaves of the trees, casting dancing shadows on the path that lay before them. Birdsong filled the air, creating a natural symphony that accompanied their footsteps.

Shirei and Marina walked side by side, but the girl was too worried about the discovery she had made to realize the closeness of Cragar's son. In her head, all sorts of possibilities were created, destroyed, and shaped into a new question that lacked enough information to find an actual answer.

"You're very quiet," Shirei said to distract her, "More than me."

Marina shook her head. She was shaking with fear. She really hoped she was wrong, but it all seemed meaningless to her. She decided it was useless to think about it without having the necessary means to resolve her doubts. She should have talked about it with Aena and Mr. D'Agostini.

She faked a light smile and changed the subject, "So, Hollow, what are you going to do for the rest of the morning?"

Shirei looked into the distance, "I think I'll change and go train."

Marina nodded, puffing out one of her cheeks, then opened her eyes wide, "Ah! I almost forgot, the recruiting party is supposed to be back, so if you want, I can introduce them to you later."

"Thank you."

"Ok..." the situation was getting awkward, "See you at lunch?"

"Of course," nodded the demigod, "See you later."

Before the girl could say anything else, shadows swirled around Cragar's son and Shirei slipped into the Interworld.