Kenophobia.

The architecture of the Common Hub was eerily empty. Vast interiors and indoor streets that once saw hundreds flock through were abandoned. Not a single soul remained. Evidence of recent life was apparent, left in the form of wide-open doors and personal belongings which were scattered like a lost trail.

Neon signs powered by magic remained vibrantly lit. Certain facilities such as the bathrooms were in perfect condition. Frost investigated it all as the others were swept by awe, unable to believe such a place existed in Elysia. Jury equated it with the architecture of their old world and Frost agreed, although it did carry some semblance of an airport’s interior.

Massive halls ran in all directions like a maze. An endless glass roof allowed the sunlight to paint their world. At the edges of the Common Hub, Frost peered down and felt her stomach jump into her chest. She wasn’t afraid of heights but being above the clouds caused her to be tense.

Even though the lands below were enshrouded by layers of clouds, she could see how unbelievable large their world was through its cracks. There was little to no curvature she could see, with the horizons blocked only by thick precipitation.

“Elysia has to be a super Earth.” Frost muttered to herself.

“So it would seem.” Nav answered, also unable to determine its size as she placed a hand by the thick, unbelievably clear wall of glass. “The world map of Elysia only shows a handful of major continents. But I cannot find any information regarding what else lays beyond its seas.”

The triplets, as well as the Archivist, explained that there was little information regarding the world beyond because there was little need to venture out that far. Aquatids didn’t even know, but there were records of other landmasses existing beyond their mapped Regions.

To begin with, if the Beholders, Moons, and Stars already struggled with maintaining peace here, then there was no possible way they could maintain anything over there. Frost entertained the idea that civilizations thrived there. Maybe more ancient than the ones here.

Maybe Corrupted didn’t exist there.

Wouldn’t that be nice?

They began exploring the Common Hub again, leaving the glass behind as the Alter Frosts and the Star Child remained there, fawning over the clouds. They followed black-bricked paths, walking through streets wider than the ones of the Nex Megalopolis. The minimalistic yet rustic, medieval feel of these streets appealed to Frost’s senses as she found a permanent smile fixed to her face.

It was cozy.

So cozy in fact that she felt all her worries disappear as they moved through flower gardens and stores that sold beautiful bundles, as well as what appeared to be sentient plants. To their surprise, they were freshly watered, their soil damp as a loose tap dripped in tune with the ticking of an old analogue clock.

Frost was curious as to where the water came from. Investigating the store’s sink revealed that a dark-blue crystal called, unsurprisingly, a ‘Water Crystal’ was placed within a metal box which constantly formed fresh, drinkable water so long as it had mana stored within it.

Maintenance would be the easiest job in the world here. I forget that magic isn’t just about blowing things up. It’s been a while since I got to see how the little things work. Ah… this brings me back to the Village of Virt.

Frost cherished these simple moments. She walked down memory lane, remembering how lost she was upon first arriving in this world. Jury and Ignis seemed to find their way through with ease. Apparently, the layout was not too different from a well-developed city square, and Jury mentioned that: “Nothing’s harder to navigate or memorize than the Black Forest.”

“I guess it’s just me then.” Frost giggled.

No one exactly knew where to go or what to do other than to explore the Common Hub. Not that Frost was complaining, but she felt like there was more to do, or at least a passage to ascend without the need of the Hyperlinks.

Res then answered:

“We know there’s a passage somewhere because Hyperlinks weren’t introduced until only 50 years ago. I’m sorry, but we’re also clueless. It’s out of our scope. We came around the era of the Hyperlinks so there wasn’t ever a need to know about those passages.”

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“A potential fire escape staircase.” Nav noted down.

“What’s that? Like a secret passage?” Cer wondered.

“Something like that.” Frost didn’t elaborate further. “A passage that connects the floors, huh. None of the signs point anywhere. At worst we’ll either come across it, or we’ll have to wait for someone to guide us.”

“Hey, aren’t you the Archivist? Shouldn’t you have all the knowledge in the world to figure this out?” Ber asked Anna, and despite how harsh her words sounded, she was genuinely curious and meant no harm.

“I-it’s complicated. I only know what I’ve read. And everything about Frost was pushed away because I was scared of changing the course of the books I’ve read. I-In case you didn’t know, every time a book is opened it changes. Also… the Librarians can steal parts of my knowledge. It’s why they had trouble figuring out who you were, Frost.”

The Archivist admitted.

“That’s why I try to limit myself to stuff like fairytales and stories. Digging up people’s lives put them in the crosshairs of the Librarians.”

“How do they scrape that knowledge from you in the first place?” Nav asked. “It seems unlikely that they can do on a whim.”

“My library, like Frost’s Nexus, can have a mind of its own and send invitations to people. Librarians included. It’s likely where they got the inspiration for that Masterpiece from.” The Archivist revealed as the Star Child rapidly nodded, holding a hand into the air as she carried a drawn star.

Likewise, according to Nav, the Piece of the Fallen Star could choose whose wishes were granted, and the Star Child herself could also choose certain individuals. Rejection wasn’t something she could do, at least from what Nav believed.

The Archivist on the other hand could reject the Librarians, although the process wasn’t as simple as one would believe. Frost then realized that the Nexus was the same. It chose who to Bless, and Frost could also bestow her Blessing upon people, albeit after fulfilling a certain criteria.

However, this also led her to believe that she could potentially revoke the Blessing of the Nexus entirely.

If that was truly the case, then she had extraordinary leverage against the Beholders.

It was just a matter of getting control over the Nexus… somehow.

Eventually, Frost was drawn to the Reception; a giant dome-like structure located in the heart of the Common Hub. There were no Receptionists in sight, and she fondly remembered the exact place where she first met her fuzzy friends.

“Riiiiiight here. I’m surprised you even remember.” Cer grinned, poking Frost’s sides with an elbow.

“How can I forget? You’re the one who reached out to me first. I still can’t believe they put you as a Receptionist.” Frost jabbed.

“Right!?” Cer exclaimed. “But, I guess there’s always a rhyme and a reason. You really were our one-way ticket to heaven.”

“A lot of things could have changed. But, not nearly as much as what’s happened.” Ber stated, presenting herself proudly. “Like me! I’ve got the body I always wanted! Hehe. Ignis. Listen to this. Frost used to have brown eyes and wore weird clothes.”

Ber began reciting the story of how they met in this very place to Ignis in a bragging manner. She happily listened as they took a seat on the same exact couches they did so long ago. The atmosphere couldn’t get any warmer. That’s what Frost believed until Jury brought her close.

Frost became misty eyed. It was all so nostalgic. Returning to the place where they first met moved her beyond words, and even Res had to hide her face because she too felt just as relieved.

They took a moment to let it all sink in. Even Cer grew sentimental. At one point it would’ve been a surprise to see her act normally, but now, they knew Cer was far more tender than anyone realized.

She remembered the Cer who opened up to her on that moonlit lake and admired how far every single one of them had come.

* * *

Later, Frost patrolled the streets with Nav. They had all split up to search for the mysterious passage. In truth, it was more of a tour than an effort to find it, because in the distance she could see Cer taking bites from a giant rotisserie chicken with Jury sneakily taking nibbles, all the while Res scolded them.

At the very least, Jury and Cer promised to repay that store with 10 times the Nex that unattended chicken cost. And speaking of chicken, Frost could smell freshly baked confectionary in the air. The scent of a bakery drew her into a split in the path.

It had been a while since she last ate, and she had been relying on Jury’s massive reserves to keep herself sated. She was, first and foremost, the Amalgam with a near untamable appetite.

Is Jury the same, or does she just like eating?

Frost wondered, staring at herself in the glass of nearby stores. She smiled, tilted her head, and struck a few poses. She honestly believed that if it weren’t for Jury, then she would have fallen in love with herself. Those sharp eyes were mythical, and she approached a window to catch a better look at herself.

However, upon approaching it, she saw that her hair had grown longer and turned pale.

Curious, she peered her face close before she realized that she was not looking at herself.

Rather, she was looking at someone inside of the store.

The figure raised a hand, as 7 more tails softly waved at her.

“Hello~”

The muffled voice of the Arbiter caused her heart to skip a beat.

Inside, she saw an occupied table where two plates of freshly baked pancakes steamed. And sitting on that table was none other than Beholder Galia, who sipped from a mug of irresistible coffee, allowing its taste to permeate along her taste buds before she considered Frost.

“You must be… the owner? No? I can feel a familiar presence emanating from you two… Oh…” The blind Arbiter’s smile widened as she realized who Frost was. “You must be our honored friends~”

Frost wondered what the chances of meeting with a Beholder in a café of all places in the world were, let alone the Arbiter herself.

“We’ve encountered stranger things.” Nav nonchalantly stated, as if sensing Frost’s bewilderment. “Shall we greet them?”