Later that day, Caelum and Vaelen sat together with Aurora at the dinner table after having nourished themselves. It now only comprised of a tea cup perched in Aurora’s slightly wrinkled arms.

The traversal of time, as well as other disturbances, seemed to have taken an effect on her physical appearance. The luminosity her face had once been embellished in was no more, all left a shell of the woman she once was. Her once beautiful brown hair appeared weathered, the hue of grey overtaking most of her tresses. Her face was wrinkled, shallow, with hollow cheekbones accentuating the state of her fragile body. She was dressed in a silk, loose robe-like coat of white hue over the brown shirt underneath.

The space itself seemed to mirror the comfortable atmosphere. Dark, sturdy wooden surrounding walls carrying paintings of the three when they were younger. A crackling fireplace was also present, broiling calmly in the background before Aurora took the word, staring at her cup with a closed smile.

“Time goes so fast, don’t you boys think? You were both so… small and oblivious… And now—look at you, starting your journeys at the Gaian temple.”

“Not only that,” Caelum chimed in from her right. “But Sequencers!”

“There he goes again…” Vaelen sighed from her left, facepalming, to which Caelum responded,

“Mom, if you had to choose between one of us, who would you reckon to be the strongest?”

Aurora let a bittersweet chuckle escape her lips. “I always saw the both of you as the sun and moon. When you wanted to play outside and cause a ruckus, Vaelen always sought after staying inside with me reading a book or the sort.”

“Not… quite the answer I was looking for…” Caelum sighed as Aurora continued.

“A good metaphor I can think of right now… A wooden ship. I imagine you, Caelum, being the one rowing the vessel, whilst Vaelen is steering it. You may have the strength, but it will only go so far without proper guidance. The same goes for the wheel—it serves no real purpose without any fuel.”

“I like that idea,” Vaelen smiled. “Caelum could never survive without me.”

“Not a bad metaphor, indeed,” Caelum added. “This world seems crazy enough as it is. You would definitely lose your mind if I wasn’t by your side.”

“Well,” Vaelen began, looking at Aurora with his arms crossed. “How are you doing besides, Mom? Are the medicals helping you well?”

“They are, yes… Don’t worry.”

“That’s good. Resigning from a position many could only dream of was always going to be your best choice, so if you still feel any regrets, don’t. I genuinely think you would have been far worse off if you still had to deal with the Assembly.”

Aurora’s eyes turned even darker than they were before as if Vaelen’s words struck a deep nerve within her.

“…Luria… has deteriorated.”

Both Caelum and Vaelen squinted their eyes in contemplation. The silence prompted Aurora to continue her anecdote.

“I can only tell you both since you are my sons… It is the truth. Ever since a certain person rose to power, things changed drastically within the ranks.”

She then took a deep sigh, preparing herself for her next words.

“Did I not tell you about a man who I considered a close friend?”

“Ah, what was his name again?” Caelum asked.

“Dark, wasn’t it?” Vaelen added, to which Aurora slowly nodded, taking a sip from her tea as if gulping down the palpable emotions that tried to escape her body.

“…Yes, his name was Dark. Soon, after a man who went by the name Phineas Leander rose to prominence, Dark passed away. It was prior to Leander’s knowledge that Dark wished to become the First Administrator of Luria. His death was labelled as a suicide, and Wilfred—Leander’s right hand—was given the role instead.”

She then continued, lowering her head slightly.

“…I knew Dark well. He never showed any suicidal tendencies. I was always sceptical about Leander for albeit shallow reasons, but I never forgot the words Dark told me about the man. He was never to be trusted…”

“Soon afterwards, key figures within the Assembly who publicly opposed Leander’s ideals were all either disposed of or killed, much like how I believed Dark met his end. Especially after…”

Aurora stopped herself from finishing her sentence, taking another deep sigh whilst staring into her warm cup.

“…Sorry, I got taken away.”

“It’s okay, Mom,” Vaelen said calmly. “I am sure he is in a far better place now, watching over you with a smile. You don’t have to deal with the Assembly anymore, so just rest enough and be soon rejuvenated.”

She remained silent in response, as Caelum added, his back now leaned against the chair’s support, contemplatively staring into the distance.

“…If people like us could make a change…”

“Bringing a change to a theocracy?” Vaelen said, knowing what his brother had in mind. “As democratic as Ventoria may seem, in reality, it could not be any further from that idea. The people in power will forever remain in power because that has already been preordained even before their birth. People are born to be successful, wealthy, adequate… That is how the world works.”

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Caelum ticked his tongue in annoyance.

“What does a theocracy even mean?”

Vaelen then responded, fully turned towards Caelum’s direction.

“You know the temples and churches? Those are institutions that hold the greatest power and influence in this world. The Assemblies like Luria, Zephyr, and Monlay, are all acolytes of the central church, as well as the temples associated with a country. For us, Denevians, the church of Urdall is the central embodiment of the country’s role and purpose within Livayae.”

“However, with the sheer amount of churches and their temples scattered across the world, they all serve as planets orbiting around the dominant sun, the greatest church of them all; the Golden church. It is the Golden church the entire world gravitates towards. Theoretically speaking, the entirety of Livayae could be considered a theocracy.”

He then continued, his voice slowing down, sounding a lot more calm and collected as he lowered his head.

“Bringing a change to Ventoria is equivalent to plucking a single grass leaf in the hopes of stripping an entire field naked. Everything was already destined to be when All created this world.”

Aurora could only stare aimlessly into the distance as she listened along. Caelum looked at Vaelen and began to speak in a rebellious tone.

“So? You think changing the world is impossible when people like me exist?”

He then stood up, confidently looking at Vaelen, who, alongside Aurora, looked at him with silently surprised expressions.

“Remember this well, Vaelen. I will change the world. In one way or another!”

“Is that so?” Vaelen chuckled, crossing his arms. “Well, you won’t be able to do that alone, then.”

“Which is why I have you, Vaelen!”

Aurora then finally chimed in, a closed smile forming on her face.

“As long as the two of you are together, nothing, not even the greatest powers in this world will be able to tear you apart. You should cherish this gift in your lives for having a sibling who loves you just as much as you love them.”

“Of course I do! Isn’t that right, Vae?”

Vaelen chuckled, closing his eyes.

“Right, right. It is getting late. We should be heading to bed now.”

“I didn’t even have to remind you two myself,” Aurora tittered. “Since your sister will be picking you both up tomorrow, I won’t be able to see you off, sadly. But…”

She raised her head to meet Caelum’s eyes and then turned towards Vaelen with a bittersweet smile.

“…Promise me that you will pay me visits every now and then.”

“No worries, Mom,” Vaelen said, patting her hand, as Caelum gently brushed her back with his hand.

“We will be sure to do so as often as we can!”

“Thank you… Sleep well, loves.”

The two brothers then made their way to the upper level after saying their goodbyes to their mother. Aurora’s face turned contemplative once more, taking a sip from her now coldened tea.

***

The next day arrived. The two brothers, as Aurora had foretold, never had the chance to be properly seen off, however, their new, eagerly anticipated journey awaited them. Alongside Helvega, who was dressed in a long black coat that blended seamlessly with the black shirt and pants she wore, stood before the main gates leading into the Gaian temple.

The threshold was connected with towering, grandiose walls stretching from both directions, as well as a large bridge they traversed. Two guards wearing dark green leather armour opened the gates, unveiling a medieval-like town eagerly awaiting their first steps inside.

“Here we are,” Helvega said, taking a deep breath. “Do you both have everything you need? If you tell me now, I can quickly make my way back home and bring the things you’ve forgotten.”

“I’m good, thanks!” Caelum said as Vaelen added the same sentiment.

“Well then, let us go.”

***

-The Gaian Temple-

An ornately decorated room housed two important individuals conversing with each other. One was a young woman, Eunice, clad in a dark brown suit that sharply contrasted with her white hair. She had a carefree demeanour, standing in front of one of the large arched windows with her arms crossed behind her back.

“This year’s Inquisition is bound to be quite the spectacle, don’t you think, Simeon?”

Behind her, a man, also dressed in a dark brown suit, sat on the centre wooden table. His demeanour appeared substantially more ‘serious’ than hers. Sharp eyes, short, well-groomed blond hair, and a semi-muscular frame. He sighed, closing his eyes, as he responded,

“While my hopes aren’t high, it is bound to be a special one, indeed. This will be the fifth year of our service to the Gaian temple, and I can comfortably say that this will be the most anticipated one we’ve been a part of to date…”

“It may have actually been a good idea to properly disperse the students for the sake of the family members to remain with each other. Flock of Veils houses members of the Yraemonde family, brought under my supervision, whilst you have been given the responsibility over Pale Fangs, the group comprising the Heamour family—leaving the third group—Jormungandr—in Vash’s hands. The only group consisting of scattered individuals. Not to discredit them, though…”

Simeon leaned over, resting his elbows on his lap.

“Luria’s former First Administrator… Emon was his name, no?”

“Indeed,” Eunice responded, walking back towards the table. “His two biological sons are participating, although under the Jinton family name. Quite ironic given we are dealing with both the Yraemonde and Haemour families, right?”

Simeon chuckled. “I don’t think much resentment will brew amongst these youngins. The people of Ventoria are very well known to be bohemians. Regardless of their shared history, I assume their elders wish for them to just focus on the Inquisition and that alone, rather than engaging in unnecessary conflicts. This is not Vayonne, nor is it Grudea.”

The adjacent door in front of Simeon opened, followed by Vash, a young man appearing quite dishevelled, with unkempt long brown hair, a stubble, and a loose dark brown suit detailing his tall and slender frame. He smiled with closed eyes, waving at them both friendly.

“Sorry for being late, guys!”

“It’s fine,” Eunice said, crossing her arms in front of her. “The Head Master hasn’t arrived yet. We were in the process of describing this year’s Inquisition.”

“Oh, yeah?” Vash began, walking inside. “I do have to thank the both of you again for your hospitality. This is my first time overseeing an Inquisition, so I will be doing my utter best in order to be up to standard.”

“No worries, Vash,” Simeon said. “There have been quite a few adjustments to how the temple decided to hold the Inquisition. Given the status and role of the Head Master within Ventoria, both Eunice and I are confident in believing you were chosen for a good reason.”

The door behind Vash opened the moment Simeon finished his words.

It was followed by the appearance of a certain man.

He was clad in an impeccable red and black suit, carrying his black overcoat in his arms. A tall, and well-defined man in his sixties. His short, blonde hair never diminished its splendour, and the same could be said for his charismatic demeanour and speech.

“A good reason it was, indeed,” he said with a smile, as Eunice looked at him with great fondness and admiration.

“Ah, there you are. We’re glad to have you here.”

“Likewise,” he said. “Let us prepare for the opening ceremony. There’s not much time left.”