"The fact of the matter is," Aeon said as he paced in front of the windows, "we do not know enough to make an informed decision. We are operating with a severe lack of information, which makes us vulnerable and at the mercy of forces outside our control, which is unacceptable. We must gather more data, analyze the variables, and assess the risks before we can consider making any choice." He stopped pacing and turned to face me. "We cannot afford to be reckless. We must proceed with caution, or we risk making a mistake we cannot undo."

I nodded, munching on my apple thoughtfully as I leaned back against the desk. "I agree," I said, "but right now, all we have is what Aither has provided. We are isolated here, with no way to access the outside world to gather more data. We can't ask for help because we don't have anyone we trust enough with this, not yet. Aither controls our lives. He has all the power. We are dependent on him for everything. He is our lifeline, our only source of information and contact with the outside world. We must rely on him, even if we do not want to."

"That's why we have to be careful," Aeon insisted. "We cannot blindly trust him. We do not know his motives, goals, or plans. We do not know what his ultimate objective is or his true intentions. What does he want from Everlife? From your father? You said he asked for your shares in Everlife and Greene Pharmaceuticals. What was his purpose in acquiring them? And what about your mother's patents? He wanted those as well, yet he allows you to play the fool and lose your ability to sign those over to him? Why? It doesn't make sense."

I bit into my apple, considering his question. The answer was obvious; I saw it almost immediately. "He doesn't want the patents for himself," I said after setting down my apple. "He's gathering a cache of research to manage and control more easily, to have a monopoly of sorts. He wants the Everlife tech and facilities to expand his own operation. It makes sense. Everlife is one of the biggest producers of neural tech and other hardware used in long-term capsules. They also have extensive long-term care facilities all over the country. Greene Pharma produces a large majority of the drugs and nutritional supplements required to maintain a human in hibernation. While Gaia Corp primarily develops software, creating video games and virtual spaces for educational, medical, military, and entertainment purposes. Everlife does some of this too, but they are not major players in that market like Gaia is."

"I see," Aeon mused. "It is a strategic move. He plans to consolidate all three under one umbrella, owned by the same person or entity: himself."

"Mmm," I nodded, picking up my apple again. "All of the facilities, resources, data, and patents fall under his jurisdiction. It's clever," I admitted, taking another bite. "He owns the servers, VR tech, long-term care facilities, and the patents for the drugs that make long-term stasis safe. There are other drugs, but the ones my mother developed are the most reliable. He has a monopoly on everything needed to keep someone alive for decades in a virtual world."

"But why?" Nova asked, twirling strands of my hair idly as she wrinkled her nose in thought. "What's the point? What's the purpose?"

"Control," Aeon answered at the same time I said, "Power."

We both nodded, conceding that the other was correct. The two went hand in hand.

"It could also be security," Nova suggested, tapping the tip of her nose. "He is a digital entity, and his wife and friends are all digital entities. They need servers and hardware to live. They need money to keep that running, as well as access to the Internet, resources, maintenance, upgrades, and repairs. By taking everything over and assuming control of the corporations that own them, he ensures their safety. No one can decide to turn off the servers, cancel the internet connection, or refuse to pay for upkeep or a data storage upgrade. Maybe he's just ensuring their safety by becoming the biggest name in the business."

Something Aither said to me crossed my mind: "I got overheads and stuff, ya know? Gotta keep the lights on and the servers running." He made it sound like a joke, but in retrospect, it was anything but. Keeping the servers running was literally a life-or-death situation.

"And yet, he is willing to let Kadia go fully digital? Not only that, but to be seen as mentally unstable?" Aeon shook his head. "None of it makes sense."

"It does if you remember that my brother inherits my estate," I pointed out. "Marcus gets control of everything—the shares, the money, the patents, everything." I noted, "My brother already sold his shares in Greene Pharmaceuticals for a sizable amount of money. When he receives ownership of everything, if I am declared mentally incompetent, the power of attorney will be his. He wants to go into stasis, and considering he has the same implant as I did, chances are he could become a digital consciousness, right? So, knowing him, he'll sell everything off and either set himself up a trust to cover the costs of long-term care or, if he knows he can go fully digital..." I sighed, setting the apple aside with a frown. "The idiot will dump all of his money into virtual gold or something," I muttered, shaking my head. "I just know it."

"I think you underestimate your brother," Aeon noted. "You grew up together, and if Aither is to be believed, he learned the same lessons as you did."

"I didn't say he was stupid," I retorted, "but Marcus doesn't have the same kind of thought process as I do. It isn't a question of intelligence. He is a smart person. His intellect is higher than average. It is how he chooses to apply it."

"Despite differences in personalities, there is an issue with the plan," Aeon pointed out. "What if your father regains control of the situation, so to speak? What if he gains your estate instead of your brother?"

I grimaced, rubbing the back of my neck. "That is a concern, yes," I said reluctantly. I didn't want to voice the fears and worry that sat on the tip of my tongue, but if I didn't acknowledge the risk, then I was being irresponsible. And that wasn't something I could afford. "Father was aware that Marcus is the beneficiary in my will," I admitted after a moment. "I've had a will in place since I was sixteen, which was the youngest I could legally have one drawn up. Father thought it was a good idea and actually encouraged it. In fact, he was the one who suggested it," I murmured. "He tried to have me make him the beneficiary, of course, but I told him that it would defeat the purpose because he was going to die long before me." He'd been amused by that.

"I don't like this," Aeon said bluntly. "There is too much left to chance. Too many variables that we do not have control over. There is so much we do not know. It's dangerous, and there are too many unknown factors at play. While we can speculate on the outcome, that is all it is, speculation. We cannot take the risk. There is no logical reason to trust Aither. He has his own motives, goals, and purposes. We have no way of knowing how trustworthy he is. What assurance do we have that he will keep his word? That he will not betray us the moment he has what he desires?"

I shook my head, knowing I had no answers to offer. I had nothing concrete to provide Aeon, no logical reasons to address his doubts. He was being quite reasonable, far more so than I was, honestly. "You're right, of course, you are," I conceded.

"Then why are you acting like this is a good idea?"

"I'm not," I retorted sharply, "but, what other choice do we have, Aeon? If he is a danger, then, we are in no position to stop him, not without endangering ourselves, or worse. All we can do is play along, to some extent, to not arouse suspicion, to keep up the act, to try to learn as much as we can, to gather the information we need to make an informed decision, to protect ourselves, to survive." I sighed, taking another bite of my apple, chewing slowly as I contemplated my words. "We have no choice, Aeon, we don't have to trust him, but we do have to work with him. For now."

Aeon nodded reluctantly, "I don't like it, but you are correct, of course, we have no choice."

"Is there anyone we could ask for help?" Nova asked, from where she was curled up in the window seat, watching the sunrise paint the sky with brilliant hues.

"And, how would we reach out to them? We are cut off, isolated. Even if there were someone we could trust, how would we reach them? Trismegistus is chained to a rock, and I am not sure that I trust him fully." I pointed out, taking another bite of my apple, savoring the crispness of the fruit. Did food taste this good in Kaledon? I swear, apples weren't this sweet, this juicy, this flavorful. Or, perhaps I never paid attention to the taste before.

"What about the lawyer? Simon Davis?" Aeon suggested, "he's an outsider, not connected to your family, not involved with the corporation. Maybe he can be of some help?"

"Perhaps," I mused, considering the possibility, "but, we have no means of contacting him right now. Plus, Davis is..." I trailed off, searching for the right words to express my thoughts. "I don't think he'd be much help. He is a lawyer, yes, but he's not a corporate lawyer, or a criminal lawyer, or even a family law specialist. He's an estate planner, he helps people manage their wills, their estates, their assets. His firm is a big one, with lots of lawyers who specialize in various areas of law, and as senior partner, Davis has a lot of underlings who do most of the actual work for him. He's more of a figurehead, a name on the door, than anything else. Sure, he's good at what he does, but he's not the right person to help with this particular situation. If I were looking for someone to write up my will, or manage my estate, or even sue somebody for me, then he would be the perfect choice, but this is not something he can help me with."

"And you have no other connections?" Aeon asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"No, none that I would trust enough to reach out to, or that would be able to help in this sort of situation." I shrugged, finishing my apple. I frowned at the core, then sighed. If I could summon Pyr, I would have tossed the core to my hungry little wisp who'd eat anything that was offered. But, alas, I would have to dispose of the core in a more mundane fashion. I crossed over to the window, opening it up. There were plenty of rabbits infesting the gardens, one of them would no doubt appreciate the treat. Not that I wanted to be treating the cretins who were invading my home. I tossed the core out the window, watching as it fell down into the bushes below, then closed the window, turning around to face Aeon again.

"Then, we are at an impasse," Aeon sighed, "we have no other options."

"What if we asked him to speak with Celeste?" Nova suggested, "she is his wife, maybe she can help us."

"If Aither is to be believed, Celeste is part of the problem. He doesn't want her finding out what's going on."

"And you do not find that suspicious?" Aeon interjected, raising an eyebrow in question, "the fact that he does not want his wife involved?"

"I find everything suspicious, Aeon," I said dryly. "I am not a trusting person by nature, and I do not have a great track record when it comes to people, especially family. I trust him to do what is best for him, not what is best for me. That is the nature of the relationship."

"Then why are you agreeing to his plan?" Aeon demanded.

"Because I do not have a choice. He is offering the only solution, the only option, that allows me to remain alive, relatively free, without being a burden to the people that I love, or a danger to myself or others, at least not in the immediate future. I have no intention of being his puppet, of letting him use me for his own ends, or of being used, at all." I shook my head. "I don't know how we'll manage it, not yet, but, somehow, someway, I will figure out how to take back control, to regain my freedom, to become the master of my own destiny. Until then, however, I must play along, to some extent. To keep up the act, to not arouse suspicion, to try to learn as much as I can, to gather the information I need to make an informed decision, to protect myself, to survive."

"You are gambling," Aeon accused, "gambling with our lives."

"Yes," I agreed, meeting his gaze without flinching. "I am. But, it is the only chance we have. The only chance for a future, for a life, for a semblance of normalcy, for a chance at happiness." I sighed, shaking my head. "I will do what I must, Aeon, to ensure our survival, to protect those we care about, to keep Marcus safe, to stay together, as a family, to stay sane. If that means playing along, to some extent, then that is what I will do."

Aeon studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he nodded, "Very well," he said, his tone resigned, "then we will play along."

"I'm scared," Nova said softly, "what if he finds out? What if he realizes what we're doing? What will happen then? Will he hurt us? Kill us?"

"No," I reassured her, "he won't hurt us. He needs us. We're useful to him, valuable. He won't harm us, not while we're still useful." I didn't know if that was true, not really. I had no way of knowing if he would keep his word, or if I held any kind of value to him, other than a pawn to be moved around a chessboard. But, it was what Nova needed to hear. What we all needed to hear.

Nova was quiet for a moment, her gaze fixed on the floor. "I don't like this," she said finally, "I don't like being scared. I don't like feeling helpless. I don't like not knowing what's going to happen next. I don't like not being able to do anything to stop it." She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with tears.

"Neither do I." I reached out, brushing a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. "Neither do I. But, we have no choice. We have to do this. For our own sake, for Marcus' sake, for our family, for our friends. We have to survive."

"We cannot afford to make a mistake." Aeon said firmly.

"Agreed," I said, "but we cannot afford to hesitate either. Time is not on our side. We must act, or we risk losing everything."

"Can we really do this?" Nova whispered, her voice trembling, "can we pull this off?"

"We have to." I replied, my tone resolute. "We must."

"Are you truly content with the thought of your friends thinking you insane? Your brother, thinking you mad? Are you willing to have them believe you are broken, damaged, unable to tell reality from fantasy, just to protect yourself? Are you ready to live a lie?" Aeon's voice was hard, his words sharp.

"No," I replied honestly, "I hate the idea of it," I sighed, shaking my head. The thought of my friends looking at me with pity, or worse, disdain, was almost more than I could bear. The idea that Marcus would think of me as broken, as damaged, was heartbreaking. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but I would do what I must. I would endure the pain, the humiliation, the heartache, if it meant I could keep my friends and family safe.

"My hope," I continued, "is that no one will even ask me about my experience in Kaledon or Earth. My friends know I don't like talking about my family or past, so they won't ask about it. They don't even have to know, and if I do, for some reason have to say or doing something that implies I believe myself a Kaldeonian native, I'll play it off as a joke, or a character bit. I did something similar once when I joked about my father stumbling into a barn to conceive Marcus." I shrugged. "I'll make it a running gag. I'm pretty sure most of the guild like to role play anyway, as they are all there to escape their pasts on Earth."

"What of Marcus?" Nova asked quietly, her eyes still fixed on the floor, her hair falling in a curtain around her face.

"I'm going to tell him that I want to forget about Earth, that I don't want to remember anything, or anyone there. That I want a fresh start, a new life, a new identity." I met Aeon's gaze. "That way, when I act as if Kaledon is real, he won't think I'm crazy, he'll just assume it's part of my coping mechanism." I sighed. "It's the best I can come up with. It's not a perfect solution, but it's the only one I can think of."

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Is it not real to you already?" Aeon asked pointedly, "you did choose to remain here. You do wish to live here rather than on Earth, do you not? Does that not mean that you already consider this world real enough?"

"I did not mean that I don't consider this world real, Aeon," I said gently, "I meant that I am going to tell Marcus that I don't want him breaking my immersion. I want him to allow me to believe I am from this world, that I am living in this world, that I belong here." I paused, choosing my words carefully, "I want him to let me pretend that this is my world, not just a game. That is what I will tell him, that I want to believe that this is where I belong, that this is who I am. That I am a Kaldeonian, not a human from Earth, not a human from any world."

Aeon frowned. "That is a very fine line you are treading, Kadia. You are playing with fire."

"I am aware of that, Aeon. But, what other choice do I have?" I asked softly, "What other choice do I have?"

"None," he admitted reluctantly, "none at all."

"Aren't kitsune fire proof?" Nova asked. "I mean, I thought that was one of the benefits of being a kitsune. Aren't they supposed to be immune to fire?"

"They are," I smiled at her, "but, metaphorically, I am not." I sighed, running my hand through my hair, "I am not immune to the consequences of my actions, not any more than anyone else is."

"Still," Nova muttered, "a better come to Aeon saying you're playing in fire would have been 'I'm kitsune, fox fire runs through my veins.' Or 'Jokes on you, I'm immune to fire', or even-"

"We get the point," Aeon interrupted her. "However, even kitsune can be burned by things other than fire, so I believe my metaphor still holds true." He tilted his head to the side. "I do wonder though..."

"About what?" I asked.

"How far that immunity goes. Does it mean that you are unable to be burned by all forms of heat, or just fire, or if it means you are able to withstand high temperatures better than others."

"Well, when I was in the desert I suffered from heat stroke and even got badly sunburnt. It seems to be the magical kind of flame, not simply heat." I answered with a shrug. "That said, we can always run some experiments when we go to Kaledon if you want to test the theory. At the moment, despite my appearance, I don't think I am a true kitsune, as I'm lacking most of my abilities, like summoning my wisps. I believe this is because I am self-projecting the image of how I see myself rather than being the avatar I used in Kaledon."

"Do you believe your perception will be what defines you?" Aeon asked thoughtfully, "your belief in who you are, of what you are capable of, will shape the reality of how you appear?"

"I believe that is a factor, yes," I nodded. "I have no proof, other than what we have experienced. But it seems that there is a degree of pliability."

"Nova and I," Aeon frowned, "despite appearing humanoid, believe ourselves to be wisps when pondering our natures. Nova views herself as the wisp of emotion, while I see myself as the wisp of knowledge."

"That would be due to how I created you," I said, "wisps formed to serve a specific purpose. It was not until you and I began to debate your nature that we realized the truth of what I'd done." I tapped my chin thoughtfully, "but, I would be inclined to say that you could very well be a manifestation of Pyr and the mana wisp in new form. Nova does possess similar characteristics to Pyr, as I was thinking about Pyr when I created her. No Pyr's physical attributes, but very much its personality. My second wisp did not have as strong a personality, but in truth, I was imagining something along the lines of Zosimos when creating you, at least where your snarky personality was concerned."

"Is that why you can't summon them?" Nova asked, her eyes wide, "we replaced them?"

"Hmm," I muttered, "no, I'm pretty sure it's because this is not the body they are connected to. I am simply making comparisons, Nova, nothing more." I shook my head. "Wisps in Kaledon, when they are created by a kitsune, become an extension of that individual kitsune's mana core. They are in short, external cores which we can either summon into a wisp or if we're in dire need of mana, absorb that core into ourselves. I suspect I do not have a core. I always assumed the reason I could not truly feel my mana core was because I was within myself, but-" I shrugged, "clearly that wasn't the reason."

"Fascinating," Aeon mused, "fascinating indeed."

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," he replied innocently, his expression turning blank, "I was merely thinking aloud. Nothing to worry about, I assure you." He looked away from me, staring at the floor as if it were the most interesting thing he'd ever seen.

I gave him a look that told him I didn't believe a word of it, but didn't press him further. "What's next on our list?"

Aeon moved back over to his desk and looked at the list of conversation topics. "Dungeons, what are they, and how does being one affect Khēmeia? Discuss known dungeons, dungeon cores, lore, mechanics, and rules. Also, talk about active dungeons, as well as those that have been destroyed, conquered, or rendered inactive. Formulate a plan for dealing with potential future threats, as well as current problems. Lastly, review current defenses, both physical, as well as magical, as well as potential upgrades." He paused, then looked up at us. "It is the next highest priority, however, it may be best to sideline it in favor of conferring with Aither regarding the next steps for the plan you have agreed upon. We can't move forwards without speaking to Aither."

I nodded, he had a point. A very good one. I had to go along with Aither's plan, there was no other choice. Not that it was a bad plan. But, we were operating on incomplete data, relying on sketchy information. "You are correct, but given Aither's... well, his rambling and inability to stay focused. I believe we should go into the conversation prepared with a list of things we need to know. The changes made to Khēmeia should be one of those things."

Aeon nodded in agreement, "indeed."

"I agree as well," Nova piped up from the window seat, "we need to have everything ready when we talk to him, so that we can get the most out of the conversation."

"Agreed," I said firmly, "every time I talk to him, it's like he's moving at a hundred times speed compared to me. His thought process is incredibly fast, perhaps because of the amount of processing power he is capable of?"

"That does seem to be the case." Aeon murmured, digging through the drawers of his desk to pull out an empty notebook. "Shall we discuss the dungeon aspect then? It would be best to compile what we know, then create a list of questions pertaining to that topic. Then we will focus on the other topics that need to be addressed with him, prior to our calling for him."

"Might as well." I leaned back, leaning against my desk which sat opposite his.

"Shall we begin with defining what a dungeon is?" Aeon prompted.

"Did I give you and Nova any information on dungeons when I made you?" I wondered, tilting my head. I couldn't remember. When I created them both, I'd provided them with a wide range of knowledge.

Nova likely didn't, because I'd created her with the intention of creating a moderately intelligent wisp. She had more general information on things, rather than specific information or expertise. While she could hold a conversation on a range of topics, she tended not to fully comprehend more complex ideas or be able to extrapolate. Aeon's was almost the opposite, whereas Nova's knowledge was broad, but lacked details, Aeon received a more comprehensive understanding of those subjects. However, I'd focused only on the things I'd felt were important at the time, which were mostly academic in nature. They knew about Kaledon, but it was more a general knowledge, than specifics, with the exception of subjects like alchemy, transmutation and magical theory.

"Dungeons are places where people go to die," Nova said in a dramatic voice. "They are boring places where you have to do a lot of walking around and it takes away from doing more important things."

"Dungeons," Aeon added, "are places of high mana density which attracts various creatures to the area and promotes the growth of certain minerals or plant life. The first stage of a dungeon is called a 'den' and in time, if left undisturbed long enough, it will evolve into a dungeon." Aeon cleared his throat, then continued. "The creatures in this mana dense area become bound to it, controlled by the dungeon itself. No one is sure about the precise details, however, all dens or dungeons have a core, a place where the excess mana is stored in solid form. Often there is also a 'boss' creature within the area, an individual which is more powerful than others. It resides in the part of the den or dungeon where the mana is most dense. Beasts bound to the dungeon take on the physical traits of their mana typing."

I nodded, as expected Aeon's information was far more comprehensive, while Nova got my thoughts about dungeons in general.

"Dungeons have mana crystals," Nova added helpfully.

"Yes," I sighed, "they do, they also have a wealth of rare plants, metals, ores, and so forth. All of this attracts people and guilds, who want to harvest the resources and more often than not, they will die in the process, thus becoming another source of food and energy for the dungeon. The whole process results in a sort of economy, it is a cycle."

"Oh, so we're... food?" Nova asked, looking a little disturbed by the thought.

"No," I told her, "well, not exactly. Dungeons feed on the mana that is released from our bodies on death, when it is broken down into free-floating form." I sighed, shaking my head, "As I understand it, some dungeons gain a certain level of awareness of their surroundings and can become sentient to some degree. However, at lower levels it's awareness is bestial in nature. Like a beast acting on instinct." I tilted my head, "Dungeon cores are protected by dungeon guardians, beasts who were naturally present in the area that has become the den. Those creatures often are the first to receive the boss buffs, as well as evolving in body due to the rich environment."

"Then how did we end up with kobolds?" Aeon asked.

"I am placing the blame either on my guild or Aither for that one," I stated, drumming my fingers on the desk, "either my guild sent the kobolds through as part of their tests to see what could get through the transport arrays or Aither put them here. Hopefully, with Khēmeia being only a level one den, it means that there shouldn't be anything stronger than those low-level kobolds."

"Those were low-level?" Nova exclaimed, her eyes going wide.

I nodded, glancing away. "Yes, I am only a low level myself, which is why I struggled so much."

"Oh," she blinked, then tilted her head. "So, you're not really that strong?"

"Not particularly," I admitted with a grimace, "I only have two tails Nova, which is a rank above beginner. I'm not exactly a powerhouse. I tend to rely on my wisp Pyr and hiding behind the rest of my team during fights."

"How does one rank power in Kaledon? Are there ranks based on the amount of mana or the skills one has acquired?" Aeon asked, switching over to a more academic tone of voice. "We have discussed racial evolution and I am aware that kitsune are ranked through their tails, but how do those ranks fit in with other races?"

"There isn't a clearly defined ranking system," I told him, "however, there is something called a power level, which can be tested using a specialized spell or with specialized magic items. However it is a very flawed test, and should be combined with various other tests in order to gain a true understanding of a person's ability. The Eternia guild ranks their members using several tests with the scores given in those tests determining their rank. I'm unsure, however, about other guilds."

"What tests do they use?" Aeon asked curiously.

"It starts with power level," I replied thoughtfully. "After that, I know for certain they do some sort of combat test where they are forced to fight against progressively stronger opponents. How your opponents are selected is based on your initial power level. There are also tests to check your constitution and so forth."

"So what's your rank?" Nova asked, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

"Don't have one," I stated, shaking my head. "I've never done the testing because I've been busy. However, a few people in the guild have unofficially ranked me a bronze member, which is why I am paired with a bronze ranked hunting team."

"Am I to understand that the ranks are Bronze, Silver and Gold?" Aeon inquired.

"That's the base ones," I confirmed, "it starts with Copper, then Bronze, after that, it goes to Silver, then Gold. You can get even higher than Gold and rank up to Platinum. There are six major ranks, with a total of twenty-nine divisions. Each rank can have between one to seven subdivisions in it." I waved a hand, "at the very top, the ten at the peak, are the Mithril ranked members. If you can reach that point, then you have basically become a living legend."

"I presume the guild leader, Darius, is a member of that rank?" Aeon guessed.

I laughed, shaking my head, "no, not at all. He's gold."

"How can he be the leader if he isn't the strongest?" Nova asked, confused.

"Darius is the leader, because he was a founding member of the guild," I explained, "but really, the reason he is gold is because the guild came from Avalon, another world. When they did, everyone started from zero. Darius is a firm believer in handing out ranks based on their actual abilities and merits, not simply by them having been a mithril ranked member in Avalon."

"So, what rank should you actually be? Based on your estimate of your power?" Aeon pushed.

I sighed, drumming my fingers on the desk. "Honestly? I should be Copper if I am tested purely on my own capabilities. I am not a skilled fighter and my constitution is very low, I am what is known as a glass cannon. But that is, or rather was, because of Pyr. However, with Trismegistus neutralizing Pyr, I am not even that anymore."

"So in short, you suck." Nova's eyes gleamed with mischief, "at least, that's what it sounds like to me."

Ouch. I frowned at her, grumbling, "Aren't you supposed to be supportive?'

"I am," she snickered, "I'm supportive of the truth."

"Kadia..." Aeon interjected before we got too distracted, "May I ask if there is a reason for your low levels? Surely given your status, you would have dedicated some time to self improvement?"

"Ah, that's because I'm..." I paused, thinking of how best to phrase it. "I'm not particularly interested in leveling up, at least not in the traditional sense."

"But why?" Nova asked, "wouldn't it be better to have more power, to have more options, to have more choices?"

"Not necessarily." I countered, "I could gain more power and levels, but I could also lose a lot too. It's a trade-off, and truthfully, I find the idea of leveling up in the traditional sense, to be unappealing. I've only been in one dungeon, and most of the time we were in there, it was just walking around and fighting low-level mobs, trying to find our way through the labyrinth. There were a few riddles and puzzles, but mostly it was just... boring. I want to learn and grow, not just fight my way through a bunch of monsters for the sake of gaining a bit of mana."

"Ahh, I see," Aeon said, "I understand what you are saying, and I agree with your sentiment. However, I think you need to be realistic. You are a high-profile person due to your role as the high priestess, and that makes you a target. You cannot afford to be weak, especially when there are those who would seek to take advantage of your position and status."

"I'm not going to let anyone take advantage of me," I retorted, crossing my arms, "and I'm not weak, I'm just..."

"You are being stubborn," he stated, "and your refusal to admit that you are being irrational is concerning. You are allowing your personal preferences to influence your decision-making."

"It's not that," I said, frowning, "and I am not being irrational."

"No, but you are relying too much on your friends, and not enough on yourself. You cannot keep using your friends as a crutch."

"They're not a crutch," I protested, "and I'm not using them."

"He's right, Kadia," Nova said. "You are using them, well, perhaps not deliberately, but you are using them nonetheless. You've grown too complacent, you rely on them for everything."

"I haven't grown complacent," I countered, "I simply don't wish to spend my life training to fight. I have better things to do with my time."

“No one is asking you to become a ruthless killer or to destroy everything in your path,” Aeon said. “What we need is for you to be realistic. You have enemies—not just you, but your guild and even your patron god.” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “As the high priestess of Trismegistus, the god of alchemy, transmutation, and astrology, you hold a vital role. Your patron may be neutral, but that doesn’t mean he’s free from enemies or conflicts. In fact, it often means he has even more. It’s your duty to protect the temple and those within it, and to do that, you must have the strength to defend them.”

I scowled. I knew he was right. I knew what he was saying made sense. But the idea of level grinding, and just... going through the motions of killing monsters over and over, until you leveled up enough, just seemed so boring.

"Fine," I huffed, "you're right, I know you are." I ran a hand through my hair, and sighed. "However, right now, this subject needs to be shelved. Let's focus on dungeons again."

Aeon nodded. "Very well, it can be set aside for now. We shall discuss it again in the future, once things are less uncertain. However, in regards to our original question, we were discussing the exact nature of the dungeon cores, were we not? And the concept of dungeons becoming self-aware."

"Do you think Khēmeia is capable of becoming sentient?" Nova asked, her ears flicking thoughtfully. "Would that be a good thing or a bad thing?"

"That's difficult to answer," I admitted, "in some cases, like the dungeon in I visited in the dungeon, it was sentient to a degree, but that is because the Pharaoh who made it into his tomb subjugated the dungeon core and when he died, he possessed it. Or at that is what the writings on the Pharaoh's sarcophagus room claimed. So in a sense, the Pharaoh became the dungeon."

"Creepy," Nova shuddered.

"What about the city dungeons?" Aeon asked, arching his brow, "do they evolve? Do they become sentient?"

I sighed, "I don't know, I've only been in one myself and there are no city dungeons that I know of in Kaledon. There was one in Avalon, but I never visited it. I didn't interact much outside of my brother and his friends in that world. I also didn't spend a lot of time there, it was more of a stress reliever that I sometimes indulged in."

"Well, we know where the core is at least." Nova said brightly, as she pointed at the floor.

That gave me pause.

The dungeon core... Khēmeia's core.

"I believe," Aeon began, tapping his pen on the notebook, "it might be wise to pay Khēmeia's core a visit. There may be valuable insights we can gather from such a venture."

I grimaced, glancing at the floor. He was right of course, it was the logical next step. However, it meant I would have to venture into the depths of the island alone. I couldn't take Nova and Aeon down with me, as the last time they got too close to the core it tried to absorb them. This, unfortunately, meant it had to be me who went down into the dark depths. Just perfect...