The rest of the day went by relatively smoothly, with the bulk of the schedule being mostly made up of departmental classes and free study time.
Elias had just finished his last class of the day on the course of Nature and Nurture and could be seen walking out of his departmental building at a calm pace.
He often felt a bit conflicted whenever he attended his departmental classes, particularly because he wasn't actually a member of the Echelon of Life, so it made him feel quite dishonest about the entire thing.
He thought of himself as a blasphemer taking advantage of the grace of the goddess, as disguising as an Apostle under her echelon was a direct and unconcealed slap to her reputation as an omniscient divine god.
What made it worse was the fact that Elias was a devoted follower of her teachings and faith, so his heart often ached at the thought of deceiving his divine guardian for his own personal gain and survival.
It wasn't like there was any other option open to him, as revealing that he was an Apostle of Irregularity to the public might not only get him jailed and hanged for hearsay but also risk involving his family and friends in his mess as well.
The headquarters of the Church of Grace already had an unfavorable opinion of Sister Marie and the Lowe Parish after Father Bernard's untimely passing, so it was more than likely that they would use Elias's circumstances as an excuse to not only persecute the innocent Reverend-Sister but also to order the closure of the parish as well.
Elias winced at the possibility of what could befall his siblings if such a thing happened, so he had to steel himself to endure the guilt that came with his conscious dishonesty.
'Besides based on how unique my Ceremony of Blessings was, I have a feeling that the goddess is already aware, but I'm more confused as to why she has not passed on a revelation to the church concerning the entire thing.
'Even after my Spiritual Color appeared to be taken over by the inky black mist, she still manifested for the ceremony and sent her wisp on over to me. This appears to be some form of tacit approval, almost as if she sees no problem with my unique circumstances in the first place.'
Elias nodded in greeting to a passing cafeteria staff, before resuming his lampooning.
'This begs the question; why is she allowing it? Is the unknown seventh god an ally of hers? Or maybe there is some benefit for her to see me walk on this path.
'The other wisp that floated in also bore an unusual aura of death and demise. Then does that mean that she is in an alliance with the unorthodox deity of death on this matter? This assumption appears quite unlikely, as both of them represent opposite extremes which normally shouldn't be seated at the same table.
'Sigh... there is obviously something suspicious going on in this matter. In situations like these which involve the actions of the gods, we mortals aren't even fit to be spectators, as even just grasping and understanding the reasons for their grand actions is too much for our small mundane minds. All I can do now is keep on searching for answers myself, just as I've been doing till now.'
Elias smiled wistfully.
There was no reason for him to constantly ruminate over the actions of the Benevolent Mother, as just her act of ignoring his unique circumstances was enough to reveal her stance on the matter.
It didn't matter if she planned to use him at a later date or if she was simply allowing his existence because she viewed the matter as insignificant, all Elias had to do was take advantage of her grace to better equip himself for the future, which was his immediate and most important goal.
His life was already entangled in mysterious and unanswerable questions, so he really didn't see the harm in adding one more to the list. It's not like it could make the situation a lot worse after all.
Elias firmly grasped his educational utilities, making his way down to the cafeteria where he had decided to have dinner with Damien.
He had already kept him waiting for longer than the agreed time, so he was thinking about getting him an extra plate of steak and seasoned potatoes when he noticed Aamiya standing some distance away from him.
She appeared to be waiting for someone as she gently stroked the fur of the snow-white cat resting in her arms.
Her features seemed ever so serene in the light of dusk, as Elias caught her watching the sunset with her glistening blue eyes and a distant expression.
Her pink hair fell casually across her shoulders, no longer held in a formal bun as was her usual style when wearing her academy uniform.
She was dressed in a pure cotton vintage nightgown, one which was beige colored and added a gentle hint to her overall appearance.
She was stunningly beautiful, and even Elias had to admit that.
Aamiya turned her ahead after noticing the sound of footsteps, smiling as she took in Elias's arrival.
He appeared in front of her not long after, scrutinizing her with an air of curiosity.
"And what might you be doing here? This is quite far away from where you were having your afternoon classes, and from the looks of things you seem to have been done with it rather early."
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Aamiya seized her petting of Orchid, her tone sounding quite casual.
"Mhm, that is true. I got done with my classes mid-afternoon, so I retired back to my dorm to handle a few things. The evening breeze was quite beautiful, so I decided to take a walk after I was done with my tasks. I then suddenly wound up here, so I decided to wait for you so we could walk back together."
Her tone when saying 'suddenly' appeared quite natural, but Elias was well aware that it had been no mere coincidence that she had found her way there.
It was quite obvious that it was intentional, especially because he didn't peg Aamiya as the type to move around without a specific goal in mind.
He shook his head with an amused smile, before checking to see if they were alone.
"You know it's just us two here right now, you don't have to act soft and innocent. I'm sure you have a reason for waiting for me here, what is it?"
Aamiya moved to grasp his hand, before blinking innocently.
"Whatever do you mean?"
Elias just kept looking at her flatly, causing her to pout while releasing her hold on his arm.
"You are no fun, Eli. Don't you know that it's a given for a gentleman to entertain the whims of a lady?"
Elias rolled his eyes, "You just want the satisfaction that comes with teasing me, don't you?"
Aamiya winked, feeling quite satisfied.
Elias just calmly shook his head, before regarding her once again.
"Anyway what's your reason for waiting for me, is everything okay?"
Aamiya flashed him a meaningful smile before her temperament shifted from that of an innocent playful girl to that of a mature and high-handed young lady.
"Eli, tell me. Do you know the reason why our classmates were looking at you so oddly this morning?"
'What's with this question all of a sudden? Does she know something?' Elias thought for a bit before coming up with a suitable answer, one which he had earlier concluded for himself. "Isn't it because of the details of the ball? I'm sure it must have come as quite a shock for the others to hear that one of their classmates had killed someone—even if accidentally, on his first commission assignment. I know I would have been pretty surprised as well."
Aamiya listened with an attentive expression, before chuckling while playing with a loose strand of her hair.
"That's a good guess, but ultimately not correct. What made you think that the professor would casually just reveal the details of an incident of that magnitude to the students when it hasn't even been reported to the public yet? Wouldn't that just call for unnecessary panic and chaos, especially when most of us haven't gotten used to this side of the world yet?"
Elias thought over it for a moment, before accepting her explanation.
It would do no good for the details of that evening to be revealed, most especially from the point of view of not only the academy but also the law enforcement institutions.
The academy had to uphold its fair reputation when it came to the commission assignments, as having an accident on that scale happen during the first official outing of a group of first years could put the entire academy under a scope of pressure from not just the aristocratic nobles, but also the public as well.
Elias had heard about how Aamiya's father had been enraged about the potential endangering of his daughter, ultimately having to be calmed down by Aamiya herself before backing off while requesting the weekend off for her as compensation.
It also had to be noted that Baron Chelsea was regarded as one of the most 'civil' members of the nobility, so one could only imagine how the other more extreme families would react if word got out.
It would also question the reliability of the Estican Police Force to manage the safety of the island city, as a group of terrorists sneaking into the city and causing chaos could cultivate seeds of insecurity, doubt, and fear in the minds of the inhabitants.
Similarly, Elias could potentially be ostracized by his mates if word got out about what he did, so it was for everyone’s benefit that the events of that day be concealed and entirely forgotten as a whole.
Elias didn't know how to feel about this, as a lot of righteous and selfless people had lost their lives for their sake that very evening. It didn't leave a good feeling in his mouth to know that their sacrifices could entirely be forgotten, without enjoying the recognition deserving of their actions.
He took a heavy breath, before finally responding to Aamiya.
"I see what you mean. Well if that wasn't the case, then why were they all giving me strange glances? From the look on your face, I can already tell that you are aware of the reason."
Aamiya cast Elias a knowing glance, pointing to him and then to herself.
"It's because of both of us. To be specific, it's because they all heard about both of us being seen wearing matching attires to a certain ball last Friday. And because they don't know about the details of our commission, they all came to the assumption that there must be something going on between us, thus prompting their exaggerated reactions."
Aamiya's auspicious-looking smile made Elias suspect that something was suspicious, prompting him to think about it further.
He slowly pieced together the details of the evening, coming to a realization that made him look at the delicate-looking girl before him in a different light.
"This... was this your goal from the beginning?"
Aamiya looked at him coyly, her gaze continuously shifting to resemble that of a sly and cunning fox.
She moved closer to Elias while placing Orchid in his hands, before moving her gaze up to meet his with a scheming smile.
"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows?"
...
In the Religious Capital of Aire, which existed somewhere northeast of the Central Sea,
Seated in the front pews of a central cathedral known as the Timeless Temple was a praying clergyman, garbed in the official attire known to the Sightless Seers of the Providence Church.
The man had his head down and was in a serene mode of worship, his eyes bound shut by a blindfold which granted him the inability to see.
Situated around him were other members of the clergy—both male and female and of different races—who were also immersed in prayer, with his attire seeming to be slightly different from theirs, owing to his high rank within the church.
Frosted glass adorned with starlight cast a gentle blue shade onto the entire scene, granting it a subtle picturesque feel that communicated solemnity and holiness.
The evening prayers continued to go on peacefully under the watch of a statue of the Everchanging Tide, the presiding goddess of the Echelon of Possibilities.
This lasted until the man in question suddenly jerked up his head, as his blind eyes 'saw' a scene magnified in his view which rippled with mystery and allure.
He 'saw' the sky suddenly turn transparent, as multiple ethereal color hues emerged from within it, casting the entire overhead scene in a breathtaking rainbow shade.
The sky flowed like a rippling ocean, as the clouds were now replaced by translucent 'water' which moved chaotically in their place.
This scene would have been one of romance and beauty if it wasn't for what immediately followed after.
The scene suddenly morphed into towns and settlements caught up in chaos and destruction, as the howls of different species of inhumane beasts sounded out through the air as if beckoning the start of an apocalypse.
The streets flowed with blood and tears, and the only melody existing within the desolate city walls were those born of desperate shouts and screams.
The vision abruptly ended, casting the Sightless Seer back into reality as he rose from his seat with urgency and haste.
He quickly made his way to the inner chamber of the temple without wasting any time, as he was already vastly aware of what the vision was preluding to.
In just a few months, it seemed like they were bound to experience yet another coming of the Solstice Shower!