The Seeker | Volume 2

"Why would you teach your son such a thing?" The farmer's wife asked her as she bit into the corn on the cob, glaring at him with shame and disappointment. 

"Sometimes, it's good to tell someone they're above some things. It builds confidence." He replied, looking towards his son with a smile; the son who had previously accidentally murdered a cardinal. 

"I don't want to look down on people like bugs. I don't want to laugh when I step on them, I don't know if you're an evil person or straight up confused." the boy said with a turmoiled expression, his eyes reminiscent of deep pools of water as he stared at his empty plate. 

"Luke, don't talk about your father like that. Yes, he studied as a physiologist for a few years, but that does not define him. He chose to become a humble farmer because he did not want to deal with the burdens of the wealthy world - the complexities and moral ambiguities that come with wealth." Luke's mother suddenly spoke in a slightly assertive tone, but behind her emerald eyes was a small trace of empathy and some concern.

A few years back they found the poor child when he was just a baby, nestled up inside a basket wrapped in a blanket, as if randomly dumped off by some stranger. After a few years, the boy acted normal like any boy should; playing with others, laughing, and enjoying his childhood, however, he also showed traits of being highly intelligent, although he could not project and feasibly show his emotions, often leading to restless nights.

The father then turned and looked outside the window, where the rock they were sitting on about a half hour ago was like a silhouette from which the falling sun; which was now a deep shade of red and pink, was disappearing behind the evergreen trees behind the rock.

"It's getting dark. You should probably head to bed." He said, looking back at his son with a small smile. Luke nodded, standing up slowly and putting his dishes inside the sink, before heading up the small flight of stairs leading to his room.

That was the only dream I've had in a while regarding someone I didn't know, although there was always some resounding familiarity within the faces and figures I saw. I opened my eyes slowly and rolled over in my bed. The apartment that me and Shinso had purchased was still and empty, with only the occasional dog barking outside and the carriage passing by. 

"Is that supposed to tell me something? That sacrificing my moral values is a good thing, and will benefit my future when it comes to destroying the world?" I asked myself, staring at the ceiling, which looked back at me with an empty wooden glare.

"That's up for your own personal interpretation." The Umbridge replied, their blurry image still resounding in my mind. Ever since the fight against Maxwell 2 weeks ago, me and that entity have gotten a little closer when it comes to mentorship and what not. Although Crodio has been more silent in regards to prophecies and powers.

"Mind bringing me up, I'm too lazy to divine anything." I grumbled, closing my eyes in anticipation. When I reopened them I was in the realm shrouded in fog and darkness, and the cloaked figure remained still and silent like a monolith, waiting for my words. 

"Why do I have dreams about people I don't know? Isn't it a scientific fact that faces you know only appear in dreams?" I asked, leaning up while still lying on the cold, stone floor. The Umbridge shook his head, pointing to the infinite expanse above. 

"Knowledge, information and what you define as fact is inscrutable. When you have abilities to rewrite the universe in accordance to your will, science and fact simply are irreverent, for they can be changed." They replied in a solemn tone, before cupping their hands as if holding a small amount of water. 

Within their hands, illusory, black energy seemed to be pulled from the environment, shaping and manifesting into a spherical object, with a ring of gas, dust and energy circling it faster than my eyes can see. 

"I'm holding something I created. You humans say energy cannot be created or destroyed. I chose to abide by those laws simply because I wanted to. I wanted to show you that the laws created still show some relevance within the universe."

They then spread their arms slightly, and the black hole created then expanded. It was much bigger than the one that Demetrius created at the banquet, although my vision was blurry and the pain of the gunshot wound was too heavy for me to really pay attention to the keen details. 

The hidden message hit me just like the bullet, except it rather filled me with shock and awe rather than a sense of pain, dread and fear. 

They were an omnipotent deity, one who can manipulate anything they want. One who can create and destroy everything they want. 

Crodio's words then hit me again; Morality isn't much in the faces of those who can create and destroy as they please. But this entity I'm looking at has done no wrong thing, nothing worthy of harsh and cruel judgment. They still managed to cling to their humanity even after achieving such a tome of power. 

Is this a hidden example? Has this entity been installing these dreams I have? Have they been seeing my life since the very beginning? I figured it would be a little pessimistic to ask them such a thing, for their answer would probably lead to having a mental breakdown or losing control.

"You saw me even when I entered U.A high about a month ago? You saw everything that transpired, the very moment I accidentally opened that wormhole and brought me and my companions here?" I asked in confusion and a little trepidation, taking a few steps back while my gaze was still locked on the tall figure.

"I merely observed your actions, your every move."

They suddenly waved their hand, casting blurry and iridescent stands of light and darkness around the room, which intertwined and bonded and broke up like a string of thread.

"This is like you, your fate, your future. Everything is like a thread, everything you don't see is connected one way or another. Everything that whispers in the shadows, everything that steps into the light, is all connected, connected like a single thread, like a knot."

The illusory strings suddenly disappeared, and they looked back at me, their wormhole-like eyes changing color slightly, changing into a fiery red.

"Your place here wasn't by accident, you already know what has been in store for you, Apocalypse."

Suddenly, the entire realm was overtaken in a bright light, and I ended up back inside my bed, staring up at the ceiling. Shinso was still asleep on the other side of the bed even after all that transpired.

My stomach suddenly rumbled, and I stood up and approached the fridge, which was filled with fresh groceries that we bought earlier in the day.

I made myself some warm turkey soup and opened the glass door leading to the balcony that overlooked the slum-like section of the kingdom. The steam emitting from the food contrasted with the frigid air that had grown even colder, a brisk reminder that winter was approaching very soon.

I took a sip of the soup, the ingredients within the dish made my mouth and my entire body feel warm and comfortable. I looked up and stared at the full moon standing above the kingdom, slightly obscured by the overlaying clouds.

Crash.

A sound suddenly caught my attention, and I turned my head to look towards its source. I didn't see anything except an alleyway within what I could see in the darkness, what I could see from the faint light of the gas lamps.

The distance between the balcony and the street wasn't too high for me to jump from, and due to the Order 8 abilities I digested now started to surface, I was able to land without an injury.

I landed silently and approached the alleyway. For some reason spirit calling wasn't a materialized voice anymore, but a primal instinct or a gut feeling that I'd get, so I'd be forced to put the pieces together myself with my intuition.

The alleyway was cold and damp. Vines crawled up the stone walls and in between the crevices. A few rats scurried under my feet, and I almost walked straight into a cobweb.

"Who's there?" An elderly voice shot through the darkness, making me step back a little. Within the darkness, a faint pair of orange eyes were beaming at me, and they narrowed in suspicion.

"I'm just a stranger, passing by." I replied. My instincts were screaming at me, my right hand hovering millimeters over my handgun, ready to shoot at any incoming danger.

"Wait, you look awfully familiar." The voice then resounded again, filling my ears and entering my memory. Suddenly, a cold rush filled my body as the figure stepped out; it was the old man who gave me the Order 9 potion 3 weeks ago. 

"If it isn't the Apocalypse." He said, chuckling lightly as he approached me slowly, using his cane as support.

"It's you? The man who gave me the potion?" They nodded, and I noticed their circular glasses they were wearing, they looked awfully similar to ones I knew, upon realizing I just sighed.

"Alright Raymond, I know it's you. Shouldn't you be cosplaying Isaiah Walls?" I rolled my eyes as he transformed, leaning against the wall with a small smile, his usual one of mischief.

"You have a keen eye. I'm surprised. Although the current predicament I laid out made it so Isaiah Walls escaped prison."

I raised an eyebrow. "You broke yourself out? You do know the whole situation will just repeat."

Raymond chucked lightly, before snapping his fingers. My surroundings began to change, and I suddenly ended up inside a new location; the same bar we were in when he first told me everything about the case.

"Luckily this place is still open at night, although the staff do tend to be a bit grumpy, don't you think?" He snorted, before conjuring up 2 small glasses of water, a different supplement to his usual choice of alcohol.

"Alright, I know you want something from me, a little IOU from the incident with Maxwell." I sighed, picking up my water before giving it a quick sniff.

"It if was laced I wouldn't be so obvious. Your intuition is quite annoying, and I'd say you're too dependent on it." 

"You're right." I took a sip, and nothing happened.

"So, there's something I want you to retrieve for me. Although it might be quite difficult." He suddenly spoke up, folding his hands on the table. I raised an eyebrow and put my glass down.

"What might that be?" I asked.

"Well, it's quite the important and potentially dangerous thing. It's the formula tablet; an artifact that gives one all the information regarding their corresponding Routeway, only 2 were ever made."

I've actually read about this artifact in my studies in the library, it was an artifact that was created in the second and third epochs; 2 slates that would hold information regarding potion formulas, rituals and divinations regarding a given Routeway.

"If this correlates to the whole Great Ancient One thing you brought up earlier, I won't so politely decline, in fact; I straight up decline."

I leaned back in my chair, shooting Raymond an annoyance glance while yawning, the tiredness of the night still clinging to my body.

The black haired boy simply laughed, stirring his water with a tiny spoon.

"I simply need to achieve Order 0, for no one else on my Routeway has done so..."

"Is it dangerous? Is that why you need this slate?" I asked, my eyes unmoving from Raymond and his position. 

"Indeed. Achieving Order 0 is one of many things I have yet to accomplish to plan for "his" revival." 

"Who's "him?" I asked, my tone serious as I leaned in. Was he referring to the Sage of Depravity? Or someone else I didn't know about? What could Raymond be plotting at the moment?

Suddenly, my thoughts turned hazy as my vision faltered. The entire room was spinning and I had trouble imagining anything or controlling my thoughts whatsoever.

Suddenly, I entered my Divine Protection as a way to guard my spiritual body, but when I did; a loud shriek was heard and I turned around, but quickly closed my eyes upon seeing that it was Kaden's spiritual creature projection.

Why was it here of all times or places? Why is it here? What does it want with me? The entire divine room started to be engulfed in a large amount of crimson flames, the flames that engulfed everything they encountered, the same flames that Maxwell utilized in his fight.

"Enough." The Umbridge's voice rang out, and everything and everyone in the room except for me vanished, leaving me and the broken throne room alone, standing still in the midst of the void.