Sagax: "It"s simply because I too want to stop Ozyllus."As if he had predicted her question, he answered immediately.
Sagax: "But getting back to the library"s location, it was right in the middle of Ozyllus" and Vermillion"s territories."
Ozyllus had liberated from Vermillion and formed a nation of his own. From what the history says, the territory that Ozyllus claimed as his own belonged to Vermillion before. As such, the psychic library would have been in Vermillion"s territory. What the history doesn"t say is that the library was the point from where Ozyllus negotiated with Vermillion to have the boundary line drawn.
Sagax told her that missing piece of history, and Sona gained a clue as to where her next destination would be.
Sona: "I see. That"s helpful."
She was undoubtedly thankful to him for that information. And so, she had gained a faint smile along with that information.
Sagax: "Well then, if that"s all, I would send you back."
Sona: "Just tell me one last thing."
She raised her arm making her palm face him as if to signal to stop him.
Sona: "What exactly is this place?"
Sagax: "It"s where my soul was sent just before I died."
Because his soul was the only thing here and that was the only explanation to it that made sense, Sona had predicted that much but,
Sagax: "Even I don"t fully comprehend what this place is."
The real answer to her question was that.
Sagax: "I think it"s a replica of a Cage that all psychics have in their subconscious."
Sona: "I see. Well, it does look that way."
Seeing the dark place that seemed endless in all directions, Sona can only agree to that a.s.sumption. Even if she had, obviously, never seen a Cage before, this was what she had imagined it to be like from the description Barry had given her years ago.
Sona: "Still, you have been here for about 1000 years now, and you still don"t know what this place is."
Sagax: "Well, without eyes, it"s quite hard for me to actually investigate anything. Furthermore, Ozyllus is the one who made this place and I think he would have kept it in his mind to make something I wouldn"t be able to figure out."
His reasons were valid and Sona did understand that, which is why she didn"t say anything. But, she was still disappointed.
Sona: "So the reason why you are able to move around like you can see everything is because of some ability?"
She wanted to ask him how, without eyes, he was able to move so freely. That was the last question she had for him.
Sagax: "I can sense a presence and then float to it. I suppose floating for these many years had allowed me to move much more freely than I initially could and so it may look like I can move as if I have eyes."
That was an expected answer. And being satisfied by it, Sona was out of any questions for the moment.
In truth, she had many questions. She wanted to ask Sagax everything since he had been there when the war between Ozyllus and Abyss, the event everything seems to be connected to, happened. But, she had a certainty in her mind that he wouldn"t answer and will just say to go to the Library.
Sagax: "Well then, if that"s all,"
Sona: "Yeah, that"s all I had to ask."
And so, she accepted what would come next.
Sagax: "I wish you succeed in your quest."
He said as bright rays of light came from behind her and she got pulled back to the tomb.
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The two kept carefully matching their steps as they looked up the stairs to see where the sound they heard a while ago came from. And soon, they found the reason.
Sneha: "Sona?"
The woman who had been pulled back to the tomb a while ago is sitting on the stairs holding her left arm with her right.
Sona: "Yeah."
The reason for her holding her arm is something the two of them got concerned about and it could be seen in their eyes.
Sona: "Don"t worry. It"s just hurting a little because I got hit on this arm when I was pulled back to the tomb."
Sneha: "I-I see."
As if all the tension has been released from her, her shoulders relax.
Sona: "But more importantly, I see we have been joined by your friend here."
Sneha: "Please do me the favor of not calling us friends."
Ethan: "Hars.h.!.+"
Ethan acted as if he was hurt only to get a frown from both women in return.
Sona: "So hey,"
Sona looks at Sneha as she asks,
Sona: "Where are the others?"
Sneha"s gaze drops as she hears that question.
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Sona: "I see."
She clicks her tongue in frustration. After having been updated on everything that happened after she got sucked in the black hole, all she could do was click her tongue.
Sona: "So it has already happened."
She knew all along that the girl, no, Lilly, would die. After all, the dragon was about to die and the island was going to get destroyed.
Sneha: "Huh?"
Sona: "No, nothing."
During her conversation with Sagax, she had also come to know how she would die. But she hadn"t expected her to already be dead by the time she got back. And so, she is frustrated.
Sona: "Tell me, how much time is left till this island is destroyed?"
Sneha: "I wouldn"t know the exact amount but,"
She turned to Ethan expecting him to have done all the calculations with time because of his Eyes of Truth.
Ethan: "About a day and a half. From what I can pick up, this interference will last for the current day only, so it would actually be a day and an hour."
Half a day will pa.s.s in an hour but then the time will get back to normal, is what Ethan says.
Sona: "I see. We don"t have much time to be here, do we?"
She gazes at the ground as she says that.
Ethan: "No, we don"t."
He says as he narrows his gaze.
The trigger that would lead to the destruction of the island, Lilly, is already gone. But that only means that her core has dispersed. She believed to the end that the island will be destroyed. So it will be destroyed. That has not changed. In fact, now it has become a certain future as there is no way for her to start believing otherwise.
Only Ethan among those three knows that and he sees no reason to reveal that information. The destruction of the island was something Ethan is the true reason for. At least, that"s what most would think if they hear about the why it would be destroyed.
They wouldn"t know that he had to do it because he had to make Ozyllus believe that he was dancing to his tune and so they would immediately antagonize him. In the current situation at least, Ethan decides to not take the chance and keep it a secret.
Sona: "If that"s the case then,"
Suppressing all her sadness and frustration for the girl"s death, Sona decided to think of what they would do next.
Sona: "So where is Kais?"
Sneha: "Don"t know. I didn"t go up the stairs ever since I came here and neither have I gone anywhere lower, so he could he on one of those floors."
That was, obviously, a.s.suming that Sagax would have let him go as well.
Sona: "I see."
But she had an instinctive feeling that he would let Kais go, and she chose to put her trust in it for the time being.
Ethan: "Well, let"s hope we find him as soon as possible. You know, since the island doesn"t have many more hours left."
Ethan says with folded arms, leaning against the wall.
Sneha: "I agree."
She nods, and Sona simultaneously stands up from the stairs she was sitting on.
Sona: "I would like that too but I don"t think we will find him anywhere until he is let out of that place."
Ethan: "That place, eh?"
He says with a curious expression.
Ethan: "We have told you what happened here while you were gone. Now I think it"s your turn to update us about the other side."
Hearing so, Sona nods.
Sona: "Yeah, that"s fair. I"ll tell you what happened there but let"s start searching too."
After moving her gaze from one to other, she puts out that proposal. And so, they decided to start searching for Kais while she tells them what had happened inside the black hole.
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