In the darkness, which was once a hall of great light and brilliance, a man was standing there in silence. As he flipped the pages of the book, he began to think of what transpired earlier.
"It finally began, again it's ti to harvest"
He muses as he keeps reading the book in his hand. Its contents can't be seen by anyone; the cover is blank without any letters the distinctive it has is its golden color. The library was quiet and dull, just as it always was, but then suddenly, a wave of energy began to approach.
"Hmmmm....it seems I have a visitor"
Soon, the sound of footsteps echoes in the dark corridor, revealing a girl with black hair and Ruby-like eyes.
"What is the ancient empress doing here"
He just asked not looking away from the book. His attention remains there as if no one can disturb him.
"My friend, he needs help"
"Help? Oh my I wonder what kind of predicant did he encounter for you to co to "
"It's about a soul fragnt of a great individual in the past. My friend ended up absorbing those pieces, and now it is affecting him. Was there any way for to help him not to be devoured or to lose himself completely?"
The man surrounded by darkness finally stopped reading and looked at his visitor.
"No need to fear dear empress, your friend won't be assimilated nor will lose himself"
"Are you certain?"
"I am"
"How then please give an assurance"
"He will be fine have faith"
The girl felt conflicted since she wanted to have a clear answer from him, but all she received were vague answers.
"He is Apollo, he will be fine. Now run along empress you need to keep an eye on your friend after all"
"What do you an?"
"Well a certain soul is floating around him you should look after your dear friend"
"That damn Nero"
"Hurry now, you might catch him this ti"
.
.
.
"I felt light now"
[It's good to be able to rest, by the way, Creator I already ran the test for the theory we had last night]
"You an the tracing spell for the fragnts"
[Yes Creator, using the data on your previous tracing spells, we will use the fragnt within you to locate the others]
"The problem is if I end up assimilated..."
[Creator, I wonder what it felt like being assimilated]
"Why are suddenly asking that?"
[I just wonder how will we know how assimilation works if we never felt how it happens. How will we know the emotions you felt are yours or simply brought by the fragnts]
"That is a very funny way to describe it; I think what you an is we don't know how the assimilation progresses in a person's body. I think there was data about in the library go check your archive you should be able to find one"
[Affirmative...
Searching in process...
Searching complete!]
[The archive stored all the given data though the recorded information is a bit different and each research also has a different explanation]
"So maybe but if we were to narrow it down you will find several studies specially belonging to dark magic"
A few more monts went by, and Apollo, who was at the library of the abandoned shrine, felt an approaching presence.
"I really thought he was leaving why is he still here"
[Should we use one of the spells in our archive]
"Ah, you an the soul devourer. I don't really like that spell since I haven't mastered it yet, but if Nero really wishes to beco our test target why not"
Apollo began to cast silently; however, before he could even finish, the authority of space alard him of an incoming teleportation near him. In the second, the space was torn apart, and from the fissures, a figure ca out.
"Alicia?"
"I heard that a bug keeps flying around it where is it now?"
"Oh him? He suddenly flew away the mont you ca out of space"
"Tsk," she clicked her tongue, which surprised Apollo.
"Is she actually pissed?" He thought, but instead of confirming his question, he looked at her before tapping the space beside him, urging for her to sit beside him.
"It's already night and the others are making dinner they are just preparing the bonfire outside"
"So it's already ti for supper"
"Yeah don't worry you hadn't missed anything, class wasn't really interesting either"
Alicia can't help but sigh; the day ended without her even noticing it.
"Apollo dinner is ready...oh! Alicia, have you done your errand? Co, let's eat. Keith cooked sothing nice!"
McKenzie said happily urging his friends to co with him.
"Alright, let's go, Alicia." Apollo stood from where he was sitting, and that night, the first year of the Lower class enjoyed their al, Ike, as they usually would.
In the morning, as they headed to their class, Apollo told them what he found out.
"So aning to say you are one of the plenty of Apollos that existed in the history of the empire," Mckenzie comnted while munching on a sandwich he couldn't finish before.
"That's pretty troubleso but I have so questions"
Apollo signaled Keith to continue, which made the latter continue his words.
"If Apollos are ant to gather them where exactly are taking it after you? Do you have a container where you put it? Or are you simply absorbing it inside your body?"
Keith's question already ca to Apollo's mind before, but all those can only be answered if he asks his old man though Alicia could serve as an alternative.
"Hmmm....there is also sothing I thought more looking into," Agnes suddenly voiced out her concern, making everyone look at her.
"I just wonder what would happen if an Apollo suddenly died, does that an that the fragnts will remain attached to their soul up until their next reincarnation"
That question was sothing he wanted to avoid the most; there was a theory that kept bothering him when he heard that the Apollos t the dead in very tragic events and catastrophes. They may have been revered as heroes, but their life wasn't spared from the tragedy.
Apollo remained silent, but Alicia knew what was bothering him.
"Reincarnation," she suddenly said, earning everyone's attention.
"They will carry the fragnts to their next life and..."
This ti, she was silent as if they knew what the next thing she was about to say.
"They will have mories of their previous as well as the mories stored inside the fragnts"
Apollo continued.
"Does that an Nero is a fragnt? That is why he gets to rember his past lives?" Aaron asked, but both Alicia and Apollo shook their heads.
"Only an Apollo can absorb the fragnts and store them inside their soul; ordinary people won't be able to. The level of assimilation was only to the physical realm, and the power of the fragnt could affect every part of the vessel's body, even to the level of mutating it. So, if Nero was a vessel, he still wouldn't be able to keep his mories even when he lived again, and his appearance would also show signs of it. We could have noticed earlier as well"
Alicia answered, on the other hand, the others tried coming up with another question that might help them out in assessing Apollo's situation.
"Wait if that were to be the case then does that an Apollo could rember his past life, if ever he does in the future"
"Hey Braiden, that's so darks. Stop that," Arabella told him, but Braiden just shrugged since he never ant anything.
"Okay, okay, enough of this talk; I think what we should focus on for now is our exams for the survival training. As for Apollo's problem, I think it would be best to observe. We don't know what these fragnts can do after all," Matilda voiced out her opinion while on her hand was a book for one of their subjects.
Apollo just shook his head not minding the situation since he couldn't help but be happy that the problem his friends are worried about now are things about school and training.
"How things have changed," he could only think.
"Can't be helped; I am, after all, the sa as them. Before, I was really bent on focusing on getting back on my sibling and the duchy, but now all I could think of was how to maintain this kind of life. This place that I now belong to. It's no longer a stopover that I thought I could just get over with, that my destination was still my revenge. Now I realized along the way they beca the journey that took to places that now beca my target"
A smile then creeps into his lips, but soon it disappears as he senses sothing approaching.
"Nero again"
[The synthesis of the spell soul devourer is in progress. Should we proceed to test it?]
Jeremiah asked before answering Apollo looked at his friends and replied, "Nah not now we should just keep an eye on him"
[Affirmative Creator]
"Thank you"
Apollo then glances at the sky adding sothing into his mind, "After this day ends I will deal with you Nero"
The class started, and they were imdiately inford about the place where their survival practice would take place.
"Hm?"
[What is it, Creator?]
"I don't know but sowhere I felt like I have been here before"
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