Apollo's travel at Mahika was fruitful, there was more connection to Nero just like what Alicia had said before though it was mainly due to Arevano's words about Dominos. However at first he thought that it was just a theory that need more investigation since he still have no solid evidence that can held Nero as Dominos, he still need more. Sothing, anything, another evidence that could point Nero as Dominos, that he was really the mage that possibly behind all the chaos that plague th empire. So he asked the old spirit again, he just wants to be sure, he doesn't want to based his judgnt by circumtantial connection of the two individuals. Even when Arevano explain that the Nero that Apollo frequent talks about may be the Dominos he knew from the past. Even when Alicia also told him that Nero may have so connections with Elias, he still wanted to find another undeniable proof to all will tie all the speculation he has.
"Sir Arevano, do you still have mories about his research material"
"mories of his research? Why lad, don't tell ..."
"No worries I may be lunatic at tis but not the sa as him, I just want to confirm sothing"
The forr mage just nodded his head and with a wave of his finger a light flew towards Apollo's head. For a mont there was a mild headache but it was imdiately replaced by vivid images and voices. The mory brought him to a room, it was a study filled with notes and study materials. It was a bit ssy with scrolls clattered on the ground, the quil and ink were sprayed on the table with parchnt papers filled with unfinished writings. Apollo bound inside the past walk throught the fragnt, books were arrange the perfectly then at the side of the room was a chalk board filled with words used in the past. The boy looked at the room it was ssy but sohow felt organized. His eyes then darted towards a young man he was walking with more research materials. Apollo just observed him, he was after all the man that might connect all the dots.
"Dominos" Apollo mutters feeling a sense of nostalgia as he spoke that na. Though he imdiately dismissed such emotion and went towards the thing he needs to do.
In so other place another Apollo stood in an office away from Mahika, it was actually in the kingdom of Nadezhda, in the room once used by the most powerful man there.
"Now lets see where was it again" the boy disguised in his demon form said as he took the passage towards a place he once venture when he went there.
"Hmmmm.....lets see where it is"
He then flick his finger and all the hidden compartnts that lies into the underground office appeared. All the docunts, materials and equipnt float into the air revealing themselves.
"Did the archduke purposely left this place the way it is? It even looked Iike they didn't turn this place upside and down before. He even rember how the furnitures were send flying into the air as they search the place.
"Well its good they left the original docunts here recording and taking a copy of it.
Apollo sat on the edge of a desk inside Nero's old office—his demon-disguised being taller and bigger in size made the chair look small though that didn't bother him. The room was still tidy, organized, making Apollo believed that Nero will return here that is why the archduk left it as it was before they broke in. And just like they did he will do the sa after he gets what he wants.
He then laid out the notes he found. Written in sleek, calculated ink were rows of magical theories, spell constructs, and equations.
"Now this is interesting" he mutters seeing how the handwriting was different from Dominos. However Apollo didn't looked disappointed instead he continue reading.
Then a she continue comparing the handwriting of the two, he felt it, sothing was off.
"Well I already expected this"
[Creator, would you like to begin the analysis?]
Apollo nodded his head in answer imdiately
"Yes. Cross-reference the handwriting with the mory fragnt Arevano gave ."
Jeremiah run the analysis while Apollo also did the sa he read the research paper and compare them to how Dominos construct his own materials.
"I should probably look for more of his old research"
He decided so another Apollo who was hiding into the shadows of the imperial palace went on and search Nero's old writing materials. Adding it to the data that Jeremiah was analyzinng.
"Look here," Apollo muttered, pointing to a section of equations in Nero's parchnt. "These aren't just written—they're placed. Structured the sa way Dominos did in his old research."
As more data was presented soon enought the results ca.
[Analysis complete!
Confird. Pattern alignnt detected: 87.4% structural similarity in the equation arrangents. Both writers prioritize a writing style. Though Neros was modified it still similar to an outdated technique from the mages in Mahika which is prominent in Dominos' style.]
"Even the slant of the symbols I can see" Apollo narrowed his eyes. "Dominos draws of runes is also similar to Nero"
[Even when altering his handwriting, Nero retained habitual stroke pressure. Micro-pressing reveals an underlying habitual flow matching Dominos' neuro-motor rhythm.]
Apollo nodded pleased with the results.
"Well its good we have Nero's recorded past here, using the authority of ti to see his ti here we can see how he move his hand whenever he writes"
That kind of rhythmic pattern wasn't sothing easily mimicked. It was subconscious—muscle mory passed through years of study. Even in disguise once you felt safe and alone you are bound to slip up and return to old habits.
"…He is Dominos," Apollo whispered while still fliiping through the files.
But then he stop and added, "We are done with the handwriting, lets move to the next one"
In the mory Arevano provided, Apollo watched Dominos walk across the room again. There was an impatient flick of the wrist, a half-twirl of the quill before writing, and a habit of pausing mid-sentence to mutter to himself.
Back in the present, he recalled in a mory which was provided of the authority of ti, that during strategy etings how Nero would tap twice on the table before speaking. That sa flick of the wrist. That sa muttering under his breath before casting.
[Voice pattern match: 74.1% linguistic rhythm synchronization. Both individuals favor accents and tunes that is similar to how mages in Mahika speaks. Their emotional flow spikes in the sa contexts especially when discussing control or perfection.]
"Its really him," Apollo said, voice low. "It seems sir Arevano was right. Though I don't know which parts of my stories made him reach such conclusion I am still thankful about his insight"
The Apollo in Nadezhda and in the imperial palace finally left as they achieve what they wanted.
Back at the Apollo in Mahika, he finally ended his tour with the mory Arevano showed him. As he opened his eyes he saw the look in the forr Mage's face.
"So? I wasn't wrong, right?"
Apollo nodded with a smile surrendering at the Mage's brilliant insight.
"And here you even doubted "
"Sorry I just wanted to be sure"
"Then what made believe what exactly did you need in the mory?"
"Oh that, I just did a simple comparing"
He held out both parchnts, letting them float side by side once more. The evidence was circumstantial, but too precise. It was the kind of mimicry only soone deeply connected to both lives could maintain.
"where did you get this?"
"From Nero's office and childhood writing book, though they are copies they retain the sa aspect of writing as the original"
"So with these it finally hit you I was right" he laugh a bit as he said that, he sounded happy I about winning over sothing.
Apollo was happy that the old spirit was getting energetic so he continue to explain.
"The handwriting may differ. But the soul that wrote them…"
"…is the sa," Arevano finished for him.
"It seems no matter what life he takes on, a part of him here will always resurface whenever he go"
Apollo just nodded glad seeing the energetic side of the forr mage,
Back at the ruined temple Alicia and Apollo stood in the middle of the abandoned and wrecked place. Desolate and barren of any presence. The two had forgotten the place's history as soon as Alya help them identifying the place they imdiately decided that their destination is set.
After all the investigation he did the entire night it help him have an idea of what the shadow of Elias was saying. About Dominos and Nero.
"Now I have another damn problem" he thought as he felt the surge of energy from the fragnts.
"I'll help don't worry" Alicia said as a way of consoling him.
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