Nadia gripped the guard rail until her knuckles turned white. She tried to steady her fast beating heart as her eyes darted everywhere.
"I honestly can't bring myself to believe any of this," Nadia's eyes rested on the man who was looking down at her.
"But you must for I am only speaking the truth to you," He said.
"Aftemath," Nadia kept her stare steady, "Why is my space the Central Library of Magical Arts?"
"Because you feel comfortable here," he answered. Where Nadia stood was where she stood when the library was brought down to rubble. Aftemath was floating where the Founder's statue used to be.
"But that attack..." Nadia felt anything but comfortable at that moment. She kept waiting for the meteors to come crashing through the ceiling.
"It seems there was a small miscalculation then," Aftemath apologized. "It was not taken into account that there would still be some fear left over from then."
"I can manage," Nadia took in a deep breath. "Just need to focus on the task at hand."
"Very well, proceed."
"Why us three? Why were Mari, Jared, and myself chosen to be the Mages of Legend?" Nadia stuck to one question unlike Calvin.
"It's what was always meant to be, from even before you found your Books," He replied.
"Why?" Nadia pushed further.
"Because where there is good there is evil. And where there is evil there needs to be a symbol for the good. You all have been chosen to be that symbol."
"You're seriously beating around the bush," Nadia forced out a laugh.
"I am simply relaying information to you in a way that'll be best for you in these conditions."
"Sounds like you just don't want to answer my question," Nadia pointed out.
"There is a time and a place for all your questions to be answered in their completeness."
"Wait, if we were chosen from what I assume to start, why does Kyree and his people believe that Kyree is to be the one to wield the Legend?"
"Kyree? Ah, the young man who is waiting for your return," Aftemath formed a soft smile. "He is a direct descendant."
"Of who?"
"Me."
"What?" Nadia grew wide eyed and her jaw just about hit the floor.
"Yes, this Kyree you speak of is my direct descendant. Though I doubt he and his family still have the knowledge of this."
"Why wouldn't they know this?"
"It seems that throughout the generations, a miscommunication has occurred, and not the first I see."
"Miscommunication?" Nadia pressed further.
"Yes, it was originally said that my family should guard the Temple's location until those who were chosen to wield the old magic should arrive. I assume that somewhere along the way, that got warped into them believing that they are the ones who should wield it and none other."
"That's why the Books had us find Kyree," Nadia gasped. "Because he was supposed to lead to the Temple of Creation."
"Yes, though I am pleased to say that I am glad that it all worked out in the end."
"Yeah, we've learned to trust the Books," Nadia agreed.
"It is good that you've learned to do so, but beware, become too trusting that they will dictate your life for you."
"What do you mean?"
"They have the ability to manipulate your feelings and thus your actions. It is a function that is meant to keep the five of you together, even if it means creating false feelings between you."
This hit Nadia hard in more ways than one. That statement could very well mean that her friendship with the other four isn't a real thing, that it's something that the Books created to band them together. This dread she felt last for only a moment before she mentally slapped herself a few dozen times for even questioning that for a second.
"That may have been how it was at the start of it all, but that's not true now. We're all friends and would do anything for each other!" Nadia shouted it more for herself.
"Still, be wary. Your friendship may be true, but other feelings might be false."
"I have another question," Nadia desperately wanted to change the subject. "Were y-you the one who disobeyed the First King and hid the Books elsewhere?"
"What gave it away?"
"Where you chose to materialize," Nadia smirked. "But, why did you? From your standpoint, the Books being a part of the statue was a perfect hiding place."
"It certainly was, I had given in to King Solomon's demands, but it was at that moment I saw a glimpse of the future, a future where a horrid man slaughters hundreds and destroys the King's chosen hiding place. Once Solomon was out of sight, I hid them where I knew they would be safe."
"Unbelievable..." Nadia gawked.
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Sorry for the super short chapter!!! The Answer Chapters are super important to the story as a whole so just bare with the short chapters for a bit!
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Ruins In The End (We Three Mages, Book Two)
Adventure(Highly Recommend first book should be read before this one.) Six months. Six months have passed since the Mages of Legend separated to follow the path that they believed was theirs to take. Reunited at where their adventure began, they are stronger...