The Oracle

Chapter 19: For All

SORA

The three of us returned to Akari and Isabella's room after getting out of the storm and making sure everyone else was okay. Akari asked Isabella if she could go spend time with Gambit for a few minutes because she wanted to talk to me privately and Isabella gladly obliged with a sly grin, most likely thinking other things. Either way, that left the three of us with the room for the time being.

"Clea, could you bring out the records for us?" Akari asks as we sit in a circle on her floor.

"Sure," Clea nods before she holds her hands out and a book appears with a flash of golden light and particles.

The book looks somewhat similar to Isabella's, however, this one has golden designs and a symbol for the Oracle on the cover, along with a latch and a golden chain that keeps the book closed. Additionally, multiple white feathers are sticking out from different spots in the book.

"I've bookmarked some of my favorite stories," Clea smiles sheepishly as she opens the book before she looks up at Akari. "Was there anything specific you wanted to see?"

"Could you show me the record on Gluttony?" I ask and Clea nods before she flips to the section on Gluttony.

"What about Gluttony would you like to know?" Clea asks.

"The original weapons of Gluttony are missing from Aria, meaning that either somebody stole them or the previous Gluttony still has them," Akari starts and my breath hitches when I think of Merrick. "However, the previous Gluttony was pronounced dead years ago, meaning the weapons should have been returned to Aria. The next Gluttony could only summon them after accepting them, which would mean they would have to have been in the room where the weapons were held to do so."

"Not necessarily," Clea frowns. "A sin or a virtue may summon their chosen weapons once they unleash their true forms. However, since many newer sins and virtues do not have their strongest and truest forms whenever they start off, they must choose their weapons through the ceremony of the Oracle so that they may summon them, even though they already have the rights to them."

"So, you're saying that either Reverence is still alive, somebody stole them, or somebody unleashed their true form?" I ask, my eyes flickering between Akari and Clea.

"I'm willing to bet that it's the foremost," Akari says after a few moments. "Something about the situation with Carmin sending us here even though he forbade everyone from entering seems strange. Additionally, he never told us the area was originally off limits."

"So, you think that Reverence is alive?" I raise my eyebrows. "How is that possible?"

"I don't know," Akari frowns. "But I have a bad feeling about it."

"Well," Clea frowns slightly as she goes back to reading her book and skimming through the pages, "it says here that Gluttony is deceased, which is odd because there should always be one alive."

"Troubling indeed..." Akari trails off in thought before another thought seems to flash through her. "Clea, what about Patience?"

"Patience?" Clea furrows her eyebrows and glances between the two of us. "I'm sorry, but the page on Patience has been ripped from the book. It's been missing even before I was born, according to my mom."

"The book of the Oracle is missing a page?" Akari says, her eyebrows raised.

"It's missing a few pages, actually..." Clea trails off sheepishly.

"What kind of Oracle are you?" Akari sighs and lies down on the floor in exasperation.

"Hey!" Clea frowns. "It's not my fault! I haven't lost a page since I got it."