Astra Fracta

chapter 19:

​As they walked toward the main library in Luneth, Tiva spoke up with an annoyed tone, “Hey you, ginger guy! We’ve been walking for an entire hour. When will we finally reach that damn library?!” Dravin looked at her, his expression weary. “Be patient, Tiva, and stop yapping. My head is going to explode from your constant chatter,” he said. “We will reach the library soon.”

​When they arrived, they were greeted by the Library Assistant, Eryndor. “What brings you here, new fellows?” Eryndor looked down at Tiva with a suspicious eye. “Please, Tiva, try not to burn down half the books in the library this time.” She grinned at him, her tail lashing with amusement. “Of course I won't burn anything, don't worry!” I muttered to myself, “Of course... you never go anywhere without causing a problem.” I didn't know the full extent of her history, but I was certain she would break something before we left. “We don't have time for this nonsense. We have more important things to do,” Leora said firmly. She began walking inside without waiting for anyone to follow. “Rude,” Tiva huffed, as the three of them followed her in.

​“Oh, howdy howdy! Long time no see~” Colette said. Her gaze roamed over the group until it landed on me. “Hmmm, who are you? I haven’t seen you around Luneth. Are you an outsider? May I ask... who are you?” She looked me up and down, clearly not trusting me yet. I was about to answer, but Leora spoke instantly. “Yes, he’s an outsider. We don’t know where he came from. According to the information Tiva gave me, he has lost his memory and remembers nothing. His name is Arin,” Leora said with a confident tone. “And what if he’s lying?” Colette countered. “Remember those two? Noel and Myrelia? All of Luneth trusted them like fools. They had too much information and winning cards against Nytherion, and yet they tricked us. He might just be one of Nytherion's toys.”

​Colette clearly didn’t trust me at all. “No! Arin is different and he will never betray us!” Tiva’s voice rose as she defended me. I looked between Leora, Tiva, and Colette with worried glances. “He might make us pay,” Colette continued. “Nytherion could convince him to join his side and destroy Luneth. This memory loss might just be an act. What makes us so sure he’s one hundred percent on our side?” Leora spoke up, her voice firm despite a slight c***k, “Arin isn’t... a threat to us.” Colette’s words were logical; I really could be a threat to all of Luneth. “Miss Colette is right...” Dravin said, looking down. “He might be a threat, and we can’t just trust him. How can we be sure he isn’t putting up an act?..” “Shut up, ginger guy!” Tiva snapped at Dravin, stepping in front of me. “What about you, Leora?! You trust him too, right?!!” Tiva’s tone was defiant, yet carried a hint of helplessness. “.....” Leora stood quietly; she didn’t answer.

​“Anyways, we will talk about this later. Why did you come here, Miss Leora?” Colette asked, her smile returning. “I need to improve my standing with the people of Luneth,” Leora said. “When we run into problems like the Forbidden Zone, we need people to stand by our side.” “Oh, that sounds a bit selfish,” Colette said with a smirk, “but you’re right. If you have the people on your side, Magnus might give you a chance. Magnus loves the people of Luneth dearly and doesn't want to let them down. But why are you telling me this?” “You know exactly why. Don’t play dumb, Miss Colette,” Leora said, annoyed that Colette was playing games while she needed a favor. “Okay, fine, fine. But if it’s something dangerous, I won’t help you. If it's a misunderstanding, I’ll contact Magnus to resolve it, but if there’s no proof of your innocence, I can’t help. I think that’s a fair deal, right?” Colette’s smile never wavered. “Thanks for understanding, Miss Colette,” Leora replied.

​“Don’t worry, my friend. I’m going to stay by your side no matter what happens,” Tiva said with total confidence. She looked up at me with that signature grin, her tail lashing lazily. Despite her words, I was still worried I would cause them more trouble than they already had. Colette’s gaze landed on me again. “Sorry, but we can't trust you. You don’t have anything to prove me wrong, do you?” “I... I... Yes... but I swear I’m not a threat, and I’m not acting,” I said. Colette raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And how exactly can you prove that? You aren’t even from here, and we don’t have a single piece of information to prove you aren't a threat to Luneth—or even to Aerenreach.”

​“I don't have proof, but we trust him!” Tiva said without hesitation, defending me at all costs. “What do you think, Leora? He’s our friend, right?” Tiva questioned her. “.....” Leora remained silent, avoiding the question once again. “Got any information at all, Arin?” Colette pressed. “I don't remember anything, Miss, and I'm being honest,” I said, trying to grasp any memory from before I arrived here. Everything was blurry. “The only thing I remember is a white vision. Nothing else.” “And how can we be sure you aren’t lying?” Colette’s tone was firm, showing no sign of yielding. “Miss Colette, if you keep suspecting Arin, we’ll never trust anyone! Ariri is different, I’m sure of it. Pretty sure!” Tiva stood tall by my side. “Still, no,” Dravin added. “And who said we need your opinion, ginger guy?” Tiva snapped back. “You’re being rude...” I whispered to Tiva.

​I stood there, listening to Tiva defending me and Colette pushing back, while Leora remained silent. “She’s right,” Leora finally said, her tone firm but laced with something I couldn't quite identify. “Are you serious, Leora?!” Tiva cried out. “What about the promise that you’d stay with us?!” Tiva knew Leora never broke her promises, so why now? “Promises are useless,” Leora stated coldly. “She’s right,” Colette added. “It might be harsh, but we have to break it for now. We can’t trust you—not yet.” “I trust him! And let everything else be damned!” Tiva shouted back. They continued arguing, and I just stood there. Am I really not worthy? Is this even real? Or just another dream? Nothing made sense—hybrids, unnatural powers, monsters, a massive void dragon. It all felt fake, like I was just a toy in their hands. “Hey! Stop staring at the walls and let’s go!” Tiva commanded. She looked angry—not her usual self. I just nodded and pushed open the library door.

​“I believe in you. You can prove yourself with that damn gremlin,” the assistant, Eryndor, said as we were leaving. “They have the right to be cautious; trust isn't easy to find. Regardless, I trust you. When you two come to visit me again, I will tell Arin everything about Luneth’s history. It will help both of you.” “And what should I do now?” I asked quietly. “I don’t know, but there are some people Colette mentioned—Noel and Myrelia. Did she mention them?” Eryndor asked. “Yes, she did,” Tiva and I said in unison. “Good. I can’t describe them to you perfectly, but I'm sure they don't know you. They’ll likely think you’re just another tool for Nytherion’s dream to destroy Vyx.” “Who’s Vyx?” I asked, curiosity creeping in. “He’s the Verylon of Luneth. As for what a Verylon is... well, it’s hard to explain, but you could say he is the owner of Aerenreach. A god.”

​“And he can destroy the enemies easily, right? Since he’s the owner of Aerenreach and the one who made it?” I asked. “No, it’s not that simple,” Eryndor sighed. “It’s a long story. They are strong, but the enemies are stronger now. Their power isn't what it used to be; it was spent billions of years ago. Who knows? I don’t know anything else.” “I don't understand?...” I muttered. “Me neither, heh,” Tiva said playfully. “But where is the Verylon of Aerenreach?” Tiva asked. “Who knows? No one knows,” Eryndor replied. “I can't give you false information. They are unknown creatures; we only know a fraction of what they did.” Eryndor sighed. “Is this the only region? I mean, is there another place besides Aerenreach?” I asked. “Yes, there are eight regions, and every region has its own Verylon—maybe even more, ten or more, who knows. We only know of one other region named Oravnya. We have no idea where the others are.”

​“And how did you learn about Oravnya?” I asked. “Wait, wait, I know!” Tiva interrupted. “Mister Xuan Zhao, the general of Oravnya! He was our biggest help during the last war with Nytherion. He told us he was from Oravnya, and I don't remember what di—” Before she could finish, Eryndor said, “Shut up. If you're going to answer, do it properly so it's understandable.” He sighed. Before Eryndor could explain more, Colette called for him. “I have to go. You can come back any time. See you soon.”

​We watched Eryndor walk away as we left the library and walked down the streets of Luneth. “Leora made my blood boil,” Tiva said, gritting her teeth. “It’s okay. I will do my best to prove myself. Together,” I said to her. “Now, we need to take a big step. First, we find Noel and Myrelia.” Tiva grinned. “Not like that,” I cautioned. “They might be much stronger than us; we could end up dead.” “I know,” Tiva replied.

​“That Count,” I said. “Want to choke him?! Nice!” Tiva joked. “No, I want to meet him,” I said confidently. I looked down at Tiva as she looked up at me. “You want to meet the man who’s obsessed with rules?! You’ll get us thrown into jail again,” Tiva said, crossing her arms. I just started walking toward the headquarters where the castle was. Tiva huffed, but she followed me.

​I held onto the hope that Count Magnus wasn't just a man of rules.

​I can make him trust me. I'll prove I'm not a threat and help them with everything I've got.

​But that faint feeling remained—the feeling that everything in this world was fake and that I could become a villain at any moment. I tried to shake it off as I continued heading toward the castle.

​End of Chapter 19.