Chapter 19: The flame and sparks
Jaden stood up from the sofa and looked at Selina and Shelly as he spoke.
"I can’t take you two to the arcane library... so I shall take my leave now."
He turned towards the entrance of the hall to leave, just as he took a step forward, Selina called out.
"Jaden..."
He turned his head and looked at her with a frown as he asked.
"Yes?"
Selina stared at him for a moment before giving him a forced smile and speaking.
"Take care of yourself."
Jaden nodded at her and continued with his steps, making his way to the gates.
Selina looked at his departing back with a painful frown before shaking her head. She looked at Shelly and called out. "Shelly... please get a carriage ready for me."
Shelly gave her a nod and went away.
***
Just as Jaden stepped out of the mansion’s entrance, the slight sunlight hit his face, illuminating his healed face. He looked around at the flowers planted within the garden before the mansion’s entrance.
He continued in his steps, looking at the gates before him. He wasn’t planning to take a carriage... no, he was going to walk to the church, it would increase the time he needed to reach there, yes. However, it would allow him to look for anything that would allow him to enter the drainage network.
He nodded at the guard who stood at the gates and stepped out of the mansion’s gate. He continued with his measured steps as he looked around the city with his bright blue eyes. The city was something one would see in a historical drama, and that was how it appeared to him before... now, however, he knew that the city was just a hoax...
’Is this really the city I used to think of my own?’
He questioned himself as a thoughtful look appeared on his face; he still had all the emotions and feelings of the mayor’s son, so the city was like a home to him. However, at the same time, it was nothing but an illusion.
’It’s really a strange feeling...’
The city he called home was nothing but a play to trap whoever dared to step inside its walls. The friendly people who walked past him with beautiful smiles or tired looks were also part of this dreadful play. Heck, he was about to step into something far dangerous.
Jaden continued in his way as he mumbled.
"That mistwraith was E rank... similar to the maid in the illusion."
"What about the Experts - C rank - then? What if all of them are C-rank nightmares?"
He shook his head and thought.
’It doesn’t matter... I am walking into the den of two of them after all.’
Looking around, he searched for any clue related to drainage... There has to be a drainage; otherwise, where would the water used by the city go... it might work for illusions, but what about Jaden and others?
He continued to look for any clue he could get; however, much to his surprise, there was nothing related to the drainage... not on the surface at least. Even then, Jaden wasn’t saddened by this; instead, he became more determined to find the clue within the arcane library.
Just because it held all the spells and martial arts didn’t mean it only had spells and arts; it held other books too, and it even had maps... so there was a chance of him finding the information about the city’s drainage system there.
Taking a deep breath, he continued to move towards the church. Soon enough, a statue of a man wearing a mage’s robe with a grimoire came into his view. The statue stood in a small pond at the centre of the road that led to the gates of the church of Knowledge.
As he walked past it, the sound of flowing water entered his ears, but he ignored it as if there was no sound at all.
He soon neared the church’s gates, which were wide open for civilians to enter. He walked towards one of the two guards standing at the gates.
Jaden unrolled the parchment and showed it to the guards as he spoke in a firm tone.
"I’ve come to meet the curator."
The guard checked the parchment for a few moments, after which he nodded at Jaden and gestured for him to follow.
"Follow me."
Jaden followed behind him with his usual smile, and both of them entered the church. The guard took a left turn leading to a hidden door within the walls. He placed his hand on the door, and it opened by itself. They stepped inside as the guard led him to the curator.
The church walls were as the hall, white with celestial embroidery. They soon neared a fork, and the guard added.
"We are about to meet the curator."
Jaden nodded mindlessly; his attention, however, was on the mural carved on the wall. A silvery white flame, from it came out seven star-like sparks. The first star was blazing orange like the sun, the second was chrome-coloured like a dreamy cloud, the third was like nature’s green, the fourth was like flowing gold, the fifth was blue like a stormy sea, the sixth was white like a calm moon, and the last was shadowy black.
As he stared at it, a few words unknowingly left his lips.
"What is this?"
The guard stopped in his tracks and looked at Jaden before shifting his gaze to the mural. He looked at it for a few moments before speaking in an awed tone.
"That’s the first myth... birth of the gods."
Jaden looked at the mural with an astonished expression and asked.
"Can you tell me more about this?"
The guard looked at him with a thoughtful look before heaving a sigh.
"I can, but it will take some time. Are you fine with meeting the curator a bit later?" the guard questioned, his tone flat.
Jaden looked at him and smiled.
"I live for mysteries."