“...Are you really going to kill Athanas?”
“He’s a threat to the entire world, Fabio. A terrifying murderer who must be stopped before he destroys more lives. Eliminating him before he commits any further atrocities is the only path to preserving order.”
He doesn't realize how close he came to being in danger, since he doesn't remember what happened...
“…I don't want to talk about this right now,” I said, getting up from my seat with a heavy heart. "The important thing is that you're awake and safe now, Athanas. Go get the Blessing of Healing. Your eyes are all bloodshot. I need to be alone with my thoughts for a bit.”
What do you mean by an ‘intrusion’?
Was there really an intruder in the prayer room? The mere thought made my blood run cold.
That can’t be right. What about Athanas?
I quickly glanced at him, my eyes frantically searching for any hint of concern on his face.. But his expression remained perfectly composed, not a flicker of worry crossing his features.
In polytheistic belief systems, even the most powerful gods tremble at the thought of being overthrown.
Look at the Greek gods for example. Cronus, the mighty Titan, was so consumed by the fear of his own offspring rising up against him that he resorted to swallowing them whole. And Zeus, the thunderbolt-wielding lord of Olympus himself, was haunted by the constant worry that someday, an even mightier being would emerge to claim his place.
A chill slithered down my spine as I stared at the wax tablet in Callister’s hand. This felt like that horror movie trope – you know, where the creepy doll you swore you destroyed mysteriously reappears. Except this wasn’t a doll, it was that damn wax tablet. And it was back.
You expect me to accept a blessing from a god convicted of treason? A god currently serving his sentence? Are you out of your mind?
I can’t imagine a faster way to utterly destroy my life.
Nope, not happening. Not in a million years.
Huh? The Research Director?
Why on earth would the Research Director be here of all places?
[Meaning... Yes, that’s it! Meaning arises from difference. Information is born from these ‘differences’ and distinctions. If we filter out the meaningless and retain only that which holds significance...]
What did Athanas realize?
Is Callister dangerous? Should I be worried about what he might find out?
I couldn’t resist sneaking a peek at Callister, only to catch him staring right back, eyes locked on us like a hawk.
We finally made it to the math room, which was about as big as a lecture hall that could fit around 150 people. One wall was covered in black spotted slate, being used as a giant blackboard. People were scurrying up and down ladders, scribbling or erasing stuff on that slate. And there, in a prominent spot, was the exact solution I’d seen on the wax tablet earlier.
Let’s take a deep breath and think this through logically.
Sure, the person who brought up this single stroke problem is definitely a ‘player’, but that doesn’t mean Fabio’s automatically one too.
Maybe ‘Fabio’ just stumbled across the problem somewhere and thought it’d be a good idea to write it down!
…So, are you saying that if I keep landing myself in these perilous situations, you won’t even pretend to hear me out the next time I claim I’ve got it under control?
He can’t even say who he made the promise to?
I racked my brain, trying to piece together the clues buried in Athanas’ cryptic silence.
Just a few hours ago, when he handed me the reliquary, he wasn’t this haggard.
What could have happened in such a short time?