Artemis Unveiled:The Descent

Untitled Part 11: The Oracle's Veil

At that moment, a young demigod burst into the room. His arrival was heralded by the sound of ancient tomes crashing to the ground, heavy volumes tumbling from his arms. With flushed cheeks, the young demigod hurriedly bent down to retrieve the fallen books. He scrambled about in a flurry, his long hair falling over his face, unmistakably male amidst the chaos. His silver locks bore a resemblance to Lucius, and his clear gray eyes exuded youthful innocence, though his attire lacked Lucius's refinement.

"I'm terribly sorry, I couldn't hold onto these books. They said they found someone in the forbidden area and requested your immediate presence..." He stammered as he gathered the books, falling silent upon seeing Aria.

Lucius stood up, casting a cold glance at him, his voice tinged with reproach. "Mr. Harper, how many times have I reminded you to tie up your hair? You look like a madwoman."

"I'm sorry, I forgot," Mr. Harper apologized hastily.

"This is my apprentice, Tayvon Harper. And this is Aria Magnus, who just woke up," Lucius introduced.

"Hello, Mr. Harper," Aria greeted, her voice tinged with anxiety as she inquired, "You mentioned just now that someone was found in the forbidden area. Did you find the real culprit?"

"I'm not sure, I was just delivering the message," Tayvon mumbled, appearing fearful of Lucius.

"I will investigate thoroughly, you need not worry. As your guardian, I will uphold justice," Lucius said, his voice steady and authoritative. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a divine glow upon Lucius, instilling awe in those who beheld him.

Furrowing her brows, Aria knew nothing of her past, yet she was convinced she could not be a murderer.

With that, Lucius strode towards the door, shooting a displeased look at Tayvon Harper. "Follow me."

Tayvon felt a chill run down his spine, realizing he had offended Lucius. Under his piercing gaze, he felt there was no escape. "Yes, Respected Master," his voice trembled slightly.

Aria watched silently as they left, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within her. Lucius was evidently an extraordinary figure, his majesty sending shivers down her spine. Yet at the same time, she felt unsettled, unable to believe she had lived for over two hundred years, let alone that she had killed a demigod. She didn't even know how to wield a sword, let alone defeat a demigod with magical abilities. However, Lucius's mention of confused memories made her feel that those experiences could not have been illusions; the memories were too vivid. Aria lay on the bed, gazing at the neat scales on her hands, her inner turmoil unrelenting.

During her time in the Celestial Sanctum, the demigods did not treat the prisoner who destroyed the Celestial Eye and killed a demigod with kindness. Almost no one wanted to approach her, and every time food was brought to Aria, the demigods had nothing but anger. This left her hungry every day. Not only did this remind her of the time she was imprisoned by Thanatos, but it was a similar imprisonment, just in a different place. However, Aria also felt a newfound sense of ease, knowing that Thanatos from over two hundred years ago was surely gone.

Since that day's conversation ended, Lucius had not appeared for a long time.

Aria's body had mostly recovered, and today she could finally get out of bed. She leaned on the table and looked out of the misty window, where everything was obscured by thick fog. There were several ancient books on the table, all written in the language of the demigods. Next to the books was an exquisite golden balance, with the sun on one side and the crescent moon on the other. She gently pressed down on the sun with her hand, and when she let go, the sun slowly rose again. She had noticed this balance since she moved into this small room, where the sun would be on top during the day and the moon would slowly rise at night.