I found something in the Vault of Knowledge.
The walls near the sapling inside the Vault collapsed just the other day. Closer inspection revealed that there was a hidden run-down tower like the Archives. Yet, somehow disciples following the way of the Wasteland Elder came and closed the area off before we could even check what was there. The vault keepers and the disciples had quite a fight because of the sudden intrusion. Later, we learned that the room was called the Repository of Refuge.
I found it odd that the disciples of the Wasteland Elder came down and extended their reach when the Vault of Knowledge was the domain of the Vault Elder. Some of the keepers were dissatisfied with the breach of protocol and complained to the Vault Elder. From what I know, the Vault Elder convinced the Wasteland Elder to allow some Librarians to check the records.
Given that there was still some information I needed to check on the existence of the dark children, I was among the few who volunteered. It took a bit of effort to convince the keepers because I was a temporary helper, but I privately told them my reason for wanting in. Part of the reason they accepted me was that I, with my perspective as a traveller, could provide my take on the situation. Plus, the disciples wouldn't know who the vault keepers were. In fact, they felt weird that the Wasteland Elder was so agitated over the new area. Vivi was one of the vault keepers I was close to and was also part of the group, so she vouched for me.
From our sparse interactions while working in the Repository, the disciples were unfriendly. They were short-tempered and would watch over us like hawks. Whatever memory we found and scribed, they would forcefully take the papers and read them. It felt that they were nervous about us chancing upon some unfavourable information.
Unfortunately, I couldn't do anything under their watchful eyes. So, I quietly transcribed the information from the memory lanterns and pieced what I watched together.
4 lanterns of memories stood out to me. I tried my best to restore them and realised they were possibly located in the same period. And there were subtle clues about war...
One was a memory of an old man. This lantern was a chronological recording because I could see a child growing up around him until the child picked a spear and decided to join the war. The last moments were of the poor man sighing while looking at the wind chime. The grown-up child was no longer around him. The next was of a soldier and his friend who bore witness to the end of a florist due to the sudden spear attack from enemies. At first, I assumed there would be the existence of dark children and thought the Sky kingdom was fighting against them. However, upon viewing the recording from several angles, I realised the enemies were also citizens of the Sky kingdom...
There were very few records of war known to us. We don't know what caused Wasteland to look like it is now. Asking the Elders is in vain because their only task was to get us to save the fallen kids in Eden. As far as I know, they would not give any other information. Unfortunately, the situation in Eden hasn't changed. None of us can save the fallen children there. However, there have been recent sightings of eruptions from Eden, and teams of volunteers have been sent out to secure the fallen shards. Word around says that memories could even be recovered from them. David and Val had gone there to check the place and see if the sudden appearance of "shard crabs" was real.
With a heavy sense of foreboding, I continued watching the others. A healer who had to sneak past soldiers guarding the forbidden territory to get mushrooms for a dying elderly. Yet, before the medicine got to the old man, he died. The last one... The last one was too heartwrenching. A child and a mother had a good picnic before soldiers came and forcefully took the mother away. Despite the child's pleas, he could only watch his mother get dragged out.
As I transcribed them, tears fell onto the page because of the pain, regret and sadness I felt from these memory lanterns. It was hard to understand the context of the situation, and these lanterns held a tremendous amount of emotion. It was probably why they were still working until now. Between blurred eyes, I persevered until I finished. Then, I realised I was the only one left in the room. Perhaps it was because I was stuck in a small corner, and the disciple watching over my group didn't bother to count us. Hence, I missed the signal for mealtime. This also meant the perfect time to find what I was looking for.
I immediately went straight to the most guarded area. Since it was mealtime and everyone was out of the Repository, they wouldn't have thought to guard it. I was running low on time, so I quickly breezed through the memory lanterns by looking at their faded labels. Those that seemed helpful were immediately recorded into my recording candles (a recent invention from the Season of Performance). I never used the freebies, but I was never more than glad they came in handy for that day.
While fumbling through the lanterns, something slipped out from the end of the shelf I was looking through. It was a similarly shaped candle but obsidian in colour. It was so dark that it seemed to absorb the colours around it.
I immediately pocketed it.
There was chattering coming from the entrance of the Repository. Hurriedly, I went back to my original place and feigned sleep. It was the only logical excuse I could think of without raising suspicion from the disciples. Heart pounding, I casually roused myself with a yawn and nodded at the vault keepers. Vivi saw me and was surprised but kept silent. However, the look she gave me was asking for more information at a more private time. I sighed in relief while arranging my papers. I was worried about roping Vivi into something dangerous since she was affiliated with the Vault Elder. So, I passed her some of the recording candles that I had. Hopefully, they can help the vault keepers regain control of the Repository. It is, after all, in the domain of the Vault Elder and not under the control of the Wasteland Elder.
I was most interested in the obsidian candle that I got from there.
Finding a less-known out-of-bound area in the Vault, I lit it. I wasn't sure what I was hoping to see in the recording, but I was not expecting to come face-to-face with a dark child. I jumped in surprise before taking a deep breath to calm myself. The dark child was slightly different from me in terms of appearance. They were dressed in a generic cape with moth hair. Yet, there was the unmistakable presence of dark shards growing out of them, and the pose they held themselves seemed like they were injured.
"Run." A coarse voice sounded out from them. "Run away from here! We couldn't stop them. The Elder, the Wasteland Elder ????????? I'm sorry, ??? I can't hold out anymore. You were right, the pollution is, urgh! Too strong. It was a mistake to use it! Run! Take the children and seek refuge, ???."
They fell to their knees as the shards proliferated on them. They stared at the receiver of the message as tears dripped out from the mask's eyeholes.
"???... I'm sorry... I wish I could see the stars with you, f-for, one, last,...."
A groan came from them as the shards overcame them. An unmistakable screech later, a krill appeared in the place of the dark child. I didn't realise my hands were shaking as I retrieved the candle. To say that I was terrified was an understatement.
The krills were... They were once Sky children.
Oh no.
Oh.
No.
I stared at my hands where the shard once grew before. Does this mean...? I hurriedly stood up and quickly got out of the place. I was horrified at what I was becoming. For the first time in my life, I wasn't sure where to go. Back when I was receiving the cure in Hidden Forest, there were too many who knew of my condition. I'm sure it would be a matter of time before the Elders knew.
I was frightened. Was I saved or cursed by a dark child? I, I don't want to turn into a krill. I gulped as I looked at the portals for the Golden Wasteland and the Vault of Knowledge. I can't go there.
I have to hide.
I have to get this illness off of me. So, I left to find my healer in Hidden Forest.