"What is this place?" I murmured as I stepped into the devastated room.
It was dark.
No Mana Stone glowed, and the the atmosphere seemed dreary.
My [Unknowable] effect ceased the moment I stepped in, same as Maria's. There was no longer any need for speaking through thoughts, so I abandoned that approach.
If not for the glowing card that floated in front of me, we might have as well been in pitch black darkness.
"Are you okay, Maria?" I glanced to my side, observing Maria's trembling body.
"I-it's the same... the same energy. Don't you feel it, Jared? The same as that time... the same one Stefan had. This feeling..."
It was true that the ambience felt dreadfully tense, and I could feel a strange darkness creep upon me, but I wasn't affected at all.
'Is it because I'm wielding the [Strength] Arcana?' My eyes watched the warbling card.
Maria was without protection in this oddly mysterious atmosphere while I had the warm power of [Strength] keeping me safe.
'That's not right. Hold on...'
I accessed my Subspace and brought out the second Arcana in my possession.
"Here. Take this." Taking Maria's shivering hand, I placed the [Pope] Arcana in her grasp.
Suddenly, a white glow manifested and the light intensified all around Maria.
I could also feel it from where I stood—a warm power that seemed to ward away the darkness enveloping us.
"A-ah... I feel much better. This is... amazing!"
It was no surprise that Maria felt the same. Both [Strength] and [The Pope] gave off a different energy from anything we had ever experienced.
'Could the other Arcanas be the same way? I never felt this kind of power when I used them, though...'
Perhaps it was because I approached the use of the Arcanas with Mana, so they responded to me in kind.
'That means... each of the Arcanas has this new power within them?!'
Just what had I missed out on!
It was possible that the Apostles of Aether discovered a new source of energy—something different from Mana and Miasma.
'I've been so close-minded all this time. This warm energy around me, and this vile power pervading this room... they're in different realms from what I understand.'
Mana and Miasms were currently obsolete. The Magic I had pursued my whole life was non-functional in this new territory.
I was nothing more than a lay man.
'Lay man... lay man? Someone told me that. Lay man... S-Solomon?!'
My eyes widened as a spark of memories appeared in my mind.
"A-argh!" Grabbing my head in both discomfort and confusion, I made a shout of pain.
"Jared, are you okay?" I heard Maria's voice, but I was too overwhelmed to speak.
'Solomon said that... Solomon! What is... this...??!'
"Jared! Jared!! Jared!!!" Maria's voice seemed more distant as I could feel something wash upon me.
It didn't come from my head, but from something deeper.
My Soul!
As if that wasn't enough, I heard footsteps approach us. They sounded hurried, as the echoes of their boots hitting the ground caused me even more discomfort.
"Gahhhh!" My eyes tightened and more agonizing groans leaked out.
The footsteps got closer, and before I knew it, silhouettes of people emerged.
'Where did they come from? Is there some other door? Gahhh!' I clutched my chest and my head tight.
"J-Jared, hang in there!" Maria's voice was trembling now, and my blurry vision couldn't make out her face.
Was she crying? I had no idea. My mind was a blur, and new flashes of memories appeared.
"Intruders!"
"They appear weakened now!"
"Let's end them quickly!"
I could hear voices manifest around me. The silhouettes brought out weapons resembling staffs.
The staffs had an obsidian glow, and they seemed like even more concentrated forms of the murky darkness surrounding us.
'No... you can't hurt me. You can't hurt Maria too...'
"KILL THEM!"
They fired shots of dark flames at us. My mind was too disoriented for a counterattack, but I pleaded within myself... I pleaded to [Strength] for help.
>VWUUUUUSSSHHHH!!!<
Instantly, a wave of even stronger flames appeared from the Arcana as it warbled more intensely.
'T-thank you...' I smiled, now feeling my body growing numb.
My vision was getting darker, and my Soul was unraveling.
It felt like distant memories that were bottled inside slowly started taking form.
'Haa... Solomon, you bastard...' My thoughts trailed as the image of a golden-haired man flashed in my mind.
He was adorned in several jewels, and a floating crown hovered above his head.
An eternal smile was locked on his face, and his pure white attire was captivating beyond measure.
'... What the hell did you do to me?'
"JAREEEEDDD!!!"
>BOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!<
After that, everything went blank.
**********
'Jared! What's wrong with him? Jared!' Maria's heart was racing as she watched the young boy fall unconscious.
He seemed to be in great distress, but she was powerless to help him.
She tried healing Magic, but Mana didn't avail her.
[The Pope] Arcana glowed brightly as she held it, but she didn't know how to use it. The power around her was growing, and it seemed to beckon on her to take action.
But... what could she do?
'More footsteps? More people are coming?!' Maria's eyes widened as she glanced at the far end of the dark room they were in.
Another door seemed to open in a corner, and people were pouring out.
The bright light in her grasp granted her enough vision to see the people who were desperately charging at her and the unconscious Jared.
'They're esteemed citizens of the Kingdom. I recognize some of them!'
Some were brilliant researchers, while others were powerful Mages. They had all claimed neutrality, so Maria wasn't expecting them to be in cohorts with the Netherlores.
Now totally confused—torn between caring for Jared or protecting the both of them—Maria felt her mind collapsing.
The white light around her glowed brighter.
Amid the despair and creeping darkness—the seemingly overwhelming situation—pure energy surged even more.
And so, as they pointed their obsidian staffs at her, Maria felt the embrace of power whispering to her.
"Have faith..."
