CHAPTER 95: HEAVEN OR CAGE

Yabin narrowed her eyes at Anna’s confusion. Anna was supposed to know about it after all, she was the sister of one of the four regents and the Star council was the one looking over all of the rifts, heck, they didn’t even allow other factions from taking part in rifts because of how ’protifable’ it is to their sole rule.

"You didn’t know?" she questioned Anna, who was deep in her thoughts.

Anna jerked her head towards Yabin as she answered in a downcast tone while frowning deeply.

"No... brother never told me, and the visions I have seen till now never had that information."

Yabin nodded at her answer, stepping forward, she placed a hand on Anna’s shoulder as she spoke gently.

"Damien just wants to keep you safe and..." She paused for a moment and continued. "The banished realm exists beyond the boundary; you can’t pry on what doesn’t exist within the boundary of fate."

Anna looked at Yabin with insightful eyes, which somewhat made sense... Anna’s trait allowed her to ’see’ and ’read’ threads of existence, which include gold-fate, red-awakening, black-end, green-corruption, but aren’t corrupted supposed to be out of the boundary? Why does she have a thread of corruption, then? Is it truly what it seems it is, or is it something more...

Anna didn’t know, not yet at least. She has to go beyond the boundary to find answers to what’s within the boundary... quite paradoxical, but that’s just how it is.

"Anna?"

Being called out, she came out of her thoughts and looked at Yabin with a determined expression as she spoke.

"I will enter the dream rifts... but before that," she paused and continued with a bow ", I want you to teach me about the runes."

Yabin’s lips twitched as she suppressed a grin from forming on her face.

"I’ll be more than happy to teach the golden angle," Yabin replied with a smile.

Anna lifted her head and looked away in embarrassment. The islanders had given her the moniker of "The Golden Angel" for her ludicrous deed of jumping from the windrazor eagle high up in the sky and landing on a gloomjelly like a bomb.

She coughed a few times and questioned.

"So... when do we start?"

"Whenever you are ready.. But I believe you should talk to your friends first."

Anna looked at her and nodded as she turned around to leave. She stopped in her tracks.

"I will come to you soon."

She continued her steps and left the room.

"Of course," Yabin commented as her smile widened into a grin. She turned and looked at the carvings of ’Him’ with an obsessive glint in her eyes.

Neo and Hanna walked through the streets of Moonveil with hoods covering their face, looking around at the fantastical architecture of the crystal city, which exists above the floating island — Noctara.

Hanna looked at the kids running around with wide smiles on their faces... to be honest, she felt pity for these kids. They are born of Azor and will die as one, not knowing what exists beyond the barrier they are trapped within. Not knowing the warmth of the sun, not knowing the beauty of the warm golden light of the great sun.

Anna talked about Azor as a fantastical land... a land of dreams, of power and of freedom. But, is it not the world’s biggest prison? A prison which keeps them away from the very warmth of the sun.

A cruel prison, they are prisoners of... without them even knowing.

A bitter chuckle escaped her lips as she continued to look at the beautiful city.

Neo looked at her and questioned.

"What’s wrong?"

"Don’t you think this place is quite cruel?"

Neo frowned at her question and asked.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"The continent of Azor is hidden from other continents... but the barrier also hides the other continents from it. Those born here won’t know about those continents unless those in power decide so... it is like a prison."

Neo frowned at her answer.

He, however, had thoughts opposite to hers... the continent of Azor may be a prison, but if those who lived there didn’t know it, they had a fulfilled life. The warmth of the sun? They never had it, for them, the cold of the moon is like their mother’s lullaby.

"Deciding others’ position based on your own will make you blind to the beauty of it," Neo commented as he looked at a mother cradling her son with a motherly smile on her face.

"Azor may be a prison for you, but it’s a home for them... the home for them."

He turned towards Hanna and gave her a small smile as he continued in a gentle tone.

"They may not know what’s beyond the barrier... what it’s like to be under the warmth of the sun, but they know what it’s like to live under the constant threat of death."

"They can be killed by a star beast, an awakened who went berserk... or anything. They value their lives much more than those beyond the barrier."

He paused for a bit, lowering his head, he looked at his palm, and continued with a bittersweet smile.

"Knowing what’s beyond is not worth it when you can’t reach it."

Hanna looked at him with a frown and spoke apologetically.

"I didn’t mean to... I’m sorry."

Neo shook her head and smiled a little as he looked at Lavina, who was walking in front of them with the same hood as theirs.

"It’s fine."

Lavina had a dark expression. She was on Adept rank; she could easily hear what they were talking about, and she had her own thoughts on it, and they were similar to Neo’s. She also held some thoughts similar to Hanna’s... both of them had views which were opposite, yet complementary to each other.

As they continued to walk towards their destination, which was the manor of the mayor, a kid who sat with his friends managed to identify Lavina and called out in an excited tone.

"Mayor!"