Archaeology of Knowledge

“This may take some time. Please take a seat,” Miss Zaloneas instructed as she motioned for us to sit on the floor behind a low table.

I complied, and she went off to fetch something. A short moment later, she returned with a few cups of warm liquid. It had a strange smell, but since Miss Zaloneas gave it to me, I assumed I was expected to drink it.

I poured a large amount of the drink into my mouth. It was so hot that I could feel the inside of my mouth burning. Yet, I didn’t stop because I didn’t want to upset Miss Zaloneas.

Miss Zaloneas gasped, and Mr. Ren quickly reached out and grabbed the cup off me.

“Kid, what do you think you’re doing?” He practically shouted at me, yet it wasn’t the usual anger I heard in people. This had a different tone in it—a softer one.

“I was drinking it,” I responded, though my tongue felt somewhat swollen from the scalding water, so it didn’t sound quite right.

“You have to wait for the tea to cool. You’ll hurt yourself otherwise.”

He took a deep breath as he placed the cup down.

“Face me and open your mouth kid.”

I did so, and he put his fingers in my mouth and pulled my gums aside. He had a look inside and sighed.

“It looks like it isn’t serious, just a little red and slightly inflamed. It should be fine in a few minutes.” He let out a sigh. “Kid, if you aren’t sure about things, please ask.”

I nodded.

“I’m sorry, my dear Child. If I had known you would drink it right away, I would have added some cool water so it wasn’t so hot.” She looked sad and I didn’t understand why. She hadn’t done anything wrong. I simply misunderstood the situation.

If you are alright, while our tea cools, shall I begin the story?”

I nodded, and Ren settled in beside me. He seemed to focus more on my reactions than on Miss Zaloneas. Perhaps it was because he already knew the story; he was more interested in seeing how I would respond than in hearing it again.

In contrast, I was filled with excitement. This felt similar to what Anne described as the feeling she experienced when being told a bedtime story. However, this wasn’t a fairytale, and it certainly wasn’t bedtime.

“So, long ago, in a time beyond time, a great, wise, and powerful individual existed. This individual was known as Xilu. Xilu created many worlds and befriended the civilisations there. However, whereas Xilu was immortal, his companions were not.”

“How come?”

“Kid, this is a long story. You should save your questions until the end.” Ren instructed.

Was I not supposed to ask questions? I thought I was supposed to. This is hard, but at least I don’t get beaten when I make a mistake.

“My dear Ren. Have you forgotten what can happen if you don’t ask questions?” She scolded him. “It’s perfectly alright to ask questions. Worlds have lifespans. Xilu watched as countless realms perished due to the limit of their lifespan, his loved ones all dying in front of him, unable to do anything to stop it.”

“If he was all-powerful, why couldn’t he save them?” If I was all-powerful, I would save the people I cared about. Lady Scarlet, Mr. Ren and even Miss Zaloneas. I would save them all. Mr. Xilu seemed foolish for not doing so.

“He tried. He did everything within his power. He tried to wind back time and did everything to save them. Over and over again. But each time, regardless of what he did, they perished in the end. The only thing he achieved was watching them die repeatedly.”

“That’s sad.”

I felt bad for Mr Xilu. It seemed he was lonely like I was. I couldn’t imagine how awful it would be to have people I cared about, like Mr. Ren and Lady Scarlet, die in front of me over and over again. It would be lonely. Very lonely.

“Indeed, it was awful. So much so that his own immortality drove him insane. Sad and alone, he decided there was only one option left.” She paused for a moment. “My dear Ren, as you know, the following part is awfully graphic. Is it acceptable to tell the young child?”

He shrugged. “The rift will be worse. It’s best to prepare the kid for what’s to come.”

She sighed and turned her attention back to me.

“I apologise in advance. Simply put, Xilu tore the skin off his bones as he forged the Chalice. His blood filled the Chalice, granting it the extent of his own power. Finally, the remnants of his existence, his spirit, spiralled into madness and formed the Chaos Lands—the space between realms.”

“What happened to his bones?” I asked. Miss Zaloneas went into great detail about the other parts of his body in the story, but the bones seemed to have been largely forgotten.

“I’m sorry, we don’t know all the details. Perhaps they are scattered throughout the Chaos Lands.” She bowed apologetically. “There is still a lot we don’t know about the space beyond the rift. The absence of Xilu was not at first noticed. However, the worlds he created began to perish one by one.”

“Why did they?”

“His power made the worlds; he was keeping them stable. Without him, they simply dissolved into the madness of the chaotic lands. We Teraxious found our world beginning to end. Seeking answers, we wandered through the rift.”

“So you’ve been in the rift?” That was news to me. I hadn’t realised anyone had gone into the rift before, let alone Miss Zaloneas.

“That’s right. It’s truly an awful place. Our species split into two camps: those who sought the Chalice and those who found peace in our demise and wanted to warn the other civilisations. Being able to assist your species has given me meaning, so I have accepted that I will perish.”

“It’s similar here, kid,” Ren interrupted. “Some humans have ventured into the rift looking for the Chalice, and others have come to accept that they will die and want to enjoy their last few days.”

Lady Zaloneas took a drink from her tea, and I did the same. The tea had cooled down now and had a strong flavour. I had never experienced a drink like this before.

“We don’t know the full extent of the Chalices’ power; I must be honest. But what we do know is that Xilu forged it with the intent of passing along his power. Xilu created worlds, and it appears many of the worlds have ended because of his lack of power holding them in place. Finding the Chalice will likely grant you the ability to halt the destruction of the worlds.”

“That’s why Lady Scarlet and I are looking for it, kid.” Mr. Ren added.

That all made sense; the person who had the Chalice had the power. However, I couldn’t help but wonder.

“Miss Zaloneas, why hasn’t anyone found the Chalice yet?” I asked.

“Excellent question. Well beyond the rift is very dangerous. There is no rhyme, and there is no reason. It is completely unpredictable, and even that is uncertain. The only certain thing is the further in you go, the more maddening it becomes. As I mentioned, us Teraxious split into two groups. The ones that went seeking the Chalice mostly perished, and the handful that remained were driven to insanity.

“That’s sounds awful. Are you ok?” I asked Miss Zaloneas. I didn’t want her to be in pain or driven to insanity.

“Yes my dear Child, it was very bad. That’s why, if you plan to go into the rift, you’ll likely never return. Take some time to think it over. I will fully support your decision if you still want to go. On the other hand, if you want to live your life to the fullest, then there is also that option.”

──✩₊⁺⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧──

End Chapter 6