A Dark Secret

After a restful night at the luxury suite, there is a knock on the door and Nytri goes to check. She opens and is greeted by a group of 4 sages who were waiting for her in the lobby.

Nytri looks around unsure of how to react to this situation as there was silence, Nytri’s thoughts, “Someone say something!”

A Sage clears his throat, “Ahem- Greetings, my name is Arin and I’m a sage of the tower. Sorry about before, we just weren’t expecting you to have such a stunning appearance.” Nytri folds her arms and raises a brow, Sage continues. “We’re here on behalf of our leader Sage Lord Theron to invite you to meet with the Sage Lord.”

“Sure.” Nytri easily accepts though her tone doesn’t sound convincing.

Sage Arin emphasizes, “It’s of utmost importance.”

“Sure.” Nytri responds with the same tone.

Sage Arin thoughts, “I feel like she doesn’t get the gravity of the situation.” And he said, “It’s really important.”

Nytri nods, “Sure.” Aia joins her and they leave with the Sages. They came with a luxury limo to escort Nytri, a crowd has surrounded it. When the sages turned back to look at Nytri, she was gone with Aia leaving them baffled.

In a luxurious room at restaurant in the next district, a classy place with lights and expensive stuff in a private room. Nytri sits across from the sage leader, whose name was Theron, Theron is a handsome young man with piercing blue eyes and short blonde hair. He speaks in a confident and authoritative tone.

Theron’s thoughts as he calmly sips wine, “I didn’t notice when she arrived, she is just as the books say.” He puts his glass down and smiles at Nytri who smiles back at him.

A FEW MOMENTS AGO

Nytri and Aia are in the elevator with the sages, she detects a crowd outside from the noise and the heartbeats of the people, she also heard their words.

Nytri telepathy to Aia, “There seems to be a lot of people outside.”

Aia telepathy to Nytri, “What do you think the leader wants with you?”

Nytri shrugs, “Just some talks about the tower probably.”

“Hmm, sounds boring. I’ll go shopping again, I’ll return later.” Aia waves at Nytri.

Nytri waves back at Aia, “Take care.” Aia vanishes and Nytri follows shortly. The Sages had no idea their special guests weren’t in the elevator with them.

A FEW MOMENTS LATER

Theron folds his fingers, "As you already know, Master Nytri. We are the sages of the City of Knowledge, and our duty is to preserve knowledge and history. Although most of them are about you, but we also have a dark secret that we keep hidden from the world. And that secret is that one of the most dangerous existences is in this very city." He taps at the table.

Nytri raised an eyebrow, "No!” Acting all dramatic, “And who might that be?" she covers her mouth in fear. WHO IS THIS?!.

Theron leaned in closer, "It's you, Master Nytri. You are the danger that we keep hidden." He gives a wry smile at Nytri’s acting.

Nytri couldn't help but chuckle at the revelation. "Me? I am hardly a danger to anyone."

Theron gives a small smile, "Perhaps not anymore, but your past is riddled with bloodshed and destruction. The sages before us made a pact to keep your identity hidden from the world, to keep the peace." For a someone claiming Nytri to be the most dangerous, he’s not afraid of her.

Nytri nods in understanding, "I see. And you are willing to take this secret to your grave?"

Theron nods solemnly, "Yes, if we have to, though I doubt this secret will remain a secret. We owe it to our predecessors who made the pact and to the safety of the city by your works. It’s also thanks to you that this city stands despite the stigma against you. I presume you know why our group was formed?”

Nytri stares at a cookie on the table, “No. Not from the horse’s mouth at least.”

Theron smiles as he signals for more snacks. “That’s understandable, you were sealed before this place became inhabited by the founders. Our group is mainly to seek knowledge and this tower has that and more. Knowledge about realms far beyond human comprehension and beings far powerful than even the ancient gods, through this knowledge and some from various sources we figured the true history about this realm.” He refills his glass, “You aren’t one to cause trouble but trouble comes to you. Your appearance is one, then power and unpredictability. No one knows when or where you’ll be, some cults gathered on mountains claiming you’d descend from the sky. Some went on to start a movement for peace, just for you.”

Nytri tilts her head, “Why is my appearance considered one?” clearly ignoring the rest. Though her thoughts, “I’ve got the best sense of fashion here, a sleek jacket with jeans. Not to mention a hood.”

Theron takes a sip, “Our research made mention of your beauty though it was not from the tower. That draws the conclusion that you never cared about your appearance and surprisingly did not include your past in the tower but still caught the hearts of many. Some tried to have you just based on that and that led to the Executioner coming for them in your absence.”

Nytri raises a brow confused, “Executioner? I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone like that.”

Theron looks at his glass, “Your tower had no knowledge on him, that must mean you never met him.”

Nytri leans into her chair, “You seem to have done a lot of research on me and a lot of things.”

Theron chuckles, “Yes, sadly we haven’t encountered the Cath Sith though they did sabotage us. In any case, we gathered knowledge from all over the world and kept a copy here, and there are some I think will catch your interest especially Percival the Brave.”

This does catch Nytri’s attention, Percival is the hero who supposedly defeated Nytri 400 years ago with her weapon……. They continue their conversation, Nytri learns more about the sages and their quest for knowledge. She even gives some advice on the modern world, particularly on cars, which Theron listened to. The sages meant to guide Nytri to Theron arrive and join the conversation.

Overall, Nytri found Theron to be a curious and knowledgeable individual, and she was grateful for his snac- ahem, hospitality and trust. Theron and Nytri engaged in a lively discussion about runes and their uses. Theron boasted about how the sages had reached the 25th floor out of the 60 floors in the tower, and Nytri was impressed.

Nytri grins, "If 25 floors gave you knowledge on cars, imagine what's above," one of the sages, a balding man with a large nose named Marcus, was so fascinated by Nytri's knowledge that he was literally drooling. Marcus exclaimed, "Th-that's amazing!"

Nytri couldn't help but laugh at the sight. "I'm glad I could help."

However, Nytri didn't have any specific knowledge to offer them in return, and some of the sages were disappointed. One of them, a stout woman named Selene, said, "I thought you show us how you could erase all traces of your mana from the earth, making it look like you never existed." She had hoped they could gain new knowledge from her.

Nytri replied with a smile, "I'm sorry to disappoint but even I don’t recall how I erased my existence from earth. I have no agenda or purpose here other than to explore."

Later on, the conversation eventually turned to lighter topics, and Nytri found herself enjoying the company of the sages. After the meeting, she returns to her room and is greeted by Elsie, who brought her a tray of tea and cakes.

Nytri sits in the suite, sipping on her tea and nibbling on the delicate cakes that are laid out on a tray in front of her. As she enjoys her tea, Aia walks into the building, looking classy glowing jewelry from her visit to the beauty salons and other places.

"Welcome back, Aia," Nytri greeted her with a smile. "Well, well, look at you! You look like a different person!"

Aia chuckles, "Thank you, Mama. The salons here are amazing. I feel like I could take on the world now!"

Nytri chuckles, "Is that so? What did you do?"

Aira acts classy,"I got my hair styled, my makeup done, and had a facial. It was all so relaxing and rejuvenating," Aria replied with a content sigh.

Nytri nods, "Sounds like a lovely day.”

Aira walks to the sofa and sits beside Nytri, "The sages were so generous to pay for my visit to the saloons and my shopping trip." A man looking at his balance sheet with a tear.

Nytri nods, "The sages are very wealthy and powerful. They practically rule this city." The man gets a new sheet as a smile bloom on his face.

Aira's eyes widen in amazement, "Really? They must have so much knowledge and wisdom….and money" A chill goes down the man’s spine.

Nytri chuckles, "Indeed they do. In fact, I had a meeting with one of their leaders earlier. They even shared with me their dark secret."

Aira is surprised, "A dark secret?" Aira leans forward in curiosity. Nytri laughs it off, "Don't worry, it's nothing too serious. Apparently, I'm considered one of the most dangerous existences in this city." Aira rolled her eyes playfully,

Aira shrugs, "Of course you are, Mama. You're the strongest person I know." Nytri chuckles. Then Aira asks, “What about you Mama, what else did you do?”

Nytri smiles, “I spent mine exploring the city and learning about their technology. Did you know they have carriages that run on steam?"

Aria's eyes widen, "Really? That's incredible! I didn't know such technology existed."

Nytri chuckles, "Oh, they have much more advanced technology here than you can imagine. The sages here are at the forefront of knowledge and learning."

Aria smiles, "It's amazing what one can learn when they travel. I can't wait to see what else we discover on this journey."

Nytri nods, "Yes, the possibilities are endless. I feel like we've only scratched the surface of what this city has to offer. Now tell me, what did you buy on your shopping spree?" Nytri takes a look at the clothes and jewellery that Aira has bought, admiring the intricate designs and fine materials.

Nytri takes the clothes as she admires them. "These are beautiful, Aia.” Nytri says, holding up a royal blue gown with gold trim, “You have such great taste."

Aira smiles and twirls around in a musician's outfit, the bells on her sleeves jingling. "I had so much fun shopping today, the sages really know how to live it up." A bill appears before a man as he bids his bank account farewell.

Nytri nods knowingly then she says with a smirk. "But what caught my attention is the royal clothing you bought. I see you're preparing for something so, why is it in my size?” she raises a brow

Aia giggles,” Wanna try them all? Please.” Aira gives puppy dog eyes.

Nytri chuckles at Aira's suggestion. "Oh, I see you're still as mischievous as ever, Aia. But sure, we can play dress up if you'd like."

Aira grins, clearly excited about the idea. "Yes, let's do it! I have so many beautiful clothes and accessories that I want to try on. And I think I saw some military-style clothes that would look amazing on you, Mama."

Nytri raises an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in her expression. "Military-style clothes, huh? You think I still have it in me to pull that off?"

Aia speaks with confidence, "Of course, you do! You were a great military leader back in the day. And who knows, maybe it'll bring back some memories for you."

Nytri nods thoughtfully. "Maybe you're right. It has been a while since I've worn anything like that. Alright, let's do it. But first, let's finish our tea and cakes."

Aia chuckles, “You and sweets.”

They continue to enjoy their tea and cakes, chatting about their day and other topics, before Aira excitedly leads Nytri to her room to begin their dress-up session.

[AU: INFO

Aira: Hmmmm *Puffs in anger* HEY! Get my name right already! It’s Aia! A. I. A. Aia. Call me Aira and I’ll set the pillow on fire. Hump. *Executioner storms off*

AU:…………To be continued.

END]