User:NeloAngelo/Redstuff/1-14/3

Everia - Side Yotta With the matters of Red and Solvei settled for now, I should sort out my messages. Same old. Nothing but disapproved budgets, updates on the new influx of library resources, and invitations for meaningless events. An inbox fitting for an excess administrator.

Hmm? This message has red insignia of Everia - "the Thousand Stalks". Sent just today too. Listed across the message- "Library administrator Yotta, you are to meet with the head administrator as soon as possible." ... ... Not even a moment's pass and I've gotten a reply that I've been granted permission- which is immediately.

Four walls of white decorated the hallway of the head-office. Marble, with some pillar decorations. Rather to say it's clean, it gave the impression of a sterile environment.

I stared at my reflection against the white marble walls. A pale visage stared back.

Between the glaring flare of the reflection, the deadening silence, and suffocating atmosphere, it felt like a personal hell to me. "So the wayward son returns." A calm, gentle voice greeted me from beyond the hallway. The voice belonged to the most powerful man in Everia. From the white pillars that support Everia, to the dark pillars lying within the shadow it casted. Or whether turning white to black, black to white. Bariel.

"Greetings, Sir. Bariel. I hope you will pardon my tardiness. It certainly have been a while." Instinctively, I bowed before the man. "Why so formal, Yotta? After all, our family founded this very Academy, and Everia. Why, we're almost family!" Bariel's lips curled, but his eyes remained a lazed stare at me. But I know that look all to well, it is Bariel's way of asserting dominance. A way to provoke me into challenging him his authority. For now, silence will be the answer.

Bariel doesn't press on for a reply- expected, he's never interested to begin with. "So, anything to share from your travels?" Instead, he would ask about my day. If I try to downplay or say something mundane, Bariel would've take it as a personal challenge to dig out even more.

"My flight was interrupted by the Sky Regent." "Yes, yes, I've read about it in the reports." Bariel replied with casual, almost bored tone, then continued, "But if it wasn't for it, you wouldn't come back either, would you?" "That was not in my planned trip, yes." Stay calm, Yotta, you're still within schedule of the approved leave duration. Trying to placate by denying it would make it worse. "Anything else?" "We met the Sword Saint." A rookie mistake- I used "we".

"Now that's interesting. The presence of Chime is not reported. Are you alright?" Bariel's tone raised at the first 2 sentence, but quickly reverted his inflection to a casual one on his second. Heh, good to know that that woman still have an impression on him. Bariel is a well-known womanizer in Everia, but he always have a specific type- blondes with mid-length hair and a svelte figure. Well, I suppose for someone who build Everia to what it is today, he would have the need to release some tension. The public seems to agree anyway.

"Yes, luckily for me, she doesn't seem to be interested in me or Everia's business-" Bariel doesn't give a reply, instead, he leaned near me and placed his right hand on my shoulder. My heart began to beat rapidly, but I tried my best to remain a calm facade with the best of my ability.

Bariel's left hand pointed at my chest- my heart. He's smiling.



"Now it's a singular 'me'?" Bariel's brown eyes are locked straight into mine. I tried to remain calm, but my heart is beating even faster- whatever answer I gave, he would've picked out my panicky tone. Silence. Better for him to continue than me digging myself deeper.

"Come to think of it, you brought two guests with you-" "A Shaman and her bodyguard, yes." I don't know why I jumped at cutting off Bariel. "A Shaman? Ah, I see, they helped you in dealing with the Plague in your flight." "That is correct, sir." "How about Chime? As far as I know, she's never a fan of Shamans." "The Shaman stayed well out of her sight." "Oho~" Please let this conversation be over.

Bariel looked at me, then around, then back to me. Throughout the entire time, Bariel said nothing, but he continued close to me. I could feel the white sterile walls closing in, suffocating me. An eternity felt in seconds. Then, suddenly a smile from Berial.

"Well, since you're here, will your be sending a representative in the upcoming Sage's Tournament?" Bariel's tone shifted to a jovial one. Sage's Tournament? It's held here? This year? Right. That's the reason I took a leave at the first place.

"Unfortunately, I will have to decline. My schedule-" "Oh, I'm sure you'll have something to show. I insist. It could do wonders to fix your family's reputation." Bariel is not letting me out. "It certainly took us quite a while, isn't it? To have the records of your family to be fixed into 'Loyalists'. What was the original label again?" Bariel is feigning ignorance. We both know what the original term is. He just wanted me to say it for the hundred time. "Radicals, Sir." I replied. The first time I was forced to answer this question, I felt an sense of bitterness never felt before. But now, I don't ever feel anything beyond the motion of my lips. Everything felt natural, like a routine.

"Ah yes, of course, of course, I would've expect nothing less from a family of historians. You remember everything, don't you?" Bariel spoke again. An affirmation that I will never forget my forefather's sins. "Thank you for your compliments." Another trained answer. "Well then, it's settled! I look forward for your efforts in the Tournament!" Bariel concluded thus. An answer picked for me.

After a while, Bariel finally let me go. "And remember Yotta, I will be watching over you. All of Everia will. You are like a little brother to me, after all." A warning wrapped in a feigned concern. You are too kind, Bariel.

I decided to head back to my office to create new Umbras. Though, it's not for the upcoming Tournament. I stared at my reflection against the black liquid composite. A pale visage stared back.