Chronicles Of The Seeker

The three youngsters exchanged glances, each waiting for the other to break the silence.

With a hesitant voice, Mikey finally spoke up. "Umm… guys? Why the sudden silence? It feels like we're in some kind of intense chess game."

The young lady turned to Aquarius, her expression poised and dignified as she addressed him. "I thought it was common courtesy for boys to introduce themselves to a lady first."

'Boys? Lady? Who the hell even made that rule?' Aquarius mused, intertwining his fingers and resting his chin on them. He took a long pause, his moonlight-colored eyes shifting between the two sitting beside him, before finally speaking.

"Alright, you guys win. Since you came up with the plan, and since you're both my 'seniors and older than me', I'll go first."

The young lady's eye twitched, her lips curling slightly in irritation. 'Why did he emphasize 'older'? I'm not that old… maybe one or two years older than him at most'. She let out a sigh.

Aquarius smirked, satisfied with the reaction his words had provoked. Leaning forward, his hands still clasped together, he said, "I have no grand titles or status to my name, so just call me Aqua."

The two exchanged glances, slightly taken aback.

"Aqua?" Mikey asked, curiosity gleaming in his eyes. "Like from aquarium, aquamarine, or just plain Aqua?"

"No," Aquarius replied. "It's from Aquarius."

"Oh! Like the constellation? That's kinda cool," the young lady remarked. "Does that mean we share the same zodiac sign?"

"No, actually. I'm a Leo, not an Aquarius."

She raised an eyebrow. "Then why did your parents name you Aquarius?"

"I still don't know the answer to that."

"Huh, your family sure are weird first no school then now weird names. Alright then, I guess it's my turn." The young lady smiled, her face almost picture-perfect. "My name is Seo Ina, but you can just call me Ina and no formal tune please."

Aquarius's eyes widened slightly at the name. 'Seo Ina? First Mikey, now Seo Ina? ' Even someone as unfamiliar with the world as Aquarius, knew about the Seo family—one of the top ten aristocratic houses, unrivaled in commerce and trade. And Seo Ina… the so-called Goddess of Commerce.

He gulped. 'If only I'd known, I could've squeezed more out of her brother '.

As if sensing his thoughts, Ina smirked. "Impressed?"

"Honestly? Yes."

She giggled, resting her face in her palms.

Mikey cleared his throat, his voice smooth and practiced, as if he were on stage. "Alright, I guess it's my turn now."

"I thought your name was Mikey?" Aquarius asked, confused.

"It is, but that's not my real name. More like a stage name."

Aquarius stared at him, dumbfounded. "Why the hell would you do something like that?"

Ina chuckled. "Many artists do that." She paused before grinning. "Oh, I forgot—'younger ones' wouldn't know that much."

"Do you want to pick a fight?" Aquarius shot back in a teasing yet sharp tone, enough to make Mikey flinch.

"Guys, I don't think there's any need to fight."

Both Ina and Aquarius turned to him before bursting into laughter.

"I don't know much about the entertainment industry," Aquarius admitted, "but I do know that kind and naive people don't last long."

Ina straightened her posture. "That's actually what we were getting into. Some of the information I have is from my side, and the rest comes from Mikey's manager." She paused, her tone growing more serious. "As you already know, we've been infected by Variability. Or, more accurately, we were already infected, but the incident on the Azraelian ship triggered the symptoms."

'Variability? ' The word sent alarm bells ringing in Aquarius's head. 'What even is that? An illness? Am I going to die? ' He forced himself to keep a straight face, unwilling to let them notice his ignorance.

Ina, mistaking his silence for understanding, continued. "As Variables, we're in a somehow of a unique position. Chronicles are still a bit far for us, but they're also closer than they seem. I don't know everything, but I do know that Chronicles are gateways to other worlds, invisible to the naked eye—some inhabited or have normal civilization, some overrun with Drifters which as you know are the monsters we saw that day."

Aquarius struggled to keep his expression neutral. 'Chronicles? Gateways to other worlds? '. This was too much to process. Everything he had learned in the church—about heaven, hell, and the afterlife—suddenly felt like a fragile illusion. Even questioning the nature of God was considered blasphemous… but now, we're talking about multiple worlds?

Noticing their expectant gazes, he forced himself to speak. "That… adds to what I know. But I didn't realize Chronicles were invisible to the naked eye."

Ina smiled. "I thought you'd say that. If you hadn't, I'd have assumed you were either playing us or were from an opposing faction… or worse, one of the Pentagon aristocratic families."

A chill ran down Aquarius's spine. 'That was close… she almost found out I have no idea what's going on '.

But then, her words sank in. 'Factions? Aristocratic families? And why am I not supposed to know about this? '

A realization crept in, cold and unsettling. 'Does that mean nobles already know about this? And instead of working together to fight these monsters, they're divided into factions? Sending spies? Manipulating the world? '

His mind reeled. How many of the headlines, "accidents," and unexplained events I've seen in my life connected to these hidden forces? How much of what I know is real… and how much is just a sugar-coated lie? '

A sharp pain pulsed through his skull. He clenched his fists under the table, trying not to draw attention. His brain felt like it was being fried, his skull ready to shatter. His stomach twisted in agony, his heart pounding.

He knew this sensation too well.

It was the same suffocating pain he felt every time he tried to recall that day—the incident on the boat, the people he had met, or even his own missing memories.

Even a normal person would recognize it for what it was: his mind breaking apart from processing forbidden knowledge.

'This isn't information I was meant to know. Not something humans should be thinking about '.

But instead of fear, a different emotion took root.

'But I strangely want to know more. I want to see more '.

Others might call it insanity. But he didn't care.

If someone was orchestrating all of this… he wasn't going to let them control his life any longer.

His gaze met Ina's, who had finished explaining. She nodded. Mikey was about to start speaking.

"Guys," Mikey said, his tone suddenly serious, "I think it's better if we hear my side of the story from my manager herself."

'Yes '. Aquarius thought, barely containing his anticipation. 'That's perfect '.

Ina nodded in agreement. "Alright. Should we leave now, or after Aqua's done talking?"

Without hesitation, Aquarius replied, his voice brimming with confidence—and an excitement fueled by sheer curiosity. "It's better to hear everything from a pro instead of dancing around the truth."

Ina hesitated, about to protest, but Mikey stopped her. "Aqua's right. Getting infected isn't exactly a good thing, and if we don't proceed with the ritual soon, a Chronicle will come looking for us. And let's be honest—our brains can't handle the madness effect yet."

At that, Ina calmed down. She still didn't fully trust Aquarius, but she had no choice.

"Alright. Let's go meet Madam Katherine."

Aquarius's expression barely changed, but his stomach twisted.

'Shit '.

He knew that name all too well.