Aaron pondered for a moment before lowering his head and speaking slowly:
"You must know that the nine Sephirot and twenty-two godly pathways gathered on Earth, drawing certain Outer Deities near our planet."
"During this process, portions of the Outer Deities' Sephirot and characteristics were torn away and drawn to Earth. The 'Son of Chaos,' one such Outer Deities, had its Chaos Uniqueness and a Sequence 1 characteristic of its pathway torn away—both now reside within my Sephirot."
"Those Outer Deities lurking beyond Earth covet our planet's Sephirot and characteristics."
"An invisible barrier formed from the residual power of the 'Original Creator' protects Earth, preventing direct invasion. But as the Original Creator's will fades, only twenty-two years remain before this barrier shatters."
"Once it collapses, a war of Outer Deities will be inevitable. No deity will remain unaffected."
As his words faded, the surrounding darkness rippled subtly, as if shielding or interfering with something.
Aaron's goal was simple—to lay out the situation. In terms of pure information, this held little value for the Evernight Goddess, who had survived since the First Epoch and knew countless secrets.
But more importantly, these words conveyed three key points:
1. With no current Sequence 0 in the Black Emperor or Arbiter(Justiciar) pathways, he had the potential to ascend to godhood and, with the Nation of Disorder, even reach Outer Deities status—making him a worthy investment for the coming apocalypse.
2. The Chaos Uniqueness and Sequence 1 characteristic within his Sephirot could propel him further on the path to becoming an Outer Deities. As the holder of the only unsealed Sephirot besides the Chaos Sea and Sefirah Castle, he would one day be capable of aiding the Evernight Goddess.
3. His Sephirot and its contents ensured absolute hostility between him and the Outer Deities, guaranteeing his alignment with the Goddess in future divine wars.
After a prolonged silence, an ethereal yet serene voice responded:
"Your plea shall be granted. Once you ascend to angel, you will perform a task for me."
Aaron didn't dare delay. "Understood. Your will shall be done."
Internally, he mused, 'Truly the 'mastermind'—such overwhelming presence. That 'task' must be retrieving the waters of the River of Eternal Darkness from the depths of Calderon. Not too difficult if I'm careful.'
Just as Aaron assumed the conversation was over and he would soon return, the voice spoke again:
"Over a thousand years ago, near the end of the Fourth Epoch, before the Four Emperors' final battle, the Night Emperor—the last 'Justiciar'—came to me in secret."
"Perhaps through divine intuition or personal insight, He borrowed my power of Concealment to craft a ghost ship, the 'Phantom Empire,' and a god-level slumber charm."
The voice paused, then added meaningfully:
"Even earlier, during the Emperors' conflict, none knew the Night Emperor and Ornia had a son. I concealed His existence, allowing Him to grow unnoticed beyond the Trunsoest Empire."
"The price was His service as my blessed and the empire's full support."*
"His name was Valna Will."
Like a thunderclap, Aaron felt his mind go numb.
Now he understood how Tarot Club members felt when uncovering historical secrets—truly exhilarating.
Recovering, he silently cursed. Before he could speak, the voice continued, indifferent to his reaction:
"I sense much you've withheld, but it matters not. As you said, the apocalypse is inevitable. Remember this and grow swiftly..."
Cold sweat beaded on Aaron's forehead, but before he could explain, his form began dissolving.
---
Darkness returned to tranquility. Night incense grass and deep-sleep flowers exuded peace as the figure in the layered black dress gazed toward the historical fog above the spirit world—the boundless gray-white mist—then at the spot where Aaron had stood. A wisp of dark golden vapor lingered before fading.
---
Ilursil, St. Francis Cathedral, Prayer Chamber
A phantom black door materialized. Aaron stepped through, and as the door dissolved into his left wrist, it left a mark—a dark background studded with stars, cradling a half-crimson moon.
Exhaling heavily, Aaron thought wryly:
'Feels like being stamped with a seal, officially hired by the company.
But at least now I'm not empty-handed. From today, I'm a blessed of the Evernight.'
Channeling spirituality into the crimson mark, his expression soon twisted oddly. Sitting cross-legged, he sank into thought.
Evernight Mark:
1. Amplification: Greatly enhances Evernight pathway abilities at increased spiritual cost.
2. Concealment: Masks anomalies; expending significant spirituality allows entry into a hidden state (auto-exits when infusion stops).
3. Awakening: Expends spirituality to rouse oneself or others from slumber.
'This mark's abilities are... unusual.
'Amplification is useless to me—I'm not an Evernight pathway Beyonder. At best, it could boost any Evernight abilities mimicked through the Ring of Wisdom or Ring of the Mysteries.
'Concealment, though, is invaluable now—hiding my anomalies and enabling a stealth mode for future schemes, even evading lethal threats.
'But Awakening? This feels... tacked on. Who's slumbering? Who needs rousing?'
Recalling the Goddess' pointed final words, Aaron's head throbbed.
'Valna Will—the first Duke of East Tucker, progenitor of our angelic lineage—was the Night Emperor's descendant.
'Which makes me a Trunsoest too. No wonder She sensed familiarity beyond the Celestial Worthy's traces—my body carries the Night Emperor's blood.'
As for why other deities hadn't noticed, he guessed:
'During the Fourth Epoch, the Night Emperor and Evernight Goddess likely collaborated—using godly decrees and Her Concealment to blanket that bloodline's aura entirely.
'After the Emperors' fall, the victors and their noble factions (Sauron, Castiya, Augustus, Einhorn) were too busy dividing the continent to suspect a Hunter-pathway angel hailed from the Night Emperor.
'Perhaps only the Evernight Goddess, as the Concealment's source, could so easily identify my Trunsoest heritage. The Fourth Epoch's hidden history clearly holds more than I know.'