Chapter 7: Simple Riddle

The High Priest paused as if expecting some great response, yet Charon only looked at him blankly. Shifting uncomfortably with the silence, the teenager coughed into his hand. "That sounds... good?" The shadows around them quivered slightly, slowly intensifying before shaking violently. Charon looked around with wide eyes, growing fearful before the High Priest began laughing uproariously. It came from all directions, filling the room with nothing but unrestrained cackling. Charon covered his ears to block the noise, mostly failing as his hands created new shadows that started parroting. Seconds passed before the man calmed down. "It has been many years since I have been so surprised by the ignorance of youth, please forgive me. So many meetings have come and gone, always with the straightforwardness of those who have dedicated their lives to our craft. If I had made a similar declaration to many of the other students here, they could have fainted from the shock, but not you." Charon smiled sheepishly, unsure whether to interpret his words as a compliment or an insult. "Thank you, sir." "I am not a sir, Charon. You may address me as Your Holiness, or if that proves too difficult, then High Priest does just as well. Calling me otherwise outside these walls can garner you many enemies. The Church of Death is not as strict as other churches, but beware the fundamentalists." Warring between thankful for the warning, and annoyed by the useless demand for titles, Charon simply nodded before speaking, hoping to shift the topic back to something useful. "Why is my element important anyway? You came here for a reason, your... holiness..." "Now that certainly is a good question, and one I am entirely uninterested in fully explaining." As he said the last words, the High Priest leaned back, his shadow chair morphing to fit his frame as he did, growing larger and wider to give him more back support. Charon did a double-take, the response taking him by surprise. "What do you mean you won’t fully explain? Isn’t that why you’re here, to tell me what happened?" Evander shook his head, his hood remaining stiff as a board even as his neck rotated. "No, that is not why I am here. I am here to confirm my suspicions and ask a riddle. Depending on your answer, I may leave that tome here. Nothing more, and nothing less." Charon stared at the man, dumbfounded, his jaw dropping ever so slightly. His mind moved a million miles a minute, struggling to accept that this man was just playing with him. ’It’s like this is all game to him!’ His chest grew with a breath while Charon did his best to keep his thoughts from showing on his face. He played the interaction over in his mind as quickly as he could before settling on a simple resolution. ’I might as well hear him out, it’s better than nothing. Worst case scenario, he wastes my time, and I try and figure things out on my own. At least he told me my element so I can research it more.’ Possibly being more aware than Charon assumed, Evander began to speak only once his thought process finished. The timing was so perfect that Charon almost jumped off the bed, spooked by the sudden noise. "Glad to see you’ve come to the right decision. Let’s see, where shall I begin?" ’How the gods did he know what I was thinking?’ Seemingly oblivious to that latest comment, the High Priest continued, leaving Charon unnerved. "This riddle is not usual, instead being part of a larger story. Please follow along closely now: When the day turns darkest, and the spirits of the lost begin to stir, the enemy of all shall eclipse the masses. He shall snuff out all light, banish all hope, and bring about a change never foretold." The man paused for what Charon assumed to be dramatic effect, but soon realized it was for him to have time to absorb the information. Once the High Priest thought he had had enough, he continued. "When this happens, when nothing else remains, what will be left?" Charon’s forehead wrinkled, the riddle unlike anything he had ever heard. ’When day turns darkest... spirits stir... enemy eclipses all... and then a bunch of stuff about everything getting bad. What’s left when everything goes bad?’ The answer seemed to be obvious, yet just out of reach, taunting him as he massaged his temples. As if he were chasing a cat down an alley, Charon mentally raced after the thought, finding it more difficult as time went on. Eventually, he hit a barrier, a dull ache radiating behind his eyes. Ignoring it, he continued pushing, his lips pressing into a thin line. His hands started shaking from the pain, the High Priest leaning forward as he watched Charon struggle more with time. Each inhale was shallow, frantic, as if he were losing the ability to breathe. His face drained of color, turning a worrying shade of white. Just as he seemed on the verge of fainting, he found the thought, the word exploding out of his mouth as if it could not be contained. "Legacy! The answer is... legacy!" Charon hunched over, his hands resting on his knees as he took in large gulps of air. His cheeks regained their lost hue, turning a healthy pink in seconds. The pain vanished as well, taking most of the memories of the chase with them, leaving Charon lost for an explanation about what just happened. The High Priest ignored all of this, his body frozen in shock before he spoke. "Fascinating! I have asked this riddle to a select few persons throughout my lifespan, and each answer has been different, yet all of them are acceptable. You were, however, the first one I expected to fail, and yet you didn’t. How marvelous the new generation is." The words took a moment to register as Charon steadied himself, his brain muddled from the recent chase, yet he had no recollection of why everything felt so confusing. ’It’s like I’m missing something!’ Finally realizing what the High Priest had said, his gaze veered upwards, staring deep into the midnight hood. He began smiling when he heard that he had passed, but it vanished as the rest clicked. "What do you mean you expected me to fail?" With a snap, the High Priest stood up, his shadow throne vanishing into the ground. "No offense meant— but your file? Utterly forgettable, until now. An orphan from an unimportant planet makes one decision and gets an opportunity to join the magi. Certainly promising, but I’ve seen it before. This element, however... that does change things." With a blur of movement, the man appeared next to the desk, staring down at the book resting between the candles. "This book... has been in our libraries for as long as I can remember. Do us the favor of treating it with the respect it is due. I trust it will aid you in your studies." With another mirthful chuckle, the High Priest turned around, giving Charon one last look before speaking. "Good luck, Charon. I will be paying attention to your trials with great expectations." Charon opened his mouth to stall the man, asking the myriad of questions on his mind, but before he could utter a single sound, the shadows rose up and consumed the High Priest, his body vanishing into nothingness. Charon’s mouth shut with a snap, the adrenaline leaving his system as his body deflated onto the bed. ’Well, that certainly answered a great deal of nothing.’ Bemoaning all the uncertainties he still felt, he realized that he had at least learned a little more. He knew his element, and that it was important, and he had been given a book, a strange item given that almost all information had been digitized. Strangely, he felt numb to the rest of it. His element, the school, the gaps in his memory... all of it felt small right then. ’What is struggle compared to what we leave behind?’ He had never considered himself a philosopher, gods knew he wasn’t educated enough to be one, and yet the thought came from somewhere he figured philosophical ideas would originate. ’Maybe it’s something to explore further. I’m at a school, after all. I should try and learn new things while I’m here.’ Craning his neck to look at the spotless brown cover of the tome, he hauled himself off the bed, his legs slightly wobbly from... something Charon couldn’t recollect. He steadied himself with his forearms on the desk, leaning over the top of the book as he looked down. Strange grooves were set into what he assumed to be leather, creating a spiral shape and something deeper within. Squinting his eyes to make it out, he gave up after a few seconds, realizing it was a fruitless exercise. Sighing, he reached down to open it, stopping only when he heard his holo-pad ring.