Chapter 76 - 76 - Familiar Symbols

Eventually, long after the strange and mysterious duo of the blonde beauty and the teenage-looking young man left the scene and entered the building the crowd finally began to slowly disperse.

All throughout, the walnut-skinned recruit kept sitting on the pavement, looking lost and confused, gazing at nothing but the empty air. His partner, the senior guard, looked at him with a bitter, wry smile. He didn't say anything but only heaved a sigh as he stood up, dusted off his pants, and walked back to his post. He didn't urge, nor did he complain to the young man, he was aware that today's events would serve as the catalyst for his future path. 

He could only hope that what had transpired today, would serve as a crucial lesson that would guide him on the right path. Hopefully, the arrogance and haughtiness of youth will no longer cloud and plague his mind.

—

As they entered the building, Lucien once again, for the umpteenth time today went wide-eyed with all the wonders that were revealed for him for the first time in his life.  He found themselves entering a spacious marble hallway. Pillars with intricate designs supported a large domed ceiling above their heads. Pillowy, black leather armchairs were placed instead of simple chairs for any potential guests. Some of them were already occupied as suited employees were busy discussing their projects, theories, or current daily tasks with each other whilst enjoying a refreshing cup of coffee that was bought from one of the several machines lined up at both sides of the hall. 

Ahead of them, behind a white desk that stretched for several arm's lengths, several young, alluring, and charming young maidens sat looking at them with their dazzling, captivating smiles through the jungle of the flat-screen monitors.

The scenery was mesmerizing to someone that's only visual stimuli before was the occasional dark kevlar chests the guards of his holding cell wore.

Sera stood patiently, looking at him with a charming smile of her own, not wanting to break this illusionary trance he had found himself in, and let him slowly take in everything that he could see.

Almost a minute had passed before Lucien came back to his senses and broke his reverie. He coughed, masking his embarrassment, looking towards the reception desk and asking.

"Where to now? As I recall, you said there should be a meeting happening soon where I would need to introduce myself?"

With a warm smile, Sera gave a gentle nod.

"Yes, that is right. All the executives…" She leaned closer to his ear as she whispered the words "…the High Elders…" Before standing back. "…should be already there. Unfortunately, you can expect some resistance to our proclamation, mostly due to my ignorance. Over the years my primary focus was finding you. As I have mentioned before, my arrival was different…"

She sighed, remembering the decades she had to wait before he was even born. At the very least she had ample time to build up the De'Angelis Empire that it is today…

"Anyway…" She continued after a momentary pause. "… let's just go and do our best." 

"I don't understand it, Sera." Lucien asked with a contemplating gaze. "Why are you so worried? As I understand, everything here should be yours, right? Aren't you the leader? What does it matter what group of people under you say? Why do I need to be worried?"

Hearing his innocent, naive question, Sera couldn't help but chuckle lightly. 

"You see, things are never that simple." Reaching for the back of his head, she gently caressed it as she continued. "While I am indeed the original founder, I never coveted the power or the leadership. I placed my trust in the most promising youngsters of the time to handle most of the matters." She explained, turning her attention towards the receptionist's desk.

"You will see, but over the decades they seemed to have forgotten the doctrines and lectures I taught them. Most of them now have their own goals and desires, swaying from the path that I set for them. They have their own descendants that they wish to see in the spot I have intended only for you."

Although Lucien still had several questions about the matter, he allowed Sera to guide him to the desk, standing next to her silently with a neutral expression as he was deep in his own thoughts.

He only acted when he was asked to sign his name and receive his temporary, guest badge. 

Once they signed in, Sera continued guiding them towards behind the desks. Several metal doors were set into the marble walls, countless elevators were installed serving a multitude of purposes. 

As most of them were for general use, there were a few that looked more luxurious. Golden threads, strange markings adorning the simple steel doors with no call buttons in sight.

As they have made their way towards one of them, Lucien couldn't help but ask.

"Are we going to use these ones? How are we going to call for them?"

Once again, enjoying the moment, Sera released a light-hearted soft giggle, looking at the boy with a mischievous, impish smile.

"Fufufu, don't worry, you'll see! These are what we could probably call, as 'Special Elevators', though that name sounds pretty dull." She chuckled at her own joke once again, not bothering to explain it any further as they made their way through the hall.

Standing in front of the strange closed metal door, Lucien took his time to carefully inspect the intricate golden-threaded designs etched onto the edges of its frame. Though they were indeed quite ostentatious, he was surprised to see similar designs as the cryptic hieroglyphic symbols of his system. 

Puzzled by this, he leaned closer, focusing his eyesight on each of the symbols. 

Upon closer look, he was shocked that he could indeed recognize most of the symbols to be matching those back in his System.

Just what did this mean? Was there a connection perhaps?

"Though there is not much known about it, these letters are the words of the Old Master, your… ehrm… predecessor. He called it the 'Tharxian, the Language of the Gods'." Noticing his interest in the markings, Sera began to explain. Her expression turned to a complicated, conflicting mixture of sadness, sorrow, and a tint of happiness whenever she remembered something about the man he adored and will continue to remember fondly for all her life.

"What do these letters mean?" Lucien pointed at one of the closest symbols painted over the metal door, showing no visible reaction to Sera's explanation.

"These?" Following where Lucien was pointing at, Sera responded. "They are not 'letters', but runes. Each of them has a much different meaning depending mostly on the context. Regardless, that's not the most interesting part about them!"

He turned to look at her, his eyes revealing a questioning gaze.

"You see, they are not simple decorations! Each of these runes carries an ancient power within them. Those with the ability to notice them can call for them, activating the underlying circuitry and unleash whatever spell or enhancement they contain." 

Focusing her gaze on the symbols, she suddenly muttered something that sounded incomprehensive to Lucien, but before he could question her about it, he was once again frozen with surprise.

As Sera blurted word-after-word, her seemingly jibberish words caused the runes etched into the door to light up, one after another!