Chapter 227

Gabriel looked at the Mirror, only finding his own reflection. Strangely enough, his reflection nodded in response, as if answering his question without any words. 

"My reflection?" Gabriel frowned. The mirror was using his reflection to talk to him?

"What... are you? And what did you mean that the ones before me took something worth more than any treasure?"

"What am I?" The reflection repeated the question. 

"I am but a guide of lost souls, using your reflection to temporarily answer you," Eventually it answered. "As you have managed to reach this place, you have earned a reward like all others who came before you."

"What is my reward?" Gabriel asked. At this point, it was clear that the mirror wasn't an ordinary mirror. It didn't look or feel like a Numen but it most probably was one. It was somewhat disappointing to him, but he still remained optimistic. 

"Three answers," the Mirror Reflection responded to Gabriel. "Acknowledging your achievement in reaching here, you've been awarded three answers. No matter what question you ask, you'll get an answer."

"Is that the same reward you offered others before me?" Gabriel asked. This reward was quite strange. 

"Shall I count that as your first question?" The Mirror Reflection asked, quite amused. "I won't mind you wasting your three opportunities with questions like this."

Gabriel frowned. "No, it's not one of my three questions."

He retracted his question. He was just curious about it, but if it was truly his reward and he could get any answer in the World with this Mirror, then he couldn't waste even a single opportunity. 

"I see." The mirror reflection nodded. "So what is your first question?"

"My first question is about the Orbs of Time. What are they?" Gabriel let out. He had a question about them for a long time. Even though Cylix and Novius did tell him a bit of its history, even they didn't know about its use or anything about its origin. All they knew was that the Temple of Time was looking for it.

The Mirror reflection went silent for a moment. "The Orbs of Time... Alright. Your question is accepted."

"What is your second question?"

"Aren't you going to answer my first question before we move onto the next?" For now, Gabriel hadn't decided on a second question. He wanted to wait for the answer of the first question and if there was something in that answer that he wanted to know more about, he could've asked about it later. 

"You need to tell me all three questions before you get any answers." The Mirror Reflection clarified. It was as if this was a restriction in place to make sure the people couldn't change their questions according to the answers. 

Gabriel clenched his fist. His only reward was that he could ask questions and even in that he didn't have freedom? Unfortunately, he couldn't force the mirror either. 

"Alright. My second question is about the Temple of Time. What are they? What are their goals? What's their strength?"

"That's three questions," the mirror responded.

"Fine. I'll shorten it. How did the Temple of Time come into existence?"

Since he didn't want to waste two of his questions on this one thing, he tried to form a question that could encompass everything important that he wanted to know and this was it. If he knew how the Temple of Time came into existence, he would've known about their goals and their past.

"And third question?" The Mirror asked. 

Gabriel wasn't hasty in asking the third question. This was his last question and he wanted to make it count. He didn't want to waste his last question. 

'What should I ask last? Should I ask how to become the strongest mage in the world in the shortest time? But what if it said that I can become that by training more? That can be a wasteful question. Shall I ask about my enemies? No, that's not it either.'

He couldn't help but fall into deep thought. He had so many questions but he could only select one more. 

'Shall I ask for ways to bring Novius and Cylix back? But what if they don't want to come back? Wouldn't I be forcing them? Shall I ask the Mirror about my father?'

Even though he told Novius that he didn't care about his father, there was still some curiosity in his heart about the man who abandoned them. 

'Or should I ask about this Tower? Who made these towers and why were they made? The Tower's origin had been a mystery in this world as well. The Mirror might be able to answer. Or I can ask how Karyk died?"

Eventually, he rejected all the questions in his mind and came up with something else. There was one question that no one in this world could answer him. He couldn't even ask anyone about it. He knew that this might be his last chance of getting an answer to that question. 

"I've decided on my last question. Why do I keep living Karyk's life in my dreams?"

It wasn't just once that he lived a dream that appeared more like Karyk's past. Initially, he thought it was the Grimoire's way of showing him then memories of its first master, but he couldn't be sure about that.

The dreams were more realistic than they should've been. Moreover, for some reason, there was a strange and uneasy feeling in his heart whenever he was inside house dreams. It was as if he knew those people in the dreams... Just what was happening with him? He wanted to know more. 

"Is that your final question?" The Mirror Reflection asked in response. 

Gabriel nodded. "That's right. That's my last question."

"I see. Then that finishes your three questions. Not bad," the Mirrors Reflection nodded, seemingly quite impressed at the questions Gabriel came up with. 

They were all questions that weren't easy to find an answer to. At least the last question was something which no one in this world knew about. 

"All your questions are accepted." 

The Mirror held the right of rejecting any question if it felt like it, but all the questions that Gabriel asked were within the rules and all of them were accepted. 

"Your first question, about the Orbs of Time. The Orbs of Time are the most precious treasure of the Temple of Time, which was once used as their energy source. It was also what made them a formidable force. Until one day when the orbs were stolen by-"

"By Karyk," Gabriel finished the sentence, only to have the reflection agree.