The prophecy concerning the Divine Lords had always been a subject of awe and mystery. It spoke of fourteen eternal flames, each tied to the inheritance of a Divine Lord. These flames, housed in the sacred Divine Hall, would only extinguish once a Divine Lord had successfully received their first inheritance. It was a rare event, signifying the passing of tremendous power.
The first of these flames had already been snuffed out when Finn obtained the Midas Spear, but only a select few knew of this event. That knowledge was carefully guarded, for fear of what the world might do with such information.
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"Three flames from the Divine Hall have been extinguished, just like the prophecy predicted," Reynolds repeated, though this time, there was a note of unexpected relief in his tone.
Once again, the room fell into silence. But unlike the earlier tension, this quiet carried a different weight: one of contemplation rather than unease.
Vic was the first to break the silence. "Really? That's great news." He tried to inject some light into the situation, but his voice lacked the usual levity.
Reynolds shifted slightly, continuing, "I kept quiet about the first one because I thought it was a random occurrence... even though the flame didn't reignite. I wanted to make sure it was real before alarming anyone."
Aloy, looking mildly perplexed, glanced at Reynolds. "You actually kept something like this from us?" There was a hint of disappointment in his voice.
Before Reynolds could answer, Helen interjected with an indifferent shrug. "I knew."
Alister added, nodding, "We all knew."
Then Jerry chimed in, half-apologetically, "Actually, Aloy, you're the only person here who didn't know."
The revelation hung in the air like an awkward cloud. No one dared meet Aloy's gaze, everyone suddenly very interested in the walls, floor, or ceiling.
Aloy scoffed, his arms crossing over his chest. "Why?" he muttered under his breath, I feel so betrayed.
"Really? Take a wild guess? We can't have you getting drunk and blabbing about it now, can we?" Helen smirked, her usual sharp wit cutting through the tension as she glanced at Aloy.
Veda, ever practical, chimed in, "And how long will that take?"
Reynolds paused briefly before replying. "Five years. Alvin also said he knows Zet's exact location. Depending on how things go, I'll have to make this known to the people."
Aloy let out a long sigh, his usual bravado faltering for a moment. "This is going to be the longest five years ever. Let's just hope we can find him before then."
Jerry's tone sharpened, the urgency unmistakable. "We need to find him before then. He's too dangerous to let loose for that long."
The weight of Jerry's words settled over the group like a heavy blanket. Alister, ever the voice of reason, spoke gently. "We all feel the same about this, and we'll do our best to find him. But Jerry..." he hesitated for a moment, then continued, "Did you tell her?"
Jerry's face darkened as he sank into a nearby chair, the defeat clear in his posture. "I... I couldn't bring myself to tell her." His voice was soft, filled with a mixture of guilt and sadness.
The mood in the room shifted immediately. The atmosphere, already thick with tension, now turned somber. The weight of responsibility, combined with personal burdens, cast a pall over the group. Conversations tapered off as the gravity of what lay ahead settled in their minds.
"It's alright," Jerry murmured, trying to pull himself together. He stood up slowly. "I'll be leaving soon. I didn't tell Eva I was coming here, and I wouldn't want her asking questions this early on."
Veda, who had always been keen to hold onto his presence just a little longer, looked at him with disappointment. "You're leaving already?"
Jerry nodded, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yes, I still have things to take care of back at Lagia. I am a Lord, after all."
The sadness in the room deepened, but Jerry's forced bravado couldn't mask the fact that they all shared a collective dread of what lay ahead.
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