Renewal

In the beginning was the Word...

And the Word was with God...

And the Word was God...

I sighed softly as I lowered the Whispering Clover from my hear and glanced down at the ground, closing my eyes. "Book of Nina 1:1... You kinda remind me of her, Fleur.."

Fleur glanced at me as she sat upon the bench beside me, her gaze softening and filled with worry as she could see no light in my eyes. "Nox..."

"You know...After two years of wondering about them, it all just... sucks. I don't know what to do, he's on our side and the world believes him to be a hero while my name is revered as the monster who killed Zachary, my own brother.." I said, my voice low with hidden pain, strands of my hair covering my face.

"Now...it's been revealed the Book of April was talking about me the entire time, yet...I don't feel as if I'm honored to be in such a role. I'm not perfect at all...all other Messianic Beings were perfect...and I'm just..." I continued, pausing as Fleur placed her hand upon my thigh.

"If you weren't perfect, Genesis wouldn't have declared you Lord. Your flesh is speaking for you, Nox. You shouldn't feel guilty for being the messiah we need right now...you are the real Second Chance," Fleur assured in a sweet tone, sliding closer to me and turning my head so I could face her.

"I do fall short in my own sins, Nox... I'm just human, a woman trying to survive out here...who went about her entire life not knowing my Savior roamed the earth with me..." She continued, her hand gently holding mine and giving it a comforting squeeze.

"Savior... I'm no Savior, Fleur...let's be honest here. For the last two years I've been in Spiritual Sloth, I've done nothing to be crowned that, let alone my past—"

"I've been with you for the last two years, and I know what you've been through...but your season is truly starting. Yuvah has called to you to save Earth once and for all...just as it is written in the Book of Prophecy, the Final Lament of Old Earth," Fleur interrupted, shaking her head and interlocking our fingers together.

"It's no mistake you saved that Blitz Blade, it's no mistake that the Dark Lords call to you, its no mistake that the Zodiacs submit under you, its no mistake that you are the chosen King of Kings...the only true Son of God...the Son Earth has been waiting for..."

I listened to Fleur's uplifting comments with an open heart and an awakened Spirit. As I stared at her, I could see the very light many tried to dismiss from her. A pure light that truly showed her alignment, her undying love for me.

"Fleur..." I began, closing my eyes and exhaling deeply with a smile on my lips. "I don't know...this is just something I would only hear from Luciel. It's just shocking to hear you become so spiritual.."

"I've been trying to keep up with my true faith ever since meeting you and Luciel...it's what I'm called to do," Fleur hummed softly, sitting closer to me and resting her head upon my shoulder.

I stood still beside Fleur, allowing her to rest her head upon me. Everything felt peaceful, the critters of the day fluttering around the courtyard, the skies filled with the songs of the birds, and the sounds of children's laughter in the distance completed the entire ambiance.

Fleur truly felt at peace with me at her side, finally understanding what Luciel and Effie felt when being around me so closely. I could feel her peace, accepting everything she offered to me with open arms, my arm draped around her shoulder in a loving manner.

"Nox, Fleur!" Luciel called out from the distance, hurrying toward us with Effie at her side.

Fleur and I looked over to Luciel and Effie, watching as the two stopped in front of me, Effie stumbling forward and hopping to stop her momentum. The two looked at us as if they had seen everything, their gazes filled with worry and concern.

"Nox, we saw everything that happened in Gaia's Womb...I can't believe it, Merin... he's—" Luciel began, immediately growing quiet as I rose my hand to softly silence her.

"Until we can prove to everyone that Merin is evil...we will have to keep playing by his game. His rules. No matter how we look at it, Merin won this battle...we played into his hands," I said, unwrapping my arm from around Fleur and stood up from the bench.

"Nox..." Effie quietly spoke, her gaze softening as she noticed my defeated expression. Looni let out a soft whine as well, looking up to Effie with quiet worry.

"Nox, you can't give up..! We have so much to fight for, we need those crystals before Merin or even Squad VII can get to them! Nox, you are our hope. You have to fight back...we can't run from this anymore," Luciel said, walking closer to me and placing her hand upon my arm.

"I'm not running from my responsibilities...I know I can't anymore. I am the Prince of Exzodia, all of my people need me. But a king can not rule alone...not even Henosis nor Luca fought alone," I said, turning to face the girls with a small smile on my lips.

"I need my retainers, my own Witnesses. My Apostles," I said, my gaze shifting between the three women with my arms crossed. "We need to grow our influence, gain more members. Rise above Squad VII then expose them for their blasphemy.."

"Yeah! Squad V is on the move again!" Effie cheered, pumping her fist in the air with an excited hop.

Fleur smiled at my plan to expose Squad VII, letting out an amused hum and stood up from the bench as well. "Well, that's a plan I can get behind. How do you suggest we go about this?"

"Well, we know that the Zodiac Cores are guarded by their Champions, so we would need to grow stronger. I know of an Academy within St. Meishi we could go to for some extra training outside of what HR gives us," I answered, meeting Fleur's sparking gaze at the mention of St. Meishi's academy.

"You mean the legendary V.J.I? Virgin's Justice Institution? Isn't that the academy you attend Effie?" Fleur asked, her gaze excitedly shifting over to Effie.

"Mhm! That's where my Papa teaches Coatyl Flying! Plus, I learned all of my skills from there. I'm headed onto the highest class of the institution!" Effie nodded, her tone filled with a proud sensation of her accomplishments.

"If I remember correctly, the four Academies of Exzodia do teach us how to wield Zodiac Energy right?" Luciel asked, looking over to me for verification.

"More than that. They teach us of the truth of the Five Realms... something that is not taught outside of Exzodia. People believe Esoria and Aetheria are real planets...alternate Earth and a World for Guardians," I answered, shaking my head and exhaling softly.

"The species claimed within Esoria exist, but the planet is fake. Every location named in that planet is on either Earth, the Sacred Realm, Spirit Realm, Underworld, or the Realm of Beyond," I finished, looking at the surprised expressions of the girls.

"Wait what? So those stories of the Destiny Women?" Effie began, gasping in awe of the surprising revelation.

"Destiny Women...a bunch of baloney in honesty. You mean to tell me a man chosen by a DEMON, becomes a Savior? For years this world has been brewing falseness, worshipping Goddesses of lies over The Creator, The Merciful, the Righteous and Almighty," I scoffed, my disdain for the line of Esorian Saviors prominent in my tone.

"Yeah, it is a distasteful tale in the name of Ascea. Plus, the first Esorian Savior showed up after August becomes the Nexus after the Realm Rebirth Era..." Fleur said softly, glancing down in deep thought as she began going over the history of the world.

"This is why we should go to V.J.I, but we can't only stop there. We have to go to every main Academy in Exzodia since each institution doesn't teach the same topics," I explained, crossing my arms and beginning to make my way toward the front of the Virgin Fields.

"Whoa, what do you mean they don't teach the same topics?" Effie asked, quickly following behind me.

Luciel and Fleur jogged behind, catching up with us and falling in step with me and Effie. There was a sense of renewal around the four of us, a sense of new purpose brewing within me, a destiny I was never truly aware of until now.

We made it back to the car, each of us getting inside with me taking the driver's seat and starting the car to drive off to Effie's institution. The drive there was rather long, taking a few hours to even get to the center of the St. Meishi District, where the academy stood.

The V.J.I, a renewal of the old St. Meishi Academy centuries ago, an institution that teaches its students keep three virtues and practices from three Zodiacs: Justice, Keen Eye, and Obedience; Libra, Sagittarius, and Virgo. The academy building stood tall within the campus, the luscious white bricks gleaming with excellence under the slowly moving sun.

Lush greens and beautiful marble filled the campus grounds, a fountain with three angels holding pots of water sitting in the middle of the campus. Three statues stood in the three main areas of the campus, the Virgo Statue, the Libra Statue, and the Sagittarius Statue, each one paying respects to each Zodiac.

"Wow, this place is a lot bigger than I expected," Luciel gasped in awe as she stared out the window with excitement, her eyes sparkling as she looked at each of the beautiful landmarks of the school.

"It says here, V.J.I only teaches students about the Virgo, Libra, and Sagittarius History. Is this all you've been learning, Effie?" Fleur asked, looking back at Effie from the passenger seat.

Effie and Looni nodded enthusiastically and she grabbed her notebook from her travelling bag, placing it upon the center console. "All of my notes comes from the Books of Nina, Lily, Artemis, and the Book of Imogen! The professors all are descendants of the Zodiac Champions that walked with August!"

Fleur grabbed the notebook and flipped it open to a random page, landing upon notes talking about Nina Dvoriya, the Judging Winds. Scanning through the pages, Fleur learned of Nina's lineage, her relationship with August, and her eventual death in August's name.

"Whoa...this story is kinda dark. You mean to tell me, August and his disciples walked the Earth in complete Darkness? Chaos ruled the Human Realm for a century before August was able to break the fake veil?" Fleur asked in complete awe, continuing to read through Effie's notes.

"August was known as the Last Hero in his time. It was even written in the Book of 1st August, his time as the current Savior fighting against Chaos and soon dying by the hands of Chaos's wife, Aeyas," I explained, turning into the parking lot of the main campus.

"Well, from here we should learn a lot more! Maybe even uncover some hints on the timing of the Zodiac Cores," Luciel said with encouragement, her eyes twinkling with a readiness to learn.

"Right," I said, parking the car and turning off the engine.

The four of us got out of the car, a few wandering students stopping to look at us, some even gossipping about my presence upon their institution. Effie led each of us through the curious crowd toward the main building with me falling behind in the back, avoiding eye contact with mostly everyone around.

As we neared the entrance, a group of students made their way in front of us, stopping each of us in our tracks. The group ahead was a group of four with a familiar face leading the group, Reinhart, his usual sly grin stretching across his face.

"Well, well...the Prince of Exzodia and his consorts in the flesh. In what honor do we have with your presence today?" Reinhart asked, his eyes landing upon mine, seeing a new fire within them.

"Save the act, Lord Reinhart, and stand aside. We have important business to get done here," Fleur said, placing a hand upon her hip with an impatient expression on her face.

The woman with two tone green hair looked up from her phone, raising an eyebrow at Fleur, her purple eyes lighting up with recognition. "Huh...you're that chick who works at Lucky 13. I didn't know you were close with the Crown."

Fleur glanced at the green haired woman, looking her up and down then crossed her arms with guarded sass. "Okay? And who are you?"

"Allow me to introduce everyone. Everyone meet Grisha, Eden, and Sully, the Saints of Imogen, Harmony, and Mehira. Three women who devoutly follow the Word of God, chosen to have a chance at Zodiac Power," Reinhart said, glancing back at the three women at his side, along with a small group of fangirls lingering behind them.

"Chosen for Zodiac Power...you can't be chosen without a Living Zodiac present unless it is willed by Genesis or Yuvah. Who were they chosen by exactly because as we know Imogen, Harmony, and Mehira are dead, back in the Realm of Origin," I said, my tone filled with skepticism at his claims.

"It is true that we can not be chosen by any of the three Zodiac Deities he named, but by Genesis's Will, our prayers will be answered," Eden said, giving me a smile of purity, the gentle winds causing her white and green hair to flow behind her.

Luciel glanced down at Eden's hand, noticing she carried the same Genesian Chronicles with her and smiled at the sight of the book. "Are you a Warden as well?"

"M-Me? A Warden? Heavens no, that's not my calling. I am still in my season of finding out my true calling. So far, my walk with Genesis has led me to become a student of V.J.I, to become a Saint like Imogen," Eden answered with a flustered expression, letting out a shy laugh and shook her head.

"Don't mind Eden's timidness! If she wanted to become a Warden, I believe she 100% could!" Sully encouraged, her bunny companion upon her head nodding in agreement. "Also, hi Effie!!~"

"Hi, Sully!!" Effie waved with both hands, Looni lifting off Effie's head to fly over to Sully's bunny to greet her as well.

As I watched my group interact with Reinhart's, I could tell we would either get along greatly...or the rivalry between us would deepen than it already is. As I stood upon this very institution, I could feel a strong, fiery presence near me at all time, a soothing presence...as if they were reminiscing about the very land we stood upon.

"I'm assuming you're going to get Nox and the other's registered for our institution right?" Reinhart asked, his gaze shifting toward Effie.

"Mhm! It's the best first step we can take right now! Plus, it gives us a chance to expand Squad V!" Effie beamed with confidence, placing her hands confidently upon her hips.

Reinhart chuckled softly at Effie, ruffling her hair as he walked by her and gave us a dismissive wave. "I'll see you all tomorrow. I bid you all a sincere farewell."

"Bye, Effie!!~" Sully beamed, skipping over to her best friend to give her a sisterly hug.

Effie gently grunted as Sully practically threw herself at her, her arms wrapping around Sully with a surprised giggle. "Bye, Sully!~ See you tomorrow!"

The rest of us watched as Grisha, Eden, and Sully followed behind Reinhart's retreat, Fleur, Luciel, and I all giving Reinhart a sour expression. Fleur scoffed softly at Reinhart, turning on her heels to make her way toward the main building.

"Pretentious punk...You know, I never like when he calls us 'consorts'! It's so degrading!" Fleur groaned as she stormed toward the large doors ahead, her eye twitching with annoyance.

"Hmm... Luckily, he isn't the only royal within this academy, so we won't have to worry too much about just him," I said, following behind Fleur toward the main building.

Inside the building was enormous, filled from the brim with structures humanly impossible, every piece of furniture built with impossible perfection. Statues of the great heroes of the old time stood tall along the walls, every corner ordained with a piece of ancient history.

Rounding a corner of the halls, we made it to the Student Registry office and walked inside with Effie leading the charge. Sitting at the desk was a man with an exhausted expression upon his face, his eyes gleaming an amber light as he looked up at us.

He took off his glasses and set them on the table, letting out a soft exhale at the sight of Effie. He fixed his long black hair, sitting back in his seat to give her his attention. "Effie...what is your purpose for being here?"

"Mr. Leonidas! I've come to register my three besties! You see I've brought...tadaaa! The Legendary Saint of Genesis, The Exzodian Warden, Luciel!" Effie began, presenting Luciel with the help of Looni.

"Uhm...h-hi," Luciel waved awkwardly, narrowing her gaze shyly from Leonidas's sharp expression.

"Then I brought my sister in arms, the Sharpest Shooter in St. Meishi, the Maiden of Justice, Fleur!" Effie introduced, presenting Fleur to Leonidas with an excited demeanor.

Fleur sighed softly at Effie's presentation, lowering her head with slight embarrassment and rubbed her forehead with her thumb and index. "Yuvah...kill me now..."

"And finally, I bring to you my Prince, THE Prince, the only Heir of Genesis's promised throne, Prince Nox Exzodia!" Effie said with excitement, presenting me to Leonidas with a wide grin.

Leonidas looked over at me, his eyes slightly widening in shock as he locked eyes with me. I stared at him as well, sensing the same familiarity within, yet neither of us could touch upon where we've seen each other.

"Nox...as in Noxius Exzodia? I feel like I've heard that name from somewhere before..." Leonidas said lowly, focusing his gaze upon me similar to a lion's piercing gaze.

I noticed his more intense gaze, sparking me within to match his intensity and I returned my own Predator Gaze toward him, my stare sending a shiver down his spine. Leonidas continued staring at me, noticing the faint glimpse of Leo Zodiac Energy flowing around me.

'Hm...So you possess it, Leona's might. It did say in the Book of 3rd August that the true Ascea would mirror him, the Last Hero...or at the least, surpass him,' Leonidas thought to himself, closing his eyes and letting out a soft exhale.

"I see...so you wish to register these three into our academy right? Well you know all who wish to enter into our establishment must pass two tests. The Test of the Spirit, and the Will of the Spirit, do you agree to these terms?" Leonidas asked, his gaze landing upon me, Fleur, and Luciel.

Fleur and Luciel glanced at one another before shifting their gaze to me, noticing my intense and focused expression, an iridescent light faintly flashing from my chest. They could sense the diligence brewing within me, the desire to enter this academy.

"We accepted... We will join this establishment, but I will be the one to elevate you all to a higher truth. Try my Spirit, Dean..." I said, my gaze never leaving Leonidas's.

Leonidas chuckled softly at my fiery eagerness to go through with V.J.I's trials then stood up from his desk, smoothing out his robes and picking up his wanderer's staff. "Follow me to the Exam Stadium.."

The four of us watched as Leonidas exited the office, my eyes catching a glimpse of ancient markings upon his slightly exposed skin. As we began to follow behind him, I began to grow more curious about Leonidas and who he truly was.