Chapter 52

Before I could speak, Aaron continued quickly, his voice now filled with a newfound sense of haste and desperation.

"But I can't tell you any more details, for there are entities in the cosmos that would destroy you with the snap of a finger if I even think of them."

My eyes widened as I felt my blood run cold.

"Does that explain your first encounter with the newly resurrected Demetrius a few days back, when you seemed to be in pain and made him pass out?"

Aaron's brows furrowed as he nodded, sweat ran down his face as if he was having a fever.

"When you want to become a seeker, you're opening a large and dangerous door. Those who have power or want to gain it, will eventually stumble and fall."

Through this insight Aaron supplied me with, I could intuit that Aaron, being an Order 3 of the Patience Route, was dropping closer and closer to madness.

"So, the stronger one gets, the more they have a chance of losing control?"

Aaron didn't nod or give a reply, he simply grabbed a bottle filled with the same green liquid he gave me when I first joined the Silencers, the control serum.

"J-just drink this, please."

I could hear the worry in his voice as I took the bottle and held it to my lips, before plugging my nose and drinking it. From what Aaron just did, I could read that he was probably concerned about me and didn't want me to lose control too.

"I may not know what Routeway potion you drank, but the higher you climb, the less these potions work."

I finished drinking the potion and set the bottle down, wiping the green residue off my mouth with the bottom of my shirt.

"Don't you have anything to control yourself, like the potions I drink?"

Aaron shook his head, his expression now reading a sense of uncertainty. He then reached over himself and grabbed a small parchment from his desk and rolled it out like a blanket.

"I may be an alchemist that studies Routeways and fosters the ancient world. But all the information we currently have regarding the overall status of a seekers soul and body the higher they climb is uncertain."

"I'm losing control because we have no way to control it, no potions that work for a lower Order work for me, and it's just me and my clinging sense of rationality that keeps me going."

I felt my heart drop, but a sudden sense of resilience and confidence rose in my heart as I finally spoke up.

"What if we can find a cure for your control problem, isn't there something we could do?"

My eyes flashed with desperation as I bored into Aaron, who looked down at the parchment with a saddened look, before gazing back up at me.

"Unfortunately there is nothing we can do. I'm not losing control because of the climbing I'm doing, I'm losing control because there's a deity in the cosmos who took a liking to me, and tried to invade and overtake my body in an attempt to invade earth." 

My eyes narrowed, and the air around me seemed to grow colder, making goosebumps run up my skin.

"Why do entities latch on to these people, are they like the spirits that Cattleya told me about, wait!"

I suddenly stood up and left the room, and a few minutes later I returned with a book in my hands, which looked old, worn and used.

Aaron raised an eyebrow as I opened the book and flipped through it until I landed on the page I saw last night.

"In power you find weakness, in weakness you lose control."

The page read in its blood red text, as Aaron gazed at the slender figure with trunk like pores in its body his eyes widened and he shook slightly.

"Where did you get this book?"

He asked, his voice now rising with concern and worry, mixed with some anger.

"I found it among a few other books in the medical area where I slept, and it was among many historical documents I viewed in the book."

Aaron took the book from my hands and flipped it 180 degrees so he could see it more clearly.

"This image depicts a seeker losing control, why would you even look at this?!"

My expression faltered as the air around us turned colder, causing me to bury my arms into my shirt, Aaron's expression overflowed with worry, shame and anger.

"When I said we have tiers of information in this organization, this was among the info that would make anyone go mad while looking at it, I'm surprised you haven't been caught eating someone alive yet!"

As he shouted the entire room seemed to shake violently, I couldn't tell if it was all in my head or in reality, but I could feel it happening.

Suddenly, Aaron retracted as he gripped his chest like he was having a heart attack. He leaned back and lied down on the carpet.

"I-I'm sorry…"

I whimpered, reopened my eyes and I saw Aaron on the carpet. Upon seeing this I instantly rushed to his side and looked at him with a worried gaze.

"Aaron, are you ok?!"

I asked as I shook his body slightly, he looked back at me and smiled warmly.

"I'm fine, kid. And I'm also sorry for yelling at you like that."

He remarked as he leaned up, stretching his arms above his head as if reaching for the stars, before lowering them back to his sides.

"What time is it?"

He asked, looking towards the wooden grandfather clock situated in the corner of the room, it read that it was already 2:16 PM.

"Damn it, Cattleya's gonna leave in a few hours to go to Madame Fitzgeralds. And in the meantime, I think I'll teach you more about your abilities and how to truly utilize them."

He said with a chuckle as he turned back to me, but my expression told him I wasn't eager to learn right now.

"Well kid, you ready?"

I shook my head, my brows furrowing, making my forehead crease.

"Aaron, I-I think it's best you get some rest. I don't want you to exert your body like this, it's dangerous considering I just found out about your condition."

Aaron's eyes softened as a warm, fatherly smile formed on his face.

"I appreciate it, kid."

He nodded his head and stood up, his back making a loud pop. After he turned back to look at me.

"I guess I will get some rest, I believe you know best."

He gave me a quick wave as he closed the door behind me, only for it to open a few seconds later, and Cattleya poked her head in.

"Isaac, why aren't you ready yet?!"

I felt an instant wave of confusion wash over me, I wasn't getting ready for anything.

"W-what?!"

Cattleya paused, realizing she never told me this yet.

"Oh, it came to my mind that Madame Fitzgerald wants to meet you and your friend, and I find it best that you attend the meeting with me anyways, I could use the company."

I nodded slowly, a little put off by the sudden change, but I simply smiled at her before she tossed me a suit.

"Put this on, we don't want Madame Fitzgerald to be displeased by your appearance, she's picky about this kind of stuff."

I looked down at the suit, it was a classic dark gray suit with light gray pinstripes running down the fabric, overall giving it a timeless appearance.

"Thanks, Cattleya."

I walked over the door before closing it and giving her a smile, before changing into the suit, ready to attend the meeting with Shinso.