Schools of fish darted past in shimmering trails, weaving between the ornate, Grecian-style columns that decorated the area.
Nearby Nereus and Jonny swam side by side, the tension from the earlier confrontation gradually dissipating as the vibrant, deep blues and greens of the sect's domain filled their view while Jonny vivaciously grilled him on the events from a short while ago.
"Holy halibut Argent that was amazing!" Jonny exclaimed with awe struck eyes. "Since when were you such a great Sealocke?! I mean you've gotta be at least at the Wave Ruler stage right?! Am I right? I am, come onnn you can tell your friend Jonny!"
Nereus suppressed a chuckle as he gave an eye roll at his plump friends' theatrics.
'Jonny's exaggerations aside... perhaps I did lay things on a bit thick back there,' he couldn't help but think to themselves, 'not only did I leave myself with an emptier than desired sea essence pool but I also may have given away a rough estimate of my capabilities...'
"You should've seen the looks on their faces ha ha! And don't even get me started on the dual affinities, that was ultra cool! But no the best part is that you did this in front of that snooty asshole professor I bet he'll hate having to report this to the higher ups haha!"
At that moment Nereus whipped his head back over to Jonny as the former's words registered in his mind.
"Wait what, why would he tell the higher ups about this?" Nereus asked genuinely inquisitive.
"Oh come on don't act like you don't know you having dual affinities makes you a sure fire talent worth keeping an eye on. I'm sure all sorts of rewards and perks will start pouring in after this!"
Nereus became thoughtful at this statement as he had not realized having such a meager number of affinities in this life would be such an accomplishment.
'Atleast this status will afford me some additional protections I suppose, but I'll have to take a look back at Argent's memories or do some research or something to confirm because how could this be, this world is so strange now... such a state would be an embarrassment back in Nepturion in it's prime...'
Becoming wistful while thinking of his past empire there soon was a stretch of silence between the two, but as they neared a fork in the coral-stone pathway, Jonny turned to Nereus with a somewhat regretful look.
"I'm sorry but I've got to run I forgot I have to take care of a quick errand for my father," Jonny said apologetically. "But how about we meet at the cafeteria in an hour?"
"Perfect," Nereus agreed as his quick mind had already Sect Library, a place that, according to Argent's memories, housed ancient texts and knowledge that might shed light on the vast gaps in his understanding of the current world. "I'll see you then."
With a brief wave, Jonny swam off down a smaller path toward the Inner Core, leaving Nereus to follow the main route leading to the library. The path was lined with bioluminescent plants that pulsed with a soft, ambient glow, illuminating the way forward.
But despite the tranquility, Nereus's mind was in turmoil, replaying the events from earlier and the memories of his past life.
His newly acquired knowledge about Argent's miserable existence was unsettling, but even more disconcerting was the stark realization that his race's legacy seemed utterly absent in the current world.
'Perhaps this library visit can provide me with some answers, or at the very least point me in the right direction...'
The Sect Library was an imposing structure, carved from the seamount itself and reinforced with gleaming nacre and glistening pressure reinforced sea glass, along with ancient Mer runes etched into the arches and pillars, giving the place an air of timeless authority.
As Nereus entered, rows upon rows of shelves stretched out before him, filled with scrolls, coral-bound books, and stone tablets. A few other Vorteesi clansmen, mostly middle aged looking, swam quietly through the aisles, their eyes intent on the knowledge before them.
'Hmm there's gotta be something here on us... I just have to look for it.'
He began in the history section, where volumes of tomes cataloged the rise and fall of various sea kingdoms, the wars fought, and the alliances forged.
Nereus scanned the titles along the first few rows, looking for anything that might shed light on the history of the oceans or the changes that had occurred since his demise.
However, what he found left him more perplexed than enlightened.
Volumes detailing the history of the Mer race were plentiful, with several sessions dedicated to Alistair Tritanus; much to Nereus's chagrin.
Yet there was a glaring omission—nothing mentioned the reign of the Leviathans, the mighty race he had once ruled as their king.
"W-What is this!" he couldn't help but utter aloud as his brow furrowed in frustration while he skimmed through book after book.
It wasn't just that his empire had been forgotten; it was as if it had never existed in the first place.
'Those traitorous Tritanus must be the ones responsible for this' Nereus thought as Alistair's face flashed in his memories, his thoughts darkening.
The complete erasure of his people's history wasn't just an oversight; it was deliberate, a calculated move to wipe them from memory entirely. The very thought stoked the embers of vengeance that still burned in his heart.
After a while, Nereus decided to shift his focus.
There was more to understand than just lost history—he needed to grasp how the world had evolved.
Moving to a section that seemed to cover modern technologies and advancements, Nereus found something unexpected.
Where once technology and advanced tools were monopolized by the Mer elites, it appeared that they were now far more widespread.
Crystals capable of harnessing electricity, devices that could transmit sound across vast distances, and even weapons once restricted to sect leaders were now available to the outer sect members.
This revelation left Nereus with mixed feelings.
He was now in a world that had moved on without him, and yet, he felt a thrill at the thought of mastering these new tools.
As he closed one of the crystal-powered book displays, a voice interrupted his thoughts. "I see you're interested in the more… advanced side of things. Not many your age take to these topics."
Nereus turned to see an old merman with a long, silver beard and wise, but oddly playful, eyes. His tail was a deep shade of indigo, streaked with lines of white that suggested age and experience. The merman floated closer, his movements slow and deliberate.
"Yes," Nereus replied carefully. "I'm just catching up on some… forgotten knowledge."
The old librarian chuckled softly. "Forgotten, eh? That's an unusual way to put it. But then again, you're an unusual one, aren't you?"
Nereus narrowed his eyes slightly. "What do you mean?"
The librarian didn't answer immediately. Instead, he asked, "You're looking for something specific, aren't you?"
Nereus hesitated for only a moment. "I'm looking for anything on Leviathans."
The librarian's expression immediately changed.
For a long, tense moment, he said nothing, simply staring at Nereus as if reassessing who—or what—he was dealing with. Finally, with a faint nod, the old Mer floated over to a remote section of the library.
"Not many ask about such things anymore… They're seen as old tales, myths even," the librarian murmured as he pulled a dusty, weathered tome from the back of a shelf.
The cover was worn and faded, with the only legible word being Legends.
The old Mer handed the book to Nereus with a strange, knowing look in his eyes before turning and slowly swimming away, disappearing back into the labyrinth of shelves. "You might find what you seek in there."
'Well that was strange... but let's see what secrets you hold' Nereus, his curiosity piqued, immediately opened the book.
What he found was both infuriating and heartbreaking.
The accounts of Leviathans, their grand cities, and their once-mighty dominion over the seas were presented as nothing more than fanciful stories, the stuff of bedtime tales to entertain merchildren.
His proud race, once the rulers of all oceans, had been reduced to mere folklore.
In these pages, the Leviathans were depicted as mythical beings—if they were mentioned at all—and their downfall attributed to moral failings and hubris, not the calculated betrayal and warfare that Nereus knew had truly been the cause.
"They turned us into nothing more than a children's bedtime story..."Nereus clenched his fist tightly, as the very water around him began to heat up the rage simmering beneath his calm exterior.
' I won't let it end like this...I can't let it end like this!'
A surge of mixed emotions welled up within him—anger, sadness, and a cold determination. If the world had forgotten who the Leviathans were, then it was up to him to remind them.
Lost in thought, Nereus nearly jumped when he caught sight of the electric crystal-powered clock on the library wall. The hour had flown by, and it was now time to meet Jonny at the cafeteria.
He closed the book gently, his resolve hardening with each passing second.
As he swam towards the library exit, the old librarian watched him go, a knowing glint in his ancient eyes.