The living room of the Caspius Manor's main residence has never been as silent. None of the three teenagers plans to utter another word. Then, Crisa emerged from the kitchen, "Anyone wants another glass of juice?" She said as she walked towards them.
Crisa noticed how awkward and silent the three had become, "What's wrong? Did something happen?" She asked with a soothing tone.
"Ah. It's nothing," Aeneas answered. He took a glance at Tiriara and smiled, "She's just acting like a baby," he continued.
"Who's a baby?! Doesn't your mom call you one?" Tiriara blurted out.
It was the start of another round of bickering between the two. Crisa smiled and skipped back to the kitchen without the three noticing. After enough back and forth of insults, smiles started to form on both of their faces. It turned to laughter when the spectator Neoma couldn't hold back hers.
"Aenie the baby," Neoma muttered, repeating what Tiriara said while laughing her heart out.
Halls filled with laughter, such is the kind of place the Caspius manor has always been to its core.
Aeneas rubbed his eyes then turned to Neoma, "It will be dangerous for you to go to the World Academy," he paused then turned to Tiriara, "Your heart must be telling you to become a Panteran knight like your father," Aeneas took a deep breath, "Even still, I was speaking the truth when I said that I'd feel happy if I see you both there. But in the end, it is your choice to make."
On the evening of the same day, Aeneas went to his mother with determination in his eyes, "I want to go," he said.
Lyra would inform the people in the Caspius Manor regarding her youngest son's decision. Although some of them felt worried and confused at first, they supported Aeneas as they did with Lois when she decided to go to the World Academy to become a researcher like her mother.
When Anastasia went back to Laochyro, Lyra asked her to tell Silas about the decision Aeneas made and the date they planned to go, which was on the ninth day of the month of Sagittarius (December).
Aeneas couldn't sleep on the night before his departure. The ceiling of his bed has never been as fascinating. He couldn't imagine the kind of life ahead of him. Dread and anxiousness filled the boy's mind. Did he make the correct decision? He had never imagined that he would leave the comfort and joy of the home he grew up in. But deep inside his piles of worries lies excitement.
The boy tossed and turned on his bed. When it seemed that sleep wouldn't visit him, Aeneas decided to check the belongings he packed. He made sure that all the important things he would need were there. Including books he was interested to read, especially the copy of the strange book his mother found. After that, Aeneas went to the table near the big window and sat down. Then, he pulled out the black egg from its incubator.
While holding the black egg with both of his hands, "Is this truly my fate, or just a dumb decision?" He muttered.
Squeaking noises came out from the center of the black egg. It startled Aeneas which made him almost drop the egg. After blinking a couple of times, Aeneas tapped the black egg, "Are you hatching?" He asked.
Though faint, he could hear the same squeaking noises after his question. It was as if whatever rested inside the egg was trying to communicate with him.
Aeneas stared at the egg with great focus. Lines and patterns slowly appeared on its surface. The boy turned to the body mirror in his room and removed the covering of his right eye. The Zeal of the Wise Serpent was glowing, emitting an emerald green light. He looked back at the black egg in his hands. With more focus, all the lines curved and waved, forming intricate patterns. It was oddly familiar to Aeneas, yet like a distant memory, the boy couldn't point out where he saw it from.
After a few minutes, Aeneas started to feel itchiness from his right eye. He held the egg with his left hand to rub his eye with the other. When he turned his hand, it clicked to him that the patterns were quite similar to the ones on his hands. With this realization, Aeneas stared closer to his hand and fingers.
The patterns were that of ten fingerprints scattered around. Aeneas turned the black egg and placed his fingers in the right spots. Once he did, the patterns he could see began to disappear and the egg turned to pure black, absorbing every single particle of light. Then, it cracked open.
Aeneas was confused to see a ball of darkness inside. It was pure black similar to the shell. Then a pair of eyes opened. At the same time, Aeneas's itchy right eye became painful, and when he locked eyes with the ball of darkness, ringing began in his ears, then came a headache, and before he knew it, Aeneas fell unconscious.
"Aenie? Why did you sleep on the floor?" Lyra said while trying to wake up Aeneas with her gentle taps.
"You need to get up now or we won't be able to board the airboat."
Slowly, Aeneas opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times and wiped the dust that went in his eyes.
Lyra noticed that the Zeal on her son's right eye was exposed. She took a small box out of her pouch and gave Aeneas another eye lens to cover his Zeal.
"What were you doing with your Zeal exposed like that?"
Aeneas gawked at his mother. He was trying to remember how he ended up sleeping on the floor. The moment he did, Aeneas began looking around with a frantic expression.
"What's wrong?"
"The egg."
"The one I gave you? Did you lose it?" Lyra asked. She took a glance at the table where the incubator was and noticed that it wasn't there.
"No. It hatched last night."
Taken aback, it took a few seconds before Lyra replied,
"You must've had a very convincing dream."
"I don't think it was a dream, mother," Aeneas told Lyra what he remembered. How he used the power of his Zeal to see patterns around the black egg's surface, aligned his fingers with the patterns and the egg turned to pure black before it hatched.
"There was a ball of darkness inside."
Lyra scanned the room, "Then where's the shell if it hatched? Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?"
Aeneas was sure that it wasn't one and tried to convince his mother.
"Okay, I'll ask Yri and Elu to look for it. You should change, Tiri and Theresa came to see you before we left."
"But…"
"They'll find it if it's here, I'll bring it to you when we find it. Now change."
Aeneas wore a comfortable pair of shirt and trousers. It was as suggested by Arsen since fancy clothes will only give Aeneas unwanted attention. The boy was still looking around as he changed his clothes. He even peeked under his bed. But, not a single clue came up, resulting in him questioning if what happened was just a dream. Still, the absence of the egg made him decide that it wasn't.
The others waited for Aeneas downstairs. Eluard gave him a hug and a similar whistle he uses for Aero as a gift.
"Reo Preda," Eluard whispered.
Yri, Issa, and Crisa also hugged Aeneas and said the same words as Eluard which translates to, 'You make Leo proud' or 'You are Leo's Pride."
Donos patted Aeneas's head and said the same words as them. Knights under Arsen did the same. Kyra was even tearing up. Had Rhene been still with them, she would've cried the same and Haemon would've teased the two of them till the end of the day.
Neoma and Tiriara were the last ones who told Aeneas good luck. They hugged him. Neoma was crying, while Tiriara was teary-eyed.
"I haven't made a decision yet, I guess you'll find out what I decided when you go to the Academy," Tiriara said.
Aeneas smiled, "Okay. Well, we'll see each other again, no matter what," he replied.
Both Tiriara and Neoma nodded their heads.
Arsen and a few of his knights, including Tereus, were the ones who accompanied Aeneas and Lyra to the port of Lapoli. Their journey to the port was smooth since a lot of knights were surveying the area to fight maddened beasts.
Before parting ways, Arsen placed his hand on his little brother's shoulder, "I am proud of you. I know you'll achieve greatness, baby brother," he said then hugged Aeneas.
"I won't disappoint you."
With a chuckle, "You never did, and never will," Arsen replied.
Aeneas boarded the airboat with Lyra. He had a big smile on his face, looking in the direction of the Caspius Manor as the airboat flew in the air.
Then, a familiar face went to the airboat's deck. Aeneas immediately recognized him. He was his first opponent and someone who defeated him in all their fights, Alistair Aurusmane.