Published at 21st of June 2023 08:01:02 AM

Ilyin and Aden stood in front of the wall, staring at the map that was carved into its surface. Pieces of the map were scattered across different regions, and Ilyin couldnt help but wonder if the future of Biflten was also depicted on it. She knew that the Miltons, with their ability to see the future, had likely carved predictions into the wall.

But as they walked down the hallway, Ilyins unease grew. The wall seemed to stretch on forever, and she couldnt shake the feeling that it might show the demise of Biflten at its end. The thought of a future where Biflten falls and its people are gone was too much to bear.

When they finally reached the end of the wall, Ilyin grabbed Adens hand tightly. There, carved into the surface, was the Biflten mansion, surrounded by vines and with children running around in the sunlight. Ilyin saw the sun shining down from the top right corner of the wall, and she knew that this depiction was of summer in Biflten.

But as she looked closer, she saw that the grass and plants in the field were waving in the wind. This was not the Biflten of their present. This was a Biflten of the past, a time when summer was still present.

Summer, Aden whispered, staring at the unfamiliar scene.

Together, they walked back to where the past was recorded, trying to piece together how summer had vanished from Biflten. The books offered no clear answers, and they were left with more questions than answers.

In the winter region, the past was considered a taboo subject. The people were too busy trying to survive to dwell on the past. The Duke of winter from previous generations had also been too preoccupied with protecting the people from the harsh winter and monsters to delve into the history of the region.

As a result, Aden had only heard a brief version of the past. But the drawing on the wall revealed a much more complex story.

This is Aden trailed off, taking in the wealth of information depicted on the wall.

The drawings showed that at first, monsters and humans interacted peacefully. But as they were such different creatures with different habits and ways of life, they eventually clashed. And it didnt take long for them to turn against each other.

Seems like the Miltons interacted with humans for a long time, Ilyin remarked, pointing to a series of drawings that showed the Miltons interacting mainly with the Delrose. They exchanged goods and seemed to spend time in each others company.

But as they looked further along the wall, the peaceful images suddenly turned violent. In the midst of the aggression were the four houses and the Miltons.

Ilyin remembered what Bertha had told her about the Miltons being the descendants of those who had avoided disaster. She couldnt help but wonder what that disaster had been.

As she studied the drawing, she saw that the four houses were attacking the Miltons with weapons, and the leader of the group wore the symbol of the Delrose.

Ilyin looked at Aden, whose face was grave.

It was all in the past now, and even if the Duke of winter in the past had driven the Miltons away, it didnt matter to Ilyin. The moment the Miltons attacked her, any connection they might have had was moot. Her ally was the Delrose, not the Miltons.

I dont care, Ilyin said, as she always did when Aden needed reassurance. She was honest, and Aden grabbed her hand gently in response.

The drawings on the wall took an unexpected turn after that.

Before we came here, when you were busy, I researched with other Delrose in the library, Ilyin said, staring at the drawings. Aden nodded, indicating that he knew about her research.

The common theme was that the books stopped mentioning sunlight in Biflten around 500 years ago, when the Miltons disappeared, Ilyin continued. She stopped in front of a drawing that showed the Miltons running towards the warm region, those who looked human dressed in robes and seeking shelter in the warmth. They looked angry and disappointed at the change in attitude from the humans they had been interacting with. Before they left, they came to this temple.

Ilyin and Aden approached the small door that was carved into the wall, a door that was just small enough for a human to fit through. Aden tried the door, but there was no handle.

But when Ilyin got close to it, the door suddenly opened, emitting a violet light and revealing a small altar inside. There were ten circles drawn on the altar, and Ilyin had the feeling that she had seen the black altar somewhere before.

Doesnt this look like the table in the basement of the mansion? Ilyin exclaimed. She was referring to the table they had seen at the coronation. Aden nodded in agreement.

It seems to be made of the same material, he said.

Ilyin realized that the table in the basement of the mansion was not just a table, but an altar. Unlike at the coronation, nothing happened when they approached it.

A sacrifice Ilyin said, looking at the drawing again. It showed the Miltons taking something from the altar, which had the ten circles that the previous altar didnt have.

It seemed that what used to require one sacrifice now required ten. But what did it all mean?