10-04-2013, 06:34 AM
Aria sat for several hours focusing on the paper that had been hiding in her tome. It was only one piece and it was highly valued. It was piece of a much larger collections of meaningless words and pictures. The words meant nothing. She could feel nothing. Her hand hovered millimeters above the paper, it was almost as she could feel the heat of the words etched into her palms.
Aria took a deep breath and put one finger on the clean edge of the parchment. It felt crisp to the touch, it felt old. Aria quickly withdrew with sudden pain. Aria had been so intent on not touching the paper she figured it had to do with her fears.
But she wasn't sure. She hadn't felt anything particular, but the fire in her palm had eased and the one finger felt the pain. It was a fleeting moment. But it had been there.
Aria touched the paper again. She closed her eyes and reached into the void into the nothingness that kept her safe. Aria touched the paper again, this time following the top of the paper. Aria slowly ran her fingers around the edge of the parchment. She opened her eyes and stared at the meaningless words. She ran her finger over the image of the segmented snake. Death, destruction overwhelmed her. Aria pulled her hand back violently.
Her heart was racing, her body ached with fear. But she had to figure out what it meant. The Regus could do much more than fire her from the job. He could find any other Furia to do this she was sure of it. He'd not let her get away so easily, she as sure of that. Death was the only way out of the Atharim. She sighed and touched the first letter on the page.
Nothing.
Aria sighed. Her own fears were getting in the way of the work. Aria got up and walked around the library. She wasn't looking for anything specific, or walking for any other purpose other than to collect her thoughts and gather her emotions. There was something comforting among the old dusty tomes of the past and the present. She wondered if the future could be foretold in those prophecies that so many of the books contained.
Too much time had passed. The hour was getting late, but Aria had to try again. The library was nearly empty. But she sat back down at the desk she'd been using and pulled her self into the nothingness. No emotions. Aria sighed. "Maybe letting go is what's needed." She muttered to herself.
Aria released the emptiness. Her own emotions rushed in and Aria nearly gasped with pain. It was hard to feel that much when you felt everything else around you. The library wasn't as empty as she'd thought. Still only a few. Aria tried to focus on only one thing. The paper before her. She pushed everything else away. She didn't lock it away from her, just pushed it aside.
Sweat started to bead on Aria's forehead as she tried to keep everything else away from her but the paper. It was difficult, and it was going to be even harder once she touched the paper.
But that's exactly what Aria did. Aria carefully touched the ancient paper with the tip of her finger. And then the palm of her hand. It was hard to decipher, but she could feel something. Death. But it wasn't death. Dead. Emotions turned to pictures as her mind tried to interpret the emotions. Her own interpretations. Not dead or death. Slain.
Aria's own emotions mixed with that of the paper. The two mingled and fear rose in Aria's heart. Slain Atharim. Not right either. Aria glanced at the top of the paper and it struck her like lightning. Slain ouroboros.
Aria had no idea what that could mean other than it was the symbol all Atharim wore. It was her own fear that made the connection, her own death. But it wasn't talking about her or even the Atharm specifically.
But there was always more. Who slays the ouroboros? She knew that would be the next question the Regus would ask.
Aria carefully picked up her hand from the parchment. Aria looked at where her hand was, there was no damage that she could see. She wanted to just run her hand along the words, but that could destroy the parchment itself. That was the last thing she wanted to do.
Aria put her hand down in a different place on the paper, the same death and destruction. World shattering destruction. Fear, confusion. It was every thing you'd expect to feel from the end of days.
She couldn't find the words. Something obscure kept coming to her mind. Apollyon. Aria had no idea what that was, or if it meant anything. But here it was. It kept repeating itself in her mind. Aria didn't remember where she heard it before.
It was all doom and destruction. Nothing else was left. Aria got up from her seat and took herself away from the doom and gloom and wrapped herself in the comfortable bubble before losing the contents of her stomach in the nearby garbage bin. When there was nothing left Aria wrote down in the journal she'd been working in what she'd felt. At the end she wrote. "I can't do anymore."
The utter emotions from the paper made Aria fear for her life, and the life of those around her. It had to be an end of days prophecy but Aria couldn't tell the Regus anymore than what she'd written down. It was too much for her.
Aria crashed in the arm chair in the room. She hadn't even had time to curl up with a good book before her body collapsed with exhaustion.
Aria took a deep breath and put one finger on the clean edge of the parchment. It felt crisp to the touch, it felt old. Aria quickly withdrew with sudden pain. Aria had been so intent on not touching the paper she figured it had to do with her fears.
But she wasn't sure. She hadn't felt anything particular, but the fire in her palm had eased and the one finger felt the pain. It was a fleeting moment. But it had been there.
Aria touched the paper again. She closed her eyes and reached into the void into the nothingness that kept her safe. Aria touched the paper again, this time following the top of the paper. Aria slowly ran her fingers around the edge of the parchment. She opened her eyes and stared at the meaningless words. She ran her finger over the image of the segmented snake. Death, destruction overwhelmed her. Aria pulled her hand back violently.
Her heart was racing, her body ached with fear. But she had to figure out what it meant. The Regus could do much more than fire her from the job. He could find any other Furia to do this she was sure of it. He'd not let her get away so easily, she as sure of that. Death was the only way out of the Atharim. She sighed and touched the first letter on the page.
Nothing.
Aria sighed. Her own fears were getting in the way of the work. Aria got up and walked around the library. She wasn't looking for anything specific, or walking for any other purpose other than to collect her thoughts and gather her emotions. There was something comforting among the old dusty tomes of the past and the present. She wondered if the future could be foretold in those prophecies that so many of the books contained.
Too much time had passed. The hour was getting late, but Aria had to try again. The library was nearly empty. But she sat back down at the desk she'd been using and pulled her self into the nothingness. No emotions. Aria sighed. "Maybe letting go is what's needed." She muttered to herself.
Aria released the emptiness. Her own emotions rushed in and Aria nearly gasped with pain. It was hard to feel that much when you felt everything else around you. The library wasn't as empty as she'd thought. Still only a few. Aria tried to focus on only one thing. The paper before her. She pushed everything else away. She didn't lock it away from her, just pushed it aside.
Sweat started to bead on Aria's forehead as she tried to keep everything else away from her but the paper. It was difficult, and it was going to be even harder once she touched the paper.
But that's exactly what Aria did. Aria carefully touched the ancient paper with the tip of her finger. And then the palm of her hand. It was hard to decipher, but she could feel something. Death. But it wasn't death. Dead. Emotions turned to pictures as her mind tried to interpret the emotions. Her own interpretations. Not dead or death. Slain.
Aria's own emotions mixed with that of the paper. The two mingled and fear rose in Aria's heart. Slain Atharim. Not right either. Aria glanced at the top of the paper and it struck her like lightning. Slain ouroboros.
Aria had no idea what that could mean other than it was the symbol all Atharim wore. It was her own fear that made the connection, her own death. But it wasn't talking about her or even the Atharm specifically.
But there was always more. Who slays the ouroboros? She knew that would be the next question the Regus would ask.
Aria carefully picked up her hand from the parchment. Aria looked at where her hand was, there was no damage that she could see. She wanted to just run her hand along the words, but that could destroy the parchment itself. That was the last thing she wanted to do.
Aria put her hand down in a different place on the paper, the same death and destruction. World shattering destruction. Fear, confusion. It was every thing you'd expect to feel from the end of days.
She couldn't find the words. Something obscure kept coming to her mind. Apollyon. Aria had no idea what that was, or if it meant anything. But here it was. It kept repeating itself in her mind. Aria didn't remember where she heard it before.
It was all doom and destruction. Nothing else was left. Aria got up from her seat and took herself away from the doom and gloom and wrapped herself in the comfortable bubble before losing the contents of her stomach in the nearby garbage bin. When there was nothing left Aria wrote down in the journal she'd been working in what she'd felt. At the end she wrote. "I can't do anymore."
The utter emotions from the paper made Aria fear for her life, and the life of those around her. It had to be an end of days prophecy but Aria couldn't tell the Regus anymore than what she'd written down. It was too much for her.
Aria crashed in the arm chair in the room. She hadn't even had time to curl up with a good book before her body collapsed with exhaustion.