"The ritual didn’t just fail to separate the Abyss - it created permanent tears where the realms are still connected. That’s what most of the forbidden zones are. Places where the Abyss and a few other realms are still slowly bleeding into our world."
My blood ran cold as the implications hit me. "Then this place..."
"Is being gradually consumed," Zephyr finished. "And if the Great Resonance Pillars ever fail completely, these tears will expand until there’s nothing left of Alverria but another corner of the Abyss."
I gulped dryly, my throat suddenly parched. This felt like one of those scenarios where the heroes discover the world is secretly sitting on a ticking time bomb, and they’re the only ones who can stop it. The thought made me grimace. And...
Is this a foreshadowing of some world-ending catastrophe?
If so, then great. I was really short on having one on my survival list.
"...Those pillars." I began, trying to keep my voice steady. "What exactly are they? How do they work?"
Zephyr was quiet for a moment, seeming to weigh how much to reveal.
"The Great Resonance Pillars are massive structures created during the end of the Fracture Era," he finally explained. "There are seven of them in our continent, positioned at strategic points across the continent. Each one stands hundreds of meters tall and is made from a crystallized fusion of multiple rare materials."
He picked up a fragment of obsidian, turning it over in his hands.
"They work by creating a network of stabilized aura that reinforces the boundaries between realms. Think of reality as a fabric, and the forbidden zones as tears in that fabric. The pillars generate a constant field that prevents those tears from expanding further."
"But that’s not all they do," he continued, his expression growing more serious. "They also regulate the flow of aura throughout the world. Before the pillars, the aura was more chaotic and unpredictable; it was harder to use and absorb. Now it’s stable enough for people to awaken systematically and train their abilities."
I absorbed this information, but as usual, I hungered for more. "If they’re so important, why isn’t this common knowledge?"
"The pillars themselves are common knowledge," Zephyr clarified. "Everyone knows about the Great Resonance Pillars - they’re impossible to hide, after all. Massive structures that are tall, heavily guarded, and maintained by the best engineers and artificers in each respective region."
"Oh, I see." Thankfully, he didn’t suspect my lack of this ’common knowledge’.
"What’s hidden is their true purpose and the consequences of their failure. The public believes they’re simply ’ancient monuments that help regulate aura flow’ - which isn’t technically a lie. But they don’t know that without them, reality itself would unravel."
I nodded slowly, understanding the distinction. "So people see them as important infrastructure, not as the only things preventing the end of the world."
"Exactly. The governments and academies teach that the Convergence Era ended completely, that the threat is over. They don’t know that we’re still essentially living on borrowed time."
"And if people know the truth..." I commented, already imagining the possible scenarios.
"Mass hysteria. Panic. Possibly even attempts to destroy the pillars out of fear or desperation," Zephyr finished grimly. "Some secrets are kept not out of malice, but out of necessity. The world functions better when people can live their lives without fearing that tomorrow might be the day everything ends."
I nodded, but I didn’t totally agree with his words.
Secrets kept ’for the greater good’ end up biting everyone in the end.
History and most of the stories proved that much - people deserve to know the dangers they faced. The world functioned better, sure, but on a foundation of lies.
What was a man’s life worth if it was built on deception, even a well-intentioned one? The truth was a double-edged sword, a blade that could wound but also set a man free.
Then again, I wasn’t the one who should be saying these, considering what I did with my family and everyone else. Though my case was a bit special, the cases were still similar.
I also suspected that Zephyr didn’t fully believe his own words.
"But then why are we here?" I asked, shifting the conversation. "If this place is actively dangerous, if it is tainted by the abyss... shouldn’t we be staying as far away as possible?" My gaze swept across the bleached bones surrounding us. "Those Bonehounds were supposedly lesser beasts, yet they rivaled the greater beasts in strength. That must mean the creatures deeper inside are several times powerful and deadlier than the one outside."
"...It can’t be just for the training, right?"
"Mmm, that’s right," Zephyr admitted. "It’s not just for training."
He looked at me, his gaze intense.
"He brought you here for three reasons. The first is to get you acquainted with the Abyss and abyssal aura. It’s an energy that is inherently chaotic and dangerous. It will seek to corrupt anyone who comes in contact with it, and this place... is filled with it. If you wish to utilize your abilities to the fullest and not fall into the abyss, you must get used to it. And no place is better than here to do so."
"...It sounds like we are being trained to fight against the Abyss," I muttered, hoping I was wrong.
"..." Zephyr stared at me silently.
"What is the second one then?"
"It’s to push you beyond your limits. Those Bonehounds we fought? Their strength came from the abyssal aura they’ve absorbed over the years. They are living conduits of this place. If you can take them down without being corrupted by the abyss, then you will be ready to fight against the greater beasts and more."
It seems a fight with the Abyss was inevitable.
And Virion, being Virion, must have decided to train us harshly rather than seeing us fail later.
"What is the third one then?" I asked curiously.
"..." Zephyr looked at me seriously.
It felt like he was about to drop another bomb.