Aurelion stood motionless in the middle of the street, the world around him blurring as the pieces of a puzzle clicked into place in his mind. He replayed every moment from the swamp.
"Was her goal really to communicate with me, to get inside my mind?" he thought, his fist clenching at his side. "Or was it simpler? Was the goal just to deliver materials containing its energy to someone intelligent enough to analyze and use them for evolution to Nylessa? Was I just a courier?"
The thought sent a jolt of fury through him but, he took a deep breath, forcing the anger down. "No, calm down," he commanded himself. "Her goal can't be that simple. If that were the case, She wouldn't need me. She could have ensured this was discovered long ago. And she must have known I would never drink a potion contaminated with its energy."
