The next day, Bronya excitedly shared the good news with Orion. After school, under the envious and jealous gazes of countless classmates, Bronya Rand, the future Supreme Guardian, personally led Orion. They walked towards the magnificent fortress that symbolized power and order—Qlipoth Fort.
Passing through layers of heavily guarded gates and walking along wide, cold corridors, Orion's face showed curiosity and wonder. But deep down, he observed calmly. At this moment, Orion's Golden Threads of Fate had already spread out. Invisible threads, seemingly alive, quickly attached themselves to walls, floors, sewer pipes, and even the gaps in the guards' armor. He walked slowly, and the threads continuously extended. Building structures, room layouts, personnel configurations… Soon, a three-dimensional and constantly improving map formed in his mind. The guards' whispers, the rustling of documents in a distant office—everything clearly entered his ears.
Bronya led Orion to her living quarters. This area was noticeably more lived-in than the outer sections, yet still neat and solemn. Passing through a courtyard, Bronya stopped in front of a door: "This is my room."
Orion immediately suggested that he wanted to visit her room. Bronya's fair cheeks flushed, and she hesitated for a moment. But she ultimately couldn't resist Orion's persistence and gently nodded her agreement. Pushing open the door, the room's interior was vastly different from the girlish boudoir Orion had imagined. There were no toys, no dolls, except for a small Silvermane Guards-shaped ornament on the desk. Everything was meticulously organized, even excessively neat. One wall was a huge bookshelf, packed with various books, diverse in type, all leaning towards practicality and knowledge. On the other side, several exquisite gun models hung.
"Bronya, your room is quite special."
"Mother said that as an heir, one should not indulge in useless decorations," Bronya explained. Her gaze, however, unconsciously drifted towards the gun models; it was clear she adored them.
The two chatted casually for a while. Feeling that the time was right, Orion stood up: "Excuse me, Bronya, may I use the restroom?"
"Of course," Bronya pointed outside the door, "It's just to the left when you exit."
Orion thanked her and left the room, but he did not head towards the restroom. Following the guidance of the Golden Threads of Fate, he passed through several corridors and arrived at a large door. That was the Supreme Guardian Cocolia's office. The Golden Threads told him that Cocolia was inside, and she was alone. Strangely, she seemed to be conversing with "someone."
Orion's heart stirred, and at the same time, he focused the perception of the Golden Threads of Fate here.
"I know, the geode veins are almost exhausted, but there's still time, I'm still trying…" Cocolia's voice came through, filled with exhaustion and anxiety.
A chaotic yet tempting voice sounded: "Give up resistance… Accept this new world as soon as possible… Let those foolish Silvermane Guards withdraw… Embrace the blessing of the cold wave…"
Orion's heart tightened. This… was the Stellaron's whispering!
"Please give me more time!"
"I will make them… make them all accept it…"
[Knock, knock, knock.]
Suddenly, someone knocked on the office door. The voices inside ceased abruptly. The chaotic whispers instantly vanished without a trace. After a moment of silence, Cocolia's somewhat flustered voice sounded: "Who?… Come in!"
Orion pushed the door open and entered. Cocolia sat behind a large desk; she saw the black-haired young man enter, with handsome features and an age similar to her daughter Bronya, and couldn't help but be momentarily stunned. She quickly recognized the visitor: "Orion? You child… why are you here?"
"This isn't a place for playing around; quickly go find Bronya."
Orion was slightly surprised inwardly, but his expression remained calm. She knows me? But then he suddenly thought that with how close he and Bronya had become, it was impossible for Cocolia, with her possessiveness and methods, not to know. His information had probably already been on her desk. Fortunately, this identity was clean, otherwise she wouldn't have let him into Qlipoth Fort.
Orion respectfully bowed and said in a tone filled with youthful admiration: "Supreme Guardian, hello."
"Bronya told me your office was here." He paused, looking at Cocolia with sincere eyes. "You are Bronya's mother, and also our Belobog's greatest Supreme Guardian."
"I… have always admired you greatly, so I took the liberty of coming to say hello."
Cocolia looked at the well-mannered and earnest young man before her, and the fatigue on her face slightly dissipated. Although he came from the Underworld, judging by his upbringing, his new family had clearly educated him well.
"I can rest a little easier knowing Bronya has a friend like you." She nodded gently, accepting Orion's greeting.
However, just then, the severe headache that had been forcibly suppressed earlier struck violently again, worse than ever before! Although the chaotic whispers had receded, the mental backlash they left behind made Cocolia's vision darken. She clutched her forehead in pain, her body involuntarily swaying slightly.
"Supreme Guardian, what's wrong?!" Orion immediately took a step forward, his face showing concern.
Cocolia wanted to say "I'm fine," but the pain prevented her from uttering a single word; she could only wave her hand with difficulty. At this moment, Orion clearly saw wisps of black smoke-like aura continuously emanating from Cocolia's body, especially around her head, where it lingered. Cocolia herself seemed unaware of this aura. But Orion was all too familiar with it; this was precisely the power of destruction. He had seen this phenomenon in simulations. It must have been due to the Aeon of Destruction trait, which created some kind of affinity between himself and the power of destruction. Therefore, he was able to see these anomalies that ordinary people could not detect.
Perhaps, he could try… Orion then feigned anxiety and spoke: "Supreme Guardian, your condition looks like a severe migraine caused by excessive mental stress."
"We have an ancient massage technique in the Underworld that is very effective at relieving this kind of headache."
"How about… I give it a try for you?"
Cocolia was in too much pain to think at the moment, and upon hearing this, she instinctively wanted to refuse. What good could a child's massage do? But the bone-deep pain left her with no strength to refuse. She might as well try anything. She nodded with difficulty: "You… come over…"
Orion's heart rejoiced, and he boldly walked behind Cocolia. "Supreme Guardian, please relax and lean your head back on the chair."
Cocolia was somewhat resistant, but Orion's voice was gentle, carrying a hint of allure. "Please trust me." Perhaps the pain had made her drop her guard; Cocolia actually obediently leaned back against the chair.