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Phainon fisted his hands by his side, struggling to keep still. He rarely got angry, but hearing the words of his colleagues and friends for many years made him stir in his annoyance.
Eight of the chrysos heirs sat around the circle marble table, discussing and arguing, surrounded by the high stone pillars.
“Honestly, Mydei, whatever you are implying, It’s clear that it will not be useful.” Aglaea voiced her thoughts. “I mean, we're looking for a way to raise the beliefs of the people of Amphoreus, not diminish them.”
Mydei responded by standing up abruptly and slamming his fists on the table. “Do you think that I am a fool? At least I am giving suggestions! Go ask the others, and see if they have a better idea!”
It was what they were here for. Currently, the faith in titans were decreasing, meaning their coreflames were losing power. Shouldn’t their existence be proof enough that the titans were still around?
Hyacine politely raised her hand, careful not to join the fighting. Phainon took a deep breath and gestured for her to speak.
“Can’t we just show them our coreflames?” She suggested, yet that idea was quickly shut down by Cipher.
“Nah, that’s a pretty bad idea. Do you realize how many enemies are waiting for that moment? We can’t leave ourselves exposed for even a second.”
Hyacine pursed her mouth and stared at her shoes in embarrassment.
“Well.” Tribbie giggled. “Maybe let’s start with the reason why they’re losing faith.”
Castorice spoke quietly. “It’s because they haven’t seen the titans in so long, right?”
Tribbie in return snapped her fingers. “Exactly! Now with that, what solutions do we get from that?”
Yet the room stayed silent, no options popping up. Mydei sighed and closed his eyes. “There’s one person here who hasn’t suggested anything at all.” Phainon’s gaze shifted to Anaxa, the foolish. He felt as if he could already predict his answer.
Mydei continued. “Are you not the one that holds the most knowledge out of all of us? Surely you had to come up with at least one strategy.
Anaxa opened his previously closed eye while spinning his ring. He stayed quiet for a few more seconds, then spoke the most absurdist of words. No wonder he’s called foolish.
“Why should we have to feed them lies? Everyone here all knows that the titans have left us, we can only tell the truth now.”
That one sentence threw the entire table into a fierce battle of words and insults, the complete opposite of how Phainon wanted this meeting to turn out.
He could feel his blood rising by the second. He would usually calm down the entire table, but he knew that today, they wouldn’t be getting anywhere.
He stood up and raised his voice in aggression. “Shut it!”
And with that, everyone stopped, stunned by the unusual anger in their leader's voice. Phainon closed his eyes and raised a hand to his forehead, sitting back down. “Apologies for my words. I think this concludes today's meetings. Maybe tomorrow, we’ll have more luck.”
Everyone stood up, leaving through the large marble door. Mydei placed a hand on Phainon’s shoulder, looking at him with something that could be described as pity.
“You alright?”
He patted the hand in return. “I’m doing fine, just frustrated. You go on ahead, I’ll meet you outside.”
Mydei nodded and walked through the door.
“Anaxa, could you stay here a little longer?” He commanded the moment Anaxa stood before the door.
Aglaea seemed to overhear this, and turned around with a confused expression. “Are you making him think of a plan even though our meeting is over? That seems a bit cruel, even for you.” She smiled softly, yet her tone had not matched with her face
The three flame chasers in the room all had titans that represented the group of creation, but at this moment, they appeared to be at a standstill.
Phainon smiled back and tilted his head. “Don’t worry, I’m not making him stay for any of those sorts of things. You may leave now, Aglaea.”
Aglaea nodded, her worry clearing up, allowing one of her models to assist in leading her to leave. Her blindness was her flaw, yet it still didn’t stop her from being a great leader to the amphoreans.
She gave Anaxa a small, yet radiant smile, and left. As soon as her presence was gone, Phainon’s grin vanished, and glared at Anaxa.
“What are you trying to do?” He interrogated as he walked towards him.
Anaxa replied sternly. “I don’t know what you’re implying.”
Phainon’s eyebrows furrowed. “Sure, you don't. Like the reason isn’t obvious.”
Anaxa sighed and crossed his arms, his expression cold as ice and still as stone. “Is this about when I said to tell them the truth? It was only an honest suggestion.”
The other huffed. “It’s not the truth, it’s your theory. If the titans have really left us, then not even a trace of our powers would be there.”
Phainon could feel his patience thinning by the minute.
“That could also be considered a theory as well. What differentiates your guess from mine?”
Then his patience snapped.
“Think of the people of Amphoreus!” He yelled, and his voice echoed across the halls. “How do you think they’ll react when they’re told that the gods they’ve cared about so much have left them? What do you think will happen to our powers then?”
Anaxa looked at him up and down, seeming to judge him for his outburst. “So what is it you're saying? That our abilities are built up on lies?”
Phainon stiffened at that sentence. “You’re getting it wrong.”
The other just blinked at that. “Why are you getting so emotional? It’s not like you to be like that.”
The blue eyed scoffed. “Like you would understand.”
To others, this would be considered an insult, but with Anaxa, he was simply telling the truth. Anaxa was unable to feel any emotions-at all. No joy, no excitement.
No love.
He could only use facts and logic.
Maybe this was why Phainon felt something akin to condolences for Anaxa.
But at the same time, he was jealous. Jealous that Anaxa would never be sad. Never grieving. Never scared, not like he was now.
He was scared.
Phainon was scared for their lives, their leadership, the titans and the people of Amphoreus. He was scared that Anaxa was right; That their status was built on lies.
If the scholar was right, then that means that their existence was built on false tales too.
But before they could continue the argument, Anaxa walked up to him, and placed a hand on his cheek.
It was cold- Cold as snow, but Phainon still couldn’t help but feel comforted by it as he leaned into the touch.
The thoughts of arguing left his mind.
“Phainon,” Anaxa began, and Phainon noticed that a voice that was previously so calculating and stern was replaced by the calmness of a moon. “You will have worse challenges in the future. You will find a solution soon enough.”
Phainon leaned close to Anaxa, to the point where their breaths were mingling, and the foolish continued.
“You are a perfect vessel, the only one; You will exceed and lead all of us, so don’t worry on such trivial matters.”
Perfect vessel?
How could he forget when it’s all he was told he was?
“However,” Anaxa closed the distance between them. "You are also more than that. Remember my words.”
Then Anaxa just left. No explanation.
Phainon blinked, then laughed, all alone.
---
The Grove of Epiphany was where all scholars belonged.
Throughout the dark green forest and the black vines, Anaxa reached for the one light. Its presence held laughter, and a warm feeling.
“Weird.” Anaxa muttered to himself.
When he touched the light, he felt a flash, and then a vision. A striking lady adorned with gold roses, A wise individual, gone through countless otherworldly experiences. A halovian, seeking a future beyond penacony. A man looking for an escape from the past. Then a gray haired person.
With the presence of a stellaron.
A train zooming past countless destinations and planets,
The Astral Express.
Didn’t the train crash before? Did someone build it again? Before he could ponder on it any longer, a strong voice was heard.
“Anaxa, there you are.”
He turned his head to see Phainon, in all his glory leaning near a tree with a charming grin on his face. He turned back to his scroll that he was previously reading.”Hello Phainon.”
The other pouted and walked over until they were not even a meter away from each other. Anaxa looked up and sighed. “What are you doing?-”
Anaxa didn’t even get a chance to finish his question before Phainon fell to his knees to rest his head on Anaxa’s lap.
He stiffened up, then began to stroke Phainon’s white hair.
In the calming iridescent light of the Grove of Epiphany, two people stay, entangled in each other's arms amidst the chaos in their world.
Even the coldest of ice melts in the warmth of the sun.