Atticus's thoughts raced as the pieces began to fall into place.
If the spirits truly intended to invade, why hadn't they done so already? Could it be that their presence on Eldoralth was hindered by some kind of restriction or condition?
His mind circled back to Ozeroth. Despite his overwhelming power, even he couldn't act freely without drawing attention and triggering consequences.
'There's more to this than meets the eye,' Atticus thought.
The spirits' restrictions, their interactions with Eldoralth, and their ultimate purpose. His thoughts churned.
'There are different worlds out there, but they seem to be graded. The spirit world is of a higher grade, which explains its strong inhabitants and their restrictions, while the Zorvans' world is a lower grade, just like Eldoralth.'
If any spirit could hear Atticus's conclusion, they would be shocked. He had figured out the mystery of the worlds with only subtle hints. Such a deductive mind was rare and almost impossible to teach.
'But… why would spirits come to a lower-grade world? Resources? Is there something here they don't have in their world?'
The Starhaven family was known for being peaceful. They hardly fought for resources or engaged in unnecessary disputes. Atticus doubted their reason was as simple as resources.
'There's something I'm missing,' he thought.
There were too many unanswered questions. Atticus couldn't pinpoint why the spirits had remained docile in Eldoralth for centuries.
'Or are they waiting for something?'
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get the thought out of his head. His conversation with Ismara had changed his perspective on spirits. What once intrigued him now made him wary.
Forcing himself to silence his thoughts, Atticus focused on training. He planned to stay in the Sanctum of Origins as long as possible before any major changes occurred. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on sensing the spirit energy and absorbing it into his spiritual well.
While Atticus trained, the people of Sector 8 were gripped by a wave of conflicting emotions.
Seraphina had done her best to keep information about Atticus and Ozeroth from spreading, but her efforts had been in vain.
While she could silence the members of the Starhaven family who were present when Ozeroth appeared, the spirits were another matter. Every spirit had felt Ozeroth's presence, and some knew about Atticus's involvement.
Before long, word spread like wildfire: Atticus, the apex, had summoned Ozeroth, a spirit considered an enemy to all of the spirit race.
Sector 8 revolved around spirits, with many people worshipping them. With the spirits fueling the flames, hatred for Ozeroth quickly spread among the people.
They felt conflicted. If Atticus bonded with Ozeroth, wouldn't he become an enemy of the spirit race? And by extension, theirs?
However, when they realized Atticus hadn't bonded with Ozeroth, they felt relieved. To cement this, many spirit fanatics flooded the streets, waving banners and protesting against Ozeroth, demanding he not be accepted.
In a single day, the situation escalated dramatically.
…
"This isn't right, Father! I've done everything they asked! I awakened a tier 6 spirit! After all the promises, she's just going to ignore us?"
The angry voice of a young man echoed through the room. Kaelan Starhaven, in his early twenties, had purple hair like all Starhavens. Despite his age, his aura was stronger than his peers.
His clenched fists trembled as he glared at the aged man before him.
Elyrin, a Starhaven elder and key member of the family, narrowed his eyes.
"Atticus's involvement has changed everything," Elyrin said. "The matriarch has always been careful about choosing a suitable partner for her daughter. Now, she likely sees more value in aligning Zoey with him."
Kaelan's jaw tightened, his anger barely contained.
"That bastard!" he muttered.
He had heard about Zoey and Atticus through Dante Starhaven, the top-ranked third-year student at the academy.
The news had enraged him, but he had still decided to calm down. In the entire history of the Starhaven family, Kaelan had been the only non-main family member to bond with a tier 6 spirit. Yet now, it seemed meaningless.
This simple fact ensured Kaelan's rise to the paragon rank. Because of this, Celestial had decided to tie him to the main family by promising his marriage to Zoey. Kaelan had been more than happy to accept, as he had always wanted Zoey.
It was Celestial's promise that had kept Kaelan unconcerned when he first heard rumors about Atticus and Zoey at the academy. But now, that promise seemed to be slipping through his fingers.
Not only had Atticus awakened the spirit element, but he had also shown immense potential, summoning a spirit that dwarfed Zoey's tier 7 spirit.
Now, it seemed as though Celestial was struggling to decide whether to honor or break the promise made to Kaelan.
"Darathon," Kaelan growled, and his chest lit up as a small figure materialized from the light. A spirit with delicate features, golden skin, and cascading hair hovered in the air.
"Tell him what you told me," Kaelan commanded.
The spirit nodded and spoke, "Ismara has already confirmed it. Atticus intends to bond with Ozeroth."
Elyrin's face darkened. Folding his arms, he began pacing the room.
"Hmm. If this is true, then this could work in our favor. The people of Sector 8 already despise Ozeroth. If Atticus bonds with him, he could become a pariah among the spirit race. We can use this."
Elyrin stopped abruptly and turned to Kaelan.
"I'll call a meeting with the other elders. We'll make sure the matriarch sees the risks of associating Zoey with someone who could become an enemy of the spirits. While we can't touch him directly, we can stop any chance of a union between him and Zoey."
Kaelan's jaw tightened, his gaze icy. Even as Elyrin left the room, his anger remained.
To him, his father's plan wasn't enough.
It wouldn't be enough.
He motioned, and a guard appeared before him, kneeling.
"Contact them," Kaelan said coldly. "Tell them I have a proposal."
The guard nodded, rose, and vanished in an instant.
As the guard left, Kaelan turned back to the window, staring out at the vast expanse of Sector 8.
His eyes were as cold as ice.