Celestial's silence was deafening.
At Atticus's subpar answer, all she did was stare at him intensely. That was it? If she were being honest, Celestial had expected something more. Even if Atticus had to lie, wouldn't it have been better than this?
Yet, even after several seconds passed, the silence lingered. It seemed Atticus had no intention of adding anything further.
Celestial suddenly shook her head as if clearing her thoughts. Her eyes regained their focus, and she walked to the side, folding her hands behind her back.
"Do you know the history of the Starhaven family, Apex Atticus? How we came to be a tier-one family?"
Atticus glanced at her, a bit surprised by the abrupt change in topic. 'Her aura has also shifted.'
He could sense it immediately. When she arrived, her demeanor had been calm and expressionless. But now, with his heightened perception, he could see her aura was slightly muddled, as if she was unsure about something.
'Let's see where this goes,' Atticus thought, his curiosity piqued.
"Enlighten me," he responded after a moment.
There was a brief pause after his response as Celestial reached one side of the room and stared at the wall.
She began to speak.
"We were once weak," she started.
"We were weak, beautiful, and utterly helpless. That was what defined us. Our beauty made us prey to the world. The strong turned us into concubines, playthings, and worse. Some of us were even sold into prostitution to serve those who ruled over us. We were dominated, oppressed, and left with nothing but despair."
She suddenly turned back to Atticus, her crimson eyes growing colder as she recalled the history of the Starhaven family.
"That changed when we encountered the spirits. On the entire planet of Eldoralth, only those of Starhaven blood could interact with them. The spirits were as lonely as we were."
"Through our bond, they gave us power. Power to stand up for ourselves, to stop being victims. Generations later, we've gone from the oppressed to one of humanity's leading families."
Her tone hardened, and the air in the room grew heavier.
"We owe everything to the spirits. Without them, we are nothing. And because of that, we owe it to them to create descendants with even stronger affinities to the spirit race."
Celestial began walking toward Atticus, her steps measured and deliberate.
"Ever since I learned of your relationship with Zoey at the academy, I was completely against it. Do you know why?"
Atticus nodded slightly. "Because I'd dilute her bloodline."
From everything Celestial had said, he could begin to understand her perspective. She wasn't complicated, instead, surprisingly straightforward.
A small smile appeared on her lips, surprising Atticus. In all the times he had seen her, this was the first time he had witnessed her smile. And in that moment, Atticus saw an uncanny resemblance to Zoey.
"Exactly. But now, I'm not so sure anymore. You're not of Starhaven blood, and yet your affinity with the spirits is unlike anything ever recorded in history. I thought it was right to reconsider, to see this as an exception. If the spirits themselves favor you, then perhaps…"
She trailed off, her gaze growing unfocused for a moment.
In the next moment, Celestial's gaze regained focus, and her next words were icy.
"But then you went and summoned that spirit. A being who is an enemy to all other spirits."
The room grew colder, the weight of her aura filling the space.
Atticus remained silent. He knew there was more to this, he could feel it. A tense silence descended until Celestial finally broke it.
"But this revelation…" she admitted, her voice softer now, filled with uncertainty. "It revealed far more than I expected."
"The spirit world. A spirit king. A spirit hated by all others because he refused to bow. And you… You have the greatest affinity with the spirits, and yet they are ready to cast you aside for daring to bond with him. I've always seen the spirits as pure, benevolent beings, but this—"
She hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"This is forcing me to question everything I've ever believed. It feels like my world is crumbling."
'There it is,' Atticus thought, his gaze sharpening. This was the muddled, uncertain aura he had sensed from the beginning. He knew there was more to her visit, but he stayed quiet, it wasn't time to speak yet.
Celestial turned back to him, her gaze piercing.
"Apex Atticus, I'm sure you've already figured it out. The spirit world, their purpose… Why are the spirits really here?"
Atticus's voice was calm. "I think you already know the answer to that question."
Celestial hesitated, her expression strained.
"B-but… they saved us."
Atticus tilted his head slightly. 'So, she's still conflicted,' he thought, understanding her turmoil.
Before this incident, Celestial's entire existence revolved around the spirits. She revered them. To her, they were everything. But now, that belief was crumbling.
"Let me ask you this," Atticus said. "You said it yourself, only your bloodline can bond with the spirits. If they could bond with anyone, do you think they would've chosen you in particular?"
Her eyes widened slightly as the implication sank in. 'He's right.'
If she was being completely honest with herself, Atticus had a point. The spirits had come to them because of their affinity, not because they wanted to save them.
"Stop making them out to be saints," Atticus continued. "There were millions of people suffering then. Why did they only help you?"
Celestial's gaze grew clouded, her mind swirling with conflicting thoughts. The only reason the spirits had helped them was that there was no other choice.
But then she suddenly shook her head, refusing to accept it.
"It doesn't matter," she said firmly. "They still saved us. That fact doesn't change, even if they had ulterior motives."
Atticus gave her a faint smile and nodded.
"It seems you've already formed an opinion," he said.
Celestial frowned, confused. "Pardon?"
"You have doubts," Atticus said plainly. "Why don't you just state them? I won't waste time convincing you otherwise."