The conversations throughout the hall gradually fell silent. Every gaze turned toward the entrance.
Three figures walked inside with unhurried elegance.
The first thing I noticed was immediately their eyes.
Instead of ordinary pupils, intricate clock faces rested within both eyes, their delicate hands moving slowly in opposite directions as though measuring a passage of time that no one else could perceive.
The two men walking at the rear stood nearly nine feet tall, their broad shoulders wrapped in flowing light-blue robes embroidered with countless silver constellations.
Leading them was a woman who stood a little over six feet tall.
Long black hair cascaded freely down her back, contrasting beautifully against robes of pale blue that shimmered gently with every step she took. She appeared cute while the slowly rotating clock hidden within each eye gave her an indescribable air of timeless wisdom.
She looked...ancient from her overall features but her face was too cute to mirror the aura she was releasing.
Even before a single word had been exchanged, it was obvious why Gerald had spoken of their race with such respect.
They didn’t simply enter a room. They made time itself seem to slow down around them.
The moment the three Astrals stepped into the hall, my attention instinctively drifted toward their eyes. It wasn’t because of the clock faces themselves.
It was because I had seen those eyes before.
For a brief moment, one of the visions shown by the All-Knowing Eyes resurfaced inside my mind. While investigating the mystery surrounding the Twelfth Soul Current, I had caught a fleeting glimpse of a figure possessing those exact same rotating clocks within their eyes. At the time, I hadn’t paid much attention to it, dismissing it as another meaningless fragment among dozens of others.
Now...
I wasn’t so sure.
The realization lingered quietly in the back of my mind as Evelyn stepped forward to greet the newcomers, accompanied by Samuel and Marcus.
A warm smile spread across her face.
"Welcome, Sue."
Her voice carried none of the authority she normally possessed during council meetings. Instead, it sounded as though she were greeting an old friend after centuries apart.
"You look as beautiful as ever."
Sue’s lips curved into an elegant smile.
"Oh, Evelyn..."
She let out a quiet laugh.
"...standing beside you is a dangerous thing. Human beauty has always been terribly unfair."
Evelyn waved the compliment away.
"Don’t be ridiculous. My people still spread rumors that the only reason I never married is because you rejected me."
For the first time, genuine amusement appeared on Sue’s face.
"Really?"
She tilted her head slightly.
"This is the first time I’m hearing that."
Her smile deepened ever so slightly.
"If that’s truly the reason... we could always fix the misunderstanding."
Several nearby Ironharts immediately turned their attention elsewhere, pretending they hadn’t heard the conversation.
Evelyn simply laughed.
"Give me a little more time."
She gave Sue a playful wink.
"Once we’ve dealt with the Eternals, perhaps I’ll come and steal you away."
"I’ll be waiting."
Behind the two women, the Astral men remained perfectly motionless. Both stood with their eyes gently closed, their expressions completely peaceful.
Beside Evelyn, Samuel quietly lowered his head, and although he remained perfectly composed, the corners of his mouth twitched just enough to betray the effort it was taking not to laugh.
Sue finally looked around the hall.
"So...It seems we’ve arrived first."
Her gaze slowly swept across the gathering before eventually settling on me. The rotating clocks inside her eyes paused for the briefest fraction of a second.
"That must be Lord Billion."
She looked toward Evelyn.
"The human who challenged Verilux."
Evelyn nodded.
"It is. Come. I’d like the two of you to meet."
Only then did the two Astral men finally open their eyes.
Dozens of tiny gears hidden within each clock immediately began turning, their hands rotating at different speeds as both of them looked directly toward me.
I felt an inexplicable sensation wash over me. It almost felt as though they were... reading me not seeing me.
Beside me, Gerald quietly leaned closer.
"...Oh."
He scratched his beard.
"Trouble."
I glanced sideways.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean this conversation is about to become much more intelligent than anything I can contribute."
Before I could stop him, the old man casually turned around and wandered toward another corner of the hall where Dean had already begun pouring himself a drink.
"Coward." I muttered.
Evelyn brought the three Astrals to a stop before us.
"Billion."
She gestured toward the elegant woman first.
"This is Sue Astral."
She then pointed toward the towering man standing on her right.
"Ork Astral."
Finally, she indicated the last member of the delegation.
"And Dream Astral."
"They’re representing the Astral race during this expedition."
I stepped forward and extended my hand.
"Billion Ironhart."
Sue accepted the handshake gracefully.
"It’s a pleasure to finally meet you."
She studied me with open curiosity.
"Ork witnessed a glimpse of someone standing against Verilux several years ago."
Her smile widened slightly.
"We simply never imagined that person would be human."
That admission caught me completely off guard.
The Astrals guarded their visions almost obsessively. Information concerning the future was perhaps their greatest treasure, yet Sue had revealed it as casually as someone discussing the weather.
My curiosity immediately shifted toward the towering man beside her.
"If you don’t mind me asking..."
I looked directly into Ork’s strange clock-like eyes.
"...what exactly did you see?"
The giant remained silent for several seconds before answering in a deep, rough voice.
"The event has already entered the past. There is no longer any reason to conceal it."
He looked directly at me.
"I saw a lone figure sitting upon a blooming silver flower. The flower floated above a sea of countless others. Seven swords circled behind him. And before him..."
His gaze remained perfectly calm.
"...stood Verilux."
I blinked.
"...That’s incredibly vague."
"It is."
He gave a simple nod.
"Future Sight never grants certainty. It grants reflections. We are shown symbols. Not explanations. We spend our lives attempting to understand what those symbols mean."
Only then did it click.
The seven swords...
My summons.
The countless flowers...
The Saint Art I had only acquired yesterday.
The vision hadn’t been wrong. It had simply described the future in a language that only made sense after living through part of it.
Seeing my expression, Sue smiled knowingly.
"I imagine you’re wondering whether we literally see the future."
I nodded.
"Something like that."
"We don’t."
She gently shook her head.
"We see possibilities condensed into symbols. Those symbols are always truthful. Our interpretation..."
She laughed softly.
"...is another matter entirely."
Dream Astral finally spoke for the first time. His voice was remarkably gentle.
"Sometimes we understand a vision before the event arrives. And sometimes..."
His eyes drifted toward the distance for a brief moment.
"...we only understand it after history has already happened."
He looked back at me.
"That is both the greatest gift....and the greatest frustration our race carries."
Something about the way he said those words immediately caught my attention. It wasn’t simply the frustration of misunderstanding a vision.
It sounded...personal.
As though the three of them had already witnessed something concerning the expedition we were about to undertake...and had been unable to decide what it truly meant.