Whatever confusion Adelasta carried clearly did not outweigh the excitement the girl seemed to feel from discovering someone unusual lying unconscious on a beach. Her eyes moved over Adelasta carefully again as if trying to identify something invisible about her.
"Well," the girl said in Spheran. "Are you a Discordant?"
"A what?"
"A Discordant. They're really rare. Most people think they're... problematic. Not dangerous exactly, but strange."
Before Adelasta could even respond, the girl immediately continued.
"So, who are you? Nu, Xi, or Omicron? You know, your classification name."
Adelasta's expression became noticeably flatter.
"I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about. "
The girl froze briefly before squinting suspiciously.
"Okay. Then what part of Musicum Talentum are you from?"
She pointed vaguely in different directions while speaking.
"Concerto? Modernia? Antiqua? No, you don't really look like you're from any of them."
Adelasta pinched the bridge of her nose. Her head already hurt, she had no idea where Veneri or Milliania were, she had woken up soaked on a beach in some unknown realm and now a child was asking questions using words that sounded completely meaningless. For the first time in a while, genuine irritation started quietly building inside her. Even she had limits.
"Slow down, What is going on? And what are all these names you keep mentioning?"
The girl blinked rapidly before awkwardly scratching the side of her cheek.
"Oh. Right."
She stood upright like someone suddenly remembering basic manners. Then, placing one hand over her chest, she spoke formally.
"Ego sum Eta XXVI. Concordans Concerti Gradus Primus sum, talento Tympani praedita."
Adelasta stared at her again. The girl smiled politely like she had just explained everything perfectly.
"I did not understand a single word."
Eta XXVI blinked once before suddenly realizing her mistake.
"Oh."
She cleared her throat awkwardly and tried again in Spheran.
"My name is Eta Twenty-Six. I'm a Tier One Concerto Concordant talented in the Tympanum."
Adelasta remained silent. The girl's confidence visibly weakened.
"That didn't help, did it?"
"No."
Eta sighed and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Okay. Uh... Concerto is where we are."
She pointed toward the distant white city again.
"A Concordant is... normal here, I guess? Tier One means I'm still kind of low ranked. And Tympanum is my Musicum Talentum."
Adelasta narrowed her eyes.
"What exactly is a Talentum?"
Eta opened her mouth, paused and closed it again.
"You really aren't from around here."
Adelasta crossed her arms.
"No."
Eta stared at her for a long moment before asking something that seemed important.
"Do you understand Latin at all?"
Adelasta answered immediately.
"No."
Eta XXVI looked toward the sky for a few seconds like she was silently mourning her own luck.
"This is going to be a problem. Wait here. I'll get help."
Without waiting for a response, the girl immediately turned and hurried toward the distant white structures inland. Her strange ornaments clinked softly against one another as she ran, disappearing surprisingly quickly despite her age. Before long, Adelasta was left completely alone on the beach again. Only the sound of the ocean remained. Adelasta let out a quiet breath and immediately began assessing herself.
She had no injuries or interference. Her body felt perfectly normal.
She flexed her fingers slightly and silently checked her Tether and Divinity. Everything responded normally, including her Aeterium reconstruction and abilities. Even her energy circulation felt stable, meaning whatever had happened during transportation through the portal had not damaged her in any meaningful way.
That should have been reassuring. Instead, it only made her instincts scream louder. Something about this place felt wrong; not dangerous exactly, but unfamiliar. Her instincts warned her not to move recklessly.
Adelasta narrowed her eyes toward the direction Eta XXVI had gone. She had tried reading the girl's power earlier and found absolutely nothing. She had no Divine Presence, no visible energy signature, no mystical fluctuations, nothing she could recognize at all. Either the child was monstrously powerful to the point of hiding everything perfectly, or she genuinely possessed no power whatsoever.
Still, something felt off.
The way Eta XXVI casually spoke about things like Discordants, Concordants, and Musicum Talentum carried a strange weight to it. It sounded mystical, like terminology tied to a system completely detached from anything in Spheraphase. Somehow, Adelasta had a feeling those words mattered far more than they currently seemed to.
Five minutes passed quietly before movement appeared farther inland. Eta XXVI returned, though this time she was not alone.
Walking beside her was an adult man dressed in flowing white robes embroidered with silver details Adelasta had never seen before. Just like Eta XXVI, the design looked nothing like Spheraphasian fashion, carrying an almost ceremonial elegance to it. He had blond hair neatly combed back, calm brown eyes and an expression that felt strangely composed. Compared to Eta XXVI's youthful curiosity, this man carried himself with maturity and experience.
The two approached carefully. The man stopped a short distance away before speaking.
"Salve Valesne? Esne laesa?"
Adelasta stared. Eta XXVI sighed quietly and looked toward the man.
"Non intellegit linguam nostram. Lingua Latina ei ignota est."
The man blinked once before understanding crossed his face. He nodded slowly before speaking again, this time in fluent Spheran.
"If you understand Spheran, then you are from Spheraphase."
"Yes "
The man looked surprised.
"That is strange. We severed all ties with that world long ago so how exactly did you get here?"
"I'm searching for my companions. We entered a portal and I woke up here."
The man remained silent for a moment, clearly processing that information. Eta XXVI stood quietly beside him while occasionally glancing at Adelasta like she still found the whole situation fascinating. Neither of them looked hostile. Confused, yes, but not dangerous. Finally, the man gave a small nod.
"I see."
He placed one hand against his chest politely.
"My name is Epsilon V."
Normally, revealing her identity would not matter. But if Vasreveilder had anything to do with this place-and given how bizarre everything already felt, she could not dismiss the possibility-then openly declaring herself part of Dynasty Richinaria would be reckless. Richinaria carried too much significance now. Drawing unnecessary attention to herself this early would only complicate things.
"Adelasta Viaca."
Epsilon V smiled politely.
"A pleasure to meet an outsider. Still, we should try returning you home."
Eta XXVI nodded quickly beside him.
"Especially since you're a Discordant."
Adelasta frowned again.
"That word again."
Eta XXVI pointed at her.
"You don't have a Musicum Talentum. That makes you strange here."
Epsilon V gave a small nod.
"A person without a Musicum Talentum generally cannot exist naturally within this realm. Yet somehow, here you are."
Adelasta silently considered her options. She still could not sense Veneri even through her Bane and the Sapphire Bond. That alone unsettled her more than anything else so far. Milliania was absent too. Wherever the portal had sent them, it had clearly separated them.
"I'd appreciate the help."
For now, following them made sense. If danger appeared, she could simply fly away. Neither Epsilon V nor Eta XXVI seemed hostile anyway.