Making his way towards the inn, Aaron stopped at a local bakery for some cookies before continuing.
It was a small store, one that seemed to have been battered by the dust storms.
The little light inside flickered dimly, welcoming the incoming customers.
Taking in the invitation, he stepped through the door, the chime above his head signaling the man at the register to look over at him.
Quickly completing his order, he received the goods and paid the man for his efforts, as he felt unhappy about making the elderly work so late at night.
Taking his baked goods towards the inn, he decided on the way that instead of heading straight to his room, he would do some studying.
And so, after receiving the key to his lodging, he entered the vast library that had been connected to the inn.
Looking around the densely packed book chamber, he located a nice area far in the back next to a fireplace.
Glancing ever-so-slightly at the no-food sign, Aaron hid his future feast under his shirt, pressing it against his chestplate with the care of a parent carrying their child.
Hurriedly moving across the room and taking a seat, he checked around him, noticing the glances of no other people.
Smiling, he snatched a cookie from his pouch, taking a small bite of it and feeling the warmth spread throughout his body.
Tasty.
Relentlessly devouring cookie after cookie, he eventually decided to seek what he had come to the library for.
He found the history section relatively easily and located a tome describing the history of the Sea of Mystery, a textbook given to the students of the region.
Perfect… Now I can eat more cookies and read!
Returning to his spot, he removed the entire bag of cookies from his shirt, placing them in a covert location that no librarian could see.
Their scent wafted throughout the library as Aaron relaxed by the fireplace, his mind beginning to work in overdrive.
His hands were placed on the old leather-bound textbook filled with various bookmarks and notes from previous readers.
The sound of crackling flames and hushed conversations clung to his ears as he opened the pages.
This place isn't like the Sea of Dreams… I'll need to read anything I can about it before the third mission takes place…
Gazing downward at the worn text, he dived into the tome describing the past events of the Sea of Mystery.
As chapter after chapter passed, his mind became numb to the dense information being thrown into his head.
Going through various sitting positions and unusual postures, he continued to read for hours, the sounds of other library goers vanishing as time went on.
Retaining the information itself was a nightmare for the boy; only the vague facts of each section stuck slightly in his drowsy skull.
When the clock struck five, he felt all the motivation leave him, the warmth of the fire coaxing him into a deep slumber.
Just one more chapter…
As he thought the words, his body wouldn't listen, his brain shutting down, and his eyelids flickering lightly.
With his dreams beginning to overlap with reality due to his prolonged insomnia, he saw visions of the text he had read.
In a daze, he reached out his hand towards the maps, diagrams, and living words, before he felt his consciousness fade.
Drooping into a sleeping slump, Aaron sank into a peaceful sleep, worry and wear draining from his face as he snored gently.
However, even in his moments of relaxation in the dreamscape, history hounded at his door, barging its way in.
…
The earliest records of humans in the Sea of Mystery date back to an era long forgotten by man, before the years were counted and the Ghostships had appeared.
Seventeen islands are located within the confines of this sea, only five of these being large enough to sustain residential life.
Regional climates throughout the year are dry, desert environments that drain the moisture from most living beings.
Dust storms ravage the land during the fall and winter months, bringing mass destruction to homes, humans, and animals.
Plantlife, however, thrives during these violent blizzards of dust, redistributing nutrients throughout the farmland and boosting harvests that fall during the winter.
The population of this sea consists of only two hundred thousand, a majority living in the capital of Blackport Ridge.
Engravings similar to question marks appeared on any native born resident of the sea, their brain enhanced to inhuman degrees through this.
During the Era of Architects, records have indicated that those who contributed to the deepest intellectual thought were those from the Sea of Mystery.
Various construction projects, including that of the Library of Nautilus and the Vault of Nautilus, were built by this civilization, the latter still existing in the modern day.
Only one man is known to have ruled this sea throughout the Era of Kings, his intellect surpassing even the smartest individuals from around the world.
Cauron Thorn, born in the year 2981, remains the ruler of the Sea of Mystery, with his largest contributions to society coming in various forms.
Lord Thorn has professional accomplishments in astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, ecology, geology, terrology[1], mathematics, neuroscience, and finally corestical mana-synchronization[2].
Furthermore, his achievements in the field of electricity, alongside Elizabeth Quinn, have revolutionized the world to degrees unfathomable to science.
His Ghostship is said to alter the properties of life around it, shaping the laws of reality to its will while following three basic principles.
These principles had never been made public; however, speculation throughout the years has worked to decode them.
On a completely separate note, the southeast regions of the sea, low-level terrors roam around the edges of the Sea of Dreams and Sea of Curses, allowing for easy hunting.
Far north, bordering the Abyss, high-level terrors make nests that commonly feast on freight vessels that travel throughout the terrain.
Then, finally, in the western regions of the sea, mid-level terrors submerge themselves in the Trech of Kroeuna that stretches from the Abyss southward to the Sea of Ancients and the Sea of Songs.
Churches such as the Church of True Earth, Church of Depths, and Ordinance Sect have cathedrals on islands within the sea.
Many myths and legends circulate the Sea of Mystery relating to the odd name of this body of water; however, one stands out among the rest.
Long ago, during the unnamed age before the Architects, the blood of divine beings was drained into the seawater, mixing together and forging undersea currents.
These rivers of Heavenly ichor were told to flow towards one central point in the sea where an ancient being once resided.
No further information about the legend is known, nor the mysterious location of such a place; however, those who wish for adventures beyond the wildest dreams of man tend to enjoy the challenge of the hunt.
…
In the earliest stretches of dawn, Aaron's mind felt like a rock, information dim and foreign to him yet still apparent in his blank memory.
All that reading for this? If my memories weren't sealed, then maybe I wouldn't have to do that…
Sighing deeply and closing the book that he had fallen asleep reading, he scanned the library, noticing that he had been locked inside.
Eh? They left me here? Do I look like I need sleep that badly…
Rubbing his eyes, he dug deep into what he had read the night prior, picking apart the pieces of information that were useful to him.
Cauron Thorn really is brilliant… I never imagined somebody could have so many academic accomplishments and still have the spare time to become so strong. No wonder Eleanor chided me to read more…
Standing up and stretching, he fixed his hair while walking to the heavy oak doors that were locked and wouldn't even budge, no matter if he pushed or pulled.
If I go north, I'll run into an issue… Who could've guessed that near the Abyss, there is danger… But more importantly, why wasn't the Church of True Earth described much?
When he had first read the pages, the writer had glossed over the very religion he was going to be working for, an odd choice as he had gone into detail on both other churches in the sea.
Shrugging off the weird sensation tugging at his heart, he scrolled through his memory all the way to the end of what he had read.
The Old Man must've been busy back in his youth… He's the only one who could've possibly drained Heavenly ichor here, and he's now paying the price for it…
Silently offering a prayer towards that geezer, Aaron knocked hard on the door, trying to signal the attention of any custodian with keys.
After what seemed like half an hour of waiting, a woman with black hair begrudgingly let him out, a look of annoyance plastered on her face.
Rolling his eyes at her rudeness, the boy checked the clock, realizing it was only ten minutes until the time they had agreed to start their quests.
Groaning loudly, he headed towards the dining hall; the only preparations he could do at this time were to fill his stomach and hope for the best.
For he didn't know what would happen in the days to come, the long string of events that would lead him to a meeting with fate itself.
One that would shape his future in ways unknown to even the gods themselves who reigned from their heavenly perch.
[1] study of sea terrors and how they interact with humans
[2] study of how mana cores function in regard to various magics and physical/mental diseases