"So that means… any of us could use it too, right?"
His words rippled through the air like a stone dropped into still water, stirring unease and awe alike. Eyes turned toward him, each one filled with curiosity, and something deeper, a quiet hope.
Kaivan, who had been leaning against the table, lifted an eyebrow. His gaze sharpened, studying Frans, but before he could answer, the tension shifted again.
The same question hung in every mind: was the Tome truly Kaivan's alone? If Isabel could touch it, then what did that mean?
Heavy footsteps echoed from the hallway. Radit burst through the door, breathless and wide-eyed. "Wait, if Isabel can use the Tome Omnicent, then that means we all can, right?!"
Felicia appeared behind him, her gaze sharp and arms folded across her chest. Radit grinned, stepping forward slowly. "Alright then... if anyone can use it, let me try something."
Everyone watched closely. Radit reached out, brushing his fingertips against the book's rough surface with care. He took a deep breath, then whispered, "Who is my soulmate?"
Silence. Time itself seemed to stop. All eyes fixed on the blank page, no writing, no glow. The Tome of Omnicent remained still, refusing to answer.
Radit's expression shifted, from hopeful, to puzzled, to disappointed. He shook the book lightly and sighed. "I thought it'd give me a name or something." Setting it down, he forced a wry smile.
Felicia raised an eyebrow. "Maybe the empty page means you don't have one?" she teased, her lips curling into a mischievous smile.
Frans, standing beside Radit, stifled a laugh. "And here I thought you didn't care about romance," he added slyly. The teasing spread across the room, turning into shared smiles.
Radit quickly defended himself, like a kid caught doing something wrong. "Hey, I'm human too! That's just mean, Fel, saying I don't have a soulmate!"
Laughter erupted, breaking the tension. Zinnia covered her mouth, her eyes gleaming with amusement. Thivi looked down, shoulders trembling from quiet laughter. Ethan and Raphael exchanged glances before giving in to small smiles. For a moment, the heaviness in the air lifted, their laughter driving away the world's weight.
But once the laughter faded, silence returned. Their gazes turned toward the Tome of Omnicent, which remained motionless. Zinnia, still smiling faintly, stepped forward. Her slender fingers brushed the surface of the tome with calm confidence.
Her eyes were sharp, yet filled with hope. "Alright," she whispered, like a prayer drifting through the air. "Is there any secret about our journey that you can share?"
Still, there was no response. The page remained blank. No light, no words. Only silence that mocked softly. Zinnia inhaled, retreating with a faint, knowing smile that hid her disappointment. She glanced at Radit, who only shrugged in defeat.
Frans then stepped forward, his stance firm and composed. His eyes glimmered with determination. The air grew heavier, breaths held in anticipation.
"Fine," he said in a low voice. "Then tell me, how do I become stronger?"
They waited. Even Radit fell silent. But again, nothing happened. The tome stayed still, no ink, no sign. Only silence as the answer.
Frans exhaled slowly and stepped back. "Guess this book is a bit... selective," he muttered, trying to lighten the mood despite the disappointment in his eyes.
Radit clapped his shoulder. "At least we tried," he said, offering a faint smile of reassurance.
Frans smiled back slightly, then turned away. Even if the tome stayed silent, they all knew their journey was far from over. The Tome of Omnicent hadn't spoken yet, but that wasn't a reason to stop.
From behind, Thivi stepped forward. Her stride was firm, her eyes gleaming with quiet resolve. She had only one focus, the Tome of Omnicent. "Alright, my turn," she said, her tone calm but unwavering. Leaning close, her breath brushed against the ancient pages as she whispered, "When will I marry Kaivan?"
The world froze.
Every eye turned to Thivi... then to Kaivan. His breath hitched, his heartbeat pounding in his chest. The room was suddenly suffocating with tension. Felicia's glare cut through the air, her disapproval burning like ice.
Felicia clenched her fists, trying to stay composed, but her voice finally broke through. "You shouldn't ask something like that." Her tone was cold, eyes sharp. She reached for the tome, and the moment her fingers touched it, a jolt ran through her body.
Pain surged from her fingertips, and Felicia staggered back, head throbbing. The tome slipped from her grasp, falling, but before it hit the ground, Raphael moved. His motion was fluid, precise, catching the tome with one hand. He handed it to Kaivan, saying quietly, "Don't be reckless." His voice was steady, though weariness hid beneath it.
From the corner of the room, Isabel rose. She had been silent all along, observing. But she alone had succeeded in using the tome before. Determination hardened her gaze as she stepped forward.
Holding her breath, Isabel placed her fingers on the tome's surface. The ancient texture felt alive beneath her touch. With a soft, steady voice, she asked, "Who can use the Tome of Omnicent?"
Suddenly, black ink began to appear, letters forming one by one: "Only its owner, and those chosen by proximity to the owner."
The room fell still. Even Felicia, still clutching her head, froze. The words echoed in their minds. Who did it mean? What did "chosen by proximity" imply?
Kaivan stared down at the tome in his hands. His eyes gleamed under the dim light, shadows flickering across his face. The air felt dense, thick with something unseen, as if the future itself had drawn a little closer.
He spoke, his tone low and firm. "What did you mean by that?"
The tome's pages quivered slightly. Then, as if answering from a place far beyond, words surfaced again:
"In time, you will understand, Kaivan."
Kaivan's heartbeat thundered in his chest. His grip tightened, his thoughts burning.
He couldn't stop himself. "When will I understand?" he demanded.
The answer emerged slowly, like a whisper from the void:
"When everything is complete."
Kaivan clenched his fist. The words hung in the air, hauntingly vague, too mysterious to grasp.