CHAPTER 56: CH 56: COFFEE.

Throughout watching the video, Aegon has slowly become more and more immersed in it that when the waiter walked up to their table, he jumped back.

"Shit."

He immediately removed the earbuds and slammed the laptop shut.

The waiter took a nervous step back. "Sir, are you alright?"

’Am I alright? Fuuuck no I’m not fucking alright, how am I supposed to deal with a god with a god complex who can massacre allies like they’re bugs.’

But he just stared blankly at her until Cara answered for him. "Sorry, how bout two black coffees and sandwiches for us both."

The waiter politely nodded in understanding before walking away.

"Jesus fucking Christ, Cara." He mouth still remained open as his mind proceeded the gore he had just witnessed.

"Yup." She said flatly. "I didn’t show this to my dad, been too scared he’s listening in."

He rubbed the rigde of his nose, trying to keep his hands busy. "Sorry to disappoint you but I’m pretty sure he knows—"

"Wait, what?" She waved a finger to stop him. "Why would my dad know this and keep it secret."

"Because it’s not a revelation, it’s common fucking knowledge. Either they all know... or most of the people high up do."

"Bullshit." She cursed, refusing to believe him. "They’re heroes— they’re our teachers, they wouldn’t knowingly let an all powerful sociopath around us."

His lips stretched, subtly at first till it became a genuine laugh he couldn’t hold back.

"Except, yes they did. I’m sure principal Morwen knew, I’m even more sure Mr Collins, your dad, knew and I suspect Mirage knows too."

"Fuck!"

She cursed.

"If you don’t believe me you can ask him, I don’t think he’d deny it much tho. Your dad doesn’t sound like the lying type."

"He isn’t." Cara said immediately. "According to him, he’d rather split his head open with an axe than tell an unnecessary lie."

"Yupp." Aegon concord. "That sounds like your dad."

"Aegon?" Her tone withered down. "How the hell do we fix this?"

"There’s no fucking fixing this. We’re fucking Adepts." He pointed the laptop. "And that’s what he did to a team of Ascendents and a Transcendent. We are nowhere on his fucking level."

"Aegon, I can’t fucking live like this. I cannot live knowing how fucked up our most powerful hero is."

"..."

Her eyes shot wide open. "What if we ask V.A.L.O.R for help?"

He arched a brow. "You’ve said that before, what the hell is V.A.L.O.R?"

"You don’t know who V.A.L.O.R is?"

He sighed through his nose. "Oh that V.A.L.O.R, of course I know who is— No, cara. I don’t fucking know who V.A.L.O.R is."

"It’s the Veltharion Aether Licensing and Oversight Regime— basically they oversee anything and everything that involves awakened and awakenings.

And it’s very suspicious you don’t know the basic world history"

"How many people are under it?"

"The whole of Veltharion." He continued to give a blank look so she explained further.

"Veltharion is the nation we’re under but the entire continent is Aetheros— Aetheros consists of five nations; Veltharion, Solmyria, Orinthal, Ygraven and Aeralithe.

Each with their own Paragon—"

Aegon cut her off. "What about outside Aetheros?"

"Haa." She gave a light chuckle, whether genuine or sarcastic unsure. "I’m not here for a history lesson, just thank the gods that the Paragons are here."

"Ominous as hell but we don’t have time for that." Eli leaned back against the couch as he remembered something. "I remember Eli tell me that three Paragons have died before."

"Yeah. They did. Two from other nations during an anomaly attack and one from ours when she turned into an anomaly."

"When did this even happen?"

"The first two was about two years ago, an Transcendent attempted the Paragon trial and became a Thrall ranked anomaly.

And then the one from ours was a year ago—"

"Wait. Are you talking about Spectra?"

"Yes." She leaned back. "Surprised you even heard about her since you’re oblivious to the events of the world."

He didn’t reply. Just stared at her before she continued.

"According to the reports they said she attempted the next trial above Paragon and turned into a Kermite ranked anomaly.

The fight between her and Nightwalker destroyed about an entire city."

Aegon listened for a second, before he began shaking his head and laughing.

"Did I say something amusing?"

"No, not really. Just that you just said it took three Paragons and cost the lives of two of them to kill a Thrall...

But you somehow think that Nightwalker was able to kill a Kermite all by himself."

She folded her arms over her chest. "You think he had help?"

"No." He rolled his eyes and stared out the window. "I don’t think she was an anomaly at all. Either that or we don’t have the full story— there wasn’t anything else on the Academy’s network?"

"That’s all I could find for now. I can see what else I can find but I need to be on school grounds for this to go faster."

Aegon slid his hands into his pockets.

"Don’t think the Academy’s gonna be open for at least a few weeks and even when it does I think security is gonna be extremely tight."

Cara arched a brow and drew a long breath, already suspecting what he had in mind. "And what are you suggesting?"

"Think we’re gonna have to sneak into the academy."

He pointed a finger at him as a smile tugged on her lips. "Weren’t you the one giving me shit for creating Aethera."

Her gestures were theatrical. "And here you are suggesting trespassing. What, are you now a Bad-boy?"

He met her eyes and held it. "And what if I am?"

Her eyes stayed on his, a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes. "This world already has too many bad boys you know."

"Hmm." His lips pressed slightly. "But that’s the thing, I’m not just a bad boy, I’m a cultivating one."

She held back a laughter that stretched across her lips. "Cultivating Bad-boy huh? Well definitely this world can’t handle a cultivating bad boy."

The waiter returned and interrupted them. She set down the mugs of coffee before she left them.

"You know I’m kinda shocked you didn’t ask about the mercenary attack on the school." Cara asked.

"Thought it was permanently in V.A.L.O.R hands now." He replied as he blew on his coffee. "Isn’t it?"

"You’d think so but according to my dad the continent thinks that if mercenaries can attack an awakened academy, stop affinities and get away after killing a principal then it should be C.A.A things."

He scratched the back of his head. "What’s the C.A.A?"

She sighed, and rubbed the rigde of her nose like the words physically hurt her. "Continental Aether Authority, basically V.A.L.O.R’s boss.

They said they’re gonna have a meeting between the Paragons to address the issue."

"Damn." He turned his gaze out the window. "What I wouldn’t give to be at that meeting."