354. Buried Memories Part 4

“Argh… I can’t find any current military patrol information for the imperial knights anywhere!” Young Ravenna huffed out loud in sheer frustration, sitting in the center of the restricted Imperial Archive. She was completely surrounded by towering stacks of old military maps, strategic blueprints, and dusty historical documents.

Adult Ravenna let out a heavy, weary sigh. “So just stop looking into it for your petty revenge, you brat! There is absolutely no way this ends well!” Of course, she knew her younger self couldn’t hear a single word of her warning anyway.

“Ah...! I can just analyze the general structural plans of the city and figure out a safe place based on that!” Young Ravenna suddenly proclaimed, a triumphant grin breaking across her face. “Master has been teaching me tactical geography, after all!”

With newfound excitement, she aggressively scrambled over to the shelf containing the detailed maps of Foster Liam.

“You absolute idiot!” Adult Ravenna panicked.

A sudden, jarring wave of deep, visceral dread washed over her. She could vividly recall the phantom echo of the horrifying emotions tied to what was about to happen next in this memory, even if she couldn't clearly visualize the exact events just yet. Unaware of the future, young Ravenna carefully marked a specific location right in the center of Foster Liam’s main topographical map, giggling to herself and thinking she was an absolute tactical genius.

A few days later, while another grand banquet was taking place in the main wing of the palace, young Ravenna sneaked out to a secluded corner of the courtyard, with a young Alice tagging faithfully behind her. Out of the darkness of the night, Nicola materialized, slipping out of the festive hall while ensuring no prying onlookers could track his movements.

“You really want this artifact, don't you... Your Highness?” Nicola smiled faintly, stepping forward. He held out the mysterious, Rubik’s cube-like object, resting alongside an ancient, weathered document.

Young Ravenna merely nodded, swiftly snatched the prize, and maintained her usual haughty, proud expression. “Hmph. Of course. And here is your map. According to what I know, this specific sector is where there are the fewest imperial patrol routes.”

“Thank you. I won’t waste any more of your valuable time, Your Highness,” Nicola nodded respectfully, taking the parchment. Before he turned his back to melt into the shadows, he paused and added in a quiet, intriguing whisper, “Just as a token of gratitude, here is something interesting we uncovered about that artifact during our research. The Great Hero Luminous frequently coined a unique term for himself, referring to his own identity as an 'Otherworlder' before the eyes of the gods. According to the private accounts noted by the Saintess of the time and preserved records within the Solious Church, an Otherworlder is defined as a person who originates from 'another world'... whatever that means.”

Without waiting for young Ravenna’s response, he silently turned and walked away into the heavy darkness.

“Hero Luminous... was an Otherworlder? It’s exactly like I suspected all along...” Adult Ravenna muttered to herself.

She stared intently at the spot where Nicola had just vanished, her heart sinking like a stone as she realized the horrifying weight of what was to come. She knew full well what the little girl’s mistake was about to cost the innocent people of Foster Liam.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

She stared intently at the spot where Nicola had just vanished, her heart sinking like a stone as she realized the horrifying weight of what was to come. She knew full well what the little girl’s mistake was about to cost the innocent people of Foster Liam.

Young Ravenna rushed toward the isolated Museum wing of the palace, her feet moving as fast as they could manage while young Alice followed closely behind her, breathless and worried. “Where are you going, Ravenna? Nobody ever comes into this wing anymore…”

Young Ravenna smiled back over her shoulder, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of mischief and pride. “I saw a record in the archives that says there is a special, hidden vault inside the Hero Luminous Museum! It only opens for the specific person who locked something inside it, and the old documents say it’s been completely empty for twenty years! I am going to place this artifact right in it!”

“But... didn’t the novel’s epilogue explicitly state that the vault had an immense amount of money hidden inside it when Eugene found it?” adult Ravenna muttered to herself, her brow furrowing in confusion as she walked after the two running children.

Reaching the hidden chamber, young Ravenna pulled back a heavy curtain, revealed the intricate mechanism, and opened the secret vault. She placed the metallic, cube-like artifact safely inside and sealed it up tight by pressing her hand against a small, withered flower carved onto the display shelf sealing magically again. It was the exact same hidden vault that adult Ravenna had accidentally opened right before her sudden exile.

“I... is this the real reason why the Universal Origin artifact was hidden there all along?” adult Ravenna murmured, staring at the sealed compartment. “But then, why didn't I see any trace of this when I first inherited Ravenna’s memories...?”

Before she could form another thought, the vibrant museum scene dissolved around her. The clean marble walls bled away, replaced by a suffocating atmosphere of pure despair, political tension, and the faint, ghostly stench of spilled blood.

Grand Throne Room, The Imperial Court, Imperial Palace, Capital City, Ancorna Empire

The memory solidified into a scene occurring weeks later, following the immediate aftermath of the horrific Foster Liam massacre. The massive court hall was entirely silent, save for the furious, echoing voice of one man standing at the center of the floor.

“It was a peaceful gathering! An innocent, peaceful assembly of over three thousand people, and nearly every single soul was slaughtered in cold blood!” Duke Albert Roland roared, contesting the military's actions before the assembled high nobility. His usual mischievous, calculating demeanor was entirely shattered, replaced by a raw, bleeding agony. His clothes were unkempt, and his eyes were bloodshot. “My own wife was attending that gathering to foster peace, and she died right alongside them! They were unarmed! They were trapped in a designated sector with no way out when the knights opened fire!”

High above the court, sitting upon the grand throne with an aura of absolute, unfeeling authority, Emperor Andrew Solarius looked down upon his grieving minister. His face was like stone, devoid of any sympathy or regret.

“Silence, Duke Roland,” Emperor Andrew commanded, his deep voice effortlessly cutting through the tension of the room. “The crown heavily regrets the loss of your wife, but the imperial military acted strictly on verified intelligence. The state of Foster Liam was preparing a violent, coordinated revolt against the crown. It was not a massacre; it was a necessary, decisive preemptive strike to completely halt an imminent, bloody uprising before it could threaten the capital.”

The Emperor leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing as he casually waved his hand to dismiss the minister's protests. “The treacherous leader of this hidden movement... his name was Nicola, correct?” He didn't wait for an answer, turning his head toward the court scribes. “Let it be officially recorded in the archives. We shall name this failed rebellion the Nicola Uprising.”

Standing completely hidden in the darkest corner of the grand throne room, a tiny figure was curled inward, trembling violently.

Young Ravenna was pressing her back against a marble pillar, her small hands covering her ears as she tried to block out the Emperor's booming voice and Duke Roland's agonized cries. With nothing but stunned silence Adult Ravenna just stared at the girl.