The dark, empty halls of the fortress. They ring hollow, filled with 21's footsteps. This building is sad. It feels like long, long ago, it was full of life, of desires and ambition. But now, nothing is left.
The fortress is cold as well. 21 explains to me that most of the time, underground buildings are heated using geothermal energy, but older buildings sometimes worked on regular heating, by burning something. This was probably one such building, and Juror did not deem it necessary to heat it up just for him. Or at least, not the whole place.
I wonder who Juror is. Who the professor is as well. I know neither of them, yet 21 always tell me how important they are.
In the highest room of the highest tower, we open the door to a lit room. The room is warm, a fire in the chimney. In an armchair in front of the fire, an old man sits. The other half of the room is full with computers and machines.
"Juror.
-Aria. You've come. Guerra already left.
-What is your goal, Zacharie ?
-Huff..." Juror stands up, with great difficulty.
"Long, long, long ago, the earth was very different. Only few records persist now, muddied with legends. These records were written by travellers and merchants, such as Sikeja, Kiwalo, and more recently, Rorhk.
"These records all tell of the same things. A great light in the sky, giving warmth and light to the world.
-Like a shimmer star ?
-No, not quite.
"In nature it is the same as a shimmer star, but in scale it differs. It was a huge star, just a little bit smaller than the nebula in the sky. It was also very old, it had lasted for millions of years.
"It was called the sun."
21 doesn't answer. She thinks for a bit, then speaks. "I find that hard to believe. And this star just... disappeared ?
-Yes.
"More precisely it was destroyed. The records are quite vague as to who, how, and why, but the fact remains. It was destroyed along with another being, the dice god.
"The dice god was the figurehead of a great religious movement, called the followers of Ubu. This god disappeared just before the sun did.
"Something interesting about the dice god, is that it was associed with beings called angels, whose appearance is similar to the serpents. Yes indeed ! I, Zacharie Juror, have found the origin of the serpents, as well as their residence !
"The serpents reside... In the core of the earth !"
While telling all that, The old man's expression became more and more dignified, until he had a proud face, standing tall and proud.
"And now, what will you do ?
-My my, dear Aria, what else ? I'm going to exterminate the serpents, and I'm going to do it with you.
-What of professor Perre ?
-Who ? Oh, you mean Guerra. She agreed to you participating."
Her voice full of contempt, 21 replies "Juror, you are stuck in the past."
Then, she leaves.