''Sit down.''

  Beckoned the woman.

  This wasn't what you were expecting.

  A dimly lit room down in the depths of the archives...This was where you would be told the truth, the only one kept from you until now.

  It was underwhelming. You had expected more from the organization.

  ''Congratulations, Prometheus, on your promotion to Archon.''

  The woman bowed before you as you sat down on a simple couch.

  ''Skip the flattery and get to the point.''

  You merely waved your hand, uninterested in the meaningless words.

  The woman didn't take offense and sat across from you on a simple chair.

  ''You have heard of Atlas, the greatest and most divisive figure humanity has ever had before and after the Dusk, but how much do you truly know of him?''

  You tried to look the woman in the eyes. The light was too dim for you to properly focus.

  It was a stupid question, but the only path forward was to give an answer.

  ''There are many theories that people speculate about. Rumours or facts that might have escaped the grasp of our organization, public fables and word of mouth, buried reports from ancient ruins...''

  You list down all possible options as you take a more relaxed position on the couch, fingers tapping against the old furniture.

  She would know. She would know...

  ''The public sees him as a martyr, as the man who saved humanity. But that is obviously not the correct answer for that is merely what we sell them.''

  The woman simply smiled and kept listening.

  ''There are those who claim he was the original tyrant who sought to kill all mages, a cruel and cynical man who tried to rule the world... I do not believe that to be the case. If it were, we wouldn't be where we are today.''

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  ''Mhm.''

  You snapped your fingers as you grasped your chin in your palm.

  ''They say he might have been a god. But that isn't possible. A god? Gods don’t die. They don’t leave legacies. They don’t vanish without a trace.”

  The woman slowly clapped twice. It didn't look like it was intended to be a mockery, but it threw you off.

  You didn't like the way she was clapping.

  ''Very impressive. As expected from the next Archon. Please, continue.''

  Your face instinctively tensed. Was she looking down on you?

  You leaned forward. Was it pity or praise? It didn't matter.

  ''And some say he was a mix of all. A powerful mage of a bygone age, touched by something beyond humanity, who had the power to shape it to his will. The greatest mage before the Dusk.''

  She looked like she was about to open her mouth, but you raised your hand. You weren't finished.

  ''But I know better. I did my own research. The organization holds it a taboo topic, but I am now above those who would try to punish me for such trivial matters.''

  The woman's eyes widen, but she doesn't stop you. She merely listens, absorbs the information without interfering.

  ''Long before the Dusk, Atlas had been an active force. I could not figure out why, but he was gathering political, economic, and scientific power. That power base became what we are now, the Dawn Continuance.''

  Your eyes stared right through the woman, expecting something. Anything. But she merely swayed her head.

  ''You are correct. But as you said, you are missing important information, so please listen closely. Never forget what I am about to tell you, Prometheus.''

  You straightened your back. Her eyes had changed. It was something more serious, something more grand. As if- No. That was the truth. She was about to tell you what no mortal in this age should have known.

  ''##### ##### ### Dusk.''

  ''W-What?''

  ''And he entrusted what was left ## ## ## ##### # ### #### ### #### ######## through a new era.''

  You could only stare in disbelief at the woman.Your fists clenched beside you, and your heart started to beat faster inside your chest.

  Your shoulders felt heavier, your vision blurry from the pressure on your eyelids.

  Everything you had known, and everyone you thought you had outsmarted until now. All the theories you could have been expecting.

  They hadn't prepared you for this.

  But the woman simply continued as if what you thought or felt didn't matter.

  That was what that man must have been feeling when he plunged the world into darkness then.

  ''We have inherited the ruins left behind from his...failure-''

  ...

  ''-That is what it means to be: Archon-''