Jadewall Academy, The Library Mural
Seraph nodded. She could see where Malphas was going with this. Removing her hand, Seraph knelt beside part of the mural with the viridian serpent. Now that her eyes were no longer on the dragon, she noticed the minute details on the serpent's skin. The gold paint outlining its scales also formed tiny Chinese characters. Most were too small for Seraph to read, but one of them looked like the "peace" symbol.
Following Malphas' lead, Seraph pressed her fingers against the snake emblem right as the Risen touched the dragon's heart. The result was the entire mural being engulfed in black light. Only the outlines of the animals were visible, plus two of the gold characters on the serpent's back. The first was the symbol for "truth." The second was "trust".
"What does--?" Before Seraph could finish her question, the mural colors began to swirl.
She tore her hand from the wall. The Brown Rat, the Blue Ox, the Orange Tiger, the Silver Rabbit, the Golden Cat, the Black Dragon, the Viridian Snake, the White Horse, the Ivory Ram, the Yellow Monkey, the Red Rooster, the Green Dog, and the Rose Pig all blurred together until there was nothing but a blank slate. The rainbow of colors disappeared, leaving behind a surface that resembled mercury or a crystal ball.
Seraph squinted at the wall. She dared not touch it again, fearing what else might happen. A figure began to take shape in the space the mural left behind. It began gray and fuzzy, like a shadow. As the figure came into focus, Seraph gasped. A masculine entity smiled at her through the painting. It had a bronze face and a thin Van Dyke beard. Its eyes were a piercing violet, much like the dragon in the previous picture. However, none of these features shocked her as much as the simple black cloak that hung from the figure's shoulders--the same cloak Black Sage wore.
"Hello," the figment said, looking through, but not at, Malphas and Seraph. Its voice was the perfect blend of feminine and masculine. "If you are viewing this, then it is as I feared. The Day of Reckoning is upon us."
The false sage sighed. "I apologize. I had hoped to prevent it, as did the rest of my brethren. However, I fear the steps we took only ensured it would arise. There isn't much time. The other sages do not know about this message. It must be kept that way if we are to have any chance of preventing the return of Chaos."
Seraph's knees gave out. She collapsed on the floor, all the color drained from her face. What the Hell!
"I must ask you something very, very difficult." The figure drew a breath, and Seraph's heart skipped a beat. "Are you prepared to know the whole truth?"
The Day of Reckoning? The Return of Chaos? Seraph's thoughts were spinning a mile a minute. She couldn't say a word.