Chapter 244: Constellation of The Living Archive
"Is it truly all right," Calista asked, "for us to sit around doing nothing?"
Luna’s smile came naturally as she turned slightly toward Calista, her pink-and-purple hair brushing her shoulder.
She regarded the younger woman with open amusement instead of reproach.
"You know... Sitting around is only your choice," she said. "Your Master did tell you already... You are free."
The words landed more heavily than she seemed to intend.
Calista’s expression changed by a fraction—something quieter settling behind her eyes, the kind of stillness that came when a person realized they had been given a door and had no idea which room they wanted on the other side.
Luna caught it immediately, the shift in her expression subtle but unmistakable as her eyes widened and the lighthearted ease faded into focused interest.
"Is there truly nothing you dream of doing?" she asked.
Calista’s lips twisted into a faint, knowing smile, and with a single slow, sincere shake of her head, she gave her answer.
’I... I never imagined I would become this strong,’ she thought, the admission arriving without bitterness.
’Hell.... I never imagined I would hold something on the level of a God Star. Who even knew such things existed?!’
Calista couldn’t help but feel a bit lost; she knew Akasha meant his words when he said she was free... and how the Hub of Knowledge was essentially her domain.
Before Akasha and the others entered her life, all she had ever wanted was to escape the world of Noxara.
All she truly desired was a chance at a new beginning—nothing more.
And, in a way, one could argue that she had already achieved it.
She was no longer the last surviving member of the Shade Clan, nor was she living under constant pressure.
Life had become calm, quiet, and peaceful.
Not only that... revenge had never crossed her mind; it was never part of her plans.
She had never felt the deep ties to her clan that others seemed to feel toward their bloodlines, names, or old debts.
There had been no burning need to settle scores—only the simple wish to walk away and begin again.
Seeing her thoughts, Luna’s smile returned, softer this time.
She reached out and took Calista’s hand without asking, fingers closing around hers with the easy certainty of someone who had already decided the next step.
The Hub of Knowledge fell away around them. In the next breath they stood outside, on the edge of the main island, the oceanic world stretching wide in every direction.
Clusters of small islands floated lazily across the expanse of water, their pale shores standing out against the slow, steady rhythm of the sea.
A gentle breeze tangled through Calista’s hair, carrying with it the faint, lingering scent of salt that hung softly in the air.
Luna kept hold of her hand and looked out over the water first, then back at her.
"If you have no real aspirations," she said, "then... you can always follow the path of your Star."
She lingered on Calista’s face for a moment more, the smile never leaving her lips, and asked the question with the easy confidence of someone who already knew the truth and wanted to hear it confirmed.
"You’re a seeker... no, that’s not it. You’re a keeper of knowledge, aren’t you?"
Hearing those words, Calista didn’t speak as she silently looked over her Status again.
----
[Calista Shade
Age: 251 Years Old
Rank: Cosmic Union (Tier 21) (BP +29) (Total Power Output = Tier 50)
Race: Divine Shadow Demon Goddess (Bloodline: The Shadow Ledger (Divine))
Affinity: Knowledge, Shadows, Revelations, Memory, Sealing
Divinity: 201,480
Star: Constellation Star of the Living Archive (God)
Kingship Authority: The Living Archive
Emperorship Authority: The Living Archive Expanse
Aura(s) - Knowledge (Tier 4/21)
Decrees: Decree of the Living Vault (Celestial) (3/3), Decree of Spent Truth (Stellar) (2/3)
Innate Powers: The Living Archive (God), Silent Custody (God), Knowledge’s Blade (God), Archive’s Price (God), Selective Revelation (Above Origin)]
----
After a while, Calista’s gaze drifted toward the ocean below, where the water had taken on a blend of purple and gold.
Gentle bands of light stretched slowly across the surface, moving in a quiet rhythm. She watched the scene for a moment longer, letting it settle in her thoughts, before finally speaking.
"Mistress..."
A faint smile curved her lips.
"You are right. What I need to do is... roam the vast existence of Pantheos and attain all the knowledge one could ever hope to gain."
She paused, fingers loosening at her side as the thought settled into something usable.
"And expand the Hub of Knowledge while I do it."
Luna’s smile broadened, and she gave a single, satisfied nod.
"That sounds good." Her tone then shifted, still light but carrying a hint of practical caution. "You might want to try it outside of Orin first—a test run. We won’t be in this small existence for much longer."
The final words had barely left her lips when swirls of pink and purple smoke began curling around her.
She glanced back at Calista one last time, already fading from view.
"I’ll be back in the Orin Star System in ten years," she said. "No longer than that."
And then she vanished.
----
A full month had passed since that conversation.
High in the clouds above the world of Cylas, the stronghold of the Aegis Law hung in pale stone and layered light, a fortress built for oversight rather than beauty.
From the tallest terrace, two Generals stood gazing at a vast projection of the world sprawled out beneath them.
With all the Pantheons having completely evacuated the Orin Star System, there were no Apostles left—only two Generals tasked with ensuring the world continued producing Supreme Divinity for their Pantheon until they could claim rulership over the system.
Yet in that moment, their tense expressions revealed the weight of burdens they could no longer conceal.
For a little over a month, their long reign over Cylas had been thinning.
It hadn’t happened in one sudden collapse, but rather as a gradual, unrelenting fade that no report had ever managed to explain fully.
The projection showed nothing resembling a clear disaster; to anyone unfamiliar with viewing a world through such a lens, the scene would have appeared entirely ordinary.
In far-off cities, clashes erupted in the streets, while heated arguments flared and fizzled in taverns and bustling market squares.
Adventurers wandered the forest roads and wound their way through mountain passes, following the same restless routes as always.
One of the Angels stood apart, his wings folded tightly against his back, eyes narrowed on a patch of land where two groups were already tangled in battle.
"How are they fighting?" he asked, his voice low.