The private library was a disaster.
Books littered the floor in uneven piles. Shelves sagged beneath the weight of forgotten tomes, while countless open pages covered tables like the remnants of a battlefield. Dust drifted through the air, illuminated by pale rays of light filtering through the stained-glass windows.
It looked less like a library and more like the aftermath of an obsession.
At the center of it all sat Elias.
Silent.
Motionless.
Exhausted.
Dark circles rested beneath his eyes. His expression carried the weariness of a warrior who had somehow lost a battle before ever stepping onto the battlefield.
For what felt like hours, he simply stared into space.
Then the memories returned.
A voice.
Cold.
Unforgettable.
Darkness stretched endlessly around him.
No sky.
No ground.
Only an endless void.
And standing within it was the Faceless Being.
No eyes.
No mouth.
No expression.
Nothing.
Yet somehow Elias felt its gaze fixed directly upon his soul.
"Three years."
Its voice echoed through the void like a judgment already passed.
"You have three years."
The darkness trembled.
"Spend that time uncovering everything you can about those known as the Driveless."
A pause followed.
"The Old Gen."
For the first time, Elias felt his heartbeat quicken.
The being took a single step forward.
"And at the end of that trail..."
Silence.
A terrible silence.
"You will face the anomaly known as Touka."
The void itself seemed to freeze.
"No one will save you."
"No one will guide you."
The being's voice became quieter.
Yet somehow far more terrifying.
"Whether you succeed or perish shall be determined entirely by your own strength."
The darkness became still.
Then came the question.
The question that had haunted Elias every day since that encounter.
The Faceless Being leaned closer.
"So tell me, Elias."
A crushing pressure descended upon his chest.
"Do you truly possess what it takes..."
The void held its breath.
"...to become perfect?"
---
Elias slowly opened his eyes.
The memory faded.
Only the library remained.
He rubbed his forehead and released a tired sigh.
"Three years..."
His gaze drifted toward the mountains of books surrounding him.
"And not a single answer."
A bitter laugh escaped his lips.
"What even is an Old Gen?"
A knock echoed from the door.
Elias didn't bother looking up.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Ren stepped inside.
"You're finally back."
Elias leaned back in his chair.
"Took you long enough."
Ren rolled his eyes.
"Not my fault your little greedy bit*ch decided to empty half the stores in the district."
Elias sighed heavily.
"Women."
He rubbed his temples.
Ren looked around the room.
His eyebrow twitched.
"Elias..."
"What?"
"This isn't research."
His gaze swept across the scattered books.
"This is insanity."
A faint smirk appeared on Elias's face.
"That's one way to describe it."
Ren folded his arms.
"I also heard you haven't left this room in days."
"Busy."
"Clearly."
For a moment Ren studied him.
Then he decided not to push further.
"Well, if you're done drowning in books, I'm heading to train the recruits."
He turned toward the door.
"Elias."
"What?"
"You should probably show up this time."
Before Ren could leave, Elias spoke.
"Ren."
The older man paused.
"Have you ever heard of something called the Old Gen?"
Ren frowned.
"The Old Gen?"
"Yeah."
Elias leaned forward.
"You know. Since you're ancient."
Ren glared.
"First of all, I'm not that old."
A pause.
"And second, no."
His expression grew serious.
"I've never heard of anyone by that name."
Something flickered behind Elias's eyes.
"I see."
"But if it's important, I can look into it."
Elias shook his head.
"No."
He stared toward the stained-glass windows.
"I've already searched every record I could find."
Ren shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
He opened the door.
"Oh."
His grin returned.
"Don't be late for training, Kageyama."
The killing intent hidden beneath his smile was impossible to miss.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Silence returned.
Then Elias smiled.
"Kageyama."
The shadows beside him rippled.
A figure emerged as though stepping directly out of darkness itself.
Kageyama immediately dropped to one knee.
"Great Apostle."
"How are the preparations?"
"Proceeding smoothly."
Kageyama lowered his head.
"The others are progressing faster than expected."
"And?"
"At this rate, we may eventually reach All Drive."
Elias nodded.
"Good."
His expression darkened.
"What about the Old Gen?"
Kageyama hesitated.
"I apologize."
"Nothing?"
"Nothing."
The man clenched his fist.
"I searched the underground markets."
"Nothing."
"The forbidden archives."
"Nothing."
"The black libraries."
"Still nothing."
A silence followed.
Elias leaned back in his chair.
"As I expected."
He stared toward the ceiling.
"What exactly are you planning?"
Kageyama frowned.
"My lord?"
Elias looked at him.
"Kageyama."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever heard of a being called—"
The name left his lips.
Or at least, it should have.
Kageyama blinked.
"My lord?"
Elias froze.
"The name."
"What name?"
"The one I just said."
Confusion crossed Kageyama's face.
"You didn't say one."
The room became silent.
Elias slowly narrowed his eyes.
For several seconds neither man spoke.
Then understanding dawned.
A bitter smile appeared on Elias's face.
"That bastard."
"My lord?"
"Nothing."
He waved him away.
"Forget it."
Kageyama remained confused but obeyed.
"As you wish."
He disappeared back into the shadows.
The moment he left, Elias slammed his fist against the table.
Books shook violently.
"A mute."
His expression twisted with irritation.
"That bastard put a mute on me."
His gaze drifted toward the countless books surrounding him.
Elias released a long sigh.
"One option remains."
His eyes narrowed.
"If there are answers anywhere..."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"They'll be there."
The oldest surviving records in the world.
The nation whose archives predated nearly every modern civilization.
America.
Which meant there was only one person left to visit.
Elias groaned.
"Wonderful."
He stood from his chair.
"Looks like I have to deal with that childish idiot again."
A name crossed his mind.
Julian Mercer.
The Apostle of the United States.
And one of the most annoying men Elias had ever met.
But before that...
There was another matter requiring his attention.
A far more important matter.
His expression hardened.
"Millim."