Meera was stumped. She didn't know what to say. In all her travels, everyone only said that there was one Champion, and everyone was convinced it was her brother. She had never heard that there was a second Champion.

It made her hopeful that Neel might not have to go up against the dragon hanging in the sky. Just looking at its body had scared her, and she tried to avoid looking at it as much as she could. But if this second Champion could take on Aetheron, then Meera could leave with Neel, leaving all this behind.

"Professor, you must tell me about this second champion," Meera implored. "Actually, the prophecy in general. All that you know. That was why I was here in the first place."

"And I will, lass, but we must start in the beginning," Hiral said. "Did you know why this place is called the University of Saranya?"

Obviously, Meera did not. She was getting rather impatient. She didn't come here to learn about a university's past, but she couldn't afford to make an enemy of this person, so she shook her head, doing her best to look as interested as she could, though she didn't feel interested at all.

"Doesn't the name Saranya sound awfully close to a certain oracle's name?" He said, knowingly, with a sly smile on his face.

She frowned. "Saranya…" Then her eyes widened. "It does sound a lot like Serenya."

"Precisely," He cried. "This University was started by the very oracle who issued the Great Prophecy. Back then, she wasn't an oracle. She was only a teacher who wanted to create a place of learning that would be open for all. It wasn't even called a university; it was just a school. People, rich and poor, sent their sons and daughters to study here, and over the years, this place grew. Until she dabbled in the seeing arts and Lorendor saw fit to let her issue the words that changed the fate of the worlds."

He grimaced as if it hurt him physically to say the next words. "But after that, she was never the same. She left the school she had started, traveling from town to town and warning others of the coming doom. Of course, she could've never seen that it would lead to her own demise."

"I've heard the rest of the story that she was killed in the town of Mirithiara for issuing the great prophecy," Meera said.

"They didn't just kill her as if she were being executed. They stoned her to death. Could you imagine the pain she must've been in in her final moments? The people killed someone with such a brilliant mind because they were scared. Scared of a few words. How could she who warned them of the end times and the hopeful Champion that would save them, be bringing about their end?" He shook his head.

"Is that why you changed the name of this university?" She asked. "After her death?"

He shook his head. "No, that happened much later. After the heinous event in our world's history, known as the Blood of Sears. People took to anyone who was an oracle or dabbled in the arts of divination. They burned down their homes, killed their relatives, and stole their property. It was merely an excuse for jealous neighbors to seize the land and valuables they coveted. It started here and spread to the other worlds thanks to the Gateway Mirrors. They came to burn this University down as well, but thanks to some wealthy patrons, we were able to hire our guards and protect this place, mostly. The vile mob burned down the Oracle wing before the guards were able to push them away."

"Oh, so that's why the university's guards don't let just anyone come through," Meera concluded.

He nodded. "And we like it that way. It's been five hundred years since that day but we'll be damned if we rely on city guard to protect us. To prevent another incident like that, we had to change our name so that people wouldn't think we're associated with our founder in any way. Though the dean's office still lists her as the founder, her name and portrait can be found in many halls and offices. Even the statue as you enter the University is of her. It's our way of saying that we won't be bent or broken by the politics of the day. We are, after all, a place of learning."

This was all nice, or well, grim. But Meera didn't care about this, because it had nothing to do with her brother or the prophecy. Seeing as how she had his attention, she figured that he would answer her questions.

She coughed lightly and tried a diplomatic approach. "That is sad indeed, professor. A place of learning should always remain neutral, and knowledge should never have to change to satiate the masses. But professor, you had struck my curiosity when you said that there were two Champions, can you please explain about the original words of the great prophecy?"

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"Original words?" Hiral frowned.

"Yes, sir, I've been informed that those are the ones that will come true."

"I see." He moved to the bookcase that lined the wall. There were stacks upon stacks of books and scrolls. They were placed so haphazardly that if he pulled out the wrong book, the whole thing would come crashing down.

"Ah, there it is."

He reached up to a yellowed scroll that lay high up on the bookcase. She feared he was about to fall forward as he reached up on his tip toes. He was pushing dangerously on the bookcase, and she feared that they were a breath away from disaster. But somehow, he managed to pull out the scroll without causing an accident that would make the messy room even messier.

"Come here, Meera. This is the oldest rendition of the prophecy you'll find anywhere."

Meera almost rolled her eyes and muttered under her breath. "Where have I heard that before?"

"What was that?"

"Nothing. Just that I'm excited to learn the truth."

He unfurled the scroll, and Meera couldn't read the script. It looked like the same script as the one from the book that Garal and her had taken from the library. She hoped this one would provide the answers she needed.

Hiral motioned to the scroll as if that were answer enough.

"Sorry, professor, but I can't read it."

"Oh, that's too sad, because this was the script that Serenya had written the original prophecy in."

Meera was more than intrigued. "Serenya herself wrote this down?"

"Oh no, my lass. The original parchment with the prophecy turned to dust when they burned down the oracle wing." He shook his head. "Such a huge loss. But this is close enough, or so the scholar proclaimed who jotted it down."

The Dragon shall rise from his fall,

Cower and repent, for the Great Doom is here for us all.

Aetheron's wrath shall be mighty and endless,

The worlds will pay for his love's weakness.

A Savior and Destroyer shall wake,

The worlds they shall save or break.

The Arbiter wakes to follow a futile quest,

And will make the ultimate choice and eternally rest.

The Champion shall lose the one they love the most,

The fault of Midiea burns through the host.

At once, Meera saw that many things were different than the prophecy she knew. And just as the prophecy she had read with Garal said, Savior and the Destroyer. Another thing was that it said 'love's weakness,' instead of 'malice.' Additionally, the second line about the Arbiter was also different. For one, it said making a choice and not sacrifice.

But the thing that drew her attention was that it didn't say Great Dragon and simply The Dragon, and the Great had been moved in front of the Doom. But all that could wait as the prophecy had stated something that she had known since that night with Garal, but only got confirmation now.

"So, there are two champions…" Meera mused.

"That's right," Hiral cried with a grin. "Everyone thinks there is only one, but no, there are and have always been two. When you arrived and showed your Ascendant nature, I immediately thought you were the second, but after you told me about Veridiana's prophecy, it made me think otherwise. If you're the Arbiter, then we still don't know who the Destroyer is. And he or she is the one to watch out for."

"How can someone called the Destroyer be a Champion?" Meera asked.

"You see, that is a conundrum that has confounded the academic world for over two millennia. There are those who think that the Destroyer would let the worlds get destroyed or huge parts of them to kill Aetheron. The prophecy does state that the Champions save or break the worlds. While the Saviour will protect everyone as he vanquishes the great dragon. We can never know for sure until the events of the end times transpire. I believe it will be the Arbiter's job to decide which Champion it will be that finally takes down the said great dragon."

That means if I leave with Neel, then automatically the Destroyer will be the one to take down Aetheron. So maybe my plan to leave with Neel is not so far-fetched.

But Hiral put a damper on her dreams with his following words. "But all my contemporaries believe, no, they know that all three individuals have to make it to the end, in order for the worlds to survive."

"Three individuals?"

"The Saviour, Destroyer, and the Arbiter," he replied. "How will the Arbiter or you do your job if both the Champions are not present when Aetheron awakens. How will you know which Champion is the best one for the job if the Savior and Destroyer are not present when the final war begins?"

"The final war…" She mused. Those words set her aback. Veridiana had used the same words before her death, when she commanded Duinith to back Meera in the final war.

Meera had been in two wars already and didn't know what this final war would look like. A part of her never wanted to know, but she had a feeling destiny would drag her there, kicking and screaming.

"How do we find the Destroyer?" She asked.

"That is quite the conundrum," Hiral said. "You see, Lorendor never blessed any oracle with a vision to identify the Destroyer. But some say that the Savior himself will anoint the Destroyer. Honestly, that is all conjecture."

Then something clicked. "Ever since I got to Ealisto, everyone has been calling Neel the Savior, instead of the Champion, but how do you know that he is the Savior?"

His eyes gleamed. "Oh, that is another great story."

Meera sighed internally and readied herself for another history lesson.

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