(Astrid's P.O.V.)

Why? My heart pounded in my chest. Why do I feel like I know this someone Ashton's referring to?

"Then...her username?" Kathrine urged.
"Uhh...I don't quite remember...but she favored adding fourteen in it."
"Sounds familiar don't ya think Agent Agent?"
"What could you possibly mean by that...Agent Komaru?" Agent Chunsu asked.
"Something...just something."
Clair and I glared. "Suspicious...very suspicious."

~

After a long series of lots and lots of awkwardness, we settled down in the living room of my temporary home. As we sat down, an eerie vibe surrounded us, as though we broke our promise. Those words echoed in my head..."to the grave"

I sat down on the couch, gazing out the window, staring at the scorching sun, set people ablaze in all its pompous glory. The medieval streets brimmed with busy townsfolk, all seemingly unaware of the potential danger they unknowingly cast aside and remained oblivious to. I heaved a sigh. Such prosperity...such tranquility...if only it could remain that way forever.

My thoughts wandered in a vast sea of...well...thoughts. They maintained an undisturbed aura- an ongoing process of mind-devouring through simply pondering well...stuff, and little did I know, my thoughts dragged me into a restless slumber.

I stood before nothing. Nothing clouded my vision. An ominous darkness forged ahead, gradually surpassing me, then suddenly halted its tremendous pursuit. Then suddenly, voila, a golden light seared my vision, my eyes were bleary. A maiden-like figure appeared, contrasting the shine. It looked to me like something was foreshadowing the world- this world at least.

I caught a glimpse of movement. Her mouth opened to speak, yet she closed the gap in an instant. She gracefully prepared to talk once more, her mouth agape with nothing but a centimeter's distance...as though she were to merely whisper.

A soft, melodic voice spoke; an angelic whisper slipped her mouth.

"Beware the rise and fall of man.
Wisdom is your greatest enemy.
Rob those with power of their unjust rule,
For the wise man, now is the greatest fool."

It made little to no sense at all. It seems...it seems...it seems that this is something I would only understand once...once the word death comes to gain a completely new meaning. Words came back to me. "Everyone is condemned to a certain death. What I deem important is how long it takes before we reach it."

So goes the Bible. There's a difference between wisdom and knowledge. One thing is for sure, they most definitely share some sort of similarity; they are both our enemy.

The will both either help us in this investigation- no, quest or help drag us down to hell.

"Oi, grumpy cat, we all know you ain't dead. Come on and get up already!"
"Ashton," I grumbled. "Damn you."
"So, what's troubling you? Don't even try and deny it."
"Damn you indeed." I muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, mister."
"Spill."
"Fine. A dream. Vision. Dunno what it is. Didn't make much sense though..just some creepy poem thing again."
Kathrine had that one look on her face. "Another task I suppose..."
"Probably," Ashton agreed.
"Creepy..." I shivered (totally (and a hundred more of that) irrelevant). We all faced Clair.
"Say what?"
"What."

"Moving on," Perseus changed the topic. "What was the poem thing?"
Images filled my head. The vague words never ceased to leave my head.

"Beware the rise and fall of man..." I said in a suspenseful I'm-totally-not-trying-to-be-creepy voice. Ashton glared at me. "Wisdom is your greatest enemy." Kathrine continued. She's heard this before? "Rob those with power of their unjust rule for the wise man now is the greatest fool." I stared, dumbfounded at her. "Yeah, that." I nodded unconsciously.

"Remember when I mentioned that first line before? 'Beware the rise and fall of man.'?" Kathrine asked. "Uhh..." I wondered, suddenly remembering all those detective work stuff we had before. "Yeah! You mentioned it! Once...I think. It took me hearing it again to remember...but I've heard that before. The Grimoire...you said you heard it from the Grimoire? When 'Anonymous' over here (fufu, remember that chapter?) ruined your kitty party?" Kathrine nodded continuously. "Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"

"Ahem. You forgot some people existed." Ashton cleared his throat. "There's Mister Magnus over there on the table, Me, for instance, and Agent Chunsu as well."
"You suddenly sound so..." Kathrine searched for the right word. "Ahh! Professional..." I completed for her, agreeing nonchalantly with myself as if it weren't even weird at all.
"Moving on though...who's this wise man? What's the rise and fall of man? Who's this unjust person? Why exactly is wisdom our greatest enemy?" Magnus interrupted.
"Who said you were part of this conversation?" I questioned.
"Well, I heard my name, so I technically...am?
"Makes sense."
"Who's wise!" Kathrine yelled out of the blue.
"Uhh...Agent Poop!" Clair replied immediately.
"Huh, say what?" he asked, clearly dumbfounded.
"Yeah? Sure? I guess? Maybe he is? Then uhh...he's a fool after all!" Kathrine concluded.
"You fool." I deadpanned. Boy, don't I love saying those words. It's been a while...ecstasy at its finest.

"Huh, I lake saying that. Fufu...you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool (how many times was that???). Woah! That sounds so cool! You fool."

"WhAt" Perseus tilted his head to the side.
"tHe" Kathrine stared at me with that one what-the-hell-happened-to-you face.
"HeCK" Agent Chunsu finished with the same tone of voice and look on her face.

"Yo." I imitates that one typical anime scene. "You fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool, you fool—"

Who's the fool?

A voice rang in my head. A lingering pleasure of a sweet, angelic voice echoed in my mind. Unconsciously, I replied "I don't know...who exactly is this wise man?"

"Baka. What now? You've been spacing out so damn much!" Ashton shouted. "Well...ever since I told you that."
Jumped back to my senses. "Uhh...it's in no relation to the that you are referring to...?"
"Oh, I see...then what's the problem?"
"Agent Agent...is this related to the vision we shared?" Kathrine asked.
"Well...yeah...but there's still something I haven't told you...it happened a few chapters ago...like if this were a book, about five chapters ago?"
"Uh huh..." she gave me a lousy gesture that signaled for me to continue. "Go ahead, explain away Agent Agent."
"Okay...well...I heard a voice. I feel like I heard it once before...but I'm not very sure. It spoke words I don't tHe true intent of. Were those words a warning we must heed? A simple message- a piece of wisdom? I don't know. The most troubling part, however (how formal) is the fact it was about this creepy subject called death."

A familiar silence came upon us. Even Magnus looked serious. Tell me, why is he allowed to hear this again?

"And what exactly are these words?" Clair wondered.
I heaved a sigh. "Everyone is condemned to a certain death. What I deem important is how long it takes before we reach it."
"Is this...what they call seeing into the future? Reading the stars of fate?" Ashton awed.
"This ain't nothin to marvel at Ashton." Kathrine scolded.
"I don't know much, but I get this somewhat eerie vibe that something bad is going to happen. Call it a premonition." I said.

A gloomy demeanor was set upon us. A curse of eternal rotten luck. What's with this series of unfortunate events?

Then, all of a sudden, it came in like a mirage. Words I've heard once before, encouragements, advice.

You all are fools. However, there is a greater fool amongst you, the greatest fool. He has yet to unveil the true dangers of this world. He knows so much yet interprets little to nothing of his knowledge. He donates his experience, offers words of advice. He is heroic, chivalrous, yet he holds a rather disinteresting eye incapable of discerning the most obvious if obvious. It lies right there, right in front of you, yet your most experienced, your most valued is so vulnerable to overlooking the most important of important.

Remember those indistinct words? Those indistinguishable words amongst a pile of wisdoms? You've all learned so much. You cannot avenge the loss of something you have never come to admit as defeat. We try, for there is tomorrow. We strive, for there is later. We repeat, for there is again. How much have you gotten from his words? So much, yet they were all so...straightforward...so down-to-earth...so obvious.

He lacks metaphor. How ironic, is it not? His eyes discern the most confusing and overlooks the obvious, yet his own words are lacking. They lack guidance. They are meant to offer it; however, they simply explain, they simply tell, they do not truly guide. His own words, different from his own understanding of words, lack that originality, that one thing. They provide the answer but not the oath to he answer. He is truly an ingenious fool.

Little do you know, he overlooked one little thing that can change, absolutely change everything.

There were so much clues, very noticeable. Unfortunately though, they remained unnoticed. Welcome to your downfall. Can you turn this whole game around? Imagine a chessboard before you, you merely have your king while your opponent still remains to have every other piece you don't. Will you be able to turn this lopsided game into your victory? Can you be the one to say checkmate? Prove it to me. Prove you're worthy. Prove you can free the damned souls of creation. Absolve them from their sins, free them from their spellbound emotions.

Unleash the greatest fool all these worlds have come to see, and justify why being the greatest of the greatest great isn't everything.

Long speech there. But who exactly is talking?

The same voice uttered its last words to us (or so I think...it sounds more dramatic this way..I think). Aloud.

"Do you know how much you have let go by unnoticed? Do you know how much turns you've missed? How much pieces you've lost? Do you know who you are oh dumbest of the dumb and most ingenious genius? You fool. You fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool, fool."