System's POV

Chapter 1158: The Story Of Pandora [Part 1]

Comfortably wrapped in a blanket, Thirteen looked at the starry sky.

Despite the cold night, he insisted on coming out to have time for himself, allowing him to better organize his thoughts.

Tiona, who was now in her snake form, nuzzled the side of her Master’s cheek, as if telling him that everything was going to be fine.

Earlier, he thought it might be best to tell everyone about his secret. But‌ he ultimately resolved that it was still too early for them to know who he really was.

So, after making sure that everyone was fast asleep, Thirteen left his room and went to the rooftop of the hotel they were staying at.

The stars that couldn’t be seen in the past were like a blanket of lights in the night sky.

It was a very beautiful sight, and yet, Thirteen understood the true meaning behind it.

The veil that protected Pangea and Solterra was no more.

This meant that potential enemies from beyond the stars could now come to invade their world.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that this was their most vulnerable time.

But Thirteen still believed. Believed that no matter what danger lurked beyond the places he couldn’t see, the Heroes of the world would rise up to face it, even without him making a move.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

Tiona glanced at the newcomer but didn’t hiss in their direction, recognizing that they weren’t an enemy.

“Can’t sleep?”

A familiar voice called out to Zion from behind.

“No,” Thirteen replied without turning his head to look at the person behind him. “Can I do something for you, Princess Xynalia?”

The Princess of the Succubus Race smiled faintly as she walked toward Zion until she was standing beside him.

She, too, looked at the stars in the sky and sighed.

“These stars are very different from the stars that can be seen in Gomorra,” Princess Xynalia said softly. “When I first arrived here, I thought that this world was so sad because the stars could not be seen in the sky.

“Occasionally, there are shooting stars. They are beautiful, but… According to the Wanderers I spoke to, each of them represented the death of one, right?”

As if waiting for that moment, three shooting stars streaked across the sky, making Princess Xynalia sigh.

“Princess, when you see shooting stars in Gomorra, what do you do?” Thirteen asked.

“Nothing,” Princess Xynalia answered. “I just thought of them as pretty. They only last for a fleeting moment as if to etch their marks in the starry sky before finally being forgotten in time.”

Thirteen sighed as two more shooting stars appeared over the horizon. Just like the princess, he also thought of them as beautiful attractions in the sky.

But that was until he arrived in Pangea.

Despite the veil disappearing, the only shooting stars that could be seen in the sky represented the Wanderers who died somewhere in Pangea or Solterra.

It was not a scene meant to be appreciated, but a scene to remind someone that life was precious because it could easily end when you least expect it.

“You know, in some worlds, when people see shooting stars, they pray to them and make a wish,” Thirteen said softly. “They believe that if they can make their wish at the right moment, it will come true.”

“Oh?” Princess Xynalia. “And do you believe in such wishful thinking?”

“No,” Thirteen said. “But it gives people hope.”

The teenage boy then pointed at a constellation that was at the center of the sky.

“Do you see that group of stars?” Thirteen asked. “That is called the Constellation of Pandora.”

“Where?” Princess Xynalia moved closer to Zion because she couldn’t see exactly where the boy was pointing. There were simply too many stars in the sky, and she had no idea what the constellation looked like.

Thirteen smiled faintly. “Move closer and touch my hand. Look at exactly where I am pointing at.”

Princess Xynalia obeyed and moved closer until their bodies were touching each other. She then held Zion’s hand and crouched a little to see where he was pointing.

But even with her sharp senses, she couldn’t understand what she should be looking at.

“I’m just joking,” Thirteen smirked. “There’s no constellation called Pandora in the sky.”

“W-What? You tricked me?!” Princess Xynalia couldn’t believe that Zion would actually trick her like that.

“Yes,” Thirteen replied before using his blanket to cover the young lady’s body. “It’s cold, so you should take better care of yourself.”

“My body is strong, so I’m not affected by this level of coldness,” Princess Xynalia replied.

However, she made no move to remove the blanket that Zion personally used to cover her body.

“I’m curious, why did you trick me with that constellation called Pandora?” Princess Xynalia asked. “I’m sure you didn’t randomly just say that name, right?”

“That’s right.” Thirteen nodded. “Well then, Princess. Do you want me to tell you the story of Pandora and the box that started it all?”

“Why not?” Princess Xynalia was only half-interested in his story, but she wanted to hear it because she liked hearing Zion talk.

It had been a while since the two of them talked together, so when she sensed him alone on the rooftop, she didn’t hesitate to fly to his side and see him up close.

“Wait, your skin is cold,” Princess Xynalia, who decided to hold Zion’s hand, said with worry.

Without any hesitation, she used the blanket covering her to cover both of them, hugging him from behind to save space.

Tiona positioned herself so she wouldn’t be squeezed behind the two, and crawled on Zion’s chest, hiding inside his clothes for warmth.

“That’s better,” Princess Xynalia said as she used the warmth of her body to warm him up.

Thirteen didn’t move away from the Princess, because he, too, wanted to know more about her.

Especially since one of the threads of destiny connected her to him.

“Once upon a time, there was a Titan who created humanity,” Thirteen said. “His name is Prometheus. He loved his creations so much that he stole fire from the Gods, allowing them to develop skills like cooking and smithing.

“The King of the Gods, Zeus, was so angry at Prometheus that he decided to get back at him. He asked the God of Blacksmiths, Hephaestus, to create a mold of a woman from clay. This creation was then blessed by all the other Gods, giving her life.

“The name they gave her was Pandora. A name that means ’The Gifted One,’ for she was blessed with beauty, charm, and many other things that makes her the perfect woman.

“Unfortunately, she was created not out of love, but out of a ploy to take revenge upon humanity. Before she was sent to Earth, Zeus gave her a jar and told her to not open it no matter what.”

“Wait, didn’t you say that it was Pandora’s box and not Pandora’s jar?” Princess Xynalia inquired.

“You get ten points for attentiveness,” Thirteen smiled. “Yes, it was a jar and not a box. But as time went by, this story was passed over the generations, and due to a translation error, it was referred to as a box instead of a jar.

“But the power of faith could make the impossible possible. The jar transformed into a box, and it was later called Pandora’s Box. Now, let me continue the rest of the story.”

Princess Xynalia nodded and hugged Zion a little tighter.

She wanted to know more about this woman called Pandora, who seemed to be someone special to Zion due to how gentle and affectionate his words sounded when she spoke of her.