Koh had no idea how long she’d slept, but she felt so refreshed when she opened her eyes, she didn’t even think to question it. Hints of strange lights capered upon the walls and ceiling, catching her eye as she pushed herself up in bed. That’s when she remembered where she was – the room the conjurers put Amon in during his recovery.

On the table next to her was a plate with honey muffins and a pitcher of what looked to be tea. Neither seemed to have been there too long, as if her caretaker had a pretty solid idea of about when she’d be waking up.

Hungry, Koh grabbed one of muffins and immediately stuffed it in her mouth. She stashed another in her hand as she got to her feet, following the pattern of shifting lights that drew strange shapes over the walls. When she peered around the divider into the other part of the room, she stopped, staring in shock.

It was as if she’d just walked into every Allagan legend that she’d ever loved as a child.

Throughout the room, tiny orbs floated, traced with intricate glowing designs that pulsed with energy and light. Connected to these orbs – it was unmistakable – Allagan tomestones hummed, the colored patterns on their faces active, lit up and shifting in design and color.

Somehow, the combination of the two created projected images above the orbs. The subject of the images varied – everything from the mapping of internal aether-biological systems… to what looked like genetic charts… and structures of Azys Lla, though back when it was still alive and functioning in the age of Allag.

Papers were strewn everywhere, some pinned up on the wall, marked with runes in languages she didn’t fully recognize. The handwriting was the scribbling of someone trying to jot down ideas and information as quickly as it came to them. A mind hard at work.

In the middle of it all, Amon sat with his feet propped up on a table and a honey muffin half-hanging out of his mouth. His eyes were fixed on a screen where he was touch-entering information at an alarming rate with one hand, and scrawling on a paper with the other.

Realizing what Koh was witnessing, a shiver of amazed delight rushed through her. This… this right here was the Allagan she’d expected when meeting Amon. But… what had inspired him so suddenly? Had it been something that struck him during his illness?

“Oh my gods.” She finally breathed.

Amon finished whatever he was in the middle of writing before finally turning to cheerfully look at her over the top of the holographic screen. “Hey, you’re awake!”

There was something… different about him. Something more genuine. More alive.

“What are you doing?” Koh asked, walking slowly into the room, glancing from image to image with wide eyes.

“Some light research,” he shoved the muffin in his mouth and talked around it. “Had to jimmy-rig some of this stuff to make a proper TPR out of it. Oh, and I’ll probably need to lay low and stay out of Mor Dhona for a bit.”

“Huh?”

“Not my fault Rowena doesn’t charge a fair price for Tomes.”

“Amon!”

“I’ll give them back when I’m done.”

“Amon!”

“She wasn’t using them for anything important anyway,” there was a glint of mischief in his eyes as he grinned to himself.

Koh reached out to touch one of the orbs, but stopped, uncertain if she should.

“You won’t break anything,” Amon told her, returning his attention to the screen. “If a few ages of entropy didn’t do them in, they aren’t going fall apart at your touch.”

“This is incredible,” she said, poking at it and finding it only mildly warm to the touch.

“Aye, I know,” he grinned wider with a tone of mock conceit.

Koh groaned. “And here I was actually almost impressed.”

The Elezen just chuckled, obviously half engrossed in what he was reading.

“But really, what’s all this. Why?” The girl came to stand over his shoulder, observing him like someone would watch some mythical creature who had just sprung to life from a storybook.

Amon hesitated, his expression suddenly grim and serious as he turned to address her. “Koh. Noah and I had a long talk. ‘Tis something I need to discuss with you.”