My black heels click against the stone bridge as I scan over a page. I turn the page, careful as to not rip the delicate paper of the old book. This is the Book of Branches. A book that all Recorder's, like myself, use to keep in track with all of the timelines.
Me? I'm Accord. One of many Recorders that watch over and document the timelines and their differences. Though currently, I'm in between jumps and have some time to myself. Flipping through the book, looking at old recordings and notes made by past recorders.
Flip, flip, flip, flip. There's so many different branches, and they all have one thing in common.
Zero.
The original intoner born from the flower unwillingly. Her name comes up all of the time. Even though we sealed off her final Branch, Branch D, with her supposed death along with the flower. I still hear her name amongst other recorders, though she indeed was a large singularity.
Flipping to the back of the Book of Branches, I see something new.
A sealed off Branch.
For it to be the front page of a supposed new branch, it has a large red stamp on it. Concluding that it's a Branch that has been sealed off for harmful reasons. Just like Branch C has been sealed off, but not in red because it is questionable. But if this one is in red-
What happened?
Well if it's already happened and been recorded, no harm in jumping in and finding out for myself.
"M3040_E1030_QZ Begin Recording."
"Fuck!"
My body feels so heavy, like the pure weight of my bones are going to crush my organs. My sword is barely gripped in my hand, and my face feels hot against the cold stone of the ground. I cough, and I can see blood splash against the ground. Shit, this is unbearable!
My body struggles to move how I want, my legs scraping against the rough stone as I writhed in agony.
Of fucking course I can't die painlessly!
I resign, feeling colder with every passing second. It doesn't matter anyway. If these are going to be my last moments, I might as well accept it. My life was a shit-show anyway. I have nothing left behind, aside from a trail of corpses and pervy men. Yeah, this is fine. This is a pathetic death for a pathetic life.
My eyes flutter, vision beginning to drown out. It's over, but then something….grows?
A flower?
It doesn't matter. Bloom all you want, they'll stomp all over you anyway. The pain fades into numbness… I'm tired...So tired…
I wake immediately, pain flooding back into my body. My eyes looking to see the setting sun. Just how much time passed? The pain is subsiding, but it doesn't feel like the numbness I had before. I can feel again. My hands move easily, and the heavy weight on my bones vanished. What?
I use my supposedly healed arms and pushed myself up. Looking around for a brief moment. I'm not dead, that's for sure. But this can't be right, I was just laying here at the end of it all. And just when I look to my side I see that the flower is gone.
My eyes run up and down my body as I look for any signs, anything that can explain this.
"What? What… the hell?" The words came out before I could even try to filter my thoughts.
This couldn't be right. I grabbed my sword, carefully putting it over my wrist as I bring it down onto myself. The blade pierced through my skin and blood spurted from the wound. It hurts, but that isn't what I'm checking for.
When I pull it out, a pink circle appeared over it, rotating and closing up the wound. The emblem on the circle was….
"Damn Flower!"
I am pissed. But how could I not be? Here I was, collapsed, ready to die and get out of the shit-show of my life and then this flower comes up and-
I have to kill it. I'm going to kill it!
I pull my sword high above my head and breathe in a sharp breath. If I just kill it, then-
When my sword plunged into my torso, I watch my blood spurt from my body in rapid succession, I think it's over. I think it's finally the end. But-
A light shines from my body and an eerie song echoes from the depths of what seems to be within me. When I yanked my sword out, blood flows, but also an indescribable feeling. The light grew and it feels as if I'm being split apart! My screams echo, the light piercing into the sky and splitting. I can't see, but damn can I feel the pain!
As the magic circle appears again and sews my wound shut, The light died down and I feel...Weaker? What the hell is going on? I look around, I see forms. People, at least they look like people. But I can easily tell that they aren't normal humans.
There are five of them, their bodies look like children. They can't have been-
I finally push myself up to a stand, and walk my way over to look at them. It is made even more clear.
They were born from this flower.
Whatever this flower is, it was determined and instead of letting me die, it split itself. I raise my sword, I can still end this. If I just-
"THERE!"
Guards screamed and arrows flew in my direction. I'm barely able to dodge them in time. Damnit!
The guard and archers are approaching too quickly, I have to run, leaving those...things lying there for the guards to pick up.
I'll find them...And I will kill them.
"So far, everything seems to be going according to the base line."
Standing upon a building I watch the singularity, known as 'Zero', retreat from the squadron of guards. Thus separating her from the Intoners and beginning their growth.
I open the book once more, and look deeper into the sealed off branch. Noticing a small anecdote off to the side.
-This Branch starts off from when the singularity is first cursed with the Flower. Perhaps there is an inherent difference from this beginning point? From my research I haven't found anything yet. -
"Well, this is isn't the point of change, we'll just have to move forward."
