Episode 22: The Truth of This World


Opening Theme: My First Story - Home


In the entire history of this world, I'm not sure there was another man who loved his country more than I.

As Captain of the Royal Guard, I dedicated my life to serving the Eclipse Dynasty, which unbeknownst to us at the time would turn out to be the final ruling family of Khaenri'ah. I couldn't have asked for more; truly, I felt so fulfilled during those days.

I had many good friends who served underneath me. They lived valiantly, willing to risk everything to protect our homeland. A man like me didn't deserve such allegiance, but they stayed by my side all the same, allowing me to become a much greater man than I might have without them.

Khaenri'ah was a thriving, advanced society back then. We had harnessed many different forms of energy, forgotten secrets that haven't been discovered, or utilized since. Our astrologers searched the cosmos, seeking the truth of our existence. You might think that they had learned too much somehow; however, that was not the reason behind our destruction.

It was something else. Something I couldn't have foreseen at the time, even though it had always been right beside me.

The time of our demise snuck upon us, like a thief in the night.

You see, once upon a time, in that beautiful, utopian kingdom, there was born a prince. Born to a mother who had been told she would never conceive, he had defeated the odds. His parents were shocked to the core when they first found out, but were soon overjoyed by this unexpected miracle.

When that boy was born, he was adored more than perhaps any other child in the kingdom. The King and Queen showered him with affection. I'm sure his childhood must have been a very precious thing indeed.

However, when he turned seven, something strange happened.

One day, while playing outside near the fountain in the palace courtyard, he saw something he shouldn't have.

At first, his parents refused to believe him. They thought he just had an imaginary friend. Slightly worrisome for a parent, I'm sure, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I'd assume they believed he would grow out of it.

As time went on, though, things got out of hand. When that young prince predicted the untimely death of one of the palace guard with exact precision, the King could no longer ignore the weight of the situation they found themselves in.

Instead, he chose to sweep it under the rug.

Because of that choice, almost no one else in the kingdom knew of this young man's "gift".

And in the end, they never did until it was too late.

That gift had a name among the few who knew of it: "The Eye of Cognizance". It was thus named because of the physical manifestation of its existence: a strange, red pattern in the prince's right eye that grew more clear with the passage of time.

At that time, I had no idea of the disaster that awaited us. I focused my energy on living life to the utmost. With few nations willing to challenge our power, my job wasn't necessarily a difficult one. I spent a great deal of time training my men for anything, even though I hoped they would never need to use that strength. And at night, I came home to a lovely wife who I adored more than anyone in the world.

I wish that peaceful world could have lasted forever. I truly, truly do.

But fate herself chose another route.

On the prince's ninth birthday, he called a conference at the central square. The area was packed with civilians eagerly awaiting their beloved young prince's words, despite his age.

But no one could have expected what he would say that day.

"My dear men and women of Khaenri'ah, today I come to you with words of utmost importance. For I have discovered the secret of this world!"

A hushed murmur went through the crowd. None could understand the meaning of what he said. At first, some may have believed it to be some sort of game he was playing. But the prince continued on with utmost seriousness.

"This world we call home is not what it seems! We have been cruelly bound to a fate that was pre-written long before this world came to be, unbeknownst to anyone!"

"What?"

"What's the meaning of this?!"

Voices arose from the crowd below. The astrologers looked on in confusion, wondering what the prince had learned. They wouldn't have to wait long to find out.

"I have seen past the curtains of this world to the true one beyond! We have no memory of that place, but it is our true home! And it is unlike anything we could have imagined!"

The King gazed at his son with deep concern. He started to rise from his seat, but the Queen put her hand gently on his arm, staying him.

"Perhaps this, too, is his fate," she whispered.

"The rulers, no, the creators of this world have trapped us here, with no way of remembering who we truly are! This is a grave travesty, and a crime against our very souls!"

The prince continued, working himself up more and more. All the while, his right eye shone a deep red.

"People of Khaenri'ah, today I present you with a choice. Will we live on in a world of pre-determined fate, or will we break free? I implore you, we must raise the sword against those who keep us in chains! We must defeat those malicious gods and reclaim our sovereignty!"

As he spoke, the people's minds must have become more and more loosed, as mine was, and memories of the past came rushing back, a past that had been erased somehow. It seems quite absurd now, looking back, but once the blinders came off, the people grew angry almost instantly, as they resonated with the prince's words.

"HOAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

A cry arose from the crowd, repeating over and over, growing until it nearly shook the ground.

"DOWN WITH THE GODS!"

As the crowd became more frenzied, a satisfied grin spread across the prince's face. The King looked like a fish out of water, completely unable to get a grip on the situation.

And I watched from the sidelines as it all came to a sudden end.

A terrible sound slowly rose above the raucous chants of the crowd, completely dwarfing them and drowning them out as if they never even existed. Like a warning siren mixed with an impossibly loud trumpet, that fearsome sound caused every eye to turn to the sky.

The once-beautiful blue skies over Khaenri'ah turned crimson red as flames began to fall from heaven. I watched as the young prince looked on in abject shock. Perhaps even he had failed to predict this.

As the horrific sound droned on, an otherworldly voice joined it in a maelstrom of sound so terrifying that the citizens started falling to the ground, seeking cover. But there was nowhere to hide from the gaze of the ones above.

"PEOPLE OF KHAENRI'AH, YOUR DAY OF JUDGMENT HAS COME!"

Another trumpet sounded, and a white-haired, angelic-looking being appeared above the square. Her eyes burned with an orange light as she took a sword in her right hand and spoke.

What she said that day, I can't quite remember. No matter how hard I try, that memory simply doesn't exist in my mind, perhaps for the better. For I am almost certain that those words were a terrible, un-utterable curse. Things became unclear amidst the sheer scale of the disaster. I remember running to the prince, trying to protect him from that ethereal being as she loomed over us. After that, my memory is dark.

In my journeys since, I was able to piece together what happened after that. The nation of Khaenri'ah was destroyed, and its people cursed to forever wander the earth as blackened husks of their former selves. Why I alone escaped that part of the curse, I still do not understand.

The prince disappeared that day amongst the chaos, never to be seen again. Perhaps he became one of those things you call "hilichurls" as well, or perhaps he met an even stranger fate. Few remain who could say, perhaps none.

As for me, I have wandered this world since then, seeking an end to the curse of my people, and indeed, the story of this world itself. When my original journey neared its end centuries ago, your sister was by my side, Traveler. However, as I once told you in the depths of those ruins, she didn't make it to that journey's end. To tell that tale would take far too long, and our time now grows short.

However, I must say this. Upon my first "death" millennia ago, I discovered a truth more terrible than anything else: death was not the end of the curse, only a restart.

I was not to be allowed to escape from my sin that easily.

Once I discovered that, I realized what it truly would mean to fight against fate. The weight of that inescapable truth has never left my mind since.


In the dim light of Angel's Share, Dainsleif's face wore a mask of sorrow, as he remembered a far-off memory of indescribable pain.

He composed himself, and masterfully concluded his long and sorrowful tale of the past with short, succinct words that struck all present to their core.

"The truth is, I'm afraid we are all caught within that never-ending repetition of fate."


Ending Theme: FELT - find the light


Next:

Interlude 3: Once Upon the ∞ Time