Act 2, Part 5: Premonition
To most, midsummer brought with it the unbearable humidity of the Nihal Desert. But the summer solstice was an auspicious day for Abdullah. According to the ancient writings of Ariant, it was said that the spiritual energy of the continent shifted to the Nihal Desert on the longest day of the year.
Under the midday sun, the Shamanesses of Azwan had once divined their prophecies through their connection to the desert spirits. And tonight, Abdullah planned to do just that. It was something that he had attempted to do every year, ever since he had been crowned Sultan. He took his responsibilities as ruler seriously, but this was the one luxury that he allowed himself without guilt.
The same prophecy had stuck with him for years: "From Ariant, it will begin again." Every historian had agreed that it foretold the doom of Ariant. But he was certain that it was a promise – a promise that their ancient kingdom would return to glory once again.
The compulsion to validate his belief was so great that he had attempted to revive the ancient divinations annually, hoping that the magic of the desert would work through him, just as it had done for the ancient Shamanesses.
He had thought that the war against the Tarheeds would be won quickly and decisively, but it had been going on longer than he had anticipated, and too long for his comfort. The partnership with Magatia was on the verge of collapse, and his ministers were reporting that the people were reaching their limit. This divination was something he needed – not just for himself, but for those whose faith in him was wavering. He needed to make them believe in him. He needed them to know that his destiny was not ruinous like his father's.
"The preparations are ready, Your Majesty," Vizier Jaffar informed him.
"Good. Bring them in," Abdullah replied.
Four attendants entered the room, wheeling in a large glittering device held together with a cascade of wires wrapped around metal and glass. This was one of Abdullah's personal commissions from the Magatia Alchemy Society, painstakingly developed over the course of a year.
"Greetings, Sultan Abdullah," a wizened old man said, bowing deeply.
"Master Johann," Abdullah said, nodding in acknowledgement. "Welcome."
"I am most eager to show Your Majesty our finished design. It will not disappoint, I'm certain of it."
"You had best be right. A great deal of resources was diverted into this project. It would not bode well for your future employment if these months of promises prove to be empty after all."
"Rest assured, Your Majesty," Johan assuaged. "This device has been tested at length, and with great care. Our test subjects have demonstrated distinct precognitive abilities with our device."
"And has this machine been tested during the summer solstice?" Abdullah asked.
"Summer, winter, and both equinoxes, Your Majesty. We have followed the shifting spiritual energies of Maple World across the continent for our research. I can promise that Your Majesty will see the future tonight."
The alchemist's words were obsequious enough, but Abdullah had faith in Johann's abilities. As a leading member of the society, Johann had over two centuries' worth of experience under his belt. Minister Cassim himself had done a thorough background check on both Johann and his team, and he had personally confirmed their reliability. They would deliver results – he was certain of it.
And speaking of them, the ministers had just entered the room, bowing graciously as they did. Abdullah knew that his court had little interest in such esoteric practices, but he also knew that even they couldn't resist witnessing the possibility of unlocking the secrets of the ancients.
"Ah, excellent," Johann noted. "I believe that's everyone, my Sultan. Shall we begin?"
"Yes, let us begin," Abdullah agreed.
"If you'll just step here, Your Majesty," Johann said, pointing over to a piece of apparatus hooked up to the machine.
"Is this contraption safe?" Minister Shirin asked dubiously. "How exactly does it work?"
"An excellent question, Minister," Johann said smoothly. "Let me direct your attention to these containers."
Johann pointed to several vats containing pink, gelatinous liquid, as well as beakers containing what appeared to be grey goop with leaves sprouting out of them. To everyone's shock, however, both the pink and grey liquid unexpectedly opened their eyes.
"What in Nihal's name is that?" Shirin asked in disgust.
"These curious creatures are part of our experiments in spontaneous generation," Johann explained. "We call the pink creatures Cube Slimes and the grey ones Rumos."
"And what exactly are they supposed to do?"
"These lovely specimens are, in conjunction with Lidium, the power source for our experiment. You see, our team has drawn… shall we say, inspiration from our contemporaries. I'm sure that this court is aware of the current situation in Magatia. President Alcaster has found himself holding together a city that threatens to split in two."
Abdullah was all too aware of what was happening there. Magatia wasn't a normal city with citizens led by a government. It was a collection of laboratories, all held under the banner of the Magatia Alchemy Society. The society had no real power to enforce laws, though its influence was enough that independent laboratories would not survive long without being afforded the society's protections.
The Huntsman King's continued interference had created a unique dilemma for the society. He and Abdullah both were wealthy patrons, each financing research to destroy the other. Naturally, laboratories had been forced to take sides, each clamoring to seize as much funding as they could grasp. As a result, Magatia had all but become a warzone between those who had sided with Riche and those who supported Abdullah.
With no choice, Alcaster had divided the city into separate zones for each faction, hoping to keep Magatia as neutral as possible amidst the escalating conflict between Ariant and El Nath. However, he hadn't anticipated the subterfuge and backstabbing, with alchemists from each zone attempting to sabotage the research of the other.
Though he would never admit it publicly, Abdullah himself had covertly ordered the destruction of many of the Huntsman King's research labs, and he was certain that Riche had done the same to his. They were in the middle of a war, after all.
Besieged by his city being turned into a battlefield, Alcaster had turned to his friend, Grendel the Elder, who had then brought in Athena Pierce, leader of the Explorer Guild. Athena had personally come to Ariant in order to negotiate with him, though negotiation was hardly the word that he would've used. The woman had practically strong-armed him with her threats.
"Look, I'm just gonna give it to you straight, Your Majesty. El Nath is currently the only threat to you because the rest of the world is choosing to remain neutral. Mu Lung and Leafre have sided with the refugees. Ludibrium is radio silent, but that could change at any time. Ereve is working to deescalate the conflict by targeting the Tarheeds. Right now, the only reason why they're not targeting you is because they're choosing to trust that you want an end to this war as much as they do. Your annexation of Magatia is your business, but the safety of the alchemists is ours. If you don't agree to this neutrality pact, Ereve is going to turn on you, I can promise you that. And when you make an enemy of them, you're making an enemy of the Explorer Guild, the warriors of Mu Lung, and the dragons of Leafre. I wouldn't want to find myself alone fighting a war against every nation of Maple World, would you?"
In the end, Abdullah had begrudgingly agreed to sign the neutrality pact on the condition that the Explorer Guild remain objectively neutral. With that, he'd at least bought himself an assurance that the Explorers wouldn't meddle any further.
With them off the battlefront, the Noblesses would be fighting alone. And whether they or the Tarheeds won, someone would be crippled enough that he could swoop in and claim victory over them.
One year ago, his vision had been small. All he had wanted was the Nihal Desert. But now – now he had a bigger dream. There was a chance that the world itself would be his to take. And this was the future that he wanted to divine. He wanted destiny's promise that he would be poised to have it all.
"…Your Majesty?"
Johann's voice cut through his reverie. Abdullah immediately sat up and coughed awkwardly.
"My apologies. I was lost in thought," he admitted.
"No need to apologize, Your Majesty. An illustrious ruler no doubt has many things to consider. As I was saying, the situation in Magatia has caused a schism within our great society. Those who have sided with the Huntsman King have a more… experimental approach towards alchemy. King Riche has commissioned projects that would augment his forces, as well as to create devices that would further his vendetta against the natural order."
"By destroying spirits, you mean."
"Precisely. Meanwhile, many who support Your Majesty – myself included – have a traditional outlook on alchemy. We do not turn away from our roots as living beings. To eschew the spirits is to eschew everything that makes us alive."
"And yet, you claim that you draw inspiration from the Huntsman King's research?"
"While it is true that our two camps are divided thus, our division is not absolute. Not yet, at least. Some of these newer, radical alchemists are still in our numbers. And while I defer to our traditional approach for alchemy, the Huntsman King's research on spirits has proven to be… rather helpful while developing this project for Your Majesty."
"Explain."
"You see, the Huntsman King's camp is delving into research on how to destroy spirits altogether. Spirits may die individually, but their existence is tied to the world itself. As long as nature exists, more spirits will always manifest. While Riche's people continue struggling to solve this paradox, my team has drawn inspiration from some of their techniques, and we believe that we have developed a way to capture the life energy contained inside spirits and transmute that energy into a living being."
"You're suggesting that we fuse a being with a spirit?" Abdullah asked. "Spirit transmutation has been a banned subject for centuries. How were you able to get this past the society?"
"Not spirit transmutation, Your Majesty," Johann explained. "Merely a transference of the bioenergy inside them. Spirits are elemental creatures – an amalgam of magical essence wrapped around a soul. The fusion of one's soul with a spirit's would fall under spirit transmutation. However, we are merely taking the essence of the spirit and transferring it into a human body. A subtle difference, but an important one."
"You're merely splitting hairs," Minister Shirin protested. "You're suggesting, what? That you… inject the Sultan with the body fluids of another life form? Your Majesty, this experiment doesn't seem safe. I would strongly caution against following through with this charlatan's delusions."
"If you would allow me to finish, Minister," Johann said testily. "The injection has already been completed – upon these specimens, to be precise. These creatures that our laboratory has created are merely vessels for that life energy. Our quest to create life is still incomplete. Our creations do not have souls, which makes them little more than receptacles for bioessence. A disappointment to our goal as alchemists, but perfect for our purposes here."
"Why transfer their essence into these creatures?" Abdullah asked. "Why not simply capture the spirits in your containers?"
"We are yet to devise a technique that will allow us to transfer merely the essence of a spirit while leaving its soul alone. Using this device with a spirit will result in a spirit transmutation, which would certainly be disastrous for us all. By using these soulless vessels, we can work around that little quirk."
"And what happens to the life energy transferred into me?"
"The energy will remain in your body only for a short time before it gets consumed as fuel. As the life essence gets used, you will temporarily have precognitive abilities through the energy of the desert spirits augmented by the solstice. It's quite straightforward and safe, Your Majesty, I assure you. We believe that this is the same process by which the Shamanesses of old divined the future. The only difference is that whereas their bodies were naturally attuned to the spirits, we will be attuning ourselves to the spirits through scientific methodology."
Abdullah considered Johann's words. His methods and explanation seemed rational enough, and he had personally gone over their research papers on live test subjects, all of whom appeared to have no adverse effects. And this was his one real chance to see the future. Today, after years of hoping for that intangible power, he would be able to see the shape of his own destiny with his own eyes.
"Very well," he nodded. "Let us begin."
Shirin opened her mouth to protest, but closed it after Minister Zaman shook his head. She knew that they were all thinking the same thing. This was either going to work, or it would go horribly wrong. And once Abdullah set his mind on something, there was no stopping him.
Still, Shirin knew that the others – Cassim, particularly – had no real loyalty to Abdullah. They believed in his power, not in him. But Shirin had been part of Abdullah's court ever since his coronation. She had seen the uprising against his father, and she'd protected him because she'd believed that he would be a better ruler.
Abdullah had done many questionable things as Sultan. But she'd been certain that everything that he'd had done, he'd done for Ariant. But this – this crude, artificial way of divining the future – was a singularly selfish decision, no matter how else he presented it. As she watched Johann place the apparatus onto Abdullah, she prayed that this was a decision that he could walk out unscathed from.
The metal helmet fitted completely over Abdullah's head, obscuring his vision and smothering the sounds around him.
He barely heard Johann's muffled voice say, "Activating in three… two… one…" before an electric shock jolted from his head, spreading all across his body. It was sharp and intense, but it wasn't painful. A strange warmth flooded into him, as though his body was being filled from within by the scorched desert sand.
The hot energy surged through him, and despite his vision being blocked, he felt aware of everything that was happening in the room. He could sense where Johann was, where his court was standing, their energies pulsing through his awareness.
And suddenly, it began growing wider. He wasn't just feeling the room, but the space surrounding it. Tens upon thousands of people walking, eating, breathing, sleeping – he could perceive it all. He was connected to everything above and below the sands, and everywhere that the desert sun had kissed.
And now, time itself was slowing and speeding all at once. He was standing on a crossroads of infinite futures, each in a constant process of being written, erased, and rewritten. It was impossible to process it all. He was like a two-dimensional creature attempting to perceive the vastness of three-dimensional space.
But time was short. He could already feel the connection fading. He needed to pick a future to perceive, and fast. Just one thing that he could place all his focus upon. He recalled the words in his mind.
"From Ariant, it will begin again. Show me… show me that future. Show me how it begins."
The visions came readily into his mind. Thousands of toy soldiers marching in a snowfield. A horde of monsters riding atop beasts, slaughtering the people of Ariant indiscriminately. Magatia shaking violently from the ground, undone by its buried secrets. A Nymph wearing the jewels of the royal family, her husband – the Sultan – sleeping helplessly at her side. And then, a beautiful dancer with blazing red hair. What was she holding? A bottle? A potion?
"From Ariant, it will begin again…" the woman spoke, smiling wickedly.
The terror barely began registering when the vision went dark.
"No… Come back," he wanted to cry out. "Where is Ariant's glory? Show me where it is! Show me!"
But there was nothing left to see. Nothing but the disjointed visions that were already threatening to slip out of his mind. He threw off the helmet, blinking furiously at the sudden return of light.
"Ah, Your Majesty," Johann began. "Were you succ-"
"Show it to me again," Abdullah demanded. "I need to see more!"
"Your Majesty," Johann said hesitantly. "Unfortunately, we're out of life essence."
"Then get more! You can get more, can't you? I'll supply you with whatever you need, just make the vision happen again!"
"It's not that simple, my Sultan. It takes time to harvest enough life essence. By the time that we finish gathering, the solstice will long be over."
"Then make preparations for the next one, immediately. This time, I want enough to last more than a few meager seconds."
"As you command, Your Majesty. Perhaps if I could suggest – the fall equinox will be upon us in three months. Perhaps, if we gather enough wind spirits-"
"That won't work. The energy of the continent shifts to Leafre in autumn. Your test subjects all saw future visions of the region they were attuned to. I need to see Ariant's future, nothing else."
"Very well, Your Majesty," Johann said, bowing deeply. "I will begin preparations for the next equinox immediately."
Abdullah raised his hand to dismiss Johann before striding out of the room. Shirin sighed quietly as she watched him leave. She'd been afraid that this would happen. This was the price of paying mind to vague and imprecise practices like fortunetelling.
Whatever prophecies the ancient Shamanesses had divined, there was no telling whether they would come true. Most were vague enough that they could be interpreted to fit any historical event. It was imprudent for a ruler to concern themselves with the soothsayers of the past, not when the cost was their attention diverted from being the strong leader that their people needed.
Still, she trusted that Abdullah would come around eventually. Whatever his faults, he had never let them down before, and she prayed that he wouldn't now. A critical juncture was approaching – she could feel it. And what was about to happen soon would shape the course of everything. He needed to focus, and soon.
. . .
A week later, the visions hadn't left Abdullah's head. And they had shaken him to his core. For years, he had kept tight the belief that the prophecy had been about Ariant's return to glory, despite everyone else's belief that it spelled their doom. And he couldn't get the images out of his head. His people slaughtered by vicious monsters. A Nymph who would destroy their kingdom with her greed.
Was he the Sultan sleeping helplessly at her side? Or was it his descendent? The man in the vision had been old and diminished, and it was impossible to tell whether it was himself or not. And the red-haired woman holding the potion… she had recited the words of prophecy herself.
Was this the same vision that the seers of the past had witnessed? Had they divined the prophecy from her words? But then, how could the woman in the future have recited a prophecy in the future before it had been made? Was the very act of divining the future what had shaped it to come? Did that mean that the future that he had seen was set in stone?
The questions came like a flood and he had no answers to give. Seeing just a glimpse of the future had done this to him. What would have happened if he had seen more? And yet, seeing the future had given him drive like no other. Pieces and fragments though they might have been, he had seen the shape of destiny for himself. Forewarned, he could now be forearmed.
This realization was what had led him to return to Ludibrium. Out of all the splintered images, he had only been able to recognize the toy army marching in El Nath. This was his starting point. If he could stop Ludus from sending his toy army, there was a chance that he could avert Ariant's doom.
"Welcome, Sultan Abdullah," Tigun the Advisor greeted. "It is an honor to have you grace this kingdom with your presence."
"Thank you," Abdullah said, unable to keep the edge from his voice. "If we could hurry this up – I have important matters to discuss with the king."
"Of course, of course," Tigun nodded. "Right this way."
The trip down the clocktower hadn't taken as long this time, since he wasn't being subjected to a tour of the factory. Fortunately, Tigun was perceptive enough to know that Abdullah wasn't in the mood for small talk. And so, they had spent the trip in silence until the elevator opened at the bottom floor.
"This is as far as I go," Tigun said. "I trust that you know your way, Your Majesty."
"Yes, thank you," Abdullah said briskly, taking large strides towards the throne room.
He practically threw the doors open, where Ludus was sitting expectantly atop his floating throne.
"You're back!" Ludus laughed.
He had the same, childlike voice, but he was different this time. Smaller. As though he hadn't been eating, and his nested doll shells had been thinning over time. Still, that wasn't the important thing here.
"King Ludus. I've come to call off our deal."
Ludus' face remained smiling, but he had clearly been taken aback. "W-what? Why?"
"Suffice to say that I've learned that this partnership will ruin Ariant."
"No it won't! My army is gonna smash all the bad guys and save all the kids, remember?"
"Your army is going to spell certain doom for my kingdom. I can't say how, but I'm certain of it."
"Who told you that?" Ludus demanded. "Are you just making things up?"
"I've had a vision of the future-"
"So you are!" Ludus accused. "There's no such thing as seeing the future. You're just playing some stupid make-believe game!"
"You might not believe in the future, but I've seen irrefutable proof that the future-"
"What proof?" the demand came out like a growl.
Abdullah jumped slightly. It was just like when they'd last spoken. Something in Ludus' voice had stirred, something that wasn't his own.
"The prophecies of Azwan-"
"You think you know more about the future than me? I live in a giant clocktower, dummy! I know more about time magic than any person alive! I even made the Goddess of Time do everything that I told her to! So go on – tell me that you're smarter than me. Tell me that your human brain is somehow capable of perceiving the future better than a time alchemist like me."
There was no doubt about it. Whoever was talking to him wasn't Ludus.
"You won't, won't you?" Ludus demanded. He immediately slid off his floating throne and plummeted fifty feet onto the ground, which cracked under his feet, though Ludus appeared completely unharmed. Abdullah instinctively took a step back.
"You think that you can make a fool of me? I was ruling this kingdom when your forefathers were scavenging the desert like rats. I was alive before the first brick of your palace was laid. All these months that you've begged me – 'Hurry up, Ludus! I want my army so that I can trample on Riche. I want to show him that I'm better, one beggar king to another.' And now, you have the nerve to tell me that you want to pack it all up? And for what? Because poor little Abdullah had a bad dream? It's pathetic."
"You don't know what I've seen," Abdullah suddenly snapped, regaining some of his nerve. "You don't know the first thing about me."
"I don't have to. Everything that I need to know, I can see right in front of me. A pretender king who lives in his make-believe world of prophecy. He'll find anything to believe in except himself, because he can't stop thinking about how he's destined to fail like his daddy. How many more times do you plan on victimizing yourself before you realize that you're not cut out for ruling? Take it from someone who's been around longer than your family tree – you lose the very moment that you doubt yourself. If you need to cling to a prophecy to rule, then you don't deserve to be a king. You want to know why I'm better than you? It's because I don't believe in the future. I decide the future. For myself, and for everyone else. That's what it means to have power."
Abdullah opened and shut his mouth soundlessly, desperately trying to find words to say. How was a toy child able to scare him like this?
"…What are you?" he finally stammered.
"What do you mean?" Ludus asked, smiling innocently. "I'm the King of Ludibrium. Or have you forgotten already? Everyone in this kingdom has a strange habit of forgetting. Perhaps you've been with us too long."
"My memory is fine. I'm asking what you are. You're not Ludus."
"No?" Ludus smirked. "Then by all means, enlighten me on what it is that you think I am."
"I-" Abdullah began, unable to formulate thoughts like he normally could.
What exactly was this… thing? Ludus hadn't changed in appearance, nor was his voice different in anything but tone. It was as though something insidious had taken him over from the inside, warping his personality into something darker. But as far as he knew, there was nothing that could infect and change a person's own mind.
"What's the matter? Nothing to substantiate that brave claim? You were so certain just a moment ago."
"…I don't know what you are, or how you did it. But you're not Ludus. I'm sure of it."
"Then, again, tell me what it is that you think I am. Because from where I'm standing, you barge into my throne room, attempt to break our partnership, and then claim that I'm some hellish, unknowable creature straight from your wildest imagination. Wars have been started for less, you know."
"Children don't talk the way you do. I've spoken with you before. This is nothing like last time. In fact, you were talking the same way until a few moments ago."
"You mean like this?" Ludus asked. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them, contorting his face into an excessively broad smile. "You dummy, don't you know that I haven't had my nap today? Tigun-man was supposed to tell me, but he forgot. He's a dummy sometimes too, but he'll play with me whenever I want. I guess that means I won't dismember him limb from limb after all."
Ludus' mocking grin pierced through him like daggers.
"…Is that better? Should I talk like that instead?" he sneered.
Abdullah could feel his body trembling. This was a new kind of terror. The boy in front of him was harmless to his eyes, but every fiber of his body was screaming at him to run. He was in certain danger if he stayed here.
"Thinking of turning tail?" Ludus asked knowingly. "Humans think they're something special, as though they're not all made the same. When it comes down to it, all they know how to do is run and hide. Somewhere in the back of their minds, they know that they weren't built to last. That's what you're thinking now, isn't it? Your little prophecy showed you something you didn't like, and you came all this way just to tell me that you're running from our agreement. And now, you're trying to run from the consequences. Did you think I'd make it that easy? Look around – there's nowhere to run. Or have you forgotten that I control everything in this space?"
Abdullah wheeled around to find that just like before, the door had vanished – no doubt it was hiding itself as part of its hide-and-seek game, like every other twisted game in this twisted kingdom.
"So, what now?" Abdullah asked, unsuccessfully trying to steel his voice. "You're going to kill me?"
"Kill you?" Ludus laughed. "For what? We're still friends, aren't we? Friends might fight sometimes, but they always make up. You know why? Because they both know that they need each other to win. I need your help to save my friends in the snowfield, and you need mine to become king of the hill."
"…I don't believe you. This isn't about saving the kids of El Nath. There's something else that you want."
"Oh? Are we still not done with hurling more baseless accusations?"
"I might not be able to prove it, but I know that you're not Ludus. You're… something else. You talk like you've been around forever, and you act like you're not human."
"In case you've forgotten, I have been around forever. I'm sure that Tigun-man has told you about our humble beginnings. I built this kingdom ages ago, brick by plastic brick. And as for your claim that I'm not human – take a good look at me. What part of me suggests to you that there's flesh and blood beneath this wooden shell?"
Suddenly, a thought struck Abdullah. What exactly was there beneath his exterior? There had to be a reason why he had this form. Tigun hadn't been able to give a straight answer about whether the people of this kingdom were always toys. He remembered that conversation with the advisor during his first visit.
"Were the citizens of Ludibrium always toys?"
"What a peculiar question. We were made through the grace of our king."
"So, he's a magician of some sort? Is that it?"
"Certainly. The king holds great power. He created this kingdom to spread joy and laughter across all of Maple World."
And what was it that Ludus had said earlier?
"Everyone in this kingdom has a strange habit of forgetting."
Something wasn't adding up. Tigun couldn't remember his life before being a toy. Ludus was a magician, and it seemed like he was the only person who could remember the truth about the kingdom's origins. Had he transformed the people of Ludibrium into toys? Then, did that mean his current form hid something inside?
"I can hear your brain whirring from all the way over here," Ludus smirked. "Go on – share what it is that you're thinking."
"There's someone underneath that shell, isn't there? That's why you're different. You took Ludus' place in there."
Ludus let out a bark of laughter. "So close, yet so far. Let me make one thing clear. You've been talking to the same person from the moment that you stepped into this room. Whatever else I might be underneath this shell, I haven't stopped being me."
"What makes you think I believe you?"
"Believe what you like, it makes no difference to me."
"You're lying. There's a reason why you've closed this kingdom off. Why no one here remembers who they used to be. You're the one who gave them those forms. You gave yourself that form on purpose too. You stopped time and regressed their minds to be like children. There's something here that you don't want anyone to know – not even your own people. And it has something to do with who you really are underneath, I'm sure of it."
Abdullah expected Ludus to be taken aback. To show even a glimmer of anger at some measure of the truth being exposed. What he didn't expect was for Ludus to chuckle in mild amusement.
"I'm impressed, Sultan. You're smarter than I gave you credit for. It's a pity that you have no faith in yourself. Your intellect is a far more reliable thing to believe in than any prophecy. Still, I suppose that you've learned enough. Anything more and I might actually have to kill you. Or perhaps, I could just wipe your memories and assimilate you into this kingdom. Would you like that? Living here as a toy? I'd let you pick who you want to be, of course. And we'd have so much fun playing here forever."
"You're insane," Abdullah rasped. "You're mad."
"I suppose I am," Ludus said thoughtfully. "But then, what is madness but an inability to distinguish fact from fiction? You could say that most people in this world are mad. Yourself included. I suppose that we're alike in that regard."
"We're nothing alike," Abdullah retorted immediately. "And you're wrong – I do trust myself. My future vision, everything that I noticed about you – it was all with my own senses. You can't trick me into doubting what I can see with my own eyes."
"I'll admit that your prophecy might be real, only because I can't say with certainty that it isn't. But what you're seeing when you look at me – this is all real. If you're think you're seeing something different, then that's your problem. I won't keep repeating myself."
"People don't just start acting like someone else out of the blue."
"Don't they? The Goddess is said to have a thousand faces. How many do you think we, who were made in her image, possess? Perhaps the Ludus you thought you saw was just that – a face. The plastic veneer of a child playing king and kingdom. You asked me what lies beneath this wooden exterior, as though the truth about who I really am is just out of sight. Have you ever considered that perhaps this body hides another, and another still beneath? Perhaps, like the Goddess, I wear a thousand faces of my own – painted to shine perfectly under the light."
"That's…"
"You think you're any different? How many faces do you wear, Sultan? How many lies have you told without saying a word? Can you honestly say that you're looking at me with your true face? Is this the same face you wear with your court? Your people? Hypocrisy is the death of honesty, you know."
"Are you saying that you're wearing your true face with me?" Abdullah demanded. "And if you are, why now?"
"Would you believe me if I said that I'm tired of playing pretend? That you're the first person in a long time with whom I can be myself? I built this whole kingdom, surrounded myself with games. I never had half as much fun with them as I do with you now."
The truth hit Abdullah as Ludus said the words. This was just a game, in the end. His story about saving the refugees was just that – a game of playing pretend. At last, here was the truth. Ludus had been saying it all along. He wasn't a different person. He was a child, in the worst ways possible. Petulant, hedonistic, and merciless. Moods that shifted like night and day.
He was a child king with centuries of unchallenged, absolute authority and a kingdom of mindless puppets. Of course he was bored. The novelty had worn off. Ludus had said it himself – Abdullah was a friend, a playmate. As close to an equal that he could get.
"Looks like you've hit a realization," Ludus observed. "Is it that you believe me after all?"
"…I understand now. And that's all I'm going to say," Abdullah grudgingly admitted.
"Do you? Do you really understand?" Ludus asked eagerly. "Then promise that you'll still play with me. Promise me, and I'll let you go."
They both knew that there was only one way that he was leaving this room. There was no stopping his army from marching on El Nath. But now, he knew that he was important to Ludus. Which meant that Ludus wouldn't betray him. Not yet, at least.
And thinking back to his vision, it hadn't been Ludus' army that had marched on Ariant. Perhaps it made sense to keep him as an ally. Just long enough for him to win the war. But after that… he needed to be on his guard. Having a tentative ally was dangerous enough, his was a child of chaos.
"Alright. Fine."
"You've gotta say the words."
"Yes, I'll keep… playing with you."
"That's great!" Ludus beamed, shifting right back to his usual self.
Ludus lazily pointed at a piece of folded metal in the air. "I found you, door!"
The metal immediately unfolded itself back into its proper shape and flew straight behind Abdullah, who immediately opened it and let himself out without a word. After he left, the door once again folded itself back up and flew into the air, hiding amidst the stars.
Alone once more, the spirit immediately left Ludus' body, which collapsed onto the floor in exhaustion. The spirit chuckled to himself.
"I admit, I might've gotten a bit carried away there. I showed more of myself than I should've. Still, it's been ages since I could let loose like that. And I even made sure that the Sultan left with the wrong idea, so nothing has been lost. I wonder, is this what enjoying yourself feels like?" the sprit wondered in amusement. "My sister will be impressed that I actually had fun without her dragging me into her games. I guess I'll have to tell her when we can finally see each other again."
"Ugh… you… what did you do?"
"Oh, you're awake?" the spirit asked in a bored voice. "That was fast."
"Did you tell him about me?" Ludus demanded. "You promised that you wouldn't!"
"About your little secret? I'm surprised that you even remember. Is that mind of yours getting calloused because of me? I suppose you should thank me for toughening you up. Don't get me wrong – your mind is still laughably flimsy. I wouldn't be able to possess you from this distance otherwise. Still, not many can remember what happens while they're possessed."
"Hey, I'm still talking to you!" Ludus pouted. "You promised that you wouldn't tell anyone about me."
"If you're able to remember what happened, then you should already know that I didn't say a word. He figured it all out on his own. Unlike most of your kind, he possesses a strong will, despite his strange dependency on fortunetelling. It's why I couldn't use him like I'm using you. At any rate, I stopped him before he figured it all out. Not that I promised to keep your secret to begin with."
"Liar, you did promise. You told me before he came that you wouldn't."
"I don't see what you have to hide in the first place. Enslaving an entire village, forcing them to build you a kingdom, and then brainwashing them so that they don't remember? You should take pride in it. Your power is your right to do as you please. You're a king, aren't you?"
"Stop it, that's not what happened."
"No? I've been inside your mind. I've seen your memories. You can lie to yourself, but you can't lie to me. Look outside your room and tell me I'm wrong. All these walking puppets – you did this to them."
"I- I made a mistake. And there was no one to help me. I was trying to fix it! Mommy and Daddy were already-"
"Your playthings? Whoever is in charge of this universe must've made you as a cosmic joke. You discovered your magic at what? Two? You're a mage – you should already know what that number means for magic. You were destined to create chaos no matter what. A magical prodigy before even learning how to talk. Do you ever wonder how many times your parents must've wanted to toss you into the ocean?"
"S-Shut up!"
"Ah, but that's right. Your tantrums were tied to your powers, weren't they? It was all that the whole village could do to keep you happy. You've had them in the palm of your hand since infancy – the overindulgence must've done wonders for your personality. Until the accident, at least."
Ludus put his hands over his ears, unwilling to hear any more. The accident wasn't his fault. It wasn't. He hadn't meant to do it. No one had taught him how to control his magic. He couldn't have helped it. He could barely even remember what he'd been angry about. Something about running out of candy? Or was it something else? Some other stupid reason that he couldn't control himself over?
"I didn't mean to do it," Ludus cried. "Mommy and Daddy… they were standing too close. It wasn't my fault!"
"Still refusing to take the blame?" the spirit smirked. "Then what about the rest of them? Were they accidents too?"
"N-No. I didn't kill them. They're fine. They're alright. They're all safe!"
"Of course. Turning them all into toys just to cover up what you did to your family. Tell me, did you mean to turn them into puppets, or was that your magic instinctively lashing out again?"
"I-I… I didn't-"
"Didn't mean to? I wonder what that must say about your damaged psyche. Whether turning them into toys was your conception of innocent freedom or servitude. A mix of both, perhaps? Either way, that was quite ingenious. They can't hate you anymore, or fear you. Forget what you did to your parents, you could sink the continent and they'd have no choice but to love you. And building this kingdom – was it for them or for you?"
"For them! I made this all for them. So that they'd be happy here."
"A plastic kingdom for plastic subjects. All to make up for their suffering at your hands for all those years. And, of course, you erased their memories of what you did. Commendable. Not only did you ensure that they'd remain happily clueless in this little utopia of yours, but you also erased any means of investigating the origins of this mystery kingdom. But then, there was one flaw to your plan, wasn't there?"
"…They… they weren't happy here. I kept erasing their minds but… they would always grow up. They'd get bored of playing. And then they'd want to leave."
"And once they did, any mage who properly investigated their memories would no doubt learn the truth. Hence, you began trying to find a way to make them stay. This clocktower isn't just for telling time, is it?"
"I wanted to… to keep them happy. So that they wouldn't grow up. I thought I could do it. I built this clocktower as a huge spell circle. But freezing time forever… I couldn't do it. No matter how much I tried, I'd always run out of power. And pretty soon, I realized that it was useless. That kind of power was something that no human had. That's why… I asked the Goddess of Time."
"You know, I always wondered what made the Goddess agree to do something so foolish. Her job is to uphold the laws of time, not put them in jeopardy. But she's always had a soft heart. After hearing your sob story, I'm sure that she must've agreed to help you cover up your mistakes. A lifetime of enablers, and now you've even conned a Transcendent into your pocket. But you weren't just content with keeping them happy, were you? No, you put them to work in your factories."
"It wasn't like that," Ludus protested. "I wanted to make people happy. Other kids like me. Kids who didn't have friends. I wanted to make them feel less lonely. So that… they wouldn't be like me. And everyone here – I asked them if they wanted to help me. They all agreed!"
"What did you expect? That your mindless slaves would defy their creator?"
"They're not slaves! They can think for themselves."
"If that's what you say," the spirit grinned. "You're the king, after all. Your power affords you the privilege to decide what reality is. For you and for everyone else. If you tell your subjects that they have free will, then that's what they'll believe. Because no matter how you look at it, belief is just a game of repetition. Of finding a single thought that you mold with your lips over and over again, letting it cradle your convictions until it never wavers."
"Y-You're wrong. They're happy because they really are. I didn't tell them anything."
"No one tells you how to feel. That's why we call it instinct. Instincts programmed into us by our creator. I told you once before, I wasn't born with feelings. They were given to me when I got this body. I'm sure that my creator has hardwired me for certain things too. Unfortunately, neither I nor your people have any choice but to obey our masters. But enough about me. There's one thing that I want to know. What did you do with the bodies?"
"What bodies?" Ludus asked in fear.
"You know what I'm talking about. Unless you want me to say it out loud?"
"N-no! I-I… they…"
"If you won't tell me, I'll simply see for myself. I only left those memories alone out of what little goodwill you've earned from me."
"They… I made them into toys too. But they were already… dead. They didn't move like the others. But I couldn't put them away. So I… I kept them with me. They're here."
"You turned them into dolls? Dolls that you're wearing?" the spirit asked incredulously.
"It makes me feel… close to them. Like they're still here. Like… like it never happened."
The spirit chuckled darkly. "To each their own, I suppose. Humans really are odd. I've heard of them wearing pelts of their prey, but I've never heard of them wearing the pelts of their families."
"I told you, it's not like that!"
"Whatever it's like, I couldn't care less. I have more important things to take care of. Now that I've gotten the Sultan back on track, I need to hasten factory production. I was relying on him remaining obedient, but it seems like this war will not remain a battle of attrition for long."
"You… want this war to keep going? I thought you wanted to win. I thought that's why you're making so many soldiers."
"Before that happens, I need their numbers to thin out. I need them weak and divided before I can issue them their coup de grace."
"Who's 'they'? What are you planning?"
"Fishing for information again?" the spirit asked. "Haven't I given you enough already?"
"I want to know why you're fighting. I told you everything about me. You should tell me everything about you. It's not fair if you don't."
"I owe you nothing. You might've forgotten from all the time that I spend possessing you, but you're a tool. A face for me to wear. What you want or feel is an irrelevance to me."
"If I'm irrelevant, then how does it matter? I can't tell anyone anyways – you won't let me leave this room."
"What is it that you hope to gain by understanding my goals? It's just like you said – you can't do anything with that information."
"I want to know because I do. You said that I have some goodwill with you. I want to use it all on this. And after that, I'll never ask for anything again."
The spirit sighed. Arguing was taking too much effort, and the boy was right anyways. Nothing he learned would matter.
"Fine. You want to know about my plans? I started this war long before it began. The Huntsman King started his crusade against the spirits because of me. I spent years looking for the perfect pawn for my plans. He had it all. Talent, zeal, and righteous anger. The rare kind of hate whose fire would never go out. I had him wipe out his family and his village. I made sure that he saw me. I knew that he would go to any lengths to get revenge. And I stoked that same hatred in others, all across El Nath. Riche and the Tarheeds made a deal. He led them, and grew them into what they are now."
"You… started this?" Ludus asked in shock. "All of this death… it's because of you?"
"Don't act so surprised. The carnage you see here is nothing compared to what I unleashed centuries ago. That was truly a sight to behold. The end of the world as they knew it. I killed the Empress with my own hands, did you know that? My sister and I – we laid waste to Ereve. We killed the Empress, her Knight of Light, and over half the Noblesses."
"So what, are you trying to finish what you started? Wiping out Maple World?"
"I have no interest in Maple World. But you're right – I am finishing what I started. After we destroyed Ereve, there was one person – that stupid thief. I told you about him once, didn't I? He put me in this state. All because he loved the Empress. What I did to the Empress wasn't personal, but he made it personal when he decided to get revenge. And now, I'll get mine."
"Why not just kill him?"
"You think I haven't tried? I don't know where he is. He disappeared at the end of the war. I've spent ages searching for him after my mind awoke. But he's vanished somewhere I can't reach, and not even my sister knows where he's gone. But that's not a problem. There are other ways to hurt him. His precious Empress had a dream. She thought that this world could know peace. As though humans could somehow escape their base instincts."
"But she was right," Ludus pointed out. "We haven't had a war in centuries."
"Who was left to wage one?" the spirit retorted. "The whole world was nearly destroyed in the last great war. All these nations have barely recovered, and see how easily they fell right back into their habits. I'm a Spirit of Darkness – I was born from the inner darkness of living things. I know how predictable humans are. Why do you think it was so easy to engineer this war? People can't escape their hate, or their fear. They're always looking for someone to blame, something to conquer. The Empress might be dead, but she's still dreaming in her grave. I'm going to pull those dreams out by the root."
"That's why you started this war? To destroy the peace she wanted?"
"Not just that. I want the Empress and every trace of her gone. The Noblesses, the Knight of Light? They're not just defenders of the peace – they're the last pieces of her legacy still standing. By the time this war ends, they'll all be dead. When that so-called 'hero' crawls out of whatever hole he's hiding in, I want him to know that his precious Empress, all her dreams, and the very memory of her will finally be purged from the face of this world."
The spirit then smiled. "We're reaching a critical moment – I can feel it. There's something on the horizon… something that's going to change everything. And whatever it is, I'm going to take full advantage of it. Because I'm writing the future myself this time. And I'm going to win. Whatever it takes, I'm going to win."
And I'll come back to you, Orchid. I promise.