After gathering all the information which she requires for the plan, Nova starts to head back to where Monika and Trazyn are. They collected essential information regarding the planetary support and information from Emilia about how to save Monika. She also is going to find an appropriate time to give the genetic structure of a M.I.N.K.A unit, which she got from the pristine realm.
Thinking about having done all of that, even Nova couldn't help but find herself a bit more relaxed than usual. A genuine smile appeared on her face. Which made Emilia almost spill the water in her mouth. Nova noticed that, instead finding that rude, Nova found it very amusing: "What? You haven't seen me smile before?"
"Not really, you always have that cold look on your face, most people probably think that you couldn't move your mouth or something." Emilia replied honestly.
"Did you learn how to talk from Trazyn?" Nova isn't happy with the way Emilia is talking to her.
"As a matter of fact, I did learn it from my father. Because not long after I was born, my mother was assigned to somewhere far away. She only came back after I graduated from primary school." Emilia sighs: "Sorry to talk about my past, I know you might not care a lot about them."
"Nonsense." Nova said it seriously: "I will also be here if you want to get your mind straight. This is how I help everyone in my squad." Maybe it might not seem like it from the surface, but Nova always cares about the people around her. Even Trazyn, who she hated from day one.
"Thanks, but I am fine. We probably should-" Suddenly Emilia noticed everything around her was frozen. As in frozen in time. When she turns to Nova, she's moving just fine. It seems like they are in a place or dimension where they are not affected by the time stopping effect.
Suddenly, a gap between realities spits open, as if someone opened a portal, but this one is different. Something or someone walks out from the endless darkness in the split of reality. A strange looking being stepped out, blazing in purple flame but suddenly it snuffed out like it was nothing. After seeing that person's helmet, Emilia almost fainted on the ground: "Impossible…."
"Who is that?" Nova pulls out her gun, she is ready to activate her skill if anything goes wrong.
Emilia did not answer, she was in shock.
"Emilia?!" Nova shouts loudly, but Emilia does not answer. Then Nova also could not make a voice out from her throat due to the shock after seeing that person take off the helmet.
"Hey." A female voice came out: "Miss me?"
"Mother?" Emilia could not believe the person she was seeing right now: "Is that really you?" It can't be, Eden died by the archivist's hand. Everyone saw that, and yet, this person's look and presence is exactly the same as the one Emilia knows as her mother: "No, it can't be."
The reality split is gone. But time isn't resuming. Seeing this, Nova grabs Emilia by the arm and starts running like hell. However, they soon hit the edge of this field. It felt like this was a force field. Eden loosens the hair that was tied at the back and removed the helmet, she is as elegant as Nova seen in the pristine realm. And yet Nova does not want to even approach Eden. Simply because every instinct Nova has is telling her to run the heck out before something bad happens.
Seeing there's no more possible way to run, Nova decides to engage directly: "What do you want?"
"Nova, right? Even in this world we are still sisters. But I am sorry, I am not here for you." Eden looks at Emilia: "Emi, it is time to come home."
"No, you are not my mother!" Emilia steps up and pulls out her rifle: "Whatever you are… you are a disgrace to my mother's memory." She fired a round of armor piercing ammo, but it just stopped in front of Eden, as if it was never fired.
"Emilia… run… as far as you can..." Nova's eyes are turning blue.
"Always the hero..." Eden suddenly clenched her fist. Suddenly, Nova felt something snapping inside her head. Then…something is wrong. Nova could not feel her power again. She tries again and again but nothing happens. Eden teleported in front of Nova and grabbed her by her throat: "At the end of the day, you are still human. You cannot change the inevitable." Nova glanced at Eden's chest, she saw something, the crest of the abyss. She recognizes them because during the fight against the abyss queen, this symbol appeared numerous times.
Nova tries to break off, but Eden's body is seemingly indestructible. Just when Nova is about to lose consciousness. Emilia came back: "Let her go!" She shouts: "I will come with you but spare her life or…" Emilia points her gun at her chin.
Seeing this, Eden drops Nova on the floor, and walks up to Emilia: "You have grown." She sounded a bit distant: "Where is Minka?"
"I have no idea, mother." Emilia doesn't want to look Eden in the eyes. She's too terrified, because she is definitely sure that whoever this is, is not her real mother.
"Emilia, since when have I taught you to lie?" Eden suddenly grabs Emilia by her head. Eden's hand starts glowing in a purple ominous light, Emilia kneels on the ground and screams in pain. After a few more seconds, Emilia got up from the floor, her eyes seemingly lifeless and the way she moves is more mechanical than her usual self: "The travelling life changed you, my dear daughter."
"Ready for duty." Emilia lifelessly said.
Eden then points at Nova who's seemingly unconscious on the floor: "Kill her."
Emilia pulls out her dagger and walks up to Nova, she puts the dagger against Nova's neck and is ready to push. However, for some reason, she could not move her hand. Then tears came out from her lifeless eyes without any change in expression.
At this moment, Nova woke up. When she sees the lifelessness in Emilia's eyes. Nova could tell that the Emilia she knows is no more. But from the way Emilia is acting, her consciousness is still somewhere in the head. When Nova is trying to read her mind. Nova suddenly felt a surge of severe pain.
"Tch." Eden is getting annoyed with the way Emilia is acting: "I said… KILL!" A shock wave came out from Eden's location.
Emilia finally raises her dagger and stabs it directly into Nova's chest. But before she could land the hit, Nova hits Emilia in the chin and kicks away the dagger. Then she runs off and hides in a building.
"Doesn't matter, she is not able to use her ability now." Eden signs Emila to fall in: "Come, we will find Minka and reunite our family again." Emilia followed Eden like a husk without a soul. No one knows what Eden did to Emilia. Or maybe she just kind of restored Emilia's 'factory setting'.
Minka and Monika were walking on the street side by side, they were attending a party that was organized for this successful operation. Minka is going to be the main star of the party because she singles handedly saved the day. She has no idea what has happened on Emilia's side. Just when they were about to leave the party, a reality split happened. Like the encounter of Nova and Emilia, everything around them froze in time.
Minka immediately notices the strange phenomenon and tells Monika to ambush whatever is going to come. Eden stepped out, then Emilia followed after. The moment Minka sees the lifeless eyes from Emilia, she already has a conclusion or two. It isn't surprising for her to see her birth mother was alive and well. Because all the traces on the planet have shown that someone that possesses unreachable high technology has been here.
"Minka, it is time to come home." Eden says calmly.
"I don't think so. What is your story? You killed Trazyn and became the Archivist?" Minka scoffs, during her time of time travel it isn't surprising to see people like this exist.
"You have been traveling for too long, have you forgotten about your mom?" Eden's expression softens, as if Minka is a rebellious child: "Come, your sister is with me."
Minka pulls out a short stick from her pocket then it extends out as a halberd, her expression is seemingly disturbed: "I will shred you into pieces." She calmly said then threw her halberd to Eden with her full force.
Eden's hand phases out a sword, then it bounces off the halberd with one swing. She then cuts through the air, an invisible air blade blasts towards Minka, but Minka blocks it with her void shield. Minka doesn't care about what Eden has done to Emilia, because she can always restore it. But the act of messing with her family, it is a death sentence to Eden.
Minka reaches out her hand, the halberd has returned to her hand. She then stabs it on the floor, a protective dome has surrounded Eden and Minka. Leaving everyone else out: "Now, I will finish this." Minka's eyes start glowing in bright golden light. A white dome appeared upon Eden, radiating out blinding light and energy waves. This is one of the kill skills from Minka, she concentrates her energy then flares any living being into ashes. Due to the strange nature of this ability, it somehow makes the noise of a motorcycle engine at full speed. After a few more seconds, she stopped her power, and indeed Eden is nowhere to be found.
Just when she is about to drop the dome, a portal opens inside of the dome that should not be able to enter. A man wearing silver full body metal armor came out. This time, even Minka let out a gasp: "Impossible…"
The man takes off his helmet and then drops it on the ground: "After years of traveling, you have finally found this planet that has everything I need to recreate our world." Under the helmet is someone that has exactly the same face as Trazyn's human body: "Dear Minka, i knew you would do that."
"How…?" Minka is shocked.
"You see… I know you well enough to understand that you would never use that killer ability if you were not serious about something. I just need to send enough clones and enemies around timelines. Most of the time, you would not care enough to use the killer move, because… Let's be honest, every being you have seen so far is beneath you. Unless…" He changes his tone: "Unless you have found a world that you are deeply in love or desire. And that is how I know a world where it would be perfect for me to remake our world."
Minka tightens her fists: "You should leave, this world is under my jurisdiction."
"Jurisdiction?" The archivist chuckles: "Dear, Minka. The imperial army is already all gone. Where does your responsibility even come from? Don't you want to create a world where a version of you will be happy? Well, I am here to do that. Making a world you make YOU happy."
"It is too late for that, the only thing you should do is to leav-" Minka's sentence was cut off by the sudden blink strike of the Archivist.
"Remember your promise? Your mission? Are you going to betray me now?!" His voice is enraged: "Remember the day when you came to me for the time travel machine?"
"I do, and this is why I cannot let you change this world!" Minka pushes him away: "Father, please, don't do this."
The archivist picks up his helmet and puts it back on: "I could not comprehend this action, Minka. How could you say this after witnessing everything that we have been through?"
"I was conflicted when I first arrived in this world, and it is never my intention to betray you. But seeing every timeline that is destroyed by your obsession. I realized that if you keep wasting your gift on pursuing impossibility. I will have to stop you from running more innocent worlds." Minka said while black armor starts morphing on her body.
"It seems I have been too permissive about your travels. Clearly, Minka…" He took a deep breath: "You require some discipline." A flash of white energy waves shoots from his gauntlet directly hitting Minka. But it was blocked by Minka's dark steel shield. However, after the energy hit, the supposedly indestructible shield starts having cracks on its surface then eventually broken into hundred pieces. Archivist went to kill.
Minka pulls out her rifle and shoots a few highly explosive rounds that are mixed with magic properties. But the Archivist stopped the time of the bullets and transformed it into an energy blast, he then transformed the energy into his gauntlet: "You've got some new tricks… But so did i."
Suddenly before Minka even notices, the bullets that were transformed into energy reappear behind her. Within a fraction of a second's reaction. Minka managed to fend off most of the blast, but one bullet still exploded on her chest, making her armor disappear due to it being spent by blocking the lethal amount of damage. Minka's hands are shaking, maybe it is time for her to go for the kill. Minka's eyes are glowing in golden light, the white dome covers the Archivist. But soon, Minka realizes her power is somehow being drained away. She wants to stop but she can't control the energy drain from inside the white dome.
After a few more seconds, the white dome disappeared. The archivist is standing in burned grounds as if nothing had happened to him. Minka is on the ground unable to move, she has been drained out of her energy to an extent that could barely keep her alive. He then bent down and grabbed Minka by her chin for inspection. Then he lifts Minka up by grabbing her collar: "Goodbye forever. Dear daughter." Just when he is about to punch through Minka's heart. A pistol was fired behind him.
Apparently during the battle, the halberd of Minka was damaged, and thus the protective dome was gone. Monika has witnessed everything; she knows that she has absolutely no chance against the Archivist. But… she has to try: "Leave her alone!" Monika shouts.
The archivist puts drops Minka on the ground, he then walks towards Monika while sounding extremely relaxed: "Hello there, my beloved."
"Are you… Trazyn?" Monika asks carefully.
"Once upon time, that was my name. Now, why don't you tell me about the reason that you shot me." He is standing right in front of Monika and looking at her in an aspiring way. As if he's looking at a beautiful flower.
"Minka saved hundreds of people, she's a hero and a really kind person. Please, let her be." Monika knows nothing about the Archivist, the only thing she can do is to beg. While on her phone, she called the other Monika on this planet.
The archivist touches Monika's face and her beautiful hair: "If it was a few years ago, it would surely use you to host my beloved's consciousness." He suddenly grabs Monika by her neck: "But you are just a mere blasphemy to her memory." He squeezes her with her hand. Just when he is about to break Monika's neck.
A sword flew from nowhere and pieces through the archivist's arm, making him drop Monika on the floor. Archivist turned in anger and pulled out the sword that was in his arm: "You…" Monika and Trazyn teleported in time.
"Archivist…" Monika has one sword on each hand. She is ready to strike.
"I am flattered that you know me. Did Minka show you the pristine realm? Real beauty, isn't it?" The wound on his arm is already healed: "You must be the most promising candidate Minka has selected, aren't you?"
"What is that supposed to mean?" Monika asks while sounding extremely angry. Because she has seen Minka on the ground unconscious. She could already guess what had just happened.
"I would love to explain my evil plan but…"A white orb appeared in his hand: "I guess I will just beat you until you submit." He shoots the orb at Monika with intense power within.
Monika blocked it with her 'iron curtain' sword, and as expected, the energy was absorbed. She releases back the energy and hits the archivist directly in the face. After the smoke is gone, he tilts his head sideways: "Interesting."
"Take Minka and Emilia then leave immediately." Monika said to Trazyn while concentrating on fighting.
"I can't. Not without you." Trazyn is just about to join the battle, but a sword is stabbed in front of him.
"Please, just leave!" Monika fended off another attack from the Archivist, she doesn't know how long she can hold.
Trazyn frowns, he teleports Minka and Emilia into a safe location then changes into his Necron form: "I can't let you do this, honey." He pulls out a small metal ball from his dimensional pocket: "Besides, I always want to test some weapons with strong opponents." The small metal ball suddenly elevated into the sky and started accelerating within the atmosphere. It somehow didn't affect the weather but everyone in the city could see a yellow halo in the sky. Suddenly, it changed its direction and hit directly to the Archivist with a speed that was almost as fast as light.
It was so fast that he didn't have time to dodge, the archivist was damaged, but not enough to kill him. But this attack also consequently destroyed half of the city. After all it was a metal ball that was almost as fast as light speed was hit directly onto something. The blast wave was not contained at all.
"You…" The archivist charged towards Trazyn, but Monika blocked him in front of Trazyn. The archivist seems to have lost the patience to play with the prey, he pulls out a claymore and hits Monika again and again with immense strength. Soon Monika's body could not hold on longer. But this also gave Trazyn enough time to finish chanting the spell.
"For the world beyond comprehension, I can see the end of the world. And from this vantage point, I declare, with utter certainty, that this one is destined in annihilation." The chanting stopped, suddenly the air around them started getting thicker and around the Archivist a dome was generated. Suddenly the sky darkens and a ray of intense light shoots through the dome. It was a direct hit, there was no way he could get out of it.
After the dust settled, the Archivist was badly damaged. And yet, he is still able to stand. What Trazyn did could eradicate any life so far he has known. He stole the spell from the phyrexian grand library, this magic was banned from usage because it's too powerful. This is why Trazyn covered the area with an almost indestructible dome.
"It seems like you two are somehow surpassing me in strength. But…" Suddenly a black lightning shoot towards Trazyn. Monika tried to block it with her black sword, but instead absorbed the energy. It was directly on Monika and suddenly she became half of her usual height.
Trazyn looks closely, she didn't just shrink, instead, Monika is a child. The archivist wiped away some of the dirt: "Now… where were we?" When he looks up, Trazyn is already nowhere to be found. He ran away from this fight, as he was sure that there was no way he could win without Monika in full strength. The archivist let out a cold laugh then disappeared after a reality split.
Trazyn puts Monika on the floor after they escape far away from the battle scene. He closely looks at what has happened to Monika. Her clothes are still the same size but when it's on Monika's tiny body, they are clearly oversized.
"Honey, are you ok?" Trazyn asks, but Monika doesn't reply, she just shyly looks away and refuses to talk. Seeing this, Trazyn realizes this is still too early to investigate. He teleports himself and Monika to where Minka and Emilia are. Neither of them has still woken up from the fight.
He looks at Monika who's sitting on the chair looking aimlessly, he did a small scan, body wise Monika should be around the age of eight and her physical condition is optimal. He crouches down and looks at Monika so they can be at the same height level: "So, he just shrunk you to make sure that you cannot fight. Huh?"
Monika blinks her green eyes a few times, as if she's confused about what Trazyn was talking about. Seeing this, Trazyn frowns: "Wait a minute, do you know who I am?"
Monika shakes her head, and seemingly about to cry. Trazyn immediately called Nova, but on the other hand, Trazyn is even more shocked about what he has heard from her. He told her about their current address and what had happened to them. After a few more hours, Nova came in looking really dusty.
Nova came at a rather strange time. Trazyn was talking to Monika about some story, but at some parts, it might be a bit too scary for a child. So, Monika was almost tearing up. Nova saw this and the first response was a hit on his face: "Scumbag, I knew you were up to no good." Nova then turns around and crouches down to have the same eye level as Monika: "Hey, I am sorry that I was late. Are you hurt?"
Monika shakes her head, but her eyes look at Nova as if she recognizes her: "Nova…?" She asks.
"Yes ! It's me. Look, you are now little because some bad guys did something. But don't worry, we will fix you right away. Alright?" Nova is happy that Monika managed to recognize her right away.
"You are big." Monika said blankly, she might not understand a word Nova just said.
Nova has a smile on her face: "Yes, I am big. But you will be big like me soon."
Trazyn finally got up, that punch from Nova somehow hurt his central control panel, but honestly, even for him the little Monika is a bit too adorable. He approaches her and touches her head: "Don't worry, we will bring you back up."
Monika didn't resist, she actually tips her toe to let him pat her head. Seeing this, Nova is a little surprised. Because when Monika was a kid, she was really shy. She would never approach anyone intentionally.
"Sir… Can you continue the story you were reading?" Monika asks in a timid voice.
"Of course." Trazyn then puts Monika on the sofa then he sits next to her. It is the story of him and Monika when they first met. The little Monika seemingly really enjoyed the story.
Nova noticed Minka woke up, she goes next to her to the bed and gives Minka a cup of water: "How are you feeling?"
"Weak, my head is heavy. Gosh, I can't believe he actually drained all my power." Minka sounded really mad.
"So… That was the real… father of yours?" Nova asks carefully.
"Yes! And that bastard…" Minka coughs: "He is now more powerful than ever…If we want to merge the timeline, we will need to kill him. He is a menace for all timelines at this point."
Nova didn't reply right away, she was just listening to Minka's rants. But she still hasn't told anyone about the news that she has lost her power. Honestly, she feels really bad about losing her power. After thinking a few more times. She decides to tell Trazyn.
"Look." Nova pulls Trazyn to a corner while Minka is playing games with Monika: "There is no better way to tell you this, but I have lost my power."
"Like all of it? Including mind reading." Trazyn doesn't believe it.
"Yes, all of it. That Eden did something to my head. And after that I lost all my power." Nova was waiting for Trazyn's cold-hearted taunt, but instead he replied in an understanding way.
"Must be hard for you, I am sorry to hear that." Then comes the awkward silence: "Anything else?"
Nova gives a small chip to Trazyn: "This is the genetic schematic of a M.I.N.K.A unit. I am giving this to you because I want you to help Minka and… I can't believe I am about to say this. You are our last hope of defeating the Archivist."
Trazyn nods, then locks himself in a room for hours. Suddenly, Monika jumped down from her chair and opened the door: "Sir… Are you alright?"
Trazyn didn't reply, he was lying on the bed while calculating the different scenarios, right now he could not sense anything from the outside world. Monika then climbs on the bed and lays her head on his shoulder. Somehow, Monika feels warmth coming out for Trazyn. Soon Monika fell asleep quietly.
Nova saw this, she didn't interfere, maybe there were some magical moments between Monika and Trazyn. Something beyond their relationship.
Minka is staying next to Emilia. She is sad that she is not able to protect her own sister. Minka tries to gather her power, but nothing comes out. At this moment, Minka's eyes have tears dropping down. She is not familiar with this feeling of weakness. She is not able to do anything. A few tears dropped on Emilia, then Emilia wiped away the tears on her face and opened her eyes: "Ew, can you cry somewhere else?"
"Emi… you..." Minka doesn't know how to react to this. She just pounds her fist lightly on Emilia's chest and starts crying even harder. Emilia on the other hand just accepted this part of Minka. After all, you don't see someone as powerful as Minka showing this side of her every day.
Trazyn wakes up realizing the little Monika is sleeping next to him, he slowly gets up and puts a blanket on her. After some rearrangement of information. He might have a plan, but it is far from a good one. Minka is sitting on the sofa, looking really different from how she usually is. She slowly turns her head at Trazyn then looks away. She is powerless, for the first time in her life, she felt that there is something that she cannot do.
"Minka." Trazyn sits beside her: "I need your help."
"You need mine?" Minka didn't even look at Trazyn: "I lost all my power, go ask someone else."
"That's not true, remember the bullet you made that is designed to kill me? Was it also designed to kill the archivist?" Trazyn sounded very serious: "You are the only one in the world to know how to make it."
"Without my power, even i know how to make it. It won't happen."
"But we have to try!" Trazyn's voice drew little Monika out. She looks at both of them looking confused: "Look, I have your genetic structure. Maybe I can try and make another body of yours, so you can transfer your consciousness. But we do not have enough time for it. Whether it works or not, we have to try." He then looks at little Monika with a smile: "This is the only way we can try to save everyone."
Minka didn't reply, she is still thinking about the plan. But soon, she stood up and cracked her knuckles: "What the hell, I will not die without biting a few noses off."
"What is biting a few noses off…?" Monika asks Trazyn.
"It means things just got serious." Trazyn replied straight forward as usual.
"Can I come?" Little Monika looks at Trazyn with her big round eyes.
Minka and Trazyn looked at each other: "Why not?" Minka then picks Monika up and carries her on her arm. She honestly loves little Monika. Monika is cute enough but the tiny version of that plus the innocent looks on her face? If it is possible Minka would love to stay at this moment forever.
"What are you two doing?" Nova stands in front of the door while crossing her arms, she then glances at little Monika: "What are you doing with my sister?"
"She wanted some candies, and we are going to get some." Minka answered without thinking.
"We are doing the plan!" Monika said it excitedly.
"She meant flan. Sorry, we might have said it too quickly and she didn't understand it well." Trazyn apologized.
Nova scoffs: "Never thought you are one to babysit a kid. Whatever, I will bring Emilia to some people and try to find some help." Nova then pulls Trazyn's collar: "If I see my sister losing one bit of her hair, so help the emperor, I will tear you into pieces."
Trayzn mods but seeing the pure expression on Monika's face. Maybe everything is worth it. They first arrived at a general goods store; this is the place where Minka can buy some of the ingredients for the bullet.
Monika woke up in a place she did not recognize, she tried to move her hands, but then she realized she was pinned on a cross while on the other side she is seemingly to be the younger version of herself also banded on a device. It didn't take long for Monika to break free, after all she still preserved her ability. And then she puts down the younger version of herself.
"Hey, wake up." Monika shakes the younger self. But nothing happened, Monika tried her breathing and heart rate. Everything is seemingly operational. Then Monika takes out a taser, and within expectation. The younger version woke up.
"What was that?!" the younger version of herself asks. She rubs her arm which is the place where Monika tasered her.
"Sorry, but you didn't wake up. Look, we need to find out where in the world we are." Monika gives the other Monika a pistol.
"I don't want a pistol. I want a sword, like yours."
"We don't have time for this, I know myself the best."
"No, you do not. In fact, I don't even know how to call you. What? Do I also call you Monika?" The younger version of herself is not happy with the chain of events that is happening. Fear and stress are creeping up on her.
"Call me Eden." Monika said after thinking for a few seconds: "It is a name I always wanted to become." Eden hands Monika a power sword: "You would take the sword because when you first joined the army, your commander beat you in a sword fight duel. Even though you were an excellent marksman, it was not enough to be in the special forces."
"..." Monika remained silent, but soon after the vibe became calmer. Monika asks: "Why did you agree so quickly about choosing Eden as the name?"
"My love calls me honey, my best friend calls me mon mon, my sister calls me sis, her boyfriend calls me red, in the army everyone calls me Ms. Terra and Minka call me mom. I never had a real use for my name. My name never really had a real impact in my life." Eden's black armor phased out from thin air: "It never meant anything to me and whoever calls that name are people that either come with ill intent or my enemies."
"What happened to you…?" Monika is a bit scared of this future version of herself.
Eden and Monika soon arrive at a plaza, the place displaying the statues for the heroes of the imperium. Eden recognizes all of them because of her time in the pristine realm. Monika looks around and then realizes they are all people that she is familiar with.
Suddenly they heard a footstep slowly approaching them, they readied their weapon and were prepared to strike any hostile. But it is just Major appearing in a hologram: "Hello, sisters."
"Nova?" Monika is confused: "Are you the Nova of this world?"
"Yes, I am. But like many of the heroes, we have given up on our old names." Major then looks at Eden: "Seems like you also did this as well?"
Eden did not reply, she had no idea whether she made the right choice or not.
"Changing your name into a title needs more than just courage, is a sign of forgetting everything you were and becoming what this title resembles." Major continues.
"She changed her name to Eden because it would be too confusing for us both." Monika explains.
"If you have experienced everything this version of you has. You would do the same." Major immediately saw through what had happened to Eden, after all, every Eden she had seen they all had been through something in their past.
"Enough, I don't need a hologram to explain what I have been through. Where is the Archivist?" Eden asks.
"He is off this dimension for the moment. If you want help, I might be able to offer it. But again, even if I tell you how to leave this place. You still cannot do it." Major replied
"Tell me." Eden insisted.
"This realm is what you call an abandoned dimension. Which used to be a universe, but it was destroyed in an unending war. Every atom was separated from each other, too far apart to bond. So, in the end nothing could happen besides the endless void. The way to leave is easy, you create a reality fracture and enter through. Eventually finding the coordinate of your destination. Sounds easy?" Major tilts her head sideways.
Eden pulls out a blade, it is a strange looking one because the blade is so thin that as if it can slash through reality. After a horizontal slash, Eden did that. But in there is the endless void and also scream of the warp.
"Looks like you are trying to leave." The archivist descended from the stairs; he wasn't wearing the armor but from his expression Eden felt the coldness that should not be possible from a human: "Is my little world not enough for you."
"You monster, let us leave!" Monika wants to strike but Eden just tells her to stand down.
"Smart, it seems you have already fitted with my beloved wife's role." The archivist puts his hand on Eden's cheek. To his surprise, she did not even try to strike.
"I always believe the hidden good in each Trazyn I meet. So, please. Let me help you."
"You are helping, you are the most prominent candidate to host my wife's consciousness." Just when the archivist was about to rub in a bit further. Monika finally had enough of this.
"Shut up!" Monika shouts: "Everything you just said is by far the most horrible thing i have ever heard. You want her to host your dead wife's mind? Get yourself together and tough through it like everyone one."
The archivist's eyes glow for a mere second, and Monika is thrown at one of the statues by telekinesis. Eden pulls out her sword and points it at the archivist's chest: "Let her go and I will stay."
"Not possible, she will be the backup candidate. Just in case you do something fishy." The archivist teleports in front of Monika and grabs her head: "What are you trying to achieve? This will be your future as well. Embrace it instead of fighting against it."
"Screw… you…" Monika gaps because of the pain and puts her hand on Archivist's shoulder: "Die." A satchel charge started shining and after a few seconds, it exploded. Monika covers her face, then she realizes Eden teleported her out from the explosive range.
Instead of doing nothing towards the horrible act of the archivist, this time Eden grabs Monika's hand and starts running away. They can't teleport because it would leave an energy signature that's traceable.
After running for a while, they seemingly arrived at a museum. Eden looks at Monika with an 'unbelievable' look: "Now I understand why everything was a jerk to me when I was like you. Because if this is how I did everything then I was definitely hated by everyone." A bit of retrospective on her past self helps.
"I have problems?" Monika had enough of this condescending look from Eden: "You are willing to disregard everyone else's feelings about you to make that jerk fulfill his… obsession with someone that died ages ago." Monika points her finger at Eden: "What would Trazyn feel if he heard about this? What will Nova feel? Have you ever considered your impact on the people surrounding you."
Eden grabs Monika's finger: "Don't point your finger at me! You know I hate that."
"Yea, that's why I did it because I hate you!"
Both of them start fighting against each other. No weapons, no gadgets, just fist fights to express each other's emotions. After a good twenty minutes, both of them lay on the ground and looked up at the artistic ceiling of the museum: "You done?" Eden said while deep breathing.
"Fuck you." Monika flips herself sideways so she can make eye contact with Eden: "You are even more selfish than I thought. You do not regard everyone else's feelings except yourself."
"I do not need a stupider version of me to teach me how to do things." Eden tries to get up, but Monika just pushes her on the ground then duck sits on top of Eden.
"You will leave and go back to Trazyn, you deserve a good ending in your life." Monika looks Eden into the eyes: "So, please, stop trying to throw your life away."
Eden was about to struggle away, but the last few words got to her. Some tears start dripping out from her eyes, because everyone that's close to her has said similar things. Seeing this, Monika gets off from Eden and then pulls her up. Then she hugs Eden tightly letting her express her utmost emotion at the moment. Maybe reconciliate with yourself is the final step for a person to find true strength.