Investiture of Paradise: On the Flowerbed of Lotus

by Kleave guy

In a Future that should have never be, an Distant Land is ravaged by Strife. The Eastern Dragon, the Bird of the South, the Tiger symbolized the West and the Tortoise that embodied the North became divided in the wake of the conflict. But long ago, The Symbol of the Eternal Lotus was what allowed the Nation to united despite it all. Now it's time for history to repeated itself.

1. To you, From a future never Meant to be

-[Volume I: Investiture of Paradise: On the Flowerbed of Lotus]-

-[An far-off Tale From the People of Delta]-

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-[First Record]-

To You, From a Future never meant to be.

Records Archived on; December 5th, [DATA EXPURGATED]

By [DATA EXPURGATED]

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So Simple, yet so very confusing to understand.

So Fragile, yet so very elegant.

So Cruel, yet so very beautiful.

Such is the concept we know as Life.

Such a simple word, yet such a fascinating Concept.

Claimed to be known, but never truly.

revered as the truth, yet continued to remain completely ambiguous.

Accepted as a Fact, Never once questions why they are the way They Are.

Such is the confusingly contradictive description of the equally puzzling yet profound concept we as Mankind referred to as "Life".

Truly peculiar.

Out of the many Concepts to many Things and the extensive explanations of said Concepts for others to understand them that came with its inception when it was brought into being through the fantasy of the sole race capable of such ability, the one in the regard to what they called 'Life' is, by far, the most elusive and ambiguous one.

The abstract concepts, by their very nature as ideas that boasts no shape in the physical plane, have generally been that way for as long as they have been around, there is no easy way to understand that which is invisible yet ever-present felt by their presence that shaped the world, and its multiple definitions to an essentially nonexistent answer like that can be many things just as they can be interpreted in ways that is conceivable by the Mind of the people, those that go out of their way to try and make sense of the vague concept they created themselves, completely unaware to how ignorance they were to the 'true' meaning of life, knowledge of what they so desperately seek to even get a glimpse upon as they wasted away their entire life searching for the purpose of it, leading them down to a spiraling path where there is only the depth of oblivion await them when they spend all of their limited time on a scam offered by their impulsive desire to learn more.

Despite the blatant risk in doing so, they pushed forward regardless of the danger in the process, they'll always do, that is the nature of men, the nature of those with 'Life' and the desires born from it. They lived their 'life', they'll lose their 'life', they loved their 'life', they hated their 'life', and they will always make mistakes in their respective 'life', such as the one that chooses to spend their life to fulfill their insatiable hunger for knowledge, seeking out to gain more and more power in an endless cycle of perpetual madness to sated that thirst that shall never be quenched, burning away everything they hold dear to, denying the chance of gaining what they could have owned, and give up everything they ever had, all to gain the answer of that one single question. In a way, that is a way for someone to live their life, but that life will always be led by a fool.

Such sacrifice was an act capable of being performed only by a complete Buffon with no regard for anyone, not even for themselves. A waking dreamer of a delusion about grandeur not meant for them, a true fool that is driven by something that does not exist, motivated purely by ideal, a concept made by fools for even greater fools to inherit to uphold the little worth they had in the world to make up for the fact that they are without purpose, where they could forge their own meanings for their respective life, they decided to adopt a belief they could not follow through than made their own, one they planned to make the meaning of their existence, one that is going to be their undoing.

To intentionally walk into the bottomless pit of suffering and misery for a goal was an honest mistake few could make in their self-appointed duty to make a reality, a course of action that could be fault by none, since they can crawl out of the pit they walk into should it not be too late to turn around and came to understand the meaning as they gazed toward the sky, of the sunlight that has illuminated their path, already guiding them to their destination long ago, but it takes a real ignorant fool to dive right in with no consideration for neither them nor other's life and proceeded to dig the hole even deep below to look for anything to prove their already fleeting hopes and dream for an answer and justified their firm grasp on their fanciful dream. Because those are the actions of a real fool that only cares about ideals, concepts with as much worth as the so-called 'Meaning of Life, which is nothing at all, what they eventually realized when they reached their final destination.

Disappointment will be the first thing that greets them there when they reach the bottom, followed by the crushing truth of the culminating consequences they left in their wake to fill the pit and buried them inside the freshly dug grave of their own making, as they gazed directly upward for once last time as it about to come to an untimely end, only did they realized that in their final moment, they had finally understood what is the answer they desired, what is meaning of life that they wanted to know. Behold, the answer is before their eyes, revered in it, rejoiced as your blood and tears drain away from your visage, for it is within your reach, the reward for all the energy you burned for your idea is within your reach, take it.

Oh, wait...How could I forget, that you cannot exactly reach the star in that pitiful ditch you dug, can you? Wondered who's to blame for your current predicament?

How utterly pathetic, to forfeit both your life and the chances of having it to be an ordinary and peaceful one, free of strife and worries, every opportunity of living as a free person presented to you, moments of happiness to experience, all cast aside in your delusion of grandeur about an ideal you will be never able to reach, keep holding on to what little worth that belief has left for you when everything else has abandoned you, lying to yourself with empty promise and pretty talks of justice, claiming it as your purpose, and to what end?

Where had this search for the meaning of your existence brought you? What you have been doing up until now is poisoning yourself with these revolting pretty talks of the greater good and taking in whatever delusion your mind conjured up like some kind of drug to keep yourself from falling apart just so you could keep destroying your sanity over and over again. By the time you figured out what went wrong, it was already too late, you are nothing more than a living corpse, an Machine, fueled by ideals fed from your Ego.

Did you truly think that by becoming a hero, everyone would like you?

Did you genuinely believe that accomplishing a self-fulfilling prophecy would gain you the approval of anyone at all?

A Chosen one out of many is not anything new.

You are not special as you like to think.

If nothing else, You are by far the worse pick possible compared to all the other candidates to fill that role.

Nothing unique to call your own, no talent to differentiate yourself, without any real power to assert your borrowed ideals. In this world, absolute power is the sole factor capable of shifting the gears toward progress, only through absolute power and influences that affect the mind of hearts of others can one truly change the world that only bends to the whim of the strong, not by pretty speeches of idealistic goal that has none to support it. Words alone are too unsteady and fragile to be the foundation to uphold an ideal, only actions can be the reliable pillars for a dream to reach toward the sky of realization above, as proven so many times in the past throughout the course of mankind's history.

So how will you, someone who has no mastery over power, rendering it practically useless, be supposed to compete with them? The Mega among men?

Oh Fool of Bloodsoaked Hyacinth, out of all the voices you could have listened to in order to find your purpose, must be the delusional, conceited one, that blinded you from the harsh truth, clouded your perception to reality, and influenced your action to pursue a misguided ideal one such as yourself could never bring about, completely aware of that fact yet still choose to live in that falsehood you built around you and fruitlessly strived to do so regardless?

if only you had chosen the path of reality, accepting the truth that you were never destined for greatness, then everyone's, perhaps the fate of the entirety of mankind would have turned in a different direction. Probably for the better compared to the one they have to take when all the other available paths were left in ruin by you. But no, the sheer amount of your arrogance and audacity to even entertained the mere idea of achieving deeds that can only ever happen in fiction are matched by none. Most certainly, if there is anything you excelled in that there are no equals to compare and contrast with, then it would be the incredible Size of your Ego to be able to naturally mask the narcissism conveyed through your action of forcing yourself onto other's affair you have no place in with the pretense of responsibilities that wasn't even yours, to begin with. All without being aware of it!

Did you Think of yourself as a selfless hero that the people need?

The one they should rest their shoulder on? Who shall take everyone under his wings?

That couldn't be any more laughably wrong, the correct words you are searching for are Self-righteous, selfish, and self-indulging self-absorption.

Self.

Self.

Self.

It's all about yourself, in this self-centered world of your own making revolving solely around yourself like you believe everything is, thinking the world is a stage and the people in it are merely actors for your hackneyed, unoriginal play all about you when you are nothing more than part of the background of a story filled with splendor and majesty, far grander than what you could come up with, it would have ended with a perfect finale. A Happily Ever After like most fairy tales go.

But you just had to come along, defied your role, and turn this play into a disaster any respectable Writer would weep out tears of blood!

Even then, you continued to arrogantly believed they owed you! Indebted with a lifetime of Gratitude for saving them! It was not the consideration for others' well-being to push you onward, the kindness from the bottom of your own heart to offer your help to those in need was nothing less than a sham! That golden heart you had was merely a piece of rock covered in foil! You have become the embodiment of ignorant pride! Therefore, look upon your true self, your Folly! You are very Undoing! Your Arrogance is unmatched by none! See for yourself, that the ideals and meaning of your existence, amount to nothing! Everything that you thought done to make her proud of you, was just you trying to satisfy your self-righteous nature!

Yet in spite of it all, you still have the audacity to call yourself a hero? What rubbish, In that story, you were no Hero. A Hero does not betray those who place a fragile sentiment such as trust in him, they do not seek feelings of self-fulfillment through approval and acknowledgment from others for their effort, and they especially do not twist their vision to avoid pain and sufferings from souring their heart and contrast their delusion. While you shunned away reality, those who deserved to be referred to as Heroes face its unforgiving nature head-on, their smile faltered not to reassure people that cannot protect themselves. That is the virtue of a Hero, sacrificed not for themselves, but for others, something you'll never grasp.

Face the truth like she did, You naive coward.

In that Story, you are the Villain! HE WHO EMBODIED THE SIN THAT BROUGHT MEN TO THEIR DOWNFALL! THE VERY SAME ONE TO MAKE THE DESTINY FULL OF DESTRUCTION FOR MANKIND THEIR NEW REALITY!

O' MAD FOOL OF WITHERING HYACINTH, SUNG AND PRAISED WITHIN THE GOLDEN THEATER IN THE DEPTH OF THE ENDLESS SEA!

MAY YOU HEED THIS GOSPEL AND BURNS THEM INSIDE YOUR VERY SOUL:

YOU ARE THE TRUE 'EVIL'!

THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA, GIVE RISE TO A NEW ORDER, AND SHATTER THE WALL OF THE HARSH AND UNFORGIVING REALITY! EMBRACED THE NEW TRUTH! BRING THE HEAVEN DOWN TO THE THRESHOLD OF THE MORTAL PLANE! FOR WHEN THE TIME WILL COME WHEN THE WORLD THAT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE COMES TOGETHER FULL CIRCLE, THE CHANCE OF YOUR REDEMPTION WILL BE PRESENTED TO YOU! FULFILL YOUR ROLE ONCE AND FOR ALL, INNOCENT MONSTER!

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FOR THIS IS YOUR 'FATE'!

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How long will I have to wait for that...?

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I miss you...

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Although I'm glad that others were already gone by then, remembering me as their Hero in their final moment as they are surrounded by their loved ones, as selfish and full of denial as it sounds, I just wish the same fate has happened to you, not how it has turned out back then...

I'm sorry. All that faith in you, Forsaken by me.

The wisdom you so kindly imparted to me, warped into the exact opposite.

Until all that remains was a puppet pulling its own strings.

Now lost in this ever-expanding gallery with only myself to be its audience, marveling at the artwork I could never create with my two hands, there has never been a moment when I didn't wish you and all the others could be here by my side, guiding me, teaching me to draw my own painting to be proud of like back then.

How I miss the time hearing stories you tell me in my lowest moment would pull me up from the depth, offering me a more hopeful outlook on the bitter yet beautiful reality we live in. Even to this day, I can still recall it down to its last detail, clear and vivid like when I was but a child, relieving the best period of my old life all over once more, oblivious to the passage of time that has eaten away the rest of my mind.

Unfortunately, Remaining forevermore was not a fate destined for that which we came to treasure. They were supposed to be fleeting and eventually vanish, thereby making them precious. The choice we made is important because we cannot change them, as much they pained us to no end when we know it is something that would one day be far beyond our reach. Like a dream that you will never be able to see ever again as it faded into a distant memory.

That glimmer of light in my otherwise dimly lit path that guide me so long ago, I don't think I'd get to see it ever again.

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Hey...Could you at least tell me a Story again, the one that keeps you moving forward? one last time, Before everything is truly over?

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Ah, my apologies, just got a little carried away there, it was not part of my intentions to sidetrack and bored you with this pointless rant about philosophy and convoluted sentences when they have nothing to do with the reason why this conversation even started to begin with. Action such as that was just simply one of the many habits of mine gained from living a little longer than one might expect from a person with an average life expectancy would. Ramblings of an old man that has his share of regrets, so to say, I'm certain you had enough of those already.

Besides, that is not what you are here for. Both you and I know why you came here in the first place, and it is most certainly not about hearing an Old Hermit criticizing his younger and admittedly foolish self, most definitely not, why must you when there are diamonds hidden in the rough that is just beckoning to be unearthed? That is enough about me, that story of mine is one not interesting enough for you to be spending your precious time that is tickling away at the clock on hearing it out. There might be some other time when you have nothing better to do, you decided to spend your limited time on earth hearing about the story absent of any ending about a nobody special and the regrets still haunting him to this day. But that can wait for now until that time came, how about we change the subject to a more interesting one?

How do you feel about listening to a Story? They are truly wonderful things, are they not? There is no better feeling than letting your mind be at ease from always being hard at work at every waking moment to be sunken into the vast open sea of untold potential each and every story that a good book has to offer up, so much that you could find yourself lost in the compelling narrative and enthralling development that quite literally pulled you into its bottomless depth and has no way of returning as you continued to go through the endless array of words, hours passed by in a blink of an eye until you realized that the day has come to an end with the sun going to sleep as the moonlight take its place in observing over Humanity's story as it progresses through the chapters in our history as it is being written.

In that context, If you think about it, our very life and the world we live in could be considered a story since the dawn of time, with the long history of our journey as the Humanity living in it proven that much with its wealth of information regarding the past in the ever-expanding records that enlightened younger generations of the events that leave a profound impact those before them has experienced first hands. Multiple twists and turns that change how we as a civilization approach our way of living, with no small amounts of changes and developments were made to society as a whole throughout our progress in the development of the place we have come to call our home, resulting in the creation of cultures which eventually lead to the concept of stories become a fundamental aspect in its foundation as an idea to be based on, quickly expanded upon further in the world of fiction, A realm where the impossible made possible through the imagination of the mind, with no limit to the possibilities it could bring out, from within the boundary of realism to absurd fantasy, nothing is off the table, all is fair game in fictions and make-believe.

While your body may have limitations in evolution due to being confined by the bounds of logic, your mind, well, far less so.

It can go beyond the realm of the world and into a new one, continuously evolving to possess the ability that the body could not, which is the freedom to have your mind, momentary though it might be, to experience fantastical ideas that exist only in the realm of fiction, outside the boundary of reality.

To be immersed in the world of fiction as though you are a part of the story was the closest feeling to entering a different world, all possible through a collection of words arranged in a way to create something truly marvelous, a world only the mind knows of. Nothing else could possibly make mere words and pictures able to become reality through the doorway of your mind, entering the world of your vision, breathing life into a fictitious creation of your own making, and bringing out emotions that cannot be felt under any other circumstances. Truly, the potential each story holds within its pages waiting to unfold never ceased to amaze me.

But as disappointing as it is, it is ultimately a world that existed in the confinement of the mind, which is as fragile as they come. One rude intrusion from agents of reality can easily break someone of their immersion, shattering fiction in an instant, fading into the darkness, and disappearing into obscurity, never to be recovered from the abyss of forgotten memories ever again. though a dream of many to make abstract concepts only real on paper to be their world, their own little reality to experienced stories by truly being a part of it. Alas, however, it is still a place only the mind can reach, while the body remains behind, therefore such a thing cannot be made manifest.

Can it?

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...Perhaps, Perhaps not. There has yet to be anyone who could achieve that of which many dismissed as merely ideal they may strive toward praises and approval gained from others, but not for the result itself.

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...Or so that was the case. Until that certain someone did come along, bearing the sigil of the Lotus Flower on her person and a Duty to accomplish. A true example of a selfless hero, or should I say, a Heroine.

This is her story.

that's right.

████'s Story.

And Let Us Told of its tale.

Let Us Tell the Story of a Woman, A Heroine.

Going on a journey as she set sail on a novel voyage, unlike any other before it, toward a plane beyond the reach of any ordinary man, to an uncharted land filled with potentials and possibilities still left unexplored even now as if it is an entirely different world, detached from all sense of familiarity, from reality itself even, as it beckoned the one that has the insurmountable will that refused to be sunk by the turbulent storm of an unforgiving reality to not only brave through it but to strived to move past the wall that confined Humanity's ability to do the impossible and achieved the goal entrusted to her; to reach That 'Moment', The 'Tomorrow' that she always envisioned of being realized.

An inherited Dream that, for the briefest moment in her life, she thought she will never be able to make into a reality, forsaking all expectations and hopes she carried simply because she lack faith in her ability to see them through to the end.

However, as it has been proven numerous times throughout the span of her life, Fate just loves to throw curveballs at her, probably one of its hobbies even as, since the very start, Her life has already started amusing itself by toying with her expectation.

In the beginning, her journey was one full of regrets and anguish, there was not a moment she was not distraught over the tragedies that can be traced back to her own hands, yet at the time, long before the torch of Humanity's future was passed down to her getting extinguished by a broken heart, when it is burning with hope even when it is weighted down by shame, she did not choose to wallow in misery and self-hatred, instead, she carrying her heavy heart burdened with guilt as she desperately seeks to learn everything she could that could help to make an amend and resolve the mistakes of her past, while never attempting to act ignorant of the horrible deeds she had committed, using them as a source of motivation rather than hindrances to her goal, fighting against all odds stacked against her on the chessboard called 'destiny'.

In the face of such an overwhelmingly small chance of coming out on top from the bottom of the barrel, she continued to persist. Times and times again, she kept her head held high to look toward the future that just seem out of grasp, beyond the realm of possibilities, like how the stars cannot be reached through willpower alone, giving up would have been the sensible option had that been someone else in her position when presented with the obstacles no ordinary person would able to get past, But she was different.

Because during her endeavor to right what was wronged, did she come to the realization that, though the difficulty in accomplishing them might vary, there is no such thing as impossible, for if that were the case, then she would not have been able to meet him, he who accomplished what most considered to be impossible, that is to bring the light of hope to the bleak world devoid of vibrant ideals, taught her that valuable lesson she would never forget, just as the memories she has made alongside him in their battle against the unstoppable force she has created in her pursuit of what she believed to be salvation at the time. Thanks to him, she has witnessed his shining blade cut through the wall of impossibilities, tearing away the unstoppable force using his indomitable will refusing to submit to fate as he shattered the cruel destiny placed upon mankind for their folly, allowing her to remind this world of what they have forgotten, of the fire in their despairing heart that does not dare to have hope in them, once more burned brightly in honor of the hero who closes the gap that divided them apart at the cost of his very life.

In his final moment, the woman gazes upon the sea of stars soaring across the horizon, some continued their eternal interstellar voyage, while others have reached the end of their journey on the surface of the earth, knowing that among them was the red hero she has come to have feelings for, shining the brightest in the night sky before fading away into obscurity as did his time in the world when death has come to collect the debt he has owed after escaping his certain demise multiple times, now able to pay up with no regrets, for even though he would not be there in person, he knows deep down in his artificial heart full of genuine compassion instead of mindless hatred, that the fruit of his labor will be harvest by the people he has come to cherish, everything he has accomplished in his second chance of doing the right thing will not go to waste.

Even as his body crumbled to smoldering cinder and dust, leaving his last word meant for her goes unspoken, whatever he may have in mind resonated deeply through the woman's heart as a form of encouragement for the woman, as though she was aware of what he wished for her to do even in his absence, she upholds the late hero's ideal to pick up where he has left off, this time not through the power of ancient legend to accomplish great deeds, rather doing this using her own completely ordinary strengths and willpower to achieve this, in order to do what Human was capable of so long ago, before the area of technology and artificial beings, when they had no modern conveniences, no resources that just presented themselves to work with, no technologies to employ to accelerate their efforts, everything that humanity has come to know as the norm was no longer available to them, away from everything they know, back to the old age back then only existed as nothing more than a myth, when times where toughs and the future was uncertain, returning to square one in which their ancestors has kick-started the development of their civilization, an environment ill-suited for people that has relied on the comfort technologies has provided them for most of their life.

Nothing around her will be the same, any semblance of the past will vanish with time, the woman knows that much, it will take a long time for the earth to recover following the fallout and even longer for a new civilization to once again rise from the ruins of the old, and how exactly is she planning to make both his and her vision a reality in that stare, she was unsure, but the future will only become clear when you set your sight on it, on the horizon above, in which stars scattered in the final frontier that was once conquered by the will of men which was believed to be impossible to accomplish when men have not mastered the power over technology, now challenged Humanity to once more reach the infinite beyond in their second chance, impossible given their circumstances, but the same goes for the destruction the supposedly unstoppable force the woman and the red hero has fought for years on end before they actually managed to do it, proving that impossibility is just a mindset of the weak-willed.

If their ancestors indeed did manage to achieve great feats such as establishing a project as grand as a civilization that lasted hundreds upon thousands of years, long enough for the next generations to extend their reach from the earth all the way to the cosmos, all starts with fire and wheels made of stone as their cutting-edge technology for a time, then they could as well, they can and will follow in their footstep they left behind in the pages of history and achieved the impossible once more, that she was sure on making it happens, and she planned to make that a reality, doing so by reaching the stars above, starting from nothing in order to gain everything.

Days passed.

Months lapsed through.

Years went by.

Decades transpired.

Centuries came and gone.

Then in times, the world, much like the people living in it, inevitably moves on from the past, leaving any memories made in those times to vanish along with it. Spanning across several generations' worth of development, An eternity to most yet fleeting to some passed the world by as it continued spinning like it always had been ever since the day a vow under the stars was made, awaiting for none, remains still for nobody, never stop spinning until the end of time.

Many generations have come and gone, numerous cities erected and collapses, and new governing systems installed only to break apart later. This cycle keeps on turnings its dial, and the effect it was producing become apparent when memories of the past began to fade from the mind of the unenlightened masses as they began to be replaced by their descendants to fill out their position in this new world, one completely ignorant of the legendary deeds of red Hero responsible for the peaceful life they took for granted, the impactful influence he left on the planet slowly diminished, faded into mere legends that have no way of proving that they once existed alongside time as with the scars once completely covered the surface of the soil to serves as the testaments of men's folly in the fallout of numerous wars, to the utter ignorance of those after them, unaware of the distant and obscure past.

Until all that remains behind the closed curtain of a long-since concluded story now only exists either as merely a tall tale told by the people that live in the past when time, or as an everlasting legacy preserved by the woman that knows the truth about what most claimed to be entirely fictional, and her closest companions who respected her in their brand new journey in reaching their ambitious stars no matter the cost even if it surpassed well-beyond the limit of what normal people are willing to go through, any more than that would be a price they could not afford to take, but not to them it was not, because no cost was too great for their cause.

Despite the many hardships they have faced in this endeavor, no matter what's the difficulty that stood between them and the path toward their purpose in this life they laid down for themselves, just like the woman that inspired them, their eyes remain firm and steady likes those hands with a purpose in them gripping the handle of a blade, resolution burns in those gazes just like the indomitable flame that forged the steel that shall clear a path toward that great beyond they strived for just as before, this time done through their own two hands that wield the blade of possibilities passed down by him. Because they know that something, no matter how grand or trivial, all he ever desired is for them to walk on the road he carved for them, now this time letting their own calling guide the way in the dark, their own effort to illuminate the path ahead.

While the pitfall on that path of theirs has claimed no small amount of victims that follow their footsteps, that is to be expected from those fools, getting so absorbed in the belief of glory and fame that they failed to see that paying the hefty toll to cross the bridge to the so-called glory was all for naught if they tumbled down onto the various pits of hubris, these people are anything but. Neither was the promise of power or glory that motivated them to take on this path, they desire no such thing, the true treasure they seek is hidden behind the fool gold presented up front for most to be tempted by it, worth the kind of value no money can put a price on.

Because that treasure is not a physical object one could own, nor is it something most would want to obtain, for it possessed the kind of value that made it priceless in both senses, in that though it does not hold any significance as far as material value goes, rendering it entirely worthless to the majority, yet those actively sought after it despite serving no practical application knows of the splendor that made it worthy to be called a treasure.

Indeed, it was not an ancient treasure chest filled to the brim with unmatched wealth. A relic of a distant past highly sought after by collectors and Upper-Classes with deep pockets of spare cash alike that were willing to sell their entire fortune for the ownership of a physical fragment of a time gone by it is not either.

In fact, this is an antithesis to the ever-fleeting glimmer of a bygone day desperately being preserved for its historical existence, for it was one and only equal; The shining Brilliance of a prospective future, what holds the answer to all of the questions had by Humanity, open for those decided to move forward rather than being stuck clinging to the dying past.

An uncertain, sometimes even unreachable moment, known by those that sought after it as 'Someday', an destination in the stream of time as nebulous as the night sky, the sweeping curtain of murk decorated by the dazzling jewels that are the brilliant stars above, with the gateway between the seascape that mankind called home and the final frontier being thin line always appears so close to ending, yet still so far out reach, stretching on and on, testing the integrity of those persisted.

That 'Someday' will come to a pass one way or another. While they do not know the 'When' that is going to happen in that faint image of an elusive future, or the 'how' it will happen buried in the unknown, they do know the 'Why' that has been the reason that made them pressed onward: They have the promise to fulfill, especially for her in particular, for as long last, through his careful guidance across the most precarious moments of her life, she has finally learned the reason as to why she was born into this world, not as another thoughtless cog in a wheel to the engine that drives the world further down to the ground to meet its demise, neither as a living proof that Humanity that reaches the dead end of their evolution as a species, having no more rooms left to progress or advancement, destined to meet the same fate as every other life forms at the brink of extinction.

As when she gazed up toward the vast, expansive sea that is the sky on that night when she come to term and mourned the passing of the closet thing she had to her love, did she come to realize that with his end, marked the beginning New World to come, the endless horizon he becomes one with is the new height for Humanity to strive for, where Humanity would once again reignite the kindle of the past glory to help illuminate the road toward the uncertain future, and it was her duty to be the one that guides them to that "someday" as he did for her so long ago when he encouraged this Lark to escaped the gilded cage she was born and raise in by spread its majestic wing and took flights to the heaven above, open for potentials to a better tomorrow.

Such was her self-appointed mission, the oath cast beneath a certain moonlit light, where the Red Devil struck down the Calamity that would have spelled the doom to all, and a single Lotus bloomed in the murky pond, brought low from having been befouled by acts the decadence of men birth into it, now a clear purpose; to bring in the hope none dared to have, to make the world remember what they have forgotten, the ancient splendor shrouded in the smoldering cloud of ashes and fire that their petty dispute gives rise to, dragging them back to the light kicking and screaming if she must because if she does, no one shall.

quite a pretentious belief, some would say, for someone that lacks the kind of strength needed to accomplish such a herculean task, one exists solely within the confine of the pages in a storybook, too grand to fit in the real world. It is impossible, was the doubtful whisper in the deepest crevice in her mind, knowing all too well that without him, she would never get anywhere far. Without him, her Stepping Stone in her selfish desire, that same whisper would jeer at her, she would not have succeeded as she has. Without him, she would never experience the same level of progress in decades that has in the two years of knowing him.

Doubts are an parasites that could fester even in the stoutest of Hearts, worming its aching tendrils deep inside in a single moment of weakness, and she was not exempt from this either. Countless times has her determination wavered, countless time has her fortitude been beaten to the ground, countless times has she considered just giving up right then and there, to stop herself from continuing to take another step of this thorny path, to lift the mountainous burdens placed upon her shoulders and just quit while she was ahead.

For all these self-deprecating thoughts however, each time when her heart is weighted down by these dampening desires that gnawing at her, the young woman is reminded of him, the one that gave her hope in her darkest moment by brightening it with the Light of his Sword that slash away her doubts and uncertainty, and now, while he is no longer by her side physically, his spirit continued to live on within her heart to protect it, keeping it constantly steadfast in her time of needs.

Indeed, the thoughts of submitting to the hardship of this road would not be what he wanted of her, to give up after going this far down this road would be the same as betraying his trust, stripping his ultimate sacrifices of their meanings, she'll be damned before she forsaken everything he has done for her, for everyone in the journey they have spent together just because of her selfish desire.

Thus, regardless of this arrogant belief of hers, she stood her ground and was dead-set on seeing this through, for it seems that she did not just inherit his Will, but only his stubborn nature as well.

as brave and unwavering as a certain Red Devil who inspired her, as kind and Gentle as a certain Blue Angel that supported her, as reckless and suicidal as yours truly who greatly admired her, in the sense that she disregarded her own life, trying to achieve what is considered by all accounts impossible. Yet unlike me, she was not foolish like I was when trying to do the same. For where I failed, she succeeded in accomplishing the goal she set herself, all the while upholding the ideal of someone she has come to have a certain set of feelings for, Cementing her legacy as a Heroine worthy of the highest esteem and praises.

Just that alone earned her my utmost respect... and, admittedly to my shame, utter Envy toward such a shining example of what a hero is supposed to be, individuals that are willing to risk their lives and limbs for the greater good, not seeking fame nor recognition in return, just the betterment of the wellbeing and prosperity for the people they hold dear to as enough of a reward for them, not like me... But then again, there exists no person that has a role model in their life to not harbor a degree of those contemptuous feelings toward their object of worship.

Emotions like that, vile and corrupting though they might be, tend to be the most powerful driving force to some for as long as people can feel feelings. The more we envied someone, the stronger our desire to follow the same path they took that led them to greatness, to become just like them, to stand in the same league, the same world as them, and perhaps even be acknowledged by them in doing so.

That is what symbols are all about, to be the icon that inspired both hope and envy in the heart of the people for them to follow suit, spreading the belief like a viral disease that refused to succumb to the ravages of time. That woman was certainly that to me, as did many others that supported her arduous journey in bringing about the dream conceptualized by a certain scientist far that was as kind as he was blind to the problem of making it a reality, who in his ignorance would soon pass down this vision of the ideal future to his final masterpiece that has no way of accomplishing that on his own, leading to him having to entrust the ambition to his friend until it eventually falls to her to finally succeeding in what others before her have failed, the completion of several generations long dream, putting an end to a battle between former friends turns foes that have been ravaging the world as it rages on and on well after the death of these visionaries, one too naive to forsee the impact of his action for years to come, the other too full of spite that he lost sight of what he once set out to accomplish, that which ironically was realized by his esteemed nemesis and the Woman that later inherited both of their ideal long since their passing.

By fulfilling the lifework of these brilliant scientists of a world where mankind recognized machines as equals, she cemented her status as a living legend, the heroine that will be honored and have her accomplishments be made an example of for the generations in years to come, with her name etched into the pages of history book, her legacy being told in stories and praised in songs made in her honor, granting her a place in the hall of fame amongst all the individuals that has left behind their marks through their contributed in the prosperity of mankind.

Or at least, that should have been the case.

Unfortunately, however, reality is hardly fair.

Every word that I have been going on and on about this entire time, the lofty praises I showered upon the one I looked up to amount down to naught but an idle fancy I entertained my mind about every single day since that day, when her story came to an abrupt end, an unfinished beautiful yet tragic symphony forever remains unfinished as a result of treachery, an action as old as Humanity. Just as the Snake that tempted Humanity to take a bite from the Forbidden Fruit of knowledge not meant for them ended with them being banished from the garden of the lord, yet another Serpent has managed to sneak into the Sanctuary built to house those that wished to help the Woman reached that 'someday' she yearned for, accepting the foul reptile into their fold with open arms when no one else does, which it repaid by biting the hands that feed it.

All the kindness they have shown to it, and what did they earn for their generosity? Complete and utter Betrayal in every single way possible, before topping it off with stealing her life work, her accomplishment, and her success for its vain ambition. Just like that, centuries worth of preparations for the 'tomorrow' she has seen in her sleep, ended up stolen from her by the Snake that took advantage of her, who was too kind for her own good.

Outrage was a singular emotion that spread across each of her companions like wildfire on a dry meadow, their hearts, shattered and bleeding as they were after getting stabbed in the back, reforged into ironclad resolves, this time wrought by the flame of hatred rather than the ember of purity that initially motivated them, it screamed that they take up arms and hunt down this vile, deceitful Snake for its transgression and seeks retribution for the injustice they have suffered at its hands. But that is not what she wanted, she never did everything that she has for recognition. She did for him, not for the glory of being a savior, and neither did she wants such emotions to swell within them, for doing so will go against their principles. She has to remind them to never be a slave to their spite, for that is the reason why they were betrayed in the first place.

Though hesitant, slowly, the blaze of animosity eventually died down, extinguished for a time, allowing them to narrowly avoid becoming just like the traitor, clearing their mind of the hatred that would have clouded their vision in order to focus on redoubling their efforts toward a different mission; to direct all their attention on protect mankind from a looming threat lurking in the shadow of this world.

A shadow that the leader of this noble campaign, the Woman got lost in.

She has expected it to be a simple Mission, go to the ruins remains of a city and report back sort of task, she has assured them thar much, especially to her closest companion, never could anyone have anticipated the Snake was there, in the Company of a certain Reaper and a Witch, both of which he enlisted the assistance from an unknown master of theirs to get rid of her, the thorn in his eye, who they waiting in the concrete jungle to ambush her, who was helpless as a newborn rabbit before these predator that pounced on her, but that is what happened. In the span of less than a single second, not even enough time to fully blink or for a heart to beat, it was as though the world itself was a piece of fabric, as the space that stood between her and the Serpent began to distorted, churning and crumbles like a piece of paper rolled into a makeshift ball one would be tossed into a trash bin, similar to how they planned to dispatch her, as when the disruption in space and time ceased for one moment, the next, something akin to the byproduct of the space transportation device she is all too familiar with began to form before her very eyes.

Unable to peel her eyes off the anomaly in reality in front of her, the Woman stood in stunned silence as she continued to gaze upon the impossible creation, a grave mistake as she soon realized, for it was not only her astonishment that kept her in place, as she soon discovered, none of her limbs could function, courtesy of the Witch, whose Staff unleash a surge of thunder that bind her on the spot, ensuring that could not escape when the distortion began to pull in everything within its vicinity closer and closer.

Gradually, the earth beneath would begin to rupture, scarring the surface of the planet, ruined buildings that once reached to the sky get mutilated by gravity into little more than pieces of rubble, being brought closer to the ground, air condensed and collapsing around the rift as everything save for the Hunters get pulled into this carefully laid trap that even she can escape from.

And she knows that.

Contrary to what the Serpent like to believe, She was no fool, she knew trying to force her body to move is a fool's errand, squirming would not help, and neither would screaming at the top of her lungs, it would only be served to hurt her throat and exhausted her even more. It was simply not possible to escape, she get to have first-hand experiences in a situation not dissimilar from the one she has founded herself, only this time around, there is no red Hero to save her from the grasp of this Gravity like he once did when she was held in the grasp of a giant mechanical construct has effortlessly slaughtered her comrades prior.

Seeing that there is no way out of precarious circumstances like last time, she recognized is the end of the line for her, her final moment, not a peaceful passing through old age, disease, or the element that claimed her while being surrounded by friends or family, not that she has much, was her mirthless thought at that moment, but a one-way trip to the unknown of the other side as her slow ang potentially agonizing demise draw close being observed by the damnable Snake, who assumes a contemptuous sneer that split wider and wider as the distance between her and the spatial anomaly closing in, clearly enjoying himself while watching meet her untimely demise, a sentiment surprisingly not shared neither by the Reaper or the Witch, with their expression indiscernible at best, though the the purple claded youth seems be irritated when the Serpent began to hissed out a burst of taunting laughter, deriding her with words that she can barely recall at this point, before making a mocking bow at her an as an sendoff gift, thanking her for her creation that it has used to gain untold amount of wealth that it shall uses to further its ambition.

Then she and the distortion collided, soon followed by a deafening burst of sounds that nearly split her skull into two, letting out a low whistle ringing in her mechanical ears, then the darkness claimed her whole, becoming the only thing her vision sees as her conscious mind slipped away into the depth of darkness, sinking further and further into a downward spiral, never reaching the bottom, just like how she has failed on making it that 'Someday', forever out of reach, and there is nothing she can do about it other than to descend into the shapeless abyss.

The mere thought alone brought a single Tear to her eyes, shed not for the situation she found herself in, but to lament her greatest failure of being unable to make good on the Oath that has kept her going for years on end, coming to a sudden end all because of her negligence, one simple mistake that cost her everything. The more this realization dawned on her, the more tears began to escape its cobalt confinement, the more the feeling of despair began to seep into the crack of her heart, weakened after a decades-long brush with death, leaving it susceptible to all the overwhelming emotions that grew stronger when the gravity of her predicament previously held back the mental fortitude that has been thoroughly shattered boring down her at once, weighting her deeper into the void.

Even worse still, her comrades, her friend, her sister, none of them will ever know what happened to her, the place that would be her grave is a desolated, treacherous landscape completely detached from civilization, with constant dangers stalking any that were foolish enough to step foot in at every corner, and even if they somehow survive the brutal natural gauntlet, it is highly unlikely that they would found her remains, if there any at all, leaving her fate lies open for them to chase after the false hope of her still out there, somewhere, keeping them working on a tireless endeavor that would never bear fruit.

Just like her.

Unable to endure the thought of her family going after the illusion of her being alive and following her footstep to their demise as she has, her body was wracked by merciless, soul-crushing onslaughts of despair that manifested themselves into hot tears that felt like they are burning her when they tickled down her visage marred with the anguish she felt on their behalf pierced through her still-beating heart like an old needle in all of its rusted misery. Her beloved Comrades, her Sister, left alone without ever knowing why. She cannot even say her farewell to them, leaving them waiting for her return that will never happen.

"I'm sorry Everyone…I've failed all of you…Take care of everyone while I'm gone, Alouette…" The Woman has whispered out a silent apology, as though hoping that somehow, through some means, it would reach the ear of her Comrades, but the truth is she knows it would be possible. Even still, she did it all the same, apologizing for a fault not of her own, as a final act of closure she can do in this life as she let go of her grip on the waking world, letting herself be at the mercy to this unfeeling void space, fully embracing her eternal slumber her supposed demise would give her. She is tired now, tired of this life, having no more reason to keep living in it, perhaps death would give her a much-needed rest.

…

Unfortunately, she would not be so lucky, for just like it has since the beginning of her life, Fate decided to throw her expectation out of the window, one last time.

Although it may appear as though this is where her story is wrapped up, that is far from the truth, for there is no ending to it. Stories, by definition, have a start that will eventually come to an end, that is the established rule none can dispute. The red curtains will have to fall the same way they rise. A Story without any definitive end to its tale cannot truly call itself a story. She has not reached the end yet, that 'Someday' that is still beyond her reach, beckoned her to come and grasp hold of it. "But did not you say it was not possible?" You may asked? Well, there is a simple explanation for that; it was not possible then. Right now, on the other hand, now that is a different story altogether.

That 'someday' that she sought has finally come after centuries of waiting, where the efforts she and those she cherished has poured in throughout their entire life have ultimately culminated up to this moment, where the stars aligned under the seldom blue moon that shined down on the place where time ceases to flow, handing down an opportunity to achieve what she could not back then, a new hands that differ the one dealt to her so long ago, a chance to escape the endless dilemma sea.

Hm? What's that? Does all of this sound familiar to you? Well of course it would come across as nostalgic to YOU of all people.

After all, you were there in person to witness it all with that gentle yet mournful blue orbs of yours, this IS ████'s Story. YOUR Story, the chronicle about the journey, the trial and tribulation that shaped the very person you have grown into now. Forgetting those memories is not exactly possible, especially when it plays a large part in making YOU who YOU are, not that you wanted to in the first place, do you?

Your Story has yet to arrive at a conclusion worthy of all that effort and buildup. No one shall know your name until your legend is finalized, that ending you strived for will only continue to move out of sight and only stray further and further away the longer you remain asleep. So wake up, this story is not going to write itself now.

After all, being the one to have started this story, it's only fair that the one that should have the distinct honor of bringing it to a close with a long, overdue ending at the end of it all would be none other than you. All those tormenting decades of laying dormant, wallowing in regrets as you do so within the formless sea do not have any more reason to remain that way any longer. Now it's your chance, to finish what you started.

---

It is Your story that needs to be continued.

---

It was that Dream again.

Rousing from her comfortless sleep, a Young, Blonde-haired Woman, clad in clothings of chalk white, blooming rose and shining gold forced her heavy eyes lids to open, unveiling a pair of cobalt sapphires, long since lost its dazzling gleam of hope and determination extinguished by hardship, that gazed up to the sky, or rather the lack thereof, for the place she was in, which can only be described as a bog, as at least she assumed it to be one, judging from sagging old trees worn out by time obstructed the sightless horizon with their vein-like branches, alongside its companion, the murky sea she was lying in the middle of, stretching as far as the eyes could see, not that she could see all that much to begin with, what with the thick fog that enveloped this swamp that obstruct everything that can be seen if there are any that is. Blink once, then twice, before thrice, she let out a long-winded sight, seeing that the scenery around has not changed in the slightest, the ever-present haze of mist and turbid water still here, being her company, following her everywhere she went in this endless swamp.

She had no idea just where she is, and frankly, she has stopped caring after a good long trek through this marshland, all she was focusing on at this point was to see if there would be a change to her surrounding, which she highly doubt would be happening anytime soon, given that she has spent the majority of her days here other than sleeping is walking around aimlessly in hope that she could find something, anything that gives her some insight as to where she is, after all, she has been here for days now...Or was it Months? Maybe even years? It's hard to keep track of times nowadays, since there isn't exactly a clock here, and her cybernetic implants, while rather beneficial in the long run by eliminating her needs for sustenance, do not come up with a built-in clock. How useful that would be right now, whenever now is, counting time would be a much-needed diversion to keep her mind occupied, staring at time ticking is much preferable to staring at the same three objects every single waking moment of hers.

To be honest, she is genuinely surprised that she has not gone insane yet, having to basically walk in a circle in this maze with no prize, not even an exit in this vast natural labyrinth, then again, she supposed it could be attributed to her nearly constant urge to rest, a habit born from necessity in this environment, where she take a break when her legs felt strained from continuous travel, she was never the most athletic person, so it was far often than she would like to admit, she would let her exhaustion embraced her and pull her to the land of dream, an intermission she look forward to, as the Dream would at least keep her entertained.

Dream...

Now that she thought about it, she just has that dream again, of a bonfire, barely illuminating the outline of the one that tended it, an old geezer as he referred to himself as, who would always welcome her to join him in recounting his golden days as he would so proudly call them, or occasionally regales her with various far-fetched and increasingly outlandish tales that sometimes earned him a small laugh of amusement, to which he would give a rather indignant response before harumphed, even saying the word out loud! that has never failed to make her smile. Her imagination is truly something to conjure up such an individual.

Or at least, that is what she initially that is what he is, a completely fictional character, a fantasy born within her mind, nothing more, but each time she dreamed of this old man, the more...Unsettling the conversation she had with him become if that is the right word.

It started off fairly small and innocent enough, as all thing does, the first question that she asked of him was a natural one, inquiring about his identity, to see what her mind would call this person. While the answer was less than satisfactory, as the only information she gathered after unrelenting insistence on her part was "Old Man", which she could not help but snort out a rather snarky comment about the lack of creativity from the old man, making him huff in irritation, the following conversation more than made up for it. What it was, she could not recall all that well, but she was sure it was a pleasant one, because while her memories failed at unearthing that particular memory, the one detail she vividly recalled from that discussion was that it was a stark contrast to the future dialogue with him.

Gradually over time, the Old Man seems to talk less and less about himself, a far cry from how he used to, constantly dodging any questions she has asked about him. At first, she merely chalked it up to her imagination struggling to come up with anything, but it soon became clear that it has nothing to do with it, as then when does talk himself, it was with loathing, hatred, and disgust, all seems to directed toward himself and only him, like just now, before he settled down after seemingly went off-topic from what he started and flew into a fit of blind rage, screaming out to the heaven, as though he was cursing the gods themselves.

Self-loathing was not an emotion she is unfamiliar with, she has experienced it at one point, mostly out of regrets for her inability to recognize the Hunger for Power nesting inside one of her former Comrade until it was too late when he made off with both her research, as well as the ancient artifact, what she has documented as a Biometal designated Code W, a would-be remarkable piece of technology seemingly alive that the organization she founded managed to excavated from the ruins of a certain crash shire has it not seduced him with the raw, unadulterated and corruptive influence that instill his obsession for it.

But the level of the sheer Hatred for oneself that the old man exhibit…Not even she could hold the same deep-seated animosity toward anyone, much less herself, not even Serpent, who has betrayed her and the man responsible for her current state could elicit such amount of malice from her. Yet her mind could project something of that extent in her Dream? Was that how she truly felt deep down? Was that an underlying message her heart was trying to tell her? And what he has said… Something about her needing to continue her "Story"? What does all of it mean-

"Hey, how long do you intend to lie down there, Miss?" What was that?! A voice?! Here?! She doesn't recognize it as any that she knows of, but the fact that this voice, firm and masculine as it were, means that there is someone here! Someone other than her! There is a chance that they might know this unfamiliar territory! Briskly trying, and somewhat succeeding, in picking herself from the body of water with minor difficulty, her cobalt blue eyes frantically searching for the source of the voice, hoping that her suspicion was correct and not her artificial ears acting up, an effort that eventually bears fruit when her eyes fall onto…

"A Campfire..." She could not hell but uttered out loud as her eyes concentrated on the roaring plume of flame, its torrent of heat engulfed every single piece of wood posses into its burning maw that growled out snapping cracks, threatening to spread further has it not been for the leash of stone surrounding it, constructed by the one attended it around the radiance of the localized pyre, a Man whose hair color and length was not dissimilar to her own, bearing a pale golden shade that flown downward like a stream that extended down to the waist of his attire, an outfit that reminiscent that of a suit businessman in the day of old would favor, complete with a jet black vest that would have blended with the surroundings has it not been for the bonfire, black pants of the same color and a white undershirt, strangely untarnished despite the murky environment.

"Hm? Never seen fire before or something?" Though his pair of shades cover up the amusement in his eyes well, it did little to dampen his voice full of mirth, obviously enjoying her bewildered expression greatly. Eyes expanded as wide as they physically could to such a degree that a platter could fit inside her sockets, jaw unclenched and let loose downward, looking as though they will hitting the ground at any moment, and tongue that struggled with trying to find the correct words in order to construct a proper response. Overall, a picture-perfect image of astonishment.

"…Not until now. Meeting other people too." Was the only sentence she could throw together with her limited composure can come up, struggling to comprehend the improbable sight unfolding before her eyes. So her mechanical ears were not malfunctioning, there really is someone here other than herself. The hope of trying to escape this hellscape that was dangerously close to being snuffed out was rekindled by the flame of the bonfire before her, bringing a comforting warmth she has not felt in a long time that drew her closer to it, yearning for more of this radiance, an act the attendant of the fire seems to approve of her doing, if that beckoning gesture sends in her way was anything to go by, inviting her to take the log used as a makeshift seat directly the in front of him, an offer she wholeheartedly accepted, resting her legs around the passionate ember.

"Right, this place has little in the way of visitors, especially someone like yourself. Still, it has been a long time since anyone come here." Now that definitely piqued her attention, the way he phrased it means not only he know this place and thus his ways around this labyrinth of withering trees and fog, but at the same time indicated that she was not the first person to be here, wherever 'here' is, allowing her to arrive to a concrete conclusion; there is a way to escape this bog, and the answer to this natural puzzle is held by this man, her only hope in this marshland of despair, "Judging from the look of your face, I'm guessing you wanted to know where we are. How correct am I?"

Was it really that obvious? She has briefly mused, but merely shook off it, chalking it up as common sense. After all, the first everyone would want to know when they are lost in a foreign environment is to first learn the location they are in, "Yes, And you seem to know this place, where are we?" Since he has prompted her, might as well cut to the chase and get down to business. As much as she wanted to leave this place first thing first above all else, she should at least know more on what is this place before going any further.

"This here my dear, is the Boundary." Came an immediate answer from the Blond-haired Man, throwing both his arms to their respective direction as if to encapsulate this place within in his embrace in order to put emphasis on his words, which have little success going by the confused expression of his company, clearly not understanding what it is that he is trying to convey. A reasonable reaction, he supposed, after all, while did he answer her question, he neglected to elaborate on what exactly this place is the "Boundary" to, but he has his reasons, after all, if he just outright informed her of the true nature of this place, there might be a chance she has a hard time believing his words, he has nothing to support what he would have informed her otherwise.

"Strange name for a Swamp…Why is it called that?" Curious about the name, she decided to press further, hoping to gain more insight into "The Boundary". The fact that he referred it as THE Boundary rather than just a Boundary could mean that this place holds greater significance than she has initially anticipated, even more so when he addressed her question with that tone, an emotion akin to that of reverence, and she is familiar with that way of speaking more than she would like to admit, having heard such tone of voice from Serpent whenever he brought up the topic of the Artifact. Thinking back, she should have seen this as a sign of his growing obsession with that loathsome piece of metal that she could have prevented.

"Well, that entirely depends on whether or not you choose to take my words for the truth." He shrugged, fully expecting one of two reactions should she choose to learn what the Boundary is all about; Either total disbelief and denials of the harsh truth he would present to her, or so shock that she is rendered completely speechless, soon followed by a panic attack about the situation. From his personal experience, it is usually the former. Those that believed a place such as this could exist are few and far between, even then, they might refuse to believe people like them deserved to be here. He is no liar, he gains nothing from doing so, but he has grown tired of people accusing him of his supposed deceit, as such, he offered two choices, remaining ignorant about this place or experiencing the dreadful truth about it. But knowing her, he had already foreseen the answer the moment she arrives here.

"I don't guess I'm not in the position do to otherwise. Please tell me, what is this place? What is it the Boundary of?" By this point, she is growing desperate, as different from the last time, the way he said those few words indicated that he deliberately withheld certain information regarding this fog-filled wasteland, and for her sake no less. It made her swallow the bile building up to her throat, sensing the feeling of dread forming within her guts, telling her that she would not like to hear what was about to come out of his mouth, yet she did so anyways.

Which she soon comes to regret.

"If you insisted." He sighed, ruffling his pale golden hair in an exasperation manner, mentally strengthening himself to brace for what to come, "This place is the Boundary that Separate life and what comes after it. In other words; The place where only the Dead dwell before moving to the afterlife, which means you are in fact, Dead." He revealed, closing his solemn red Orbs, not needing to know what kind of expression the Blonde-Haired woman has assumed over that announcement; complete and utter horror. To say that she was shocked would be a massive understatement, of all the possible explanations as to how she ended up in this unfamiliar place, dying was the last thing she would have suspected, yet that is the only one she received, flooding her inner turmoils with a barrage of turbulent emotions that clashed with each other.

She wanted to Scream. Screamed out in horror because of her powerless situation, in sorrow because she was unable to fulfill that promise, and in anger because of the Serpent who deny her of it.

She wanted to Cry. Cry for her cruel fate, for the hope that was once again been ruthlessly stamped out, for those she cherished, who she will never be able to return home to.

She wanted to Deny what he has said, that it had just all been a lie, that everything he has feed her mind thus far was just an ill-conceived ploy for him as a poor attempt at humor to scare her.

But despite wishing to, she cannot find it in herself to do any of these, any words she might have had died in her throat before they made it past her tongue, and every emotion that surged within her when those reached her ears suddenly fizzled out, as though a cold downpour that completely extinguished every passionate emotion inside her, replaced by a dull, painful numbness, rendering her incapable to act out on anything her mind is screaming at her to do. Growing far too exhausted to do anything but glanced upward, pulling gazes from her legs, trembling as they were, and meet the crimson eyes of the man beneath those indifferent glasses, uttering out one singular sentence her drained spirit could utter, "I see…" it came out as a hollow whisper, devoid of any semblance to willpower that is long died alongside herself.

So this is it, this is how she met her end, at the hand of the traitorous Snake, alone, forgotten, and faded into obscurity, failing both her people and her love as she passed on, Promise unfulfilled, Oath gone annulled, Vow broken…And she couldn't care less about it. Not any longer. It was almost poetic in a sense, the one thing that kept her going in life, now utterly meaningless to her in death, it nearly made her want to laugh at the irony of it all, yet she simply have no more strength to spare on anything, such as holding back the tremor of raw, untempered sorrow crashed into her right after, ushering in an waterfall of tears that raced down her cheeks, with some melded with others, but none of it matter as all of them fell down the same, into the volatile wildfire, which hissed in agony from each drop of sorrow splatted its burning form, "I'm sorry…Everyone… that I can't say goodbye…"

"Really, you would believe me just like that?" Now it was him that was the one in disbelief. That was…not the kind of reaction he has expected. Sure, there has been a gleam of denial in her eyes, but only for a split second. For someone to accept the fact that they are dead, told by a complete stranger who has no ways to prove the validity of his words at that…This is not like her at all, he did not remember the woman admired to the point of worship is this cynical, not even the worse iteration of her would be this nihilistic, "You didn't even ask if what I have said is true, how could you just trust my words at face value?"

Glancing upward, her lifeless stare send a discomforting sensation down the Man's spine, even making him flinch at the sight of her hollow expression looks like it belonged more on a corpse, "You mean-"

"Oh no, What I have said was not a lie. You are dead." Another regretful sigh escaped his lips, frowning when he saw her expression drop once more. He did not blame her for getting her hopes up, should he be in her position, he too would cling to the slightest bit of possibility that what he said might not be true…which it technically was. "…But at the same time, you are not either, most unusual indeed." He added, allowing himself a small smile when she glance upward once more, assuming the same confused expression she previously held, only this time, behind her clouded eyes, there is a glimmer of renewed hope buried beneath all that despair born from the revelation of her untimely departure from the living world.

"W-What do you mean by that?" Before her brain could stop it, her mouth has already moved, outright begging for elaboration at this stage, guided by that hope she dared to have against her better judgment that protested against such a hasty decision, but she refuse to listen to it, emotions once again ruled over her logic, hanging onto the remaining hope there still potentially be in the form of those words he made like what left of her sanity are depended on it.

"You are what I call an Anomaly here in my Sphere. The Boundary of Life and Death." With a vague gesture toward the air, the Man directed his eyes to his surroundings, more specifically, the thick Fog around them, and this appeared to have some sort of effect, as all of a sudden, the perpetual Haze that engulfed the Bog since her arrival started to disperse, vanished like they were never there in the first place, unveiling the true form of the swamp beneath a night sky lighted up by the stars above. For the second time today, she was taken aback by another impossibility, witnessing the lingering mist she has grown used to seeing at every turn just gone like that, seemingly on the command of the Blond-Haired Man, whose identity she has yet to grasp. Now that she thinks about it, she never learns his name, nor his connection to this Boundary, where only the dead reside as he claimed it was.

"Your sphere?…who are you?" To have apparent dominions over this place, the Supposed Realm where the dead dwells… If he is what she suspected him to be…Then…

"I am known by many names. Some are more important than the others. Some called me Yan-lo Wang, others recognize me under the name of Mictlantecuhtli. Few referred to me as Nergal. There were even times when I was known as Hades. If you cannot tell from these titles of mine, my Dear, I am collectively known as the one that governed the underworlds, where those who crossed the great divide lived on, one of which you have found yourself in. Though It hard for us to converse when we can hardly see, so let there be light." He announced, knowing that she has already connected the dots that painted the full picture of his identity, just like he painted the nebula night with a wash of light, causing the Woman, whose eyes has forgotten the splendor of a golden morning, to shielded her gazes from the blinding Radiance that overtook the rayless Horizon.

Then there was Light.

Vivid Light flowing from one singular Star in the heaven, its brilliance that far exceeded the humble Ember peered down to the two individuals huddled around the dying flame, having served it purpose, reduced to cinder. Prying her hands off her sensitive cobalt twin jewels, the sight waiting there to greet her was one that took her breath away. It was the sun that is resting in the air, which while nothing particularly worthy of note in by itself, is fairly ordinary to most, for her, it was the most awe-inspiring view she has ever seen. She could barely recall the last time she saw the sun in all of its dazzling glory, but it was long enough to make her forget how majestic it truly is, despite its blinding appearance. Its splendid form brought warmth to her heart, its heat melted away all of her anguish, and its shine lit up feeling she cannot describe inside her, the sensation that left her speechless at the display of authority over the Boundary that clear any doubts she had, done by the one before her.

A God.

"You've figured it out, haven't you?" The God laughed, thoroughly amused by her shocked look, a much-needed change to the solemn air wreathed around her a moment ago. He absolutely hated it, seeing her being that desponded, even though he have to be the one to deliver the news, as such, any other emotions were far more welcoming than pure sorrow marring her beautiful feature. "What's wrong? In awe of my presence, are you?"

"Ah…Well…It's just…You look a lot different than how I imagined a God…" Unsure of what to say when that piece of information sunk in, she can only voice out her genuine, unfiltered thought in a row of sheepish laughter. When it comes to imagining on what a god looks likes, it is a rather difficult process. The most popular depiction to this peerless existence is usually envisioned an Elder, with a stream of graying beard flowing from his tender visage, kind and compassionate would be the expression spreading on it as he would open his arms and welcome all into his loving embrace, or even a Being whose true form is beyond the comprehension of mortals that accepted the virtuous and pure while condemning the guilty and the sinners…Neither of which is what she would use to describe the supposed God before her, who more or less comes across as a businessman more than anything.

"Geez Sooooorrry for choosing a form I'm comfortable with!" Rather indignant feedback was what she received for her comment by the God, huffing and crossing his arms in a rather childish fashion before throwing his back, sulking in a manner completely ill-befitted a deity. His company let out an amused giggle, feeling oddly nostalgic over his behavior, it certainly reminded her of the first interaction she had with the Old Man in her dream, though what he said was quite interesting for her. If she takes his words for the truth, like she has the most part, he is able to change his appearance, which he does exactly just that right in front of her eyes all of a sudden, shrouded by a veil of red before emerging from the velvet cocoon as…A perfect reflection of her, "Fine, how about this, beautiful? Feeling honored that a god assumed your face?"

"Er…No, not really." Was she flattered that a God regarded her as beautiful? Honestly, a little. Could the same be said when said God assumed her appearance though? Well…Quite the opposite actually, it's rather disturbing to a degree to see someone with her face, her height, her voice, her everything then proceeded to act in a way that is completely out-of-character for her. That is not something she would like to see, no matter how fascinating the experience could have been, and not seeing it she did, having diverted her eyes, feeling incredibly uncomfortable at the prospect of her own face leaning against her like that.

"Alright, Alright. That's enough joke on my end." Enveloped by the shroud of crimson once more, the God dismissed the modification done to his body, reverting back to his favored looks, though not before putting back on his shades that masked the blood-colored Jewels beneath it. Regaining in composure, the blond-haired Deity await for a good few minutes in order for the Woman to recollect herself, before he rerouted back to the topic that they have sidetracked from, though not that he was annoyed by it, if anything, he had enjoyed the trivial little conversation, it lightens up the mood by quite a bit, "As I was saying from before, I am what is known as a "God" by your kinds. I hold many names, gain from various civilizations over the millennia of my existence, and one of the Sphere I governs is the Afterlife, of which you have found yourself, an Anomaly, in." He began, addressing her with a pair of inquisitive Red eyes, full of curiosity and uncertainty. While he has seen his fair share of irregularities in his various domains, this is the first time such development occurred for the existence of this specific Woman, as a result, he is quite invested in it, after all, she is someone he cared greatly for.

"Ah, about that. What do you mean by an "Anomaly"? And while I'm at it, what are you trying to say about me being dead, but at the same time not?" If she has to make a rough speculation, then her being a deviation from his definition of normal when it comes to this place is in some way connected to her ambiguous situation regarding her current state of still ostensibly alive. Of course, There is no guarantee that what she has in mind for a potential answer is correct, should that be the case, however…There is yet a chance…A chance for her to fulfill her long-awaited goal of seeing that 'Someday', and whether that chance would come to entirely depended on the next few words of the God that she await with bated breath.

"Yes, that. You see, Souls have this connection known as the 'Mortality's Chain' that anchored them to the living world, and when they perished, this link is severed, removing themselves physical plane as a result." A slight movement from his hands, mimicking the act of slicing an invisible line, "Or at least that's how it would work under normal circumstances, Yours on the other hand, is quite unusual, in that despite being by all definitions, Dead, your Mortality's Chain still connected to your soul without it so much as weakened, still holding firmly as though you are still living, thus rendered you neither dead nor alive."

To illustrate, the God reignited the dead bonfire which roared back to life with fiery vigor brought about by a kindle brought about by a single snap, startling her, though quickly turning into fascination when the plume of flame began to swirl, dancing elegantly as it began to morph, transforming into a stage, a play taking place on it, where she saw flare shift and drift, flashing the battlefield in its transparent surface, where a battle epic and worthy for a poem to be written about it was taking its place. An untold amount of soldiers, fearless and true as they were, bravely clashes with their enemies. With each victory, they celebrate on the eve of their triumphant. With each defeat, they mourned their late comrades, selflessly gave their lives fighting for their cause, and with each death, their respective Mortality's Chain is severed, ending with them passing on, as it should be.

But for a certain genius scientist, it was not nearly as simple.

"This…This is…"

Gasping in horror, she watched as the inferno stage moved to its next act, more specifically, the reenactment to a series of events she that she fear of relieving once more, the confrontation she had with the deceitful Serpent, the one that betrayed not just her and her comrades, but trampled on everything they stand for, the cursed shard of the ancient bio-mechanical machine in his hands that he proudly presented for all to see, doing so merely as a petty attempt to mock her, which she shamefully took the bait he dangled out, sealing her fate to his trap she fell prey to, before meeting her demise at the hands of the distortion created by the lying Snake, severing her link to the mortal coil, ending her life…Except it didn't.

Remaining steadfast, the mortality's chain of the scientist held firm, strong and sturdy, a clear indicator of her soul, staunch and unwavering as they were, refusing to accept her end, even when she herself did not know about it at the time, her desire to live in order to fulfill the promise she made on that night, beneath the starry sky to him, the Man she looks up to, who she admired with all her heart, refusing to yield just like him in his finest hour regardless of all the trials and tribulations she has brave through.

And what she shall soon go through.

Eventually, just as all performance does, the play soon comes to a wrap, the cinder grew cold, the word charred beyond recognition, and the bonfire died out for the second time, leaving a catatonic Blonde to resume her focus on the God, a solemn expression resting on his feature. Sparing not even a second, He continued where the conversation was last left off, "As you can see for yourself, your mortality's Chain endures still, you still have the desire to live so strong that it is not possible for me to claim your soul yet. And that is what intrigued me the most." He stated, narrowing his eyes at the blonde-haired woman. Everyone wanted to live to some degree, there is no arguing about it, even those that claim they do not still have an inherent desire to see the next sunrise tomorrow, but no matter how great this will is, all souls that had their link to creation destroyed will subsequently fade to the afterlife. Yet here he is facing with a spirit whose resolve is so overwhelming that it even overpowered the constraint of logic and went beyond the impossible, as expected from her, "Do tell, what do you think is the reason as to why you still want to live? Even after all you have suffered? Even when you have nothing left to fight for?"

"You are wrong, I do have someone left to fight for." Much to his pleasant surprise, there was no deliberation on her part, not even for a few seconds to consider her options for a possible answer, instead, she answer it immediately right away without so much as to miss a beat, resolve clear in both her firm voice and her expression, loud and clear. No longer is there a hint of sorrow staining her face, the only thing that is there now is a light of passion reborn like a Phoenix took flight far away from the ashes of woes, unfurling its wings that glistered faith to fly toward that castle in the sky, determined to attain the proof to her ideal, no matters how impossible they may appear, for if a certain Red Devil has taught her anything, is that Impossible is a Mindset for those without a will to support their belief, and she refuses to let go of what she fighting for, because if there is someone worth risking her life for…It's Her, "My sister, Alouette."

"Really now?" His eyebrow raised in interest, having not expected that answer, but not exactly an unwelcome one, if anything, that is how he remember her now.

"Yes, Even before I met him, she, and all the others was the reason I push forward. They opened my eyes to their blight, and I won't forget that kindness." She could never forget that fateful day that changed everything, when she first stepped outside the safe comfort of the laboratory she was born and raised in to see the outside world against the wishes of her caretakers, only to see the supposed utopia she has heard the people around praised about to be a cruel and unjust place, ravaged by conflict, discrimination and disharmony between everyone. Worse of all, she had a hand in contributing to the tyranny she wrought, in the form of certain a false Angel she created in the Image of the legendary founder, further disillusioned her from the lie that she has been living in throughout the early years of her life. Just when she was about to lose faith in all, she met her. A young, orphaned Reploid that she has a chance of meeting on that very same day.

Since their creation, Replica Android, or Reploid as they were commonly known as, Machines that are built in the image of Humankind, complete with Sentience, Free Will, and Aspiration of one, they were treated as little more than a convenient tool for the Race they were supposed to be the equal to, no different from Slave to served the desire of Humanity. Even though they are identical in nearly every way, even superior in some aspects, the sole fact that they were born in the cold confine of a facility rather than the womb of a loving mother was the reason they were regarded as lesser than their organic counterpart. The inequality between the two populations breeds bitterness in many Reploids, who argued against their predetermined fate of suffering for the meager comforts of Humans in this city that favored them, of dying to sustain their tormenter, leading to many defecting from their duty and protesting against their Rulers.

Among the protestors was a pair of reploids couple, branded as criminals for only desiring the people above to lift a finger on their behalf, then subsequently and unceremoniously terminated, discarded like they were yesterday's trash, leaving behind their daughter, now wandering the street, alone, trying to scrounge up enough leftover energy in the dumpster to get by. The sight of an innocent little girl that does not know what she even did wrong to have to endure this life of hardship broke her heart, especially when there is nothing she can do to help her circumstances. She was far too young at the time, not even knowing how the world around her worked, but what she could do was offered some form of comfort, in the form of a small plush animal she made herself that she modeled after the one at the nearby store the young reploid has her eyes on every day as she wandered the street as a small gift, the least she could do.

The Smile that bloomed on her face when she received her first gift since the passing of her late parents, makes Ciel realize what she should do, rather than what she is supposed to do. To work for a world where people can truly Smile like that, it was something that is worth fighting for, even if it mean fighting against those she once called her Family, for the sake of a world where all could Smile. Especially the little girl she now viewed as her sister.

"A good reason as any." Seemingly satisfied with the answer, the blond-haired God picked himself up from his seat around the campfire, dismissing the log he has been resting on with a wave from his hand, before turning to the Woman, meeting her eyes burning with determination, How very Nostalgic, "Very well, you have given me a reason for why you wanted to live, and I liked it. So I'll be bending the rule a little. I can return you to the world of the living. This is usually outside of my usual line of work, but I'd make an exception for an exception."

Had she not been paying as much attention as she did, the Woman would have jumped up in joy upon hearing that, learning that is actually a way for her to return, a chance to go back to everyone, but with the way the god said that, she was not going to leap headlong to the first opportunity presented to her. He said that he can bring her back, not that he will, implying he would not just simply just send her back without some sort of caveat on the side, it would be too simple if that were the case, "Okay, what's the catch?" Might as well hear what he had in store for her before further progress. Although she would very much want to return as soon as possible, it is best to keep her expectation tempered.

"Ha! I do so love it when Mortals figured out it would not be so easy. Make things infinitely more interesting." A snort of amusement, soon followed by the god nodding in confirmation, acknowledging her question, proving once again that her suspicion as correct, much to his delight. She knew it was far too good to be true in of itself, though before she can mused any further, he raised a singular finger "I can send you back to your World, under one condition; You are to go a different world, where in the far east, lies an empire fractured by distrust."

"A different world?" Over the course of her life, one filled with no small amounts of scientific research and documents on technological developments across the history of humanity at every turn, being practically the one thing she was destined to surround herself with the moment she was born in the test tube, there was one file among the sea of endless paper that stands out from most, as it was merely a theory that has absolutely no evidence to backed it up, yet despite this apparent lack of any physical proof of its existence, it was among the most widely discussed and popular of its time.

The Multiverse Theory.

In this particular hypothesis goes that the universe that we live in may not be the only one, and is merely one of many iterations of the same world, a branch of the same tree known as a timeline, where decisions that could have happened, did happen in these alternative deviations of the home we know. Entirely different yet similar dimensions, created by vastly different series of events that shaped up its diverged history from the one you are familiar with, possessing possibilities that are as infinite as the stars in the galaxies themselves. A fanciful concept for sure, but that is all it is, a mere idea written on paper, never progresses past the confinement of fantasy. Until now it would seem.

At the time, while fascinated by the premise of there existed countless worlds that branched differently at various points in history, She never gives much thought about it beyond entertaining the idea by imagining that there is a world where she has some kind of evil twin sister that rule over a utopia with an iron fist or that the entirety of Humanity inexplicably went extinct, leaving the planet to have reploids as the dominating species. Now though, having ended up in a situation where such an idea shall be put to the test, she wondered if this alternative world that the god would be sending her to be like what is described in the multiverse Theory, a place like her home reality, Or it would be a completely foreign one with absolutely no sense of familiarity whatsoever. Both possibilities have their ups and downs, and she is honestly unsure which she preferred over the other.

"Precisely. In this world, there are four ruling factions whose relations are estranged by strife." Several claps were done, and the bonfire was lit up for the third and final time, preparing itself for the Final Act, which it does by escaping from the fire ring that confined it in its open-air prison, Swimming in the air as if to celebrate its newfound freedom, before using this newly gained flexibility to slammed straight to the ground, digging into the dampened soils beneath them like a chisel through marble, before it hardened into stone, carving the image of what appeared to be a map onto the surface of the earth under their foot. Taking a closer inspection, she could clearly see that it was a continent, more Specifically, the forgotten landscape she recognized as a country once known as China before the age of technology, divided into four sections, most likely to correspond to the number of factions the God has mentioned.

"In the East, the Azure Dragon attempts to maintain Order in peace." A mighty Drake with dazzling scales as blue as the morning horizon coiled around the far end segment of the map, planning to protect its territory with all of its beings, unwilling to make enemies with none, for its care not towards pointless conflict perpetuating at the very center of the land.

"The Vermillion Bird of the South urged to take up arms and personally subdue the source of their unrest." In contrast to its neighboring Beast, a majestic oriental Bird who pleaded to its fellow ruler of the sky, only to turns down by the Dragon, not wishing to partake in needless bloodshed, forcing the Phoenix to spread its crimson wings, taking flight to the heart of the country, doing what it must all on its lonesome.

"While the White Tiger of the West tried to mediate." On the other end of the spectrum, stood a fearsome ivory Tiger, roaring to the very heaven, trying to have its two colleagues to see reasons again, but despite its best attempts, its bellow could never hope to reach the ears of the stubborn Red Bird of Prey or the reluctant Drake to budge from their position. The two fellow sovereigns are set in their ways, much to the dismay of the White Tiger.

"As the Black Tortoise of the North does everything in its power to prevent the total collapse between each faction." But none suffer more than the imposing Ebony Shellpad, who carried its beloved yet ailing lands that is being ravaged by the division upon its back, threatened to be torn asunder if nothing would be done soon. So it prayed, it pleaded, if not outright beg for some way, any way to unite these divided lands govern the three beasts, to restore order and harmony back to the way it was before, less than it become a matter of time until they tear themselves apart in their well-intentioned but misguided goal that strays from what is right.

Fortunately for them, Their Prayer has been heard by a certain someone, and it shall be answered soon.

"And your Duty there is to find a way to resolve the tension between these factions and them reunify back to one singular alliance." With that, the Deity concluded his rundown to the Blonde Woman, who was reasonably hesitant about the whole ordeal she is about to get herself dragged into. She just could not quite see just how exactly she is supposed to deal with the ongoing crisis in this foreign land that she know virtually next to nothing about, barring from the pieces of information given to her, though she suspected that it would not serve much practical purpose in the long run, and added to that, she has no combat skills besides some basic self-defense techniques that she highly doubt would be much use in a real-life scenario, so the option of getting involved with the actual conflict itself is absolutely a no-go.

Neither would she be good at negotiation if she was going to be honest, for one thing, she will be a complete stranger to these people, and in times of uncertainty, new faces are treated with apprehension at best and downright hostility at worse, so there is no possible way they would have any trusts in her with anything, much less with the leader of these factions. Even by some miracles that she is able to get ahold of these people and have them gathered in one place without them pressing a knife at each other's throat with how they seem to be in a disagreement, she can say with absolute certainty it will not work out regardless. Why? Well, she prided herself in a few things, but being persuasive is not one of them, she would much sooner bite her tongue while fumbling for words before she could actually convince them to reunify, and all of that is before she taken into accounts of the possible language barrier. Overall, she has zero confidence about realistically succeeding in this tall order in the slightest, "I can see that you are concerned about this task. Don't be. You are one of the few people that could bring about the reunification."

"I just don't understand. Why me? How am I supposed to put an end to this?" It is not as though she was against the task itself, quite the contrary, learning that she has essentially restored the peace between four different superpowers reminded her of a time when she does something similar in the past, in which she dedicated most of her time to inventing a new energy source in response to a crisis, but the key differences is that at the time, she knows what the cause was, and know what the antidote needed to cure the ailing nation. This time around, there is no such luck. This is an alien world, plagued by a disorder she knows nothing about the root behind it, much less how to set it right, nor does she know what is considered as 'Right' there. Because of these contributing factors, she is not very optimistic about her prospect.

"You'll know in due time. But here is a little advice to make this journey of yours a little more manageable." Merely waving off her concern with a dismissive gesture, much to her frustration of having been denied of a definitive answer, The Pale-Blond Deity twisted his heel, closing the distance between him and the Woman, until there were a few inches that separate the two apart. By then, the god stare down at his sole Company in this place, as if evaluating her with his sharps eyes beneath the blunt exterior of his shade. It is only expected that she would have doubt in her capabilities since they are not geared toward this kind of problem. Intellect does not automatically translates to having the gift of gab, but unlike her, he has all the confidence in the world that she will emerge triumphant, in fact, it is guaranteed that she will, without fail, bring the fractured Nation together once more, like the symbol she represents in the past did, not that she needed to know about it yet. But still, she will need as much help as she could in this endeavor, and it would be cruel of him to just send her off without some heads up to keep her gaze fixed straight ahead, "Your first step shall be finding me next. When you do, I'll tell you how."

"What-" She never has the chance to finish whatever she had to say, with any remaining chance to do so was ultimately cut short when, without so much as a warning, her words were cut short when the surroundings began to shudder, causing her to lose her footings, then quickly escalated to uncontrollable rumbling as if being assaulted by an earthquake of the highest magnitude, splitting the earth behind her asunder, forming a ravine that the light could escape the bottom of. Neither would she, for when she turned around and saw the abyss right by her side that made her heart cease to beat for the briefest moment, it gave the Deity the opportunity he was seeking for.

Taking advantage of her distraction, the God stepped up, looming over the Blonde-haired woman with an indiscernible expression, casting a shadow over her that captured her attention, before wordlessly shove her forward, pushing her into the sightless Chasm, letting Gravity take care of the rest.

"Ah-" Was the only sound she could utter in the second prior to her plunging down to the inky darkness pulling her down, sending her to the unknown as she raised helplessly reach out her hands, for one in particular to take it as the abyss swallowed her whole, with the God stare on, an rueful expression on his face, then he turned away, marching off into the distance, though not before make an declaration that echoes across the divided earth.

"Have faith, Mortal. Know that I will be watching over you from this day onward, Ciel."

---

Good Luck.

---

Ciel fell.

Winds brushed roughly against her skin as she rapidly descended downward, passing through a layer of crying clouds that bathed her in a downpour of cold raindrops, further obstructing her vision when several droplets made their way to her cobalt blue orbs, causing her to instinctively cover them with her arms in an attempt to shield them from further attacks by the weather, before she made her landing into a surface of water that caught her fall, cushioning the impact that would have otherwise ended her life right then and there, much to her silent relief, though she supposed it should be expected, if she died now, it would defeat the whole point of giving her mission only to have her die soon after, still, after all these fallings, she might start developing a fear for height one of these days.

But it is neither here nor there at the moment, because while she is spared from the danger of death from impact, there is still the potential danger of drowning if she continued to linger in the depth of this water she has fallen into, less her journey end before it could even get started. Allowing instincts to take the reign of her body once more, her limbs positioned themselves, making a specific set of motions that through basic physic, propelled her up to the surface, repeated a few more times, before she arrived to open air, which she took a lung full of when she eventually swam up ashore, escaping the grasp of the lake now that she has seen a good of where exactly she is.

To call this place a Jungle would be the same as saying the sun is merely a bright light, this place was positively gigantic, with vast expanses of trees that stretched on and on into the faded distance, in no way dissimilar to the bog that was the boundary, but that is where the similarity ends, for unlike that swamp she has grown to loathed of seeing, the place she founded herself in is surrounded not just by greenery, but countless pillars of stones that even had tree sprouting at the very peak, scattered everywhere that her eyes could possibly see, there is even one such column by the opposite end of the shore she is standing on. While this certainly would be anything noteworthy for the native people here, for Ciel, it is the exact opposite, she has never seen this kind of geographical composition before, the imposing stalagmites of a mountain, huddled close together to form a grand wall that surrounded the forest, it was remarkable in her eyes.

If only there was a way for her to learn more about these fascinating landscapes, unfortunately however, circumstances are not willing to cooperate, what with the fact that there is currently a heavy downpour crashing down to the ground, exposing her to the risk of coming down with a fever, which is something she cannot afford to happen right now, prompting her to run into the forest, hoping that the nearby jungle could offer her some protection against the element. Traversing through the maze of trees and thick bush, The blonde-haired scientist began to recount what has transpired prior to her being sent into this unfamiliar environment as she went. Several minutes back, she has just met a God, as unbelievable as it was, and she hope everything thus far was not just a really strange dream, who has decided to send her here to this place, which according to the map he has so provided to her, is the country once known as China in the distant past before the name was lost in the Elf War, a cataclysmic event that devastated the globe, erasing the identities of most nations save for one, with China being among those unfortunate victims that has their proud country be reduced to nothing more than relic of the past she has uncovered in old tomes left behind by the previous civilization.

Anyways, she is getting sidetracked, so the enigmatic Deity has sent her to China with the express purpose of reunifying four factions that governed this land mentioned by God; The Azure Dragon of the East, the Vermillion Bird of the South, the White Tiger of the West, and the Black Tortoise of the North they are known as. Judging by the little information she has been given, they seem to have at one point been in an Alliance of sorts, before this brotherhood is shattered through reason unknown, straining their relationship as a result of them taking different approaches to deal with this conflict that has plunged the country to a state of unrest, which is up to her to resolve by have these factions to reconciled and restore the harmony between each territory. Should she succeed in this goal, and assuming that the Deity would keep his end of the bargain, he will send Ciel back home to her world, thus gaining the chance to be reunited with her Sister, Alouette. For the sake of her little Sister, she would do everything in her power to see this through, no matter what it will take out of her.

How was she going to accomplish this goal though?… Well, there has to be a reason why the Deity assigned such an important mission rather than on a whim, right? She can only hope so. But before she could get anywhere near it, she should first focus on trying to escape the rain, the last thing she wanted is to catch a cold before finding the closest form of civilization, which she supposed should be the next step once the weather has settled down. With a clear goal in mind, Ciel strengthened her resolve and continued through her travel across the jungle in search of shelter with newfound gusto.

After several minutes of trekking across this sea of trees, she was eventually awarded for her all of her troubles when she stumbled upon a clearing, free of any saplings that took up the soil, granting her more room to move around, but more importantly to her, nearby this open plain was an open cavern connected to a mountain. Perfect! She can go inside and wait out until the rain died down. However, she shouldn't simply run straight for it just yet, if her survivals skill, honed by years of trying to stay alive in the unforgiving worlds outside the Wall of her former home has taught her anything, is that she should first check if there are any wild animals inside, and should there be, see if she has anyways for her to defend herself. Rummaging through her coats, Ciel founds out that still carries her Flare Gun given to her in the event of an emergency, which while not designed for combat purposes in mind, should come in handy for scaring away any potential threat that comes in her way. Plus, she has two rounds left, which should allow her to fire at least one signal for anyone to come and investigate, thereby allowing her to come into contact with nearby civilization, possible language barrier notwithstanding.

Should that option fall short, there is still an alternative, in the forms of small containers that held within them two Cyber Elves, miniature artificial life-forms made of purely data and energy that, despite their relatively small stature, are more than capable of protecting and aid her should the need arise in both a battle and to treat her if she does come down with some illness. Though she does wonder if the two of them were active the entire time when she was stuck in the Boundary. If they were, she definitely needed to apologize for forgetting about them, they are quite needy when its come to affection.

Armed with both her cyber elves and her flare gun, Ciel slowly but surely approached the cave with caution, leveling the closet thing she had to a weapon at the entrance while the other hands moved the container, inches away from pressing into the release button that will unleash the two Cyber Elves the second a sign of danger made itself known. Moving closer, Ciel saw…Nothing. As she soon discovered, the cave itself was less of a cave and more than a cavity in the mountain, barely dug beyond the outer shell of this cliff. That worked just fine for her though, she needed something to shield her from the rain and the alcove is the perfect shelter for that. Now confirming that there is nothing to worry about, Ciel holstered the firearm into her pocket and gathered a few broken branches nearby, there were quite a lot in the surrounding area, before setting her legs down, finally giving them some rest after that treacherous trudge through the dampened forest when she finished forming a fire ring that she filled with the branches.

"Potentielle, could you please start a fire?" reaching out for one of the containers, one labeled as 'Experiment 221-Potentielle' on its surface, The Blonde Scientist pressed the orange button on the top, dispel the mechanism for to the lock to be unsealed, releasing vapors from within, as well as the tiny life-form in it, a small, Primarily Green colored Being with transparent wings as large as a butterfly and as graceful as one emerged forth…Then it launched directly at Ciel, clinging onto her cheeks as if artificial life depended on it, much to her surprise at the sudden display of affection. Poor thing, it must have been so concern for her wellbeing after having not unsealed for who knows how long, "Ahaha, It's alright, I'm doing well, though I'd appreciated it if you can light those branches over there, it's quite cold out here." Peeling off the overly-affectionate Cyber Elf, she guided its attention to the currently unlit Campfire she just constructed, hoping it could provide the necessary incitement to light it up.

Potentielle was one of two experimental Cyber Elves siblings Ciel has designed to be the successors to Croire, the first of their kind, and their Mother in a way, having been created from her data, which boasted a unique property that set them apart from the standard type of Cyber Elves in that they are capable of evolving passed their programming to gain various functions and capabilities of other types of Cyber Elves without any form of restriction of limitation imposed upon them just like their predecessor, whereas ordinary Cyber Elf which is constrained by their intended purpose, such as fire projectiles, modifying electronics, making repairs and imbued themselves with Elemental energy, consisting of Ice, Thunder and most important at the current situation, Fire. If Potentielle channeled the Fire element, it could create the flare needed to set the bonfire ablaze, something that Ciel would need at the moment to dry herself, which the Cyber Elf was more than happy to provide.

Nodding, or at least making a motion in a manner that mimicked that of a nod, the cyber Elf concentrated its energy into itself, modifying its essence of it, altering its property, changing the raw energy, tempering it into a different type of energy, into Fire, the symbol of Human Knowledge, the virtue of mankind that give rise to its existence, and now it shall repay that gift with its own, unleashing a blast of this passionate flame onto the bonfire, setting it alight with a soothing cinder that brought warmth in both her body and her heart, earning the small Cyber Elf a smile of gratitude from its creator, "Thank you, Potentielle. You can stay around and talk if you wanted." She has offered, which the Artificial Lifeform gladly takes up without a second of hesitation, it has been a long time since they last conversed after all, not to mentioned the little Cyber Elf would very much like to know just where exactly did they end up in, since last it checked, the place they were at was the ruins of a city, not an unfamiliar forest dotted with even stranger looking mountains.

Naturally, upon being given a summary of her current situation, her meeting with a God, the deal she made with the being, the state of affairs here between four factions, and her primary task at hand of reconciling their strained relationship with one another, the only appropriate response the Cyber Elf could give was a confused look on its tiny little face, skepticism written all over its visage, which Ciel could hardly blame it for feeling that way, even she had difficulty trying to wrap her head around that particular encounter herself, had she been told the same thing by anyone else prior to it, she too would be confused, wondering if they are messing with her or making a poor attempt at humor, but the truth was no laughing matter, she is stuck in a foreign land with a monumental challenge await her going forward, it is best that she prepared herself for what to come.

Several hours passed and a freshly dried coat thanks to the makeshift campfire later, Ciel began to make preparations for her next step once she start noticing that the heavy downpour has begun to gradually subside in the time that has lapsed by, signaling that her chance to make a move are about to arrive soon. The following order of business should be finding any sign of civilization, which so far, not much progress has been done on that part, which can be attributed to the haze that comes with the rain obstructing most of the surrounding area, but she is positive that there are people in the vicinity. Reason being that while most of her concentration was put into finding shelter a while ago, she did occasionally stop to look around in order to analyze the area she was in, a habit born from necessity, which came into a clutch as just before stumbled upon the open field, the improvised path she made in the jungle happened to converge with a much more beaten dirt path, indented by multiple footprints that were not hers, a clear sign there being people in the proximity of the forest. If she just followed the breadcrumbs trail left behind by other travelers, it could potentially bring her closer to her secondary goal.

Knowing what to do next, the Blonde-haired genius donned her coat back on and extinguished the flame that has served it purpose, making sure that Potentielle was right by her side, the little thing was a bit of an airhead so she needed to pay extra attention to it, before taking her first step outside the clearing, feeling, dare she say, quite optimistic in taking that next step, which was strange when hours ago she was struggling to think up with a way to accomplish her objective here, dampening her mood like the rain has dampened her clothes, but the addition of having a company around, even they are Cyber Elf, did brighten her state of mind a little, perhaps she should unseal Illimite, the older half of the Cyber Siblings once she comes into contact with the nearest civilization.

The thought made her ease up her stiff body that has been on high alert the whole time, feeling fairly safe, which cause her to lower her guard.

A grave mistake in the wild.

Where there is smoke, there is fire, and fire is a tool of Humanity, its prey here in these parts. Silently Slithering through the crevices of the earth, hidden from view of all, a creature whose size was only matched by the surrounding mountains yet as quiet as a mouse lurked beneath the soil, following the burning scents its forked tongue has picked up among the odor of the drenched dirt. Soon, it arrived at the source of the discrepancy in nature it has sensed, a lone Human, accompanied by an even smaller life form. Under normal circumstances, it would not even bat its brille at such a meager morsel, these two simply would not be sufficient to fill its stomach, mere insects they would be, not worth the energy it would take to hunt them down.

Unfortunately for them however, there have not been any filling prey as of late, what with the increasingly prevalent patrol around the area that has led to mass elimination of any worthwhile meal, depriving it of its main source of sustenance, leaving it desperate, enough that the sight of the Blonde-haired scientist was enough to make its fangs be coated in saliva, its stomach rumbled, demanding to be filled immediately.

So coiling its slender form into a spring formation, it was ready to pounce. One single bite would be all it takes to devour that Human whole. Then it went for it, earth shattered at the force of its leap, a Titanic snake covered in silvery Scales, whose dagger-like ready eager to sunk itself into the flesh of the Human, who barely react in time to see her demise with shock and horror on her expression, almost serving as the appetizer for the starving, sadistic Serpent as it bore down on her, ready to clasp its mouth around her form.

But it never comes, as when it brought down its jaw, what its fang tasted was neither the sweet, savory flavor of flesh nor the metallic taste of blood, in fact, it fang never get a taste at all, for it never reaches Ciel, having been protected by a bright green barrier projected by Potentielle, holding a fearless look against the giant Serpent, glaring at the malicious beast. If it wanted to harm Ciel, it would have to go through the cyber elf first, and it will not go down so easily, "GET BACK!" The Blonde genius cried out to her Companion, creating the distance between her and the gargantuan reptile when it retracted its fang, allowing Potentielle to withdraw back to Ciel's side, who quickly reach out for her flare gun and leveled it at her target, preparing to fire the moment the giant serpent approaches.

Enraged from having it latest catch be denied because of that damnable Cyber Elf, the Silver Snake unhinged its jaw, then, much to Ciel's astonishment, Thunder started to flow through its maw, channeling into its dagger-like fangs as if it was a conduit before its accumulated electricity is redirected it to the center of its mouth, unleashing a torrent of raw thunder, coming down like a lightning strike, ready to fry both of them from the inside out. The Cyber Elf would not allow that to come to pass though, once against projecting the wall of energy that intercepted the booming thunderbolt, slamming against the barrier that began to strain by the foreign voltage, placing great pressure on the small Being, but it refused to yield, for if it does, then both it and Ciel would be at the risk of ending up inside the stomach of that serpent, and they could not afford it, not until they can reunite with their comrades in their own world.

Soon, the bombardment of lightning came to a halt when the Snake exhausted both of its vitality and the energy stockpile within its organs, giving Ciel the window of opportunity she needed to press the trigger of her Flare Gun, releasing the hammer that slammed into bullet held within, detonating and discharging a radiant ball of fire soaring through the air, colliding right into the left eye of the Giant snake, which upon coming into contact with the latent electricity coursing through its vein, triggering a massive explosion that sends a surge of pain across its body, causing it to hissed out in agony.

"One more- Ugh!" Seeing that it is quite effective, Ciel move to load the last round of flare she has left on her person, only for the silver snake, in an fit of half-blind rage, thrashed around wildly, destroying much of the environment and indirectly slammed its tail into the blonde scientist before either Potentielle or she herself could react in time, spending her flying across the field, crashing into a nearby right after, not enough to knock her out cold thank to the enhanced durability that come with cybernetic modification, but the force of that strike combined with the following impact upon hitting the trunk of the tree has nearly shatter her spine and her limbs to went out of commission due to the injuries, rendering her completely immobile, vulnerable and at the mercy of the titanic size Serpent, who let out a roar of both anguish and fury, having it undivided attention focused solely on her, heedless to the bombardment of element thrown in its way by Potentielle in an effort to hindered it, for it desire the blood the one that wounded it. Looming over her, the Snake snap its mouth open, preparing to devour her within a blink of an eye, and all Ciel could do was to watch it does so, its jaw closing in by the seconds.

"No…No No No! Anyone! Please…Anyone! SAVE ME!" In the face of her imminent doom in the form of a ravenous Giant Snake, Ciel cried out in panic, her fear of dying overwhelmed the pain that paralyzed her, enduring the agony of speaking in the hope of her words would reach someone. She doesn't want to die, she cannot afford to die here, at the hand of a creature she brought here by her blunder, not when she just got the chance to go home to her Comrades, her Family, waiting for her to come home like she always did. This cannot be how it going to end! Please…God, if you are watching like you said you will, please save her! You need her for your agenda right?! Then Do something! Anything!

…But nothing happened, her words fell on deaf ears, with the only listener being her Cyber Elves, who is are completely and utterly powerless against the giant Serpent, and the creature itself, who neither understands nor want to understand her words, the only thing on its mind is the desire to sate its hunger for a meal to eat and for revenge of its left eye she destroyed. Even after she has screamed her lungs out, there was nobody that came, her earnest pleas for help reach the ears of no one in particular, and she realized that as the maw of the snake was inches away from her. She wanted to cry, to scream at that moment, but knowing those won't do her any good, Ciel just simply accepted her fate, with a single sentence left her lips as though it was her final words, "I'm sorry…Zero…" She could apologize, offering one final apology to the one she held closest in her heart, who has protected her so many times in the past, only for her to meet her end like this. The Blonde close her eyes, expecting that the next time she opened it, she will meet the face of the Enigmatic Deity that send her here to die again.

Fortunately for her, Ciel seems to forget that her Life seems to enjoy toying with her expectations.

At the time, she was not sure what happened, but a deafening explosion occurred in the darkness of her close gaze, soon followed by the sickening sounds of flesh being punctured and the flow of blood spewing everywhere. Not hers, she realized, as when opened her eyes, nothing has happened to her, much to her surprise. The same cannot be said about the giant Snake, however, who is now lying in a pool of its own blood after it has collapsed into as a result of a metal bolt wreathed in red lightning coursing across its surface embedded itself into its skull, near the wounds Ciel has inflicted on it. Does this means…Someone did her cry for help earlier?

Tracing the direction of where the steel Bolt was presumably fired from, not without some difficulty due to her injuries, her harrowing eyes fall onto the sight that made her eyes as wide as they physically could. It was a crossbow, or so it would seem at first glance, the shape was definitely that of a crossbow, but that is where the similarities end, as a crossbow does not have a sizable compartment at where its muzzle was supposed to be, nor are the strings are made of what seems to be laser grid enveloping the weapon, operated by a man, age somewhere between 30' to his 40', a long, thin mustache on his aged visage of wrinkled features and experienced brown eyes, sharp as a razor, emerging from his hiding spot, a shrub that blended with the rest of the forest, giving him the perfect camouflage to place the perfect shot that spell the end for the giant Silver Snake.

Walking over to the opening, giving Ciel a clear view of his full person, wearing a set of clothes she does not recognize that is modified to feature a long bandolier lined up with the same kind if steel bolts that pierced through the skull of the serpent, as well as additional protections in the forms of leather paddings and various piece of metal strapped onto his person. Despite his combat-ready appearance, however, the man was quick on checking Ciel's wellbeing once he made sure the Silver Snake was well and truly dead, coming across as a rather compassionate person from his expression, which was worried yet gentle toward someone in danger, even though she was a stranger to him.

Going over her injuries, but careful to not her feel uncomfortable by unwarranted close contact or unintentionally worsen her already critical state, the man carefully reach out for his numerous pockets, taking out what appeared to be…An Energy Tankard! So they have these here too! Gently pressed onto her lips, the unfamiliar man slowly pours the content down Ciel's throat, who can felt the restorative property of the medical substance that is further enhanced by her cybernetic implants spreading throughout every nook and cranny of her body, knitting back any torn patches of skins and fragmented bones in her body. Before long, the bleeding comes to an end, and she can felt her limbs again!

Picking herself from the tree and quickly dusting herself off, Ciel immediately went for a bow of gratitude, "Thank you so very much sir, I thought I was a goner." Those words cannot truly be conveyed just how grateful she was, thanks to this man, who might be unaware of the impact in the actions he has made today, she have escaped what should have been certain death today. Briefly, the man appeared Rather confused, before realizing what her words meant to express, nodding in acknowledgment with a smile of his own as he spoke…

…In a foreign tongue.

.
"沒問題，現在你能告訴我你是誰嗎?" Oh no. This is what she has been fearing; a Language barrier that blocks all of its meaning from entering her ears.

In other words, She understands none of what he just said.

…This might be a problem.

---

[Record Terminated]

[Word Count: 22,935]