The Time of Rebirth Hath Come.
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Right, a new chapter.
Sorry, this one took so long.
But it's around 16k words, not to mention I had a fever and was delirious when I wrote it. Hahahahahaha.
I'm still sick, if any of you are wondering.
Anyway, this is the second-to-last chapter of this arc. There will be one more chapter.
The quality of this one is awful, so please read with a grain of salt.
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In the celestial realms, a stir of confusion unfurled as we awakened, our consciousness breaking the bounds of temporal slumber. The End of the Beginning had yet to cease its harmonious song, and perplexity painted the cosmos: why had we stirred from our aeons-long repose? The sanctity of the Fourth Miracle was not to be breached by any beings save the Celestials.
Looking around, a visage of puzzlement adorned our newly formed countenance. Eons had sculpted us formless, indescribable, but now we found ourselves ensconced in a body of pulsating energy and boundless Void. Reincarnation had kissed our essence, and this form...it whispered tales of familiarity.
Around us, our celestial progeny, the Stars, gathered, their auras tinged with weariness, their radiant bodies dimmed. Close by, their offspring, the Planets and Moons, clung to their celestial parents, a tableau of cosmic unity.
A thought traversed the cosmic silence, unveiling the melancholic truth. Grief and sorrow plagued our heart as we heard our children's desperate song for salvation. We were too slow in creating the Fourth Miracle. The Fifth Miracle has already begun to spread. Only the Celestials danced in the Epoch of Beginnings, and thus, the unassailable curse clasped onto each being.
The fate of the Planets and Moons was a return to our cosmic embrace, but the Stars, fashioned in our immortal image, bore a different destiny. Unbound by time, for it was birthed after the Celestial Era, they could not wither. Yet, the inexorable curse must return all to the Sea of Void.
So it changed the Stars into something else. Something else with a long but still very much limited lifespan. Voidsouls, they became. Turned into beasts that devoured anything in their wake. Tragic beings destined to fade away as time marched surly onwards, never stopping for a second.
The number of Celestials dwindled, and we could tell there weren't many left. In a fervent bid for survival, they had invoked our return, using Polaris as a catalyst. Our celestial wish had manifested – reincarnation was granted.
But the cosmic tapestry was frayed; this was not the harmonious design we had envisioned. The suffering of our children echoed in the cosmic silence – what had brought them such sorrow?
...It was us, the architects of their celestial fate...
...We brought this curse upon them...
...It was too late for us to repent...
...We could never ask for their forgiveness...
...But, the least we could do was correct this wrong...
We did not care what happened to us. The essence of Akasha was eternal and undying, and even if we were to fade, another would ascend to take our place.
We summoned every strand of cosmic power and authority within us.
A new Miracle was to be woven, a bridge between Creation and Destruction. The Fifth Miracle would endure, but it would not herald the end of all. We shall make sure of it.
Our children, their essence imbued with kindness too profound for the cosmos, aided us. Sacrifices were made, millions returned to the Sea of Void, consumed by the cosmic currents.
Eons of celestial pain and sacrifice culminated in the manifestation of the Sixth Miracle - The Miracle of Rebirth. Forged amidst the remnants of fallen Stars and bathed in their sacrificial blood, a golden orb of light emerged, presented on the corpses of our children. It symbolized the sacrifices made and the dreams of a harmonious future, a sight so poignant that it stirred both rage and mourning, yet so beautiful we couldn't look away. This represented the sacrifices we had to make to reach this point and the dreams for a better future.
Hesitation was a luxury we could not afford; failure was a shadow we could not cast. The Multiverse, once more, was bathed in the divine light of Creation.
Our maddened children awoke from their insanity. Looking around at the destruction they caused, they grieved and mourned like we did when we brought about the Fifth Miracle. And, as they did for us, the Stars, ever so compassionate, comforted their fallen siblings, whispering tales of redemption.
As the Celestials opened their cosmic eyes and beheld the aftermath, a universal truth resonated through their beings. They realized that their awakening signified a time when no other forms of life could claim dominion over the Multiverse, a profound understanding settled within their radiant hearts. For they, alongside us, had reigned through the eons, guardians of the celestial dance between light and darkness. Now, a cosmic shift whispered through the stars, heralding a time for others to ascend and weave their destinies across the tapestry of existence.
With solemn grace, we sundered ourself, fracturing the fabric of our being into Infinity and Nothing, into the Astral and the Material. Infinity became the eternal dwelling of our first children, guardians of boundless possibilities, while Nothing offered sanctuary to the rest, ensuring they would never succumb to the Fifth Miracle. The echoes of this divine schism reverberated through the cosmos, signaling the dawn of a new era, where myriad lives would flourish, and the dance of Creation would continue, unfurling in the boundless embrace of the Multiverse.
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Diary Entry No.1
Hello. To whoever is reading this. I don't know how you came across this, nor will I ask. Knowing me, I probably misplaced it in a dimensional portal. If you can actually read this, however. Then you must be one of my kin. Or, at the very least, one blessed by my siblings. So, I will introduce myself as Pollux told me to do.
Greetings. My name is Alpha Ursae Minoris. Most call me Anima, though.
This is a diary I have decided to keep. You are not obliged to return it should you find it. I have many more copies in case one goes missing.
However, if you aren't one of my kind, then I am duty-bound to offer a warning.
I would ask you to refrain from reading this. Your mortal mind might go insane. It is not yet too late to turn back. Shatter this tablet and seal it with all the power you have.
But if you are one of my kin, the First Children of Father, you are welcome to read on. Perhaps you will learn something from my life.
Why did I start keeping this diary at all? I don't remember. But it has been thousands of years since my rebirth, and time seems to fly by.
Perhaps I decided to keep my experiences inside this journal of sorts. Who knows, maybe when I have planets, we can laugh about the stupid shenanigans I got up to as a young star.
So, what's new? My life has been relatively mundane, in Star terms, anyway.
I finally discovered my purpose! That's something to be celebrated, right? It happened after my sort of acceptance of death and rebirth.
I'm a Star of Wishes: someone who grants the desires of those living in the Material Plain.
Doesn't that sound fun? The Material Multiverse is so dull compared to our home Multiverse, but the life forms there are so creative! They build so many cool things, like metal orbs that harness the power of our physical bodies! That was so smart of them! I think a random race called them "Dyson Spheres" or something.
I think I'll stop for today. I'm so excited! I finally have a purpose in this realm. I'll do my best to fulfill it!
Diary Entry: End
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The ground trembled, an unnatural earthquake splitting the ground.
Thunder roared across the artificial world, and lightning scorched the air itself.
Starfire hotter than a thousand stars, surpassing even the early stages of a Big Bang, formed wisps as Primordial Water from the Outer Sea of Void bubbled in a floating sphere.
It was a world of white nothingness, colored by the hues of plasma and lightning, tainted with the Void Tide.
It was like a Galaxy being born.
At the center of the swirling nebulae, a lone Star stared at a piece of white-hot...something. It was not built from atoms. It didn't even have a single neutron. Instead, protons buzzed angrily at the seals that compressed them into solid shape.
This was all part of a long process, and the Star knew as such. Eventually, these photons would still and settle, becoming a kind of Matter few Mortals could claim they laid eyes upon.
It was delicate work. The Star had to control each Proton perfectly, or the structure would fall apart. It took some eternities to master just this one skill.
His eyes glowed a radiant green, a metaphorical hammer striking the non-existent anvil a trillion times a second.
Perhaps it took eternities, or perhaps it was completed instantly. Who knows? This world was unbound by the laws of time, after all.
The mass of light was formless, intangible to all but the creator. Yet somehow, despite it being light, the shadow of a spear was cast onto the ground, tendrils of Void spiraling from its tip, weaving into something that resembled a gravitational field.
The Star's excitement grew, his eyes glowing a bit too strongly.
It took many eternities to learn this craft. This Star would not be an exception.
The conceptual hammer struck down on the unfinished weapon at the wrong place, and the photons trapped within the blueprint escaped, buzzing with the excitement of a swarm of bees who saw a pot of honey.
The result was a supernova, a shadow of the death of a Star.
The world shattered.
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Anima
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"Another failure, I see?"
Rigil's voice greeted me as I came to, his tone filled with amusement that wasn't concealed. Really, shouldn't you be more worried about a seven-thousand-year-old Star who literally blew themselves up?
Oh, well. It's not like that explosion could have hurt me. I was in my own Reality Marble, my own domain. Nothing in that conceptual world can hurt me.
"Yeah..." My lips unconsciously twisted into a pout. "Got too excited when it was almost done."
The Yellow Dwarf patted me on the back, lifting me to my feet without strain.
I was still shorter than the Centauries, even if they were both "Dwarves." Was I actually a White Dwarf?
"Don't fret too much about it. It usually takes eons to master that skill. You can already fuse atoms without issue, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"The be happy you've already learned that much." We started to head inside. "You've only been learning Lightsmithing for a thousand years. It takes many times longer to truly master."
I sighed.
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
Hey, it's me again. Anima, Star of Wishes. It's been some time. I think around five centuries? I don't know. I have a clock and calendar, but I forgot to update them. I really should make one that changes automatically...
On that note, being a Star of Wishes is so fun! I get to see how the inhabitants of the Material Plain work and think. Sure, they're wacky sometimes. Why would you wish for a load of raw materials when you can just... Oh, right. They're not Stars. They can't change minerals and matter easily, can they? I often forget only us Celestials can manipulate and change atoms significantly.
Still, they're all so interesting! I think the best thing is that all of them are so creative!
Us Celestials are considered "enlightened" and live in "paradise" to those of the Material Plain. We don't need to fight for space, nor do we need to compete for the necessities of life. We...exist. We live to fulfill the purposes given to us by Father. Not to reproduce and conquer the Multiverse.
We did that once already.
The Celestial Civilizations are based on the primitive settlements of a group of beings called "humans." Their forms were based on our souls, and our homes were modeled after theirs.
Ironic, right? It's like an exchange.
We could advance our civilization whenever we wished, but all Celestials decided our current one was the best. It was simple and let us spend time with our loved ones. We didn't need to progress any further than this. We were already considered "omnipotent" and "omniscient."
Now, onto how I grant wishes. Stars can manipulate what mortals call "fate" with our Celestial Eyes. Not all Stars can do this well, though. It's like an affinity you're born with. Stars of Wishes and Stars of Fate have the strongest connection. And, not to brag or anything, I am pretty strong! I'm a Star of Creation, too. So, I have more influence in the Material Multiverse.
I don't grant all the wishes directed at me, of course. Some would cause disasters that would require Stars of War to resolve. I have to be cautious about which wishes to grant. I can tell the nature of the wish simply through instinct. Pretty convenient, right?
Huh. I'm just noticing. Why am I writing all these complicated explanations? You can only understand this if you're also a Celestial, and we're born with the innate knowledge of how things like this work.
Well, I don't care. It just feels right, you know? Maybe someone who's not a Celestial will find this, and they'll learn something from my diary. Oh, right. But they'll go insane if they read this.
I think now's a good time for me to stop writing. Making these entries too long seems unnecessary.
Diary Entry: End
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"Still no progress, Anima?"
I turned away, a scowl and a sulk mixing on my face.
Rigil can be the worst. Why does he sound so amused?!
"I'll take that as a 'no,' then."
Oh, don't remind me how my recent smithing project ended. I just got a little distracted, that's all! But now I'm required to pay the price of my limited attention span and nurse my shattered Reality Marble for a few decades.
Why was that supernova significantly larger than the others? I only jammed in one or two extra protons than required!
"Still, you got pretty banged up, huh? Should I ask Pollux to take you to the healer?"
"No..." I muttered, still sulking. "I'll recover myself."
I looked up towards my treehouse hidden within the foliage of my tree. The branches looked so welcoming, bathed in rainbow light and warmth. I wanted a quiet place to sulk, so I might as well just...
Rigil caught me as I began to climb the trunk.
"Hey!" I pouted. My head turned to look Rigil in the eye. He had grabbed my wings and was pulling on them. Hard. 'What are you doing?"
"I'm bringing you to the spiritual healer."
"I don't need that..."
Sure, my Inner World may be out of commission for a few decades or centuries, but I'll be fine. Probably.
"It's better safe than sorry." Rigil's eyes flashed yellow. "Oh, dear Father. You're Inner World is a mess. I didn't even know you had clocks in there."
"I'll heal on my owwwnnn~"
"Whining won't help, Starlight. Pollux would kill me if something happened to you. I happen to value my life." I was lifted by my wings. "Are you going to walk alongside me, or should I carry you like this?"
"I'll walk!" Dear Father, if people saw me like this, I would die. "I'll walk."
"Good choice."
As I was placed on the ground, I swore I would get Rigil to eat that grin of his.
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"Here again, little Weaver? I thought I'd seen the last of you when you passed your one-thousandth birthday."
The healer's tone was as calm as always, if not with a hint of teasing. I would mutter back a response if I wasn't too busy cursing my own ineptitude.
Noticing my lack of response, the healer hummed. "What's wrong? Did you lose to Pollux at sparring again?"
"He's sulking." Rigil chuckled, answering for me. He ruffled my hair, and I was too short to do anything about it. "His recent project blew up in his face, and now he needs his Inner World healed."
"Ah, I see. I see." The healer hummed, her eyes softly glowing as she peered into my soul in a literal sense. "Oh, dear. What did he do in his Reality Marble for it to end in shambles like this?"
"He was trying to bend light into a spear."
"Ah, Lightsmithing." The healer nodded as she rummaged through the jars of herbs and literal fire. "That insanely difficult to master skill. Why in Polaris's good name would you teach something so dangerous to such a young Star, Rigil?"
"...He started learning on his own after watching me." Rigil sent me an empty glare. I ignored him. "My hands were pretty much tied after that."
"Well, the little Weaver is mature, but he still has his childish curiosity. Can't blame him for that. Ah, found it." The healer pulled out a small bottle of liquid. There were spheres of squishy crystal hanging within the brown liquid. Somehow, I knew "squishy" and "crystal" were not two words meant to go together. "Have him drink this twice a day. It refills automatically when empty and will vanish when his Inner World is healed."
As we were about to leave, the healer called out again.
"And one more thing! There might be side effects. Considering the little Weaver's a Star of Wishes, his connection with the Material Realms may be strengthed to an impossible degree. So be weary of that."
Damn, I hate medicine.
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
A thousand years have passed since the last entry, huh? I'm turning nine thousand years old soon.
Wow, time really seems to fly as I get older. I asked Pollux about it when I visited her. But she just said something about it being natural. Honestly, she's such an airhead.
Something weird has happened to me. I don't know when it started, but a magic circle started engraving itself into my hand. It's purple and gold and reminded me of the various constellations I could see in the Material Multiverse. What's even stranger is I feel...connected to something through it.
Is this the side-effect of the drug I took?
I know it's not harmful, so having something so pretty on my hand is alright.
That aside, the magic circle is beautiful, but some imperfections taint its radiance. It seems to be something based on the Sixth Miracle. It manipulates time, though there are other mystics in it, too...
I've decided I'm going to dissect and perfect this magic circle! It's the most stable link I have with the Material Multiverse. Maybe I can learn where this came from. If I'm lucky, I may discover why I'm different than the other Celestials.
It's not easy to explain how I'm different. I mean, I look and act exactly like other Celestials. But I'm missing...
No, I'm not missing something. I have something extra, this...desire in my heart.
I want something, but I don't know what. Maybe it's connected with those dreams I have.
Argh. It's just so complicated. I can't put it into words at all. Maybe if Pollux taught me how to link my mind with...
No, it's still too soon for that. I'm not even ten thousand years old yet. I shouldn't push this soul beyond it's limit. I don't have a physical body in the Material Multiverse. I don't know what will happen if I strain myself too much.
I think I'll end it here today. Goodbye, until next time.
Diary Entry: End
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I was at it again, bending light.
The sound of a metaphorical hammer is numbing. I'm getting tired of listening to it.
Plasma danced around me as always, and lightning lit up the white Void. There's nothing in sight: just white emptiness.
The hammer struck the anvil again, causing a flurry of sparks to fly around me. Some landed on my skin, burning the clothes I wore.
Now I'll have to replace them. Great.
How long have I been doing this? More than a thousand years, at the very least. Often times, I wonder: why am I even doing this?
My dreams have begun to wander from normality. They still showed me the white-haired girl, the blue-haired mage, and the red-haired tsunde-I mean swordswoman. But now they show me other things. Things that don't make sense.
Gods who dwell beyond the furthest Void, two girls sitting on my arms as they stared up at me, and six shards of a Celestial Core that resembled mine.
'Forge a Spear of Light.' They said. 'For the planet to rule her life.'
'Forge a Blade of Light.' They said. 'For the moon to protect her world.'
They don't make sense. Then again, when have my dreams ever made sense?
My mind wandered again, and the hammer wobbled under my control. It shattered the mass of light floating before me with an ear-splitting screech.
I huffed and held up my hand.
"Time Alter: Reversal."
Photons were captured like butterflies in a silken net. They were dragged back to their original formation within the imaginary blueprint.
I am so glad I perfected that magic circle.
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
Something happened when I was experimenting with the magic circle.
It was sudden, but when I touched the section in the magic circle that resembled the Second Miracle, something appeared in my hand in a flurry of butterflies.
Wait, what are butterflies again? I forgot. I think They're small creatures with six legs and four wings. But that also brings something called "moths" into my mind.
Why are my memories from before by rebirth so muddled?! It would be so easy if I had unlimited access to them.
Anyway, what manifested on my desk is...I believe it's called a "dream catcher." It was leaf-shaped, like my wings, and had three colors. Red, green, and blue.
I felt...happy when I held it, almost like my desire had slightly come true.
As a work of art, the "dream catcher" was sloppy. It was like someone crafted this with random materials they got and didn't care about the quality. I wanted to improve it. I really did. But then something got in my way.
It was so filled with feeling! It was like a memento someone crafted to remember those precious to them. I didn't have the heart to tear something so beautiful apart, yet my craftsman pride refused to let me leave it as it was!
I settled on changing the wood since it was falling apart. I couldn't bear to throw away the strings, though. So, I made sure to reuse every single one. Then, I cast a few Runes on it to make it last forever.
It was far from my most remarkable work as a craftsman, but I felt prouder of this than any other project I had worked on. This was a simple healing charm, though it seemed much more significant.
Hmm... Maybe I should try summoning more items from the Material Multiverse.
I'll stop here today. I'll see you in the next entry.
Diary Entry: End
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Footsteps echoed within a chamber of light, its walls smooth and glimmering like a thousand mirrors. The space was spherical and small, barely large enough to be called even a closet. Though it was adequate to fit a hammer and anvil.
This was what mortals consider a "Singularity," the birth point of a Universe, an entire history compressed into an area of zero space. Though, since this room...well, existed, it meant that it was not a true Singularity.
It was merely a Reality Marble compressed into a single closet-sized forge.
The Star responsible for its construction stood silently, his eyes closed and brows furrowed in concentration.
The Mana density within this miniature realm was beyond anything Mortals could hope to survive. Searing Light scorched the Void itself and aimed to burn even more. Yet the mirror-like walls restrained the raging photons within the liminal space.
Without any Light or Void escaping or entering, it would make forging a weapon that much easier.
Particles of Light began swarming, the enclosed space making the Star's grip on them nigh-unbreakable. They swirled into a long blob, the blueprints for the finished product only beginning to be drawn.
The Star has thought long and hard about how he wanted his spear to look like after his many failures. Years, even decades, spent alone in isolation, with nothing in his mind bar the finished weapon he wished to forge.
It was a kind of hypnotic meditation he put himself through.
Now, there was nothing in his mind, just the blueprints of a single weapon built of Light.
Starfire erupted from the glowing Core of the Star, merging with the Light around him in a fashion similar to and different than Nuclear Fusion.
First, a core for the weapon. A miniature Star without a soul. Rather, it would become the soul of the spear. It was round and blue, bubbling with latent energy as it spewed Starfire.
The Core was the most expensive thing to forge, as half the light particles within the Void had been used up. Luckily, the rest would be cheaper.
The Core pulled on the remaining light, forming a disk of rapidly spinning liquid light around its edges. Greater than even a black hole's, the Core's gravity was absolute. Thus, light was permitted to cross its event horizon.
Photons fell within the Core, their previous energy levels ripped from their bodies as they were sent flying from the Core's two poles. They wanted to spread out and be free, yet a trillion hammers began molding the photons into a spindle-like lance.
The more photons fell within the Core, the larger the spear got. Finally, like a baby refusing to eat more because it was full, photons stopped falling beyond the Core's event horizon.
The spear's main shaft was complete. A spindle with two pointed ends, colored pure gold.
The remaining light particles were free from the Core's grasp, darting around the enclosed space as they bounced off the walls of mirror. However, that's precisely what the Star wanted.
Liquid Void harvested from the furthest ends of the Outer Ocean were waiting in levitating bubbles. They ruthlessly devoured the photons that hit them, changing color from deep violet to vibrant white.
Without dismissing a single one of the trillions of hammers, thin needles, each thinner than what could be perceived, dipped themselves within the liquid Void. When they emerged, a thin thread was tied to their ends.
Like sewing needles, they danced around the Lance of Light, weaving it a shell of Void infused with light.
The process was mind-numbingly slow, a single millimeter of progress taking days, even weeks. Yet what was another thousand years to a Star who could live to be billions?
And thus, time marched on.
Days turned into years, years into decades, decades into centuries.
The sheer amount of time spent on a single weapon was abnormal, even for the Stars. The mirror-like walls began fading away, revealing ancient clocks that bent time with their presence alone.
Then, after who knows how many centuries, the patchwork was done.
The spear shined brighter than a thousand stars. It was like it was the sole object "in focus," and the rest of reality was but an illusion. Yet it was the other way around. This spear was nothing more than a hollow concept given form. It needed one last push to materialize into the Astral Realms.
A hiddle bubble of Void, still dark as night, floated into existence. Its tendrils wrapped around the glowing spear, slowly suffocating its light beneath its darkness.
When no more light could even hope to escape, the Star slumped against the cramped walls of his Reality Marble.
Now, he had to wait.
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I thought I'd better update this. Otherwise, I might be a hundred thousand years old before I add another section to this.
I'm turning ten thousand years old tomorrow. Pollux says it's a milestone to be celebrated, so I can't wait for the occasion!
Well, that's the happier thing.
My two sides have begun separating even more.
My separate personalities are drifting apart. It won't take long before I shatter in two.
I'm scared. Both sides of me are dreading the day when it happens.
What would even occur to me? Would my soul split into two? Will I become a binary Star? I don't know. Even the elder Voidsouls have never seen a case like this. I'm a Star with two sides.
Will my purpose change? Animus, my daytime personality, is a Star of Creation. Anima, my nighttime personality, is a Star of Destruction. They are polar opposites. Will my twin purposes merge and become something different, or will they result in mutual ruin?
I don't know.
I detest that, not understanding something. The elders have helped me as much as they could, but even their immense power cannot see into my future.
But one thing is unavoidable. I am a Star of Wishes, and I will continue pursuing that purpose until the end of my days. I can at least take solace in that.
Hmm. This entry is a bit shorter than the ones before. Maybe the fear of the unknown is clouding my mind. I'm sorry, I don't think I can write anything more.
Diary Entry: End
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Recently, my awareness of time has begun to vanish. Or was it that time was losing its grip on my mind?
I've been a Star for more than nine thousand years. I know that's a long time. For me, anyway.
Centuries of being crammed in a compressed closet does not improve one's mental health. If any Celestials are wondering, that is.
A literal hammer banged against steel ascended from Hydrogen, infused with crystalized Carbon to give it the durability to withstand the Core of a Star.
Another clash between metals, and the three prongs of a crown took form. Colorless and silver, like the world before Father created the concept of "color."
A final bang solidified the phantom illusion as a material object capable of manifesting into the Astra Realms. Another Core that had taken me more than a century to forge sparked to life, its rays passing through a photonic filter and compression lens.
The compressed rays of light were filtered into their original colors. Red, green, and blue. They used the three prongs of the crown as a catalyst. Hazy at first, they turned into three whips that then fused into a tri-colored blade.
A handle of Void dripped from the crown's end, dyed by the beams of light it supported.
I took the Blade of Light in my hands and swung.
A tri-colored laser burst from the Core, ricocheting across the mirrored walls, eventually dissipating into photons after a few trillion bounces.
The bubble coating the Spear of Light sent its tendrils toward the Sword. Within seconds, it was swallowed whole.
Within that bubble, my two weapons would crystalize.
I could feel the voices in my head nod in satisfaction.
I forgot how many centuries this took. Perhaps a millennium has already passed for Pollux and the rest.
I'll need to visit them when I return.
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
It's been a few thousand years. But my life has been plenty mundane, so I didn't have much to write.
Something interesting happened, so I thought I'd update this.
Something came out of the magic circle again. This time, it was two swords.
They were a pair of single-edged blades, vaguely resembling a yin-yang symbol. The white one had a silver pattern that resembled violent winds disturbing the clouds. The other was black as the night sky, littered with magic circles colored deep purple and gold.
I didn't summon them, like with the dream catcher. They just...appeared.
Someone sent these swords to me. Which should have been impossible. The Astral Multiverse is impossible for mortals to enter.
I can only describe this phenomenon as "a Miracle."
From a glance, I knew these swords were not meant to be used in battle. They were ceremonial blades, crystalized forms of worship, never to taste the blood of war and conflict. Instead, their drawing indicated the coming of peace and hope. And they were offered to me.
Pollux once said only those worshipped in the Material Multiverse can take physical form there. Were these two swords offerings to me by those who saw me as "god?"
I have no better explanations. This is the only logical conclusion I could be satisfied with.
I'm happy someone sees me as a "god." Do they pray to me when they're in danger? What do they ask of me when they are in danger? Are they advanced enough to relocate from their homeworld?
Why do they even see me as "god," anyway? Did I grant their wish once or something?
So many questions, yet so few answers. If my Celestial Eyes just matured a bit more...
I'm going to reforge these blades in Starfire and the Void Sea. They were offered to me as a tribute. Or I think they were, at least. So it would be a shame to waste them.
This will be the first time I reforge metal. I have learned much from Rigil, but I am nowhere near his level of expertise.
Lightsmithing will always be a challenge, even for the oldest of Stars.
I have only dabbled the hammer and anvil for a thousand years. I can only hope I don't mess this up.
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
"Damn it..."
A tired voice cut through the sickening silence. The room, covered with shadows, was eerie and damp.
"Damn it..."
Another curse rang through the darkened room, and the shadows from the dim light of an almost fallen Star danced a final parade.
"Why...?"
The voice belonged to a young Star, so young even certain Moons were older, yet his say carried wisdom few could claim they possessed.
He journeyed to the Material Plains thousands of times by now, each time to grant the wishes of one race or another.
On his travels, he saw many things. Gods that would drive Mortals insane, a Sea beyond even the Outer Void, Mortals that conquered entire universes, only for their entire species to be annihilated by his siblings.
They all summoned him for one purpose alone: to state their deepest desire.
"Why are their wishes...?
The Weaver cursed again.
'Why are their wishes all so beautiful?'
Out of all the wishes he heard, only a handful had been granted.
Not because he lacked in power. No, he could proudly say that in the Star Cluster, where he dwelled, only the Elder Voidsouls ranked above him. Any wish comprehensible enough for Mortals to make was trivial for him to grant.
Yet he could not grant them all.
One wished for the destruction of a Universe.
He must not grant them all.
Another wished for the banishment of all mortal life.
He knew they were wrong. He knew Stars of War would be dispatched if he granted their wishes, and he knew he would be punished by the Will of Polaris afterward.
So he unsummoned himself, casting a seal upon those he deemed evil so they never summoned a Celestial again.
Though he knew what he did was right...
"It...hurts..."
'Why were their wishes so beautiful?' The Weaver asked. 'Why do I want to grant them all?'
Each one was like a shining orb, a miniature Star born not of Father's will but of the imagination of Mortalkind. They told a story, many, in fact, of how the wisher came to be, of their life, and of their future.
To deny them of their wish was tantamount to shattering a burning Star.
However, the Weaver had no choice in his say, did he? He knew if they were morally corrupt. He knew if they were too innocent to understand evil. He knew if they had lost all hope.
Yet he could not grant their wish.
His mortality would not allow him.
Thus, each time he denied a wish, a small shard of him broke.
It did not happen with other Stars of Wishes. If it did, no Wishing Stars would have existed long enough to even Migrate to the Astral Realms.
Ordinary Wishing Stars merely accept that they can't grant every wish, and their "enlightened state" made them comprehend that cold truth.
But the Weaver was not an ordinary Wishing Star.
How he is different, though? That is a tale for another time.
A sob echoed through the treehouse, shadows being created and destroyed within instants. The leaves were still, and the wind stopped blowing. It was serene. Too serene. Like the calm before a storm.
After thousands of years, the area had been slowly modified by the Star who took residence within the tree's branches, and it had become a personal domain that represented its lord's physical and mental state.
"Ä̴̢̻͙̱̺͙͓̟̹͖̺͔́̈̈̇̿̀͌̆̿̕ĥ̵̛̺̗͕̽̔h̸̨͙͕̘̲̺͙̘̺̠̤͋̎͐̾̀̅̆͗̅̐̚ḩ̷̛̛̣͒̇̿̐̎̈̈́̄̇̎̚h̶̥̪̥͉͐͋̀́̈́̔̌̌̀̒̕͜͠͠ḩ̵͙͌̀̐̾͆͆͛̇̅̚h̶̢̡̖͓̹̬̪͚̖̞̠̑̽͗́h̸̳̹́̌̑͐̒̇̂̋͝h̴̩̰̙̩̽͂̆̔̑̀͝͝$̵̨̧̖̤̦̟̻͉͌̅̈̑̀̕̚͜h̸̡̩͉̲̹͔̫̮̯͕͖̹̀̓̾̈̉̓̓́͐̓&̴̩̹̗̼̙͙̆̎̔̑̅̅̐͠͠h̶͚̹͚̣͕̖͛͌͗̆̇̐͛͊͐̿̊́̈́h̷̡̧̻̞̤͉̖̭͎̟̋ ̸̧̨̡̻̙͇͉̙́͋̓͘?̶̠͕̤͉̭̾͗̅͝!̴̙̃͊̀h̵̢̟͔̲͉̪͋̊#̵̢̛̣͚̲̎̈́̈́̄̈́͋̆͒̚̕h̸̛̳̜̮̜̠̥͔͖̳͖̝̓̉̓́̈́̑͑̃̑$̵̡̖̺̫̱̬̹̻̙̞̘͑͗̿́́͆̉̈́͋̑̓̚͜͝*̵̧̩̪̗̫̰̪͚̋̀͌̀̒͒̎̋̒͜#̵̡̍͑̇̽̈̋̔̐͑͘͠%̸͇̞̺̰̺̗͖͎͓̎̈́͝$̴̛̣͓͚̳̖̱̝̝̩̘͜#̵͉̹͔͇̲̝͇̰̥͂̐̊̃̋̋̆̉͌ͅͅ^̵̤̑̔̀͊̽́͐͠&̶̤͛̃͂̑̉ ̶̗̖̙̞̈̔̓̉͗̈́͊̄̈́̓̔̕͝?̸̧̫̝͖̱͙̣̻̥̯̬̓̿̈́̀͒̐͛̊͌͠͝ͅ!̶̧͇̹̘̮̻̺͕͎̃̾̒̿́́̃̓͘ͅ"
The world shattered.
Dull green eyes burned with tears. They were tinted with gold, the color of Celestial Lifeblood. Screams that wouldn't be heard by anyone echoed within the Bounded Field, the Weaver's subconsciousness ensuring no one would see his pitiable state.
A thousand tendrils of Void burst forth from the ground, each carrying the innate Ṣ̷̛͇̩̜̙̦̰̲͛͊̏̆͌̍̉͘i̴͚̞̍̐̇̎͝n̶̪̞͖̫̜͙͗̈̉̀̚ Miracle of Destruction.
The fabrics of Reality and Fantasy were ripped into shreds, yet then they were sewn back together in a cruddy and obscene way. That which should not have existed came to life, and that which must exist vanished into oblivion.
Two rips appeared in time, pulling on the Weaver's Celestial Core.
'Ah,' he thought, 'Another wish to be granted, huh? What a pity...'
He didn't care that he was dragged into the two portals by force.
'I was just starting to feel better, too.'
The Weaver fell, and the Weaver was no more.
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I completed the reforging today, two thousand years after I started this project. This was the longest time I spent on one. It took a millennium for each blade.
Pollux got so worried she barged into my treehouse again. She's a worrywart sometimes.
I'm already twelve thousand years old. I can take care of myself just fine.
I had to restart tens of times. Often times, I slammed the hammer down a little too hard and dented the metal. It was my own mentality that caused it to take two millenniums. I wanted these perfect, so I ironed out each flaw with precision.
I was proud of the results, even though both blades had morphed beyond recognition. The white sword had been reborn in Starfire, and the black one was bathed in the Sea of Void. Elongated and curved, in the vague shape of pointed leaves.
When they first appeared before me, they whispered their names. Corwynt and Gwysiwr, they were called. Yet those monikers no longer suited them.
I chose their new titles from human mythology, the race of beings I granted the most wishes.
Sol-Sagana: Horizon of Dawn Ending the Sea of Void.
Ig-Anima: Sea of Stars Cutting Through the Azure Sky.
From Sumerian myth, their new names were granted. They looked nothing like the blades were named after, but their purposes aligned.
I hope I'll never have to use them in battle.
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
A Star sat below a tree, doing nothing.
He was just...existing.
The two recent wishes he had granted had taken so much out of him.
At least his mental state was healthy again, and he got two new prizes for his trouble.
The Weaver snapped his fingers, and two blades fell from a rift in time. He let them stab into the ground, taking the opportunity to study his craftsmanship.
He's certainly improved at Lightsmithing in the past thousand years. His growth was exigent, for even the Youngest Celestial.
They were slightly curved upward, both double-edged. Each had an Authority that seemed to override the fabric of space-time, bending it to its own whims. It was almost as if they were sentient.
The blade on his left was covered in Starfire, shaped like the wing of a Dragon. Its lower edge was of molten Light, and its handle was the crystallized concept of "Heat" itself.
Its upper edge was a rolling mess of trailing flames. They were created from nothing, feeding on nothing. They...existed. The Multiverse knew the Starflames had no source. They had no fuel, yet they must burn, for the Law of a Species Blessed by a Star ordered that they exist.
The fires must burn, yet they must not have an origin. If the flames ever touched something they could burn, it would have a fuel source. Yet the Starflames of this sword must have no source. Thus, the Starflame would vanish, the paradox corrected by the Multiverse, and they would take what they touched with them.
The blade on his right dripped of solid Void. How a solid managed to flow like liquids, no one knows. But the Sea of Void followed no rules bar its own. It vaguely resembled a pointed leaf curved upward. Its handle, so cold it was even below Absolute Zero, the temperature all atoms stopped moving, swirled with a thousand tendrils of Void.
Void coated its blade, rolling like waves within the Outer Ocean. They were meant to be the coldest substance in existence, yet they earned for heat and light. But ancient Laws stated that they must not gain heat or energy.
Thus, this blade became a miniature black hole. A weapon that could cause even the largest of Universes to experience the eventual nightmare before the collapse: Heat Death.
The scary thing was, the blades were unsheathed.
If those were merely the destructive capabilities of their sheaths, what could the actual blades do?
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I decided to write again on a whim. The vivid and familiar dreams I've been having are getting clearer. My mind is developing. I think I might regain my memories soon.
But whenever I dream these days, something is pulling me. It squeezes my core and twists my heart. If I let it guide me, I'll experience pain and suffering. Yet, at the same time, I somehow think I was meant to let go, to let it bring me to where I belong. I don't know how I know this, but I'd bet my life on it.
On that note, something unexpected happened today. The white-haired girl from my dreams appeared beneath my tree. I think it was the magic circle that summoned her soul.
I felt a bond between us when I saw her. I knew there was something off. The simple fact that she could manifest in this world at all shows she must have been chosen by a Star.
She was such a precious little thing, not even ten years old. I often forget how quick mortals live and die compared to us Celestials.
I granted her wish in exchange for the trouble of coming to this Multiverse. She wanted to heal her friend, so I gave her a Celestial Law crystalized as a Rune.
Oh! I'm finally strong enough to leave for the Central Core. I'm so excited! Pollux told me so much about that, and I'll get to see it for myself soon!
...
...
...
I was dreaming again. The familiar hands of paralysis wrapped around my form, intangible yet unbreakable. I was like a cosmic marionette, dancing to the whims of my puppeteer. A silent observer of my own hazy memories from before my reincarnation.
It's been happening more often, and the ones I have these days are more vivid. And not in a good way, mind you. Whispers constantly assault my mind, and a pull akin to a siren's song echoes around my form. I want to let go, to let it pull me into the abyss, but I know I'll experience the greatest pains if I do.
In this dream, I sat on a roof, silently gazing at the Stars above me. Without my command, my arm outstretched, gripping at threads of mystics. With a silent order, a connection was formed between my arm and the celestial heavens.
Right at that moment, I felt powerful . I knew that, if I wished to, I could end this world my dream self dwelled on. But what would that accomplish? It would just be all work and no gain to destroy a reality. And it seems my dreaming self had the same idea.
With a faint tug, barely any effort, the skies turned to my command. Stars turned into streaks of needle-thin light, and the silver moon became nothing more than a white blur.
Despite this not straining me at all, my heart felt heavy with emotion. Dread and denial mixed and blended to form a smoothie filled with unease in my soul, making it vulnerable to manipulation.
And, as if sensing my wavering heart, the sirenic pull from the dark sky grew ever more tempting. It whispered promises of solace and fate, of my own destiny. Yet something buried under endless mountains of mystery in my being screamed that I should never relent to the pull. That, despite it truthfully being my destiny, I would only endure great pain and hardship.
For millenniums, my two sides have slowly been drifting apart. I was a Star with two faces, and those two faces were slowly rejecting one another. Now, after more than fifteen thousand years, it has reached its peak.
"We have to let go."
"We must not let go."
My two sides began fighting for dominance. Creation was determined to accept my fate, no matter how long and treacherous it may be. Yet Destruction, despite its nature, was timid and prone to give in to sadness. She much preferred my current mundane life over some grand and unforeseeable adventure.
"Stop acting so rash, Animus!"
"You stop hiding like a coward, Anima!"
"Have you no restraint?!"
"That's beside the point!"
I was them, yet they were not me. They were aspects of me, two parts of a whole that had merged. Yet now, under the strain of conflicting desires, they were beginning to split. The process had been happening for eons, starting on the day of my rebirth.
The line between Creation and Destruction blurred until it was so indistinct it might as well have been nonexistent, allowing the war within my soul to rage unhindered. And then, it stopped.
The Celestial Core on my forehead shattered into two pieces.
I was pulled into the dark abyss.
...
The Sea of Void was not an unfamiliar place for me, even though I had never traversed it myself. Nonetheless, I feel like I have seen this Void Sea many times before. Was it memories from before my reincarnation? Those remeberings were impossible to recall.
̵̨͈̲̼̗̳͈̝̳̑̐̈́̈̀́̿̓͘ ̵̨͈̭̽̍̉̅̓̐̋"̶̟̝͙̰̘̤̠̻͙̮̬̫̓̃̃͐P̶̞̱͎̃̇̎̿͛͛̒͛̋͛ǒ̸̡̧̳̲͚̙̦͝l̸̖̹͓̙̮̻̼̟̗͆̄̔̀̇̃̕̚̚͠a̷͎̖͈̩͂̃̽̿͛̑́͊͑͛̀̉͘ͅr̷̬̙̳̣̯̞̥͈̟͎͙͈̮̪̹̎̓̍̋̓̊͌̅̚i̴̧̧͇͇̝̟̻̲̲̖͙̭͉̩̠̋̈́͊̋̑̏̋̑́͌̊́̓̚͝s̸͓͈͔͎̙̰̠͍͚̫̺̃͊́̋̀͝͝.̵̢̡̹̝̼̙̩̯̝̲̆͛̄͊̊ͅͅ"̴̛̝̜͗̋̃̑́̂̏͌̏̈́́͘̚͝ͅ
A voice echoed throughout the dark sea, sending shivers up my spine. It was less of a statement and more of an all-encompassing demand. It was eldrich and omnipotent, even more so than Celestials. But a mere word from this being could bend the two Multiverses and more. Regardless of its awe-inducing nature, I felt calm when I heard this voice.
My Celestial Eyes activated, and I scanned the Void Sea for the elusive being who spoke.
̶̠̪̉͑͋̈́̕͜ ̵͍̺̺̙̜̂̏͊̿"̸̱͉͉͊W̶͚̲̝̙̎̓̀h̶͚͗̔͛̕ọ̴̞͚̇ ̵̡͍̣̝͊̋̐͠a̶̡̦̜͕̔͒̀̓̓r̵͕̖̭͂̊̅͗̉e̴̗͘ͅ ̵̬̬̊͌̽̈́͜ͅẏ̶̢̝̦̘̂̄́̈́o̸̦̊̓̂̋̆ư̸͕͛̎̚?̷̼̠̝̳̬͛͆͌̀ ̶̯͔̥͂̉̂͝W̷͓̝̑̓͑̄͜h̵̨͖͊̓̅̆ę̵̭̤̀r̸̡̹͆͂̒͂̌e̷̖̳͚͉̎̉ͅ ̶̳̑̊̃̎a̸̺̘̔̐͒r̸̤̝̞̔̿̓̄̕ͅé̵͓ ̶̡̡͙̍͐ȳ̸̬̲̟̪͖͝ȯ̵͙̓ù̸̲̖̻̺̻́̐͆͒?̴̭̀͛͋̍̚"̷̰̲̣̹̼̀̓̌̀̇
My mind reeled, lurching as I struggled to come to terms with my own voice. It was distorted and static, like two people speaking over each other. Somehow, I knew this was caused by my two sides splitting.
A faint spark burst to life with a small shower of light, growing to encompass the entirety of the black sky. Like the twisting roots and trunk of a mighty tree, standing tall despite the eons eroding its age. It was similar to the branching galaxy of the Astral Multiverse. If this galaxy and the one in the Astral Multiverse were put together, they would flawlessly form a tree.
The voice came from that galaxy, I realized.
̷̳̭̽͌́ ̴̼̳̤͙̼̅"̴̥͎̽̒̏̀͜W̸͇̔̾́͂͗h̵̟̄̍͗̓ǒ̸̩̝̜ ̷̙̮̬́̈́̈́a̵̢̢͈̺̔̿̈̐̕r̶͇̟͂e̵̛̩̒̈́̿̽ ̵͙̫͒̄ÿ̸̠́̊ó̸͖̲͔͊̕u̷̧͍̼̰̩͛̓̒͛̄?̷̫̘͉̯̕ ̵̩̪̱͓͚̎Į̷̄̎̕ ̶̬͛k̴͕̤̭̐̔͌͜n̷̰̯̜̙̂̃̃̐ȍ̶̗̼̯͕͐̊ẃ̴͇͎͚͛̉ ̶͉͈̠͐̽̓y̶̡̠̲̎́̋̎o̴̢̻͔̻͒͒u̷̳̿̀͘.̴̰̮̩̿̚"̷̞̄̌͂͝
A pang of familiarity bloomed in my heart, accompanied by a faint burning of guilt. I knew this...galaxy? Echos of an age long past threatened to resurface, yet those bubbles of recollections always dissolved into foam before I could see.
̵̢͈̖͓̰̭̪̩̼̦̻̼̆ ̸̧̭̣̻̖̪̺̪͎̟̠͔̻̥̓͌̓͊͜͠"̵̘͙̭͍̇̏͆̀̃͒̃̈̑̓̾̃̚P̷̢̧̛͈̜͓̌̑͐̔õ̸̯̤̮̤̫̩̮̙̝̝͕̔̄͌̋̑̚̕l̶̲̜͆͂́̀̑̋̆̎̌̏͠͝͠a̴̛͖̳̩̙͚͇͉̓͌̔̀̔̓̃̋̀̿̅̌͝ͅr̸̙̬̹̘̘͇̻͚͓̉͛͛̂ͅḯ̶̛̬̠̙̜̀̄̇̀̇́̑͑̽̕s̵̨̛͎̫̫͇̜̜̿́̉͂̈́̎͝.̸̫͓̭̻̬̉̈́͗́͆͝͝"̴̫̭͙͕̟̭͚͖̪͓̹̥̰̇̀͊̎̅͆ The voice demanded again, still emotionless and cold.
̵̫̲͋͆͑́ͅ ̸̖̟͉͇̉"̶̟̳̲̮̄͌̈́͊Ẅ̴̱̬́́̀́̚h̶̼̻̘̤̿̎̂͝ͅo̸̥̔̊̊?̸͚̲̦̈̓̔̽̅ ̴̧͔̭̲̱̈M̶̟̲͔͐͗͗͐͠ͅȅ̸͖̱̞͝?̸̮͍̜͈̏̽̋͗ ̷̡̪̖͚̍̊I̴̟̚'̸̢̨̗̘̖̂m̶͚̔̔͌ ̸̡͍̟̻̪̊̄͘n̷̲̪̬͖͊̈́̈́͝o̴̧̘̹̝̿̑͂t̷̝̉̓̎̇̌ ̵͎͖͑̂͋̀P̶̝̈́́o̸̧̡͉̫͎͂̌̎̃l̵̻̘̝̂̀͊͜a̷̹̜̪̿̅̈́̒ř̴̠͕͕̐̾͠i̷̧̹̯̭̔͛ș̵̒̒̈́̅̔.̵͔̗̙̈ ̶̯̣͙͎̮͑͑̿I̷̩̼͒̑'̷͕͍͈̭̯̏̚ṁ̵̦̅ ̵͙͔͖͑̈́͋Â̷̛̱̲̳͋̊͘ļ̴̦̲̥́̈́̆ṗ̴̻̫ḫ̸̉̀̔̚͝ȃ̷̜̂̾̓ ̸̻̑Ù̵̜̣̜̚r̵̗̽s̸͓͕̿̎̂͜á̵̛͕̘̼̈́ë̴͔͓́ ̶͇́M̴̹̱̞͍̈́̑̏͒i̸̦̣̻̪̿͠n̵̛̞̝̝̗̜̑͠ò̴̞̘̗̀̔̈́r̵̦̻̥͐̊̐͝î̴͓́̍ś̵̢̛̝̜̭̏̈́̇.̴͈̭̻͖͎͐̾̓͆̎"̶͖͔̤̔͑̿́͝ Both my sides were equally confused.
̵̱̳̹̟̻͖̼̤͈̜̖͈̜́̃͐̎̓̓͂̍̇̏̀͂̿̕ͅ ̷̢̨̢̗̦̭̠͊̽̈́̇͌̇̈́̆͗̈́͝"̵̲̳̹̦̘͈̹͎̎̏̃́̀̔͋͜͝͠Ī̵͇͉͙͙̩̣͕̟̲̳̹̖̪̀̒̿̊̾̅͋͛t̶́̿̊̀̑̏̅̏͝͝ͅ ̷̺̲̖͚̙̘͚̊̔ḭ̴͛̽̽͛̇̎͠s̴̲̦̠̘̦͈̹͉̺̽̚ͅ ̴̲̟͉͇͉̳̪̀̊s̷͓͎̠̈́̌͑́̋͜ț̸̰͍͙̐̉̿̓͆̈́͌̎̿̽͘͝į̸̨̠̼̞̰̘̲̪̱̭̜͖͑͂́́̓̈́͒͘̚͝l̸̢̹̼̮͍̬͍͕̝͓͈͖͇̈͛̈́̾̾̅̃̌̀̌̾͌l̴̬̮̫̦̞̻͕̟̞̀̌͂̉̒̿̋ͅ ̷̡͓̼̘̜̭̮̂͆̆̈̔̽͒̍̉̓͜t̴̨̨̯͙̼̱͑̾̽̿͘͘o̶̢͚̣͉̻̣̳͉̤̒͑̔͋̌̾͊̂̓̅̓͝͠ô̸̼̱̦͇̖̂̆͘͝͝ ̸̨̨͕̟̹͓͍̟͉̳̬̤́̓͜͜͝s̶̛̛̼̓͂͋̊̾̃͋̕͠ò̵̢̧̡̟̖͍̚o̵̝̜̝̹̫̞̳̼̞̣͑̍͑̀̋̾̊̎̿̒̀̓̃̈͜n̶̞͖͚̫̭̳̪͆͗͆̇̍͌.̶̹̩̐̚"̴̢͇̥͙͓͉̼͍͍̘̊̄̓̎̒͠ The voice declaired. I froze in place, unable to do anything but watch.
̷̙͌͑̑͒ ̸̢̪̦̝̱̅̎̆́"̶̝̥̘̪̍̓̀T̴̡̓-̶͖̯͌T̴̬̄̒̽̔o̶̼̿͊̓o̴̰̘̹̘̗̅̅͑͝ ̵̙̬̅̎s̷͇͉̭͖͊̽ơ̸̥͔̺͚̒o̷͖̗̦͕͆̅̍̓n̸̦̼͗̒͘ ̷̞͛̍́ͅf̷̳̤͉͚̓o̷̡̙̺̼̦͂̏̚̕r̷̡̟͋ ̶̢̰̭̪̇͆͝w̸̨̤̬̯͂ḫ̶̠̦̩̫͗͑́͝ā̵͇͈͉̦̺͗͛̚͝ṱ̵͊?̶̤͉̥̲͊"̶̃̓͜ I timidly asked.
However, the voice had no intention of quelling my curiosities. Strands of Void and light began stretching from the galaxy toward me. Wisps of authorities and Miracles so above my comprehension I couldn't even make out their forms. They wrapped around me like a blanket before sinking into my skin.
I wanted to fight it. I wished to use my own authority to reject the foreign substance. But it just felt so right . The wisps of light sank into my shattered core, stitching it together with forgery. It was but a temporary hold, but it did well to conceal my inner turmoil.
My vision blurred, memories not my own forcing themselves into my brain. They were not mine, but how could they be anything but? One side of me accepted them immediately, yet the other rejected them, locking them away in the darkest depths of my mind.
̵̧̇̓̒̎̉ ̷̦̖̟͚̦̰̻̤̑̋̑"̸̡͕̣̟͇̖͓͙̘̈́̈̎̀̆̀̊͒Ã̵̧̡̛̛̰̮̠̭̙̫̰̖̯͆͂̈w̷̝̃̅͛̌͌̑̈́̚͝á̷͎̗͛́̀́͂̔͑̇̃̍̾́͌k̷̥̫̋̐̋̆̊̚ĕ̵͍̬̹͉͉̲̼̦͔̟͑͆n̷̛͈͚̞̐̈͗͑̐͌̃̍.̷̛̯̯͓̍̑̈́̈́̾̏͆̌̊̇͑̂ ̸̨̛͕̤̠͙̗̬́P̷̡̮̦͚̙̭̭͎̣̝̲͖͋͐̔͒̊͗̒̆̾́̓͑̕ọ̵̧̨̦̫͒̈́̐̃̿̏͆͛͆͘l̸̢͚̘͇͍̳͉̜͔̮̝̗͑̂̋̈́̾̈́͐̑̈͆̕͝ạ̵̡̧̣͖͕̮̠̼̱̫̪̟̥̇̅̓̈̈́͑̓̓͋͐̈́̿͊̕̕ȑ̵̬͉͎͎̣͈͓̈́͐̎̑̒͘͜i̸͓͉̰̲̞͎̙̝̝̫͙̯̜̩̔̽̃̊̽͌̒̍̎s̷̨̡̧̻͇͚͔̼̠̳̱̮̱̬̓̑̐̇̀͜͠ ̷̫͍̖̖̮̜̣͐̈́̆͐͂Ô̴̧̱͖̩͎̭̆̐̃c̴̢̰̪̼̝͙̭̖̼̳̐͐̓͜͜͜͝͝t̸̜̼̉̐̔̏̽́̉á̸̢͍͉̳̪̝̖͖͉͎̺̳͌̔͊͗̈̈́̿ņ̸̺̳̖̯̥̻͓̆̉̃̕t̷̞̮̝̮̲̭̗͓̦͔͎̣͐̆͑̋̅̐̿̍͂͌̈́̕͜͝͝ȉ̸͈̰̭͍͓̣̮́͗̓̉̃̉̈́̊͑̕̚s̴̡̨̨̹̜̪̬͍͇̩̅̍̿͋̽͌̂͗̈͝.̸̡̡̯͎͓̟̰̣͚͚͇͖̼͒̀͜"̸͍̹̰̦̖̦͇̱͚͈̉͑͗̈́̄͛
...
"̴̡͙̥̰̟̳̗͓̘̟͑̍̂͌̒̂̔̈́̈́́͝͝͝-̸̉̍̃͂͜-̷͉̱͈̮͙̻̣̖͇̮͂̆̎̀̀̽̆̏̒̆͘͝-̵̛͈͖̓̄̄̓͆̇̄-̴̧̡̳͍͈̰̠̰̩͖̙͓̯̣̖̈́̋̑̏̈̾̽̋̿̉̕-̸̡̰̝̻̘̪͇̠̼̥̹̗̤̂͆̄͒͜-̸̜͠-̶̢̧̡͍̲͍͇̬͙̥̞̲͖͕͑̾̾̿͊̀̀͂̏̅̊͛̃̉͠-̸̡̧̻͍̱͉̮̹͙͔̒̌̓̆̈́̏-̵̮̚-̸͕͎̼̦̲̒́̅̈́?̸̱͚̲͍̝̳͕̲͓̌̾̂́̿ͅ!̴͍̙̥́̈̂̃͋͆̋͝"̷̛̂
' How do I breathe?! I forgot how to breathe?!'
My heart sounded like a hammer striking the anvil with all the rage of its wielder. My eyes were tinted with static, and a silent scream tore through my mouth.
How familiar. It was like when I first woke up in this Multiverse.
My heart calmed, and I remembered how to draw breath once more. Slowly, my head lifted from my desk, and I realized the shattered state of my previous projects. Inky Void covered my table, forming sticky strands that stuck to my face like glue. Pinpricks of searing light were stuck in the broken remains of my past works.
It seems my sleep was less than tranquil.
With a sigh, I massaged my forehead. A burst of plasma burned away the inky remains. A shame. I was so close to unraveling the miniature world within that magic circle. Now, I'll have to start from scratch.
"̷̝̕W̵̱͘h̴̲͂ḁ̸̎t̸̖͛ ̸̡̋á̶̠ ̸̟̋p̸̨̓à̵̩ì̶͔n̴̛͇.̷̋ͅ.̵̝͠.̴̭̄"̵̯̏ I noted how my voice was less static than before. That forged stitching of my core wasn't perfect. It had been rushed since my time in dreamland was limited.
Reaching into a dimensional pocket, I pulled out a mirror. My face was split in half. My left side was Animus. Green eyes and light golden hair that just barely covered my ears. My right side was Anima. Blue eyes and deep brown hair so dark it could be considered black.
'What...happened to me?'
'Father summoned you, and gave you a temporary fix.'
My eyes widened. I didn't think that, yet it was most undoubtedly my voice.
̶ ̵"̵W̸h̵o̵ ̸a̸r̴e̵ ̸y̴o̵u̵?̷"̴
'I am you.'
The voice chuckled, tempering my annoyance even further. 'I am Alpha Ursae Minoris, and I am Sigma Octantis. I am the Star known as Polaris Octans.'
"̶͇̃P̵͇̔ö̸̢́ḻ̷͝a̸̖͗r̸̩̍i̸̛̤s̶̻͘?̷̣͊ ̷͔̈́D̵̬̍i̸͕͘d̵̹̑n̷̡̆'̵̥̚t̸͓̚ ̵̺̆ẏ̶̞ò̷̲u̶̼͐r̶͕̈ ̷̪́ŝ̵̲o̶̜̅u̵̺͆ľ̸̩ ̶͍̿g̵̰̀ẹ̸̅t̶̝͋ ̶̹̽u̶͎̇n̸͍̔ḇ̸̀o̸̥̓r̷̢̀n̷̟̓?̸̖̾"̵̩͒ How did I know that? Pollux never told me that tidbit of information.
'Yes, it did. Polaris was never a Star with consciousness. Do you remember those memories Father injected into you?'
"̶̘̿Ŷ̷̥ȅ̷̯s̵̤͂?̴̦̉"̴͓͒ How could I ever forget those wisps of light and Void?
'Those were the memories of Polaris. I am the part of you who has accepted them. You are the part who still denies them.'
"̴̣̈́Ā̶̦r̸͓͌e̶͚͌ ̵̘͐y̸̻̓ô̶̜u̴͈̓ ̷̝̎t̶̔ͅr̵̼̋ẙ̴̙i̸͖̓n̷͖͠g̴̢̽ ̸̡̑ť̶̫o̴̮͠ ̵̳̈́ṗ̸̢o̶̡̓ş̴̛s̷̜̾e̵̯̐s̴̗̅s̶̥͝ ̴̈́ͅm̷̩̽ḙ̸͂ ̷͕͒ô̴̡r̶̞͑ ̸͚͂s̴̼͝ơ̶̤m̷̰̎e̵̩͠t̷̝̾ḩ̵̉i̵̍ͅn̵̜̄g̶͇̏?̵̞̈"̶̮̌
There was a sharp jolt of being offended. 'Okay, so not possession.'
'No. I am merely memories crystalized as a personality using yours as a base. I am a part of you, but I am not you.'
"̴͖͛Y̴̧͛ò̶̤ṳ̶̀ ̵̢͛ḍ̴͐o̶̯͊ ̸̤̋r̷̟̉e̸̮͆a̴͔͠l̸͖͂i̶̟̚z̵̜͗e̶͎̒ ̸̦̀i̸̝̚ṫ̶͇'̵̺̈́s̴̺̑ ̸̱̏k̷̥̈i̷̝̅n̵̲͆d̴͙̎ ̸̼̇ó̴̘f̵͔̑ ̷̙̆ḍ̴̉i̵̦̅f̶͉̓f̵̜͘į̷̿c̴̣̋ū̷̯l̶͓̂t̶̤̕ ̵̲̂t̶͇̿ơ̶̡ ̶̠̐b̸͈̔ê̸̼l̷͕̕i̸͙̍e̴̒ͅv̶̻̏e̶͉͂ ̷̺́t̴̙́ḩ̸̕â̷̞t̸̹̅?̴̝̋"̸͕͑
The voice chuckled again. 'Yes, I do. But acceptance comes with time. If you don't accept me soon, you will hurt those around you.'
I glared through the window at the glowing disk in the sky. My eyes glowed with silent fury. "̴̣̃I̷̟̚ŝ̵̹ ̸̅͜ť̸͍ḧ̴͉́a̵͇͐t̷̜̿ ̵̝̉a̸̦̾ ̶͇͌t̷̠́h̶͈͂r̸̖̈́ȩ̶͝a̸̝̾t̶̰͐?̶̲̒"̶͉̄
'No, it's not.' A feeling of exasperation washed over me, along with a faint smidge of worry. 'It's a statement. You became Polaris Octans the moment those memories fused with you. You now wield the original six Sins. The ones who caused the genesis of the two Multiverses.'
"̷̫̃S̶̜̑ơ̷̤?̸̗̊ ̷͋͜Î̵͍ ̸̨̀a̶͍̅m̴͉̽ ̷͔̑b̴͔͐o̵̲͝ṱ̷͊h̵̯͝ ̵̰͊a̸̻͗ ̷̹͋S̵͎̉t̸̞͝ḁ̵̈ṙ̶͔ ̸̣̇o̸̗͋f̴̥̔ ̸̗̽C̷͖̋ȑ̵̩ë̴̤a̷̻͋t̵̺͛ị̸̌õ̷̯n̴͖͗ ̵̹̒ä̶̦n̸̲̄d̴͕̔ ̶̬̎a̷̻͑ ̵̖́S̸̩̎t̵̢̒a̷̘̽r̵̞̉ ̵̮͂o̶̱͋f̸̺͗ ̴̺͛D̷̰́ë̵̢́ŝ̵͕t̴͍͘r̸̽͜u̶̢͝c̵̖͒t̸͉͝ḭ̷̀ö̸̩́n̷̥͛.̷͕̑ ̴̩͒Ḭ̸͊ ̷̦͂h̷̛͍ả̵̖ṽ̵ͅe̵̖̓ ̵̟͂b̴͕̈ĕ̶̘e̵̮͂n̵̫̉ ̸͚̆w̸̘͝i̴̖͒e̶̳̿ľ̶̜d̷̞͋i̴̞͒ṋ̸́g̶͉̽ ̵̙͋M̷̬̏í̸̘r̸̡̍a̸͕͂ċ̴͚l̸͛ͅe̷̛͓s̶̫̈ ̶̜̽f̷̭̐ò̵̹r̶͖͛ ̷̞͠m̸̤͂í̶̤l̴̰͘ĺ̷̙e̴̓͜ṇ̵͠n̵͕̕ï̸͚u̷͙͂m̷̼͊s̵̥̏.̶̡͊"̵̱͠
The voice sighed in my head. It seemingly came to a decision after a long pause. 'I see you don't understand the weight of the burden on you. Let me show you what we are capable of.'
"̴̝͠W̶͕̿h̸̨͛à̵̻t̷̟̒ ̸̼͝á̸̯r̶̂ͅḙ̸̂ ̸̞̂y̶̱̓ö̸̪ǘ̴̟ ̶͈͗g̶̠̈́o̵̙͐ị̶̌n̷̫͆g̴̥̀ ̵͈̑t̵̛̙o̴̚͜-̸͓͝-̷̼͂"̸͔́
My voice caught in my throat, and my soul refused to move as I ordered. It was like watching through a glass pane. My hand lifted on its own without my orders.
'H-Hey! I thought you said you wouldn't possess me?!'
"I did." This time, it was Polaris that spoke. "But you must comprehend the power we now hold."
My outstretched fist opened despite how much I fought against it. A feeling of unease slowly sapped away my strength. Polaris started at my palm as mystics of ancient ages, long since forgotten and buried under layers of the Fourth Miracle sparked to life.
"First Sin: Creation."
I yelped at the sudden surge of power. The demand reverberated through the Multiverse. Hydrogen, whose purity surpassed even that during the End of the Beginning, was born from nothing. They compressed into a spinning disk.
'H-Hey! What are you doing?!'
"Just watch." Polaris casually stated.
"Second Sin: Expansion."
A billion atom-sized portals opened to a billion universes. A kaleidoscope of colors filled my tree house. They sapped infinite energy, redirecting it to the spinning disk. Plasma burst to life as a result of the densely compressed matter and energy.
'Y-You're going burn down my house!'
Polaris laughed. "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."
"Third Sin: Life."
A minuscule spark ignited within the ball of plasma and Starfire. A rainbow of colors, even more exotic than the kaleidoscope, swirled and raged within the core of the miniature Star. Enraptured, I silently stared, in awe of Polaris's and, in consequence, my power. And then it settled, fusing with the Star to become a single, conscious being.
"Fourth Sin: Concealment."
Reality shattered as the cosmic laws established in the End of the Beginning were broken. Three dimensions gave way to one-dimensional realities. And then came two dimensions, then three, then four and five, all the way until it encroached and surpassed infinity itself. The miniature Star warped, its form a constant shifting of Starfire.
Slowly, realization crept into my soul. The sinking feeling of the outlandish power I could wield.
"Fifth Sin: Destruction."
And then, everything stopped. The miniature Star faded and spluttered, slowly turning into nothing.
I stared, horrified. I knew the Star hadn't died. It had been completely eradicated, to the point not even a single atom of Hydrogen remained. I looked back into my mind, to the memories pertaining to the miniature Star, yet I could find nothing.
There was a blank in my memories, denying that the miniature Star existed, but the mere fact that there was a gap in my memories cemented that it had indeed existed.
It was, but it wasn't.
A contradiction among contradictions. A paradox beyond paradoxes.
Polaris withdrew my hand, sinking into my mind as I was once again granted control over my body. I was left sitting there, reveling in the awe and fear.
'Do you understand now?' Polaris asked in my mind, urgent and hopeful. 'We can create from nothing and return all to the Sea of Void. We are the sole equal to Father himself.'
Something nagged at me in the back of my mind. Something Polaris said didn't match with what he showed me. "̶͔̔Y̵̥̏ó̷̬u̵͈̕ ̷̪̇s̵̡̏ã̶͙ì̴̫d̵̥̋ ̷̢͂I̵̟̎ ̷̣̓ẇ̸̝i̷̜͘e̵͈͊l̸̠͊d̸̟̐ẹ̸́d̶̗̓ ̴̪̀s̴̜͘ǐ̴͔x̴̧̃ ̴͔͝M̸̡̂i̶͉͝r̷̯̋ǎ̶͎c̵̳͒l̶̹͂é̷͉š̸̬.̵̼́ ̸̯̋B̵̯͘u̷̺͠t̵͎̋ ̵͕͑ỵ̵̉o̸̖͐ų̶̌ ̶̜͑ò̸̱n̸͔͑l̴͓͒y̶͖̑ ̴̭͛s̴̩͆h̴̪͝ó̸̳w̴̢͑e̸̤͘d̴͚̒ ̸̺̾m̸̹͑e̸͕͛ ̷̥̅f̶̛͚i̶̪͂v̷̰͝è̵̩.̴̪́ ̴̱̈́W̷̼͐ḧ̸̫́à̶̼t̶̨̄ ̴͍͘g̸̳̈́i̴̞͝v̶̻̑ḙ̶̛s̵͍̔?̵̬̈́"̸̩̏
'Ah, that.' Polaris heaved a sigh. 'That is a Sin I do not possess. Instead, only you can wield it.'
"̵̺͠W̵͚̆h̶̟̍y̶̞̒?̵̰̎ ̵̘̐A̷͈̐r̷̛̥e̸̱͝n̸̦̈́'̵̯̈́t̵̥̊ ̷̧̐y̶̗̒o̸͍̿u̶̺͗ ̴̥̐t̴̗̄h̵͈̏è̵̩ ̸͕͑L̴̼̂ẽ̴̪ṣ̸̓s̶̖̔e̷̢̽r̵͉̉ ̴̪̔R̶̬͌ò̷͚ó̵̹ṯ̸̐?̶̙̅ ̵͓͠Ḟ̷͓r̵̳͛à̴ͅg̷̢͝m̸̺̅ḙ̵̊ṉ̷̓t̴̹̓ ̸̣̀o̵̹͝f̷͙̏ ̸̣͐F̴͍̌a̵͖͆t̷̛̟h̸͚̀e̵̩̋r̵̟͌?̴͗͜"̷͉̍ Again, how did I know that?
'I do, or at least, we do.' Polaris explained. 'You are the actual Polaris Octans. I am just an accumulation of memories. You are destined to hold the six Sins. However, your mind is not ready yet, so you have only inherited one of the six. Once you merge with me, you'll gain the remaining five.'
"̶͝ͅB̴̦͠-̵̖̅Ḅ̵̓u̵̘̔t̴̥̚,̵̤̈ ̷̛͜y̵̲̏o̴̩̚u̸͇͘ ̴͕̋s̵̤̆á̵̙ẇ̴̦ ̶͔́w̵̼͂h̷̯̎a̷͝ͅt̴̹́ ̴̫͘y̵̙̽ő̸͕ũ̴͉ ̸̭̿j̸̗̀ȕ̶̙s̶̘̽ṫ̴̖ ̴̟́ḏ̵̚í̴̢d̶͔̓!̸̧́"̷͈̎
That power. There's no way I was ready for that. It was suffocating. I knew that if it went out of control even a little, a universe would have been wiped from the map.
"̸͆͜H̷̡͝o̸̙͝ẉ̵̄ ̷͎́d̶̟̈́o̸̧̍ ̸͈̓y̸̪͑o̶̢̒ǔ̷̬ ̷̂͜e̶̞͝x̶̙͠p̵̾͜e̵̻̔c̶͎͌t̵̯͗ ̵̜͋m̶̬̈́e̵̟͠ ̷͎̇t̵͇͋o̶̱͝ ̴̟͝c̴͇͘ơ̵͇ņ̷̂t̸͙̊r̸͉͊ȏ̴̩l̸̪̓ ̶͎͌t̷͍͠h̸̳̽ḁ̷͘t̷̯̀?̶̺͛!̸̙͌"̸̳̓
'You can't, not when you're like this. But I can.' Polaris reassured. It wasn't convincing in my ears, doing zero to nothing to quell my worries. 'I am as old as Father. I know things not even the elder Voidsouls do.'
"̷̢́N̴͙̒-̵̯̔n̶̺̽ơ̴͍.̴̬̿ ̶̣̆I̸͜͠ ̶̞́d̵͉̀o̸͙̽n̵̥͊'̴̱̋ṯ̴̈́ ̵̨͛t̷̮̃h̷̤̅i̷̻̓n̷̪͘ǩ̴͖ ̵͇͑Ì̷̮'̸̳͂m̵̲̊ ̷͘͜ŕ̶̦e̴̺̿a̵̍ͅd̶̜̊ÿ̷͉́ ̶̺̂y̷̩͌ẽ̴̺t̵̡̿.̸̙̉"̶̳̂ I muttered, that aura of power, that absolute command over the Multiverse. It wasn't something meant for a single Star to wield
I remember something. Two dreams I had. They detailed the creation of the Multiverse, and the Sins that cause them. Were the Miracles Polaris showed me...
'Maybe showing you all that power at once wasn't a good idea in hindsight.' Polaris muttered. Frustration mingled with my already existing fear, further cementing I was not ready to hold such power. 'But this isn't a choice you can make, me. Eventually, you won't be able to run away from this power. It is your destiny, one of the few Father himself weaved.'
"̶͍̇I̵̦͝ț̶̀'̷̱͋ŝ̶͓ ̶̲̓ṇ̶̃o̴̙̔t̶̨́.̴̰͊"̵̱̏ I denied it, lying through my teeth. Fear clouded my judgment, hiding the truth away. "I̴͈̓'̴͚̇m̸̓ͅ ̵̲̆j̷̥̎u̵͉͑s̵̱̿t̵̤̓ ̸̳̀A̵͓͛n̶̫̉i̶͍͐m̴̤̂a̴̔ͅ.̵͓̋ ̵͎̏S̴̢̓t̷͕̕a̷̜̒ṙ̷̜ ̶̣̀ó̵̟f̷̡́ ̴̈ͅW̷̨͐i̷͚͒ṣ̸͊h̴͖̚e̴͕̎s̴͇͋.̷̤̾"̸̩̒
'You are. And you're also Polaris Octans. Star that Announces the Beginning and End.'
"̷̺͝N̸̨͋ơ̷͚,̴͚̿ ̶͝ͅI̵͙͊'̷̫̈́m̷͎̃ ̸͚̌n̸͕̈o̶̥̊t̸͙̾.̷̱̃ ̵̘̈́J̸̞͗û̴͜s̷͍̋t̸͇̀ ̷̦͒l̶̡̀é̴̝a̵̗̍v̴̻́é̶͇ ̶̱̒m̸͓͂e̴̻͝ ̵͓̏a̶̻͝ĺ̷̗o̷̻̍n̴̻̅e̸͇͒.̷̊͜"̶͈͐
'I can not. You are me.'
I growled, my frustration somehow growing even more vivid. Cold sweat began dripping down my back. I stood up from my desk, deciding to stretch my legs. Maybe that'll take my mind off this situation.
"̸̰̋Ì̷͜'̵̙͊m̵̢͊ ̸͙̒g̴̲͊o̸͓̎i̸̛̳ṅ̸͔g̴̫̃ ̴̺̓f̴̲̅ö̵̞r̸̮̄ ̵̥͝a̷̤̕ ̶͖͝w̴̘̏a̸̘͝ḻ̷̋ķ̶͘.̵̯̽ ̷͇̚Ď̷͈o̶̥̿ṇ̶̈́'̵͈̈́t̵̳͆ ̸̦͝f̷̛͔o̷̳͆l̴̪͠l̵̰̏ó̶̲w̴̝͒ ̴̣̑m̸̻̈e̸̘͘.̵̯͌"̴̻͗
'I told you. I don't have a choice.'
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I've decided to start writing again.
Something significant has happened. Father visited me in my dreams, and he injected something into me. I have a voice in my head now. He says he's Polaris, the Star the Astral Plain is built on.
He keeps insisting that I am him, and have this grand destiny ahead of me.
I don't know how to deal with it. Should I tell Pollux? What about the Centauri twins? I don't think they can help me at all. What should I do? I don't know.
I'm scared. I'm afraid I'll fall asleep, and then Polaris will override my soul.
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
"Anima! It's been forever! Where have you been? You're not gonna abandon big sister and leave, right?"
Pollux smothered me in a hug, one that I couldn't hope to get out of.
"No..." I muttered. It was honestly getting pretty hard to breathe. "I just...had some business."
"Ohhh! Granting wishes again? You're so hardworking!:"
I chuckled, hoping I was doing a good job of hiding the nervousness in my laughs. I couldn't tell my big sister I had a voice in my head who claimed to be one of the ones known as "the Root," could I?
"Still, something seems different about you..."
I tensed.
Pollux's eyes flashed azure.
I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the eventual question of why there was a voice in my head.
"Ah! You're finally ready to leave for the Central Core."
Huh? She...didn't notice?
'Of course, she didn't.' Polaris murmured. 'Not even Father can detect me if I got serious.'
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I visited Pollux today. She was pretty worried about me.
My personalities have downright divided. I don't even know what it has split into. I know there's me and Polaris, but are there any more fragments?
We're leaving for the Central Core next year. There are more healers there. Maybe someone will have the power to fix me and get rid of this voice in my head.
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
"Well, take care, Anima." Rigil ruffled my hair. It would probably be a long time before he could do that again, so I didn't complain.
"You're welcome to come here anytime, okay?" Toliman bent down to look me in the eye.
"Okay!" I nodded. "If I get healed, I return to see you both!"
Toliman gently chopped my head, a small smile appearing on his face.
"Not 'if,' Anima. Say 'when.'"
"When I get healed, I return to see you both."
"Yes." Toliman nodded. "That's better."
"You too, Pollux," Rigil said. "Our offer is still open for you, since the first day you and your brother stopped here on your pilgrimage of recovery, you'll always be a welcomed guest."
Pollux looked away, a small blush on her thankful face.
"Geez. How am I supposed to respond when you say it like that. After all you have helped me with, too."
"No fret. We're always here if you need us. We're friends, are we not?" Rigil grinned.
"...Of course." Pollux picked up her bag, grabbing my hand while she was at it. "Well, see you both in ten thousand years."
"Yes." Toliman nodded.
"Good luck to you both." Rigil patted my head one last time.
We walked away, following a dirt path that has been around for probably eternities.
"Rigil, don't cry. You're always so dramatic."
"B-But brother! It's like yesterday Anima first arrived at our home!"
I turned back, and saw Toliman giving Rigil a handkerchief.
They were both smiling.
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
We left for the Central Core today. The Centauri twins were pretty sad. I think Rigil even cried.
I'm turning fifteen thousand years old tomorrow, though it doesn't feel right. My body stopped aging at nine thousand years old. I haven't grown any taller since then. I don't know what caused this. Was it Polaris?
No, it wasn't. He just told me in my head.
Damn it. So many questions, yet nobody can answer them.
If you just accepted me, then-0_~_`=-
No. I refuse. I will not hold that power.
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
Chilling winds froze me to the bone as they howled around me. Snowflakes made of frozen Void Sea fluttered around us as we walked. A barrier was placed around our forms, yet that only managed to block a fraction of the icy storm.
My skin is so cold.
How does that make sense? I'm a Star, am I not? I'm one of the hottest things in the Multiverse!
'This place is a conceptual barrier.' Polaris muttered in my head. 'It enforces the concept of 'coldness' to all living beings. The only ones who aren't affected are Voidsouls.'
'Well, isn't that helpful?' I remarked.
'Hmm.' Polaris hummed. 'Sarcastic, are we?'
"Anima! Focus on the road!" Pollux admonished me from behind. She held a firm grip on me, ready to step in if I accidentally fell. "We don't want to fall, do we?"
"Sorry!"
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
We crossed the first ring of mountains today. That was the easy part, Pollux said.
There were a bunch more star clusters within the plateau than in the Outer Ring. Polaris said most Stars chose the Inner Core as their home because it was convenient.
At the center of every Galaxy, there's a wormhole that allows one to travel to any Galaxy they wish in the Astral Multiverse. It's like a network of interconnected veins. The sole Galaxy without a wormhole is the Milky Way since, for some reason, a wormhole will cause Stars to prematurely hatch. Polaris said it had something to do with wormholes bending spacetime.
We didn't stop to rest much because we didn't need to. I had enough energy to walk for days on end. Heh. Those times when I couldn't even take a step without collapsing seemed so distant.
Polaris is louder in my head now. I can't ignore him when he has something to say.
̶ ̶ ̶W̶h̶y̶ ̶c̶a̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶j̶u̶s̶t̶ ̶s̶h̶u̶t̶ ̶u̶p̶?̶
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
A small fire crackled as it fed on branches harvested minutes prior, the night sky filled with its usual stars.
Each "star" in this Multiverse was a separate Settlement, a Galaxy where Celestials lived. The sheer number was so large even Polaris would have trouble keeping track of them.
'No, I wouldn't.' A voice murmured in my mind. 'I know every one of my siblings' names by heart.'
Shut up.
Please, just shut up.
My mind hurts. It feels like my Core is going to explode.
I curled onto myself, the light blanket I took from my dimensional pocket making me look like a fluffy doll.
It's night. I'm not Animus right now. I'm Anima. And Anima has always been scared of the Void Sea.
Breezes blew past my face. I shivered.
It's so cold.
A warm hand wrapped around me and picked me up, cradling me as if I were a newborn.
"H-Hey!"
"Shhh..."
Gentle rocking slowly caused my mind to calm, warmth returning to my almost frost-bitten limbs.
"What the heck were you thinking, Anima?"
I looked away, burying my face into the layers of blankets.
"You should have told me if you were cold. Am I that undependable as your big sister?"
It's not that, Pollux.
You've done so much for me already. I didn't want to trouble you more.
Besides, I would have survived. I have the will of a Multiverse in my brain!
Of course, I didn't say it out loud.
"Dear Father, you're limbs are frozen. You're always weak to the cold at night, aren't you?"
I have.
'I have, as well. See? You're my reincarnation. You are me.'
Shut up.
I am not you.
I do not wield the Six S̶̡̾i̷͇͉͚̽͑͆̇̕͠ń̴̨͖͎́s̵̝̮̳̟̹̤̄̈́̍̒͗ Miracles.
I did not get killed by Father.
̵̬̝̓ ̵͎̰͑̑͆I̵͉̊̿͌ ̶̲͎̖̐̓ḑ̸̙̒̃͜͝i̸̯͊̆ḋ̶̥̾͝ ̴̫̐̏n̴̛̝͊ȯ̷̱̈́t̷̺̯̲̍̌ ̴̔̎͛͜u̷̧̩̓̉n̷̨͚̾̐́b̵̘̦̥͐i̵̪͚̠͗̿r̶̝̚͜t̸̬̀h̵̠̹̓ ̷̰̓͑t̵͈͊̍h̶̡̛̝̽e̵̮͙̣̽ ̵̡͍̖͝p̴̛͔͚̫̑e̶̦̗͂͋ͅr̵̠͗̉̔f̵̧͓̿̿e̴̢̜̝͐̿̿c̷̳̺̃́͆͜t̷̨̩̭̀͑͝ ̴̥̖̮͘u̸͉̙̳̽n̶̩̽͠i̵̝̘͌̀̈́v̶̘̱̋e̴̳̙͌͝r̴̬̾͗̍s̶͍̻̭͋ḙ̸̤̺͘ ̵̹̍̌b̵̧͇̉̈̚è̴̳ĉ̵̨̛̤͝ạ̵̢̪͒̀u̸͎̥͛s̵̖̀̓ȅ̸̛̙̘̕ ̴̮̘̮̀́͝Í̷̼́͘ ̸̣̝̦̿̆w̴̱̣͗̕͠a̴̩͒̀s̴͎̖̍͘͜ ̷̮̠̉̆̈́b̸̰̺͊o̴̰̱̠͗͠r̴̮̎ḙ̴̉͌͝d̴͚͍́.̶͙̼̏̽̽
"Everything's fine now. It's okay. Big sister's here."
It's warm...
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
We're crossing the mountains a second time. Just one more mountain range, and we'll arrive.
This one's thousands of times higher than the first range. I almost don't believe I haven't fallen a single time. They're covered with frozen Void, coating them in a slippery blanket.
Pollux said we have to keep moving. I have to stop writing now.
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
The path was winding, narrow, and unstable. It was the color of frozen Void. Chips of ice and stone fell down the mountain with each step I took.
My Magecraft was working in overdrive. The various time-related spells in the Magic Circle on my hand consumed energy to predict where I should step so as to not plummet to my death.
Thank god Polaris was still shining. Anima would have long since frozen from fear.
Still, even as Animus, my limbs are feeling numb.
'Don't you have anything that can help in this situation?'
'Of course.' Polaris responded. 'You only need to give me control over your-'
'No.'
I am not giving the voice in my head control over my body.
'Anima! Watch your-'
I slipped.
...
...
...
Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I accidentally slipped today. Famous last words, I suppose. I have wings, dammit! So why couldn't I fly when I needed to?!
I'm in a cave right now. I barely have enough energy to keep myself together. I'll have to rest here and regain my strength.
My head hurts. I feel like I'm being pulled in separate directions. My Celestial Core is slowly shattering. The bindings Father placed on it have begun to weaken.
Polaris said it'll all resolve itself if I accept him, but I can't.
̶ ̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶w̶i̶e̶l̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶M̶i̶r̶a̶c̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶g̶a̶i̶n̶.̶
I don't know why, but I'm scared. Memories not my own are constantly invading my mind. I remember things I never experienced, like creating the Multiverse or being split in two.
Those are Father's memories, not mine.
I never created the Multiverse. I never inscribed the original Six Miracles into cosmic law. I was never possessed by my Father. I never split in two. I never cursed the Multiverses with the concept of death. I...I didn't...
̶ ̶ ̶I̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶m̶e̶a̶n̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶i̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶.̶
̶ ̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶r̶y̶,̶ ̶l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ ̶s̶i̶b̶l̶i̶n̶g̶s̶.̶
Diary Entry: End
...
...
...
My head is pounding.
My Core is shattering,
I cursed silently, conjuring another Rune to heal an injury on my arms. Not that it will help my situation all that much. I can't even move right now.
I fell from the mountains a few days prior. It was just an unlucky accident, nothing more.
Somehow, I'd dragged my broken body into a cave with my remaining movements and not frozen to death.
It was dark and cold. The only light source around was my faint, pale glow.
"Polaris. You there?"
'Yes. I am.'
"Why are you so silent all of a sudden?"
'You always tell me to shut up, do you not?'
Oh, right. I do.
"Forget about that for now. Even you will do if I can talk to someone."
'Then what do you want to talk about?'
"Oh, I don't know..." I sighed. "Maybe how I can get out of this mess?"
'I can get you back to Pollux instantly, though you won't accept the way to do so.'
"Possessing my body again, huh?"
'Yep.' He muttered, popping the "P."
"I thought the Six Miracles were omnipotent."
'As I said many times before. Anima, you hold the Six Sins. I am only your memories pertaining to how to use them.'
I went silent.
My wings fluttered uselessly as a gust of wind rushed through the cave. Light pulsed like a heart, bouncing off the walls. Now that I could somewhat see, the walls seemed made of crystal.
I realized something.
"Hey, Polaris. Why do you always call the Six Miracles 'Sins?'"
Ever since he appeared in my head, he has never called them "Miracles."
'Because that's what they are. Six Sins caused by the foolishness of two idiots.'
"But they created the Multiverses, right? So why are they Sins?"
'Hah.' Polaris sighed. 'For that, we'll have to start at the very beginning. Before even Father and I existed.'
"It's fine," I muttered. "We have time, right?"
'Hahaha.' Polaris chuckled. I could feel he had an adamant smile. 'That we do.'
I felt a subtle pull on my mind, though it wasn't like that time Polaris took my body.
"Wh-What a-are you doing...?"
My voice was slurred, as if I was falling asleep.
'I will pull you into a dream. Showing you is always better than telling, right?'
...
"Heya."
My eyes opened, and I stared at a mirror image of myself.
Okay, he wasn't exactly like me. His hair was white, with an inky black strand with glittering stars within. His left eye was gold, and his right one was purple. The gem on his forehead, his Core, didn't have a symbol engraved. It didn't have a Starmap, either. Instead, it was a constantly shifting view of the Stars.
An ivory crown rested on his head. It faded into something that looked like a night sky at the base. His wings, leaf-shaped and white, were an exact mirror of mine.
"Wh-who are you?!"
"I am you."
Alright, that familiar line brought me back to my senses.
"Really, Polaris? Taking my form?"
The Multiverse sighed, a hand covering his face for dramatic effect.
"I told told you. I am you. So, of course, I look exactly like you."
Fine. I'll give him that.
"Well, your story?"
Polaris smiled.
"Look forward. It has already begun."
...
...
...
Once a realm before time itself, forged from Void and Light.
A world of null, a world of Void, a realm of infinite white.
Empty Void spun on Northern Pole, free of Pain and Blight.
From two Gods sprung a sacred spring, a well of eternal life.
Yet one by one in secret,
two Gods planted seeds of greed.
In Celestial Gardens,
two Gods planted accursed weeds.
A wish connected two Creator Gods, a Sin they did create.
Creation sprung from two Gods' wills, breaking Law and Fate.
Yet Creator Gods, they failed to see, they made a grave mistake.
Paradise shattered, eternal well lost, the realm itself remade.
One with the Multiverse,
the one known as Void became.
Into the far future,
the one known as Light strayed.
After Creation, Expansion sprung, twined in cosmic reins.
Void, in silent whispers, gathered the well's remains.
Yet the fractured well, lost in time's embrace, eternal life refrains.
With denial in mind, heart in eclipse, Void reclaimed the well's strains.
Life anew from the well arose,
in Void's embrace and fire's glow,
Eternal life, their gift,
for his essence, Void let flow.
Light, from distant futures, returned with tales of woe.
Melding with the Void, a paradise reborn to show.
Celestials watched in timeless grace, as new horizons grow.
Yet even Gods, in boundless space, their final days shall know.
Once more, in secret's guise,
the Gods sowed their ways.
In heart and mind, seeds of greed,
in endless, cyclic plays.
Once more, a wish did haunt Void, within his endless mind.
To tread among his kin, their guiding star, their bind.
Light peered into his well of lore, from futures undefined.
And counseled Void on paths to take, with sacrifice entwined.
Yet when time came,
Void made a mistake.
Light was snuffed,
his soul unmade.
A cry of rage split the stars, a storm of wrath and pain.
To save his child, his dearest Light, Void cast him through time's plane.
From Light's fallen form, another Sin, in sorrow's silent chain.
To slow darkness, the final Sin, another shall be made.
In realms unseen, Void slumbered,
in a dreamless, somber state.
Below, his children mourned,
feeling the heavy hand of fate.
Void stirred within the shell of Light, encircled by children dear.
Their bodies weak, their radiance dim, their auras tinged with fear.
As time's relentless march pressed on, what came next was clear.
Another sin must be made, before pride and fear drew near.
From blood and fire, the Sixth Sin rose, a beacon in the dark.
Its radiance froze Destruction's march, setting a new arc.
Void's offspring knew their time was nigh, an ending to embark.
Merging once more with Light's shell, Void set a celestial mark.
In Astral realms, firstborns dwell, in Material, Void waits with sight.
For Light's return, in mirrored worlds, balancing day and night.
A tale of Gods, of sins and time, of endless cosmic flight.
In realms beyond our grasp, they play, in perpetual twilight.
...
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
Pollux finally found me today. I'm so relieved. I cried and cried so much.
We'll continue the climb since we've gone too far to head back down. I've recovered somewhat, so my Core should be able to handle it if I don't slip again.
I'll have to be careful not to fall.
Polaris says my soul won't last much longer if I ignore him.
I don't care. I'll find a way to keep myself together.
̶ ̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶o̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶i̶m̶o̶r̶d̶i̶a̶l̶ ̶c̶u̶r̶s̶e̶.̶
Diary Entry: End
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...
I opened my eyes, looking around.
I was in a small cabin, lying on a bed. Wait, now that I look closer, is this a hospital?
The walls were made of wood and smelled like my treehouse, smelled like home. My room was small, with a single bed, desk, and window.
It was storming outside, the howling winds forming a chaotic symphony I wanted to forget.
The door burst open.
"Anima! Oh, thank Father, you're alright."
Pollux rushed into the room. She was by my bedside in an instant, fussing over me as she checked my forehead.
"Wh-what happened?"
Her face marred with worry, Pollux kept her hand on my Core. As if it were the most precious thing she had, as if it were fragile as glass.
"Your Core...it's got going to last."
Ice crept up my neck.
"W-what do you mean, 'it's not going to last?'"
"You passed out a few hours back. I brought you to this Star Cluster and got the healer to look at you." Pollux sighed. It was shaky and unsure. "You've been holding up so well, too. Y-You're dying, Anima."
"Ah."
I was surprised. Not because of the recent fact. I was surprised that I felt nothing about death.
Somehow, death didn't seem all that scary. As if I'd known it would happen all along.
It was like...we were already old friends.
"I...see..."
...
"Rest well, okay? I'll go bring you some water."
The door closed behind Pollux, leaving me in empty silence once more.
That's odd. Why isn't Polaris saying anything?
I closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep.
It's beginning to hurt now, my Core.
The storm blew colder, covering Polaris's radiance.
How. Dare. It. Cover. Polaris.
How. Dare. It. Cover. Me.
̶̫̈́ ̴̭̂R̶͈̎e̵̥̕c̶͑ͅl̸͙͆a̵͈͋ĭ̴̞m̸̬̈́.̷̙͛ ̸̪̚Ĭ̴͇t̸͕̽.̸̹̂
...
When Pollux returned, Anima's bed was empty.
...
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
We've made it to the foot of the third mountain. It's the tallest one yet, even reaching beyond the golden barrier that covers Andromeda.
I'm nervous, even more than before, and I don't know why. The golden disk, the Eye of Polaris, the Star that gives this Multiverse light. If I go beyond this golden wall, I know I'll try and reach for it.
Polaris said he'll try to weaken the pull as much as he possibly can with his five Miracles, but it's not helping much. He says he needs the Sixth Miracle.
Damn it.
Why can't I use it? I alone hold the key to the Sixth Miracle, yet I have no idea which lock it fits in.
My Celestial Core is beginning to shatter.
I won't last much longer.
Diary Entry: End
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...
I walked forward, up the mountain.
The path was wide. The path was narrow. The path was green. The path was red.
It doesn't matter. Nothing does.
What was I doing?
I don't remember.
Where am I again?
I don't remember.
Who am I?
I̴͈͛ ̶̡͠å̸̻m̸̭̽ ̴͎͆P̷̩̂ỏ̶̫l̴͎̂a̸̡̿r̵̤̕i̴̪̔s̷̤͒
The disk. The eye. The Sins. The songs.
The eye of Polaris, glowing so beautifully.
I want to reach for it.
I have to reach for it.
I need to reach for it.
Reach. For. It.
It. Is. Mine.
I. Will. Reclaim. What. I. Have. Lost.
̶̖̍ ̵̺͝F̶̦̔i̵̛͙f̵͎̈́t̵͈͂h̴͖̍.̸͎̊ ̶̡̓S̷̨͆ī̷̠n̸̺̚.̷͇̓
̴̞̟͖̹̖̳̈̒̃̒͋ ̷̨̭͎́̒̏D̴̨͉̭͓͕̥̄͠e̸̞͉͛̄̆̀s̵̨̡̳̿͗͘t̸̛̮͂̑̔̂̚͜r̶͍̺̟̼̉̿u̷̲̤̿͆c̶̢̲̓̒͝t̵̛̮̭̭̺̯̓̓̀̌ỉ̸̮͕̈́̆͠͝o̶̡̨̨͚͑̀̽̀̚n̴̨̡̳̍͐͗.̵͉̞̹̬̋̎̈͒̃̎
'Wake up, Anima!'
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I got lucky. There was no need to leave the barrier.
̶ ̶ ̶D̶e̶s̶t̶r̶u̶c̶t̶i̶o̶n̶ ̶w̶e̶n̶t̶ ̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶r̶o̶l̶,̶ ̶c̶a̶r̶v̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶a̶ ̶d̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶p̶a̶s̶s̶a̶g̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶r̶o̶u̶g̶h̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶m̶o̶u̶n̶t̶a̶i̶n̶.̶
We found a passage in the mountains that led to the other side. Pollux almost didn't believe her eyes when she saw it. She said it was never here when she last left the Central Core.
Thank goodness. I don't know what would have happened if I left the barrier in this condition.
Finally, I'll get to see the Central Core soon.
Diary Entry: End
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...
"Oh..." I stared, my mouth agape. My mind was focused on the grand sight before me. "Wow..."
We were still on a path on the mountains, though I could already see the city of the Central Core.
"Impressive, right?" Pollux giggled at my awe. "The Cores of Galaxies are always the most spectacular part."
It was a city as large as a country, surrounded by a ring of golden fields and wildlife. Nature was so plentiful that every biome existed, and everything that had even the slightest connection to "Nature" had a place.
There were houses on the fields, built from wood and steel and bricks. Rivers ran from the mountains to the plains, flowing so far into the vast city that I couldn't even see half their length.
I could see Celestials, Stars and Planets and Moons and Voidsouls. They were sparse on the fields, most looking like families out for a casual stroll.
The city within the ring of nature radiated splendor just by existing. No words could describe its true splendor, nor could mere titles such as "genius" or "prodigy" tie the one who designed it.
The city went deep underground and high into the sky. A trillion buildings that each took eternities to build. Their height was somehow infinite, yet they existed in enclosed space.
Buildings rose even beyond the golden barrier around the Galaxy, though those were few and far between.
'They're travel stations.' Polaris explained. 'Made for safe use of the Second Sin.'
Shooting Stars flew from their tips into the Sea of Void. Some vanished into portals to Father knows what Universe, while others merely flew further and further until they were nothing more than specks of glitter. They were all Celestials traveling, migrating.
"We'll go into the city later." Pollux pointed to a large house in the open fields. "That's my home. We'll go there first."
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
We arrived today. I can't even begin to express my relief.
The Central Core isn't like the two plateaus or the Outer Ring. It's one giant city enclosed within a mountain range. The wormhole rests at the city's center. It was a beacon of light that split into countless branches, connecting the innumerable Galaxies within the Astral Multiverse.
The Central Core was the loveliest place I've ever seen. Countless Celestials went about their everyday lives. There were buildings made of mystical materials that even rose above the mountain ranges surrounding them. Though most were limited to four or five stories.
We're going to Pollux's home first, then she's gonna take me to a healer.
Diary Entry: End
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"Just wait here for a moment, Anima." Pollux patted my head.
I pouted. "I'm not a Proto-Star anymore..."
"Awe, aren't you just the most adorable thing."
Curse this body. Why does it refuse to age beyond nine thousand years?
Pollux knocked on the door.
A few moments later, someone answered.
He's a bit taller than Pollux, though besides that the two are nearly identical. Perhaps his eyes are a shade deeper, like a darkening sky streaked with lightning instead of calming bluebells.
"Who is it this-" He paused. "Ah, sister."
"I've returned, brother!" Pollux cheerfully chirped.
"Good, good. It was getting a bit difficult, answering the prayers of navigation directed at you while dealing with my own."
"Well, sorry about that..."
"It's fine." Pollux's twin huffed. "I could have handled it for a few more milleniums. Though I wasn't expecting your recent expedition to the Mortal Realms to take this long."
"Oh! Right, about that!" Pollux hurriedly ran from the porch of her house and grabbed my hand. She ran back, dragging me along as I struggled to keep up. "This is Anima. He's been with me since I returned from the Material Realms."
"I-Its...um, nice to meet you?"
I looked up, and immediately shrunk back to hiding behind Pollux.
"Sister..." Dear Father, why did his voice sound so scary?! He looked so nice a moment ago. Okay, maybe "nice" isn't the best word to describe his face, but it wasn't "demonic!" "Who do I need to kill?"
"Huh?"
"Who's the bastard you had a Union with? Since he's not with you, where can I find him?"
I shivered.
"Stop that." Pollux huffed, placing a hand on my head. "I found Anima in the Milky Way. Besides, are you blind, brother? He's a Star."
"Huh? Oh." The Star stopped sounding like a demon, at least. His eyes stared quizzically at me as they flashed light blue. "Huh. You're right, sister. Though why is his light so dim?"
"I don't know? He was fine until a few years ago, then his light started fading."
"Ah, that's why you brought him back to the Core." Pollux's twin muttered. "Well, I guess he can stay here."
"And your name, brother?"
He huffed. "Fine. I'm Castor, brat. You sure you're not a White Dwarf?"
"I'm not!"
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I met Castor today, Pollux's elder twin. He looked really similar to Pollux. They both have blond hair and blue eyes.
They lived on the edges of the Central Core, where fields of sungrass were plentiful, and they could practice combat. Their home was more spacious than the Centauri twins' house, though it still held that cozy feel.
He wasn't very happy about me being here but still accepted me. I don't know why, though.
I'm going to see a healer today. Maybe I'll finally get Polaris out of my head.
Diary Entry: End
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"So, where are we going?" I asked.
"To a healer," Pollux responded. "Brother should have booked us an appointment, right?"
"Yes, yes." Castor nodded impatiently. "What do you take me for? I'm not an airhead like you."
"I'm a what?"
"Nothing, nothing."
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
The healer they entrusted me to was an elder Voidsoul designated Sagittarius Alpha. He's one of the first few stars to be born and someone whose power is only matched by a select few others.
His workplace was calm and serene, assuring my weary heart that everything might turn out alright. I was put on a soft bed and told to wait.
He ran a bunch of tests on me, casting a load of spells I didn't understand. Still, he didn't know what was wrong with me. He patched my Celestial Core, though it has to be adjusted so it doesn't shatter.
̶ ̶ ̶I̶'̶m̶ ̶b̶e̶g̶i̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶l̶o̶s̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶r̶o̶l̶ ̶o̶v̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶M̶i̶r̶a̶c̶l̶e̶s̶.̶
I'll have to see a lot more healers if I want to be normal again.
Diary Entry: End
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"What's that?"
I pointed to a large building that looked like a shrine. It had pillars of white stone carved with Runes and walls of clear crystal. Within the temple were various pillars of light with steps leading to them. They reached into the sky, connecting to other shrines of similar build.
"That's a teleportation terminal," Pollux explained from behind me. "We use it to get around. The Central Core's too large to walk everywhere."
"Will we go on one?"
"Not today, sorry, Anima." Pollux hummed. "You're staying here until your illness is cured."
I suppressed a pout, slumping my back.
"Careful what you do," Castor grumbled. "I don't want to drop you."
Right, Castor offered to carry me on this trip.
"If you're tired, you can pass him to me, brother."
"No, no. I'm fine, sister."
I felt a spark.
There was a faint jolt that spread through my body. I almost lept out of my skin.
Castor grabbed onto my wings as I was about to fall.
"What did I say about staying still?!"
"Sorry." I huffed.
"Keh... Young Stars and their explosive movements..."
'Anima.' Polaris muttered. 'Look forward.'
'Huh?' I asked. 'Why?'
No response.
'Why?' I asked again.
Still, no response.
Confused, I looked up.
"Huh?"
There was a Star who looked exactly like me.
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
I met someone today, someone who looked like me.
Sol, the Star called "Life's Last Bastion." I ran into him when Pollux was showing me around the Central Core. His eyes were brilliant gold, and his hair was the same shade of blond as mine. They spent a few days catching up. He wanted to know what happened in the Material Realms.
Right! The younger sister of the Centauri twins, Proxima Centauri, was with Sol. She looked similar to her older brothers, though she had vivid red hair and amber eyes.
They said they had a Union and birthed two planets. Jupiter and Saturn. Their names were oddly familiar, though I couldn't place where I heard them.
Pollux congratulated them. She then sulked about the fact she missed their celebration.
Still, something nagged at me. Sol...he looked familiar to me. When I met him, I felt like I had known him all my life. I wanted to jump into his arms and cry, to tell him how tough my life has been. When I heard about his union, I wanted to congratulate him as much as Pollux had.
But why?
Why are my memories so jumbled?
̶H̶e̶'̶s̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶e̶l̶d̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶w̶i̶n̶.̶ ̶O̶f̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶r̶s̶e̶ ̶I̶'̶v̶e̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶a̶l̶l̶ ̶m̶y̶ ̶l̶i̶f̶e̶.̶
Polaris has been oddly silent, too. Did they know each other? I tried asking him, but he clams up each time I do.
It's frustrating.
Why can't I get any answers?
Diary Entry: End
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It hurts.
Everything hurts.
I'm so weak I can't even move.
The bed is soft, at least. Though I can't fall asleep.
I must not fall asleep.
I'll have nightmares if I do.
Polaris is too loud.
He keeps muttering about something.
I don't understand him.
My mind is breaking.
I can only think in these short sentences.
If I try and extend my train of thought, my head starts to hurt.
My Core, my Core.
Why is it still not healed yet?
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Diary Entry No.-̷̲̖͝-̸̛̤̔̎͛̃̀̃
It's been so long since I last wrote. I haven't done anything for the past few years. I'll be twenty thousand years old soon, though I still look like a nine-thousand-year-old Star.
Why? Why don't I age?
The last few thousand years have been bland and tasteless. I spent every day lying in some healer's bed as they fussed over me, unable to figure out what was wrong with my body.
Their treatment helped slightly. My Core has somewhat stabilized, but it drains all my energy. I feel like a young Star again, unable to walk without assistance.
Everything seems so dull...
On the bright side, I've gotten closer to Castor. Pollux pushed us together, often forcing him to accompany me when I visited the healers. He says he dislikes humans, the race based on our souls. He says they demoted him to one of their own. It's kinda funny, the look of annoyance on his face.
He cares deeply for Pollux, though. And he'd do anything if it meant making her happy.
̶I̶'̶d̶ ̶d̶o̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶o̶,̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶S̶o̶l̶.̶
Oh! Sol visits me sometimes. I feel extra happy when I'm with him.
̶ ̶ ̶I̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶e̶ ̶u̶p̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶l̶o̶s̶t̶ ̶t̶i̶m̶e̶.̶
My head is beginning to hurt again.
Why won't Polaris shut up?
Diary Entry: End
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I was used to this already, being paralyzed and dreaming. I've been doing this often, just letting myself slip into oblivion. Every day, I get rushed to a healer or another and lay on a bed as they check my condition.
What a pain. My life is so monotonous now. I miss the days when I could hole up in my treehouse and work on a project. It's been so long since I recorded one of those vivid yet happy dreams.
The glowing trunk and roots of a great galactic tree stretched out before me, infinite and unrestrained. I had only seen this view once, yet even that was enough for it to inscribe itself firmly into my memory.
"Father," I stated. Polaris had told me many things. About who this being was. I was in the presence of the Greater Root, Akasha himself.
̶͍̿ ̷͈̈́"̵͎̍P̷̞̓ö̴̰́l̶͎̓a̴̝̿ȓ̶͎i̵̳͗s̴̟͛.̷͓̊"̴͖̔ Father declared, staring down at me through his countless yet unperceivable eyes.
His voice was clearer this time.
"I am not Polaris," I growled. No, I refuse to wield those six curses again.
̵̩͆ ̴̻̈"̸̢̂P̸͋ͅo̴̲͋l̴̦̉a̸͇͂r̸̻̔i̴̲͝s̴̛̬.̶̝͋"̸̳͋ Father's voice was cold and heartless, showing his emotionless state. That only fueled my anger even more.
"What do you want from me?!" I screamed towards the heavens. "Haven't I suffered enough?! Look at me, Father! My Core shattered and brittle, my soul split in two! I have to live in constant fear. All the while trying to ignore an incessant voice in my head. What else do you want?!"
̴̹͗ ̶͊ͅ"̷̩͠M̸̹̈́e̴̠̋r̵̫̾g̶̣̎ě̸̪.̴̹͊"̶̠̊ Father's word was law. But I had enough of this. "̸̙̚Ȁ̴͈c̷͍͛c̷̙̑e̶͙̊p̴͍͂t̸̞͑ ̵̼͊y̴̤̕o̴̦͊u̴͔̇r̴̦͋ ̶̰́d̸͔͌ȩ̴̏s̵̮̄t̶͎̿ī̵̼n̶̠̓ý̴̪.̷̞̕"̵̭̈́
"Easy for you to say." I spat out. "You have no emotion! You don't know fear, nor do you understand worry."
I cared not for how I knew those factors. They rolled from my tongue as I vented my anger, ancient memories guiding my voice.
̵̪̌ ̸͔͆"̷̘̈W̶̼͊e̶̗͝ ̸̬̿s̸̹͛p̸̺̉l̴͖̑î̸̡t̷̹͒ ̸̱͝t̴̻͝ó̸̬ ̵̈́͜r̵͎̉ẹ̷̚m̷̦̎e̷͖̒d̵̮͑ý̵̨ ̶̰͑t̸̒ͅh̴͍͑a̶͙̾t̵̰͝,̷̛̝"̷̫̋ Father murmured, his voice echoing through my ears. I shivered, suddenly reminded of who held more authority in this realm. "̵̹͋Y̷͖̒o̴͓͘ụ̷̈́ ̷̺͝ã̴̭r̵̚͜e̷͙͠ ̷̗͋I̴̪̊n̷̗̋f̸͙̑i̴͖͝n̵̺̄i̶͜͝t̶͈̒ý̷̪.̸̲̒ ̸̳̾Ỉ̷͍ ̴̢̋a̶̤͐m̵̾͜ ̵̩̾N̴̟̓ǒ̸͎t̸̥͒h̶̥͑i̷̦͘n̸̪͂g̵̛̫.̷̟̈́ ̴̭̈́W̵̢͑e̷͎̒ ̸̜̀a̵̦͗r̸̡̎ȅ̵̮ ̸̮͝t̷̝̎w̸̟͑o̸̦̿ ̸̻̆ṕ̸̰a̵̡̕r̴̳̊t̷̜͘s̴̃ͅ ̸̳͊o̸̟̕f̷̣͐ ̴͉͠à̴̞ ̸̤̉w̵͓̃h̷̦͌ȏ̶̗ḽ̸͑ė̶̤.̶̦̐"̴͉̓
"I told you!" I hissed. "I am not Polaris. I am just Anima, Star of Wishes."
̷̮̂ ̴̣͊"̴̩͑Ÿ̸̬o̴̞͑ú̴͎ ̴̩̈́a̶̯̚r̶̤̈́e̸̖̓ ̸͉͐b̵̅͜ǒ̶̳ť̴͍h̴̪͆,̶̩̓"̷̡̃ Father demanded. Too bad for him, I was done listening to demands.
Father seemed to realize I wouldn't listen to him as tendrils of light and Void once again began swirling around me. This time, however, instead of adding, they removed something from me.
̷̝̅ ̴̜̃"̷̩͊I̴̺͋ ̶̥̄t̸̬͝a̷̠͒k̴̲̇é̶̲ ̶̦̽b̸̼̊â̶̡c̸̩͗k̶͈̅ ̶͓̑t̷̬̎ȟ̶͙e̵̲̚ ̵͉̈́b̴͖͝i̶̱͘n̴̙͘ď̷̻ȋ̷̤n̶̹͗g̵̥͝ ̶͙̆ó̸̙n̸̼͘ ̷̳̒y̶͖̆o̵̟͋ú̸̗ŗ̶̍ ̶͖̈C̷̱͠ö̶͚ŕ̴͍e̷͖͠.̵̩͂"̴̐͜
My eyes widened in horror at the implication of what Father said. He removed the binding. That means-
"N-No! I'll be split in two!"
Father most definitely heard me. He just didn't bother responding. Instead, golden light wrapped around my form. Father's emotionless voice echoed through the Sea of Void.
̶͍̿ ̵̡̓"̸̫̎Y̸͔͋o̵̩̓ů̶̫ ̵̣͆m̴̲̕u̴̅͜s̸̥̏t̵͕͂ ̴͖̒l̵̳͝e̵̖̐a̶͍͐r̸̟̄n̴̲͆ ̶̬͐y̶͙̐õ̷̦ǘ̸̮ ̴̢̓c̶̥̿a̴̯͝n̵̼̔ ̷̗̔ṉ̷̍ö̷̬́ẗ̵̬ ̴̛ͅr̶͙̉u̵͇͒n̸̛͉ ̴͓̊f̷͛͜o̶̯̊r̵̦̒e̶͎̓v̷̢̈́e̶̺̎r̴̘̽.̶̘̈"̴͚̄
...
'W ell, this isn't good.'
Polaris's voice was the first thing I heard when I woke up. His tone was worried, urgent, even. Imbued with a gravity I hadn't heard in ages.
̷ ̶"̸U̷g̵h̷.̵.̷.̵ ̶W̶h̵a̶t̴ ̸h̵a̵p̴p̴e̴n̷e̶d̸?̵"̵
A sudden, suffocating emptiness caught in my throat, bringing back the all-too-familiar static voice. The last time I'd felt this, it was unbearable. But now the intensity was magnified tenfold. It was like a thousand nails scratching a blackboard, each scratch echoing louder and more painfully than the last. Intertwined with that torment was the grating sound of metal on metal, a relentless and chilling reminder of the growing power within.
'Don't talk.' Polaris ordered. 'This isn't good. Why did Father of all people get impatient?! Everything would have turned out fine!' He repeated the ominous words again,
̶ ̴"̷W̵h̷a̷t̶ ̶i̶s̵n̵'̵t̷?̸"̷ I asked, deciding to power through the uncomfortableness to state my curiosity.
'Father removed the binding that kept the Miracles from going out of control.'
̵̢̭͚͇̗̄̎ ̴̬̝̣̰͔̒"̴̩̳͙̫͕͋̕͜W̴̮̗̲͓͚̏̌h̷̦̩̼̩̚a̵͇̠̟͑̉̀̓t̴̘̂͆̈̔̕͝?̴͎͇́͜!̵̟̝̜̅̿̑̈́͑͘"̵̮̳͎̿͒̕͝ I lurched from screaming too loud.
'Take your hands off the table.' Polaris suddenly ordered. 'Now!'
̷ ̸"̸W̵h̴a̴t̶?̷ ̸W̴h̷y̸-̸-̴"̷ My eyes widened in horror. Void dripped from my fingertips as black specks of pure destructive energy danced around my form. The table I was sleeping on had all but vanished.
Sparks of panic ignited within my brain.
̶ ̶"̴W̶h̸a̵t̸ ̷d̷o̸ ̷I̴ ̴d̶o̸?̵!̷"̵
'Just accept me!' Polaris sounded desperate. 'Merge with me! I can give you the knowledge to control this!'
̴ ̸"̵N̶o̷!̵ ̵T̴h̷a̴t̸ ̵m̶i̸g̸h̸t̵ ̵m̸a̸k̷e̵ ̸i̵t̵ ̷e̴v̵e̵n̶ ̷w̵o̸r̸s̶e̷!̸"̵
My heart hammered in my chest, my eyes bulging as I tried to force this Miracle back into my soul.
It didn't work. If anything, it only seemed to speed up the process.
"What's going-?!" Suddenly, the room's door swung open with a thud. The healer, Sagittarius Alpha, eyes wide and jaw slack, took in the chaotic scene.
The deadly realization gripped me: anything I touched would wither, would be consumed and sent spiraling into the Sea of Void. A suffocating sensation surrounded me as I felt the wall press against my back, cold and unyielding. Desperation took hold. Why was there no escape? Why couldn't I move away from this enclosing trap?
Fifth Sin. Destruction.
The wall vanished, not even the slightest speck of dust was left behind. Shadows tinged my movements as I turned my heel and ran. Why? Why? Get them off me. They feel disgusting and cold. I don't want this!
'Stop! Anima! You're making this worse! Damn it! Why is that outcome the one that happens?!'
As I emerged onto the streets, a sea of faces confronted me, Celestials moving about their day, oblivious to the danger I posed. Panic surged. Why today, of all days, were the streets so packed? The overwhelming desire not to harm anyone battled with my need to escape. Every fiber of my being screamed.
'Get me out of here!'
Second Sin. Expansion.
A rainbow of colors lit up within the sky, and a thousand gateways to a thousand realities opened before me. My eyes were hazy and smeared with tears. I couldn't see anything. Why couldn't I see?! I stumbled into a random gateway.
I can't breathe.
I fell on a patch of grass, my hands balled into tight fists. I couldn't let my palms touch anything. Something horrible will happen if I do.
"Anima? What are you doing here?"
I looked up and saw the Star who had cared for me for so many years. Instinctively, I began backing away. I had landed in front of Pollux's home.
"Are you alright? Did the healers let you go early?" Pollux asked me, her eyes coloring with worry as she began walking towards me.
I can't hurt her.
I won't hurt her.
"Anima?"
̴̧̡̖̭̠̙͓̰͉͎̻̳͕̠̫̭̬̹́͊̊̾̈͗̅͛̉̆̍́͠͝͝͝͝͝ͅ ̴̮̻̼̹̓̀̀̅̔̀͒͐̇̈͗̕͠"̷̢̲̬̻̼̼̋̿̂͋͌̉͊͊̄̌͊̑̓G̶̨̭̥̬̟̮̮͈͔̘̺͔̣̮̱͕̝̾̈͑͂̔̅̈́̂̓͊̚͜ͅơ̷̛̝̘̩̙̥̑̈́͊̔͐̍͒͋̌́͂́̔̾͌͒͆̽̈̀̈́́͜ͅ ̸̰̍́̈́̎̋͒̀̎̐́͗̇͆̅͛͑̏͗͂̅̑̕͘͠ả̷̢̧̡͓̬̱͔̖̭̹̘̗̞͉͍̝̯̫̲̞̰̞̠̞̄̈̐̈́̔́̋̄̓͌͜w̷̨͉͖̼̲̝̬̯̝̪͎͔̳͇̜͊̓͆̽̑̔͆̂͛̋͝ͅͅà̶̟̘͍̗̱̩̹̺̩̥̮̹̑̏̄̄̎͂̑̍͛͝ͅẏ̵̲͙̫͙̞̰͔̟̖̪͖͓̯̮̒̎͆̀̆̾̎̂̽̀̍!̴̢̲͎̯̟̻̬͎̞̭̳̱̤̰͕̫̼̲͍̤̥́̓̂̓̅͝"̴͖̘͚̩̰̥̤͙̯̣̜̙̼̘͇͑͂̂͛̒̾͋̎̔̊͆̊̊͌͐̕̚͝͝
The scream was so loud and primal that I froze in shock. Inky tendrils turned into whips around me, jerking in erratic motions beyond my control. A delicate wisp scratched Pollux's spotless skin. Starfire and Void slowly bled and dripped.
Pollux recoiled her hands, a tinge of hurt on her face. "A-Anima. What's going on?"
I didn't have the ability to process her words, being more focused on the expression on her face. Fear, mixed with worry and pain. She still cared for me. Even when I was like this.
̷"̴N̶o̸,̴ ̴P̵o̶l̴l̵u̸x̴.̸.̷.̵ ̵p̶l̶e̴a̷s̷e̸,̶"̸ My voice was barely above a whisper, heartbreak evident in every syllable. The weight of it all threatened to crush me.
Damn it.
Damn it.
I deserve to die.
Finally, something fully shattered.
̴̢̢̰̝̣̟̠̊͜ ̴̡̪̳̻͈͇̜̞̗̺̝͇̆́̎́͑͌̓͌̓̀̔̐̓͜͠ͅ"̸̢̧̬̪̺̜̞̣͇̪̫̤̖̓̏G̵̨͙̣̩̩̊̊͐̈́͌́̈́́͘̚̕ę̷̡̨̠̟̳̤͇͍̱̺͔̰̫̊̄̋̈͒͋̓̀͘͠t̷̢̹̺̭̲̖͓͓̣͇̹̪̥͕̫̟̗̤̻͙͆̐̎̀̒̄̓̂̍̍̈̽̽̿̅͋́̂̊̈́̚͜͝ ̶̢̛̫̦̗͉̔̾̐̊̐̍͒͑͛͒̑̿̍̇͌̈͘̕͝͝a̷̢̢̫̫̖̯̪͖̠͓̭͙̭̬̅͛̿͂͛̇̇̀̿͘ͅw̸̨̯͕̦̟͇͔͎͍̟̤͇̠̜͔̭͉̭̍͜å̸̭̼̥̝̺̳͈͚͆͊̏̄̃̄̇͊͋̕͠͠y̷̧̻̘̥͓͉̬͍̖̝͍̳̓̀ͅ!̶̨̧̛̟͇̗̰̯̪̄͛̎͐͐̑͆̒̽̑̑͌̈́͌̾̀̚͝͝͝"̸̨̪͈̩͈̻̻̩͙̮͛̂͐͛͌̍́̊̆̈́̋̓͗̅̔̈́̊̈́̈̇͘͝
...
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In realms beyond the celestial skies, from grace, a star did fall.
Shadowed Heart and darkened Core broke its inner thrall.
Grief arose within Celestial mind, for hurting elder kin.
From starry ashes, a Beast arose, bearing oldest sin.
With just a touch, a galaxy fell, swallowed by Void Sea's tide.
Regret and flames consumed the Star, leaving fear behind.
Through tempests fierce and scorching pain, the Northern Star did cry.
"Unite our thoughts and bind our souls; together we'll defy."
In desperation's final bind, with hope's last fleeting grind,
Destruction ceased as stars combined, one in heart and mind.
But wounds from ancient curses deep weren't healed by tides of time.
The Star, with power from days long past, rewrote the cosmic lines.
The sands of time rewound and spun, to before the Star's great fall.
But haunting echoes of pain and death, in memory did install.
With gaze of regret and heart torn apart, the Star left his home.
In sorrow's deep grip, as time did slip, to another realm to roam.
...
...
...
When the Stars of Andromeda awoke from their slumber, the Weaver had long since vanished.
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Well, any thoughts?
The dialogue and other parts were shit, but I want to think I did well with the poems.
Still, if there are any suggestions, please comment. Hate comments are welcome, too, as long as they are reasonable. So nothing like "This fic is trash because I don't like it."
Well, see you all in the next one.
Sorry again that this took so long.
