She woke up with a headache. She didn’t know how long she had been asleep. The room she was in was cold and dark. But that felt fine, she felt feverish, and the coolness was comforting. She looked around the room and saw her sword and dagger were near her. That’s right, her mother’s sword, no, her sword now she thought. The dagger was a gift from her sister and her sister’s mate. That’s right, she had a sister, a family, but that was before. She snapped her fingers together, and the room became lit. It was a small stone room with a single simple bed and a stone bedside nightstand; on the nightstand rested her dagger and a small handheld mirror. They must have left the mirror here for her when she woke up. She grabbed the mirror with a slight tremble and looked at her reflection; her face had changed, her eyes darkened, yet still the same purple it was before. The one thing she noticed was her hair, black like her mother’s, it was once silver-white but now…
“I sssee your finally awake” A voice broke her thought. It was Pycala’s voice. Coming from the doorway of the room.
Pycala: Your soul hasss finally returned to itself. You are now as you once were. Welcome back, Paige.
Paige: I’m don’t seem to remember what happened… How did I get here?
Pycala: That will come in time. For now, I suggest you get dressed and grab your sword.
A set of clothes materialize from shadows on the bed next to Paige. “The soulssss of Jae Taereial and Phage is now within you. And the ancient soul within you has awakened. Paige Keisner, daughter, there is much I need to ssshow you, much you will need to learn.” Pycala says and then walks down the stone hallway.
Paige gathers her strength and gets dressed, the clothes fitting her perfectly. She grabs her sword and dagger. Stowing the dagger in her weapons belt and the sword on her back for now. Grabbing the sword’s hilt seems to center her and give her clarity, and she feels her strength begins to return. Paige walks out of the room after her mother.
Paige comes out of the stone building to find herself in a graveyard of bones. The hydra altar not far in the distance. Pycala waves her hand, and a cup of tea appears floating on a sauce made of shadows in front of Paige.
Paige: Tea? I didn’t think you were the tea type…
Pycala: A wise old friend once told me, their isss always time for tea. But she did not know how much time there really could be when dealing with the likessss of me.
Paige takes the teacup and joins Pycala at what appears to be a small table and chair set aside at the entrance.
Paige: Do you know Zazil then, because that sounds exactly like something she would say.
Pycala: She may not remember me, but yesssss. I know her. Kryptaris’s eldesssst daughter…
Paige takes a sip of the tea; it seems to have been brewed and mixed exactly to her liking.
Paige: hmmm, how did you know what to put in my tea exactly.
Pycala: I know many thingsss about you, my dear.
Paige: Where is that dragon who was with you earlier…
Pycala: Ghalastarr issss on an errand for me. So it isss just usss.
Paige: You were going to tell me whats the secret with my family…
Pycala: Amethyst and Onyx. The amethyst is Adrian, the eldest son of Silvasky and Alzacastar.
Paige: I thought his stone was emerald?
Pycala: Hisss brother Varjasss was emerald. Adrian has the blood of the sky family. Varjas the blood of the faytes.
Paige: Well, I guess I kind of already knew that… After putting it that way…
Pycala: The rainbow king isss your father in thisss life, Azrikara. Your mother, Saralisss the onyx. Daughter of Adrian and Alicia. Alicia is older than Adrian; she isss the Agate. Your daughter in another life.
Paige: What!?
Pycala: Alicia yesss, she isss what one would call an arch-creator, but her lineage isss far older than the world you were born into in thisss life. She isss from outside that “box.” Her father, dead, of course.
Paige: I find that one hard to believe… How could she be my daughter… How old am I exactly…
Pycala: Your sssoul isss an ancient wound lost in the death of cycles old and long gone. Repeating alwaysss as it alwaysss will continue to do. We have had thisss conversation before. And we will have it again.
Paige: I don’t understand… Are you saying I’ve been here before?
Pycala: You are the time of death itself. A seal wasss placed upon you when you were born. Your father isss older and wiser than he letsss on. And your mother, Sarlissss, is also much older than you think. The time within your family’s soulssss is far greater than the universe you have existed within.
Paige: How could that be…
Pycala: All soulsss return to where they belong on the board of creation. All things bend to the while of the cycle—all thingsss return to where they once came.
Paige: I think Alzy and Snow said something like that once… The chain of fayte is in a loop. Thye tried to break it before.
Pycala: Yessss, some soulsss like these are greater than the loop. Yet find themselves stuck within. You either fight it or look to continue existing within it.
Pycala points her finger to the altar. “He controls the loop. The one who killed time.”
Paige: Killed time…?
Pycala: You were born upon his death. You are connected to the faytesss. You know of Silvasky and Runa, who are the ones you call Faytessss. Then there is the third, the fayte of death.
Paige: Are you saying I’m the third fayte?
Pycala smiles. “Their isss many third fatyesss. And you are the first. But the power wasss passed to another after your death. And then it wasss passed to another. And now It is held by a child. But part of the power remainsss. You were the target of many evilsss the dark is drawn to power like that.”
Paige: Ezear… Zero Cell… They all came after me because of that…
Pycala: Zero is one of the onesss who serves the loop. Defender, defiler, deceiver, a greedy destroyer.
Paige: So you know him too then…
Pycala: Ash’Braen, Kryptaris and Zero Cell. You have fought them all, in each of your livesss, and alwaysss lost. That isss the will of the cycle.
Paige: … No… That can’t be right… If I lost, how am I still here… Why don’t they just finish me off rather than continue this…
Pycala: You’re hard to kill; you have your parentssss essence.
Paige: How are you still alive…
Pycala: I am a ghost; I am sin. I am the reclaimer of souls who are lost in the dark.
Paige: Sin isn’t exactly a good thing…
Pycala: I have many names. And many facesss. But most of all, I realign what the cycle forgetsss.
Paige: … so you work for the loop like Zero…
Pycala: Not like him. I correct where he destroysss.
Paige: So do I need correcting?
Pycala: You are my daughter. And the cycle allowsss me this one simple request. I can teach you what you need to know to use that sword. To unlock the truth. But you must be the one to use it.
Paige: It allows you to?
Pycala: The cycle is absolute. It answersss to no one. Do you know who created all of creation? Do you think it was the creatorsss? The godsss? No, it wass the dark. The cycle isss –
Paige: Dias Mortem. Right? That tentacle thing…
Pycala: You have seen it have you not? In your nightmaressss.
Paige: Yes… sometimes I dream of what Ezear did to me, and that thing is always in the background or just off in the shadows… Always…
As they both finish their tea, Pycala gets up and walks towards the altar, and Paige follows her.
Pycala: Dias Mortem issss the beast who granted the wish.
Paige: What wish can that thing grant?
Pycala: The wish for all of creation.
Paige: what the hell does that even mean…
Pycala: You will understand if you look for the source of all time. The oldest point.
Paige: I think Zazy or someone once told me that it was impossible.
Pycala: Impossible to reach? Or impossible to believe? A wish was granted and creation wasss born.
Paige: What wish… Wait, earlier; you said creation was a sin.
Pycala: I am the sin of all of creation. And you, as the daughter of sin, can reclaim the world. Or be the mother to the next who will. And it continuesss.
Paige: The cycle. Interesting… So only one of my kids or myself can kill Dias Mortem. Is that what you’re saying?
Pycala: The sword can slay the beast. But only with the blood of the wisher. The three Faytess must gather, and only then.
Paige: But which faytes… Silvasky and Runa and the child?
Pycala: Only my true descendant may use the sword. Only then, when they hold the power of the third fayte, can the beast be slain. They must use the sword with the blood of with wish maker upon it. And then all of creation will end.
Paige: Wait… if we kill dias mortem, creation ends?
Pycala: The cycle is creation; souls recycle forever. The ocean of time filterssss them, drains their memories, their power, and falls as rain upon the worldssss. Souls slowly decay; eventually, life will become simpler, and then the cycle will end when the sssspiromas are depleted. One way or another, all of creation will end with a bang, with a whimper, or in the dark, cold embrace of entropy. Eventually, the cold death of all thingsss, the wish maker and the beast will be the only onessss to remain.
Paige: But I’d rather like to go on living. Even if my life has kind of gone to crap as of late.
Pycala lets out a cackling laugh that sends a shiver down Paige’s spine.
Paige: What’s so funny about that?
Pycala: Tell me about that dagger.
Paige draws the dagger and shows it to Pycala.
Paige: It’s my seekers or shifters tool. Given to me by my sister and her mate.
Pycala: It is a nice piece of work. He wassss your lover once?
Paige: no… Not exactly. I was with him, but I was under the control of Zero. His brother was my mate.
Pycala: You have ssssomeone to return to then.
Paige: Not anymore… Arzy is gone… And Rezi doesn’t love me. He doesn’t really want anything to do with me.
Pycala: Your children then. They are the reason you wissssh to live?
Paige: I haven’t seen them in a while now… My daughter and I have a strenuous relationship; she is with a guy who was Zero’s host and who hurt me… And my son takes after his father and left on his own when he was still young.
Pycala: So you hold on to your sister and her mate, despite not being hissss lover. Is there any other reasonsss you want to keep living?
Paige: Well… no… that’s not right… If creation ends, my children die too…
Pycala: And thousands of otherssss. But their soulsss are trapped in the same cycle of pain you have lived through for countless cyclesss already. You know the pain first hand.
Paige sees the pain in Pycala’s dark grey eyes and understood.
Paige: You’ve been stuck outside the cycle…
Pycala: I have seen the pain you have suffered endlessly… Repeating… I wisssh their wasss another way. But thisss is the cycle.
Paige: Have you tried to fight it?
Pycala: I am removed from the boundary of the world. It is unreachable to me.
Paige: I don’t think you are telling me the whole truth…
Pycala: You must understand… You fight the cycle, and in the end, it enlistsss you. Wither you wanted to join it or not. And then it’s too late. There isss no way out.
Paige: You’re stuck here… And despite your ancient power, you can’t do anything against it without my help.
Pycala: Now you understand why you musssst learn to use the sword.
Paige: But there must be a way to kill it and have creation go on.
Pycala: Perhapssss their isss a way… But you have yet to find it.
Paige: So I’ve tried to look before…
Pycala: Many timesss. You and I have had thisss same conversation. Now, you may take your training with the sword. And then decide if you will do this, or try to find another way.
Paige: What about my family… There is still an unanswered question.
Pycala: Your soul was sealed and broken into two halves by your parentsss. Jae and Phage. Your sistersss, Emerald and Ruby. Your brotherssss Azrinkalith and Scroul.
Paige: Yes. How was it that ruby killed Saralis… Why did they put us back together… why lie?
Pycala: Your parentsss realized who you were. And had you sssealed within their first daughter Jae. Your sisters Ruby and Emerald had powerful personalities. And extreme power. During the Hadren war which devolved into the Drelf war, your father fought to keep what little he could of your grand fatheresss kingdom from falling apart. Jenika and Alinia fell into corruption, and with Visak, Drack and Guanis lead to the sealing of your grandfather Adrian. Emerald wished to join the fighting and help Adrian, and Saralis did not want her to. Saralis wanted to stay out of the fighting till she could find her mother. Ruby, who was very ssssensitive, stepped in on Emerald’s behalf. Azrinkalith had gone with your father at the time. And Jae was trying to talk down her mother and sisters. That is when Visak made his move. Controlling the souls of the dead within the sword, he caused Saralis to strike down Emerald. This led to Ruby explode in rage and nearly kill Saralis. Both Emerald and Sarlis would have died, but Jae stepped in and tried to calm down Ruby. Ruby wasss the most powerful of your sistersss. Since Ruby was emotionally unstable, Jae had the upper hand and taking this sword; she wassss able to win the battle. When Azrikara and Azrinkalith returned home… Azrikara killed Ruby and finished off both Emerald and Saralis. Sparing them as there wasss no healer and no recovery from the injuries. Jae went on to fight Visak to avenge her mother and sisterssss, but she would lose. Azrinkalith eventually managed to retrieve the sword, but at a cost. He would never trust hisss father again. Azrikara, grief-stricken, did what he could and brought you all back. But the damage to your soulsss was done. And Saralis would forget, and Jae would come back as Phage, Ruby and Emerald as Sarah. The rest I’m sssure you know.
Paige: … So this happened during the fall of Adrian and the start of the Drelf war…
Pycala: Yess The drelf war lasted for generationsss. But the start was the collapse of Adrian’s kingdom.
Paige: I knew Visak was an evil bastard. But I didn’t realize he had that much power to control the sword…
Pycala: All descendantsss of Alicia may use the sword to some degree. But only the true heir may master it…
Paige: But why did they hide this.
Pycala: Sometimesss, the truth is darker. Sometimesss it doesn’t need to be said. To the outsider, it appearsss Saralis killed her own daughter, was then killed by her daughter, and that Azrikara killed hisss own children and lover. The curse and guilt of this never left your parentsss. Perhapss they do not even know it was Visak, but I suspect the guilt is there regardless. Tell me, If Zero made you kill your daughter, and your son then killed you to stop you from harming another, how would that ssseem?
Paige: I guess that makes sense… Actually… It kind of explains a lot…
Paige draws her sword and looks at the blade. Hearing the voices of the dead whisper softly.
Paige: So… Training, right?
Pycala grins. “Training. Yessss…”
She woke with a headache, not knowing how long she had been asleep… This seemed somewhat familiar. Her memories and track of time in this place had become more and more fragmented. She sensed something was off. Perhaps something had always been off, and she didn’t realize it before? She wasn’t sure. She had been training with her mother, but a fog seemed to cloud her thoughts and her dreams. Her mind and memories seemed to be splintering. But Pycala ensured her it was normal, her soul needed time to heal, to bind together and to awaken her full self.
Paige got up from her bed, grabbed her sword, approached the door to her room, and slowly opened it. She heard voices down the hall…
Ghalastarr: So she hasn’t realized the truth yet.
Pycala: She issss almost ready, do not interfere.
There was a deep muttering growling that sent a shiver down her spine. A sound that seemed to bring her a deep dread.
Pycala: It won’t matter; in the end, the loop will always repeat.
Ghalastarr: The proto-fayte made her move. And now the lie is known.
Another deep growl, and this time Paige listened closer and realized it was a voice. Someone or Something was talking.
“The realm of Keru has been ended. The champion of gold has warped the seal.”
Pycala: So the next chain hassss been severed. Thingsss have progressed to the next stage.
Ghalastarr: The shard is ready. Although the stone is not as whole as it once was, it shall do the task.
An unnatural growl fills the air. “She listens…”
Paige sensing something behind her quickly turns with her sword in hand, but as she does, a cloud of darkness covers her vision. She feels something hard like stone, but warm touch her and then a sensation of pain envelops her. She screams out, but her voice is silent; she feels teeth rip into her side and tear her left leg from her body…
She wakes up with a headache. With no memory of how long she has been asleep. She gets up and grabs her sword. She sensed something was off, that she’d been here before. Was that just a dream? A nightmare? She wasn’t sure. Pycala had told her that her soul was in a healing state and she would have some strange side effects, that it was normal… But this damned headache… It felt like her head was going to break in two.
Paige opened the door to her room slowly and heard voices from the hallway.
Ghalastarr: How goes her training? Will she be ready to kill The Liar?
Pycala: It’sss slow, but she will be ready…
A deep unnatural growl sends a shiver down Paige’s spine. Somehow she can make out a voice in the growl.
“The worlds have shifted. The knights have failed. But I will offer them one more chance.”
Ghalastarr: Yes, we can use Malnova and Archaia. These two pawns were positioned just for such an event.
A cloud of darkness covers Paige, and she hears a deep growl that seems to freeze her soul to its core. “Cracks in your soul make you weak, strengthen yourself little reaper; we will have use for you yet.”
Paige wakes up with a jolt. Pycala stood at her bedside, wiping a cold cloth on her forehead.
Pycala: It’sss alright… You need rest… The personalities of Jae and Phage are stubborn. This will be a test of your willssss. Do not worry; I will help you, dear daughter.
Paige: I’ve been having some pretty bad nightmares… That is normal for me, but these are a bit different…
Pycala: These will passssss in time. Now sleep…
Paige wakes up to hear a scream down the hall. Grabbing her sword, she rushed from her bed and opened the door. She looked down the hall and saw a figure standing in the hallway with its back turned to her. The figure is covered in bright silver light. It walks down the hallway silently. Paige follows it as quietly as she can, sensing no hostility from the figure, but sensing something familiar.
The figure walks to a closed door in the hallway and walks through it as if it had no physical form. Paige did not recognize this door from the days she spent here training. She opened the door quietly… In the room, she sees Kiro standing in a cage of silver and black light. Several black arrows pierce him on all sides, and a set of white chains hold him to the floor and back wall of the cage. He turns and looks at Paige with his grey eyes. “Help me…”
Paige gets a cold and somehow familiar shiver inside her soul. She turns to face the thing behind her. A large tentacle floats from a portal just a few feet behind her. The tentacle seems to split open, revealing countless large teeth.
“Run!”… She hears Kiro scream in pain as she senses another portal open in the room. She draws her sword and slashes at the tentacle in front of her, but the sword seems to pass through it. She backs up and concentrates on the sword, calling its power as she had been trained. She slashes at the tentacle again, and this time it makes contact. She can hear and feel the clang as it strikes the teeth… Her vision goes dark, and everything goes silent. The last she hears is Kiro screaming in agony…
Paige wakes up with a headache. She knew this was a sign; it had happened again. The tentacle thing had been back. This had happened many times. Pycala and Ghalastarr would tell her the headache, the fever, the chills and weakness; it was because her soul was healing from the merge. But she knew better. That thing didn’t want her to know that this was all a lie.
She got up and made her way down the hallway, stopping at the spot where the door was. But it wasn’t there. She touched the wall and tried to sense if there had been a barrier placed here. But she didn’t sense anything. Was Kiro really here? Was It really just a dream or nightmare? She wasn’t sure anymore.
Pycala came down the hall towards her.
“Time for your daily training… You’ve learned ssssso much since you have been here. Soon I think you will be ready.”
Paige: Ready for what?
Pycala: To fight and kill Dias Mortem.
Paige: I was beginning to think you were on its side.
Pycala: No one isss on the side of the beast.
Paige: I think I’m going mad. I’ve seen things in my dreams… Things that…
Pycala hugs her. “You have suffered greatly, and sadly you will continue to do ssso. If there isss one comfort, I can give isss that I never wanted you to suffer. I never wanted for thissss to be the only way. The only time I can spend with you, my only child. You will need to be strong and face the dark on your own. I will trust whatever you decide. To end all creation and all sssuffering, or to live and find a way to be happy. You have the power and the will to do this yourself.
Paige: … You really…
Pycala: You’re my hope.
Paige can see the hurt in Pycala’s dark eyes. Pain that has been neverending for years. Even without using her seeking abilities, she can tell Pycala’s emotion runs deep, and she hasn’t told her a lie. Paige hugs Pycala back. “Well, let’s get to the training then, mom.”
Some time passed…
Paige wakes up and gets ready for her training. When she gets outside, her mother gives her a cup of tea.
Pycala: Your training isss complete. Thiss is the final day for you here. Tomorrow you will leave.
Paige: What? I thought there was more…
Pycala: Sadly, thisss is all the time we get. You have come far. And the rest will be up to you.
Paige: So where do I go from here.
Pycala: I will tell you tomorrow.
Paige realizes Pycala had set aside a third cup of tea.
Paige: Is Ghalastarr joining us today?
Pycala: We will entertain a guest today.
Paige: A guest? Who…
A splinter in time seems to open, and a rift of gold light bleeds through to reveal what looks like a child walk out of it.
She had long white hair, gold eyes, bronzish ruddy skin colour and complexion. A small set of red markings on her face form a pattern or tattoo of some symbol that Paige was unfamiliar with. The girl approaches them; Paige realizes she had what seems like fox ears and tail that matched her size. As well as two small golden horns on her head. Dressed in gold and white coloured robes.
Eshlazeel: Hello Pycala…
Pycala: Hello, old friend.
Paige realized this ‘girl,’ even though she looked young, was far older than anyone she had ever met before. Her soul’s age seemed similar, if not older than Pycala’s.
Paige: Hello…
Pycala gives Eshla the third cup of tea.
Pycala: So my time issss up once again.
Eshlazeel: Yes, it would seem so. The prophecy of the faytes is one step closer. And your time on the board is coming to a close.
Pycala: Eshlazeel, you know you don’t have to be happy about thissss. The loop may yet come again.
Eshlazeel: Perhaps… But if your daughter and the others pull a miracle, then maybe we can have tea again like we used to properly.
Paige: Sorry if this sounds odd. But you seem familiar. Something about your soul…
Eshlazeel: I am of old time.
Eshla places an ornate golden hourglass on the tea table.
Paige: Your related to Zazy, aren’t you.
Eshla smiles. “Yes, he’s my son.”
Paige: Well, that’s surprising… I didn’t think he had a mother… He’s like one of those old-time fuckers who’s been around since forever.
Eshlazeel: I’m Eshlazeel Goldenscythe. Or Eshla for short. And your Paige. My stepdaughter.
Paige: … Wait… Does that mean…
Eshla: Technically, your Zazy’s half-sister, yes. That kind of goes for all the Faytes in away, but you were special in the fact that your mother was my mate’s second mate.
Paige: Really…
Pycala: Yesss, your father has been dead for a long time as I have ssssaid…
Paige: So did you two share him, or?
Eshla: It was the old days; it was normal for a male to have many mates. So technically, yes, we shared him.
Pycala: Eshla was his main…
Some time passed as Pycala and Eshla chatted; Paige seemed to drift in and out of the conversation; she felt particularly drained of energy and was sure she might have fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of their conversation.
She woke to the sound of Eshla placing a gem on the table.
Eshla: If you need my help Paige, you may call me with this stone.
Paige takes the gem. “Thanks, I guess?” Paige realizes that Pycala is gone, and it’s just her and Eshla at the moment.
Eshla: Do not trust your mother fully. She may have your best intentions in mind, and she may wish the cycle to end. But there is a darkness about her; there always was. And its, not the darkness of death as you may see with your sword. Azrikara and Saralis care for you as well. You should leave this place soon.
Paige: I figured something was up with her… She seems to love me a lot. But something has been off about this place. The tentacle thing seems to haunt me at every turn.
Paige’s senses seem to reawaken, and her mind sharper as if a fog is being lifted.
Eshla: The stone will protect you from its influence. This world you have been in is a grave. And only death awaits those who linger. But most of all, do not trust Ghalastarr.
Paige realizes that Eshla is glowing a bright gold that seems comforting in some way. The glowing gets brighter until it blinds her. Paige closes her eyes and looks away; as she does so, she realizes she and Pycala are alone at the table.
Pycala: Did you have a nice nap, daughter?
Paige: Huh? yeah… I feel better now. I didn’t realize I was so tired.
Pycala: Well, it’s your turn to clean the tea cupsss.
Paige: Where’s Eshla?
Pycala: She is gone…
Paige: You didn’t wake me..
Pycala smiles slightly “you needed your resssssssst.”
Paige sees the hourglass on the table, with the sand still falling, counting down. She feels something in her pocket and realizes it’s the gem. But something tells her not to reveal it. Paige notices Ghalastarr working at the bone altar not far away and remembers Eshla’s words… “Don’t trust Ghalastarr”.
Ghalastarr worked at putting the finishing touches for the ritual ceremony at the bone altar.
Ghalastarr: I hope you have trained her well. The others need her to fulfill the role. We are slowly running out of options.
The golden-orange scaled dragon looked up at what appeared to be a large twin-headed snake with horns on both heads. The snake had bright purple eyes and a body of black scales that seemed to warp the light around it. She stood much taller than him and was much longer. It was an ancient form and would have compared in size to the massive hydra that had become the altar upon which they now stood.
Pycala: She issss ready. But it remainsss her choice.
Ghalastarr: She will need to be motivated. These games you play with the timeline won’t go unnoticed forever.
Pycala: When the time comessss I trust she will make the right choice.
Ghalastarr: We must kill the creator god. It’s the only way to prevent further damage and correct the timeline.
Pycala: Perhapssss…
Paige awoke with much more clarity than in recent days. She realized the gem that Eshla had given her indeed had held some power, something more than just protection and a way to call her. There was a darkness in this place that if you remained too long, it slowly would eat at you and corrupt your soul, your very nature. It wasn’t like Zero or some other quana, it was much more subtle, but given enough time, it would be much more dangerous, she thought. Eshla was right, this place was a grave, and nothing good would come of staying longer than she needed to.
So this was the day she was told she would be leaving. To where she didn’t know, to do what she wasn’t sure. But Pycala had made it clear; their time together would come to an end. Something still bothered her; Paige had to know, was Kiro really here? Why did Eshla say not to trust Ghalastarr? Perhaps it was time to find out.
Paige gathered her things and prepared herself mentally. This would be her hardest day here; she fought the nervousness, grief, melancholy, anger, all of it and made her way out of her room for the last time. Remembering the days she spent here with her mother, she walked down the hallway.
Paige came out of the structure that had been her home during her time here with Pycala. She wasn’t sure how long it had been; Paige had lost her sense of time in this place. She saw Ghalastarr at the bone altar and approached. As she got closer, she noticed a large thing next to Ghal. At first, her eyes had trouble focusing on it, but she saw what it is as she got closer.
Paige: what… Mom? What kind of form is that?
Pycala: You are familiar with the term Hadren are you not?
Paige: Yes, but most of the ones I’ve seen have not been like this.
Ghalastarr: Your mother is a unique being. This is her original form.
Pycala: If you think thisss form is unique, you should see Eshla’sssss.
Ghalastarr: It’s time for you to know why your here, Paige. We need you to work for us.
Paige: Oh? What with?
Ghalastarr places the shard of animas onto the altar, and a sliver of time cracks open. A portal begins to form around the altar, and Paige senses familiar energy coming from it. The creation core, but more than that, the tentacle creature as well. She smelled burning sulfur, ion, and the ocean all at once. The portal seemed to flicker between bright golden light and a dark inky blackness.
Paige: What is this…
Paige feels a pull from the portal in her mind; but then a resistance from her pocket. The gem seemed to push back like a reverse in polarity. Paige hears a voice from the gem, one she senses only she could hear, it was Eshla: “Your mother has been held here against her will by Dias Mortem. Ghalastarr is not her servant, he works for IT. The portal is open; play your part, and make your move when the time is right.” As the portal stabilizes, the golden light fades, and it remains inky black, and Eshla’s voice fades. The energy of the core and the smell of the ocean fades. All that remains is a cold smell of ion.
Pycala: I’m sorry, Paige. But I haven’t been entirely honesssst with you.
Ghalastarr: You were chosen to be the one to kill The Liar, and work with us to kill the god of creation.
Paige: The Liar?
Ghalastarr: The cycle demands his death. He has interfered with things for too long. He has your latest descendant, the one who would use that blade of yours against us. He keeps his name secret and works against the cycle of souls. Paige Keisner Mortem you will kill him, and his pawns.
Paige shivers at hearing the name. Something about it feels wrong. Then it clicks together in her mind. This had been all a plan to control her and to have her work for the tentacle creature. The fog that she had felt in her mind, the dreams, the pull from the portal… This place would corrupt her, bend her soul to IT’s will even without her consciously knowing. But Eshla, and that gem… She will have to thank Eshla later for waking her up.
Paige: So who is the god of creation? Nykasar? Alzy? Rezi? I guess it probably doesn’t matter. You likely want all of them gone.
Ghalastarr: They have all interfered in the cycle.
Paige: Tell me one thing… Where’s Kiro?
Ghalastarr: That doesn’t concern you. You will leave here and go to Malnova. He will give you the next steps.
Ghal took a breath and blew a circle of gold fire around them. The fire burned unnaturally cold and seemed to complete the ritual. Paige sensed something familiar about the fire. It seemed to resonate the same as the energy of an exile dagger.
Paige looks at Pycala and then to Ghalastarr. She had been holding onto the gem Eshla had given her, clenching it in her pocket. She knew Kilana had been searching for Kiro, a man who had helped everyone he could selflessly. He had done so much for her and everyone. Paige knew what she had to do. Letting go of the gem, she removed her hand from her pocket and reached for her dagger, her other hand reaching for the sword. She would get her answers from Ghal, one way or another. Pycala gave her a slow nod.
As her hand touched the hilt of her sword, a tentacle emerges from the portal and approaches her. She froze in place. Did they realize something was up? Did they figure out her intentions?
There was an immediate gust of wind and the sound of a swish; the fire went out. The dimension went dark, and it took a moment for Paige’s eyes to adjust to the now pure darkness. She heard an unnatural growl that gave her soul a shivering cold. There was a shout of pain, and reality began splintering around her.
Pycala had made her move in a blur. With speed and accuracy, she used a single swipe of her tail to put the fire out and advanced on Ghal. As the dimension went dark, she had Ghal’s throat in between her fangs on one head and shattered the animas stone with the fangs on the other.
Paige: … mom?
Ghal: You’ve made a huge mistake…
Pycala twisted her head and snapped her jaws shut on Ghal, finishing him off. Her venom dissolving his soul completely. A deep unnatural growl that gave Paige dread split the darkness. A sound she recognized, one that set her soul aflame. It was Dias Mortem. “Sinn, you will be removed for your betrayal. For the last time.”
Paige drew her sword and, using her training, struck out at the tentacle, severing it from the portal. A deep growl seemed to echo and reverberate through time and space. The reality of this dimension began to crack more and more.
Pycala: It’ssss time for you to leave, daughter… We will meet again in the next loop. Unlessssss you are successful. Know that I will always love you, above all elsssse…
The shard of animas that pycala broke begins to reform. A gold glow in the dark. The light grows, and a large flash of light overtakes the dimension. Paige senses time and spiromas break down and collapse, imploding in on itself. She remembers the time Alzy fought Redeemer, who used a similar stone, which held power to erase souls from all of the time. Was this to be her end? No, Pycala said they would meet again. Paige positioned her sword over her eyes, protecting her from the blinding light. Paige called on the power of the sword. The golden light overtakes her, and the dimension is erased.
“It’s time to wake up, Paige Keisner.” She hears a voice and slowly opens her eyes. Paige finds herself floating in a void between worlds, and she’s not alone. Before Paige stands a woman with pink hair and red eyes. Dressed in a rose-red dress with a white star pattern, she carried a sword that seemed to have a scarlet red glow and be made of shiny silvery metal material.
Paige: That’s an interesting sword… Who are you? Where am I?
Woman: I am Archaia, and this is somewhere in the voidlands. Malnova sent me to get you.
Paige remembered Ghal mentioning Malnova… He was supposed to tell her what to do next. Maybe he would have answers, and maybe he wouldn’t. She decided to take Eshla’s advice once again, “play your part, and make your move when the time is right”.
Paige: Uh… yeah, Malnova, that’s right.
Archaia: I imagine we will be working together a lot from now on. So I hope we get along well.
Archaia reaches out her hand, and Paige grabs it as she stands up. Archaia’s left eye turns a deep blue, and a bubble of steam seems to envelop both of them.
The bubble pops, and they both now stand in a cave, with a male dragon, one with black, dark blue scales and dark blue eyes.
Malnova: Pleased to meet you, Paige.