Words of a World

> ”It feels like Katherine’s revelations all over again. Only, this is a lot more exhausting.” ~Frein Nivan, the Visitor

Frein finished Milling. He had almost forgotten how to do the process without Elizzel’s assistance. Not to mention, the meiyal provided to him was a lot different.

The method was peculiar. It was a Void Control Technique, working with the underlying principles of meiyal resuscitation, but without the intimacy or action involved. Using her Soul’s Walk, Mother Selfiya provided it to him in batches too small for any Nightmare to notice.

“You only have one chance,” she whispered. “If you fail, we’ll need to Gather once again, and that’ll be too late. Make sure you get it right…”

He wasn’t paying attention any longer. Frein’s focus was on Drawing Siffera in the right moment to break the chains. So small was his supply. But he prepared himself, regardless.

If you break these chains, you’ll get the Fragment. In other words, you’ll have fulfilled your Destiny. In other words, you’ll die right after.

The faunel’s words lingered in his mind, distracting him. He pushed against the doubt. Mere words to prevent him from helping.

I don’t have a choice anyway.

With all his strength, he gave the chains another pull, Drawing Siffera just before he strained the slack. The chains broke. His fist hit the ground from the sudden change of momentum. At the same time, vast amounts of meiyal pressed themselves into his body.

Frein felt like a giant was stepping on him with a burning foot. His bones, muscles, chest, meiyal core, meiyal marks… Everything. Everything was in searing pain. He couldn’t help but scream. His body wanted to roll around but the chains on his waist made it impossible, making the feeling worse. He flailed and screamed as hard as he could, trying to transfer the pain somewhere else.

“You. Why do you even try? You are not yet ready.”

It wasn’t Elizzel. It wasn’t Selfiya. It was strange. But the moment he heard the voice, the feeling of pain vanished and there was nothing but the cold touch of what Frein could only describe as death.

“Who are you?” he asked, fighting against the chill.

“You know who I am, Visitor.”

“I don’t have time, Brymeia. I don’t need to be ready.”

Silence was only a momentary company.

“Then there’s no need for me to hold back.”

Frein was drawn into his Mind Palace, where a small woman with short, black hair waited for him. She looked oddly familiar, but years of absence and disbelief prevented him from recognizing her right away. Only after a moment passed did he realize he was staring at a ghost.

“Cat?” he asked.

“No,” she said. “I just look like her. This is the only way we can talk.”

“I see…” Frein hesitated. He had forgotten his longing. Forgotten how much he missed her. And now that she was here, he couldn’t help but reach out. “Will you let me hug you? Please?”

Brymeia smiled. No. Catherine smiled. She opened her arms wide, urging him for an embrace.

Frein fell to his knees and embraced his little sister. The emotion came in a rush, forcing tears out of his eyes. He let them go, squeezing Catherine as if he was afraid to let go.

She stayed silent the entire time, rubbing his back like a mother would soothe her child. He didn’t care. He missed her too much.

“I’ve never felt this much affection since Zerax’thum,” she said when he finally let go. “I’m sorry. But I need you to break out of your illusion, Frein. If I had any other choice, I would’ve chosen someone else.”

Frein nodded and stood, wiping away his tears. “I understand. Thank you for letting me see her again.”

“You know, you can always visit your memories, right?” she asked. “You can always see Catherine whenever you want.”

“I don’t think I’m ready for that, yet.”

“Well, I’m not exactly here for that.”

“You’re here for my Destiny.”

Brymeia shrugged. How close it was to the usual way Catherine shrugged was a mystery to Frein. It had been so long since she had last seen her do the gesture. He pulled himself out of the longing and focused on the task at hand.

“What is it, then?” he asked.

“I’m here to give you a choice,” she answered while sitting in the air. Frein’s instincts kicked in, wanting to catch his little sister. His Mind Palace reacted, creating a seat for her.

“Is that how Schrodie does it?” he mused.

“We should talk about the Gatekeeper, too. But maybe not today.” She opened a hand as if to hold something to drink, which Frein reacted to by making a glass of soda manifest. She gave it a sip and instantly frowned before drinking some more. “What is this? This is so good!”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Brymeia has sodas,” Frein said. “I’ve had a few before.”

“Nobody’s ever offered me soda!” she said, drinking some more. “Always tea and coffee. I declare this as my favorite! Make sure the others know.”

“I think that’s just because you don’t spend time talking to your people,” Frein said, but he noted her request regardless.

Brymeia smiled solemnly. “That’s true. I need to find a way so that they’ll update the scriptures. Without Alphazzel to help me out, that might be a problem. I’ll figure something out.”

“How did you lose him?” Frein asked, refilling her soda while conjuring the same for himself.

“He was taken away,” she said simply. “You see, I wasn’t exactly a planet at the start. I’m called a Stellar.”

“A stellar what? Stellar god?”

“No, no.” Brymeia shook her head. This gesture, Frein clearly remembered, but he made no note of it, allowing for her to continue. “In your tongue, it’s used as a descriptor. For us, however, it is what we are. Stellars. Entities far greater than gods. While a god can influence their own Destiny. We Stellars can influence much more. It was another Stellar that took Alphazzel.”

“Wait…” Frein clutched his head with one hand. “I don’t get it. How does it work?”

“Well, in the simplest of forms, let’s just say it’s a tug-of-war, but the ropes, Destiny, have their own wills. Without anyone influencing externally, the rope remains the same and goes wherever it’s supposed to be. We Stellars attract that rope one way or another.”

“So the other Stellar overpowered your pull?”

“That, yes. And also other Stellars can join in whenever they want, pulling the rope towards them. Alphazzel was strained against three Stellars, which is why he’s now completely lost.”

“Who are the other two?”

“Zerax’thum is one of them, but do you really wish to know who’s the third one?” Brymeia asked, sipping from her drink to emphasize the gravitas of this decision.

Frein knew what she meant. Knowing the name of one capable of influencing Destiny of not just their own, but someone else’s would make a far greater opponent than Alphazzel.

“No. I think I’ll pass for now.”

“Good choice.” Brymeia nodded this time. This too, was a familiar sight. “I wasn’t going to tell you anyway.”

“What do you want me to do with Alphazzel?” he asked, knowing clearly the purpose of Brymeia’s visit.

“I didn’t come here for that,” she said, proving him wrong. “I’m here to give you a choice, remember?”

“Alright. Go on, then.”

“What Alphazzel said about a Visitor’s Destiny is true. After you absorb a Fragment of Zerax’thum’s Core, whether he cares enough to grant you an audience or not, you will die. On average, it usually takes one of you a year to fulfill that Destiny. But with Alphazzel’s intervention, he’s made that journey a lot quicker for you.

“However, you are not without a way out.” She quickly held up a hand before Frein could utter a word. “I’ll explain. But first, we’ll talk a bit about Schrodie. See, Alphazzel and his comrades were not recent cases. The same thing happened with two other Visitors before you. At the same time, they destroyed the countries they were involved in, as per their usual norm to make sure no information about their plans gets out.

“The Gatekeeper, fortunately for us, was an excellent experiment made by Zerax’thum and Evanclad. Far superior to faunels. Now that you are the final Visitor, but with three Fragments still missing, he has no other choice but to place his bets on you.”

Brymeia pointed out a finger, noting something important. “The thing you need to understand here is that if you fail, this planet will be doomed. I will have no resources to prevent its corruption, even if I sacrifice my entirety to save it.”

“Which means…” Frein forced the gears in his head to turn faster. There was too much being revealed left and right. But he clung into the one thing that mattered. “I need to get all three Fragments. Meaning I won’t die after the first?”

He couldn’t help converting his statement into a question.

“Not without my intervention,” Brymeia clarified. “See, I was supposed to intervene when you finally Gather your first Fragment. But Alphazzel intervened, as we all know, which is why I told you, you weren’t ready yet. In any case, this is where your choice comes into play.

“Your Destiny was placed in stone by the Fallen Dragon, Zerax’thum. He wanted you to die. It is to make sure that no other Stellars will be enticed enough to pull your rope. But here I am trying to pull it.”

Brymeia sighed, reminiscing while she drank more soda. She shook her glass, asking for more. Frein obliged.

“In order for me to do so, you must help me make a Contradiction.” She allowed her words to linger for a moment, letting Frein digest the suggestion. “You know of it, yes?”

“I’ve heard of it. But I never thought I’d be involved in one.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, smiling. “Visitors are Contradictions in the first place.”

“What?”

“That’s for another time. What you need to know now, is that Destinies can only be reverted by a Contradiction. And Contradictions are very specific.”

“You’re saying…”

“The truth,” she finished. “Becoming a god is only the first step into influencing such a defined Destiny, Frein. In order to influence it, you need a Contradiction.”

“And you can provide that Contradiction, right?” he asked, sounding a little too hopeful than he expected.

“For you to Gather all three Fragments specifically, Frein. Yes. For you to completely remove your determined death? I have not the heart to tell you.”

“Why?”

“Because, just as I said, Contradictions are very specific.” Brymeia rubbed her forehead. At the same time Frein came to a realization.

“You knew our conversation would lead this way…”

“Yes. But I know you’re cautious enough not to push for things you’re not prepared to know yet.” Brymeia drank the rest of her soda and refused a refill. “Once you’ve Gathered two Fragments, Frein, I will tell you how to make the Contradiction you’re looking for. Even if you’re granted an audience with Zerax’thum, we’ve made a vow now to tell you until the last moment.”

“Alright.” Frein finished his drink. “Tell me what I need for the Contradiction against this first Fragment.”

Brymeia smiled, appreciating how understanding he was. Frein wanted nothing else but to pull the answers from her, but Catherine’s face was helping him stave off that desire. She was clearly aware of it.

“Schrodie made your meiyal system a bit more special compared to your predecessors’. It was subtle enough of a change that Alphazzel and his companions wouldn’t see it through Destiny. A design of my making, I might add.

“Once you Gather this Fragment, I will synchronize my will with yours through your meiyal system. You will have full control of yourself, do not worry. But the process will be excruciatingly painful.

“You will feel like you’re being dissected and burned, like your head’s not in the right place. You will reach Art fatigue far deeper than you’ll ever know. But this will allow you to exist for an hour longer than you’re supposed to die.”

“So I just get an hour?”

“No. Within this hour, you must get your replacement. Someone to die in your place because your time was cut short. You understand?”

“I have to get Alphazzel?”

“Correct. Now you have your objective, Frein. Once you have him, I’ll handle the creation of the Contradiction myself.”

Brymeia stood, extending her hand for a shake. “I intended to give this sort of greeting earlier, but you asked for a hug instead.”

Frein stood and shook her hand, before pulling her for another embrace. “Sorry, I just can’t help it.”

“It’s quite alright,” Brymeia said. “To be honest, I’ve missed a lover’s embrace.”

“Catherine’s my sister,” Frein clarified.

“But you’re also in love with a Katherine. C or K, it doesn’t matter. You love them both. Why complicate it? While I’m not one to put herself between a relationship, unlike my daughter, Eli, I do appreciate the love. Besides, you remind me too much of him.”

“And who’s that?” The answer hit Frein just as he asked the question. The pause was enough for Brymeia to respond.

“Zerax’thum, of course. Who else?”