Heavy feet move in haste through a remote corner of the Willways. A large creature traverses its stone walls, large and covered in dark matter fur with heavily fractaled antlers stretching out from its head resembling a Lovecraftian version of what an elk/moose hybrid was if it became a werewolf-type creature. It uses hard hooves that crush into the ground flinging up rocks.

The amount of time it spends searching for something cannot be quantified by human means. Every corner is frantically sniffed out, the creature spending no more than a minute or two in a stationary position. Its front hooves phase into ape-like appendages when it needs to shove boulders out of the way. Every now and then it stops to rest. Kikito watches muscles ripple underneath the fur as it stretches out its long body. Hooves steadily stretch into padded paws it uses to carve stone from the ground. It doesn’t worry about hiding in a corner.

Kikito witnesses this from the outside in a place he can’t describe. He’s so alone in it he’s not fully there; this is a place you can’t get to unless you’ve already been. His body tethers him to reality and something else keeps him here.

The creature exhales a puff of air that comes out in a burst of light steam and closes its beady eyes. The shoulders relax just as its ears perk. It bolts down the Willways with speed it seemed to have been hiding. Kikito is compelled to follow by forces unknown or he would have already lost it. Its muscles strain for reprieve. It begins to glow a bright blue before it crashed into a wall into the starless ocean.

It stands on the waters, looking up at the Tides through Kikito and sending shivers up his astral spine. It dives under and he follows. They plummet towards the bottom of the darkness. Small orbs of light greet them in the distance. first scattered but soon they are all around propelling up towards the surface. They crash into the seabed but only the creature makes a physical impact. It rebounds and takes off toward the distant orange lights blinking out of unison. It doesn’t stop until Kikito notices the form in the sand. Completely buried save for an arm and locks of red hairs as the creature slides to a stop feet away.

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Kikito is pulled as it nudges her, before he can fully register this mess of static and colors as a vision. The creature and Mirana shrink until they pop out of his existence along with everything else until it’s only him and a dark void. He feels himself moving even if nothing changes for a long time.

S small light makes itself known in the distance. Small but shining brightly. Kikito moves closer and it explodes into a giant black star. It burns his eyes and once he gets close enough he sees spikes jutting out of it like a sea urchin made of tar and oozing radiation. It’s alive despite its appearance and he feels dread emitting like a transmitter. Then it twitches, revealing it’s curled around on itself and letting out a discombobulating screech into Kikito’s head, vibrating and thrumming until he swears blood is coming out of his ears. He reaches for them before realizing he’s a simple mass of energy.

The screaming persists, shaking the world in one collective earthquake. Oceans overtake shoreline cities, unprepared building crumbling against the seismic quakes. every volcano erupting at the same time. Earth drowns in water and fire. Inevitable dread fills him.

Another light in the distance rushes and overtakes the despairing image. A mass of galaxies and stars appears before him. The stars blink slowly in recognition.

It speaks. “Be gentle with her,” it says with a mother’s voice.

“I’m getting real tired of this cryptic shit. Be gentle with who? Who are you?”

“My child. The one you seek to destroy. Please be gentle. Tell him.”

“Okay I will, I will,” he says quietly.

“Kikito?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t forget to love...we’ll meet again.”

Kikito tries responding but he’s ripped from the void. He wakes in a cold sweat in a nook of the Willways. He looks at Kelvin. His eyes are closed and he’s leaning against Mirana. She’s facing the other way but awake as they are.

“What is it?” Kelvin asks.

“I don’t know. I think I saw the Repression’s mom,” he replies. Kelvin looks at him, three personas swirling around all at once. Mirana joins him. They wait patiently for him to elaborate like two animals regarding a stranger.