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13. A Caretaker's Cosmos
Kyrios knelt on the floor, struggling to steady his breathing as he felt the petrifying aura wrap around him. A chill shook through his spine as he came face to face with the terrifying beast. Curiously, it lacked conventional legs. Instead, its lower body morphed seamlessly into the very ground it hovered above. The spiraling flesh extended downwards, merging with the earth or walls. Its impression of an unearthly entity, forever connected to its environment, shook Kyrios' heartbeat. He had to craft his words carefully.
"Who... Wh-who are you?" He managed to get out, his voice stuttering with fright.
The creature's eyes, as large as a boulder, scanned the room with a strange intensity that Kyrios found unnerving. It seemed to peer into his soul, its gaze prying into the dark corners of his mind.
"I'm a caretaker; I lead people here. You have been following my threads for the past few days," it responded in a booming, resonant tone. The voice didn't flow from its body, but rather the walls surrounding them, despite its jaw syncing to the voice. "You were always running around, escaping trouble; it was a hassle to pinpoint your location."
Kyrios held his breath, biting his tongue to remain calm as the monster's spirals swayed around him. "I've never seen one of your kind before," he replied, doing his best not to tremble. "Can I ask why you helped me?"
The beast's spiraling appendages quivered, a ripple of movement that seemed almost like an expression of amusement. "Didn't I tell you? My name is lost to time, but you may call me the Caretaker of the Rift," it declared, its voice carrying an air of ancient authority. "My one and only mission is to destroy this void before it reaches the overworld."
The words echoed in Kyrios' ears, prompting a cascade of thoughts.
"I-I don't understand. You're... But you..." he muttered, trying to make sense of his words. The beast didn't move. It stood still in a colossal, unmoving presence, listening patiently.
"I should explain further then," it stated, the voice coming from behind this time. "I am bound to this realm, a guardian of its secrets; I cannot leave this place. Your path aligns with mine, and I am here to aid you in your journey."
Kyrios' eyes widened. "You mean... you want me to help you?"
"I think it would benefit the both of us," the Caretaker assured a hint of compassion in its tone. "Don't you agree?"
"I do, but I don't understand your goal. Don't you reside here? Why do you want to help us who are above the ground?"
The Caretaker was silent for a moment, the spiraling appendages shaking again. "I am no monster, but an ember of life trapped in this body," it replied. "This is not where I dwelled from birth. Like you, I came from the world above."
"Wouldn't you be more known? You ought to catch some attention by then. How did you even keep yourself hidden?" Kyrios asked.
It gaped its jaw open while moving closer to Kyrios. "The light you see within my jaw—that's me. Although my real body no longer exists, I used to be a human girl. I don't remember my original name; it's too long ago, but I believe it had a 'Z' in it. It was different from all the other names from our home. The letter 'Z' was a curse that I possessed. And oddly enough, if no one calls out your name, you will forget it eventually, even though you may remember the name of others," she murmured with a sense of nostalgia coating her voice. "But that is if your kind still uses the same alphabet; the world changes a lot after multiple millennials, after all. I'm surprised you understand my words."
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"I-I see," he muttered, gazing up at the giant entity looming above him who apparently used to be human. "What do you mean by a curse?"
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"I don't remember much myself. I know that my entire bloodline will be cursed by that name. I doubt they're still alive at this point, but I cannot recall the curse's effect. Don't worry; it does not and will not affect anyone else."
"Oh, I'm sorry... but what is it that should I do?"
"There are two paths you must tread," she spoke, her pressure resonating from the chamber walls. "First, you must seek strength. The challenges within the Rift will test your limits, and you must grow stronger to overcome them. Train your body, hone your skills, and embrace the power that lies dormant within you."
"Uh-huh," Kyrios nodded, still hesitant about what to believe. He wanted to be wary of the monster in front of him, but there was no sign of maliciousness. If anything, she seemed more like a wise old auntie trying to teach him the way of the world. "And the second?"
"There are certain fragments spread across the world. They are remnants of my essence, scattered by the forces of the Rift. Find them, bring them together, and set me free," she commanded.
"Set you free?" he repeated. Confusion tinged his tone, and as skepticism filled his mind, he took a step back. What if she never had the intention of protecting the world but rather wanted to trample it? If that was the case, then there was no way to know what she planned to do with its freedom. She could've lied about being human, and it'd be best to listen to her and escape afterward, he thought.
"That is correct. But you are worried that I will betray you, aren't you?" she spoke as if reading his mind. "Most people tend to be skeptical of me. I say believe what you want; you will eventually unravel the truth on the other side."
Kyrios remained silent for a while, averting his eyes from the Caretaker. He knew his words most likely wouldn't sway her. "How do I find these fragments? What do they look like?"
"As for where to find them, I cannot answer. They're likely spread across the entire globe. I don't need every single one to be set free; about 20-30 will do, depending on their size," she answered. "I am a fragment of the past; all I am able to offer you is a tiny portion of my body," she said, gesturing to the spirals. "They are called spiral organs, and each one contains a fragment of my soul. They will react when a fragment is nearby."
Kyrios took a moment to think. She didn't seem like a hostile creature; on the contrary, she was quite the opposite. Her intentions seemed good and honorable, but there were a lot of uncertainties.
"Wait, what did you mean by the other side? The other side of what? The world?"
"Precisely. On the other side of the globe, where the Rift originated. I doubt you would find my ancestors here, although it is not unimaginable."
"No, that's exactly why I'm confused! I've never heard of another side. Once you travel to the end of the world, there is the Great Chasm and nothing else. We all live in a flat world; there can't possibly be another side because you'll simply fall into the void."
The Caretaker stared down at Kyrios, her eyes scanning him from head to toe. She shook her body, causing the spirals to stretch out into the abyss. "I see. It makes sense that you people still believe that, but the world is not flat; it is round and has always been. That chasm you're talking about is likely the separation between the two half-globes. People, on the other side has always been aware of your kind's existence but have never laid a finger on you as they don't want you to explore their world. I don't know what has happened in the last thousand years, but my guess from your knowledge is that the two sides still haven't met face-to-face. But as the Rift spreads further, it is inevitable if your people want to survive."
Kyrios stayed quiet for a moment, taking the time to digest the breaking information. His mind began to race, conjuring up a mountain of questions. Why don't they want to meet? Why is the Rift spreading? But eventually, he settled on the most pressing one.
"Then what is the Great Chasm? How is it possible?"
The Caretaker took a moment to reply, her spirals folding. "That, even I cannot answer. I am as clueless as you are. That separation has existed since the beginning of time—ever since Earth's creation. But if you still want an answer, blame it on the Rift. Nothing is impossible here, especially as you delve deeper down."
"I see..." he muttered; the information was staggering. "A second, non-flat world? No, this world was a half-globe too. This is getting confusing."
"Don't worry about the shape of the Earth. It doesn't change anything," she remarked in a surreal tone. "For now, could you tell me your name, young one?"
"My name... It's Kyrios," he answered, glancing up at the colossal creature. "Kyrios E. Lamina."
"Kyrios," the Caretaker repeated, her voice echoing across the chamber. "Where are you from? What ethnicity are you? Who names you?"
"Ethnicity? Is that important?" he asked. "My mother named me, but I've never seen her before. She left after she had given birth to me. The "E" in my name stands for Erwin, the name my father wanted me to have because Kyrios didn't sound very Nordengaardish, which is where I come from. The last part is just my family name; we aren't particularly special. At least from my knowledge. And in the end, she decided on my first name since I inherited my father's family name."
She paused for a moment. "No, not in particular. It is likely a mere coincidence, but Kyrios sounds like a common name from where I originated."
"Which means...?"
The Caretaker's eyes shifted toward the depths of the abyss. "This is merely a far-fetched guess, but your mother may have been a descendant from our side."