UNFORGOTTEN
A flicker of gentle flame gave birth to light, soothing the ruining darkness surrounding the small, child-like figure. Lynne took a step forward, his eyes scouring the world around him, while his lips trembled lightly. It was endless, he noticed, the world around him; yet, within it, he found things familiar. A shimmering globe, his father smiling at him inside. Then, he saw a small, palm-sized plate, the monkey’s aggravated expression on it causing him to laugh.
One, then two, then a hundred… it didn’t take him long to realize these were his memories as well as his thoughts, his dreams, his desires, hopes and fears. All of what made him who he was was bundled up before him, like an open play where he was both the actor and the audience. Things he himself had thought he forgotten were floating in the dark space, shimmering like stars in the night.
“Fascinating, isn’t it?” a childish voice startled him as he looked forward. Just a few meters away, sitting on a plain, wooden chair was a boy, not older than ten. Both his hair and eyes were scarlet, and Lynne immediately recognized the familiar aura surrounding him.
“Where am I?” Lynne asked, walking up to the boy and sitting on a chair across.
“Inside your own mind,” the boy replied. “Well, at least parts of our souls are. This is what always fascinated me about your kind, you know? We, all of us – whether False or Primordial or Divine – have to store all we know in our large bodies. Yet, you have this infinite space stacked inside your tiny heads. The wonders are truly endless…”
“… okay, not to sound alarmed or anything, but what the hell are you doing inside my mind?” Lynne asked, his tone light. “It’s kind of creepy.”
“I was wrong,” the boy said, smiling. “I shouldn’t have been, but I was. Right now, outside this space, you’re about to unleash something I thought impossible for humans like you.”
“Funny, didn’t think my farts were that destructive,” Lynne chuckled lightly. “So you came here to beg for your life?”
“Uh, you wish,” the boy jeered. “No, even if you go through with it, I will live. Do you know how difficult it is to kill a God, Lynne? It takes more than an inexperienced child surpassing his limits to do it. No, the reason why I came here is to talk to you.”
“Well, we’re talking. Why’d you do it as a kid anyway? That’s even creepier.”
“Well, truth be told, in the grand scheme of things… I am a child. Seemed only appropriate.”
“Yeah, yeah. So, what do you want to talk about?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“You have good hearing.”
“Thanks, been working on it for a while. So, what about me?”
“Like you, Lynne, I’m a pacifist,” the child said. “I’ve scoured through your memories and thoughts here. And, recently, all I’ve seen is fear and uncertainty doused in endless guilt. And, surrounding them was a facade so thick I believe it even escaped your own thoughts.”
“Brave hold the front, no?” Lynne chuckled.
“No, idiots do,” the child said, chuckling as well. “How much do you know about Origin Laws, Lynne?”
“Ugh, let’s not go down that rabbit hole,” Lynne grunted, shaking his hand lightly. “That’s far too complicated for me.”
“Ha ha, the truth is, though, that Origin Laws are perhaps the simplest things in the world.”
“Highly doubt it. I’ve been involved with them for quite some time, and I’ve understood jack squat about them.”
“That’s because you’ve been asking the wrong questions,” the child said, lifting his arm gently whereupon a globe of blood appeared above his finger, rotating gently. “Think of them as source. Nothing you destroy truly disappears, but returns to Origin. From it, another thing is born.”
“… eh…”
“The fire you create out of nowhere Lynne doesn’t come out from nowhere. It comes from source – from Origin. Law is simply what ordains it towards you and causes it to obey your wishes.”
“… and you’re telling me this why?” Lynne creased his brows gently as he asked.
“Because, in this nanosecond that we have, you have to make a choice.”
“… it’s always about the choice, isn’t it?”
“Not the choice, but a choice. You’ll be making choices for as long as you live; it’s simply a part of it.”
“So, what’s the choice? Will I blow you up, or not?”
“No,” the child said, shaking his head. “Will you let me serve you, or not. That is a choice.”
“…”
“…”
“Oookay, did not see that one coming.” Lynne said, sucking in a deep breath. “So… uh, you- a False God that just beat my ass to ninth dimension – want to… serve… me? What. The. Hell. You’re… you’re a freaking, you know, God. Shouldn’t it be the other way around? Like, hey, wimpy child, serve me or I’ll drown the whole world in blood or something like that? Come on! Where’s that godly intimidation of yours from the outside!”
“Titles are just labels,” the child laughed gently as he looked at Lynne. “Ways to divide. For instance, you can also – technically – become a God in the same sense of me. As can everyone else who understands the Origin Laws to my level.”
“… yup, still doesn’t explain why you want to serve me.”
“I trust you.”
“Terrible idea.”
“Going back through your memories… it was like a journey of someone who didn’t deserve to be here today, to wage this war that should have nothing to do with him. I’m exactly the same.”
“… oi, screw off! This entire thing is your fault!” Lynne sneered lightly. “If you hadn’t roused your madmen followers, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation!”
“I merely taught their ancestors Blood Law,” the child chuckled. “And asked for them to find a way to release me in return. They landed on the whole ‘hey, why don’t we kill a bunch of people’ thing.”
“…”
“True story.”
“Alright, fine, whatever. I’ll play the naive child in this scenario, and ask why do you trust me, and what the hell does that have to do with serving me.”
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“I want you to prevent the next war.”
“Yeah, sure, let me just summon my endless armies-- are you insane?! I can’t prevent my bowel system from acting up after some questionable food and you’re asking me to prevent a war?”
“… would have been funny if I hadn’t seen that memory.”
“Oh. Sorry about that.”
“Yeah. Still, you’re the only one I can turn to.”
“Why?! Why am I the only one? I’m not freaking unique!”
“No, far from it. You’re the only one close by though, and if I stay out in the world any longer, there’s a great chance I’ll be spotted.”
“… you’re… ugh…”
“Do you know about the Legend of Time and Creation?”
“It sounds like I’m about to.”
“According to ancient scriptures,” the child spoke slowly. “Gods granted humans – and others – the knowledge of all Laws… save for two.”
“… I don’t have to guess, right?”
“The Legend states that, to this day, Laws of Time and Creation are the only Laws that no one outside of their Primordial Gods can control. Do you know why that is?”
“Nope.”
“Neither do I.”
“…”
“…”
“If that was your plan to explain things to me, you’re doing a terrible job.”
“The next war will be about these two Laws Lynne.” the child said. “The humans will attempt to seek them and learn them, as will the Gods. I believe – as did my ancestor – that there’s a good reason why those two Laws never saw the light of day.”
“They do sound too vague,” Lynne grunted lowly. “I mean, Time and Creation? Can they be more dangerous than, well, Death?”
“Death is natural constant,” the child said. “Eventually, you’ll probably learn it as well and see that it’s not as… deadly as it sounds.”
“Hey! Leave the bad puns to me!”
“… fine. However, Time and Creation… those two cannot have any disruptions. Imagine if time froze for even a moment, Lynne. Imagine the consequences.”
“No thanks. I’m already overwhelmed enough. Still, you really think I can make any change? There’s no doubt I’m already being eyed constantly. Do you really think anyone will let me even get remotely close to the heart of that war?”
“You have a Divine Gift,” the child said, smiling lightly. “I believe the Spirit had already mentioned it to you.”
“He was even vaguer than you. Why is it that all you old bastards have that in common?”
“It was because he doesn’t fully understand it himself.”
“Hey!”
“Speak of the devil.” Lynne snickered.
“… it’s true though.” the Spirit lamented. “I only sense Divine aura from it, and nothing else.”
“So you just made some shit up?”
“Of course! I was playing the role of the wise, old mentor. What would you feel if I suddenly told you I don’t know half as much as I’m pretending to know?”
“Feel? Nothing. I would kick your ass though for lying to me.”
“So, what’s the Gift then?” the Spirit asked the child.
“Divine Origin,” the child said. “Generally, the amount of Laws one can attune to is limited. However, there are certain Gifts given by the Source itself that change that. Both Thalia and you have it. Difference is, hers is much milder. She’s limited to all Laws of Purity. You, on the other hand, practically have no limitation.”
“That sounds foreboding.” Lynne said, furrowing his brows.
“Think of yourself as a vessel,” the child explained. “Filled to brim with compartments where different Laws can be stored.”
“… literally?”
“… no.”
“Oh, good.”
“Although rare, the Gift still appears quite often, as – in and of itself – it doesn’t offer any form of a greater talent. It simply unlocks future prospects. The reason I understood all of this is because you’ve used Empyrean Scything in its true form. Its entirely built on the thought of molding dozens of Laws in perfect unison and unleashing that fusion. In total, twenty-seven Laws are required for perfecting the technique.”
“Oh fuck off.” Lynne cried softly, his head sinking.
“Let us guide you, Lynne,” the child said. “And help you so that, when the time comes, you can help the World itself.”
“Trust him Lynne,” the Spirit said following the short silence. “And trust me. For all your wrongs, you’re perhaps the only person I know who actually contemplates rejecting a False God as a servant. To you, strength is a medium. That’s the true rarity about you; not your talents, your gifts, or your foul mouth.”
“Hey! That hurt! I don’t have a foul mouth!” Lynne protested.
“In the end, she was wrong,” the child suddenly said, startling Lynne. “Magic, Lynne, is the question. It is up to you to find the answer to it.”
“…”
“You’ve made your decision,” the child said, getting up. “However terrible it sounds, I’m glad your life has been a relentless wave of chaos as of recently. It has led you to this place, and to me. And me to you. Now, it’s time to wake up Lynne.”
“… ugh, I remember my body being half-torn… it’s gonna hurt like a bitch, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” the Spirit chuckled. “But not nearly as much as she’s hurting right now.”
“Huh?”
“It’s time to wake up Lynne,” the child said. “She’s calling for you. As is the world.”
“Time to wake up Lynne.”
“Wake up Lynne.”
“Lynne…”
“Lynne!!!”
Lynne suddenly opened his eyes, finding himself back midair, falling down like a comet. He stared at the gigantic creature of blood before him, and then at the scythe above. Gritting his teeth, he withdrew the technique forcibly, causing the world to calm as his scythe disappeared back into his soul.
The pain finally caught up as he screamed; with his scream, the False God roared as he turned into an arching river of blood, flowing directly into Lynne. Thalia stared at the scene in terror, wonder and awe, pausing mid-flight. The crimson day brightened as the beams of sun fell from the sky, basking the land with life anew.
Lynne’s faint screams jolted her awake as she poured all her Mana into wind, propelling herself forward towards the falling body. She extended her arms as the spear disappeared and caught the fragile body of a youth whose eyes were still half-open. His arm cut off, face scarred nigh beyond recognition, everything below his chest destroyed completely.
“Lynne--” tear after tear fell from her eyes as she cried softly, holding the body as she landed onto the ground. Her body trembled as her faint cries turned to sobs. “Lynne, c-can you hear me? Hey, hey, can you hear me?”
“… loud and clear,” Lynne replied weakly. “Now, I’d like to ask for a favor.”
“Hm?”
“Could you, you know, find something to fix me up?” he chuckled lightly as he spoke.
“… ha ha,” Thalia burst out in soft laughter. “Y-yes, yes. I’ll find something. We’ll all find something, I promise. Just… hold on, okay? Hold on. Don’t die on me, please.”
“Hai, don’t speak of dying woman,” Lynne grunted lowly, fighting off dizziness. “I’ve yet to taste bosoms of ten thousand mature maidens, godly wine and swim in the rivers of gold.”
“Ha ha, yes, yes, you can’t go before fulfilling your dreams. Shameless are the hardest to kill, right?”
“… right. Now, I’m gonna take a nap. And when I wake up, I better have a way to bed those ten thousand mature maidens.”
“… why do I want to suddenly punch you in the face?”
“Eh, it must be you and not me.”
“… must be.” the last thing Lynne saw before passing out was a soft smile of tender lips, and eyes full of warmth gazing at him tenderly. It calmed him, as if being held by hands that would never let anything wrong happen to him. Hands that would never let go.
Thalia hugged him tightly, ignoring the rest of the gobsmacked battlefield, and rocked back and forth as she sang a lullaby softly. As beam of sun flashed above the two, it painted a strange, serene painting of both tranquility and chaos. Of life and death. And of simple love, one found in everyday cottage, on everyday streets, scattered through all people. Of love that neither heals nor destroys, but one that simply is, a light that lives on, even in eternal darkness.