As I lay in my bedroom rethinking everything I knew of this world, I realized that in my desperation for figuring out my situation, I had forgotten something of great importance.

“Singularities!”

Ah yes, singularities, how could I forget the reason why this novel was added to the genre of the supernatural? Luckily for me, it seemed like I wasn't the only one who had forgotten such a basic piece of information.

“I haven't talked about singularities with you, have I? What an irresponsible guide I am!”

Cassandra lay in the grass of the garden outside of the manor, slightly embarrassed at her lack of attention to my needs. I don't blame her though, as it had slipped my mind as well.

“Don't worry about it. I have already heard some things, so it's not like I wasn't aware of their existence.”

“Oh really? What do you know?”

“Well, just the basics. It's basically a superpower, yes?”

“Yes, a little! It is a supernatural ability that only ergos, such as some of us, have. While their origins are disputed, the one thing you have to know is that there is a limit as to how much time you can make use of your singularity, and since that time varies depending on a lot of unknown factors, you'll have to figure out your limits as you go.”

“Yes, I have heard of some of that.”

By now, they don't know the origin of singularities, and while Horizon did go into the basics, some of the mythology behind the actual origin was lost. Even so, I believe that I have an advantage when it comes to this topic. It's good to know that their power system is still the same.

“Good! Have you discovered if you have a singularity? If so, what is it?”

“Well, I think I have one, but it's still in the works, you know?”

I do know Maxim’s singularity. He was the protagonist after all. In Horizon, every singularity had a name that was chosen by their bearer. Since I don't care much about the whole naming aspect, I’ll just use the name Maxim gave to his singularity in the novel. I’ll be like honoring his legacy.

“What does it do? It's okay if you aren't that sure, we can just experiment together!”

“Alright. You have a singularity, right, Cassandra? Could you activate it please?”

“Why, of course!”

She extended her arm towards me and concentrated on her hand. I stared at it, and the air started to heat up around it. Is her singularity something related to changing the temperature of certain parts of her body? As I looked back, her hand looked as if it could melt metal.

“There it is. What are you going to do with this, Maxim?”

“You’ll see in a moment, will you excuse me?”

I reach out and lightly touch her upper chest. As my hand makes contact, her hand begins to cool down slowly. Once I let go, her hand starts to heat up again, as if nothing happened.

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“I see, nullification!”

“Something like that, yes.”

Similar, but not quite. Maxim’s singularity is a pivotal part of the story because of its implications. While it would be a pain to explain the entire thing, a summarized version would be that singularities come from a specific type of energy, and Maxim’s singularity purifies that energy. As such, it makes it appear as if he nullified it, when in reality, he is temporarily erasing it from existence. Not nullification, but purification.

“How exciting! What are you going to name it? Here, I’ll tell you mine. As you can see, my singularity is increasing my body temperature. The name I chose for it was Apollo’s Blessing, isn't it amazing?”

“Yes, a mythological reference. It sounds prestigious.”

Apollo’s Blessing. This singularity wasn't mentioned in the novel. Then again, it wouldn't surprise me if the author just didn't include some of the less important singularities.

“Exactly! So, what is yours?”

“I have given it some though, and I decided to go with something more simple, The Banishment.”

“How fitting. Is it a reference to something?”

“Not really, just something I thought of on the fly. Don't make much of it.”

In reality, Maxim did give it a lot of thought and eventually came to this answer. I’m sure it's a reference to something, though I was just too lazy to look it up myself at the time, and to be honest, I’m sure it wasn't that important to the plot.

“Oh sure. Now, this singularity isn't a physical one, which isn't surprising considering that you're a Milanovic. Since it's like this, it would be better for you to take some martial arts classes and weapon training in order to strengthen your core. You have a strong base, you just need your body to open an opportunity to use that singularity. As an example, look at Lord Bazarov. His singularity isn't a physical one either, so he mastered physical combat along with some weaponry to give himself a chance to get close enough to the enemy and use his singularity against them. Then again, how he uses his singularity is the decisive point in every single one of his battles, so he is certainly at an advantage there. Listen, your singularity is special, and if you play your cards right, you’ll definitely become someone someday, I can assure you.”

“Thank you, Cassandra.”

“I’m supposed to be your mentor, so you shouldn't be thanking me so much.”

She smiled brightly, and while I wanted to continue talking like this to her, I had another question regarding something she had said before.

“Actually, Cassandra. You mentioned Lord Bazarov’s singularity, right? What is it?”

“Bazavor’s singularity? Its name is Eros. Isn't it interesting? His singularity allows him to enter the consciousness of the person he touches. It transforms a concept and turns it into something only he can see. Even so, the mortal enemies of the Bazarov family have found ways of protecting their subconscious from him and some others like him across the decades, and if he fails to get out of there safely, he suffers the risk of having his consciousness trapped in there forever.”

I’m glad to hear that his singularity hasn't changed at all, but this is also not good for me at all.

“That sound terrifying. Both that part and someone digging into my soul.”

“Yes, I’m sure it must feel weird It almost makes me feel bad about whoever dares to oppose him. No wonder he built his reputation so fast. Truly scary.”

As we talked trivial matters, what previously seemed a warm evening soon turned into a cold, starry night. Seeing this, she insisted on escorting me back to my bedroom to rest. Once we reached the door, she opened it and stayed outside.

“Good night, Maxim. It was nice talking to you today.”

“Likewise. I hope to see you tomorrow as well.”

“We’ll see. I don't know if you were informed of this, but your official introduction to the Psyche is in two days.”

“So soon? I thought they had postponed it.”

“With the current state of things, they really need to get this over with. The sooner, the better. If not, not even I can tell what is going to happen.”

And here I thought I would be able to rest a little more. Once th introduction happens, the real story will begin. Not sure I’m ready for this.

“I’m a little nervous with the way everyone is stressing about this.”

“Don't worry too much. Once it's over, everything will go back to normal.”

I yawn. I feel a lot more reassured now that I know that most of the information I posses about this world is still useful. I guess I can have a good nights sleep tonight.

“Well, good night, Casandra.”

“Yes, rest well. Remember to not let all of this catch up to you. Just focus on yoursel and the state of your surroundings, and you'll be fine. Don't forget that as long as you're under this roof, you'll be okay.”

I will be okay. Two days to go.