Forum Thread

Preface

This book is dedicated to my family, my loving fathers Lorenzo and Ambrose, my mothers Flavia and Mona and my siblings Venus, Caspian, Kendo and Luciana. I know I was not really the most intelligent or obedient person for you but know that I did everything for a reason or to protect you. And if I did not comply... it also had a reason for that. Fate is a weird thing and time loves to challenge it from time to time.

Joint Family Reunion

It has been a few days since the downfall of the Alphas and the house has been a little... tense. Ambrose, former leader of them and husband to the resistance leader Mercy, had it difficult. Being reunited and living in the same house was difficult for everyone. It was the late evening now, Ambrose was up in his old study room and making plans to repair everything, Mona and her daughter Iteral were down in the kitchen already preparing food, Caspian slept on the couch and coiled around his pet turtle and Scaramouche just waited in the planetarium, waiting for the sun to fully set. Today was going to be a rare constellation.

A knock on the door follows. Mercy asked Iteral to keep peeling the potatoes, to which she simply nods. The elderly witch (compared to others) went to the door and was... a bit surprised by the people who knocked. Two people, in fact, a man in his late 50s and a young girl who looked no older than 17. Both of them looked a little weird, while the black-haired man had the most uneventful clothing in a plain white shirt and black pants, his accomplice wore a little outdated things, as if she came from a costume party. The man started speaking, in a heavy accent.

"Excuse-me, have you seen my daughter?" It was a little difficult understanding him, as he just went into a little rambling of a foreign language. Though then, the girl speaks up. "Sorry, my father does not know English well. He asked, if you had seen his daughter. About 5'3, black long hair, fair skin. Mercy thought for a second, but then shook her head. "Sorry, none of the people we have encountered look like th-" The elderly witch was interrupted, as the girl suddenly screamed. "ITTTIE!"

... the girl rushed past Mercy at remarkable speeds for a human, tackling someone down in the process. It was Iteral, who was just carrying another sack of potatoes. The man ran behind, as Mercy looks a little... insulted that they just entered her house like that. Though her feeling of rudeness went away as soon as Iteral spoke: "P-Papa!? Lucie?!"

...

It took a solid five minutes to get the bawling girl off Iteral, what did she call her? Lucie? She was loud enough that even Caspian woke up, to which Mercy had to tend to, while the other witch was busy calming the two down. After a while, things had calmed down. Mercy held Caspian in her arms as usual and Iteral went back to preparing food, this time with the support of Lucie. They even prepared a little tea while effectively forcing Mercy to wait on the couch. How exactly they managed to make the homeowner feel like a guest is... beyond her. Soon after, Iteral came back and explained that, she and "Lucie" would make dinner, while she could get to know him. Wait, she knows that she's married right?

"I am sorry, I should have introduced myself earlier, is just weird here. My name is Lorenzo Lucenox and girl is my daughter, Luciana. We are Iteral's family back in Rome." He gives a little smile, smelling the tea that Iteral made and the biscuits. "Ah, like back then."

"I see..." Mercy was... a little taken aback. Not just because two "strangers" claiming to be her family just arrived but also, in her accounts, Iteral was from the 16th century. How did two non-magical people manage to get here? She could ask that later. In the meantime... I think Iteral deserved to have her sister talk with her. "... what brings you here?"

"Oh, we come to check rumor. We thought Ittie had... ehm..." He found it difficult to say it. "... we wanted to check if rumors are true. Found map to this place." He was a little short, given the language barrier and he reached into his pocket, showing Mercy a map of the Middle East, with one spot marked... something. It was still not readable. He puts the map back and sighs. "... we are glad to see her."

"I figure." Mercy was a little weirded out, she knew Iteral could go to the past but... why did she never tell them she was here all along? But asking that would be weird as well, maybe she could ask her daughter later. She had a little... flashback about when she had to give up Iteral. It was not a pleasant thought. "... you made a fine girl. Confident, chaotic, works under pressure." She sort of lied but at the same time... she did not.

Lorenzo just gave a hearty laugh. "Haha, well that is Ittie for you, every bit of her mother!" He smiles, unaware that her actual mother was indeed Mercy. "Well, I am glad you were able to help her in hour of need." At that, Mercy's curiosity was spoken to. "... what do you mean?"

The father was quite surprised. "You know. She did not have good time since Luna Nova." He thought that would be it but, although the language barrier was there, he could tell from her gestures and mimics that she did not understand. Lorenzo sighs, muttering to himself in some language. "Okay... before I tell. Is she..." He smashes his hands together, he was thinking of the word but could not think of it. "Clingy?" Was the nearest he knew.

Mercy nods. "Yes. Absolutely."

Lorenzo replies then, taking a sip of his tea. "Is no wonder. Is also no wonder she did not tell, is... quite the brooding character sometimes." He sighs, then starting to explain. "Her mother, my wife. Flavia Lucenox, beautiful woman. Great seamstress, great mother, taught Lucie and Ittie all she knew. Seaming, how to behave, all that. Was helpful, since I was at sea a lot. Then, short after Ittie left for Luna Nova... Flavia fell sick. Very sick, Ittie wanted to go back but was too late. Within day, my wife... left us." His voice became a lot more depressed all of a sudden, as he sighs again and takes the napkin to wipe a tear off.

"It was... hard time for us. Now Luciana had nobody to take care of her and Iteral was in witch school. I tried helping but Luciana was too young, I could not take her on sea. But then Ittie proposed... maybe she could stay in Luna Nova with her. Would be a little odd but maybe helps. She talked to teachers, even higher curriculum but no room. But Ittie... heh. She always was bizzare. So, Ittie lied. Told Lucie she had room and gave up her own room for her." A detail dawned on Mercy, Iteral used to tell that she did not find a room in Luna Nova and slept in the bell tower. So... that was only a part of the story. She gave it to her little sister.

"... Ittie did her best to have time for Lucie. When lectures over, she would help her become good witch and all. Then, came the burning. Academy on fire... Lucie was outside, practicing broom riding. But Ittie was inside. She tried to find her elder sister but... nowhere. The fire, got too strong." Lorenzo starts tearing again, wiping it off. "Sorry. Is just... hard."

Mercy looks down at her own tea, a little uncertain what to say herself. This explains her clingyness a bit... and her behavior as well. "I see... take your time. Iteral is... difficult to manage. Always looks to me and tries to get me to like her the others. But the others have trauma behind a lot worse. And Iteral is the eldest... sometimes. Don't you agree?"

Lorenzo nods back, finishing his tea. "Yes, she is a little too old for that. But she is afraid of is losing or not spending enough time with you." Heh. Guess he doesn't know the extent of Iteral's powers either. But he just looked down, Mercy trying to tell him some accomplishments that their daughter has achieved. He gave a smile at some, at others he looks confused. Afterwards, Iteral and Luciana returned and waved. Both talked to their superiors, smiling. Iteral just told: "They won't be staying for dinner. Their way back closes at sunset."

So, the reunion has a rather rapid end, as they stood at the door. Iteral gave each of them a tight hug, while Luciana gave Mercy a hug as well, a little tear-ridden. "Thank you!" She yelped, as the two waved goodbye and left, soon disappearing from sight. As Iteral went back to finish the food, Mercy watched her.

Perhaps she did not know everything about her daughter after all...

Night Owl


It's been about... ten days since Iteral arrived in Wildana. The world was still foreign to her, with animal people roaming the streets like no one's business and wearing very strange clothing, compared to her. She felt both out of place... and out of time. "Better than bleeding out on the street" - that is what she thought to herself, while thinking back about the fateful night... and the people she lost. Kendo... Yumine... Mercy... a tear drops onto the ground.

In her thoughts, she forgot where she was walking and ended up in a more shady looking part of the city. The scenery had changed a lot, the bustling city life and beautiful store fronts were now replaced with more gloomy greens and sometimes boarded up or broken windows. A commotion then from a nearby alley.

Iteral leans behind a corner to see what it was. Her trenchcoat and hat were able to conceal her enough that she blends into the more dark surroundings, but she was able to see into the alley. A few animals were kicking onto something, shouting things like "That will teach you to look our way!" or "How dare you showing yourself!". A few seconds later, a loud boom interrupted their kicking.

A shotgun was pointed up into the air, as it was in the hands of the weirdly clothed woman, now pointed at them. "Now I might be just human." She started talking, her voice being rough and coarse but not because of smoking like many would expect. "But I got enough lead here to poison elephants. So hands and talons off." She already went scenarios in her mind, she would have enough shots to take out everyone, even with another warning shot. Thankfully, there was no need, as everyone ran away a few seconds after. Iteral then went close to whatever they kicked.


It was a person... more specifically, an owl hybrid. It was bleeding, coughing up blood and being in a bad state overall. She knew where a hospital was and spent no time comtemplating: She picks up the owlet and puts him over his shoulder, shotgun in the other hand as she then started her mile-long march towards the hospital.


A sign of affection

The hospital was crowded, it was even more lively than the city life. Nurses ran around, sometimes on all fours, doctors ran, flew or dug their ways to their patients. It was all very chaotic and weird. The anachron puts her shotgun away, to not alarm the security guards and submits the owlet to the emergency ward.

The next five minutes could have easily been five hours for Iteral. The boy was hooked up on devices to help him stay alive, it seems like those ruffians had really done some damage. But there was no doctor... those who were, at least judging by who wore a lab coat and who did not, kept running past them, going to other patients or doing some other tests, the emergency ward was hell. And all the while, the only thing that went through the woman's head was the state of the boy she might've saved.
He looked worse for wear. His breathing got sharper, his chest rose and fell more... and it kept raising his hand. At first, the anachron only thought he wanted water or a doctor but something in her mind clicked soon after. Trying to remember, she made a move with her hands and when the boy replied correctly, she knew what the deal was: The boy was deaf. A deaf owl boy. And he only knew sign language.

After those dreaded five minutes, a doctor finally came. Judging by the ears, the large snout and the slightly hunched posture, she assumed he was a dog hybrid. The doctor first looked at Iteral herself, a little confused, then his attention went to the actually dying child. "Not you too?"

"Sir?" Iteral asked, a little concerned.

"You found him in the more temperate parts of the city. Those are dangerous during certain seasons, when the emotions go through with some people." While the doctor went on to diagnose, the woman looks outside at the commotion. Her gaze was interrupted by the dog doctor. "We'll keep him here for the night and see what we can do. We are currently understaffed, it is difficult. What are your names?"

Iteral looks down at their partner, signing again. When the boy replied, she told him: "This is Leon. I am..." She suddenly stopped. Maybe it was not that good of an idea to give them her real name. So, she both told and signed another name. "Luce." With that, Iteral was released and the boy was taken to another room. There was still time.

She signed again. This time to him.
"You will be alright. Trust the doctors. Trust me."


Appreciation

"How... how did they..." Iteral wandered around the coffee table at least a dozen times, she was confused. She gave the hospital a (sort of) fake name, never told them her address and yet the owlet managed to track her down. The boy was outside, waiting for her with a few flowers, earth and roots still attached.

"I don't get what you're worked up for." A large man said from behind a counter, cleaning some of his cups with an old rag. "I thought you cared for that boy, ain't that why you brought him to the doc?" He looks at Iteral with a bewildered gaze, he'd only employed her a few days ago but that seemed to take him by surprise.

"No, no- damn, don't you put words in my mouth now Porco." She points at him a little threatening but then just sat down in a chair, sighing in defeat. "I am glad that he's better. But... I don't know, I-" The man simply raised his hand, urging her to stop. "No need. You're new here, adapting to new people... you just panicked, right?"

"No, I mean, yeah, but... look, I've been here in Wildana for less than a month and the amount of "plain humans" is shockingly low - no offense."
"None taken."
"So... I don't know, I was just... worried. I already get weird looks for my clothes already, no need to get the boy into more trouble because he's hanging with a human."


Iteral gave a sigh, it was not just her new environment. In her old one, she was not really in the public either... and most of her good deeds went unnoticed or hidden. She was about to wander around the table again, when the man took a bundle of keys from a drawer and walked past her, showing his pig-like belly and lower hooves. "Tell you what. I'll let him in, since we do technically open shop now, you talk things out with him and I'll brew you two somethin' nice, k'?" She nods in response and gave the boy a wave, a signal to come in.

Sincerity

The atmosphere was... quite thick, as the deaf owlet sat just a few inches away from the woman who saved her. Though she seems very stressed, almost uncomfortable. If it wasn't for Porco bringing them a cup of hot chocolate and strong coffee respectively. Though it seems like Iteral was not the coffee person, as she poured a lot of milk into the cup. As the two thank him with a simple nod, they take a sip... and both of them burn their tongues on the hot beverages. She then started signing, a little to distract her from her cat tongue.

"How did you find me?"
"Asked around for human. Did not work. Asked for weird clothed girl. Worked."
"Heh, yeah. I'm... unique. What did you come here for?"
"You saved me. Wanted to thank you. And ask."
"Ask what?"
"Why save me?"

Iteral hesitates. The answer was obvious, kind of, but... she wanted to know something too.
"I answer that... if you answer me why they beat you up to begin with."
"... Mom put up a lot of debt. But she doesn't care. So they went for me."

Suddenly, she felt a lot more uncomfortable...
"I am sorry to hear that."
"Thanks. So, why save me?"
"... is it wrong to help those in need?"
The owlet shook his head. "No. But nobody else does."
"They should. Especially a cute one like you."

The boy's feathers went up a bit at that compliment, as he stopped signing to drink his hot cocoa. Iteral smiled a bit, mind wandering off to her own mother... hm. So that's how having compassion for a child is like.

I like it.

Weeping Willow

It is strange. I have spent my whole childhood here... went into the forest and over the streams as a child with friends. And not once have we even heard of that, yet seen anything like it. Out of nowhere, there was crying from the forest sometimes. If you followed it... or even if you felt sorry for it, you would be sorry for it. Doesn't matter for me, I got headphones.

Some believe it's a ghost. Others believe it is a serial murderer... hm. There was a cabin I used to hang out with my old best friend. We just spent our nights there roasting sausages whenever our parents were angry at us. Now, I am sure I could not find it, even if I wanted to. Childhood... a fleeting pleasure, in hindsight.

It was so nice back then. Now, I can't help but feel a sense of dread. whenever going out. Outside, I feel... watched. As if something was waiting for me... for me to do one misstep. And I can hear that misstep happen, as the music fades out in my headphones and I hear a faint sob. I heard a sentence through the sobbing, probably the last thing I heard.

"... one more time please."

Shout Down

"Come on! We're almost there!" A child's voice rang throughout the forest, no older than 10. "Oh, stop it now, Ryan..." A different voice said, a lot less enthusiastic.
"No, no! I saw it here! It had giant teeth, a huge tiger!" The child cheered, standing on a knocked over tree. It could easily point at scratch marks around the flora to prove it but the mind of a child has yet to develop logic.
"Oh, come on. There are no tigers here, we learned that in biology!" The other child said, crawling underneath the knocked down tree. "
"Shut up and look!" It yelled, then hiding in a bush. There it was...

A tiger with trunks emerging from it's mouth. It was eating on something, it looked like a sleeping deer. One of the children was already fiddling with a camera, when the tiger raised it's head. A metallic scratching came out and it made a snarl, first at the children... then at something else, running off. What came next was even more shocking.
It looked like a deer itself but... it's fur was shiny like a car, it's eyes were weird and all square like and it had dents and small scratches all over it's body. But it did not mind, just walking to the sleeping deer... and taking it away with ease, despite it being smaller. Then, it also raised its head at the children and opened it's mouth.

It shows it's teeth, they were plenty and weirdly silver... then they moved. They moved around in it's jaw, like a chainsaw, and made a loud noise like one too. The children ran away, crying and hoping that something could save them.

But they were in the realm of the Weeping Willow.
Do not listen to crying from the forest.
There was a new rule now.
Do not cry louder than the forest.

Consistency

Reality... existence... conscience...
whoever came up with the multiverse thing never thought of time itself and just took it for granted. That no matter what reality you went into, time would follow and be like any other universe. They're right. Time binds all those universes and timelines together.

So what happens when someone took away everything but time?

Iteral. She called herself "The Girl Who Broke Time" but she never broke it. The inverse applies, she broke everything but time.
In some realities, it was a misused spell. In others, it was an experiment gone wrong. Or just toying with forces beyond her comprehension. But no matter what, she did the same thing:

Break everything there is, was and will be. Space, Science, Sanity... All were gone... broken, and all that was left was time. And when you have just time left, it gives you an opportunity to mold it. To shape it. To control it.
...

...

...
There were two things that exist in every reality, every dimension, every multiversal thought.
Time... and Iteral.
The Unstoppable Force... and the Immovable Object.
The thing that cannot be broken... and the thing that keeps breaking.

An internship would be fun, they said. It would give you experience and new faces, they said. Stupid parents, what do they know? You just wanted to be in your room, playing video games, not go to some hospital to change bed pans and write down boring stuff. Ugh, the most painful weeks of your life were going to start.

And at first, it seemed like it. You had the unrivaled euphoria when feeding elderly people with mashed potatoes, only for them to spit it back at you or watching a nurse washing one, for you to "learn". Thank god it was in that order, else your lunch break would've been ruined. But as you pass the rooms, you notice one room that did not look like the rest... you could not tell exactly what but it was weirdly unique. You peek in and...

there was a girl. Only slightly older than you and stitches cover her body, short ones over her arms, a long one on her throat and her face even had one that went across it. The girl stared at you, silently and narrowing her eyes. You freeze, the hostility she radiates is immense but... something rooted you in place. A part of you wanted to run for it but another was curious, to see who this enigmatic girl is. So, against all judgement... you go inside.

The smell of disinfectant hits your nose almost immediately, though the entire day before had numbed you a little to it. Not enough to still hold a napkin over your nose but you could be in the room for a while. You walk closer to the edge of her bed... and all she did is back off against the other side, revealing more stitches, even on her ankles and hips. You raise your hands to show you are harmless but she was still very careful. You note... she was not hostile.

She was afraid.

You take a look at her document hanging from the bed. It was all very complicated medical jargon, you had no idea what to make of it. Polymatia, what the hell is that? Well, doesn't matter, you were pulled out by a doctor before you were able to even read the rest of the medical talk, but at least you were able to read what her name was.

Faythe. No surname, strange.
-----
Great. Only two days in and you already got a write-up for "dealing with patients non-professionally". What the hell are those doctors on, did they raid the medical supplies for themselves or why were they so mad at you... all you did is check in on a patient. And she was the only patient that was within thirty years of your own age. Jeez...

So, when already in Rome, why not go full rebel? Checking the schedule, you are able to switch around enough that you are tasked with food delivery to the patients, and in the stitched-up girl's faction as well. So, rushing through the food service with the others, you make sure that her room is the last and that your own lunch break is shortly after, leaving you with enough time to inquire.

As you enter her room, the smell of disinfectant had not dissipated... it was almost worse. It was just like last time, she backed off towards the other end of the bed and held her legs close, still scared. This time, you simply put down the food and close the door slowly to not raise suspicion. Then, you tried talking at first.

"Hey... how are you doing?"

No response. She just stared at you, then down at the food, then back at you. She points at the food, then at herself... wait. Is she confused that the food is for her? You just nod, which is when the girl takes the food and starts eating it. Wow... her teeth look really sharp. She puts the small juice package under her blanket, saving it for later. You take the time she spends eating to try decipher her diagnosis sheet... to no avail. It just looked like an entirely different language to you. But then, you also note that neither of you have spoken for a while...

"... can I call you Faythe, by the way?"

She makes a weird motion with her mouth, enough to make her stitches move a bit, though she nods shortly after. You know the sound she made though, you heard it from your online sessions in gaming. It just meant you mispronounced it. So, you start asking questions, yes and no questions at that to not force too much onto her.

"How are you?" A nod.
"Do you like the food?" Another nod.
"... do you like the other doctors?" This time, she shakes her head. "Tell me about it."

For the next ten minutes, you hold the most one-sided conversation possible, as you keep talking and telling about the doctors, your write-up, their behavior and everything. But when you felt bad at the end for monologuing so much, you notice her being a little happier than before. She puts down the empty juice box and plate onto the tray and hands it back to you.

You hear footsteps, oh no. The doctors are closing in. And you cannot get out, you look around in a panic... which is when Faythe points at the empty closet right next to you. Instinctively, you leap in and close it just enough that you can still see the patient, as a murder of doctors rush into the room like crows.

"And here... we have our most peculiar patient, Faythe. Note her polymatia and polystomia, as well as her albinism and aversion to humans."

The doctor notes the empty tray.

"... miraculously, despite the many sensory organs, she is still able to eat and drink like an ordinary being. We are still unsure how she is able to, as attempts to remove or breach her skin have been unsuccessful. Observe."

The doctor pulls out a napkin and holds it against Faythe's nose, as she faints within seconds, laying limp on the bed... and soon enough, the head doctor starts working on her like on a crossword puzzle, leaving the other doctors in shock...
and you as well.
-----
You waited some time in the closet, the fact that you were able to without being discovered or your legs just falling asleep is nothing short of a miracle. Of course, that is nothing compared to what the doctors unwillingly showed you about Faythe... the horrors that her body contained, the pain that she felt despite the anesthesia. A few times, you had to look away yourself just to not puke and reveal yourself. After the doctors left, which seemed like hours, Faythe woke right up again... and pulls the blanket over her body. She felt violated, hurt... insecure.

She flinches when hearing the closet doors creak, as you revealed yourself again. Her face now reads dread and even more fear... she points her finger at you. You knew what she meant. "Yes. I saw everything." The girl sighed... and started crying, head in her hands now as she whimpered. This was the first time you heard her voice, though only sobbing and crying. It... took you some willpower but you went a little closer and just tried to do your best impression at being kind.
"D-Don't worry. I don't like you less... you look great. Like some form of... anime character. It's cool!" You said, smiling and while sounding like a child with no concept of fear, she looks at you through her hands... a little confused. She signs again, to which you respond "Yep. You're cool." This time, you were able to talk a little more seriously, though your throat was still on the ready about puking. But what the doctors did... was inexcusable. And you did not want to spend a single day longer with them. And you knew exactly... how to go out with a bang.
You told Faythe to stay in bed, as you volunteered to change the bed sheets. Ugh, of course, you had incontinent people as well. You did your best to put those at the very bottom, as you passed her room now and pretend to get a call and open the door slightly. The girl, dressed in a nightgown, jumps into the laundry wagon and you start rolling the cart through the hallway.
Usually, you would be a lot more nervous. You were just a shut-in, a normal person playing video games, going to school and, very occasionally, watching TV with your parents. Escaping with patients from a horrid hospital was not even remotely close to your daily life. But the show of Faythe's vivisection... it filled you with anger. With spite. How could they do such things to her, even while unconscious.
Your thoughts were interrupted, as the alarm sounded off. Someone noticed her missing... and you were about three hallways down from the exit. Going for it, you started dashing with the cart. "Quick, put the clothes on!" You yelled at the cart, as the doctors quickly realized who did it and how. They were fast enough to catch up with you, but when they arrived, you were already at the loading ramp. "Stop!" One of them yelled, as you looked back at the cart, seeing the eyes. They stared back... and you still went for it, trying to roll the cart off the ramp. One of the doctors had a taser and they zapped you with thirty thousand volts, as you twitch and fall down on the ground, the cart rolling and missing the laundry car, instead crashing down onto the ground.
You see the doctors rush to the cart, while you're dragged away. All you saw is a bunch of lab coats, going through the ungodly amount of soiled bed sheets.
A few hours later, you were discharged from the hospital for gross misconduct and inappropriate behavior. Add in a potential charge for kidnapping, though that will probably get dismissed... they're doctors, not lawyers. As you walk back home, you look at the hospital entrance, a few trees standing aside. Leaning on one of them was a girl in a punk outfit, leather jacket, jeans and all. You... could not tell what exactly what she was gesturing to you, you had a hard time telling stitch and mouth apart. But then, you heard her voice more clearly, a slightly scratchy but nice alto.
"Thank you."
You just nod and go back home to deliver the news... and maybe, if you play your cards right...



maybe you can invite a friend over.

Vanitas Laboratories

Sender: Junior Manager Lucenox, R&D Department
Recipient: Site Manager Alto
Subject: CAD
Request (optional):
We finally have a conclusive description of the CAD and I would request a widespread information campaign, in order to raise awareness.

Letter:
Symptomatic of "Chronal Acceleration Disease" (formerly known as "Chronal Acceleration Disorder")
[Notes: It is not a disorder like we thought. It spreads. It is a disease.]
Preferred method of infection: Unknown.

Day 1 - 3: No noticeable change, though some subject seem to recover faster from exhaustion or minor injuries. Slightly increased speed when talking. Some report an odd dream right before that.
Day 3 - 7: Metabolism increase, afflicted people require double the calories they needed before. Reaction and recovery time decreased. They seem to move faster as well.
Day 7 - 12: Body seems to go into fever, averaging out at 40°C/104°F, though at no cost to the vital systems. In addition, afflicted people seem to have the urge to "release all that pent up energy".
Day 10+: At this point, subject seems to be agitated. They undergo a behavioral change, which shows in one of two ways:
- a severe depression starts developing, as subjects claim that they "did nothing with their life". They will remain in bed all day, only moving occasionally to feed and be unresponsive.

Day 14: After precisely 336 hours (two weeks in hours), the subject will undergo cardiac arrest. During this, the body ages tremendously. White hair and wrinkles develop in seconds, nail length exceeds thirty (30) centimeters and breathing is irregular, in very small increments. After the person expires, they enter rigor mortis within seconds and then fade to dust, only leaving the skeletal remains. The skeletal remains are safe to touch but caution should still be handled with care.

Notes: This disease appears randomly in humans, we have not found an underlying cause. The disease itself behaves weird too, in that it cannot be transmitted by ordinary means... but rather that close proximity to afflicted people increases the odds of developing symptoms. So far, only distance was a factor.

Junior Researcher Aiyana contracted the sickness despite never interacting with the person, closest she got was behind bulletproof glass. Her estimated time of expiration is in a few days.



Request to talk to Aiyana over phone, in order to attempt a less problematic passing for her.

Sincerely,
Junior Manager Iteral Wavia Lucenox.

Addition:
Denied due to insignificance. Lucenox, we told you to be professional. Do not let your personal relations interfere with your work. Come to my office. - Project Leader Stern

Everyone thinks I am perfect. That I do no wrong. No, I just... rewind. Go back to answer the teacher correctly. Try repeatedly until I find the optimal pick-up line for my crush. Dodge and find the perfect time for a hit. What did that bring me?

You turn the post-it.

I cannot show vulnerability. No weakness for me. I do not feel like I have friends but... like I was in some visual novel. Just try again for the perfect path. How I long for a shoulder to cry on.

They've done it.

After the great Saint Deity had retreated into her castle, the world fell into an ice age. Temperatures fell. Life itself froze... but when absolution came in the form of another powerful being, who in exchange doused the kingdom in a state of eternal night, some were skeptical. The warmth had returned but would the darkness not kill them either... a group of individuals formed to find out who exactly this being was and maybe bring the light back without freezing everything.

They have ascended the Stellar Staircase. Defeated the beings that guarded it, weird scorpions, lions, even things like the Terrible Twins and the Horned Evil. Though the top of the case was quite anticlimactic, as they found themselves in an empty space. All they saw were stars around them and a figure in front, as dark as the night itself.

But when they start launching attacks at it, they could see how time slowed down. Projectiles travel like through honey, quick punches became visible, they were at a loss. But when they expected a flurry of attacks or anything like it, they just saw their friends vanishing.
---

Setsuna Jun


Setsuna could feel his moves speeding up again but before he could react, he fell down. His vision blurred again, he briefly lost sense of reality. Instead of the starry sky, he saw a bridge. Underneath him a strong current, he instinctively reached out to the bridge but couldn't reach it.
Setsuna saw himself, running away. His mind was about to fracture again, he wanted to scream...


when a hand suddenly reached out, grabbing him by his and pulling him out. For the first time in a while, Setsuna Jun felt relief. His perception shifted back to normal, he could stand on his own two feet now and he was back in the astral plane. The hand that grabbed him.

It belongs to a woman in a black dress and a witch's hat. Her clothing was adorned with little golden chains and cogwheels, as she looks... up at Setsuna. She wasn't very tall and apart from her clothing, she did not seem very special but her power could be felt. He did not want to risk anything yet, even with the voice telling him to just attack her.

"Oh dear, I could feel you... you've been frozen in time for a while, haven't you?"

Her voice was unique, as it not only has a weird accent, it also sports an underlying sound of a grandfather clock whenever she spoke. The woman takes Setsuna's hands, her hands were uncharacteristically rough for a witch, who usually were more ranged and didn't do much with their hands.

Setsuna's desire to assault her grew. And grew. But then, the witch spoke.

"I can see your past, Setsuna. I can see... a certain someone. Then a long pause. You have waited a long time for a purpose, haven't you?

The boy's murderous urge stops for a second. This was... the most friendly way of someone describing him ever since he woke up in this eternal midnight.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have intruded. My name is Iteral Lucenox. Hm... believe it or not... I was alive too when you were with Legion."

Something weird happened. His mind did not crash, he did not fall on his knees. Even though the name invoked something repulsive in his him, his heart racing again, Setsuna was able to maintain it. Stay on both feet. Almost like the witch was helping him stay focused. The burning grew though and all he could say...

"What... am I?"

The witch speaks again and as much as she wanted to sound smooth and motherly, the grandfather clocks made it difficult to convey. After that, she simply takes out one of her pocket watches from her bag and puts it in Setsuna's hand, as she presses it with his palm.


Setsuna could then see his past. All of it, Legion's rise, how he worked in it, his roles, the encampment... ... a saint... the confrontation at the castle...
When the flashback ends, the boy tried making sense of it. It succeeded mostly but all he lets out was a single tear and a name. "Chiara Lucente."

Iteral nods, closing her eyes and exhaling a little worried. "Someone important. A person who believed in you, in everyone. And even if your actions did not match her beliefs, your heart beats just like hers does." She turns her head slightly to look away from Setsuna. At first he was confused... but then he looks aside as well.

Navy. Or what his mind has made of his remains in the ice. The corruption of a corruption. Iteral was staring right at it with a stern look. All this time, Navy was whispering doubts, concerns and flaws into his mouth but for the first time ever, he shut up.

The sound of silence. Setsuna did not like it. He wanted to hear any voice again, except his.



"I can help you, Jun." Iteral says, a look of sadness painting her face. "I can't resurrect Chiara. My powers allow me to but death does not like being cheated. I should know." For a brief moment, Setsuna felt like he saw triple... three witches instead of one. "I can't bring her. But I can... let you join her." Even if it sounded like a threat, Setsuna could tell that Iteral did not mean it as one.

"I know you might not want to die. But I can ensure that, if you do, that you can meet her again. Set things straight. I can even try to set you back, so you can be clear-minded when-"

Setsuna now falls on his knees again. But instead of erupting into a fit and twitching like having an epilepsy, he just closes his eyes... folds his hands together and raises them above his head. He submits completely to her. Navy protests but this time, he is able to resist his calls. Iteral understands and simply taps the top of his head with a clock.

---
Setsuna finds himself still in the astral plane. At first, he thought that the witch scammed her. Simply bought time to discard him in space or something. But just as he was about to scream, a familiar voice from behind called out. "Setsuna, is that you my child?" He turns... to see a blonde haired woman, eyes red as rubies and with the same religious garments as people did during his time.
Since Setsuna was still on his knees, all he did is turn to her and get into the submission position again, closing his eyes as hard as he could while crying. He could not feel pain anymore but his heart was still pounding and his chest felt very hot.






"I AM SORRY CHIARA! I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING, I WAS A FOOL AND BETRAYED YOU SO OFTEN. THE BRIDGE, LEGION, THE HEART. IF YOU CAN EVER FORGIVE ME, I-"



He stops speaking when his lips met... a metallic cross. Chiara simply held it against his lips, while bowing down slightly. "There is nothing to apologize for, my child. I could see your intentions from the day I met you. Your actions were misguided and your heart knew that."

When he opens his eyes, he sees a pale hand reaching out. He takes it... it was soft, cared for and almost divine to touch. He opens his eyes and looks up, as his eyes met Chiaras soft expression. She did not say a word, simply pulling on his arms a little... and Setsuna understood, she wanted to pull him somewhere. He slowly got up and follows the Saint, still holding her hand. At first he feared the sound of silence again, or worse that Navy followed him here. But then he could hear... humming.
Chiaras humming to be specific. As they walk, she hums the songs of her life. The starting lullabies of her childhood, the religious songs of her sainthood, then a marching song from Legion. Then, a new creation. It uses the marching song as a baseline but this time she sings lyrics.

"When marching through coldest of nights,
When at your worst end,
Believe in the Saint Deity,
On her we solely depend.

That's what I was taught early on,
But soon I learned, that's not it,
Wait-ing, Float-ing
Just a wandering spirit.

Then I learn, her teachings are true,
But relying on her was foolish of me,
It's in us we seek,
improvement in,
So let's redeem your soul too.


It was obvious that Chiara... made some lyrics up herself. But she did not mind, it was a song she hums happily. Setsuna only needed one repeat... and then sung as well, as they walk through the endless skies.

They make a great duet.

Dear Aeterna,

I write to you in an act of dejection. I know I have not been a great mother to you, and it would be somewhat foolish to ask for you to simply forget what has happened. You do weave time like a bird would air... but I write to you with a purpose no less. It is time that you learn something.

The Garden has a large tree, perhaps you have seen it. The Tree of Life, you might know it as Yggdrasil, the Tree of Immortality, so on, so on. But what you might not know is that it is not just a joint between heaven and hell... it is an imprint. Every living being, from the smallest bacteria to the largest of beasts are memorized in the tree. But, oh dear daughter, it is so much more.

When you cut something off the Tree, it not only fades from memory... but from existence. Just a few seconds, that is all it takes to annihilate an entire species, no, an entire class of beings. And nobody will be there to remember it. And while the Tree is growing, a disease is also spreading... and the only way of halting that disease, is to cut off the infected branch. But you cannot cure the Tree, the disease always returns, usually in a close-by branch of similar taxonomy. Many years ago however...

You might know the species. Mammals, reptiles, etc. You may remember six, but there is a seventh. It is where most of the beings come from that you think of fictitious. From the mighty dragons of the East to the large Velociraptors of the West, even the dashing unicorns of North, they are not as distant in the past as you think they are. But perhaps, you may know already... for you have not only been blessed by my father's temporal powers but also been named after that species.
The seventh main species, the elusive and extinct... Aeterna species.


Another reason why Gaia has forced me to cast you out, for somehow you were spared from the Tree's erasure. She thought of you as an act against the Garden, against the Tree. The meddling of your mortal father was only the reason that your grandmother needed to reason to the others why I should abandon you but when the large branch of Aeterna was cut but you remained, she felt threatened.


I do not ask you to forgive me, or her. I know you well enough that you either have already or will never stop to. But it is only recently that I have realized, you are not an affront to Gaia, the Tree of Life or me. You are your grandfather's blood through and through, and even though the Tree can erase entire existences and memories, they cannot erase history that easily. And while the species Aeterna no longer exists for us, the memory that is you does. And as long as you do, the many timelines that you permeate will as well in some shape or form.


Gaia thought you would endanger the Garden. Tempest knew that you would save it across many times.



And I could not ask for a better person to do that... than my firstborn daughter and time weaver extraordinaire.
Aeterna Aelius,
I love you.

Sincerely,
Mona Aelius
Goddess of the Stars and Proud Mother