“… You keep calling child. Am I… to you?”
“It’s jarring, isn’t it? That a woman you barely know is treating you like one of her own. I consider all Seers of mine to be my kindred, as well as those I watch over.”
“That doesn’t answer anything.” Jury complained.
The woman laughed.
“I’m sorry. Let clarify for you. I’m what you may consider to be a God of Cognition, but that is not entirely correct.”
“A God of Cognition! I thought only Elysia can be one.”
“You’re mistaken. Lilith is another, for instance. Beings who have so control over the Light. It is no wonder that children of mine can see the shape of people’s souls as well as manipulate them, to an extent. I ward few from the influence of outsiders. At tis, I help people fish out a piece of themselves.”
“… aning… you Corrupt people?”
“Corruption is but one form a person can take. That relies on the Shadow, as we learned so long ago… I am partially to bla for it, however. “
Evelyn lanted as she stroked Jury’s hair, adding:
“The Exalted. Impuritas with knowledge hailing beyond their capabilities. Weave was one of the first. Devoid, another – and Luna, the First Moon, a blueprint of the Moons who would soon co after.”
“… You’re… an Archetype…?”
“Tragically. I’m still bound by the tree. Attached to my ho.”
“Then how co you’ve only showed yourself now…?”
“I was in another world, also blighted by the sa rot of this. It is neither the first nor the last, but I felt obliged to lend a hand for it was the world of a colleague… The Gate brought back.”
Jury didn’t know whether she should embrace Evelyn back. On one hand, she had nothing but good mories of this person, however faint they were.
Plus, she was an Archetype of the Nexus.
The Seeker of Existential Wholeness
Evelyn
< Archetype of Attachnt >
Floor: Attachnt
Advent : The Gate | Advent of Attachnt
Beholder : Knalzark(?)LEVEL : 315ORIGIN : Archetype
HP : 4B
ATT : 0MAG ATT : 0ATT DEF : 3MMAG DEF : 3M
MP : 999M
RESIST : 930kAGI : 120
One of the strongest, as well. Her title was nothing like the others, which were much simpler. Evelyn, to her mory, played a pivotal role in creating the Captured Star. Existential wholeness was the Captured Star, no doubt.
Evelyn slowly shook her head, as though able to read her mind.
“I seek the potential on an individual basis, rather than a panacea.”
“Whatever form it takes… I do not judge, so long as it is true to them.”
“Little Jury. You hadn’t a na at the ti.”
“No mother to hold your hand. No father to tuck you into your bed of leaves. No brother to watch over you. No sister to keep you company.”
“But, nonetheless, you grew to beco strong enough to reject false hope.”
“… Why… Did you co here? Why now? Why not before?”
Evelyn pulled away and kept a hand on her head. Her eyes llowed, like she couldn’t believe how much Jury had grown.
“… In the days where I had nothing, and the years you spent alone in the Black Forest, I felt that it was right to at least keep you company until soone ca to your side. You will find that Gods of Cognition have a tendency to appear in monts of this nature. Flocks of a feather, we are. Our destinations are just never the sa.”
Jury trembled. It was not out of fear. She was simply overwheld by Evelyn’s kindness. There wasn’t a hint of malevolence, or an attempt to Corrupt her, or anything. She just remained close to Jury, healing her with her presence alone.
Another tear fell down her cheek. Jury never had a mother. But if there was soone or sothing closest to it…
“Little Jury. Were you able to find so cotton candy in your ti with Frost?”
… then it would be Evelyn. She recalled in that mory where Evelyn spoke about cotton candy. A treat made of sugar. For her to recall this caused tremors to wrack Jury.
“Mhm.” A childish hum ca from Jury as she fought her tears.
“Then, the next ti we et, will you tell all about the wonderful sweets you’ve had in your journeys? I’d love to hear it.”
“… You’re… you’re going?”
“I can hardly stay. The powers that inhabit this place are unkind to trespassers.”
“When can I see you again!?”
“Soon. I plan to rejoin the Nexus. I’ve… been running from the past for quite a while. The past is binding, after all. For so, it is all that they know.”
Rays of light crept into the cocoon as more debris fell. She could almost hear Frost’s voice calling for her.
“It is ti. I must take my leave.”
“Won’t you talk to Frost? She’ll want to et you.”
“Ah… I’m almost embarrassed to. I’ve… made grave mistakes in the past to face the Captured Star.”
“Frost isn’t the Captured Star. Frost is Frost. She’s my wife. If she can get along with the Arbiter, then why wouldn’t she want to talk to you?”
Evelyn broke into a loving smile after a mont of contemplation.
“I shall take your word for it. Goodbye, my child.”
She slipped away, but left her hand on Jury’s head, and then on her cheek for as long as she could. She vanished into the darkness as a column of light spilled from above, shining over Jury like a spotlight.
“JURY!”
“Frost…! Frost! I-I’m…!”
The darkness in front of her cracked, and from it, light spilled in as a hand reached through to grab her.
“I got you…! Take my hand! We’re getting you out of there!”
Frost pushed through the crack and was able to grab her hand. Jury tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn’t move. In fact, she couldn’t move her body at all. She was so exhausted that she did not even have the energy to let her help her.
“I-I’m sorry–!”
“I got you, don’t apologize.”
Frost’s voice was all she needed to calm down. Frost wanted nothing more than to get her out. She didn’t want to hear any excuses, at least not until Jury was safe. A black tail wrapped around her. Jury was dragged through the hole, and before she knew it, they were freefalling as debris showered around them.
Frost kept her close, and she used a barrier to slow their descent as she held Jury in a bridal carry. She watched as the cocoon was pulled into the maw of gears overhead.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
“Good riddance. This is you right, Jury!? I got the right one!?”
Frost half-panicked, causing Jury to let out a sobbed laugh.
“I’m the real one! I promise you! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! I didn’t an to make trouble! I had no control over myself! I couldn’t–!”
“Are you ok!?”
Frost didn’t even want to hear her excuses either. Their hairs intertwined into ribbons of black and white. All Frost wanted was to know whether Jury was ok or not. That alone caused the dam to finally break, and she buried her face into Frost’s chest.
“I’m ok… I’m ok… I’m such an idiot…”
“Jury, it’s ok. I went on a rampage too.”
“This is different. I almost killed you. I almost killed Cer! I could have killed so many more if I hadn’t just–!”
“You couldn’t help it. Even I was trapped inside of a different body.”
“I know! But I can’t stand it… and it hurts more when you’re always this kind…”
Jury wailed her heart out. Her sob drowned out the crashing debris as they landed. A barrier kept them protected, like an umbrella in the rain. She kept her face buried in Frost’s chest, her voice broken and her body quivering uncontrollably.
“It’s one thing if it was you. You had no choice. It was hard for to hit too. But hey, it worked out, right? It’s ok, it’s ok. We’re both here. I’m not gonna let you go again.”
Jury couldn’t rember the last ti she was coddled like this. She was strong enough to never need it. But her heart bled for the world.
She was bound to end up like this sooner or later. Her voice began to crack, and she could no longer form coherent words. Frost’s tail lightly rubbed her back. The way Frost cherished her only caused her to sob harder.
“… Cer.”
“Yep?”
“Act X did this.”
“Yeah.”
“Soone’s going to have to pay.”
“Got a target in mind?”
“I’ve got one. Maybe two depending on how cooperative they are.”
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