Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Anaxagoras didn’t want to admit it at first. He had sworn it was just admiration of how far his student had come. Then he swore it was just a strange infatuation. But the more time he spent out of class with him, the more time he had gotten to know his student, the more he couldn’t deny it anymore.

Phainon had captured his attention in a way that was far more deep than he had ever suspected would happen. He cared about him, not only as a student, not only as a person, but as something else. They would send letters to each other, the language so tender and loving, were it from anyone else it would have made him sick. He worried about Phainon in a way that was far deeper than just a simple concern for a reckless student. He understood Phainon in a way he wasn’t sure anyone else possibly would. He understood how much of himself he gave, how little of himself he spared for himself. He understood the facades he put up. Facades of a perfect Chrysos Heir, of one who wasn’t affected by the horrors around him, of one who could always stand strong when everyone else couldn’t. He knew those were all lies. He saw the pain that lay underneath the surface, the pressure Phainon faced from every side to be that perfect hero. And he wanted to be there for him. He didn’t want to see him shatter under all his duties. He wanted to support Phainon at every chance he could, whether it was through advice, comfort, or anything else. He, selfishly, he would admit, wanted to make sure there was enough of Phainon for him to have to himself.

The two had been spending more and more time outside of Anaxagoras’s classes. They would talk for hours on end, debating, discussing, even just sharing the strange and mundane things that happened in their days. They would spend time at each other’s houses, to the point where they both admitted that they felt as if they were homes to the other. He cherished the time they spent together more than anything and craved more of it whenever they were apart. And Phainon admitted that he felt the same.

What else could it be but love?

He almost wanted to laugh. Love, in a time of such crisis, when their very world was coming apart at the seams. And yet, here they were, hopelessly devoted to each other.

It made him all the more sure of what he was doing.

Anaxagoras knew his time on Amphoreus was short. Despite being a Chrysos Heir, he knew when the time came, he couldn’t stand against the Black Tide. He hardly believed Chrysos Heirs were different from ordinary humans anyway. He also knew that there was a good chance that Phainon’s time was short as well. He was always fighting, always driving back the rogue Titankin and the creatures of the Black Tide. He was always risking his life for that absurd Flame-Chase Journey. Anaxagoras couldn’t bear the thought of losing him, especially to such nonsense. But he wouldn’t lose him. He had faith in Phainon. And more to the point, if his new project were to work, even after both of them were gone, a piece of them would survive.

The idea was simple. With a piece of Phainon’s DNA, and a part of his own soul, Anaxagoras was going to create life.

He had spent countless tireless hours working on this project, with countless failures. Some were failures right at the start, with little to nothing happening. That was hardly an issue. Some came closer to completion before failing. He tried not to let that bother him. One specimen in particular was so close to completion, so very close. Yet it didn’t survive either. That failure in particular hurt the most as it was so very close to a life yet was gone in an instant. But he wasn’t going to give up.

“I am so close,” he told himself.

“One more time. One more time and it will work.”

And so he tried one more time. Another piece of DNA, another fracturing of his soul. Carefully, he began the alchemical process, going as slowly as he possibly could to make sure he wouldn’t ruin it. He watched intently as inside the incubator, something began to grow. From just a speck of nothing, to a blob of something, the being inside began to take shape. He kept working, pouring more and more of himself into the forming creature. Until slowly, legs, arms, hands, feet, all parts of the human body took form. But he knew he couldn’t stop. This was where he stopped last time, and that cost him everything. So he pushed himself even further. More magic flowed in and around the being, stabilizing it, making it more and more real. It was only when he could feel no more magic flowing that he stopped.

Finally allowing himself to take a breath, Anaxagoras stared at his creation. He stared at the little baby inside the incubator. It was a girl, with light green hair, just like his own. He didn’t think it worked at first, wondering if the girl would in a few moments stop breathing and perish like the last one. But she didn’t. Her chest continued to rise and fall rhythmically as she kept sleeping. Anaxagoras let out a short, incredulous laugh.

“I…I did it…I created life…”

He pressed a hand against the glass of the incubator and watched the tiny girl asleep inside. She looked so content, so happy, so…alive.

“She’s stable…she’s actually here…”

Weakly, he smiled at her.

“Hello…little one…”

He took his hand off the glass to admire his work. This was probably his greatest project, his greatest creation yet. He crafted life through alchemy alone. It took –well– he was even sure how long, but he succeeded. He figured he could just rest for a little bit. Just for a moment. Laying his head down on the desk, he closed his eye, not expecting to almost immediately drift off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Phainon hadn’t seen Anaxa in days. Now that was normal for the most part, as he had disappeared for a week or so multiple times while he was taught by him. But there was something different about this time. He said he had something to work on, but never elaborated on it. Phainon tried to think of the last conversation he had with him. Nothing about it seemed to stand out at first, as it was just another discussion between them. At least up until the end.

“Tell me, Phainon. What will you do once this ridiculous Flame Chase is over?”

“Titans…I never even thought about that. It seems so distant now.”

“Is that really true?”

“Well…not entirely. I always figured once it was over, I…I would- Never mind it sounds silly.”

“Even if it was, there is no harm in telling me.”

“I…would start a family. With you.” 

To anyone else, Anaxa’s expression remained neutral at that confession. But Phainon could tell. The way his eye widened, the way his body posture seemed to straighten, the small quirk of his lips that slightly resembled a smile. He was more than pleased with the answer, as if it was something he was waiting for. After that, he simply thanked Phainon for the conversation and left.

He figured the best place to start would be his lab at the Grove of Epiphany. So that was exactly where he went. Of course, it was bustling as always, most of the scholars there paying him very little mind. Made it easier to make his way to Anaxa’s lab. As soon as he reached there, he knocked on the door a few times.

“Anaxa?” he asked.

He received no answer. Figuring he was just busy, Phainon was about to turn around and leave. But something inside him told him to investigate further. So he tried to open the door, only to find it unlocked and opened rather easily.

“Anaxa?” Phainon asked again, approaching the entrance.

Not hearing his voice again, he walked further into the lab, even more confused. And it was only then he heard something he never expected. A baby’s cry. Now running further in, he grew concerned. As stupid as the idea was, his first thought is that Anaxa accidentally turned himself into a child.

But instead he was greeted with a completely different sight. Anaxa was asleep at his desk, and on his desk was a strange glass tube. And inside the tube was a baby girl with light green hair, crying her eyes out. Not knowing what else to do he ran over to the child. Feeling around the edges of the glass, he soon found a seam and opened the tube. As it opened, he pulled the child out and quickly began to cradle her. More nervous than anything else, he started to rock her and tried to comfort her.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he said quietly.

“You’re okay.”

The girl continued to cry, and Phainon continued to hold her close, trying to whisper words of comfort to her. But she wouldn’t seem to stop. Getting more stressed out than he already was, Phainon didn’t know what else to do other than call out.

“Anaxa! Anaxa help!”

Finally stirring from his slumber, Anaxa raised his head with a grumble.

“It’s Anaxagoras-” he tried to say, but the words died in his throat as he witnessed the sight before him.

Phainon was unaware of how out of his element he looked holding the child, until Anaxa stared at him, seemingly unable to process what he was looking at. But the desperate look in Phainon’s eyes and the girl’s sobs is what allowed Anaxa to fully shake the sleep off himself. Without even needing to say anything, he seemed to know what the girl needed, preparing a bottle for her from his supplies. Gently taking the baby from Phainon’s grasp, he began feeding her, while shaking his head.

“I do apologize, Phainon. Little one.”

He gave a small smile before laughing a bit bitterly.

“I didn’t expect to be asleep for so long. And I didn’t want you to be introduced to our daughter this way, Phainon.”

Phainon looked, and felt, as if he had been slapped. He wasn’t sure if he heard Anaxa correctly. But that was when he got a good look at the girl’s eyes as Anaxa took the bottle away from her. They were a light blue with a single yellow dot in the center. Just like his own. He almost couldn’t believe this was real, so he reached out to the girl, placing a hand on her cheek. Feeling the warmth of her skin was what allowed reality to settle in for him.

“This…this is our daughter…”

“Indeed,” Anaxa replied.

Phainon looked up at him, not really sure of how to ask the countless questions in his head. 

“H…How…?”

“I used a bit of both of us. A piece of you, and a portion of my soul.”

Phainon’s eyes widened.

“Anaxa, I- Isn’t that dangerous?!”

“Yes. But it was worth it. To create life is worth any risk I take.”

He smiled at Phainon.

“Especially if it’s with you.”

Phainon could feel his cheeks grow hot, no doubt becoming pink. He then shook his head, as if to reset himself. With a laugh he admitted something.

“I knew I said I wanted a child, I just- I didn’t think it would happen so soon.”

“Ah, I-”

“Don’t you dare apologize. I would never take away what we have. And I’m more than willing to raise her now.”

Anaxa laughed again, less bitterly this time. He then looked down at the girl with a smile.

“Well?” Anaxa asked.

“What shall we name her?”

And that was something Phainon hadn’t thought about. But he took a moment to consider. He thought of all the things she could be named after, the sky, the stars, memory, life, all of which were wonderful. But then he thought about the earth beneath them. He thought about how he wanted his daughter to be unmoving like the earth, yet full of life just like it. With that he made up his mind.

“Gaia…” Phainon said.

“Her name is Gaia.”

Chapter Text

Around ten months had passed since Gaia had come into the world. And already Phainon was overwhelmed. He knew the steps that came with a baby. He knew one of them had to keep an eye on her at all times, he knew about the regular feeding, the changing, the naps, all of that wasn’t an issue. 

No, the issue was the doubt that always ate away at the edges of the mind. Sure he had help from Anaxa and the other Chrysos Heirs. Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon were all more than willing to give advice. Aglaea was more than happy to give him comfort when he needed it. And Hyacine was absolutely overjoyed to act as a babysitter. Then of course there was Anaxa, who always stepped up to be Gaia’s parent, even with his own work to do. He had all the resources he needed to make sure Gaia would be happy and healthy.

And yet…

He couldn’t help but think that he was failing her. He always felt a pang of guilt in his heart whenever she would refuse her bottle, whenever she wanted to stay awake when he put her down for a nap, but especially whenever she would cry. He never knew how to calm her down when she was upset, always handing her over to Anaxa when he could.

But this time he felt like he couldn’t ask for help, as it happened late at night when Anaxa was asleep. Gaia had already been fed, changed as well as anything else that needed to happen. Yet she was still crying. Phainon knew what was wrong. She wanted Anaxa, not him. That didn’t surprise him, not at all. But it still hurt him in a way he couldn’t describe. He wanted to be a good father to her, he really did. But at the same time he had no idea what he was doing.

He couldn’t help but think about the Flame-Chase Journey, and what he has and had to do for it. He had to risk his life over and over again for the sake of Amphoreus, and oddly enough that came so easily to him. He knew how to fight, how to survive, how to take down enemies twice his size, how to protect people who couldn’t protect themselves. And yet, with all the tools at his disposal to help Gaia grow and thrive, he wasn’t as sure of himself.

“I’m so used to being a hero, so why can’t being a father come as easily?”

He held his head down, letting his forehead touch his daughter’s as she cried.

“I’m sorry, Gaia.”

“Phainon?” Anaxa asked groggily.

Embarrassment colored Phainon’s expression as he realized how late it was and that he no doubt woke up Anaxa with his failure to comfort Gaia. Feeling ashamed, he refused to make eye contact.

“It’s…it’s nothing. Just go back to sleep.”

Anaxa rolled his eye, before sitting up in the bed.

“It clearly is not nothing. And besides, I cannot go back to sleep even if I wanted to. I’m not going to leave Gaia feeling upset in the middle of the night.”

While unintentional, Phainon felt the knife twist a bit in his heart. He knew Anaxa didn’t mean anything by it, but it still felt as if he said he couldn’t handle Gaia being upset. 

Believing he knew what she wanted, Phainon tried to hand Gaia over to Anaxa, but much to his surprise, she clung onto his shirt, refusing to let go. Trying to gently pull her off didn’t seem to do much. And as he got more frustrated, Anaxa placed a hand on his arm.

“It’s alright. Clearly she wants to continue being held by you. I think she just wanted both of us around.”

That made sense, Phainon supposed. The two sat in silence for some time, as they both looked at Gaia, who was still clinging onto Phainon, her tears slowly drying. Yet as they did so, Phainon didn’t notice Anaxa staring at him, analyzing him. At least until he spoke.

“There’s something on your mind, I can tell.” 

Caught off guard, Phainon looked up at Anaxa feeling like he had just been exposed. Anaxa let out a short laugh before continuing his thought.

“Do you wish to share it with me?”

Phainon remained silent for a few long moments, not sure how he wanted to explain himself. Before he decided to just say his unfiltered thoughts.

“I’m supposed to be the perfect Chrysos Heir, but I’m not sure I’m doing that right. And now I’m not sure I’m even a good father.”

He sighed as he held Gaia close to his chest, before looking up at Anaxa.

“I mean look at her, Anaxa. She lights up whenever she’s in your arms, she’s always babbling around you, she never refuses food when you give it to her, I just-”

Phainon choked back a laugh that sounded more like a sob.

“Anaxa, I think she hates me.”

Anaxa shook his head, as if that was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.

“Phainon, don’t be ridiculous. She doesn’t hate you.”

He placed a hand on Phainon’s shoulder before continuing his thought.

"Listen. We're both new at this. No one ever said that being a parent was going to be easy. But I promise you. You're not failing her."

“How can you be so sure?”

Anaxa smiled at him, then gestured for Phainon to look down into his arms. He did so and saw Gaia’s tiny hands reaching up for him and smiling. His tears dried rather quickly as he shifted his arms so Gaia could hold onto one of his fingers. With one of her little hands she grabbed on, still smiling.

And that’s when he heard it.

“Da-da!”

Phainon’s eyes widened. He was almost positive that his ears were playing tricks on him.

“What…did you call me?”

Gaia repeated herself.

“Da-da!”

A warm feeling filled Phainon’s chest unlike any he had felt before. Excitement filled him, yet he also felt put at ease. Like he knew that everything was going to be okay.

“That…that was her first word…” he breathed.

Anaxa nodded before he kissed Phainon on the top of his head while still holding him.

“Indeed it was.”

The two looked down at Gaia for a few long moments as she continued to smile and laugh. After some time, she tired herself out, and soon fell asleep in Phainon’s arms. He knew now was a good time to lay her back down, so slowly he walked over to the crib and gently placed her back in it, making sure not to wake her up. As Phainon stood up from placing her in, he turned to Anaxa, who had a warm, content look on his face. He was then led back to bed, and as they were making their way there, Anaxa said one last thing that finally put Phainon’s mind fully at ease.

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing wonderfully, Phainon.”

Chapter Text

Anaxagoras couldn’t stand Aglaea and the feeling was mutual. However, if there’s one thing he agreed with Aglaea on, it was their mutual hatred of the Council of Elders. He absolutely despised how they acted in their own interests rather than the interests of the people of Amphoreus. And even more so, he hated the Theoros. He found his constant insistence on having a “neutral stance” obnoxious, believing that not taking a stand for one thing or another was for weak-willed and weak-minded people. He grew to loathe how he always acted as if he knew more than the rest of them, keeping secrets that could possibly tip scales one way or the other. The Theoros knew things about Amphoreus that the rest of them didn’t, that Anaxagoras was sure of. But there was no way of confronting him on what he knew without any evidence.

So Anaxagoras just chose to seethe instead, not having much else to do about him.

Why was he thinking so much about that? Well it was quite simple really. It happened one day while Phainon was out on patrol. Anaxagoras was invited to Dawncloud to discuss his stance on the Flame-Chase Journey with the Council of Elders. More specifically with the Theoros. As Phainon knew he couldn’t bring Gaia with him, Anaxagoras agreed to take her to Dawncloud.

It would be very different than taking her to his classes. His students, while interested in his private life, and insistent on asking him questions, were mostly harmless. But at Dawncloud, he couldn’t trust anyone, especially not the Theoros. He knew none of them would actively do something to hurt Gaia, at least not in front of him. But he also knew they could try to leverage her existence against him, appeal to his heart, or his desire to protect her.

Shoving those thoughts aside, once he arrived at Dawncloud, he began making his way to where the Theoros asked him to meet. And soon enough waiting for him there was the antikytheran, more than pleased to see him.

“Ah, Professor Anaxagoras. Such an honor for you to be here.”

“Lycurgus,” he said flatly.

As he approached, he watched Lygus’s expression change ever so slightly. No doubt at the sight of Gaia in his arms. Striding over to the two of them, Lygus looked down at the sleeping baby in Anaxagoras’s arms.

“And who might this be?”

“Gaia. My daughter.”

“How sweet. But I know she’s not what we’re here to discuss.”

The two talked back and forth, ranging from simple discussion to debate about the Flame-Chase Journey. Both of them shared their opinions on it, some of them intertwining, yet most of them being very different, with Anaxagoras having much more strong opinions. Yet as the conversation died down, Lygus’s gaze went to Gaia again. Before he asked a question that Anaxagoras practically dreaded.

“May I hold her?”

His knee-jerk answer would’ve been “no”. In fact, after some thought, it still would’ve been “no”. But after some careful consideration, if he were to say no, it could leave a bad impression, like he didn’t trust the Theoros. He didn’t, but that was beside the point. He had to keep up appearances. So with a forced smile, he reluctantly handed Gaia over.

“Of course.”

Lygus took Gaia into his arms and looked down at her with a smile.

“Quite a marvelous little being, isn’t she?” he said.

“She is,” Anaxagoras answered.

Anaxagoras couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable with the way Lygus was not even looking at her, but examining her. As if she were some sort of specimen. He tried to swallow those feelings, but they still arose, hence why he kept so close. 

As Gaia was being held by Lygus, she looked up at him with her brightly colored eyes. She then began reaching upwards, opening and clenching her hands as if to grab at something. The antikytheran, interested in the sight, leaned down towards Gaia’s grabbing hands, smiling again.

“Oh? Are you reaching out for me, little one?”

Only for his head to get abruptly moved to the side. As he regained his bearings, Anaxagoras had to fight back a laugh as he realized what just happened. Gaia had hit Lygus in the face. Regaining his composure, Anaxagoras hid his laugh with a clearing of his throat.

“Ah, apologies, Lycurgus. When it comes to others she has a tendency to grab at and pull hair.”

A lie, of course. Anaxagoras didn’t want to reveal that this was out of character for Gaia. And yet he couldn’t help but feel a bit of pride in her, as it was clear her intuition led her to not being fond of Lygus either. Already she was growing to be quite a brilliant mind. Taking Gaia back, he watched as Lygus rubbed his chin, seemingly still taking in the shock. Before looking up at the two of them.

“It is no trouble. After all, young children are still learning how to control their bodies and understand their surroundings.”

“Precisely.”

Anaxagoras looked back down at Gaia, who was once again smiling. He then returned his gaze to Lygus.

“But no matter, I should be on my way,” he said.

Bidding farewell to Lygus, Anaxagoras began making his way to the exit of Dawncloud, Gaia in his arms. While only vaguely aware that the antikytheran was still staring at him and Gaia, contemplating.

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Out of everything he expected to happen during one of the Eternal Recurrences, a variable like this being introduced was not one of them. Technically, this shouldn’t be possible. Amphoreus was a closed loop, one in which new factors should not, or rather, could not be added. And yet here was this child, a product of love between two of his subjects. “Gaia”, as it were, should not exist, yet she does.

Lygus couldn’t help but wonder how she would be affected by the Eternal Recurrences. Would she remember them or would she be just as trapped in this eternal dream as the rest of Amphoreus? Would she be aware of the worlds beyond the sky, or would this dying place be all she ever knew? Those questions were of course intriguing to him but not what he was worried about.

He worried that she would lead his “project” in a direction that he couldn’t control. She was someone who didn’t fit into the equation, an anomaly. She could make it so Era Nova would not be completed, or even worse, change Amphoreus so much that Era Nova would mean something else entirely. She could make it so his creation would never be born.

Lygus had half a mind to kill her. Or perhaps banish her to the Exomyth for the rest of the Eternal Recurrences. But something stopped him from doing so. Maybe it was his own morbid curiosity. Maybe he just questioned what one child could truly do. No matter the case, he decided not to intervene just yet. He wanted to see how this cycle in particular would play out with her in it.

He couldn’t help but laugh to himself at the thought. He didn’t know why he was so worried to begin with.

“Well then, little Gaia,” he said to himself. 

“Let’s see how much you can truly change.”

Chapter Text

Gaia knew of all of the Chrysos Heirs Phainon called his friends ever since she was born. But he figured since she was older now, around three years old, it would be best to reintroduce them.

So Phainon took Gaia to Marmoreal Palace, where everyone usually spent their time. As they arrived, Gaia couldn’t take her eyes off the water. Phainon smiled as he guided her to the Hero’s Bath.

“You can play in the water soon Gaia,” he told her.

“I’m just taking you to a special bath that people like us can use.”

She nodded and let herself be led away from everyone else. Soon, they reached the elevator to the Hero’s Bath and took it up. As they arrived at the top, Phainon’s smile widened as he saw several people waiting there. Without waiting for the go-ahead, Gaia pulled herself out of Phainon’s grasp, forgetting about even wanting to go swimming. She ran over to Mydei, who was leaning against a wall.

“Uncle Mydei!” she called out.

A small smile crossed his face as he knelt down to catch her. Gaia practically flew into his arms, and he rose to his feet, carrying her. Phainon couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

“Well there’s no introductions needed here,” he said with a grin.

“You already know your Uncle Mydei very well.”

Mydei shot Phainon a glare.

“Gaia can call me that. You can’t.”

“I knew you had a soft spot for her.”

“Just because she’s your daughter doesn’t mean she’s as insufferable as you, Deliverer.”

“Ugh, so mean.”

Gaia laughed and patted Mydei on the head with her tiny hand.

“Don’t be mean to Dad!”

Mydei couldn’t help but laugh when she said that, but he gave her a smile.

“Alright. If you say so.”

A lie, both Mydei and Phainon knew, since that was just how they talked to each other. But they also both decided to tone it down, at least for a little bit. Mydei then handed Gaia back to Phainon and walked over to where Aglaea and the three were sitting. Aglaea greeted them with a wave while the three all got up from where they were sitting to flutter around Phainon and Gaia. As they did so, Phainon continued to talk.

“Gaia, this is Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon. Don’t get them confused now.”

Gaia looked between the three of them. She squinted, trying to take in the details of all three of them. She pointed to Tribbie.

“Tribbie…”

She pointed again.

“Trianne…”

Then one last time.

“Trinnon!”

The three of them applauded and began flying around excitedly.

“You got it, little Gaia!” Tribbie said.

“We knew you were smart!” Trianne added.

“We’re so proud of you, little Gaia,” Trinnon finished.

As they continued to flutter around, Phainon walked over to Aglaea and introduced her. 

“This is Aglaea. She’s the one who basically runs Okhema and the Flame-Chase Journey.”

Gaia looked up at her with awe, seeming to take her in slowly until she spoke.

“Your eyes are very pretty, Miss Aglaea.”

Phainon could feel himself flush a bit, knowing what exactly Aglaea’s eyes meant. He immediately tried to apologize for Gaia and quickly explain everything to her, but Aglaea just held up a hand, asking him to stop. She then drew her attention back to Gaia.

“Well thank you, Gaia. I’m quite glad you think so,” she said with a smile.

“What was Dad saying about them?”

“Oh, he was trying to tell you that I can’t see.”

“You…you can’t?”

She shook her head.

“I use a different sort of sight to guide my way through the world. My golden threads allow me to ‘see’ everything.”

“Wow…”

“Alright, one last person to introduce you to,” Phainon cut in.

He then walked over to that last person, standing a bit further away from everyone else.

“This is Castorice.”

Gaia smiled brightly and waved.

“Hi, Miss Castorice!”

With a small smile, she gave Gaia a nod of greetings.

“Hello, Gaia.”

“Why are you standing away from everyone else?”

“Oh, uh- It’s-”

She looked away, her expression falling, as she was now a bit disheartened. Phainon was about to cut in again, before she answered.

“I have a certain magic that makes people very…sick…when they get too close to me.

“Oh. Well then I’ll just talk to you from here!”

Castorice gave her a tiny smile, seeming content with that. But before the conversation could continue, Aglaea got everyone’s attention.

“Now, introducing Gaia wasn’t the only reason I brought you all here. We do have some matters to discuss.”

Everyone began to gather around Aglaea, and Phainon, realizing this really wasn’t the conversation for Gaia, put her down.

“Just stay close by, we’ll be done soon, alright?”

Gaia nodded, knowing she couldn’t stray too far. As Phainon and the others were talking, Gaia began to wander around Hero’s Bath, considering whether or not she wanted to go in the water. But as she was thinking about that, she heard a voice, a giggle. She looked to where it was, yet saw nothing. The voice continued to giggle at her, and she kept trying to follow it. Confused, she kept looking around herself, yet still didn’t see anything.

“Who…?” she asked quietly.

“Peek-a-boo!”

A strange cat girl in a black hood then appeared seemingly out of thin air. Gaia let out a small gasp and started back a bit. The cat girl laughed.

“Don’t tell me I scared you, little one.”

Gaia tried to hide her surprise by scrunching up her face and shaking her head.

“N-no! I’m not scared!”

Another laugh. The girl then strode around Gaia, taking her in from all angles. Before then settling herself in front of her.

“So you’re the kid of that Deliverer boy and that stuck-up scholar.”

“Y-You’re talking about my dads, r-right?”

“You bet. And I’ve heard quite a lot about you! A child of two Chrysos Heirs, that’s not something seen everyday.”

“Are you one of Dad’s friends?”

“Eh…you could say that. After all, I am a Chrysos Heir like him. But I’m even better than that.”

She leaned down and whispered to Gaia.

“I’m a demigod.”

Gaia’s eyes widened in awe.

“Wow…so what does that mean?”

“It means I have powers from a Titan.”

“That’s so cool!”

“It sure is! Hey, tell ya’ what. You ever seen Okhema from the rooftops?”

“No?”

“Perfect! Then let this serve as your introduction.”

The girl scooped up Gaia and placed her on her shoulders.

“You got a name?”

“Oh yeah! It’s Gaia.”

“A pleasure to meet you, little Gaia. You can just call me your Auntie Cipher.”

She then turned around and called out to Phainon.

“Hey Deliverer boy! I’m just going to borrow her for a bit. Cool? Cool.”

Phainon whirled around to see who was talking. Only for his eyes to widen in shock.

“Huh? Cipher?! Cipher, wait!”

Without warning, before Phainon could finish his thought, Cipher flipped her coin, and took off at top speed.

Chapter Text

The way Cipher bounded across the rooftops was nothing short of incredible to Gaia. She had never met someone so agile, not even her Dad. Not to mention she was seeing Okhema from a new perspective as well. Everyone looked much smaller from the air, and passed by so quickly they were just blurs to her. She almost felt like she was on top of the world.

As Cipher continued to run and leap, she turned back to look at Gaia.

“You having fun?” she asked.

“Yeah!” Gaia answered.

“Well get ready to have some more! Cause I’m going to show you the ropes of thievery!"

“But, Auntie Cipher. Isn’t stealing wrong?”

“Relax! We’re only stealing from people who can afford to lose something. That’s rule one of thieving! Never take from anyone who has less than you.”

She stopped on a certain rooftop overlooking the market, before pointing to someone making a huge fuss at the antique stall. Gaia looked at them, and to her, it almost looked like they were throwing a tantrum. Which was more than a little odd to her, since her dads told her not to throw tantrums whenever she did. As she was watching, Cipher smiled.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing, Gaia?”

“That guy is being really mean to the shopkeeper.”

“Exactly. He’s trying to get something for less money than it’s worth.”

Cipher’s grin widened.

“But listen closely, little Gaia.”

Gaia did as she was asked and tried to listen in on the conversation. To which she heard the man say that he could buy the entire stock of the store if he wanted to. Which was apparently why he should be allowed a discount on the thing he wanted to buy. Confused, Gaia looked back at Cipher.

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“You’re right. And rich people never make sense. So let’s wait until he’s done bothering the shopkeeper. Then we can follow him back to where he keeps his riches.”

So they waited and watched. The man argued with the shopkeeper for a bit longer, then realizing he wasn’t getting anywhere, stormed off. Cipher then began to follow him across the rooftops, making sure she and Gaia were out of sight the entire time. Soon the man entered a house a short walk away from the shop. Gaia looked towards Cipher again.

“Now what?”

“Now, we wait. Eventually he’ll go back and try to argue again.”

And so they did. They waited for a little bit, Gaia wondering if Cipher was right about him going back. And sure enough, after some more time, he stormed back out of the house, heading back towards the antique shop. The moment he was out of sight, Cipher then leapt down from the rooftop, landing on the windowsill of the house.

“Our time is short, so we gotta find the goods quickly.”

She dropped Gaia inside the house, then hopped in herself. With that, the two started running around, looking for their prize. Cipher was of course much faster than Gaia, yet Gaia was the one to find an old large chest in one of the rooms. She smiled and called back to Cipher.

“Auntie Cipher! I found a chest!”

Cipher immediately dashed into the room. She zipped next to Gaia and gave the chest a good hard look before giving Gaia a grin.

“Well let’s crack it open!”

She pushed the heavy lid of the chest up, until it rested on the wall behind it. Inside it, much to both of their delight, were several pieces of jewelry. Cipher then turned to Gaia with a smile.

“Now rule two of thieving is don’t take everything. You gotta cover your tracks, and while one or two things can be accepted as ‘lost’ it’s harder to hide when everything is gone.”

Cipher’s eyes scanned over everything in the chest before she grabbed two things, a large gemstone and a simple necklace. She pocketed the gemstone then carefully put the necklace around Gaia’s neck. The moment she was done, she scooped Gaia up and placed her on her shoulders once again. With that, she closed the chest, made her way to the nearest window and leapt out of it. Landing back on the rooftop, she started running across them again. As she did, Gaia saw she was taking her back to Mamoreal Palace and her Dad. They soon arrived back at the Hero’s Bath, where the others seemed to just be finishing their conversation.

“We’re back~” Cipher said in a singsong voice.

The group turned around to greet her. She took Gaia off her shoulders and placed her down on the ground. To which Gaia ran over to Phainon excitedly.

“Hi Dad!”

Phainon smiled and picked her up. Before he noticed the piece of jewelry she didn’t have before.

“That’s a pretty necklace, Gaia. Did Cipher give it to you?”

Gaia nodded excitedly.

“Auntie Cipher taught me how to steal!”

Phainon, for lack of better word, looked absolutely horrified. He looked towards Cipher, horror turning to anger.

“You taught my daughter WHAT?!”

Cipher simply made a face at Phainon, then waved goodbye to Gaia. Before flipping her coin once again, and taking off like a shot. In an instant she was gone. Phainon let out a heavy sigh, while pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.

“Agh, Anaxa’s going to kill me for this,” he muttered to himself.

“It’s okay, Dad,” Gaia said cheerfully.

“Papa will get it. He doesn’t like rich people. And we got this from a mean rich person.”

Phainon sighed again, not sure of what to do with the absolutely terrifying combination that is “kid logic” and “Cipher logic”. So he decided to just hope Cipher’s influence wouldn’t rub off too much on Gaia.

“Just remember, Gaia,” he began.

“You’re not supposed to steal.”

Gaia seemed to consider his words for a moment, thinking really hard about whether or not to listen to him. Before she simply smiled.

“Okay! I won’t!”

“Oh thank the Titans.”

Chapter Text

Phainon still couldn’t fully grasp how much time has passed since Gaia came into his life. It felt like only yesterday that he discovered her in Anaxa’s lab, but clearly it’s been longer than that, as she was turning five.

It was still hard to believe. She was growing up so fast. Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon jokingly complained that she was growing too fast and that she needed to be tiny for much longer than she was. And Phainon, while laughing at that, couldn’t help but feel a part of himself agreeing. But at the same time he loved seeing his baby grow up. He loved seeing her learn more everyday, and become more in tune with her world. She was becoming such a wonderful girl, and Phainon could never take that away from her, no matter how much he wished she was a baby again.

Five years. Today, she turned five years old. And of course, he wanted to celebrate. So he went to Gaia’s room and found her looking at and reading a book. He knelt down to her level, and when she noticed him, she looked up from her book.

“Hi, Dad!”

“Hey, Gaia. Do you know what day it is?”

She thought about it for a bit, trying to remember if there was anything special about today. But nothing seemed to come to mind for her, so she just looked at Phainon questioningly. Phainon simply smiled back at her before telling her.

“It’s your birthday!”

Her eyes lit up with excitement. She promptly stood up from where she was on the floor before jumping up and down eagerly.

“Oh yeah! It’s my birthday! I’m turning five!”

“Yes you are! Which means we have to celebrate.”

She stopped bouncing for a moment, then looked a bit embarrassed. Phainon, confused, gave her a look, asking her to explain herself. She then looked up at him.

“I…I know we want to have a party now, but can we wait until Papa comes home? I don’t want to do it without him.”

Phainon just shook his head and smiled.

“Of course. There’s no way we can celebrate without him. But we can still set up for our little party.”

“Right, right! What do we need to do?”

“Well, we’ll need to make a cake, and put up some decorations.”

Gaia started bouncing excitedly again.

“I wanna help make the cake!”

And of course, Phainon was more than happy to let her help. So they went to their kitchen and began. It was a mess to say the least of it. And Phainon did expect that considering he was letting a five year old help him bake. But it was fun either way, and the two did manage to successfully bake and frost a cake together. Phainon then had to drag Gaia into a bath because she was covered in egg, flour, frosting, and countless other ingredients that got everywhere. By the time Gaia was clean, it was closer to midday. Which meant it was the perfect time to put up decorations. And Gaia, of course, wanted to help with that too.

As the two started their decoration of their house, putting up streamers, and hanging a banner, they heard someone knocking on the door. They both went to answer it, and when the door opened, floating in front of them was Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon, all carrying boxes wrapped in colorful paper.

“Special delivery for Gaia!” the three of them all said at the same time.

Gaia looked a bit confused by all the boxes that had tags with her name on it. But Trianne was quick to explain.

“Of course we knew when your birthday was. But we had to tell the rest of Snowy’s friends. And they all, including us, have gifts for you! Even Little Ciphy stopped by to give one!”

Phainon took all the gifts in his arms, and brought them inside the house. He then turned to Gaia.

“What do we say?” he asked her.

Gaia looked at Tribbie, Trianne, and Trinnon.

“Thank you!”

“And we’ll make sure to tell everyone else ‘thank you’ in person, right Gaia?”

“Right!”

She waved to the three, and they all smiled brightly at her.

“Happy birthday, Gaia!” they all chimed, before flying away.

With that, they continued their decoration of the house. By the time Anaxa returned, everything was ready, and waiting.

The moment he stepped inside, he smiled, seeing Gaia clearly waiting for him.

“Hi, Papa!” she said cheerfully.

“Hello, Gaia. And happy birthday.”

“We did everything so it would be ready when you came home! We decorated the house and made a cake!”

“I see. Well done, Gaia.”

Anaxa then looked up to Phainon with a knowing gaze.

“I’d imagine the kitchen is…in a state after your baking.”

Phainon looked away embarrassed, putting a hand behind his head.

“I…tried to clean everything up as best as I could.”

“We can solve that later. For now, let us actually begin our celebration. What should we-”

“Presents first!” Gaia interrupted.

Both Phainon and Anaxa laughed at how eager she was to find out what the others had gifted her. But it was to be expected. So that’s exactly what they did. They all sat on the floor as Gaia opened each present one by one. A hand sewn doll from Castorice, a beautiful dress from Aglaea, a chimera plush from Hyacine, a no-doubt stolen bracelet from Cipher, a few picture books from Tribbie, Trianne and Trinnon, and a wooden sword from Mydei. She loved all the gifts, but the sword seemed to be her favorite. She started swinging it around, pointing it in different directions and laughing the whole time. She then turned to Phainon.

“I’m going to become a hero like you, Dad! I’m going to get a real sword one day and use it to protect people!”

She then turned to Anaxa.

“And a scholar like you, Papa! I’m going to find out big secrets and use that to help everyone!”

Both of them couldn’t help but smile at her aspirations. They knew that most kids had thoughts like that, but they both, especially Phainon, hoped that once the Flame Chase was over, she’d never have to fight. That she’d be able to follow her dream of being a scholar instead.

They soon moved on to the cake, which now had lit candles for her to blow out. As Anaxa placed the cake in front of her, Phainon spoke.

“Now make a wish, but don’t tell us.”

Gaia thought for some time, her face scrunching up a bit as she did so.  But as her wish came to her, she smiled and blew out her candles. Phainon and Anaxa clapped for her, and Phainon leaned down, placing a kiss on her head.

“Happy birthday, Gaia.”

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long after that day that everything seemed to take a sharp turn for the worse. The Flame-Chase Journey wasn’t going well at all. More often, Gaia spent her time at a Grove of Epiphany, since Phainon was always out either defending Okhema, helping refugees, or trying to complete the Flame Chase.

He hated it. He hated not being able to spend more time with Anaxa and Gaia. He hated the feeling of not knowing if they were okay every time he left to do his duty as a Chrysos Heir. But there was nothing to be done. He had his duty, he had his job. And he was going to carry it out, if nothing else, to make sure that Gaia could live in a happy and safe world.

Strife seemed impossible to find, and even more impossible to defeat. Death and Sky seemed almost completely out of reach. And Worldbearing, well, getting that would come with convincing the Council of Elders, which was yet another impossibility. Suffice to say, this last part of the Flame-Chase Journey was a struggle.

But that wasn’t what was bothering Phainon so much. Sure, he despised that everything was going so poorly, but that was the least of his worries.

The Black Tide seemed to swallow everything. More and more refugees poured into Okhema, even the Grove of Epiphany wasn’t safe anymore. Phainon couldn’t even breathe easier knowing that Gaia and Anaxa were safe in Okhema now. Because he knew that they were only there because everyone was running out of places to run to. People from the Twilight Courtyard arrived to help in whatever ways they could, Hyacine leading them. But even she was stretched thin by how many people there were and how much had to be done.

Of course, it would never end there. The Council of Elders somehow convinced Okhema that the Flame-Chase Journey was a fruitless endeavor, that they should return to the past of Era Chysea. Even though returning to the past was impossible, everyone was convinced enough to stand behind the council. Thus, Phainon and the other Chrysos Heirs had to work in secret, considering they no longer had Okhema backing them up. That only made things far more difficult, but it was something they could manage for the most part.

Then, as if that weren’t bad enough, disaster struck. The Dawn Device suddenly powered off one day. No one could explain it, as supposedly, it should’ve shone on Okhema forever. But with it gone, the Black Tide encroached. And with it, the executioner of the Chrysos Heirs, the Flame Reaver. Killing both ordinary human, and Chrysos Heir alike, it cut through everything in its path.

The remaining Chrysos Heirs tried to fight it off, Mydei leading the charge. Anaxa stood at the back, firing his gun at it, trying to keep it as far away from Hyacine as possible, who was healing someone who had fallen. The two, as well as Castorice, seemed to be holding it off as well as they could. But the Flame Reaver was smart. It threw its sword at Aglaea, who was left wide open. Castorice, seeing that, immediately jumped in front of the sword, taking the hit for her. In an instant, she dropped dead. But before anyone could process what had happened, it charged at Aglaea, killing her as well. Phainon and Mydei, both enraged, clashed with it. Yet, it simply vanished into thin air, leaving them both to stumble forward. But just as they were looking around, trying to pinpoint where it could appear, golden blood splattered across Phainon’s face. The Flame Reaver had teleported behind Mydei and killed him. Phainon, only taking a few seconds to internalize Mydei’s death, flew into a rage, and charged at the Flame Reaver again, clashing with it a second time. Yet, under his sword it vanished once again.

Phainon hoped, prayed that there was still something, someone left to save. But by then it was too late. While not at the hands of the Flame Reaver, Hyacine and Anaxa had died to the creatures of the Black Tide. All the other Chrysos Heirs that he knew had perished. And the only one left was himself, making a hopeless stand against the Black Tide and the Flame Reaver.

Or at least, that’s what he thought.

That was when he heard a tiny voice calling out for him.

“Dad!”

Phainon turned to see running towards him through all the carnage was Gaia, tears streaming down her face. For all the speed she had there was only so much her little legs could do for her. She was stumbling, falling, still crying and reaching out for him.

He didn’t waste any time.

He shoved the Flame Reaver backwards, hoping to buy himself enough time to get to her. He shot towards Gaia as fast as possible, knowing if nothing else, he could protect her. He wouldn’t lose anyone else. He wouldn’t lose her.

But it wasn’t to be.

It happened so suddenly, so abruptly that he didn’t believe it at first. But just as he was about to pull Gaia into his arms, he was stopped by a blade through her chest. Her tiny body was lifted off the ground by the Flame Reaver’s sword. He stood there in shock as Gaia’s eyes were blown wide in pain.

Then with a single flick of the wrist, Gaia’s body fell off the sword. Phainon fell to his knees as her golden blood pooled around her body. That was when he heard her tiny voice barely above a whisper.

“D-Dad…it…hurts…”

He pulled her into his arms, not even acknowledging the blood now staining every part of him.

“I know, baby. I know. I…I’ll find someone who can save you, I-”

But when he looked down at Gaia, he saw that all the life had faded from her eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he set his daughter’s body back on the ground. He then presented himself to the Flame Reaver, completely unarmed. It took full advantage of that.

He could barely feel the sword pierce through his own chest.

He didn’t care that it did.

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,329 complete.

Chapter Text

Gaia was falling, falling through darkness. It hurt. Her chest hurt, the gaping hole hurt, everything hurt. She knew this was the end. 

She wondered if Thanatos would be there to take her. To guide her to the Netherworld. She wondered if her Papa would be there, in the Netherworld alongside everyone else. She hoped so. She wanted to be in his arms again. She wanted to hear his voice again.

And that was when she did. She heard him.

“I…I did it…I created life…”

Wait. What? What was going on?

“She’s stable…she’s actually here…”

Gaia opened her eyes to take in her surroundings. She was back in her Papa’s lab. She was a baby again. But if that was the case, why did everything still hurt? Why did the memory of the sword through her chest still linger? Why could she remember growing up, then dying? She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what she could do.

So Gaia burst out crying.

Her Papa was caught off guard. He stumbled back, confused by her outburst.

“That…shouldn’t happen…” he mumbled.

Immediately, he pulled her from her incubator and tried to calm her down.

“It’s alright,” he said.

“You’re safe. I’m not going to hurt you. No one is going to hurt you.”

Even if that was true now, it wasn’t true then. Her Papa died. She died. Gaia kept crying, unable to do anything else. She was scared, she was confused, she felt so alone. But soon she heard someone else come inside the lab. As that person was running towards them, she heard another voice.

“Anaxa? Anaxa, what’s going on?!”

Her Dad. Everything the two of them were saying afterwards was a blur to her. She knew they were talking about her and why she was crying, but to her it didn’t matter. As her tears dried, she attempted to take stock of the situation. She was back to the start of her life. Her only guess was that maybe this was a blessing of Oronyx. She was given the chance to live again, as time was turned back. Why she remembered her first death, she didn’t know. Why she was chosen by Oronyx, she didn’t know. But she wasn’t about to waste this chance to live once again.

So she lived. She lived her life, repeating the same things she had done the previous time, but with much more enthusiasm. She made sure to become closer with her Dad’s friends, to listen to her Papa’s teaching more intently, both of which she took for granted the last time. She wasn’t going to take it for granted now.

When her fifth birthday came around again, she made a different wish. The last time, she wished to become a hero, just like how she told her Dad. This time, wished for the Flame-Chase Journey to succeed.

Yet just as it did the last time, everything started going wrong. The Flame Chase, the Council of Elders, all of it played out the same way it did before. Gaia was growing scared, but she had faith that this time would be different.

Her faith was misplaced.

It happened one day while she was at home with both of her parents. The usually bright blue sky suddenly became dark, tinted with yellow. All of them heard a loud rumbling.

“Dad, Papa, what’s happening?” she asked, despite knowing exactly what was happening. The Dawn Device had failed again.

“Impossible…” her Dad muttered.

“Improbable,” he Papa corrected.

“But clearly not impossible.”

“We have to go.”

They turned to Gaia. Her Dad placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a smile.

“Stay where you are, Gaia. We’ll come back to you soon, we promise,” he told her.

With that, they both took off running. She was alone again. She knew she should’ve listened to them. She knew she should’ve stayed hidden in her house. But just like the last time, she felt as if something bad was going to happen if she waited there. So, she ran out of the house, towards the sounds of the fighting. It was clear enough where everyone was gathered, so she knew she wouldn’t get lost. As she arrived there, she saw countless people lying dead on the ground. Some of which she recognized, some of which she didn’t. But she saw one person who was still alive, her Dad. She picked up her pace even more, knowing that if she just made it to him, she would be safe. Yet, as she was running she felt a presence beside her. She knew she shouldn’t have, she knew she had to keep running, but she dared to look to her side.

That was when she saw it. The Flame Reaver, the thing that killed her last time. Every fiber of her being was telling her to keep running, but instead she froze. Behind its mask, she knew it made eye contact with her. It seemed to freeze as well, taking in her appearance. Gaia covered her head, and crouched down, shaking, expecting it to stab her like it did the last time. But instead, it hesitated.

For once, in its spree of killing everything in its path, the Flame Reaver hesitated.

It didn’t kill Gaia.

She was confused, of course, but knew of an opportunity when she saw one. That meant she had the chance to get away. To get to her Dad. So she stood up, and ran towards her Dad, who was calling out for her. She would make it. She would be safe.

But that wasn’t to be either.

She heard it before she saw it. A pillar was collapsing above her, its shattering caused by the Black Tide creatures. She tried to run out of the way of it. She heard her Dad scream her name. She could’ve sworn she saw the Flame Reaver rushing towards her as well.

Then all she felt was pain and everything going dark.

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,330 complete.

Chapter Text

First, it was the falling sensation she felt before, as well as the pain of her body no doubt being crushed. But before she knew it, she woke up in the lab again, screaming. Even if she knew that the pain of death was over, the feeling still lingered, and she had no way to express it other than to scream.

Her Papa was more than a little confused, repeating the same words he did the last time.

“That…shouldn’t happen…”

As she was pulled out of her incubator, Gaia’s tears quickly dried. She knew she had to take stock of the situation.

She had died again. Even if it wasn’t the Flame Reaver that killed her that time, she still died during the fall of Okhema, crushed by a falling pillar. But thankfully, her blessing of Oronyx came again, and she was given another chance. And yet, thinking about it now, she wasn’t sure how much of it was a blessing, considering how she remembered led both her past lives and her past deaths. She couldn’t figure out why she had to remember something so painful. She couldn’t figure out why she remembered everything good as well only to know she would never be able to go back to it.

Was this Oronyx’s way of telling her what to avoid? So she wouldn’t make the same mistakes again? So she wouldn’t die again? So she would know to cherish the moments she did have? Perhaps, but she couldn’t be sure.

The point was she had a chance to try yet another time.

Running through what had happened in her head, she figured the main reason she died the last two times was because she was away from her dads or any of the other Chrysos Heirs. If she wasn’t around them, they couldn’t protect her.

She had to make sure they could always keep her safe.

So, as Gaia grew up, she insisted on staying by her Dad and Papa’s side all the time. She didn’t want to leave them. She was scared. Scared of what was to come. She knew that the Dawn Device wouldn’t hold forever. That Okhema would be in ruins soon enough. That the rest of the Chrysos Heirs would die.

But didn’t mind being called clingy. She didn’t mind being called cute for the way she would always stay by them. She would survive this way. She would make sure she would.

So she stayed with them all the time. She never left their sides. And in doing so, she learned even more about what the two of them did. She learned more about who her parents were, beyond just being her parents. How her Papa did his experiments because he wanted to go down in history. Because he didn’t want to be forgotten. How difficult it was for her Dad to be a Chrysos Heir. How much pressure was on him to be the perfect Chrysos Heir, to be the “Deliverer”, whatever that meant. She never recognized it before. But both her parents had so much more to them than she ever knew. She had never considered the struggles they both faced before, but now, she saw them first hand.

It almost made her glad she got the chance to know them in this way. It made her appreciate them all the more, and cherish the time they gave her, considering how much both of them had to carry on their shoulders.

But of course, all good things wouldn’t last. And when the city did fall, for once she felt safe. Her dads wouldn’t let anything happen to her. When they told her to stay in the house, she refused, telling them she didn’t want to be alone. That she wanted to stay with them. This seemed to be more than a little confusing to them.

“Gaia, where we’re going isn’t safe. We can’t risk you getting hurt,” her Dad tried to say.

“I don’t care!” she shouted.

“I’m not leaving you! If I do, something bad will happen, I’m sure of it!”

The two looked at each other again, not sure what to make of what she said. Before her Papa let out a sigh.

“I’ll keep her with me,” he relented.

“Are you sure?” her Dad asked.

“If she refuses to leave us, then I’ll make sure that nothing happens to her.”

And she believed him. So the three of them left the house, and ran to where the Black Tide creatures were coming from. As the fight for Okhema began, she clung to her Papa’s leg. She watched as he shot down Black Tide creatures with ease. Yet despite none of them getting close, she held even tighter.

“Nothing will happen,” she told herself.

“Nothing will happen as long as I stay with him.”

That was when she heard her Papa let out a cry of pain and saw him collapse. An attack knocked him down. She couldn’t tell what at first until she saw the arrow sticking out of his leg. And since it was from the Black Tide, it was poisoning him. She tried to help pull it out, not wanting to see her Papa become fully poisoned by the Black Tide.

As she was trying to pull the arrow out, she heard a low growling coming from behind her. Something charged at them. Before she knew what was happening, a Black Tide creature had seized her in one of its claws. As she screamed for help, she heard the shots from her Papa’s gun as well as his demands to let her go. But the creature didn’t release her. She saw her Papa force himself to stand in order to get a better shot at it. She saw her Dad running towards her, sword ready to take down the creature and save her.

But neither of them were fast enough.

She screamed again as the creature crushed her frail little body in its claw.

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,331 complete.

Chapter Text

Again, she woke up in the lab. Again, she cried. Again, she heard the same surprised phrase from her Papa. Again, she was pulled into his arms and comforted. But at this point she had more than enough reason to cry.

Repeating her life like this couldn’t be a blessing. Especially if she remembered every time that she died. It was a curse, a curse from Oronyx designed to make her suffer.

But why would Oronyx curse her? What did she do to deserve this fate? Was she punished simply for existing?

There was no way she could answer any of those questions now. And there was no way she could find answers if she died again.

Gaia decided not to stay in the city this time. If the city was where she always died, then maybe leaving it would make a difference. The day after her fifth birthday, she packed what little possessions she had, as much food and water as she could possibly manage, wrote a note, then ran.

She couldn’t go to the Grove of Epiphany, because her Papa would just take her back to Okhema. She couldn’t go to the Twilight Courtyard because Hyacine would do the same. Not knowing where else to go, she ran to the Abyss of Fate, figuring she could find somewhere to hide there. After all that’s where people hid before. She could do the same. As long as she didn’t run into any Titankin, she would be fine.

Finding a corner of the ruins of Janusopolis, Gaia curled up there, hoping that she wouldn’t be found until after the crisis was over. She heard the rumbling footsteps of the Titankin and prayed that they wouldn’t find her.

“Just until it’s over…” she told herself.

“When the fighting at home is over, then I’ll go back.”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Dear Dad and Papa,

I’m sorry, but I can’t stay in Okhema. Something bad is going to happen, and I don’t want to be here when it does. So I’m leaving until it’s over.

When it is, you can find me at the Abyss of Fate.

Please don’t look for me until it’s safe.

Love,

Gaia”

Anaxagoras felt like he was about to have a heart attack. Gaia had run away to Abyss of Fate. He looked over to Phainon, as if to ask if he was reading the same thing as himself. But by the horrified look on his face, it was more than clear that they saw the same thing. Before Phainon said something that surprised him.

“Anaxa…I think our daughter might be an oracle.” 

“How can you be so sure?”

“Just read her note! She says that something bad is going to happen to Okhema. What if she knows about the future?”

“Then we know a lot less about our daughter than we thought. But we cannot waste any time. We have to go find her.”

The two began rushing out of the city, but as they did so, they ran across a rather confused Tribbie, who stopped them before they left.

“Snowy? Naxy? Where are you going?”

“Gaia ran away. She’s at the Abyss of Fate,” Phainon explained, showing Tribbie the note.

Tribbie’s eyes scanned over the note for a few moments before she looked back up at the two of them.

“I’ll come with! If Gaia really can predict the future then we might be able to resonate!”

They both nodded, and soon the three took off again. They made their way to the ruins of Janusopolis at the Abyss of Fate, soon arriving inside. And there, huddled up in a corner was Gaia, trying to make herself as small as possible.

“Gaia?” Anaxagoras asked.

She looked up at the three of them.

“Dad? Papa? Tribbie? What’re you all doing here?” 

Tribbie tried to approach Gaia, clearly trying to see if she can feel anything off of her.

“We’re here to take you home!” she said.

“No! I’m not going back!” Gaia cried.

“Huh? Why not?” Tribbie asked.

“Okhema will be destroyed. I’m going to die. I’m not going back.”

Tribbie looked back at Phainon and Anaxagoras while shaking her head. She felt nothing off of Gaia. Which meant she wasn’t an oracle. Yet she was still convinced of this disaster happening. The two looked at each other again, concerned.

“Anaxa what do we do?”

“Clearly she can’t be convinced. One of us will need to stay with her until this ‘crisis’ is over.”

“But we’re both needed back in Okhema. We need someone who isn’t. Someone who Gaia trusts but can also stay out of the city for long periods of time.”

He could feel himself frowning as he realized what Phainon was saying. 

“We’re not asking Cipher.”

“It’s not like we have a choice.”

Anaxagoras gave it some thought. They really didn’t have a choice despite Cipher being a horrible influence on Gaia. And since she never liked coming back to Okhema either, it would work. He let out a heavy sigh.

“Fine. I’ll find a way to contact her.”

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When Cipher arrived, she saw Gaia curled in on herself, trying to hold back sobs. She knelt down and wiped a tear running down Gaia’s face.

“Hey, no tears, alright? Everything’s going to be just fine.”

Gaia looked up at her, not sure of why she was there. Cipher just sat down next to her with a smile.

“Don’t worry, little Gaia. Your Auntie Cipher’s gonna make sure nothing happens.”

So the two just sat together for a while, Cipher telling Gaia stories of her previous prizes she got while thieving. For a time, the two felt content, for a time Cipher could tell that Gaia felt safe. But that’s when her ears twitched. She heard something coming. Looking around, she then noticed said something approaching. A strange cloaked, masked swordsman, floating towards both of them.

“Looks like we got company! Let’s get outta here!”

Cipher flashed Gaia a smile and flipped her coin. Scooping up Gaia, she took off at a sprint, moving at an incredible speed. Yet as she looked behind her, she saw that the swordsman was managing to keep up. Her eyes widened and she ran faster. She had to get away. She couldn’t let it hurt Gaia. 

But that was when the swordsman appeared in front of her. Cipher barely had time to skid to a stop in front of them. But because of how quickly she stopped, she lost her grip on Gaia. The girl went flying out of her arms and sprawling in the ground behind the swordsman. Cipher tried to dash past the swordsman to get to Gaia and get her away again. But that was her fatal mistake. As she shot forward, the swordsman caught her around the neck and slammed her into the wall behind them. As she was coughing up blood, the swordsman raised their blade. Her eyes could only widen in horror before it was brought down.

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“Auntie Cipher!” Gaia shouted.

Getting up from where she fell she ran over to where the Flame Reaver and Cipher were. The Flame Reaver didn’t move as she ran towards them, nor did it move when she got to Cipher’s side. Tears in her eyes, she took Cipher’s hand.

“Nonono, Auntie Cipher! You can’t- I don’t- What do I do?!”

Cipher smiled, despite the gaping hole in her chest and the blood dripping from her mouth.

“It’s…it’s okay, little Gaia. I…I did all I could…”

“But-”

“No buts…Just…just get…somewhere safe…okay?”

She laughed, but it sounded much more like a cough.

“At…least…I did…one good thing…right…?”

With that her head lolled off to the side and the light faded from her eyes. Gaia, still crying, then glared at the Flame Reaver, who was still just floating in front of them.

“Why?!” she demanded.

“Auntie Cipher was just trying to protect me! She didn’t do anything to you! No one ever does anything to you! Why do you kill them?!”

“I’m sorry…” was what it said in response.

Gaia wasn’t sure if she heard it right. She looked up at the Flame Reaver, tears still streaming down her face, now confused.

“What…did you say…?”

“I’m sorry,” it repeated.

That more than anything else, confused her. If it was so remorseful, then why did it kill her Auntie Cipher? Why did it apologize now of all times? Yet she didn’t have time to question it. Fear soon took over. She picked herself up from the ground and started running away from the Flame Reaver. Knowing she shouldn’t, she looked back. And she could’ve sworn she saw it reaching out to her. But she paid no attention, all she knew was that she had to get away. She had to get somewhere safe.

But that was when the ground betrayed her. Underneath her feet, the path began cracking. She ran faster and faster as the cracks got louder and louder. But she wasn’t fast enough. The ground beneath her feet shattered, sending her falling into the abyss. Her world went dark once again, unaware that the moment Cipher died, Okhema fell.

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,332 complete.

Chapter Text

Already Gaia knew something was wrong with this loop. She wasn’t taken out of her incubator by her Papa. Rather, it was nearly broken into by strange people in black and gold masks. Cleaners, assassins of Chrysos Heirs, as she remembered being told about in one of her previous lives. Half of them held down her Papa while the rest raided his lab, looking for anything “dangerous” in their words. And when they found her, it was more than obvious they were planning to either kidnap her or kill her. She started screaming at the top of her lungs. She didn’t want to be taken away from her dads. She didn’t want to die this early. She didn’t want to believe the curse had progressed so much, that she wasn’t even allowed to live for a few years before she died. She continued to scream, hoping, praying that this wouldn’t be her end.

And that’s when she heard it.

“GET AWAY FROM THEM!” someone shouted.

She recognized that voice. It was her Dad. He was coming to save them. In an instant, he came bursting in, sword at the ready. All of those Cleaners turned towards him, weapons drawn. They all surged forward, ready to attack him, but he was faster. It only took a few minutes of fighting before all of those horrible Cleaners were lying dead on the ground.

He helped her Papa up, checking him over for any wounds, but thankfully there seemed to be none. As her Papa was explaining what had happened and who Gaia was, she zoned out again. She had to figure out what to do.

Okhema wasn’t safe, no matter how much everyone claimed it to be. The Dawn Device would always fail, the Black Tide creatures would always swarm, and everyone she knew and cared about would be killed. Running away seemed to work for her, the only reason she died last time was because the ruins of Janusopolis were unstable.

She would find another place to hide. One where she knew she couldn’t be found.

This time, when Gaia ran away, she left no note. She couldn’t risk being found by anyone before the disaster had ended. She couldn’t risk anyone else getting hurt because of her and her curse. Especially not her dads. So as she did before, the day after her fifth birthday, she packed up her possessions, sustenance, and ran away. To where? She didn’t know yet, all she knew was that she had to get away.

As she was walking down a path, leading her to who knows where, she heard footsteps from behind her. Thinking it was someone she knew who had found her, she immediately ducked behind some ruins, hoping they would just walk past.

But clearly, she wasn’t as good at hiding as she thought, as she soon felt a presence standing over her, and heard someone speak.

“Huh? A kid? What’s a kid doing here?”

Gaia didn’t recognize the voice of whoever spoke. But when she looked up, she did recognize a pair of black and gold masks from when she was born. The two that found her were Cleaners. Beginning to shake, she held up her hands in a defensive posture.

“D-Don’t hurt me!”

One of them raised their hands in an oddly placating gesture.

“Hey, hey! Take it easy kid, we’re not going to hurt you.”

That was a lie. If they knew who she was, then they wouldn’t hesitate to kill her. But she couldn’t call them out for that if she didn’t want to reveal herself. So, she played along.

“O…Okay…” she said.

One of the Cleaners helped her to her feet. As they did, both of them looked at her a bit confused. Until one of them spoke up.

“So uh…what’s a kid like you doing out here?”

Gaia decided to tell the truth, at least in some part.

“I’m running away from Okhema. It’s not safe there.”

They both looked at each, not sure what to make of what she said. Maybe they assumed, like her dads did, that she was an oracle. But they didn’t seem to question it for the most part. Looking at her again, one of them spoke with a smile.

“Hey, relax. We’ll keep you safe.”

Another lie. But yet again, she couldn’t say anything about it. As the two Cleaners tried to comfort her, they all heard a third set of footsteps approaching. Followed by a familiar voice.

“What are you two doing?”

Both of the Cleaners stood up.

“Lady Caenis! We found this child here on the road! She said she was running away from Okhema.”

Gaia suddenly realized the mistake she made. Caenis, of the Council of Elders, was the leader of the Cleaners. And she would no doubt recognize Gaia from the times she’s been to Dawncloud.

She had to get away.

But she wasn’t fast enough. She had already made direct eye contact with Caenis, who instantly blew her cover.

“You fools. Don’t you recognize her?” Caenis asked.

All eyes turned to Gaia. She suddenly felt even smaller than she already was.

“She’s not a human like us. She’s a Chrysos Heir. The daughter of that madman Anaxagoras and Aglaea’s dog, Phainon.”

Gaia realized rather quickly that she had to run. Grabbing her bag, she took off at a sprint away from Caenis and the Cleaners. Caenis, seeing her attempting to escape, pointed towards her and shouted.

“Get her! If this is how we’ll take back Okhema from those wretched Chrysos Heirs, then we won’t lose this opportunity!”

The Cleaners sprang into action, chasing her down. As fast as she was, the Cleaners were faster, almost instantly catching up to her. One tackled her to the ground, sending her back skidding away from her. As she tried to struggle against them, another arrived. They then both flipped her on her back and held her down as she kicked and screamed.

“Don’t kill me!” She begged.

“Please! Don’t kill me!”

They ignored her. The third of them, Caenis, approached, knife in hand. Tears in her eyes, she pleaded one last time.

“Please…”

“Shut it, Chrysos Heir.”

And with that, her throat was slashed open.

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,333 complete.

She didn’t cry the next time she awoke.

Chapter Text

Phainon and Anaxa knew that there was something wrong. Gaia just seemed…sad for lack of a better word. She still enjoyed certain things, but at the same time, there always seemed to be this melancholy hanging around her.

Neither of them were sure of what to do. Temporarily, they would find things to cheer her up, yet that sadness never seemed to vanish. When they tried to ask her what was bothering her, she would never tell them. Clearly she was keeping so many things inside her head, but for one reason or another, didn’t want to share them.

So they tried all they could, telling Gaia that they would be there for her no matter what. That she could tell them anything. And while she seemed to appreciate that, nothing changed.

So they just went about life. Until one day when Anaxa took Gaia to Dawncloud again.

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Lygus couldn’t help but observe the way that Gaia had changed. Particularly from previous cycles. It was more than clear she has grown aware of them, as her memories were so obviously weighing on her. He knew that any other time the Chrysos Heirs received their memories of their previous cycles, they lost their minds. So it was a miracle that a child of all things could hold onto her sanity after recalling five of them. He couldn’t help himself any longer. Lygus decided he had to probe a bit. He asked Anaxagoras to talk to someone else for a little, while he watched Gaia. Giving him a glare, but not questioning it, he left, allowing Lygus to be alone with Gaia. He strode up next to her before speaking.

“Dear Gaia, I can’t help but notice that you seem to be quite unhappy. Might you tell me what is on your mind?”

“No,” she answered immediately. 

“If I can’t tell my dads, I can’t tell you. It’s not like you’ll believe me anyway.”

He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Come now, I’ve seen my fair share of the unbelievable. Whatever it is, I will understand.”

Gaia stared at him, her expression calculating, considering. She was deciding whether or not to trust him with what she knew. It didn’t matter that he already understood what was troubling her. He was curious to see what she believed was happening. She then seemed to decide to tell him after all, as she looked away down at her feet before speaking.

“I’ve been cursed by Oronyx,” she said rather bluntly.

Lygus’s expression didn’t change.

“What makes you believe that?” he asked.

“I’ve lived through the same thing five times. I turn five, the Dawn Device fails, and then I die. And every time I die, time turns back to when I was born, but I can still remember everything.”

So his hypothesis was correct. Because she was an anomaly, she wasn’t affected by the regressing of the extrapolation. Now came what he could do. Telling her the entire truth was out of the question, she was a “hero” to her very soul, much like Phainon. If she knew of his true motives, she would do everything in her power to stop him. But perhaps, shattering her perception of the world she knew couldn’t harm his plan too much. And he was dying for someone else who knew what he did of the universe outside of Amphoreus.

“It is not time turning back, nor is it the will of the Titans. But rather our world exists in a never ending cycle because of something beyond our reach. An otherworldly deity known as an Aeon. Because of this Aeon, the Remembrance, time moves forward in the universe around us, but Amphoreus will always be repeating the same millennia.”

“…What…?”

Lygus turned to her, his expression now falsifying solemness.

“I too am aware of these cycles. And while I do not share the same cruel fate of death with you, I do retain the memories I have of every cycle.”

“So…it’s not just me who’s trapped…it’s everyone. But then…why do you and I only remember?”

“That I cannot answer, for I do not know. But we are not the only ones who recall the past cycles.”

“Who? Who else remembers?”

“The one you and I know as the Flame Reaver.”

The two remained in silence for a few long moments, Gaia with a pensive look on her face. Lygus was more than a little curious as to what Gaia would do with the information he gave her. But sure enough, her answer was more than a little humorous.

“I’m gonna get answers out of them.”

“Is that so? Are you not worried they will kill you as they did before?”

“They won’t. The last two times I encountered them, they didn’t attack me.”

“How curious indeed. Then I will not stop you.”

Lygus laughed once again, amused by her tenacity. Surely for anyone else, confronting the Flame Reaver would result in their death. But for her, it carried the past memories of all its previous incarnations. Which meant it knew her in a way that was far different than any other being on Amphoreus. As he regained his composure, Gaia looked at him again, her gaze scrutinizing.

“How do I know you actually remember? What if you’re just telling me these things to make me feel better?”

“I have no reason to lie to you, Gaia. But to assuage your worries, I will do this. In the next cycle, when you are born, I will be there.”

“Okay. I’ll be in this glass incubator at my Papa’s lab in the Grove of Epiphany. Tap twice on it, and I’ll know it’s you.”

“Understood. I will do just that.”

“You better keep your promise.”

“I will, dear Gaia.”

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Eternal Recurrence #33,550,334 complete.

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When Gaia awoke in the next loop, she awoke to two very deliberate taps against the glass of her incubator. When she opened her eyes, she saw him there, smiling at her.

Yet despite her being grateful that he kept his promise, she saw the way her Papa was looking at him. It was with distrust, and almost a disdain. Her Papa’s judgement was usually accurate. And she never liked Lygus either. 

She worried if she made a mistake in telling him.

Chapter Text

The girl was bold, he will have to give her that.

What he didn’t expect was her to come charging at him with no weapons. Nor did he expect her to leap at him and cling to his head to try to force the mask off his face. Of course he didn’t want to hurt her. Not again. Not after the first time. But he had to keep up appearances. So he was about to throw her off until she spoke.

“Do you remember?” was all she asked.

He froze. She continued speaking.

“Three loops ago, you killed Auntie Cipher but spared me. Five loops ago you stopped killing everything in your path to spare me. But six loops ago you didn’t hesitate to kill me.”

Wait. How? How did she remember? Only he and the one who started the loops would’ve remembered. It’s why he was half insane and barely clinging onto his humanity. Unless…

Of course.

She came from outside. Which meant she wasn’t locked into the same cycle of forgetting. Which meant she remembered everything. She asked him again, which pulled him out of his spiral.

“Do. You. Remember?”

There was another pause for the briefest of moments. He didn’t know what to say at first, whether to tell her the truth or not. Before he answered, knowing deep down he couldn’t lie to her.

“I…I do…”

“Then what do you know?”

He remained still for a moment. Before removing Gaia from his head and shifting her into one of his arms.

“I’ll tell you. But not here. We’ll go somewhere else to talk.”

As he carried Gaia, he could hear his other self screaming for her. He paid it no mind. As his other self’s screams echoed, he stepped through the portal and it snapped shut.

Once he stepped out of the portal, they were Abyss of Fate. He placed Gaia on the ground. She then crossed her arms.

“You said you wanted to talk. So talk.”

He looked away from her.

“The cause of the calamity on Amphoreus. The cause of the Black Tide. The cause of the loops. It’s all the doing of Lycurgus. Or the one you know as Lygus.”

That almost seemed like a slap in the face to her.

“But…he said he didn’t know…”

“He lies. He always lies. He desires nothing more than destruction. And he will destroy Amphoreus for the sake of causing more of it.”

Gaia sank to the ground. She curled in on herself and began to cry. It seemed she fell for his lies. He wasn’t sure of how to comfort her or if she would accept his comfort. So he just continued to explain himself.

“That’s why I take the coreflames. So he can’t complete his will of destruction.”

While that didn’t seem to soothe Gaia, her tears did eventually dry. She soon spoke to him.

“Do you have to kill them? Every time?”

“I…don’t have a choice. I need their coreflames. I can’t let Era Nova happen.”

While she didn’t seem to understand him, she accepted his answer. There was a moment of silence between the two before he spoke again.

“There was one I always spared however…” he said.

“Who?”

“…Your father. Anaxagoras.”

That seemed to strike a chord in her. She looked up towards him, curiosity in her eyes. He, in response, turned away.

“Who are you?” she asked.

He figured this question was coming. And also figured that if she remembered the loops, there wouldn’t be any harm in her knowing his name.

“My name is…Khaslana…”

Gaia looked away from him, as if that was enough of an answer. Before she looked up at him and asked again.

“Who are you, Khaslana?” she asked a second time.

He didn’t say anything. Nor did he move. He felt more than saw her approaching slowly, cautiously. She was soon standing in front of him, a curious look on her face. He, seeming to understand what she wanted, knelt down to her level. Grasping the mask in her hands, Gaia slowly removed it, revealing his face. A face that was cracked and shattered. One that had no life to it and was still falling apart as they spoke.

Yet Khaslana could tell. Gaia recognized him.

Letting the mask fall out of her hands, she stared in shock at first. Before raising a hand to put on his face. She then asked a question, a single word.

“…Dad?”

That one word shattered him. Even like this, even though he barely recognized himself, Gaia still saw who he really was. A single tear rolled down his cheek. Followed by more. Khaslana then felt Gaia’s tiny arms wrap around him as tightly as they could.

“Don’t cry, Dad…” she said.

He couldn’t help it. Painstakingly slowly, making sure not to hurt her, he wrapped Gaia in an embrace of his own.

“My baby…” he whispered.

“I’m so sorry…”

“I’ll fix this. I promise.”

He held her tighter.

“No more loops. No more suffering. I’ll save you from your fate. I swear I will.”

That was when they heard the familiar thundering footsteps of Titankin. He released her and drew his sword.

“Stay behind me,” he told her.

“These creatures mean nothing to me.”

With that he charged, cutting down to stone creatures one after the other. One by one they all crumbled to dust at his feet. That was until an archer drew back its bow. The arrow flew past Khaslana. He didn’t think much of it until he realized what the archer was aiming for. Whirling around he screamed her name.

“GAIA!”

But it was too late. The arrow had pierced through the chest. Khaslana dealt with the last of the Titankin, then rushed over to her. She, despite the fact she was dying, smiled at him.

“Don’t cry, Dad…” she repeated.

“You’ll find a way to stop these loops…”

“I…know…you…will…”

The scream Khaslana let out was a gut-wrenching cry of pure loss. If one would listen, they’d hear it throughout all of Amphoreus, as he knelt over his daughter’s corpse.

Eternal Recurrence #33,550,335 complete.

Chapter Text

It was as if he already knew and was taunting her. When she awoke in the next loop, Lygus was there. Tapping on her incubator, smiling at her. She wanted to curse him out. To fight him. But since she was only a newborn, all she could do was scream.

Her Papa was, of course, confused as he usually was. But once he took her out of her incubator, Lygus decided to take his leave. Which only made her even more furious. He was a coward. He knew that she had the truth now, and refused to face her.

She decided to confront Lygus in this loop. So when she got the chance, she went to Dawncloud on her own without her parents. Sneaking away was easy enough, as they were both very busy. So was figuring out how to access Dawncloud, as she recalled how to do it from previous cycles. And when she arrived, it seemed that most people there paid little attention to her. Which worked all the better for her, since that meant she could confront Lygus without anyone interrupting her.

As she arrived to where he was, rage continued to build in her. How could he? How could he lie to her about not knowing? How could he lie to her about the loops? She couldn’t take it anymore. The moment she saw him, she lost all control of herself.

“You coward!” she shouted at him.

Lygus turned to face her, his usual calm smile on his face.

“Hello to you too, Gaia.”

“You knew why the loops were happening! And you lied to me!”

Storming up to him, Gaia glared at him, tears in her eyes.

“And you knew what caused the Black Tide the whole time! It was you! You’re the reason it keeps swallowing everything!”

“And what about that?” he asked her.

That only made Gaia even more furious. She then charged at Lygus and tried to kick him in the leg. Only to stumble back, her foot throbbing in pain once she did so. She looked up at him, trying to hide the fact that she was crying.

“I’m gonna tell my dads about you! I’m gonna tell everyone about you! Then you’ll have no choice but to tell us how to stop the Black Tide!”

She tried to gauge his reaction to her saying that, but as per usual for him, his expression did not change. Knowing, or rather believing he wouldn’t do anything about her, Gaia decided to make good on her threat. She turned around and tried to run away. Only for her entire body to freeze against her will.

She couldn’t move. It felt almost as if her body was about to tear itself apart as she remained frozen there. She couldn’t even cry out as Lygus walked around to face her, hand raised, a strange power glowing in his hand. His smile only widened as his stride stopped right in front of her.

“You are in no way able to challenge me, dear Gaia,” he said almost smugly.

“With just a clap of my hands, I can erase you from this world. Banish you to a space outside of Amphoreus, where you would only be able to watch your family suffer forever. Is that what you want?”

Gaia wanted to say no. She wanted to demand he release her, but the power holding her in place prevented her from doing so. She could feel her heart racing, like it was about to shoot out of her chest. Her eyes darted around, wondering if anyone was seeing this, if anyone would save her. But they were alone. No one knew she was here. Lygus could erase her and no one would ever figure out where she was. She was terrified out of her mind, but couldn’t even cry as this power prevented her from doing so. Seeing her in the state she was in, Lygus simply laughed.

“Of course, I won’t do that. If I did, then your parents would be even more troublesome than they already are. But I suppose I could elucidate my goal for you.”

Releasing her from his grasp, Lygus let Gaia collapse to the ground. As she was recovering, raising her head, she watched as he circled around her. And all the while, he kept talking.

“You see, Amphoreus exists inside a living piece of machinery called a Scepter, a collection of inorganic neurons. In other words, an artificial brain. This ‘brain’ was once a part of an Aeon, the Erudition, but was discarded by THEM. I then found this Scepter and changed its calculations, from erudition to destruction. And thus, I began the cycles of Amphoreus, calculating destruction.”

Gaia wasn’t sure where this was going, but didn’t like any of it. If Amphoreus was contained inside an artificial brain, did that mean…nothing she knew truly existed? Did she even exist? Both of those questions were far too vast for her to wrap her head around. But yet, Lygus kept talking.

“During one cycle, something incredible happened. The Destruction gazed upon this Scepter, this artificial brain, and gave it life. THEY gave it THEIR own power, turning it into what is called an Emanator. It was now a true beacon of destruction, a Lord Ravager, everything I could hope for. It was then I created the Titans and the Chrysos Heirs, twenty four electrical signals meant to further progress my Lord Ravager’s, Irontomb’s development. The Black Tide, as you know it to be, was simply a result of this simulated world being unable to contain Irontomb’s consciousness.”

He looked down at Gaia, seeming almost giddy at first, but he soon regained his composure.

“Ah, I was so close to unleashing Irontomb. Were it not for your father, Khaslana. In what was meant to be the final cycle, he and his friend brought the Remembrance upon this world, forcing it to repeat the last cycle, over and over and over again.”

Lygus then knelt down to her, lifting her head with his hand, making sure she was facing him.

“That is why you are trapped, little Gaia. But do you know why you remember every cycle of this Eternal Recurrence you were in?”

She didn’t answer. What could she even say? Seeing that she wasn’t indulging him with a useless guess, Lygus elaborated.

“It is because you were not meant to exist.”

Chapter Text

Gaia wasn’t sure if she heard him right. She…wasn’t meant to exist? What did that even mean? Was he even telling the truth?

No.

He couldn’t be.

“Y-Your lying!” she managed to stammer out.

“I have no reason to lie about this,” Lygus said rather flatly.

“You always lie!”

Ignoring her claim, Lygus simply smiled at her.

“As I told you, there were 24 electrical signals meant to facilitate Irontomb’s development. Twelve Titans and twelve Chrysos Heirs meant to take on their power. You are a twenty-fifth electrical signal. One I did not create. One born of two of my subject’s love.”

He laughed, almost as if the whole situation was a massive joke to him.

“I don’t even have access to your true name! That’s how detached you are from the rest of the world!”

Lygus tilted his head to the side, clearly expecting her to say or do something. She stared up at him, hoping he had nothing else to add, nothing else that could already shatter her already crumbling world. But soon that fear turned to rage. He created her world, her family for the sole purpose of using them for his Lord Ravager. He was nothing more than a cruel writer to a sick play.

She acted on impulse. And like she had done in the past, she raised her hand, and hit Lygus in the face. Surprised by the sudden attack, he released her, allowing her to fall to the ground. Gaia couldn’t help but smile at what she had done. At the very least, she was able to catch him off guard again.

But much to her horror, he looked back at her, his grin only widening. It seemed to almost split his face. He tilted his head to the side again.

“Oh? Is it a fight you want, dear Gaia?” he asked.

The world seemed to waver and glitch around Lygus, as if it couldn’t handle what he was doing. Gaia managed to sit herself up yet could only look on in fear as Lygus’s form changed through the flickering. His body was far less intricate in its design, yet far more human looking. The hole in his chest grew dark, looking almost like a void that would devour anything inside. And most unnerving, his true face was stoic and cold, with a glare that would kill Gaia if he wanted it to. Yet even with all of that, he continued to smile at her.

“Go on, Gaia,” he said. 

“I will let you have the first strike.”

She didn’t move. She couldn’t. Not while being stared down by this thing. She knew he could very well kill her if he so chooses. Or make good on his threat to seal her away forever. She couldn’t win. And they both knew that.

“What’s wrong, dear Gaia?” Lygus asked.

“I thought you wanted to stop me? Go on. Try.”

She began to scoot backwards, in a futile attempt to get away. But with one step, Lygus was right above her, as if he could simply step on her to kill her. He then leaned down, that smile still on his face. Before he said exactly one last word to her.

“RUN.”

And run she did. Letting out a scream, Gaia scrambled to her feet as quickly as she possibly could. Before taking off at a sprint, Lygus’s laughter ringing out all around her. Even as she left Dawncloud, she could still hear him laughing at her. That only pushed her to run even faster, covering her ears as she did so.

“Go away, go away, go away!” she shouted.

Yet the laughter didn’t cease. She didn’t stop running until she got home. Frantically she opened the door and slammed it behind her once she got inside. She held her hands against it, keeping it shut, a part of her worrying that Lygus would come after her and actually kill her. It was then she heard another voice.

“Gaia? What’s wrong?”

It was only then the laughter ceased. She looked behind her to see her Dad and her Papa standing there, both clearly concerned.

Hesitating, she took her hands off the door and looked down at them, not sure of what to do or say. But instead of doing anything like that, she ran past them and to her room, to which she slammed the door shut.

Curling up in the corner of her room, Gaia hugged her knees and began to sob. The reality of the situation quickly settled in on her. She was trapped in a world that rejected her very existence. She had to live the same five years of her life over and over again because if she didn’t, a monster would be unleashed across the cosmos. And the only person who had any control over any of it wanted that outcome to happen. She had nowhere to go. Nowhere was safe, this entire world was a death trap.

As she continued to spiral, that was when she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

“Gaia?” her Papa asked from behind the door. 

“May I come in?” 

She considered for a few seconds before relenting.

“Yes,” she answered.

Her Papa then opened the door. He quickly walked over and sat down next to her. Before slowly just wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. Almost immediately, she hugged him back. The two sat like that for some time before her Papa spoke again.

“You want to tell me what happened?”

She really wanted to. But what could she possibly say? That Lygus is evil and wants to end Amphoreus so he can unleash a living superweapon? As if. But she couldn’t keep this all inside. So, barely above a whisper, she spoke.

“Lygus threatened me…”

She could feel her Papa’s body go stiff.

“He what.” he asked, voice dripping in venom.

“Don’t go after him!” Gaia said frantically.

“Gaia, if he threatened you-”

“He’s really strong! Stronger than all of us! He’d kill you! He’d kill Dad! Please don’t go after him!”

She buried her face in his chest, beginning to cry again.

“Please…I don’t want to lose both of you…”

Her Papa hugged her again.

“You won’t, Gaia. I promise.”

Chapter Text

To say that Anaxagoras was furious would be an understatement. He was absolutely enraged at the thought of Lycurgus threatening his daughter. And yes, despite what Gaia had told him, a large part of him wanted to storm up to Dawncloud and put several bullets in Lycurgus’s head.

Keeping his composure for the most part, he told Gaia that he’ll discuss what to do next with Phainon. He then left her in her room to do just that. And as he expected, Phainon was just as, if not more furious than he was.

“That coward. Threatening a child of all people,” he practically growled.

Summoning his sword into one hand, Phainon turned to storm out the door.

“I should-”

“We can’t do anything. At least not yet,” Anaxagoras interrupted.

“Not until we understand what exactly we’re up against. If Gaia is telling the truth, then charging in like this could result in disaster.”

Phainon let out an annoyed sigh before making his sword vanish. He then turned to face Anaxagoras.

“I hate that you’re right about this.”

“I know.”

“What do we even do?”

Anaxagoras gave it some thought. Staying in Okhema where Lycurgus had easy access to Gaia was out of the question. So was confronting him. There was really only one obvious answer.

“Gaia and I will stay at the Grove for a while. At least until we can figure out what to do next.”

“I think that’s best,” Phainon replied.

“I’ll try to visit as often as I can, but the hunt for Strife is really ramping up,” he added.

Anaxagoras tried to contain an eye roll. He never really understood the Flame-Chase Journey, and despised how much it ate away at Phainon. But that was an argument for another day. So they both walked to Gaia’s room and asked to be let in. When she allowed them to, they told her of what they intended to do. Learning that she was staying at the Grove seemed to put Gaia’s mind at ease, which in turn made both Phainon and Anaxagoras relax a bit. They both hated the fact that their daughter was in so much distress. But it seemed this would help her, at least for a little while.

.

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Time passed slowly while Gaia was staying with Anaxagoras at the grove. Phainon’s visits got fewer and further between, which upset both Gaia and himself. They both despised that he was putting his life on the line all the time, with absolutely no care for himself. But in the end, they both knew that was simply who Phainon was.

Visits soon became few to none, replaced by letters updating them on both the Flame-Chase Journey and the goings-on in Okhema. And even though the updates from Phainon were for the most part, mundane, the two of them still appreciate them.

Until one day they received a letter from Phainon that gave some very interesting news.

“Dear Anaxa and Gaia,

Today was quite the adventure! I met two people who claimed to be from beyond the sky, and it seems more than obvious that they are. I’ve never seen anyone quite like them, with weapons made in ways that are unfamiliar to us. But they were more than willing to help defend Okhema against Nikador. And they seem like they are willing to help us with the Flame-Chase Journey too!

I hope you two can meet them soon.

—Phainon”

As they finished reading the letter, Gaia looked up towards Anaxagoras, confused.

“People from beyond the sky?” she asked.

“But didn’t everyone say that Aquila made a curse that keeps anyone from leaving or coming to Amphoreus?”

“A curse doesn’t mean an impossibility, Gaia. If someone did arrive, that means there is a chance to bypass it.”

She seemed to consider his words before looking up at him excitedly.

“So your old experiment can work!”

He couldn’t help but smile. Maybe she was right. Even if the experiment was a failure the first time, this could be proof of a chance to escape.

“Perhaps it can,” he replied.

Gaia started bouncing up and down on her toes, now looking thrilled.

“I can’t wait to meet these people!”

“Yes, I imagine they are quite the characters.”

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After some more time, a new letter arrived at the Grove with more interesting news.

“Dear Anaxa and Gaia,

I have some good news and some bad. The good news is that one of our new friends, Stelle, figured out how to defeat Nikador. We were able to retrieve their coreflame!

The bad news is that I couldn’t pass the trial to take on their power. It’s rather embarrassing, but Mydei and Stelle had to fish me out of the trial. I’m not sure what to do with myself now, as Strife has been my goal for a very long time.

But I’ll do what I do best and keep moving forward.

Hope to see both of you very soon.

–Phainon”

“I feel bad for Dad,” Gaia commented.

“I know how much he wanted to take on Strife.”

“Yes, but it seems that’s not the right path for him,” Anaxagoras replied.

And in truth he always knew that. Despite the goal Phainon had in mind for himself, Anaxagoras knew that the world had a different path set out for him. From the way he would always put every single burden he could think of on his shoulders, it was only natural to believe that Phainon was prophesied to take on Worldbearing.

But before he could give that anymore thought, he heard what sounded like an inhuman shriek coming from outside.

“What is-” he tried to ask.

“The Black Tide…” Gaia said quietly.

“It’s here…”

Anaxagoras looked down at Gaia at first, who then looked up at him. He could see the way she was quivering. He then looked outside his lab to see people running frantically towards or away from something. It seemed obvious enough that Gaia was right. Which meant he had to act fast if his plan were to work. Turning back to Gaia he got down on one knee to look her in the eye. 

“Gaia, I have a plan. One that’ll keep both of us safe from the Black Tide. But I need you to go to the Luminary Throne and hide there.”

“But…what about you? And everyone else?”

He then tried to give her a smile.

“The rest of the scholars have already begun making their way to Okhema. And you don’t have to worry about me either, Gaia. I’ll be alright.”

Chapter Text

Avoiding the Black Tide creatures was easier said than done. She spent most of her time making her way to the throne hiding and running between hiding spots. The Grove was absolutely crawling with the creatures. She worried that they would get to her Papa before he could enact his plan. After all, they have managed to kill him in the past cycles…

No.

She couldn’t think about that.

She trusted her Papa. He had a plan. And it was going to work.

Soon enough she managed to get to the throne and hid behind it. She sat there crouched for some time, not sure what was supposed to happen next. As she felt her legs begin to get that pins and needles feeling, she then heard someone walking up towards the throne. Their steps were slow, dragging, as if they were barely able to hold up their own weight. She had to know who it was, so she dared to look. Only to be surprised by who was coming.

“Papa?” she asked.

He didn’t respond. All he did was smile at her as he stumbled towards the throne. He then collapsed on it, falling unconscious. Gaia wanted to check on him, to see what had happened, but she knew she shouldn’t. This had to be a part of his plan.

…Right?

As she was thinking about what to do, she heard someone else walking up towards the throne. Peaking out from her hiding place, she saw a familiar figure approaching it. One clad in a dark cloak, carrying a massive sword. She figured he would be here when the Black Tide came.

“...Dad,” she whispered.

Khaslana froze, recognizing her voice. He didn’t look at first, hearing her walk out from behind the Luminary Throne.

“Gaia…” he responded.

“Do you…know what your father has done?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“He told me to hide here before he did anything. The last thing I saw was him passing out on the throne…”

“I see…I can’t find the Reason Coreflame.”

“Then…what will you do…?”

There was a brief moment of silence between them. Before Khaslana looked away from her Papa.

“I…don’t know. I…can’t bear to leave him.”

Gaia expected as much. She knew how much her Dad cared about her Papa. But she couldn’t get distracted. If Lygus was right, then he would know why all of this was happening. Taking a deep breath, she looked at Khaslana.

“There was something you didn’t tell me. It wasn’t Lygus who controlled the loops. But you and someone you knew. Am I right?”

Another moment of silence. Khaslana looked away from Gaia. He almost seemed…guilty.

“Yes…the loops were started by someone else. A girl named…Cyrene. And upheld by me…”

“…Why?”

“He told you about his goal, did he not?”

“He…he did.”

“That’s why. She gave up everything to make sure that Era Nova will never happen. That this…Lord Ravager will never be unleashed.”

“But…was that the only way?”

“It was supposed to be an eternal dream. One Amphoreus would never wake up from.”

“But she didn’t care about those who were already awake, did she?”

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was the only one meant to remember.”

“But it’s still hurting you! It’s still hurting both of us!”

“I-”

“Why would she do that?! Why would she have us all endure this torture over and over?! Why did she make it so we all died every single time?! That I died every single time?!”

“Gaia-”

“This isn’t my body, Dad! I’m supposed to be older, but because of these stupid loops I’m always just thrown back to the start!”

She stared down at her hands, before clenching her fists.

“Sometimes I think I should just die sooner to get it over with.”

That was what made Khaslana flinch.

“Never say that, Gaia. Never throw your life away.”

“Then what am I supposed to do?! I had enough of watching everyone be killed! I don’t want to do this anymore! I…”

Gaia fell to her knees, her head held down.

“I don’t want to die again, Dad.”

“You won’t,” Khaslana told her.

He knelt down to Gaia’s height on the ground. Carefully, ever so gently, he raised her head to face his. Tears ran down her face as she stared up at him.

“This loop will be different. There are new people. People from beyond the sky. They will help to free us.”

“You mean the people my ‘you’ told me about.”

“Yes. If they had managed to break Lycurgus’s ‘closed loop’, then they could break the cycles.”

“You promise?”

“I swear.”

That’s when they heard voices. Three of them, all feminine. Khaslana abruptly stood up once again.

“And one of them is here now. Hide behind the throne like you did before. Only show yourself when they are about to leave.”

“You…you’re going to attack them, aren’t you?”

“…If they do not stand down.”

“…Okay…”

It went exactly as he said it would. However what Gaia didn’t expect was her Papa to stand up and attack Khaslana. Of course he would, he didn’t know who he was. But more surprises were to come at that moment. One of which being Cerces sharing a body with her Papa. That hadn’t happened in any other loop. The fight continued.

She thought now would be the time to make her presence known.

“Papa!” she called out.

Cerces turned around. Gaia ran out from her hiding spot catching everyone off guard. Castorice’s eyes widened. While Cerces seemed more confused than anything else.

“A child?” Cerces asked.

“Gaia?!” Castorice asked a bit more loudly.

The unfamiliar girl looked between her and Khaslana. She then ran over and grabbed Gaia by the wrist.

“We’re out of time!” the unfamiliar girl said.

“Trianne! Let’s get outta here!”

“R-Right!”

Trianne raised her hands as magic flowed through her.

“Century Gate, open!”

And in a flash, they were all gone, leaving Khaslana alone.

He could only hope he was right about the travelers from beyond the sky.

Chapter Text

Stelle wasn’t sure what to think of any of the most recent events. The black-robed swordmaster, Anaxa’s condition, how busy Aglaea was, her own strange interaction with Castorice. It got to the point where she couldn’t really sleep, even if she wanted to. So she decided she had nothing better to do than just wander about the market, since Dan Heng told her to avoid the hot bath at the Marmoreal Palace.

As much as she wanted him to elaborate on that, she decided not to go poking at what was probably nothing.

Soon she made it to the market and began strolling around, not looking for anything in particular. As she wandered aimlessly, she then noticed Anaxa there, walking alongside that same girl she saw at the Grove. Gaia, she remembered her being named. That was one other thing that was on her mind about everything that happened. How much did Gaia know or see? Was she aware of Cerces and Anaxa fusing?

As she was considering that, she finally noticed Gaia staring at her, completely unblinking for a few seconds. It was almost unsettling to Stelle, as in that brief moment, it felt that Gaia saw something that Stelle didn’t. It felt like she was staring into Stelle’s very being. But the feeling was soon cut off as Gaia looked up at Anaxa, tugging on his clothes.

“Papa? Miss Stelle is here. I want to go talk to her,” she said.

“Just don’t wander too far,” he replied.

“I won’t.”

With that, she walked over to Stelle, a rather serious look on her face. She stopped right in front of her before speaking.

“So. You’re one of the people he told me about,” she said.

“Huh?” Stelle asked.

“One of the travelers from beyond the sky,” she clarified.

“O-Oh, yeah! That’s me!”

Gaia nodded, not saying anything else at first. Before she looked away, towards the Dawn Device.

“I hope he was right about you…”

“Who…was right about me?”

“Because if he isn’t, then I’ll have to make peace with dying again. And being stuck like this forever.”

“W…What?!”

Gaia then looked up towards Stelle, tears now welling up in her eyes.

“You are going to save us…right?”

“Uh…”

“I wish you knew. I wish I could tell you. But he is watching. And he’ll erase me if I tell anyone the truth.”

Without another word, and without letting Stelle ask her anything, Gaia, with her head down, walked back to Anaxa and took his hand. The two then walked off into the market and out of sight. Leaving Stelle even more confused than before and very much unnerved.

She knew she had to consult Dan Heng about what had happened.

Making her way back to the Marmoreal Palace, Stelle replayed the entirety of what Gaia said to her in her head. Who was she talking about when she mentioned the person who told her they were from beyond the sky? What did she mean about “him” being right, and making peace with her death? Why did she ask if Stelle was going to save everyone? And who would “erase” her if she told her this supposed truth?

Stelle pretty much had no answers whatsoever. And she doubted she was going to get any from Dan Heng, but maybe they both could put some sort of guesses together.

She soon found her way back to her and Dan Heng’s private room, letting the door open and walking inside.

“Dan Heng, something weird happened,” she said as the door closed behind her.

Dan Heng opened his eyes, Stelle quickly realizing he wasn’t able to sleep either. He sat up, giving Stelle a concerned look.

“Knowing you, and all the things that you have seen and done, that meant whatever happened had to be truly strange.”

Sitting down on the daybed next to Dan Heng, Stelle began to retell the conversation she had with Gaia. Dan Heng listened intently, and as Stelle finished, he still had that concerned expression on his face.

“Perhaps she is an oracle like Tribios,” Dan Heng suggested.

“Maybe she foresaw her own death, and that’s what she meant by making peace with it. It’s the same principle as to why she asked if you would save everyone. She must’ve foresaw you and I helping in the Flame-Chase Journey.”

“But that still doesn’t explain the first and last things she said,” Stelle added.

“Yes that doesn’t. But it does imply something similar. Gaia knows more than she lets on. Yet something or someone is preventing her from revealing this information in fear of her life.”

“You don’t think it’s that thing from the Grove that was threatening her, was it?”

“I doubt it. It doesn’t seem like the sort of thing it would do. If it wanted to hurt Gaia, I’m sure it would’ve simply made an attempt on her life rather than threaten her.”

He looked up at Stelle.

“I suspect that there is someone else who knows a similar thing to her and they might be the one preventing her from speaking.”

Dan Heng let out a heavy sigh.

“Whatever the case is, it certainly makes figuring out Amphoreus more convoluted than it was before.”

“Yeah, tell me about it,” Stelle said.

“Everything’s kinda making my head spin.”

Stelle looked outside, before sighing herself.

“I should try to get some sleep. Maybe that’ll help me sort out everything.”

“And if not, you will feel refreshed the next day.”

Dan Heng did have a point. So not knowing what else she could really do, Stelle laid down on her daybed. She thought again about what Gaia had said to her. She seemed so…desperate when she asked if Stelle was going to save everyone. Like she had been waiting for her —or for anyone really— for far too long.

Thinking about it now, she wished she said “yes” to that last question. If nothing else, she wanted to at least comfort a clearly scared and alone child.

Chapter Text

Phainon found Anaxa and Gaia waiting within a small part of Marmoreal Palace, near the Garden of Life. 

“It’s been a while since I saw both of you,” he commented.

“Probably too long.”

Gaia almost immediately ran up to him, expecting to cling onto his leg. But of course, he managed to kneel down in time to catch her in his arms. Lifting her off the ground, he couldn’t help but notice the small smile appear on Anaxa’s face. Before it changed to something far more knowing of him.

“Surely you’re not here for just a simple reunion, am I correct?”

Phainon shook his head with a smile of his own.

“You know me all too well. As much I love being with you both again, that’s not the only reason I’m here.”

“I figured as much. You only beat around the bush when you have a hidden agenda.”

“That's not true. I'm here to seek enlightenment, as always…”

Phainon looked away, soon realizing Gaia was staring at him. He didn’t know if it was the best idea to discuss this in front of her. But another part of him didn’t want to send her away, almost being scared of what might happen if she was out of his sight. So, keeping her in his arms, he asked Anaxa his question.

“Could you please teach me everything you know about the black-robed swordmaster?”

Anaxa scoffed, clearly expecting the question.

“Hmph. Rumors sure travel fast.”

He then shook his head.

“Unfortunately I, too, know nothing about it. I can only tell you that it is clad in a black robe and wields a greatsword…At least, it looks like a greatsword. It's shaped like a twisted half-sun…And a peculiar dagger resembling a crescent moon.”

Phainon fell silent, recognizing the weapons of the black-robed swordmaster all too well. And his suspicions were only confirmed even more as Anaxa handed him a piece of its cloak.

“I was right…It is this thing. The one who torched Aedes Elysiae to the ground…and killed everyone.”

“Don't try to be a hero,” Anaxa said, interrupting his thoughts.

“No one in Okhema stands a chance against that thing right now.”

“Is that what the Titan said as well?” Phainon asked.

“Hmph, not at first. But the god relented after having had a taste of its power. Even with a god possessing me, I couldn't fight against that blade…”

He looked away, almost seeming ashamed. Phainon could only guess what was troubling him. He felt as if he didn’t do enough to protect Gaia from it. But before Phainon could give Anaxa any words of comfort, Anaxa continued his thought.

“That incredible power doesn't seem to be granted by any Titan.”

“Are you suggesting that…it originates from beyond Amphoreus?”

“It's possible. Much like the black tide, no?”

“…Nonetheless, it's an enemy we must overcome.”

“We? Drop the pipe dream, Phainon. No one wants to see you fall by their blade.”

He knew what Anaxa was implying, and as if to strengthen his point, Gaia clung onto him rather tightly. But if anything, it only strengthened his own resolve to get rid of it.

“His mere presence will endanger the holy city and the Flame-Chase,” he stated rather forcefully.

“You know that I don't believe-

“-You don't believe in the so-called prophecy. I know. However, I'm here to seek your assistance, not at the request of Aglaea or Tribbie…I just want to eliminate a threat to the city I pledged to protect. That's all. The tragedy at the Grove must never happen again.”

Anaxa seemed to give Phainon’s words some thought. He looked between him and Gaia, before shaking his head. He then gave Phainon a knowing smile.

“Take a seat. Since you are sincerely seeking enlightenment…I suppose I can tell you one more thing.”

Their discussion began, Anaxa explaining his hypothesis on what the black-robed swordmaster wants. After describing what had happened at the Grove, he explained himself. Phainon connected the dots rather quickly.

“Are you saying that the black-robed swordmaster is not just tied to the black tide…but is also hunting for Coreflames everywhere?” he asked.

“This is the most plausible possibility,” Anaxa replied. 

“First, it has a vessel that can hold Coreflames. Second, I'm one of its targets. Let's start with the first premise. Its peculiar ‘ceremonial blade’ can interact with the Coreflame, as evidenced by the pull I felt when it stabbed into my chest. I hypothesize that the blade can sense, absorb…or even retain Coreflames. The second premise is even more explicit. When it was engaged in fierce battle with many of us and was heavily distracted, it remained consistently focused on me, or rather, on the Titan Cerces inside me.”

“Heh, so it's plundering the flames…But if your argument holds up, wouldn't he be headed to Okhema soon? The Vortex of Genesis is full of the Titans' Coreflames.”

“Not necessarily. Let's call that person the ‘Flame Reaver’ for now.” 

Phainon could’ve sworn he felt Gaia flinch a bit at the name. He could only imagine how terrifying all of this must be to her.

“If my presumption holds, that person has three targets. The first target is me. The second target is Oronyx, who hasn't yet fallen. And the third is Okhema and the Vortex of Genesis, where the Coreflames are housed,” Anaxa explained.

“But I suspect Okhema won't be their first target. Kephale's Coreflame is guarded by the Council of Elders' arcane power, and Phagousa's water curtain should be able to block out any external perceptions.”

“What about Thanatos and Aquila?” Phainon asked. 

“Their Coreflames are yet to be restored…”

“The whereabouts of Thanatos remain a mystery to all,” Anaxa answered. 

“As for Aquila…Can you fly?”

“No, I can't. Why are you asking that?”

He heard Gaia laugh a little and saw a smile play at the edges of Anaxa’s expression.

“Can that swordmaster fly?”

“…Ah, good point. But what if he does grow wings…”

“If they had wings, I wouldn't have made it out of the Grove alive.”

“That's a relief. Anyway, since the Flame Reaver has two targets, we need to move fast…”

“With the distances between Okhema, the Grove, and these potential targets, I believe we should bolster our defense in-”

Anaxa was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching all three of them. Both Phainon and Anaxa turned around to see Dan Heng running up to them. He practically skidded to a stop in front of them before telling them something that made Phainon’s heart fall into the pit of his stomach.

“Bad news, Phainon…” Dan Heng began.

“Tribbie is missing! The last time the three of them were seen was in…The Abyss of Fate!”

Chapter Text

So much had happened ever since Dan Heng came with that news about Tribbie, Trianne and Trinnon. Trianne couldn’t be found, Oronyx was killed, and now her dads and Stelle had enacted a plan to stop the Flame Reaver. It was all a bit too complicated for her to wrap her head around fully, but she understood most of it. Her Papa would act as bait for the Flame Reaver, then Stelle and her companion, Mem, would seal him in the past. It seemed like a solid enough plan, but she had seen herself how ruthless and powerful the Flame Reaver was.

“Khaslana said he always spared Papa…” Gaia thought.

“And he did back at the Grove. But would he do that this time? And what about Dad? Would he show the same mercy to himself?”

“Probably not…He’d do anything to stop Era Nova.”

“It’s not like I want it to happen either…”

“But there has to be another way…right?”

As she was lost in thought, her gaze went over to Castorice, who was busying herself with a sewing project. She couldn’t tell exactly what it was yet, but it seemed rather important to her. 

More time passed. It got to a point where Gaia couldn’t take it anymore. Looking up at Castorice, she asked her a question.

“Miss Cas, my dads…they’ll come back, right?”

Castorice looked up from her project and gave Gaia a small smile before nodding to her.

“I know you’re worried, Gaia. But I’m sure everything will be alright. Your dads are strong. They won’t let anything happen to each other. And I trust in Stelle and Mem. They’ll be able to carry out the plan, I’m sure of it.”

Gaia nodded, accepting the answer for now. It didn’t stop her from worrying, but she could at least try to have confidence in her dads.

More time passed. Castorice had to leave to deal with something involving the Council of Elders, leaving Aglaea to watch her instead. But it didn’t last for too long as they then heard the chattering of the citizens of Okhema.

Everyone had returned from their fight against the Flame Reaver.

Gaia immediately sprang up from her seat and looked at Aglaea expectantly. To which she simply smiled at Gaia.

“Go on,” she said.

“Go meet your fathers.”

With that Gaia ran off. Making her way through the streets of the city, she saw the group of them waiting, surrounded by citizens.

“Papa! Dad! You’re back!” she shouted.

Her Dad smiled, caught her in his arms and lifted her up.

“Did you do it?” she asked.

“We did it,” he said with a smile.

“We got the Coreflame of Time back and our enemy has been dealt with.”

That was good. At least, she believed it was good. Even if Khaslana’s heart was in the right place, she believed there had to be another way. That maybe the repeating wouldn’t have to happen.

“If they did manage to stall Khaslana…” she thought.

“That means they have their own way to stop Era Nova.”

She huddled in closer to her Dad.

“Maybe…I won’t have to die again…”

As they made their way back to the Garden of Life, her Papa went off on his own, as her Dad said he shouldn’t be around Aglaea when she already had so much going on. Gaia couldn’t help but agree, knowing how much her Papa and Aglaea disliked each other. 

As they made it there, set up in a little tree hollow was what had to be a memorial for Trianne. That meant the worst came to pass. She was gone.

“It’s already starting…”

“That means it’s only a matter of time before everything else happens too.”

“I’ll lose everyone…”

“I’ll lose everything…”

No.

Khaslana had to be right. They weren’t able to get Strife before, but now they did. They had Stelle and Dan Heng. This time would be different.

It had to be.

As the others continued to talk, a decision was made. One that would surely make a difference in this loop. Stelle would take on the Coreflame of Time. With her doing so, that meant they were one step closer to changing how this story would end.

Letting Gaia down, her Dad told her to stay with Hyacine while he prepared something.

“What are you going to do?” she asked.

“Well, I have a feeling your Uncle Mydei isn’t going to stay around for much longer. He’s probably going to return to his home. So I want to throw him a little going away party.”

“Oh! Can I help?”

Her Dad smiled at her before nodding.

“Of course you can. You can help me gather everyone who’d want to say goodbye to him.”

And so that’s exactly what the two did. They went to every Kremnoan they knew to spread the word that Mydei was leaving. And that if they wanted to say goodbye to him they should meet at a certain spot. Her Dad went to all of the adults he could think of, while Gaia went to all the kids. It was tiring, but it seemed to work, as word spread fast about Mydei’s departure.

So much so that it was almost definitely a party when Mydei did arrive to say goodbye to her and her Dad. 

Mydei definitely seemed surprised by everyone there, but a good kind of surprised. It seemed to make him feel more confident about what he was doing. He and her Dad bantered back and forth a bit before he turned to Gaia, a warm smile on his face. He then knelt down to her and placed a hand on her head.

“Of course I couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to my favorite niece.”

Gaia giggled a bit.

“Uncle Mydei, I’m your only niece!”

“That’s what makes you my favorite,” he said with a smile.

She let out a sigh before shaking her head.

“I’m gonna miss you…” she said solemnly.

“I know. But I’ll be doing my part. I’ll make sure the Black Tide never reaches you.”

He stood up and looked at her Dad.

“You better take good care of her, Deliverer. Otherwise I might have to come back and teach you a lesson.”

“Ha! Of course I will.”

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long after Trianne’s funeral that Gaia was left to her own devices. Her Dad was going somewhere with Stelle, Trinnon and Mem. Castorice decided to stay with Trianne. So she herself sat with Hyacine and the chimeras to pass the time. Yet as she played with the chimeras and idly chatted with Hyacine, something weighed on her mind. It was what Aglaea said in reference to the Flame-Chase and the Chrysos Heirs.

“All shall bid farewell to one, and that person alone will witness the miracle-”

That sent a chill down her spine. Was that why she kept losing everyone? Was that why she kept dying? Why was that programmed into the world? For what purpose would one person losing everyone have? And what was the miracle anyway? Era Nova? Probably but that could barely be considered a miracle, since it also spelt the end of Amphoreus.

She couldn’t really think about any of those questions, knowing she’d never get any answers for them. Other than the fact that the one who programmed them in the first place was sick and twisted.

Gaia was soon pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of arguing coming from nearby. Curious, she told Hyacine she was going to wander, and approached the argument, recognizing both Aglaea’s and her Papa’s voices. She only caught what seemed to be the second half of the conversation.

“Come now, conceited ‘performer,’” Aglaea said venomously. 

“It's time to address your relationship with that Titan.”

“What if I refuse?” her Papa asked.

“Provocation will only tip Talanton's scales further toward your demise. There's no need to go to such lengths.”

Gaia covered her mouth, to avoid gasping. She didn’t think Aglaea would go this far to push the Flame-Chase Journey forward. No matter how much she disliked her Papa. And yet, he scoffed at the very notion of Aglaea killing him.

“O monster neither human nor divine, don't forget that you won't dare kill me. If you snuff out the Coreflame of ‘Reason’…What else can you use to stand against the Council?”

“Eh…Do you two mind if I cut in?” Cerces added rather quickly.

“I warned you. Do not interrupt me-”

“Ahh. I just have been meaning to ask: Does death really matter to you?”

There was a moment of awkward silence between all three of them before her Papa spoke again.

“…What do you mean?”

Something was wrong. Very wrong. He never spoke with this much hesitation. Gaia knew that he was avoiding a truth he had to confront.

“What I mean is, before I implanted the Coreflame into your heart…” Cerces began.

“…You were already a silent, cold corpse.”

Gaia felt her heart fall into the pit of his stomach. The dots connected. He wasn’t unconscious on the throne when he collapsed on it. He died there. He was dead when Khaslana found him. She could only guess what happened. He used almost all of his soul to keep the Black Tide from seeping out of the Grove and it cost him his life. He was always careless with his soul, splitting it over and over again for his alchemy. She guessed this time it was too much for him to take. As Cerces’ words replayed in her mind over and over again, she became unaware that Aglaea and her Papa finished their conversation and parted ways. And that he saw her hiding.

“Gaia?” he asked.

Pulled out of her thoughts once again, she stared at him, trying not to let her eyes water. But she couldn’t help it. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as he stared back at her. It was only then he seemed to realize what happened.

“How…how much did you hear?” he asked cautiously.

“You said you would be alright,” Gaia answered quietly.

“And I am,” he replied.

“I’m right here-”

“But you died! You used up your soul, didn’t you?! Now your body can’t hold itself together anymore! You’re dying!”

She grabbed onto his robe and began sobbing into it.

“You said you would be alright!” she repeated.

“You said…you said…”

Her Papa looked away, ashamed. Before then looking back to her and kneeling down to pull her into an embrace.

“I…I didn’t mean to deceive you Gaia…and…I’m sorry. But if doing this meant protecting you from the Black Tide, then I would do it a thousand times over.”

“Hyacine…Hyacine can heal you, right? Make it so your soul is whole again and fix your body, right?”

“I…I don’t know…I don’t think so,” he confessed.

“But I do have another plan,” he added.

“One that can solve the mysteries of Amphoreus.”

He always had a plan, Gaia knew that. Never once did he do something so important without running through it in his head before enacting it. But this time would be different. She wasn’t going to let him enact his plan on his own. Not again.

“Let me help,” she said.

“Gaia-” he tried to interrupt.

“Remember how I said I wanted to be a scholar like you? That I wanted to solve the mysteries of Amphoreus too? Well if you’re going to do that, I want to be there. Let. Me. Help.”

Her Papa let out a sigh, realizing he wasn’t going to convince her otherwise.

“In order to help, you’ll have to come with me to Dawncloud. And you’ll have to be around Lycurgus again. Are you sure this is what you want?”

Gaia felt herself freeze at the mention of Lygus’s name. Of course it had to involve him. If it involved figuring out Amphoreus, it had to involve him.

She wasn’t ready. She’d probably never be ready to face him again. With what he told her and what he threatened her with, he probably never expected her to face him again. But if it meant figuring out secrets, and possibly stopping his plan…

She was willing to risk it.

Gaia nodded to her Papa, a look of determination in her eyes.

“I’m sure.”

Chapter Text

As Anaxagoras raised his head again, he felt it pounding, as if his brain wanted to exit out of his skull. But choosing to ignore that, he turned his attention to Cerces who was waiting beside him.

“Oh, you have awoken. Welcome back to the mortal realm. Your consciousness is dissipating much faster than I expected... Ultimately, it seems like the Titan's Coreflame is incompatible with a mortal body.”

Groaning in pain, he sat himself up, rubbing his forehead.

“How much longer can my consciousness remain in the mortal realm?” he asked.

“In my estimation, at best, you'll see fifteen more Entry Hours,” they answered.

“Heh, fifteen days and nights…”

“What is it? Are you finally starting to become attached to the mortal world now?”

He didn’t want to admit that partially he had. That he didn’t want to leave Gaia behind. But of course, he kept those thoughts to himself, hoping that the Titan would peer through his mind.

“On the contrary,” he replied.

“Fifteen days feel a little too long for solving a singular problem.”

Cerces, seeming amused by his confidence, laughed a bit. He rolled his eye at them.

“Stop giggling. It's time for us to go. The messenger from the Council of Elders is almost here.”

“Let me ask you one more question, are you really planning to betray Aglaea's will?”

“What betrayal is there to speak of when I was never loyal to her to begin with?”

“What about that white-haired student of yours? Acting so recklessly…Do you not care about what might happen to him?”

Anaxagoras fell silent at the mention of Phainon. He really wouldn’t want him to believe that he betrayed him, and could only hope that he saw through his plans. But he couldn’t be too sure, as Phainon always relied more on his heart rather than his head.

“There will be a price to pay for blind faith. This is also a lesson for Phainon.”

“And what of your daughter?” Cerces asked.

“She’s…aware of what sort of plan this is. And I did ask her to-”

“But can you really trust the words of a child?”

“You know very well that she is more understanding of this world than most children her age.”

“Yes I have noticed. But might I inquire about one more thing? Is she aware of how little time you have left?”

He fell silent once again. Cerces laughed a second time, realizing they were the only one who knew the true nature of his condition. They didn’t have to say anything for Anaxagoras to know they were curious as to how this would play out. And admittedly, Anaxagoras was curious as well. 

Even if he really didn’t want to leave Gaia and Phainon behind.

He… 

He couldn’t think about that. He had to stay focused.

Anaxagoras soon collected Gaia from where she was waiting, and the two made their way to the Garden of Life where the representative of the Council of Elders was waiting.

He just didn’t expect it to be Lygus himself.

It took everything in Anaxagoras’s power to not raise his gun towards Lygus’s head the moment they met. Even if it was only in the back of his mind at that moment, he still couldn’t stop thinking about how he threatened Gaia. But he knew he had to pretend he knew nothing of that. If not for the sake of his plan, then for Gaia’s sake, as he didn’t know if Lygus would retaliate against her for telling them of what happened.

“Focus, child,” Cerces chided in his mind.

“Do not let your animosity toward the Antikytheran ruin whatever you intend to do.”

As much as he wanted to argue with Cerces, he had to admit they were right. He couldn’t get distracted. If his hunch was right, then everything was going to plan. Anaxagoras had seemingly already gained the trust of Caenis, judging by Lygus’s words. Which would make his efforts quite a lot easier. As the group of them made their way to Dawncloud once again, Cerces seemed to be taking in the sights with quite a bit of interest. He paid them no mind. The three were soon left to their own devices for a while as Lygus went to speak to Caenis. Cerces went to observe the murals while Gaia stayed close by Anaxagoras’s side as he talked to a few people. Judging by what he heard and what he was told, it was unexpected for him to be here, since he is a blasphemer, but not necessarily surprising, as Caenis changed her tactics to say that the Black Tide is no longer a threat.

How preposterous.

But if she was distracted trying to sway Okhema to her side, then that made his work much easier.

Making his way to one particular mural that caught Cerces’ attention, he could overhear two scholars arguing about it. But just as he was about to move on, Cerces got his attention again, this time asking about what his plan was. As he was about to answer, Gaia raised her head towards him.

“Actually, Papa…I’m curious too. What are we doing here?”

Anaxagoras let out a sigh, knowing very well he should’ve expected this. He could hide his plans from the Titan all he wanted, but to deceive his daughter once again…that was much harder.

“We’re simply here to confirm a suspicion I held for a long time,” he told Gaia. 

“As well as perform an…experiment.”

“You’re not going to tell me the details, are you?” Gaia asked.

He shook his head, trying to ignore the almost pleading look on her face.

“I cannot. I just simply need you to trust me, Gaia.”

She seemed to think about that, debating in her head whether or not to do so. Anaxagoras couldn’t help but feel the slightest bit hurt that his own daughter had to consider whether to trust him or not. But he knew this was the price of not telling her the truth back at the Grove. She finally looked back up to him and nodded.

“Okay…I trust you, Papa…” she said quietly.

He couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Thank you, Gaia.”

Chapter Text

Convincing Caenis of his so-called “loyalty” to her was easy enough. All Anaxagoras had to do was state his true feelings on Aglaea and the Flame-Chase and combine it with some half-truths about his plan. And that seemed to do it, as she was fully sure of her victory. Once this “alliance” was assured, Anaxagoras began working towards his true goal. And to do so he had to talk to Lygus again, who of course was expecting him. 

As the two discussed Anaxagoras getting an audience with Kephale, he couldn’t help but notice that despite Lygus talking to him, his gaze was directed to Gaia. He could only guess what that meant, but instinct still took over and he stepped in front of her. It became more obvious that he knew more than he let on, as he always did, but to confront him now would be a mistake, especially considering his own goals.

The three made their way to the base of the mountain, where a Hidden Passage would take them to the path. And that was where Lygus bid them farewell.

“Putting a child of justice into a farcical world is bound to turn it upside down…” Lygus began.

“It is my hope that you bring a much-needed change to this world which is on the brink of destruction,” he finished.

As they walked away from him, Anaxagoras heard Gaia whisper under her breath.

“Liar…”

He knew not to question her more about why she said that. But he did keep it in the back of his mind, knowing it could come up later.

Once he, Gaia and Cerces exited the Passage, that was when they began their ascent. Gaia, of course, being both young and energetic, took the lead, while Anaxagoras followed slowly behind her. He attempted to call out for her to not go too far ahead, since he didn’t want to lose track of her, but his voice soon trailed off as he saw something nearby. It almost seemed to be a spectre of Cerces, yet when he tried to prompt the Titan to look at it, they didn’t see it.

“Am I hallucinating...?” he thought.

“Or do we even get to see souls when we're close to dying...?”

Stopping his ascent of the mountain, he listened to the conversation between the spectral Cerces and another figure wearing an ornate helmet. While the contents of said conversation weren’t all that interesting, the fact that he was aware of it was more than enough to draw him in.

“Hey, Cerces…” he asked. 

“Do you know a certain Gnaeus?”

“Gnaeus? No, not that I remember,” Cerces answered. 

“How did you even think up such a strange name?”

“I just saw him. Gnaeus…a warrior-like figure who was just chatting with you here…” he explained.

“No, I have no such memory. Could you be hallucinating?”

Just as he was about to retort, he heard Gaia’s voice coming from further up the stairs.

“Papa?” she asked.

“Are you okay?”

Anaxagoras shook his head, trying to clear the image from his mind before smiling at Gaia.

“Yes, just a bit worn out. I’m not used to this much walking.”

Gaia, seeming to accept that answer at least for now, continued up the steps. After catching his breath, Anaxagoras soon followed behind her. Only to stop up short soon after, when he saw the two spectral figures again. This time, as they spoke, they mentioned a person named Khaos, who became a demigod. Yet when he asked Cerces about that name too, they said they had no memory of it either. Sure, it might’ve been an illusion conjured up as he was dying, but he knew not to dismiss it. There was something more to what he was seeing.

Another portion of the ascent, and another vision, this one revealing the name of the spectral Cerces. They were called Calypso, and were one of the seven sages of the Grove of Epiphany. But as he tried to ask Cerces about the name, they seemed to have vanished.

Confused, but very intrigued, Anaxagoras soon reached the summit of the mountain, where Gaia was waiting for him. He tried to speak to her, but soon heard Cerces chanting, which caught both him and Gaia off guard.

“‘O beautiful old world, where are you now?’”

“‘O legendary Era Chrysea, return to the mortal realm!’”

“‘Splendid gods once walked the paths we walk.’”

“‘Alas, all that's left of that warmth is a hazy mirage.’”

They didn’t answer as to why they were chanting, which really only annoyed Anaxagoras more than anything else. He would simply continue to find the truth without their help.

Taking a step forward, he then stumbled, collapsing to the ground. Gaia immediately ran over, worried.

“Papa! What happened?!”

Not paying attention to her, he spoke.

“Did I…still fail to make it in time…?”

“What?” Gaia asked.

“What’re you talking about?”

He still didn’t answer, feeling his mind begin to slip away and his body fall into unconsciousness. The last thing he heard before his world went dark was Gaia crying for him.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

When the darkness faded, Anaxagoras was still on the summit of the mountain, but instead, he felt like an outside observer to a distant memory. He watched as the two people he saw before, Gnaeus and Calypso, talked to a girl with light lavender hair, who looked strikingly similar to Castorice. The girl, Polyxia, talked about the missing Khaos again, mentioning a certain title that Anaxagoras knew all too well.

She called Khaos a “Deliverer”; the same title that was bestowed upon Phainon.

But that wasn’t the only thing that caught his attention. As the conversation moved forward, Calypso mentioned that Polyxia and her sister were meant to inherit the Coreflame of Death.

Anaxagoras first didn’t believe what he was seeing, but that was only for a moment. He understood what he had witnessed rather quickly. He had the answer to Cerces’s question of “What exactly are we?”. He had the answers to so many of the mysteries of Amphoreus, and it all came from simple, mundane conversations of the past.

As he woke up again, this time in reality, he saw Gaia standing over him, trying to shake him awake. Tears in her eyes, she finally noticed he was with her, and threw his arms around him.

“Don’t do that!” she practically sobbed.

“I thought…I thought…”

“I know,” he answered, sitting up and wrapping his arms around her.

“But death hasn’t taken me yet.”

He then smiled at her.

“And besides, we’re one step closer to unraveling the truth now.”

“Really?” she asked.

“How?”

“Because another one of my conjectures —one that I have always dreamed of proving— has been proven right this very instant.”

He looked up towards the massive Titan before them, his smile only growing ever wider.

“Fusing a mortal's soul with that of a Titan to replace said Titan…is not a ludicrous idea after all.”

Chapter Text

Gaia watched as Castorice soon arrived at the summit of the mountain as well, confused as to why she was brought there. Only for her Papa to perform some sort of alchemical ritual, revealing two spectres, Calypso and Polyxia. Calypso almost looked exactly like Cerces, which was a bit jarring for both Gaia and the Titan. The four of them listened as the lavender haired girl, Polyxia told the story of an evil dragon. Cerces wasn’t sure what she was looking at, to which her Papa told them to be quiet. 

They continued to listen as the scene changed. Calypso and Polyxia discussed a trial with a warrior. Polyxia seemed hesitant to take on this trial, while the warrior fully believed that she could. Her Papa mentioned that it was strange that barely any records survived before the Titans manifested. Cerces questioned why the names of these heroes weren’t in any epics while Castorice seemed to recognize the warrior.

The scene changed once again to something that seemed very familiar to Castorice. The warrior, Gnaeus, was planning to split himself into five parts. When she heard that Castorice recalled how they defeated Nikador, how Gnaeus was the embodiment of their divinity, how he allowed humanity to end his madness. To which Gaia’s Papa confirmed something he suspected for a long time. These people were the heroes that became Titans in the past. Which meant the girl, Polyxia was the previous incarnation of Thanatos. Castorice then questioned why she looked so much like her. But her question was soon answered.

After more encouragement from Gnaeus, coming in the form of a story about living and dying, Polyxia seemed ready to take on her trial. Or at least somewhat. Finding themselves looking into the Vortex of Genesis, the four watched as Polyxia and Calypso spoke with another girl. A girl who looked exactly like Castorice. Back and forth the two lavender haired girls argued about sacrifice and wasted life, Polyxia feeling as if fate was cruel to force one of them to die. Yet the illusory Castorice seemed content, asking Polyxia to complete the trial, to cut out her heart and use it to bring life to the new world.

The final scene was of Calypso and Polyxia once again. Calypso asked if Polyxia would bring someone back from the dead if she could. And Polyxia answered that she would, without hesitation. She then declared she would bring her sister back, asking her to not look back on death and continue to move forward. And that through “equivalent exchange” as Calypso called it, she would offer herself up in order to do so.

And with that, the illusory performance ended, leaving Gaia, Castorice, and Cerces at a loss for words. While Castorice and Cerces didn’t quite believe what was before them, Gaia was in shock for a different reason. It confirmed what she had known for a while. Even before the “Eternal Recurrences” Amphoreus was in a cycle. A cycle of heroes doing everything they could to help the world they loved flourish only to lose themselves to the all-consuming Black Tide. A cruel cycle in which this “Destruction” would take everything over and over again. All for the sake of one vile person’s goals.

But even with that revelation, no one else knew. No one else knew that this cycle was supposed to be the last. That this “World’s End” would truly end their world, their lives, as well as the worlds and lives of countless others. As true as the revelation was, her Papa still couldn’t see beyond the veil. He couldn’t see that there was no “next cycle”. That in the end, the clarity he gained was meaningless. Beginning to feel herself break again, Gaia sunk to the ground, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

After conversing with Cerces, it was only then her Papa noticed her. Walking over to her, he knelt by her side, placing a hand on her head. She looked up to see him giving her an encouraging smile.

“I know what you saw was quite a lot to take in,” he began.

“But I assure you, this is a great step forward in understanding our world.”

“But what if it isn’t?” Gaia asked, not being able to contain her thoughts anymore.

Caught off guard, her Papa’s eye widened. Not knowing what else to do, Gaia asked another question.

“What if it turns out all of this meant nothing?”

Her Papa was about to answer, but she couldn’t stop herself from talking.

“What if there’s no future for us?! What if Era Nova is a lie?! What if we’re all just toys to someone that only wants to use us?!”

As the last question escaped her, she immediately covered her mouth. It was only then she realized she said too much. She let what she knew slip. She let the true nature of their world be known. Frantically, her eyes began darting around, looking for Lygus, who would no doubt go after her now. She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, as she was certain she would get erased. Her entire body was shaking violently. She covered her head, as if that would protect her from him. Her vision seemed to gray out as she became less and less aware of her surroundings.

She was dead.

She was going to die.

And it wasn’t like the other times.

This time would be permanent.

There was no chance to come back.

She would be out of reach of her family.

Forever.

No matter how many loops happened.

She would cease to exist.

Like she was always meant to be.

Now sobbing, she began pleading, hoping that if she was pitiful enough, he’d spare her.

“No, no, no, nononono- I don’t wanna- I don’t- Please- Please don’t- I didn’t mean to- I didn’t-”

“Gaia!” her Papa called out.

She looked up at him, his expression filled with worry. Only then did she realize his arms were around her in a very protective manner. He placed a hand on the side of her face.

“Gaia, it’s going to be alright-”

“No it won’t! I’m going to get taken away from you and Dad!”

Clarity seemed to come into his gaze when she said that.

“This…this is why Lygus threatened you, isn’t it? Those questions…it’s what he led you to believe…it’s what he claims as the truth of this world.”

“I…I can’t say anymore…he…he’ll-”

“I won’t let him do anything to you, Gaia. As long as you are with me or your father, you are safe.”

“But he can-”

“He won’t. As bold as he was to threaten you, if your father and I are really his pawns, then he can’t get rid of us just yet.”

He then smiled at her as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

“If fate is truly that cruel to make us nothing more than his playthings, then we will simply defy fate, and choose our own path.”

Gaia’s tears slowly dried as he said that. They have already defied fate before. People from outside were able to come to Amphoreus. They got Nikador’s Coreflame. Perhaps even her own existence was proof that fate could be fought.

Maybe nothing was truly set in stone. Not her own demise, nor the demise of everyone she loved, nor the demise of her world.

In that moment, Gaia decided to believe her Papa. To trust him once again.

“Then…” she said.

“I guess I should tell you…everything…”

Chapter Text

As much as Anaxagoras was surprised by the cyclical nature of Amphoreus when he first saw it, it was something he was able to comprehend. In fact, it made sense considering what he saw. However, to find out that his entire purpose, his entire world’s purpose was to serve to create something truly monstrous, that shook him to his very core. It was near impossible to believe, yet he knew his daughter had no reason to lie. And in a twisted sort of way, it made sense as well.

When a teleslate calculates the same equations over and over again, the same process is repeated and the number only increases. But the number can only go up so much before it breaks the teleslate, as it is unable to show just how large said number is. If the previous heroes and Titans were the previous incarnations of this equation then his cycle must’ve been the breaking point of the device that is Amphoreus. And the cycle remains the same. Eventually all Titans fall to the Black Tide, and the heroes are destined to kill them, only to eventually fall as well. This repeating process of killing and going mad was a perfect model for a superweapon to understand destruction.

But even if everything added up, even for as much as this knowledge explained itself, he had no proof of it. And without proof, Anaxagoras would be seen as even more of a madman than he already was. But a far worse outcome would be Lycurgus attempting to hurt Gaia for telling him what she knew. If Lycurgus was as powerful as Gaia said he was, then nothing could stop him from taking Gaia away from him and Phainon.

Anaxagoras would rather perish on the spot then even think about failing to protect Gaia.

Again.

That was something else that practically destroyed him. The fact that seven times before this particular cycle, Gaia had perished. And he was unable to do anything about it. He couldn’t stand the thought of his baby even being hurt, so the idea that she had felt death before nearly shattered his resolve. A part of him wanted to just forget this farce of a debate. A part of him wanted to just sweep Gaia into his arms and run far away, where nothing could ever hurt her again.

But he knew he couldn’t break. He couldn’t fail her again. He wouldn’t.

As he approached the Demigod Council for the first debate, Cerces got his attention.

“Child of humanity, might I ask-” they began.

“What?” he asked sharply in return.

“What your intentions are now that you are…uh-”

“Now that I understand this entire debate is pointless in the face of an impending cataclysm?”

“Well, yes. After all, if your child is to be believed, then there would be no point in proving that the Titans of now were Chrysos Heirs of the past.”

“On the contrary. If anything it is more important than ever to prove that. If Gaia is to be believed, and this cycle is different, then the Flame Chase must come to its true conclusion in which all coreflames are returned.”

“And what do you believe that will do? If Era Nova means the unleashing of this…monster…why would you want to see it completed?”

“Because it won’t be unleashed. With the knowledge and assistance of the outsiders another ending can be achieved.”

“You’re putting quite a lot of faith in those two.”

“It’s not blind faith. It’s basic math. If you add two more steps to an equation, then the result changes.”

“Hehe. I see. Well then, good luck with your performance, child of humanity. I am eagerly waiting to watch what you do.”

He certainly needed that luck. This would be, by far, the hardest performance Anaxagoras ever had to put on. Because he had to play dumb. He had to pretend he didn’t know the truth of Amphoreus. He had to make everyone believe that he was siding with Caenis to return to Era Chrysea. Even though he was well aware at this point that there was never an Era Chrysea to begin with.

What made his performance even harder was when he had to ignore the truly heartbroken expression on Phainon’s face. No doubt did he consider this a betrayal. And as much as Anaxagoras wanted to tell Phainon everything, truly everything, he couldn’t. He had to maintain his facade.

So he acted. He played the fool trusting in the protection of the Council of Elders and Phagousa’s water curtain. He claimed that the Coreflame of Death would be returned to the Council. He claimed the fate of the Flame-Chase Journey would lie on the shoulders of the Citizen’s Assembly.

The debate soon ended and the crowd dispersed. The Chrysos Heirs, including Castorice, stayed to talk, most likely to question why Castorice “abandoned” the Flame-Chase. Anaxagoras knew during that conversation, he should make himself scarce. So, taking Gaia by the hand, he led her away from Dawncloud. As they walked, Gaia clung to his arm, clearly quite nervous, as Anaxagoras noticed her eyes still darting around. He cursed under his breath, but didn’t have time to stew in his thoughts, as Gaia asked him a question.

“What are we going to do about Dad? He…he won’t listen to you now…”

“We’ll give him some time. Once Castorice explains what she and I have planned, then he’ll understand.”

Gaia nodded in understanding. There was a lingering silence between them as they continued to exit Dawncloud, before Gaia looked up at him again, another question clearly on her mind.

“Should I- uh- Should we tell him the truth?”

“Not yet,” Anaxagoras answered. 

“He does deserve to know, but we can’t tell him just yet. I want to be…cautious.”

“But you usually aren’t!”

That was akin to a sucker punch. Anaxagoras should’ve been surprised that his daughter knew him that well. But given the circumstances, he really wasn't. Letting out a short laugh, he looked down at Gaia who had a rather shy smile on her face. He then shook his head.

“No, I’m usually not. But considering it’s your life that’s in danger if this knowledge were to escape, I would rather take as few risks as possible.”

As they finally left Dawncloud, Anaxagoras could only hope that he made the right choice in keeping this secret.

Chapter Text

Phainon, for lack of a better word, was at a loss of what to think. He did grasp what Anaxa and Castorice were trying to do. If they were proven right, it would be huge for the Flame-Chase Journey. It would prove that their efforts for a world without the Black Tide wouldn’t be fruitless.

But Phainon couldn’t stop thinking about how he was going about it. Allowing himself to side with the Council of Elders, with Caenis of all people. And to do it while Gaia was with him. The thought of his child being so close to people who sought to hurt her sent a chill down his spine. He had to have a reason. He had to.

He knew he had to confront Anaxa. But at the same time, he didn’t want to. It’s not that he was scared of how he would react, Anaxa was never an angry person. No, Phainon was scared of the answer. He was scared of the reason he would give. That Anaxa was throwing his life around recklessly again, and now was also treating Gaia’s life in the same way.

The anger at the idea of that gave Phainon the courage to confront him. He started by asking around Dawncloud for Anaxa, only to learn that he went back to the Garden of Life. So Phainon made his way there as well, finding him and Gaia soon enough, both of them sitting by Trianne’s memorial. He approached slowly, running through everything he wanted to say in his head.

“Anaxa,” Phainon called quietly, hoping that maybe he wouldn’t hear the shiver in his voice.

Gaia was the first to turn around, hearing him and not caring. She stood up, ran over to him and immediately clung onto his arm. Before he could act, Anaxa stood up as well and turned around. What Phainon didn’t expect was him to look so…guilty. He looked as if he had so many things on his mind, yet didn’t know how to say them. That alone threw Phainon for a loop, as Anaxa was always so sure of himself. But he couldn’t let that get the better of him. Maintaining eye contact with Anaxa he finally spoke.

“You want to explain yourself?” he asked.

“What is it that you want me to explain?” Anaxa asked in return.

Phainon just shook his head. He knew this wasn’t going to be easy to drag the truth out of him.

“I wish you told me what you were doing. I was so worried. I thought the Council of Elders was going to use you or hurt you-”

“I understand your worry, Phainon,” Anaxa interrupted. 

“But the Council is full of self-serving fools who wouldn’t know how to manipulate me if they tried. And as for worrying for my safety, I assure you no one in their right mind would’ve attacked me in full view of Dawncloud.”

“I know, I know. I just- I would’ve played along if you had told me your plan.”

Anaxa let out a short laugh.

“I mean no offense when I say this, but you’re not a good liar, Phainon. No one would ever believe that you abandoned the Flame-Chase. Nor would they believe that you truly were standing against me if you had known.”

As much as Phainon wanted to argue about that, he knew that Anaxa was right. He heard the names he had been called. “Aglaea’s Dog”, “Zealot”, among others. No one, for a second would think he’d stand against the Flame-Chase. And as for whether or not people would think he was standing against Anaxa, he knew it would’ve been hard to mimic the betrayal on his face if he hadn’t felt it at that moment. Letting out a cheerless laugh of his own, Phainon admitted defeat.

“Okay, fine. I concede the point.”

He then looked down at Gaia, who was still clinging to him. Using his other hand, he stroked her hair in an effort to comfort her. She simply held onto him even tighter. Looking back at Anaxa, his expression is unreadable.

“Then, let me ask you this. Why did you have to get Gaia involved in your side of the plan?”

“As much as I wanted her to remain with you while I enacted it, she didn’t want that. It was in fact, her decision to join me.”

Phainon felt like he had just been slapped. He looked down at Gaia once again, who this time turned away from him. That was all the answer he needed.

“Gaia, why did you want to join him?” Phainon asked her.

“You know it was very dangerous for you.”

“I know,” Gaia said.

“But it was important to me. Papa said he was going to figure out the truth of Amphoreus, and I wanted to help. Remember how I said I wanted to find out the secrets of our home?”

He did remember that. He could never forget how Gaia said she wanted to be a scholar like Anaxa. It was one of her dreams. Not knowing what else to do, he knelt down, and pulled Gaia into an embrace.

“I understand if you are still upset with me-” Anaxa tried to say.

“No, no, not anymore. I got the explanation I was looking for. I just-”

Phainon let out a heavy sigh.

“I just wish there was an easier way to do this. One where you didn’t have to put yourselves at risk.”

“You know I wish the exact same thing for you, Phainon. But that’s just the nature of what we both do.”

Phainon, even though he hated to admit it, knew Anaxa was right about that. So he just looked away. As he did, Anaxa strode over to him and Gaia. He then knelt down to where they both were and put his arms around them as well.

“I don’t know how the rest of the Flame-Chase will play out,” he admitted. 

“But I will promise you this. The future we’re looking for is in our sights. We will have one.”

Chapter Text

Even after their heart to heart, Phainon knew Anaxa and Gaia were still hiding something from him. And whatever it was, it was eating away at Gaia. He saw the way she kept looking at him then looking away. As if she wanted to say something, but was scared to do so. He wanted to tell her that she could talk to him about anything. He wanted to say that he’ll protect her from whatever she was scared of. But knew that would probably make her shut down even more.

It was something he noticed long before this moment. It was ever since she said that Lygus threatened her. She had grown almost…paranoid. She seemed to constantly worry that something would hurt her or something would go horribly wrong. And that wasn’t something a child of her age should be feeling at all. It shouldn’t be a feeling anyone should deal with, but especially not a child.

This paranoia even seemed to leak into her dreams, as the night after their talk, while Phainon was trying to sleep, he could overhear Gaia mumbling.

“Please…I don’t wanna go…”

Getting up, hoping he didn’t wake Anaxa, Phainon went to Gaia’s room.

“Gaia?” he asked gently.

He found her to still be asleep, mumbling to herself. He then placed a hand on her head, yet that didn’t seem to rouse her. She continued to speak softly, her words barely made out.

“I didn’t mean to…please…don’t take me from them…”

“No one’s going to take you, I promise,” he whispered to her.

She still didn’t seem to hear him. She began shivering under his touch, tears welling up in her eyes.

“Dad…Papa…help me…don’t let him…don’t let him…”

Phainon soon heard the creaking of the floorboards and the door to Gaia’s room open. Phainon looked up to see Anaxa standing in the doorway, an expression of concern on his face as well.

“Phainon, what’s happening?”

He began approaching. Phainon held his gaze for a moment, until he sat down on the bed as well. He then looked back at Gaia nervously.

“She’s having a nightmare.”

Anaxa nodded silently before turning his gaze to Gaia. Neither of them seemed quite sure of what to do, as they both just watched her.

“Let me go…please…” she mumbled.

Her face scrunched up even more. She curled in on herself.

“No…NO!”

With that, Gaia shot awake. She began looking around frantically, her eyes darting left and right, as if she didn’t know where she was. Only for her gaze to land on Phainon and Anaxa. She then practically leapt into their arms, sobbing. Anaxa immediately started to comfort her, repeating that the nightmare wasn’t real. That she was safe, and nothing was going to hurt her. As her tears slowly dried, Phainon dared to ask the question weighing on his mind.

“Can you tell us what the nightmare was?”

Gaia, still shivering, clutched onto both of them.

“Lygus…he…he found out…he found out what I said…and he took me…he took me from you and Papa…and you were there…and you couldn’t stop him…”

She looked between him and Anaxa a few times, her eyes soon settling on Anaxa. He gave her a nod, before she turned to Phainon again and hugged onto him rather tightly.

“Dad…I already told Papa…but I can’t keep this from you anymore either…”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

In truth, Phainon had no idea what to say. Nor what to think. Of course he believed Gaia, he had no reason not to. And with how Anaxa explained the concepts to him, it all fit into place. It was just…near impossible for him to wrap his mind around. The fact that by the standards of the universe, nothing he ever knew was “real”. That gods more powerful than anything he could ever imagine were influencing his world in ways he couldn’t possibly comprehend. That because of these gods, his world was put into a seemingly endless cycle of repeating the same millennia over and over again.

But what truly broke him was the same thing that broke Anaxa, as he learned. It was learning that not only has Gaia been hiding this for the fear of Lygus hurting her, but that in previous cycles, she had died. She had felt pain unlike anything that could ever be imagined. And from what she explained everyone he knew had felt that pain, including himself. He couldn’t imagine how much it hurt watching the people he cared about die over and over. He could barely grasp what it might even feel like to die. 

But one thing was more than certain to him. He’d make sure Gaia would never have to go through that again.

“You’re clenching your fists,” Anaxa noted, pulling Phainon from his thoughts.

He sat down next to him on their bed, with a knowing smile on his face.

“You might want to be careful, otherwise your nails will cut into your palms.”

Phainon couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh come on, that can’t happen.”

He paused before looking at Anaxa quizzically.

“Can it?”

“It is possible,” Anaxa answered.

“While your nails aren’t sharp, you are strong enough to scratch your own skin, even with short nails.”

“Well, I’ll keep that in mind, then,” Phainon said with a laugh.

The two sat in silence for a moment, smiling at each other. Before Phainon looked away, knowing he had to address what was on his mind. But Anaxa seemed to at least be merciful enough to start the conversation.

“I know it’s quite hard to fully grasp,” he said.

“Ha! That’s certainly an understatement,” Phainon replied.

Anaxa looked away, clearly trying to hide an eye roll. And seeing his chance, Phainon finally said what was on his mind.

“The rest of it is hard enough to wrap my head around, but I think I can manage it. It’s just…How do you live it? The fact that we weren’t able to protect Gaia?”

Only then did Anaxa look back at him. He smiled cheerlessly, before letting out a sigh.

“The truth is…I can’t. I can’t live with the fact that we failed her so many times. Once would already be too much, so seven is nearly soul crushing.”

Anaxa looked down at his hands. Phainon followed his gaze to see them shaking slightly.

“It’s…one of the only things that truly leaves me at a loss of what to do,” Anaxa admitted. 

“I want to do everything in my power to protect her, to take away that pain she felt, but I can’t.”

“That’s why this time will be different,” Phainon told him. 

“Now that we know what is happening, we’ll be prepared. We’ll make sure nothing will happen to her. It’s like you said earlier. She’ll get the future she deserves. We all will.”

Phainon watched as Anaxa’s cheerless smile became genuine. He then leaned in and gave Phainon a kiss on the cheek.

“Your optimism truly is contagious.”

Phainon couldn’t help but smile, happy that Anaxa seemed comforted by his words. But the mood soon dropped again as another thought came to mind.

“Do we confront him now?”

“After the Citizen’s Assembly. We’ll demand our answers then.”

Chapter Text

It wasn’t long before the day of the Citizen’s Assembly finally arrived. Where the fate of the Flame-Chase Journey would be decided by the people of Okhema. 

It was also the day of Anaxagoras’s death. Cerces had asked him if he was ready to face it. He answered that of course he was. And that was the truth, but Cerces seemed to pick up on what he was hiding from them.

“You don’t want to leave your lover and daughter, do you?” they asked.

He said nothing, knowing by now they were peering through his mind. They merely laughed.

“Such contradictory thoughts. You do not fear your own death, yet you fear what will become of the two you cherish most without you. Particularly your daughter.”

“I don’t need you prying into my head, Titan,” he snapped.

But Cerces knew. There was no real bite to his words. Anaxagoras didn’t want to leave Gaia without one of her fathers. But there was really no choice in the matter. No choice other than facing what was before him head on.

The two discussed his hypothesis further, Cerces being rather amused by Anaxagoras’s confidence. They wondered what would happen if even the most minor of errors were to show themselves. But Anaxagoras knew that being overly cautious about errors results in someone too fearful to discover anything.

And with that in mind, he was ready to see how the assembly would play out.

When he arrived, he saw that Phainon was representing the Chrysos Heirs and the Flame-Chase Journey. He looked to the stands to see Gaia clinging onto Aglaea’s hand, her expression full of worry. As well as Caenis already stirring up the crowd. He couldn’t help but scoff, but said little more than making note of her.

Of course, Phainon was nervous, he had every reason to be. The way Phainon described the assembly —it feeling more like an execution chamber— wasn’t entirely wrong. With how Caenis was acting, she probably would have all of them executed for “leading Okhema astray” or whatever she had in mind. But Anaxagoras knew how to give him confidence. For as much as Phainon was his lover, he would be his student through and through. And he knew how to handle a student better than anything else.

The time eventually came for Phainon to speak. And speak he did. He told the story of his home, swallowed by the Black Tide. He told the story of family and friends lost to the monsters and to the fire. He spoke of Mydei who was fighting against the Black Tide, and the Flame Reaver, the very symbol of the damage it can cause.

He then made his claim. That the Council of Elders was infested with self-serving vermin. That all they do is make baseless accusations against the Flame Chasers that give everything they have to protect Okhema and its people.

To end his speech, he promised that the Flame Chasers will do everything in their power to protect the people of Okhema, the people of Amphoreus. And when their time comes to an end, that duty will be passed to the Flame Chasers of the future.

While his words didn’t sway everyone, it did move the hearts of many people. To the point where when votes were cast, it was a tie between suspending and continuing the Flame-Chase Journey. Leaving the final vote to Anaxagoras. To most people, it would be a heavy burden to decide the fate of the Flame-Chase Journey.

But Anaxagoras knew very well where his vote was going.

The performance began. He first congratulated Phainon on his speech, then followed it by asking a question of Aglaea. Already he knew he was frustrating the assembly, who just wanted him to cast his vote already. But he had to wait a second longer. A second to shut his eyes and allow his spirit to travel to the Nether Realm.

He couldn’t help but think of his old teacher as he did so. Who, despite his own thoughts, encouraged Anaxagoras to continue his pursuit of the truth. And now, his lonely pursuit has all come to fruition.

In a moment of peace, Anaxagoras stood in a dark realm full of beautiful flowers. And before him, Castorice also stood.

“Professor…I have completed the proof you wanted,” was all she said.

“Thank you, Castorice,” he replied.

He opened his eyes once again, nearly blinded by the eternal day of Okhema. But that hardly mattered.

“The answer is plain as day,” he began.

“My vote goes to…the Flame Chase Journey and nothing else! I have deciphered the truth of this world-”

Of course, Caenis was furious, swearing revenge. But Anaxagoras wasn’t done yet. Encouraging the citizens to stay for a little longer, he continued to reveal the truth. First by showing no one could claim that Era Nova was the fairy-tale ending everyone hoped for. Confusing the crowd with that, he then revealed what he wanted to say.

“Everything that the Flame-Chase Journey promises is true!” he declared. 

“Phainon of Aedes Elysiae, the prophesized demigod who shall succeed Kephale, will reforge each and every one of us in the new world with his complete, intact memories!”

Even Phainon seemed surprised by that revelation, clearly not expecting his path to be laid out before him. Yet Anaxagoras kept speaking.

“The Coreflame-bearing Titans were the Chrysos Heirs of yesterday, and the Chrysos Heirs who carry the Coreflames today will become the Titans of tomorrow. All of our souls shall endure for eternity in the miracle of the Worldbearer, and all under Kephale's protection shall step into that new world!”

Caenis, now even more enraged, demanded answers as to how he knew that. Which he gladly provided. He revealed that he had experimented on the divine body of Kephale and fused his soul with a Titan. The crowd, aghast at his blasphemy turned their attention to Caenis, who he had claimed the tacit approval of. She naturally tried to deny it, and almost humorously tried to get Lycurgus to step in and defend her. Yet he still retained his neutral stance.

As Anaxagoras offered for Aglaea to render judgement, the crowd fell silent again, all eyes turning to her. Her first judgement was to perform an investigation on Lycurgus and Caenis, to prove or disprove Anaxagoras’s claims. The assembly seemed to unanimously agree on that. And when it came to Anaxagoras’s punishment for his blasphemy, the assembly was heard loud and clear.

He was to die.

As Aglaea gave her judgement, the crowd practically erupted in cheers. Yet all Anaxagoras was focused on was Phainon and Gaia, whose faces held only horror. Gaia, in particular, was near tears as she stared at him. He then saw her mouth the words that truly broke his heart.

“You promised…”

He couldn’t let that heartbreak consume him, no matter how much it nearly did. There was still one last thing he had to do. As the assembly dispersed, Phainon told Aglaea to take Gaia to the Vortex of Genesis. He said he would be there shortly, then walked to Anaxagoras’s side. The sideways look he gave him said all that needed to be said.

“I’m furious at you, but we’ll put that aside.”

Soon the crowd was entirely gone, even Caenis having left. The only one that remained was Lycurgus, whose impassive expression gave no hints as to how he was feeling. At least until the two approached him. To which he gave them a smile.

“Ah, Lord Phainon. Lord Anaxagoras. To what do I owe the pleasure? Surely you can’t be here to ask me for another favor.”

“No,” Phainon said flatly, with barely contained rage.

“We want answers.”

“Why, of course. Are you looking for the reason as to why I allowed Lord Anaxagoras to experiment with the body of Kephale?”

“Hardly,” Anaxagoras answered.

“We want to know if what you told Gaia was the truth of our world.”

Chapter Text

Anaxagoras wasn’t sure what to expect from Lycurgus when he revealed what he and Phainon knew. Lycurgus wasn’t a rash being, he was quite calculating in his approach to everything. So he knew —or at least believed he knew— that Gaia wasn’t in danger at this very moment. But neither he nor Phainon were willing to fully take that risk as both of them ready themselves to summon their weapons at a moment’s notice.

Yet Lycurgus didn’t seem to react. He simply stared at both of them for a moment, seeming to contemplate what to say next. Before he asked a simple question.

“Ah, so she has informed both of you?”

That was as much of a confirmation of the truth as they were ever going to get. At least that’s what they thought. Until Lycurgus let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“That girl is more trouble than she’s worth,” he grumbled.

“I should’ve-”

“You should’ve what, Lycurgus?” Phainon interrupted.

To which Lycurgus turned to him with an unsettling smile.

“Why, I should’ve kept this information to myself. Or perhaps gotten rid of her a long time ago.”

Phainon’s eyes widened in horror for a moment, but they quickly narrowed in rage. He then looked towards Anaxagoras.

“Can I kill him?” he asked.

“No,” Anaxagoras answered, not taking his eyes off Lycurgus.

“We still have questions for him.”

Still holding Lycurgus’s gaze, Anaxagoras asked him another question.

“Why tell her, of all people, the truth of our world? She is only a child, she doesn’t deserve to shoulder such a burden alone.”

Lycurgus seemed to consider his answer, but in reality was clearly just waiting in order to frustrate Anaxagoras and Phainon even more.

“I saw no reason not to tell her,” he finally answered.

“After all, she was the one who confronted me. I would’ve hated to lie to her a second time.”

“And by telling her the truth, you shattered everything she knew about her reality!” Phainon shouted.

“You made her believe she had no future! No hope!”

“But she doesn’t,” Lycurgus replied.

That was like a slap in the face to both Phainon and Anaxagoras. Lycurgus took the chance with their stunned silence to keep talking.

“There are only two ways forward. Either Amphoreus is reset once again, or Era Nova is finally, truly completed. In both cases, Gaia has no future.”

He folded his hands behind his back, his smile now widening.

“Now tell me. What kind of parents would you be to give her the false hope that she’ll live beyond her mere five years of existence?”

“Because we have confidence that she will,” Anaxagoras answered.

Lycurgus tilted his head to one side, feigning confusion. Before laughing, realizing what he meant.

“Ah, of course. The two newcomers. You believe they can change the course of Amphoreus.”

“I know they can,” Anaxagoras said.

“Death was unattainable were it not for Castorice’s determination to save Miss Stelle. If this was the first time Death was obtained, then that’s proof enough.”

After considering his words, Lycurgus sighed once again and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender.

“I believe your conjecture is false, but I do understand where it comes from.”

He then lowered his hands and turned his gaze to Phainon, then back to Anaxagoras.

“But now another question for the both of you. What’s stopping me from getting rid of all interference with my goal? Starting with Gaia?”

Phainon, unable to control his rage anymore, summoned his sword.

“Now can I kill him?!” he demanded.

“Not yet,” Anaxagoras told him sharply.

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Lycurgus chimed in.

“You couldn’t kill me even if you wanted to. Nor could you stop me from getting to Gaia.”

Both Phainon and Anaxagoras fumed, as they knew Lycurgus had a point. Especially considering what Gaia had told both of them.

“You’re right,” Phainon said, catching both Anaxagoras and Lycurgus off guard.

“But for just as little as we can do, you can’t do anything either. You can’t risk any of us standing against you. Not just me and Anaxa, but the rest of the Chrysos Heirs.”

For as much as Lycurgus seemed still caught off guard, Anaxagoras felt pride swell in his chest. He knew Phainon could outwit people.

“I suppose you do have a point,” Lycurgus conceded. 

“Although unintentional, you provided her with the perfect shield from me. And as I don’t intend to make enemies of any of you yet, I cannot do anything to harm her.”

Yet he didn’t stop smiling. He kept his arms folded behind his back, clearly still having that confidence in him.

“However, even if you can protect her from me, she will never be truly safe.”

Lycurgus turned around to face Kephale as he spoke.

“Seven times before, she has attempted to escape her fate. Seven times before, you both attempted to save her from the grasp of death. And yet she still perished. What makes you so sure that this time will be different?”

And for once, neither of them really had anything to say. Because what could they say? How could they be sure that they can protect Gaia this time?

And Lycurgus seemed to know that, turning around to face them again with that smug smile on his face. He knew they couldn’t give him an answer. As he smiled at them, he looked towards Phainon, then his sword, knowing very well how close he was to using it. Which meant Anaxagoras had to stop this before Phainon did something he regretted.

Taking Phainon by the hand, Anaxagoras began to lead him away from the Demigod Council. Phainon, not resisting much, soon started walking by his side. Both of them knew what they were doing. They were not dignifying Lycurgus with a response.

“Don’t look at him,” Anaxagoras whispered.

“I know,” Phainon whispered back.

“We can’t let him think he’s won. He hasn’t.”

As the two finally left the Demigod Council, and Dawncloud altogether, Phainon finally looked up towards Anaxagoras, his expression finally softening.

“I…I’ll make sure nothing happens to her after you’re gone…” he said quietly.

“…Thank you,” Anaxagoras replied.

“That means everything to me.”

Chapter Text

“That grand and absurd performance was what you've been seeking your whole life?” Aglaea asked him.

“I gave up everything in search of truth, and it culminated in this very moment,” Anaxagoras replied.

“You, on the other hand, performed as I expected. You did not hesitate when you saw the chance to attain power. It's as if you…”

“…Crave power like a fly craves rot,” she interrupted.

“Those are your words, not mine.”

“But what you said at the end…Did you already know what I had planned for Phainon?”

“I may have lost an eye, but my vision is clearer than anyone else. You've nearly exhausted your humanity. You're no different from my current state as a walking corpse.”

“That's true. I've long since burned to ash over the past one thousand years. Only he is capable of unleashing a raging fire that rivals our final great enemy — Aquila.”

“So, this is our last chance. How about we let go of the bad blood between us?”

As Phainon and Gaia went to welcome Stelle back from her travels, Anaxagoras stayed in the Vortex of Genesis. In that moment, he had time alone with Aglaea. He still didn’t care much for her, that remained after everything. But he was willing to be civil, even to the point where he was willing to put aside any disagreements they may have had in the past. He knew his life was coming to an end very soon, and as for Aglaea’s? He had his suspicions, but wanted to make sure that they were right.

“May I resonate with your Coreflame, Aglaea?”

“Please do,” she replied.

Extending a hand, he let Cerces’s power flow through him and into Aglaea, expecting to feel the warmth of the godly flame in her chest. Only to immediately jerk his hand away in shock as it wasn’t just warmth. It was a burning sensation, as if everything around the flame was becoming ash as they spoke.

“That's…impossible,” he muttered. 

“To persist with your soul thinned to such an extent…You're insane.”

“Just as you fight to lug your corpse onward to complete your unfinished goals, I have my own reasons for doing this,” she explained.

Letting out a weary sigh, Aglaea turned towards the basin, then to the constellations hovering above it.

“Until Phainon grows into his position as the prophesied leader, I must continue to lead everyone on the Flame-Chase Journey. I must keep inching forward, even if only as an empty shell.”

“I've long predicted this was the case, but I didn't think you'd already lost so much,” Anaxagoras added, disbelief coloring his voice.

He let out a short laugh.

“How ironic. We would have avoided so many misunderstandings if you and I had just spoken this candidly before. But casting aside our ideological differences, there is one thing you and I agree on.”

“Phainon.”

“Yes. He was born to be a hero. He understands the hearts of the people, and I can confidently say he is a far better leader than you. Only he is capable of fulfilling your mission…Sadly, he is a man cursed by Mnestia. But by my estimates, his horribly elaborate sense of style should not impede Era Nova.”

“Isn’t his curse of Mnestia your doing?” Aglaea asked with a knowing smile.

Anaxagoras shot her a glare. But before he could retort, she continued.

“Congratulations are in order. We've found common ground at the very end of our destined paths.”

“When you put it that way, it makes me want to take back what I said.”

Before the conversation could spiral into an argument, like it usually did, Phainon called out to them. Stelle had returned, but with Castorice no longer by her side. Anaxagoras knew that not only has his theory been proven by her, but allowed Stelle to fully complete her trial of Time.

With that out of the way, Trinnon recited the prophecy to return the Coreflame. Stelle placed it in the basin, and as the constellation of Death lit up the Vortex, a figure appeared before them. A divine echo, as Anaxagoras explained. One that took the shape of Castorice. It spoke in the language of the Titans, and Trinnon translated it.

“…I have illuminated the cold shadow of death.”

“Onwards. For your path to the future is bright and its flame eternal.”

“Do not forget…”

Anaxagoras couldn’t help but smile at what his former student had become.

“She made quite a scene,” he said.

“I suppose it's my turn now.”

“I won’t stop you…” Aglaea chimed in.

“Anaxa, you…” Phainon tried to say.

“What's with that look? You were present,” he replied, cutting him off.

“So, let's get this execution over with. We wouldn't want to bring shame to Okhema's divine laws or keep me from creating a new world.”

“It’s not fair!” Gaia shouted, catching everyone off guard.

They all turned to her, seeing tears already running down her cheeks. Breaking away from Phainon’s grasp, she ran over to Anaxagoras and clung to his leg.

“What you did led us to the truth! It’s going to help us finally make a future! Why should you have to die for it?!”

“It’s the will of the prophecy, Gaia-” Aglaea tried to say.

“The prophecy is stupid! Why should anyone have to die for it?!”

“We can’t control this world, Gaia. At least not yet,” Anaxagoras said, kneeling down and wrapping his arms around Gaia.

He then lowered his voice to a whisper.

“But I’ll come back. I would never leave you and your father alone.”

“You better,” she whispered back.

“You better not break this promise like your last one.”

That just shattered what was left of his heart. He had hurt his daughter so many times and now, he was going to do it again. But he had trust in Phainon. He would watch over her. He, with the help of Stelle and Dan Heng, would complete Era Nova. He would make sure Amphoreus would become a true world.

He finally released Gaia, allowing her to walk back to Phainon’s side. As she returned, Phainon still had his own questions. Questions of what this all meant. As he asked what the purpose of all of this was, if the Chrysos Heirs of today were to become the Titans of the future.

But Anaxagoras knew what he was really asking.

What would be the point of continuing on to a world where you become only a memory?

He knew Gaia had the same question too. Which is why he had to lie to her. But for Phainon, he could give a more clear answer. That even if these memories change over time, that even if these stories change over time, a piece of the original person still remains. That memory is what makes a world, makes up a person. So as for Cerces’s question of “what exactly are we?”, the answer is simple. People, and the memories they carry are the very essence that makes a world what it is.

That seemed to satisfy Phainon, as he swore they would reunite in the new world. Anaxagoras could only hope that was the case.

As everyone said their farewells to him, Cerces seemed satisfied as well, proclaiming that he passed their trial. And as such, he would receive their prophecy.

“You shall transcend the peaks of purity and return to corruption and hardship.”

And Anaxagoras could only smile, knowing that even in these worthless prophecies, the world believed he would be reunited with his family once again. As he bantered with Cerces about the nature of the prophecy, it was clear there was still something on their mind. Even more so when they said they had one last question.

“As you've so boldly stated, we and the world itself live on through the memories of others,” they began.

“If that is the case, whose memories did the very first Nouspore sprout from?”

“How should I know?” Anaxagoras answered.

“Oh my…” Cerces replied.

“But since we are both equally curious…We should allow the children of humanity who come after us to investigate in our stead.”

With that he knew his time was up. Giving Phainon and Gaia one last smile, he put on his final performance.

“Rejoice, Cerces…” he began.

“I will sow the seeds of ‘Suspicion’ in the new world with your soul —”

With a grand gesture, he ripped the Coreflame from his chest, holding it aloft.

“…And now, the objective is complete. That is all.”

Slowly, painstakingly, his body dissipated into golden dust, letting the Coreflame fall to the ground.

This was all he ever wanted. To never be forgotten. To leave a trace on the world that could never be erased. Yet, in that moment, and that moment alone, he regretted every decision that led to this outcome. As the last of him vanished, the final thing he heard was Gaia, sobbing into Phainon, begging Anaxagoras not to go.

Before he felt nothing.

Nothing at all.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

When Anaxagoras felt his consciousness piece itself back together, the first thing he saw was a sea of flowers, unlike any he ever knew. He stumbled forward, not realizing he was standing at first. He soon regained his balance and his gaze fell upon a familiar figure standing in the flowers.

“Hello, Professor,” Castorice said with a smile.

Anaxagoras tried to smile back at her, but in an instant it vanished. Collapsing into the flowers of the Netherworld, he knelt, hands clutching his arms. Tears began to flow as he bent over. He heard rather than saw Castorice walk over to him, then soon felt her wrap her arms around him.

“I’m sorry, Gaia…” he mumbled.

“I’m sorry I can’t come back to you…”

Chapter Text

Going back to Grove was bound to be bittersweet in many different ways for Phainon. Seeing the remains of the tragedy that happened there and knowing that the thing that destroyed his home was in this place were one thing. But what was on his mind more than anything was fully internalizing the fact that Anaxa would never walk through it by his and Gaia’s side again. That, more than anything, hurt in a way he knew very well, yet couldn’t describe. He knew how much it ate away at Gaia as well, the sad sort of nostalgia on her face being obvious when they arrived. Which means he knew they all had to distract themselves somehow, lest they drown in grief.

So after he finished his training using Mem’s powers, they all split off and began reading some of the material left at the Grove. He hoped that there would be something that Gaia would find interesting enough to draw her attention. And it seemed that she found her interest in mostly just tailing behind Stelle. That was good enough for Phainon. As those two kept themselves busy for a little bit, he himself began reading up on his hobby, if nothing else then to glean some ideas about leadership from it.

Soon enough, Stelle and Gaia finished whatever they were both reading and came to see what he was up to. A little banter with Stelle about his hobbies seemed to brighten the mood, even if she was skeptical about what he does. So, as Stelle went to bother Mem, Gaia stayed by his side, trying to read over his shoulder. The two were enjoying themselves, but eventually they were both distracted by Stelle chasing Mem around. Walking over to the two of them, they found out that Mem was trying to learn divination and surprise everyone with it.

Hearing that, Phainon couldn’t help but feel his heart ache. Only now did he notice it, considering that only now was Mem able to speak. But she reminded him so much of Cyrene. Her mannerisms, her personality, even the way she spoke was like a mirrored reflection in water. Similar, but obscured in some fashion, not quite like the original. Clearly noticing the melancholy Phainon was feeling, Gaia looked up to him.

“Dad…when you get the chance, can you tell me about Cyrene?” she asked.

Phainon couldn’t help but smile. He realized pretty quickly that this was her way of trying to cheer him up.

“Of course I can. I’ll tell you all about her when we return to Okhema.” 

He turned back to Stelle and Mem.

“But there’s something else I’d like to talk about first. Remember our first trip to the Temple of the Three Fates? The riddle that Oronyx posed to us…”

But before he could finish his thought, he heard footsteps approaching. Spinning around, he demanded to know who was there. The moment he did, three people stepped out of the shadows. Each one of them were in dark clothes and wore masks decorated in golden blood. Cleaners, as he recognized them. Stelle immediately took up a fighting stance, while Gaia hid behind his legs.

Back and forth Phainon and the Cleaners spoke, Phainon explaining their role as assassins of the Chrysos Heirs to Stelle, and the Cleaner Captain telling of his perspective. It was clear Stelle was itching for a fight, and more than ready to swiftly deal with them, but Phainon told her to hold off for a little longer. After all, if they revealed themselves, that means they weren’t here just to kill them. But even then, that still didn’t mean they couldn’t rough them up a little bit. He and Stelle didn’t wait a moment longer and charged.

Of course the Cleaners fought back, but compared to him and Stelle, they were nothing. Soon enough, all three of them were on the ground, much worse for wear. The captain couldn’t help but make a comment about Phainon’s mercy not to kill them immediately, to which Phainon made a comment about how their leader was foolish for misinterpreting mercy as weakness. Yet even in their state, the Cleaner Captain still hardly seemed fazed.

“I've said it more than once, Lord Phainon…we're not here to start a fight. We came only to ensure you weren't anywhere else.”

Phainon fell silent the moment that was said. The captain continued.

“While you were unaware, we already accomplished our mission — to buy time. So, Lord Phainon…until next time.”

With that they disappeared. Phainon still wasn’t entirely sure of what they meant, but he knew it was nothing good. Sure, he could take solace in the fact that the citizens of Okhema would probably hunt down the Cleaners, but there was still something bothering him about the whole interaction.

And that’s when his and Stelle’s teleslates buzzed. When they both pulled them out, the message they received was an utter shock.

“Lady Goldweaver deceased. Please return to the holy city at once.”

Chapter Text

Phainon could feel the entire world stop as he read those two sentences. He became unaware of everything around him. He wasn’t even sure if he was breathing.

Aglaea…dead…?

No…

This wasn’t possible…

It couldn’t be-

“Dad?” Gaia asked, interrupting Phainon’s thoughts, pulling him back to reality.

“What…what happened?”

“We…we have to get back to the city. Now,” was all he could reply with.

“We have a shortcut. It’ll get us there in an instant,” Stelle said.

Stelle led the group to one of the devices that she and Dan Heng set up. Space Anchors, he remembered them being called. She then took Phainon by the hand and motioned for Mem and Gaia to cling onto her. Once they did, Stelle reached out and touched the Space Anchor. In a mere half a second, the ground seemed to slip out from underneath all of them, only for it to reappear another half a second later. When Phainon looked up, he saw that they were back in Okhema.

As they walked towards the baths, they saw that the market was almost completely empty, the people no doubt hiding in their houses. The tension in the air could be cut with a knife. Everyone was scared, and for good reason. The connection between all of them was severed, disabled for some unknown reason.

And the state of Aglaea…

No.

She wasn’t dead.

It had to be a scheme.

It had to be…

Once they got to the baths, they could hear the remaining people whispering amongst each other. Talks of infighting, worries of the city not being safe, cursing of the Council of Elders, among other things. Phainon, despite all evidence pointing to the contrary, continued to hope that this was all some scheme Aglaea had planned, that she really wasn’t gone.

His hopes were dashed rather quickly.

The group soon reunited with Dan Heng, who had Krateros beside him. To which he explained what was seen by everyone at the Marmoreal Palace. That Aglaea fell from the Chrysos Heir baths, her heart pierced by a Cleaner’s dagger.

But that didn’t make any sense. Why did the Cleaners that confronted them and Dan Heng only intimidate but never attack? Why was Aglaea their only target? 

Phainon was soon pulled out of his thoughts by Dan Heng, who said that speculating wouldn’t do much of anything. And he was right. They had to talk to the person who knew Aglaea better than anyone else, Tribbie.

Making their way to the Garden of Life, the group soon found Hyacine, who was pacing, wringing her hands, and staring at her own feet.

“Hyacine,” Phainon said.

She looked up at Phainon, her eyes seeming to gain a small spark of hope.

“…You're back!” she said.

“We heard from Krateros. Are you…alright?” Dan Heng asked.

“I'm fine…” she answered. 

“I've been staying close to Lady Tribbie and Lady Trinnon after the incident. It's great that you could come back so quickly…They need someone with them now.”

“How are the two of them holding up?” Stelle asked cautiously.

“Not well. After all, we witnessed Lady Aglaea's…last moments.”

Hyacine took in a shaky breath, as if she was trying to block an image out of her mind.

“I tried to treat her immediately, but even the sky's blessings…Declaring her death was the hardest thing I've ever had to do as a doctor.”

Phainon fell silent, letting the reality of the situation sink in. She was gone. Aglaea was really, truly gone. But before he could let himself stew in the thoughts again, Hyacine got his attention.

“Lord Phainon…don't push yourself. You're carrying a heavier burden now. Please don't fall…”

“…It's fine,” he mumbled, staring at his own feet.

“I can handle it,” he said a bit more loudly.

“What I've lost is a mentor, and comrade-in-arms. But for Tribbie and Trinnon, they've lost a thousand-year-old bond…like losing a part of their lives.”

He looked back at Hyacine, trying to give her an encouraging smile.

“You should rest, Hyacine. You've been awake for a long time, haven't you? We'll handle things from here.”

She tried to smile back at him, seeming grateful for his concern. But it pretty quickly faded being replaced by a look of both sorrow and pure exhaustion.

“Okay. See you later, everyone,” she finally said.

With that she left, her steps slow and wavering. Continuing through the garden, the group soon found Tribbie and Trinnon. From the way they were holding their heads down, it was clear they were trying to hide how red their eyes were from crying. Once the two became aware of the group’s presence, they raised their heads. Seeing the state they were in absolutely broke Phainon’s heart.

“Snowy, Little Gray…you're back,” Tribbie said.

Phainon was quick to attempt to comfort the two of them.

“Lady Tribbie, I…” he tried to say.

“Snowy, don't!” Tribbie interrupted.

“Please don't apologize to us. You went to the Grove to prepare yourself for the threats to Okhema. You didn't do anything wrong, so don't be hard on yourself.”

Tribbie then looked towards Trinnon as she continued to speak.

“We were always by Agy's side throughout this long journey, so we understood her thoughts better than anyone. She knew she wouldn't see the end of the Flame-Chase Journey, yet she gave everything without hesitation…for the future of everyone.”

“Countless times…” Phainon thought to himself. 

He couldn’t help but remember the truth as Tribbie spoke. This has happened before. Many times before. How many times in these endless cycles did Aglaea foresee her own death? How many times did she let it happen? How many times was the future of the Flame-Chase entrusted to him?

To him…

That was right.

“I know what Aglaea expected of me,” Phainon finally said.

“Right now, the last thing Okhema needs is a leader wallowing in self-pity.”

Tribbie nodded to Phainon before looking towards a scroll on a table.

“The scroll over there was entrusted to us by Agy. She instructed us to hand it over to you when the time was right.” she explained.

“I think…now's the ‘right time.’” Trinnon finished.

Chapter Text

As Phainon walked over to the scroll, Stelle saw an indigo crystal appear beside the table. One she recognized as a Fragment of Recollection. She looked towards Mem, who gave her a nod of approval. Stelle then approached the Fragment and touched it to activate it. In an instant, an illusion of Aglaea and Tribbie appeared. She and the rest of the group watched as the two talked back and forth. Tribbie was upset that Aglaea would die soon, yet Aglaea seemed to accept it, no longer taking the medicine that stabilized her body. Aglaea, while comforting Tribbie, then talked about her last wish. For her death to be quiet and gentle. Stelle’s heart ached for the both of them, as she knew very well that Aglaea’s wish wasn’t fulfilled. The conversation continued, with Tribbie asking if Phainon was ready. Aglaea, in return, asked if she herself was ready when she took on her own Coreflame, which seemed to answer Tribbie’s question It then ended with her seeming confident in Phainon, confident that he could take her place as the leader of the Flame-Chase.

With that, the illusion faded away. Stelle looked at Phainon, who looked back at her, his expression unreadable. She really couldn’t think of anything to say to him, so she just looked down at the scroll on the table. Phainon picked it up and unrolled it. His eyes began scanning over the words on the scroll. Stelle, not knowing what else to do, walked over to his side and began reading as well. Mem did the same.

“Phainon, my humble student, my trusted colleague — As I write this, you are locked in a battle of words with the Council of Elders, fighting for the survival of the Flame-Chase Journey on a battlefield where the smoke of war is invisible.

I deeply regret and feel guilty for hastily pushing you and Stelle into the debate. But please forgive me — at that moment, I could not afford to show any sign of weakness before you, as it would have crushed your morale. I considered the debate a routine affair, assuming I could win merely with the support and experience we'd accumulated over centuries. But I underestimated Caenis and her party's cunning, and also the deterioration of my own senses.

 The trap was likely set by the debater Callictis. He had prepared a severed golden thread in advance, revealing it to the public when Caenis was faltering in the debate. He claimed I was reading everyone's thoughts with the golden thread to cheat in the debate. I could have countered that low tactic in a hundred ways, but my words slipped out before I could even think about them…

‘With deceitful scoundrels like you in the crowd, I have no choice but to rely on the golden thread to keep watch over everything in this holy city.’

You can imagine the reaction that comment provoked. At that moment, I felt my time was running short. The divinity in this body might be eternal — but that is not the essence of ‘me.’ I am a daughter of humanity, born of my mother, and I will die as a human. Realizing that my humanity was fading, I began to plan my exit. What kind of departure would not waste such a belated death? I have yet to find the ideal answer.

But I knew I couldn't simply fade away in my sleep like anyone else. The serpents have always lurked in the darkness, terrified of their heads being cut off by the golden thread. If my departure were to be calm and uneventful, it would only lead to a swarm of serpents emerging from their nests. Regrettably, a peaceful death is a luxury I cannot afford. I must feign weakness deliberately, to make those serpents lose patience and act rashly. Just as they think they've struck and sunk their fangs into my heels — that's when I'll strike back, igniting the final blaze to burn away the threats hidden in the shadows.

The blaze soaring into the sky might sow fear and confusion, but I have no worries about people losing their way. After all, Okhema still has you to guide them, Phainon. You're not perfect, Phainon. I've witnessed your confusion, recklessness, and deep sensitivity dawn after dawn. The heavy burdens of your past have always weighed you down, inflicting deep pain.

Yet, in your way, you are perfect. You embrace everyone's imperfections, always ready to find the precious qualities hidden beneath their rough exteriors, unconditionally.

That might be what sets our sky father Kephale apart from other deities. They recognize the imperfections in their creations yet still choose to shine their light on them, offering protection with unconditional love…

Phainon, while you zealously pursued "Strife," believing it to be your destined path — from the very beginning, my thoughts have never changed. You are the destined Worldbearer of Amphoreus, the gate to Amphoreus's future.

Go complete the Flame-Chase Journey of the prophecy. Ignite the stars and inspire hope in the hearts of humanity. I will be waiting at the end of the west wind, looking forward to the miracle you will create.”

The silence held heavy in the air, Phainon no doubt taking in everything Aglaea had written for him, had planned for him. He then finally spoke, his voice unsure and wavering.

“Aglaea, how could I possibly be worthy…of the burning torch you've passed into my hands?”

Silence fell again, before Phainon looked up and Dan Heng.

“Dan Heng, can you do me a favor?” he asked.

“Whatever I can help with, just say the word,” Dan Heng answered.

“Please deliver a message to Lord Krateros. Have him gather the Holy City Guards and the Kremnoans to spread the word from door to door: At the Lucid Hour tomorrow, Phainon will speak at the Marmoreal Palace.”

He took in a deep breath before continuing.

“Urge everyone who has concerns about the holy city's future and the Flame-Chase Journey to attend this gathering. Tell them Aglaea has left Amphoreus the seeds of hope.”

“Understood,” Dan Heng said.

And with that, he left to help spread the word. As Dan Heng left, Phainon turned to the rest of the group, expecting to talk more. That was until Chartonus arrived, wanting to see how Phainon was holding up. According to Chartonus, Phainon was better than he expected. To which Phainon said there’s really no room for doubt anymore, and that the Chrysos Heirs need to show everyone that they’re still strong. Chartonus agreed, but said that was not the only reason he arrived.

To which he presented Phainon with the sword he requested. Dawnmaker, as Chartonus called it. A perfect recreation of the Flame Reaver’s sword. Phainon could never forget what it looked like, and apparently his description was more than enough. As Phainon took the sword in his hand, Chartonus spoke again.

“Imbued it with the power of Dawn, I already have,” he began.

“Guided by your will, gleam with golden flames, its blade will. Wield it. May triumph always be yours.”

“Thank you, Chartonus,” Phainon said.

“I will use this sword to protect the beings of Amphoreus.”

Chartonus nodded.

“Another thing, there is…” he said.

Before presenting Phainon with a knuckle-bone charm, strung with glowing golden thread. He explained that these were the remains of Aglaea’s divinity. Just like Tribbie had said, Chartonus confirmed that Aglaea long foresaw her death. Phainon could feel his breath catch at the mention of her death. He asked if Aglaea could hear them, but Chartonus didn’t know, saying that there was still so little we knew about divinity. But this was her way of always being with them.

Phainon took it, glad to at least still have a piece of her with him on her journey. As he did, he couldn’t help but think of Cyrene and what she said to him.

“May this world never have need for a Deliverer.”

He wondered what she would think if she saw him now. What she would think of the truth of the world if she was told of it. And yet…he couldn’t help but think that if she saw him leading the charge against destiny, she would no doubt smile.

Chapter Text

The time came for Phainon to address everyone about Aglaea and the future of the Flame-Chase Journey. Stelle was, of course, nervous, how could she not be? She had faith in Phainon, that was without question, but she was more worried about how the citizens of Okhema would react. They’d be out for blood since Aglaea ran the city for so long. But was that really what was needed?

As she was lost in thought, she felt a small tug on her jacket. Looking down, she saw Gaia staring back up at her.

“You’re worried about Dad, aren’t you?” she asked.

Stelle gave her a smile.

“A little bit. But I’m not too worried. If he could convince them back at Dawncloud, then he can ease their thoughts here.”

“I hope so…” Gaia said.

The two looked back to where Phainon was standing as he started his speech.

“Not long ago, I spoke at the citizens' assembly at Dawncloud,” he began.

“I wrestled with every word, searching for the right ones to rally support and keep the Chrysos Heirs' Flame-Chase alive. In the end, I remembered a lesson from one of my teachers: In battles where words are weapons, outrage and blind passion often overpower reason. I followed his strategy. I painted my opponents as nothing more than pests, tore apart their character, and laid out their crimes. The strategy worked. I secured enough votes to achieve my goal. But afterward? There wasn't even a flicker of joy.”

He looked away from the crowd for a moment, eyes shifting off to the side. Stelle could only guess it was for a multitude of reasons, one of them no doubt being the fact that Anaxa still died after their victory. He then turned back to the crowd as he continued.

“I realized — that apparent victory masked a deeper failure. In my pursuit of success, I fueled division and strayed far from the very purpose that led me to the Flame-Chase Journey. This journey was supposed to unify, not divide. To strengthen us, not weaken us. It was the gold thread that mended our rifts in the past. Some saw it as a means of surveillance, a tool of control, but no one can deny that it was Aglaea who held this city, and even this shattered world, together. Now she is gone — yes, as you have heard — the demigod Aglaea, who guarded the holy city for a millennium, has indeed fallen.”

“Who murdered Lady Goldweaver?” someone shouted.

“Find the murderer! Make them pay!” another citizen demanded.

“I felt the same as all of you initially,” Phainon admitted.

“I wanted to stand here beside you, to condemn the sinners, to discuss retribution, and to see justice brought down upon them…But my perspective has changed.”

He looked out towards the city, sadness clear in his gaze.

“The golden threads that once bound this city have unraveled, yet no one is celebrating their freedom from control. In the empty markets and bath chambers, one feeling lingers: Unease.”

Turning back to the citizens, he continued his speech.

“Deep down, we all know — the last safeguard against the harm we may do to each other is gone. No divine power will protect us from the malice in our hearts. From now on, only the moral code we choose to uphold for ourselves will stand between us and the abyss.”

“Phainon has a way with words,” Mem whispered.

Stelle motioned for Mem to be quiet and listen. Mem looked a bit embarrassed, but obliged.

“The Flame-Chase Journey is nearing its end, with only one Titan left for the Chrysos Heirs to conquer: Aquila,” Phainon explained.

“Before I rise to the skies, I challenge you — cast out the shadows and malice within your hearts. Let your spirits shine brighter than the sky itself! Let me bear witness: Even without the divine authority of Romance, Okhema will remain a sanctuary in these end times. A place for the kind people Aglaea dreamed of, the kind of people foretold in prophecy…A better people!”

The citizens began chanting the last thing Phainon said. They seemed spirited, full of life and power. That’s when Stelle knew that Phainon had everything under control. She watched as Phainon smiled at the citizens.

“I appreciate your willingness to accept the challenge…” he said.

“You have reminded me that Aglaea left me perhaps the simplest duty in the world. To bear the burden of creation, I need only to give one thing. It's a gift she once gave me without hesitation, and now I share it with each of you — unshakable faith. There's still a long way to go before Amphoreus is reborn. But we will not forget the past as we move forward, for the memories of Amphoreus will always benefit future generations. Allow me this moment. I want to borrow a few minutes of your time to commemorate a demigod who protected the holy city for a millennium…She was Okhema's dressmaker, the leader of the Chrysos Heirs, the Goldweaver Aglaea. And her greatest feat — was being a selfless person.”

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Stelle knew that Phainon succeeded in giving Okhema hope. But she saw the look on Phainon’s face. The wavering smile, the eyes prickling with tears. It was clear that even this felt hollow to him. He was remembering everyone that either died or left, probably thinking about what he would say to them and what they would say in return.

Stelle felt her heart ache for the man as her eyes drifted down to Gaia, still clinging onto her jacket. She knew the burdens placed on him. Not only as the leader of the Flame-Chase, not only as the leader of Okhema, not only as the sole survivor of his hometown, but as the only remaining guardian of his child.

She still had faith in him, that hadn’t changed. But she still worried. What else could possibly be placed on him? And would he still be able to move forward with all those burdens? Or would there be a moment when he would finally break?

Stelle hoped that moment would never come.

Chapter Text

The day that the campaign against Aquila began soon arrived. Gaia understood it was dangerous, and her Dad made that very clear. Yet, because of that, she worried. Her Dad, Hyacine, Stelle, and Dan Heng were all going to confront Aquila. Gaia knew she couldn’t come along, no matter how much she wanted to. No matter how much she wanted to help, she knew deep down that she couldn’t do much, that she would be a liability. A small child, no matter how wise beyond her years she was, couldn’t do much against a Titan.

Despite that, however, she still wished there was some way that could help.

So while they were waiting for everyone else to arrive, Gaia decided to let her feelings be known. She looked up towards her Dad, seeing the unease in his posture, but also the way he hid it on his face with a bright smile.

“Dad…” she began.

Her Dad looked down at her, curious.

“I know it’s better for me to stay here while you fight Aquila. But…I want to help. Is…is there anything I can do?”

He smiled at her knowingly, as if he expected her to ask that. Before he knelt to her level and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“You have an important role here too, Gaia. You’re going to stay with Tribbie and Trinnon. They need someone to keep them company while we’re all gone. And I think you’ll be able to keep their spirits up quite well.”

Gaia couldn’t help but smile back at her Dad. Because he wasn’t lying when he told her that. He wasn’t just giving her a menial task to keep her busy. She knew very well that Tribbie and Trinnon would no doubt be worried about everyone while they were in the sky. So if she could ease their minds, that was more than enough for her. She gave her Dad a nod of understanding and a determined smile.

“I’ll make sure they’ll be okay while you all are gone.”

“I’m glad to hear that, Gaia.”

He stood back up and the two continued to wait for the others as citizens also came to Dawncloud to see them off. Soon enough, Stelle and Mem arrived, Stelle cracking a joke about Mem waking her up. She and Gaia’s Dad talked about how despite them being so close to the end, they couldn’t celebrate just yet. When Stelle asked where Dan Heng was, it was explained that he was waiting further up so he wouldn’t have to deal with the crowd. Gaia couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of Dan Heng shrinking under the praise of the people. As they talked, they could all hear the citizens of Okhema cheering for them, wanting them to take down Aquila. Her Dad thanked the citizens for their blessings, but reminded them that the true guest of honor that day would be Hyacine. That as the pride of the Twilight Courtyard, Okhema, and Amphoreus as a whole, she deserves their cheers as well.

As he was then complementing Stelle and Dan Heng, that was when Hyacine finally arrived. As suspected, the crowd erupted into cheers and praise for her. She smiled as she met up with them and turned to face the citizens of Okhema.

“People of Okhema, I've been blessed by the ancestors of the Sky people,” she began.

“They have agreed to bestow the thousand-year mission to me and to have me claim the Coreflame of Aquila. Today is the year 4932 of the Light Calendar, 1062 years since the hero Seliose initiated the Flame-Chase Journey. I, Hyacinthia of the Sky people, am prepared to lead the children of humanity back to the sky.”

“History doesn't breathe evenly,” Phainon added. 

“At times, it suspends its breath for millennia as though time has frozen. At other times, it pants rapidly, as if poised to topple the world and our civilization in an instant. Its hurried gasps have sparked a tempest, sweeping all of us along. Hyacine, as an observer, you've witnessed the return of four Coreflames… And now it's your turn to fulfil your duty. Please, guide us into the heart of the storm as the executioner of this mission.”

Cheers arose again, the people of Okhema wishing the Chrysos Heirs luck in their endeavors, and saying that they’ll surely succeed.

It was only then did the group proceed up the mountain to where Dan Heng was waiting. He and Stelle bantered back and forth about how this was an unforgettable Trailblazing experience to make even their Aeon jealous. Stelle joked how their missing friend, March, would also be jealous of all they have seen.

While that was happening, doubt started to creep into Gaia. Every time that they retrieved a Coreflame, one of them would leave, either to fulfill their duties, or to die. She couldn’t stand the thought of losing anyone else, not again. So before they all prepared to leave, Gaia looked up towards her Dad, her expression pleading.

“You will come back…right?” she asked.

Gaia watched as her Dad’s smile wavered. He knew that she needed reassurance, especially after everything that had happened to her. He knelt to her side again, that bright, comforting smile returning to his face.

“Of course we will Gaia.”

He pulled her into a tight hug.

“We’ll see this through together. I promise.”

He released her and rose to his feet again. Turning to Hyacine, he gave her a nod, letting her know that he was ready. Hyacine then stepped forward, hands clasped tightly as she spoke.

“Legend tells of the Skyfolk once divided into many tribes. The Sunfolk worshiped the sun, the Rainfolk were devoted to storms, and the Winterfolk waited for signs in the snow…”

She looked up towards the bright blue sky.

“Our ancestors lived under Aquila's light, yet they were blinded to all but one color. They forgot that…the light that illuminates the world is made of countless different colors.”

A smile crossed her face.

“That's why the rainbow is my favorite, for not only does it reflect the many colors, it is also a bridge. And I want to use the rainbow bridge to link everyone's hearts…and give hope to every soul on earth.”

“Ancestors!” she called out.

“With the rainbow as your guide, lead me back to the home of the Skyfolk, a land we have not seen for a thousand years!”

Summoning her staff, Hyacine raised it towards the sky.

“O rainbow bridge…Please guide us to ascend to the skies once more.”

And just as she commanded, a bridge illuminated in all colors appeared before them. She then turned to the rest of the group, her smile bright and full of hope.

“Friends, let us soar together!”

The group then stepped onto the bridge. And in an instant, they were gone, leaving Gaia alone.

Chapter Text

Gaia realized rather quickly that her job was not only keeping Tribbie and Trinnon busy, but also helping with their work. As heralds of Okhema, now that the World Wound Web was down, they had to work double time to make sure messages were passed within the city. While Tribbie and Trinnon were flying everywhere, Gaia was running, trying to deliver letters at the same speed as the two. Of course she couldn’t be as fast as them, but she was trying her best. 

And while she was doing so, she was also trying her best to reassure the people of Okhema that the Chrysos Heirs would succeed in the campaign against Aquila. She made sure to mention how strong her Dad was, how smart Dan Heng was, how enduring Hyacine was, and how quick Stelle was on her feet. She tried to give the citizens faith in their heroes. It seemed to work for the most part, as many citizens found her faith in them sweet. And others knew of her status as a Chrysos Heir as well, so they trusted her.

The work of delivering messages was long and tiring. To the point where Gaia was exhausted and even Tribbie and Trinnon were tired. So before continuing they all took a rest in the Garden of Life. As Gaia was catching her breath, she looked at Tribbie and Trinnon.

“I…I knew your job was hard…” she said, kind of breathless.

“I just…didn’t think it would be this hard…”

“Please don’t push yourself, Little Gaia,” Trinnon replied.

“We were made to do this kind of work. You don’t have to help, we can handle it ourselves.”

“I know, but I want to help! The city needs to be connected!”

Both Tribbie and Trinnon smiled at each other then at her.

“You really are so much like Snowy, Little Gaia,” Tribbie said with a smile.

“Always wanting to do what you can for others.”

Gaia smiled as well, happy that she was following in the footsteps of her Dad. She was about to get up to continue her work, but Tribbie raised her hands.

“Hold on a moment! We don’t want to wear ourselves out now! So let’s take a short break, okay?”

Gaia couldn’t really argue with that, as she felt her body aching from all the running around. So the three of them sat in the grass of the Garden of Life, Tribbie and Trinnon entertaining Gaia by telling her stories of her Dad when he was much younger. She really enjoyed those stories, since she still knew so little about her Dad.

But of course the moment of peace couldn’t last.

As Tribbie was about to begin another story, the ground began shaking violently, as if the world itself was crying out in pain. The three of them stood, trying to figure out what was causing the earthquake. And that was when the sky turned an unnatural gold instead of the clear blue it always was, bathing Okhema in the glow of twilight. Gaia could feel her heart stop as she realized what had happened. The worst had come to pass again. 

Just like in every other cycle she was alive for, the Dawn Device had failed.

Her legs suddenly couldn’t hold her up anymore. Falling to her knees, Gaia covered her head, and began shaking violently.

This was it.

This was the end.

She didn’t know what she was thinking, hoping that this time would be different. The same things still happened. The people she cared about died. The Dawn Device failed. It would only be a matter of time before something killed her again.

Tears welled up in her eyes. The world seemed to gray out around the edges. Gaia began to frantically pull at her hair, continuing to shiver. She couldn’t move, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t hear, she could barely breathe. Not knowing what else to do, Gaia began to plead helplessly as she sobbed uncontrollably.

“No…No no nononono- Not again, not again, please…not again…”

She then felt the sensation of someone touching her face. Only then did she realize that someone was trying to speak to her. She tried to focus on the sensation and the voice. The hands were too tiny to be her Dad’s and the voice was too light to be Stelle or Hyacine’s. As the world came back into focus, she then realized it was Tribbie holding her. And soon enough, her voice began to become more clear as well.

“-aia! Little Gaia! Can you hear us?” Tribbie asked frantically.

“Y-Yeah…I…I hear you, Tribbie…” Gaia answered shakily.

“Okay! That’s good! We were really worried.”

Gaia felt a bit bad for worrying Tribbie and Trinnon, but there was really nothing she could do. Still weeping, she then threw her arms around Tribbie, who immediately hugged her back.

“Tribbie…I…I’m scared…I don’t…I don’t want to die…” she managed to choke out.

“It’ll be okay, Little Gaia. We made a promise to your Dad to protect you. And we know how.”

“You…you do…?”

Tribbie nodded, Trinnon soon came to their side and spoke.

“The plan was set before everyone left. That if anything were to happen, we would hide you in the Vortex of Genesis until Snowy came back for you. You’ll be safe there, that we can promise.”

Gaia tried to wipe away her still flowing tears. She was still terrified, there was no doubt about that. But she also trusted her Dad. If she would be safe in the Vortex of Genesis, then she believed that. Slowly, shakily, Gaia rose to her feet. Trinnon nodded then extended her hand to Gaia, who took it. She then looked towards Tribbie.

“I’ll make sure the others make it back, Trinnon. You get Gaia to safety.”

“And then I’ll make sure Snowy can complete the ritual,” Trinnon added.

With that, Trinnon began leading Gaia to the basin in Stelle’s room. As she did so, Gaia could already see chaos beginning to arise within the city. There was no question about it. The Black Tide was already encroaching and fast. The two soon arrived at the basin, to which Gaia noticed it lacking water. She was about to ask Trinnon what to do, but Trinnon just smiled.

“We have enough power. We can use a Century Gate to get you inside,” Trinnon explained.

“Are…are you sure? What if you’ll need it for later?”

Trinnon’s smile turned sad.

“We…don’t think there will be much of a later for us. But if we can use our power to fulfill our promise to Snowy, then that’s enough.”

Gaia nodded in understanding, trying not to cry. Trinnon then hovered a bit off the ground and hugged her. Gaia held onto her tightly for a long moment before releasing her.

“O…Okay. I’m ready.”

Trinnon then raised her hands, magic coursing through her entire body. As Gaia stepped through the Century Gate, she heard Trinnon speak one last time.

“See you tomorrow, Little Gaia…”

Chapter Text

The Vortex of Genesis was so oddly peaceful compared to the chaos Gaia had to run through to get there. Yet the never ending quiet of it only produced an emptiness inside of her. Even if she was safe here, she couldn’t help but think of the other people in Okhema, who were running and hiding in terror. She couldn’t help but think about her Dad, who was most likely fighting for his life right now. A rather pessimistic part of her worried that he’d never come back. That she’d be greeted by someone else, giving her the horrible news that he perished.

But she knew she couldn’t think like that. She had to have faith in her Dad and everyone else. She looked up towards the illuminated constellations in the vortex. Only two remained dark. 

This time was going to be different.

It had to be.

As she was lost in thought, she heard someone walking towards the basin. Looking up, expecting her Dad, instead she saw Hyacine, Tribbie, and Trinnon, the Coreflame of Sky in Hyacine’s hands. Gaia wanted to run up to Hyacine and ask her if her Dad was okay. But it was more than obvious Hyacine had to focus. She was doing something important.

Making herself scarce, Gaia listened as Hyacine repeated the ritual she heard several times before, letting the Coreflame fall from her hands into the basin. As the Sky constellation illuminated itself, two illusory figures appeared before her, a golden griffin, and an indigo pegasus. They congratulated Hyacine, telling her that her trial was already complete in their eyes. And yet Hyacine’s eyes turned to the constellation asking someone else what they thought. Before a voice echoed around her, answering, begging forgiveness for what she had done.

Hyacine smiled, saying that she couldn’t forgive the voice on behalf of anyone, but understanding that the person still did their duty by not letting the sky fall on the world. Seeming satisfied with that answer, the person finally said they could rest in peace. As the Vortex grew silent again, Hyacine was still smiling, despite knowing her fate. She said that she was going to merge with the sky and protect everyone in Okhema with her power.

With that, she vanished from the Vortex, disappearing in a burst of bubbles. No doubt, she left to go do what she promised. As Hyacine was now gone, Tribbie and Trinnon left the Vortex as well, going back to protect Okhema.

Leaving Gaia alone again.

Stepping out from her hiding spot, she looked up towards the constellations, now with only one of them not illuminated. Worldbearing, the one her Dad was supposed to take on. She thought about what that could possibly mean, not just when it comes to becoming a Demigod, but what it could mean when it comes to Era Nova being completed. She wondered what would happen once the final Coreflame was given. Would the cycles just…end? Would Amphoreus just continue on with no more Titans and no more Chrysos Heirs? What about everyone who gave up themselves to make sure this would happen? Would there be a way to get them back? Or would they all just have to live on without them?

Gaia couldn't help but start crying angrily again at the last thought. She didn’t want to just keep going without her Papa. Or really anyone else who had to die for this stupid, stupid prophecy. There had to be a way to get them back.

…Right?

As she was lost in thought, she grew unaware of her surroundings. More specifically of the fact that someone was approaching her. Until she heard a familiar voice speak. One she hoped to never hear again.

“Those are quite bitter tears, dear Gaia. I imagine you’re thinking about all that has been lost during this final journey, correct?”

Gaia felt her heart stop. She knew who was speaking. She didn’t want to turn around and look at his face. She didn’t know how he found her, or how he even got in here. Her first instinct was to run. Despite knowing she was supposed to stay in the Vortex and wait, her desire to get away from Lygus took over. And that’s exactly what she tried to do. Taking off at a sprint, Gaia tried to run towards the exit of the Vortex. She saw in the moment she passed him that Lygus just stood there not doing anything. Maybe, in this moment, he was too apathetic to do anything to her. She thought she actually had a chance to get away.

Only for her entire body to cease moving in an instant, feeling like it was going to tear itself apart. She recognized this feeling. It was the same power Lygus used on her when she confronted him. Once again, she wanted to scream, to cry for help. But she couldn’t. She heard Lygus walking up behind her once again.

“Did you really think you could escape?” he asked.

He laughed to himself, knowing she couldn’t answer his question. The moment he was behind her, he released her from the grasp his power had on her. She stumbled forward, only for Lygus’s hands to catch her, both clamping down rather tightly on her shoulders. Gaia tried to struggle against his grip, to break free, but his grip on her only tightened. He then began walking her back to the heart of the Vortex. As he did so, a thought came to Gaia’s mind. One she couldn’t keep to herself.

“Why…what’s the point of all of this…?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific, dear Gaia.” he answered.

“Creating us…creating this prophecy that kills all of us…using us to make your weapon…why do you even need a weapon like that?” 

“Ah. I’m surprised you didn’t ask that earlier. Unfortunately for you, that is not information I’m willing to be forthcoming about just yet. But you will get your answer eventually.”

The two soon stopped. Lygus then leaned down and whispered into Gaia’s ear, sending a chill down her spine.

“Now, your father will be here soon, Gaia.”

“I hope you’re prepared because there will be quite a show when he arrives.”

Gaia could practically feel him smiling at her. He then stood up once again, his hands still firmly clamped down on her shoulders. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know what she could do. So she just started crying.

“Dad…” she thought to herself.

“Help me…”

Chapter Text

Phainon hated seeing the heartbroken, betrayed look on Stelle’s face when he told her he was going into the Vortex of Genesis alone. But he knew it was the right thing to do, since once she and Dan Heng escaped the Flame Reaver, they could go home. They wouldn’t have to be caught up in this tragedy anymore. They could finally move forward. He could finally move forward.

It was rather tough having to say goodbye to Trinnon when he entered, knowing she was using the last of herself to get him inside. But he knew it would be worth it in the end. Once the tragedy was over, he could find a way to get her back, to get everyone back. His resolve strengthened at the thought of the horrors of these eternal cycles coming to an end.

However, when he entered the Vortex, he was greeted by a sight that made his heart drop into the pit of his stomach.

Lygus was standing before him. And in his grasp was his daughter. Phainon’s eyes widened in horror. He shouted her name. Gaia’s gaze soon raised towards him, and she began struggling against Lygus’s vice-like grip.

“Dad!” she shouted.

“Dad, help me!”

Immediately, Phainon summoned his sword and held it towards Lygus.

“Let her go. Now,” he practically snarled.

All Lygus did in response was laugh. He then tightened his grip on Gaia, causing her to cry out in pain. It took everything in Phainon’s power to not charge at him at that very moment. But he knew he couldn’t risk Gaia getting hurt because of him. So many questions raced through his mind, and yet his throat seemed to fill with sand the moment he wanted to ask one of them. And Lygus, seeming to understand Phainon’s inability to speak at that moment, spoke first.

“There’s no need to behave impulsively, Lord Phainon. I have no intentions of harming your daughter. I stepped into this space purely for one purpose: To witness the prophecy's Miracle of Genesis.”

Phainon couldn’t help but scoff.

“Why? Why would you want to be here to witness the moment your plan failed?” he asked.

“Who’s to say it did?” Lygus asked in return.

That hit Phainon like a brick to the face. He was so sure that they had done everything right. That this time would be different. That once the last Coreflame was placed, everything would be over. And Lygus, almost seeming to read his thoughts, smiled.

“Tell me, Lord Phainon,” he began.

“From what your dear daughter has told you, has this cycle been any different from the last?”

Silence filled the void. Phainon, staring down at his feet, let the arm holding his sword fall to his side. Trying not to let himself cry, he swallowed hard, his throat burning.

“No…” he choked out.

“I once believed that as long as I chased the flames relentlessly, the fog before me would clear, and fate would reveal its truest form. But along the way, we…they, all who passed, never once received the justice promised by the prophecy.”

“Precisely,” Lygus responded.

“Just as it happened before, all who stood by your side have perished in service to this prophecy. And you have seen for yourself. Outside the Vortex, the world is collapsing, and the children of humanity are crying.”

Lygus’s smile only widened, the pleasure he was conveying being quite unsettling. It sent a chill down Phainon’s spine.

“But you, Lord Phainon, will bury the old world with that Coreflame, bringing all things into a gray unknown…”

“But that’s not what will happen, is it?” Phainon asked, despite knowing the answer.

“We played right into your hands, didn't we? This cycle wasn’t meant to be the hope we believed it to be, but rather the end you have set since the very start…”

Phainon glared at Lygus.

“I’m right, aren’t I?”

Lygus nodded, confirming what Phainon feared.

“There is still so much you are unaware of, Lord Phainon. Despite your daughter telling you and your –heh– beloved the truth of this world, there are still many things she kept hidden.”

“…What…?”

“Perhaps it was in an effort to protect your psyche. Perhaps she feared if she said more, I would finally commit to erasing her.”

He shook his head, feigning disappointment.

“Ah, but it truly does not matter. Before you finally usher in the ending that has been delayed for so long, I am more than happy to reveal all to you.”

Phainon wasn’t sure what to say. He wasn’t sure what to think. He wanted to do something, anything, but his body seemed to lock up, his legs refusing to bend and his arms refusing to raise. He knew he had to act in some way. Kill Lygus, save Gaia, find some way to prevent the monster Lygus created from ever being born.

And yet he still didn’t move. He still couldn’t move.

Because there was nothing he could do.

Nothing at all.

It was only then he heard a familiar voice. That of the little pink fairy that was always by the side of his companion. He couldn’t believe it at first. Yet finally, as if to prove him wrong, his body allowed him to move.

“…is it truly you?” he asked while turning around, hoping it wasn’t an illusion.

Yet, judging by the way Lygus reacted, he had his answer.

“With one last chance to turn back, you still step forward,” Lygus said with an almost knowing tone.

 “…How befitting of a Trailblazer.”

“Spare me your mockery,” Stelle spat out.

Lygus chuckled at the venomous way Stelle spoke to him.

“You misunderstand,” he replied.

“It was not mockery at all, my lady. I was simply making note of how you embody the Path you set upon.”

Lygus then turned to the basin in the center of the Vortex.

“As our world nears its end, the ones who walk the infinite paths have embraced their destiny…As the Theoros, it is my duty to witness the world's future and oversee this final Coreflame ritual on their behalf —The Trial of Worldbearing— The ritual of Era Nova.”

Phainon could practically feel Stelle narrowing her eyes at Lygus. Her inability to believe him radiated off of her.

“Screwllum says you're behind all this,” Stelle said accusingly.

“Who…?” Phainon asked.

Ignoring Phainon’s confusion, Lygus turned his attention to Stelle.

“Ah, I see. So you met my kindred spirit before I could erase his traces.”

“Your ally is right, Stelle,” Phainon finally said.

“Lygus has been the cause of my world’s tragedy. He is the reason the Black Tide swallows all.”

Phainon glared at Lygus one last time.

“Do you want to explain it to her, or should I?”

“Allow me, Lord Phainon,” Lygus answered.

“After all, you do not have the full story either.”

Chapter Text

Stelle was going to be sick.

She knew she had to do something, anything. At this point, the “truth” didn’t matter. If Lygus was the reason all of this was happening, it was her job to stop him. Summon her lance, Stelle charged at Lygus, first intending to free Gaia from his grasp. But instead of doing anything at all, Lygus simply smiled. In an instant, Stelle seemed to trip over her own feet and fall. But instead of hitting the ground immediately, Stelle continued to fall through a void. She wondered how long she was going to fall for before she did actually hit the ground. Gritting her teeth and feeling quite infuriated at this point, Stelle got up to see Lygus standing before her, laughing.

“What a magnificent and epic adventure!” he exclaimed.

“The Hero's Journey reaches its end, and the truth behind the Era Nova is about to be revealed…Is that truly the case?”

With the way he was speaking, Stelle expected him to either dance around the answer or just not give at all. And yet he kept speaking.

“Here, as the Theoros, allow me to humbly request that you find a moment to listen to what I have witnessed. This is about the nature of Amphoreus itself: a story of ‘the prime mover of life.’”

She didn’t know what to expect when Lygus said he was going to explain everything to her. She knew there was going to be a lot she had to internalize, but she didn’t expect it to nearly break her mind.

After being pulled into Lygus’s “Immersive Theater”, he began talking about what Stelle assumed to be nonsense. Nothing of what he was speaking about seemed to have anything to do with Amphoreus. He spoke of the “Prime Mover of Life” he mentioned before or whatever it was called. She didn’t know why that was important. He spoke of something she recalled learning about while she was testing for the Simulated Universe. The Scholar’s Strife and the Scepters of the Second Mechanical Emperor.

She still didn’t know what this had to do with anything. And as much as she wanted to complain, or tell Lygus to get to the point, she felt as if he was preventing her from speaking at that moment.

So all Stelle could do was listen and watch.

Lygus then spoke of a certain Scepter, set to find this “prime mover of life”. He talked about how it was abandoned by the Erudition and then gazed upon by another Aeon, granting it life.

Stelle wanted to question so much what the point of telling her all of this was. But instead she was thrust deeper into Lygus’s illusions.

She witnessed what was apparently the start of the entire story. The Flame-Chase Journey that would explain everything. Stelle had no idea what to expect when she followed Cyrene and Phainon throughout their adventure together, feeling like she was intruding on a place she didn’t belong. Yet as much as she tried to impose her free will on the situation, nothing she did ever changed what had happened in the past. From meeting the fairies, to the destruction of Aedes Elysiae, to different points in the Flame-Chase Journey, Stelle was a witness to it all. Always watching, always being treated like she belonged there, yet always unable to change the outcome. She expected that of course, as she knew she was superimposed into a past memory. Yet she questioned why this was done.

Taking a guess, she assumed it was probably to make her feel powerless.

She had no idea what to expect when she stood in the Vortex of Genesis once again, watching the two of them prepare to give the last coreflame. And yet, only one thought came to mind.

“Haven’t I…seen this scene before?” she asked.

“Indeed!” Lygus answered.

“In his memories, such a scene replays over and over. Though the details may differ, this remains ever the same: ‘All shall bid farewell to one, and that person alone will witness the miracle…’” he said, quoting the prophecy.

“…A total of 33,550,335 times. Each is a drop from the river of time, representing the long journey he would take, or rather…the never-ending cycle.”

Somehow, Stelle knew that this was what he was implying. That this same Flame-Chase Journey happened over and over and over again. But what really got to her was the number. Over 33 million times. That was enough to make her head spin. What’s more was that she still couldn’t understand so much. How did the cycles start? Why did they start? Why did this happen so many times? Obviously they were trying to prevent something with the coming of Era Nova, but what?

Seeing what had to be a horrified expression on her face, Lygus simply laughed.

“Seeing is believing. Why not let your own two eyes uncover the truth?” he asked.

The moment he said that, several Fragments of Recollection appeared.

“Or perhaps,” he continued.

“You can simply walk straight to the final truth: See the true face of the character you play, and witness the ultimate nature of the Chrysos Heirs, Flame-Chase Journey, and the cycles of Amphoreus.”

Stelle didn’t let herself be at a loss of what to do for long. She walked to each fragment and activated them one by one. And every time she did, she saw a different person standing next to Phainon here in the Vortex. All at the end of the Flame Chase, when everyone else had perished, leaving only him behind. It hurt her heart, seeing someone who she considered a friend be left alone every time he embarked on this journey.

But she knew the only way was forward. So once she was done, she approached Lygus again, her gaze cold.

“Show me the final memory.” she said.

“Very well,” he replied.

“As you have made up your mind, let us bear witness together. As the sole audience of this eternal theater, I have been rapturously awaiting your arrival. And this too is the very reason I must show you everything.”

He turned to face the basin, another Fragment of Recollection appearing.

“I believe that, since you've bathed in that Aeon's gaze…You can make Amphoreus's frozen fate flow once again…”

Chapter Text

Stelle wasn’t sure of what she was looking at.

When the final Fragment of Recollection was activated what she saw was…herself? Standing next to Phainon. This just made things far more confusing as she knew for a fact she was only here for this cycle. Immediately she glared at Lygus, about to demand an answer. But when did, he asked a question of his own.

“Feeling a bit lost?”

Not quite. Rather, feeling like she had just been slapped, Stelle continued to glare at him. It was clear he was enjoying her confusion. But just as she was about to make a snarky remark, he just kept speaking.

“As you now see, this scene marks the final act of the drama ‘Amphoreus’…The final Eternal Recurrence created by this man's hand, and the last one this world shall undergo.”

Removing one hand from Gaia’s shoulder, he gestured towards the illusory Stelle.

“Behold. At the swordsman's side stands one he has sometimes called companion, other times comrade, that Nameless Hero absent from the annals of history —She is the swordsman's ideal in his youth, the ‘Deliverer’ that guided him resolutely onward through fantasy— And now, in the name of the ‘Nameless,’ she has become an essential and inseparable part of the epic of Amphoreus.”

Stelle couldn’t help but scoff.

“What a load of-”

Almost instantly, Lygus shushed her. He then smiled at the outright offended look Stelle had on her face.

“There’s a child here~” he chided.

Even more furious at this point, Stelle was about to draw her weapon on Lygus again. But seeming to not care, he continued his performance, as if she didn’t interrupt him at all.

“And this time, under her guidance, what choice shall the hero make? Whither shall the fate of the world flow? And what is the ultimate truth of the nature of Amphoreus…?”

He then began cackling, his grip on Gaia tightening once again. She desperately looked at Stelle, silently begging her to do something. Stelle made an attempt to charge to at least tear Gaia from Lygus’s grip. But he simply stepped out of her way causing her to stumble.

“There are many mysteries yet to be unwound. But, if I may, allow me to temporarily yield the stage to one far more fitting. Please, put your hands together and give a rousing round of applause for they who will reveal the answers, and bring about the final end of the 33550336th Flame-Chase Journey —The master of the countless memories we saw, the other important actor now stepping into the Vortex, they who have already burnt their own self to cinder—  the Flame Reaver!”

Stelle practically had to leap out of the way as something descended on Lygus. With the gleam of a shattered sword and a swift slash, Lygus’s head fell one way, and his body collapsed, his hands finally releasing Gaia. And before her was the Flame Reaver. Stelle took the chance to surge forward to get her away from it. As she did, Phainon seemed to finally shake himself from the shock he was in.

“So, in the end, you succeeded…Executioner,” he said, summoning his sword once again.

“With my flesh as kindling…” both he and the Flame Reaver began.

“Light the first dawn of the new world.”

In an instant a fight broke out, Phainon being the first to attack. Stelle looked towards Gaia who was now trying to break free from her grasp.

“Dad!” she shouted.

“Don’t worry, Gaia,” Stelle told her.

“I’m not going to let anything happen to your dad. But you have to stay back.”

“You don’t understand!” Gaia tried to say.

But before she could say anything else, Stelle charged in, bat at the ready. The moment Phainon was forced back, she clashed weapons with the Flame Reaver herself. As Phainon charged in again, Stelle fell back to let him handle the main attack. She knew her role in this was to give backup to Phainon. As the two continued to clash with the Flame Reaver, it began speaking.

“The time has come…To once again…start everything…” 

What did that mean? That it was the cause of these cycles? But why would it cause them to begin with?

Stelle tried to ignore that. She had to focus. Clashing once again with the Flame Reaver, it then summoned its copies. Phainon looked around frantically, before Stelle charged one of them, knocking aside.

“Focus on the main body!” she called out.

“I’ll handle the copies!”

Phainon nodded and did as he was told. As he brought his sword against the Flame Reaver’s, it spoke once again.

“Answer me…will you be the blazing sun…Even if all creation…burns to ash…”

Okay, now it was clearly talking directly to Phainon. But nothing about what it said made sense. All creation? Did that mean all of Amphoreus or…something more than that?

“Losses…are a constant on the Flame-Chase journey…And you haven't lost... nearly enough…”

What nonsense. Phainon had lost everything on this stupid journey. It had no idea what it was talking about. Phainon seemed to be through with its mad ramblings as well.

“This ends now! With your corpse…I'll ignite the dawn!”

Another clash, and in an instant, the Flame Reaver’s mask fell from their face. Stelle and Phainon took only half a second to freeze and look.

“How is this possible…” Phainon breathed out.

For the Flame Reaver’s face, despite being shattered and ruined, and looking almost like a statue, was an exact mirror of Phainon’s.

Chapter Text

Neither Stelle nor Phainon had time to process the truth of the Flame Reaver’s face as their attack was relentless. If anything they seemed to grow more vengeful in their attack when their face was revealed. Shaking the stupor off himself, Phainon continued to press his own attack with Stelle still giving back up. The Flame Reaver, now unmasked, continued to say things that didn’t make much sense to him. They spoke of twin suns of destruction, of burning, seeming almost like the wanted Phainon to prove his worth to them. He couldn’t understand any of it, but he couldn’t let his confusion get the better of him.

The fight raged on, as Stelle continued to hold off the copies and Phainon pressed his advantage against the Flame Reaver. More kept appearing, yet Stelle didn’t seem to tire. Phainon did always respect her endless bounds of energy, especially in a fight. And soon enough, the Flame Reaver seemed to exhaust themself, the constant splitting of their body wearing them down. Phainon, taking full advantage of that, rushed forward and plunged his sword into their chest.

As he did, golden light began to emanate from the wound, which was already strange enough. But what made the moment even stranger is that the Flame Reaver didn’t fight back. Instead, they raised their hand, and almost gently took hold of Phainon’s wrist. They then began moving it towards their chest, their crescent moon blade appearing in Phainon’s hand. Phainon froze, completely unsure of what to make of this.

Were they…asking him to kill them?

As he held the blade there, still unsure of what to do, he heard the spark of electronics. And the moment he did, the world seemed to gray out around the edges, almost swimming in his vision. And in an instant, before he had time to panic or even react at all, everything went dark.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

He could hear Lygus speaking to him. He could feel both Stelle and Gaia’s presence beside him. Yet he couldn’t move, nor speak. All he could do was listen. Listen to Lygus prattle on about things he already knew. About how Amphoreus’s cycles were because of the fact it is a Scepter. He was so tired of him.

But it seemed he didn’t have to listen to him speak for long. For the world came back into focus, Phainon feeling like he was watching it from behind the screen of a teleslate. He saw himself and Cyrene, staring up into the sky of Okhema, which was flickering away, glitching like technology.

The world shifted again, revealing himself and Cyrene before Lygus in the Vortex of Genesis. In which he revealed the whole truth to them. In a rather smug fashion, he told them that their entire quest was meaningless. That there was nothing they could do to stop the rise of Irontomb. And yet Cyrene made note of something. That other Aeons had cast their gaze upon Amphoreus, and that could be used to their advantage.

So after “he” had killed Lygus, “he” and Cyrene enacted their plan. To use Cyrene’s soul and authority of Time to make Amphoreus repeat this final cycle. Over and over and over again until they can finally create an Era Nova that wouldn’t doom them and the universe.

Phainon could feel his heart breaking as Cyrene vanished. Not only for her, but for everyone who had to go through these loops. For his daughter.

“So…” he thought.

“So it was my fault Gaia had to suffer through her own death…?”

“Over and over again…?”

Loop after loop began, implanting themselves into Phainon, Stelle and Gaia’s minds. From the very first one where “he”, Khaslana, tried to tell the truth and work with all his fellow heirs. To the 134th one where Khaslana only worked with Anaxa and no one else. To every single one after where Khaslana began to kill the other heirs himself to take the coreflames and reset the world.

They watched as Khaslana’s mind warped, forcing himself to see his former friends and the Titan’s he was destined to slay so it would hurt less. They watched as his friends, Mydei, Castorice, and Hyacine tried to get him to abandon his path, but to no avail. And they watched as his plans changed. That when a new Phainon was born in every cycle, he would be led to the end, then inherit the Coreflames as well as the name Khaslana.

He watched in the cycle where Gaia was first born, where “he” as Khaslana killed her. He tried to scream at himself not to hurt her, but to no avail. The memory imprinted itself in his mind, as the one who killed her and the one who tried to save her at the same time. He watched as he tried to save her in the next few cycles, but failed every single time.

It was all so much.

Almost too much.

Was this really his fate?

To kill all those he held dear?

To always fail to protect his daughter?

To keep these cycles going for an eternity?

Phainon could feel himself slipping away, nearly breaking under the burning burden placed on him.

As he fell into his own mind, he stood where he always did, on the dock in Aedes Elysiae. Behind him was the “Hero Within”, that amorphous figure that was always by his side even when he started this journey. Every time he started this journey. Which means it would start all over again.

And yet…

There was something different. Because standing beside it was Stelle. And that was when he knew.

This time would change.

Because Stelle was everything he wanted to be. She had that sense of justice he always carried, she never stopped fighting for what was right, her heart never wavered in the face of difficulties. Over and over again, she defied fate. The fate of her own death, the fate of simply becoming a footnote in the lengths of history, and most importantly to him, the fate of becoming broken by this seemingly futile quest.

There was something so similar to himself that burned inside her. An intensity that felt so very familiar. He couldn’t pinpoint it. Perhaps it was the Trailblaze, perhaps it was something else. Whatever the case was, he knew she could play the role he was “destined” for and do it right.

But that also meant something else. He had his own role to play. He had to face the god that caused this all to begin with, the one that gave this Scepter he called home life.

It meant burning up in the fires of the Coreflames, of Destruction.

The Hero Within, that part of him he always buried, asked Stelle if she would take on the role of Deliverer and finally rewrite the fate of Amphoreus and the universe as a whole.

The warmth in his chest when she said that she would was different from the eternal burn of the Coreflames. It was a warmth of hope.

A part of him wanted to apologize to Stelle for putting such a burden on her. But he knew if he did, she would probably tell him to shut up in some form or fashion. She knew what she was doing. And she wasn’t scared.

He couldn’t help but shed tears when she told him to leave the world to her. His thoughts returned to his and Cyrene’s first time as he asked her to lend him her power.

So they could finally write a new ending to this eternal tragedy.

Chapter Text

The whiplash of snapping back to reality was enough to make all three of them throw up. No doubt it was a miracle that none of their minds broke from the sheer amount of memories. To Gaia especially, it was such a heavy weight on her mind that could already comprehend so little. It almost felt like pain that pressed against her skull, driving her mad.

Yet she knew she couldn’t break. This was a burden she had to carry. This was knowledge she had to hold.

Trying to shove the memories down, she focused on what was still happening now. As her vision readjusted, she saw her Dad, the crescent moon blade in his hand still pointed at Khaslana’s chest. Despite the fact he was clearly dying, Khaslana still spoke, his voice rasping out.

“Tell me, will you be the blazing sun…Even if all of you…burns to ash?” he asked her Dad.

“Without hesitation. I will bear this world until my body turns to dust,” he Dad answered.

Seeming satisfied, Khaslana rose to his feet. Within a second, both blades disappeared, and Khaslana, once a broken shell of a person, became a glorious golden god, floating before all of them.

“Good…Remember this moment,” Khaslana said.

“Remember your friends who never lived to see the world's end. Remember their final wishes…And let the purest rage in your heart rise out of those wishes…Let it consume you, fuel you, until it burns away the false sky above.”

“Fine. If I can defy fate…Then in the name of ‘Worldbearing,’ I promise you: Kephale will never forget this.”

The crescent moon blade appeared in Khaslana’s hand again. He passed it to her Dad, before opening his arms and presenting himself as a target.

Almost in the exact same way her Dad did the first time she died.

“Take it…” Khaslana said.

“Everything I bear. Keep on burning. As long as we are never extinguished…The Flame-Chase will not end…”

Her Dad stared at the blade for only half a second. Before plunging it into Khaslana’s chest. In an instant, Khaslana returned to his broken form, his shattered pieces floating all around him. As golden blood flowed, he was consumed by a light, a power that was exactly the same.

The power of Destruction.

Gaia watched as her Dad transformed, his body reshaping itself into that same glorious golden form she saw earlier. Crystals grew from his shoulders. Dark armor covered his body. Two wings sprouted from his back, one gold and one dark. Behind him, a sun-like halo manifested. And when his eyes opened, they were pure gold as well.

Khaslana, now almost completely turned to dust, raised his hand to him, almost gently caressing his cheek.

“Do not…Bow your head to THEM…”

And that was the last thing he said before he vanished entirely.

With that, her Dad summoned power into his hands, and shattered the world around them, resuming the flow of time once again. Shards of the broken world rained down. Gaia threw her hands up to guard herself from the falling debris, as Stelle ran over to try to protect her.

And yet, a glimmering golden shield protected her, Stelle, and Mem. As the three of them looked upwards towards Gaia’s Dad, he simply smiled at them.

“Take it, Trailblazer,” he said.

“May this blood be like gold and never tarnish.”

Stelle took Gaia’s hand and began leading her out of the now collapsing Vortex. And as she did, they could hear her Dad’s voice.

“Farewell, Stelle. This is where I fulfill my final destiny. The prophecy of the ‘Deliverer’ means nothing to me now. It belongs in the hands of someone far more fitting. Someone like you.”

He let out a short laugh. Gaia ripped her hand out of Stelle’s and stood there staring.

“Khaslana, the name of one who bears chaos, does not belong to a single person. Rather, it is the embodiment of the mythical Kephale and a symbol of all heroes. As the prophecy foretold: ‘You will bear the blazing sun, until the pale dawn breaks.’ May the name accompany you in my place in the epic you write with your own hands.”

Stelle ceased running for just a moment. She turned to look, smiled knowingly at him, before putting her hands on her hips.

“Isn’t there someone else you need to say goodbye to?” she asked.

Another laugh, this one was far more sad. His eyes turned to Gaia.

“This is goodbye, Gaia. I know I promised in the past that this would be the last loop. But I need you to trust me once again. We’ll do this one more time. And then…you can finally live the life you deserve.”

One more time.

Just one more loop he said. One more loop then they could finally be free.

Gaia didn’t want to believe it at first. She always thought each previous loop would be the last time. She thought there was no escape from these loops. But she trusted her Dad. And even if she didn’t know her too well, she trusted Stelle.

She looked at her Dad, who was floating before her in his glorious, golden winged form.

“You promise?” she asked.

“You promise it’ll be just one more?”

“I swear, Gaia,” he answered, smiling.

“I know that Stelle will find a way to stop the loops. To stop Irontomb.”

“Then…where are you going?”

“I need to settle a score. This god…the one that hurt us. They need to know the mistake they made.”

“But you’ll come back, right?”

“Of course I’ll come back.”

He gave her another encouraging smile. The one he would always flash before going into battle.

“I’ll never leave you behind.”

And she believed him. Because he always came back from his battles. No matter what.

With that he disappeared, and she felt Stelle grasp her hand once again. As she was being led out of the Vortex of Genesis once again, she repeated the phase she was promised to herself. She dared to hope that it would be true.

“One more time.”

Chapter Text

Gaia felt like she just woke up from a very long bout of sleep, not sure of when she closed her eyes or if she even fell asleep. However, when she opened them everything seemed so blurry and out of focus. Trying to get a handle of her surroundings, she looked to her side to see Stelle, seeming just as disoriented as she was. The only thing either of them could hear was a faint but familiar voice. The two then looked up to see Mem floating above them, mentioning how she protected both of them from the reversed flow of time.

Or rather…

It wasn’t Mem anymore, was it?

And it seemed she knew as well, laughing a bit, saying that they probably figured it out a long time ago.

“Not surprised at all, huh?” Mem, or rather, Cyrene asked.

“That's because I'm simple at heart. No matter what form I take, I've always been true to myself. But I'm glad that I remembered in the end. This way, I'll have no regrets.”

“Regrets?” Stelle asked.

“Where are you going?” Gaia asked as well.

“We're not truly parting,” Cyrene answered.

“Because I'm going to become a part of you…I'll turn into the memory of this cycle, the 33,550,336th Flame-Chase Journey, and forever reside in the heart of the ‘Time’ demigod.”

So this was how each loop happened. Cyrene’s soul was given away after all Coreflames were collected. And she would be used to turn back time.

“My mission ends here, but looking back, I still feel lucky…” Cyrene said, sounding like she was almost near tears.

“After all, across thirty million Cyrenes, I was the first and the only one who got to finally meet you! Both of you!”

“So, believe me, in the next cycle, there will be another Cyrene waiting for you.”

As Cyrene continued to talk to Stelle, promising her that they would meet again, promising gentle breezes, Gaia could feel the world around her finally taking shape. It looked so foreign, yet so familiar at the same time. Wheat fields that seemed to stretch on forever, small houses made of stone, bells that chimed in the calm wind, the sun shining down in a way that seemed to make everything glitter in its light. Gaia knew where they were landing.

This was her Dad’s home, Aedes Elysiae.

And before them, standing in the wheat fields was a girl in a purple jacket with short pink hair. As she stood with her back turned to the two, she began speaking.

“Is this a meeting ordained by fate?”

She turned around with a smile.

“Or…a long-overdue reunion?♪”

For just a moment, Gaia and Stelle stared at Cyrene in disbelief, not entirely sure if she actually remembered them. She then began walking away, back into the village. The two followed her, not sure of what else to do. She made her way to a big tree and sat down on the swing tied to it.

As she simply smiled at the two of them again, Gaia finally let her emotions get the better of her. Running over to Cyrene, Gaia practically threw herself at her. To which Cyrene opened her arms and held her tightly. The whole world seemed to fall silent for just a moment as Cyrene held her in her arms.

“I…” Gaia said quietly.

“I always wanted to meet you…”

“You’ve already met me, remember?” Cyrene replied.

“I was with you from the moment you met Stelle.”

“I know, I know. But…Dad told me about you. A lot about you. And I wanted to get to know the person he considered a little sister. I wanted to know my family.”

“Little? I’m not that much younger than him, hehe~”

Cyrene held Gaia tighter.

“But it means everything to me to know that Phainon found love. And that I’m an aunt now.♪”

The two sat in silence for a few moments longer, Gaia just continuing to hold onto Cyrene. Knowing that at this point in time, she was the only family she had.

It scared her, being almost completely alone, but she knew Cyrene would be there for her. She knew Stelle would be there for her. She wasn’t alone in this. Not anymore.

Speaking of-

As Gaia looked up towards Stelle, she figured she wanted to talk to Cyrene herself. So, she let go and stepped away, allowing Cyrene to stand up from the swing. She watched as Stelle and Cyrene talked like old friends, as if they knew each other for an eternity. It was cute, the two fell into the old patterns of being partners as they were before.

But as Cyrene said, now wasn’t the time to reminisce. They had a promise to keep. And a weapon they needed to stop. As Cyrene explained to Stelle, this was their last chance to stop Lygus, and thus, the emergence of Irontomb. Which means they needed help. And a lot of it. After all, Lygus was confident, confident that they couldn’t stop him no matter what they did. Cyrene even mentioned that “Lycurgus” wasn’t even his real name, so they don’t know what else he could be hiding, or what other tricks he might have. 

That was when Stelle revealed something that looked similar to those Space Anchors she and Dan Heng placed around. She explained it was called a Chronocognitive Anchor and could contact people from outside Amphoreus. People that could help them.

The three of them soon found a place to make contact, a place that Cyrene remembers as her secret base from the previous cycles. As Stelle activated the Anchor, Gaia wondered who these “geniuses” would be.

So it was quite the surprise to her to see an android standing before them. And beside him was an elegant woman in a witch’s outfit. The android, Screwllum, she assumed turned to Stelle, and despite his face remaining unchanging he seemed pleased to see her.

“We are very glad to learn that you're safe, Miss Stelle.”

Chapter Text

Even if Herta explained the gravity of the situation in a way Stelle could understand, it was still hard for her to wrap her mind around just how much danger everyone was in. And how little time they had to stop it. Irontomb’s mission, and —as she could only assume— Lygus’s goal was to destroy the Path of Erudition completely. What that could mean, even the geniuses didn’t know. In Herta’s words, the possibilities were endless. Screwllum explained they only had 14 system hours before Irontomb was complete, which really put the pressure on her to figure this out fast.

Thankfully, the geniuses could give her guidance.

It was only then did she learn exactly what Phainon did. When he vanished, he used the power of the Destruction thrust upon him to attempt to fight Nanook. And when he did he…destroyed himself. In doing so he made the Worldbearing path of Amphoreus buggy.

Stelle was only half listening to the explanation Herta was giving as her attention shifted to Gaia, who had her hands over her mouth, looking to be near tears. Under her breath, Gaia whispered something that broke Stelle’s heart.

“You promised you’d come back…”

Trying to strengthen her own resolve, and to keep Gaia from breaking down, Stelle turned back to Herta.

“Phainon didn't die. He's still fighting,” she said a bit sharply.

Herta seemed to mostly ignore her, focusing entirely on relaying Stelle’s goal to her. But she wasn’t the one Stelle was saying that to. Looking back down at Gaia, she saw her wiping her tears away and mumbling to herself.

“R-Right…Dad’s not gone…He’s fighting off Irontomb…He’ll…He’ll come back…”

Stelle felt herself relax a little bit, knowing that at least for a time, she kept Gaia’s faith in Phainon strong.

Herta mentioned that Lygus would do anything to debug the error in the Worldbearing path, and explained that the only current way to suppress Irontomb was to complete Era Nova while the path was still bugged. That made enough sense, but that was when Screwllum brought up that Lygus was planning to interfere with the Demigods and Titans, which was a far cry from his passive observation before. He could only assume he was planning to rewrite the Ultimate Protocol of Amphoreus through the Law Titan, Talanton.

As Cyrene mused about the Law Titan, something about her seemed to catch Herta’s attention. When prompted for more details on what she noticed, Herta brushed it aside. Stelle could really only guess Herta noticed Cyrene’s abilities to manipulate time or maybe her connection with the Remembrance. But that wasn’t important at this very moment, no matter how much wanted to pry more into it herself.

Their current mission was clear. With the time they were to land into set, they had to get “Law” into their own hands by any means necessary. Just as Herta was reiterating that her connection started to grow unstable. Screwllum told her that the interference to their connection was getting closer, meaning they were running out of time. He asked Stelle to be quick about any other questions she might have. To which she asked about the status of her friends. Himeko, Sunday, Black Swan, and Welt were safe on the Express. Dan Heng was on his way back to the Express. And March was rather unclear, but there is a good chance she might be in Amphoreus.

With that out of the way, the two geniuses wished Stelle luck, Herta even calling her “Deliverer”. And not a second later, they vanished.

As they did, Cyrene mentioned that something about the whole situation felt familiar. As if she was remembering something but then forgot it. She could only really guess it was because of being Mem for a while, but even that wasn’t really an explanation. Putting those thoughts aside for the moment, Cyrene explained even more about the time they were landing in. At that point, the Coreflame of Law was already claimed by a Chyrsos Heir named Cerydra. So at least they had a direction to go.

Cyrene then asked to pack up her possessions before they leave, allowing Stelle and Gaia some time alone. Stelle wasn’t really sure of what to do with herself, nor was she sure of what to say to Gaia. So she just retrieved the Chronocognitive Anchor, and decided to wait in the attic for Cyrene. As she did, she couldn’t help but get lost in what this burden even meant, and what would happen to her once this last Era Nova was completed. She wasn’t one to believe in destiny, so that was out of the question. So instead she tried to think rationally. Yet as she was lost in thought, she heard a tiny, light voice speaking to her.

“Miss Stelle, you meant what you said, right?”

Turning her head, she saw Gaia standing next to her, looking at the scenery as well. Realizing she hadn’t said anything, Gaia elaborated on her question to Stelle.

“You’re sure that Dad is still out there fighting?”

Stelle was about to answer in the affirmative, before Cyrene joined in on the conversation.

“Of course he is, Gaia,” she said.

“Don’t you feel it? The rage of the Black Tide is quiet. He’s still fighting, keeping everyone, keeping you safe.”

Gaia smiled at both Cyrene and Stelle, seeming more than happy with that answer. It was going to be strange, traveling with a child, but knowing that she had memories of the past cycles could be useful to both of them. And besides, they made a promise to protect her.

As the three of them were saying their last goodbyes to Aedes Elysiae, Stelle couldn’t help but think about what the journey ahead would be like. And as daunting as it seemed, she knew she would do as she always did. Make allies, make friendships, and draw upon her own strengths to trailblaze forward.

And yet, just as they were about to leave, Stelle heard a voice in her head. One she had not hoped to hear for a while. Yet before she could answer, she heard Gaia ask what she was about to.

“…Lygus?!”

Before Stelle could even take in the fact that Gaia could also hear him, or respond to his apparent “welcome to into his abode” —whatever that meant— she felt her body being consumed by a strange power. It almost seemed to collapse in on itself being sucked into a void. She tried to call out to Cyrene, but her voice failed her as she felt herself ripped out from reality.

Chapter Text

When Stelle felt her body reconstruct itself, the first sensation she felt was cold metal beneath her. Sitting, and soon standing up, she tried to take in her new surroundings. The flooring was made of strange giant wires, with even more large wires holding it together. There were screens littered the place, each one of them playing muffled sound. The deep darkness almost reminded her of space with how it seemed to stretch infinitely. All of it was bizarre and nothing like the Amphoreus she knew. But just as she was about to explore the space herself, she heard a scared cry. Looking to where it was coming from, she saw Gaia sitting on the ground, her eyes wide in confusion and terror. Noticing Stelle, Gaia clumsily got to her feet and ran over to her, clinging onto her leg.

“Where…where are we?! What is this place?!”

“I…I don’t know,” Stelle answered.

“But if Lygus brought us here to talk or something, then he must be waiting here somewhere.”

“I…” Gaia tried to say.

“I don’t want to talk to him…”

“You won’t have to,” Stelle said back.

“I’ll do all the talking.”

She then picked Gaia up and balanced her in her arms.

“And I’ll keep you safe from him,” she declared.

So, Stelle began to walk through the space, trying to get a sense of it. As she walked past the monitors, each one began to play a sound, a name.

PoleMos600…

EleOs252…

EpieiKeia216…

SkeMma720…

HapLotes405…

SkoPeo365…

KaLos618…

OreXis945…

ApoRia432…

HubRis504…

She recognized those names. These were the code names given to each Chrysos Heir made for the Amphoreus experiment. These were the factors meant to progress the experiment to its final goal. Stelle tried not to let it get to her, the fact that these people, the people she knew were destined to just be code for all eternity.

As she continued to walk, she saw images, illusions of the Chrysos Heirs. She saw Castorice, Trinnon, Cipher, and one more person she didn’t recognize. Each image vanished as she walked past them, Stelle doing her best to ignore them, determined to press forward and find a way out.

Eventually, she came across another monitor, sitting right in the path before her. With one arm, she continued to hold Gaia. With the other, she cautiously reached out and touched the monitor’s screen. A cold, chilling, yet almost familiar feeling coursed through her.

It was weird.

It almost felt like…Destruction…

No.

She couldn’t let her mind slip like that.

Removing her hand from the monitor, she tried to shake herself out of whatever stupor she was in. She looked at the monitor again, before it abruptly played a sound.

Outlier: Stelle

Outlier: ApeiRon836

Executing Command: Record.

Stelle startled back a moment, before she felt her back hit something. Startling again, she whirled around to see Lygus standing before her. Seeming amused by her surprise, Lygus then proceeded to explain how this place, the Exomyth as he called it, was a space between Amphoreus and the real world. He continued to speak more, but Stelle quickly lost interest. She was so sick of hearing his voice.

“Get. To. The. Point.” she snapped.

Lygus simply laughed again.

“Seems like you are not in the mood for an idle chat. That is fine. I simply wish for you to understand that I have no intention of being your enemy.”

Stelle couldn’t help but scoff. Even if he, in truth, had done nothing to her specifically, he still hurt people she considered friends. He cruelly created life for the sole purpose of using it for his experiment. He intends to create something that will cause devastation to the entire universe, all for what? Hell if she knew. Even if he promised that she and her fellow Nameless will remain unscathed, that wasn’t enough for her. And she made that clear.

Yet Lygus seemed unphased. He laughed again.

“ Rest assured: As a fellow pathstrider of this Path, Nanook's gaze left a brand on your soul long ago.”

He paused before his smile widened, causing Gaia to cling to Stelle and hide her face.

“Or rather…that brand has been on your soul since the moment of your birth, hasn’t it?”

Stelle felt like she had just been slapped, and Lygus took full advantage of that.

“Am I wrong, Vessel of Nanook?”

“H-How…” Stelle stammered out, taking a step backwards.

“How do you know that?”

Instead of answering her question, Lygus simply continued to speak.

“You harbor the seed of Destruction within you…But you need to learn how to use it in the right way. That vital knowledge is also my bargaining chip in this negotiation between us, for there are few in this world who are truly capable of such a feat…And I happen to be one of them.”

“Who…are you…?” Stelle asked shakily.

“Someone who wanders the stars. Someone who seeks answers with abject despair. That is all I am. This matter is of grave importance, so please, do not make your decision lightly. After all, the choice before you…Bears a one-in-three chance of elevating you to an unparalleled existence among the stars.”

“Like hell I’d let you or the Destruction use me!” Stelle snarled.

And for once, Lygus had nothing to say in return. Other than bid the two farewell, seeming to accept Stelle’s choice. Stelle felt like she was slapped again.

“Okay, I get why you brought me here, but why her too?” she asked, referring to Gaia.

“Ah, it seems you have only half the truth. But no matter, I will keep it short, since I can tell you loathe my presence. Both of your presences here have inscribed a new footnote in the Exomyth. As for its purpose, allow me to reveal it to you in detail the next time we meet.”

And with that, the same sensation Stelle felt before entering the Exomyth returned. The collapsing, the feeling of being consumed, it all came back as no doubt she and Gaia were being sent back to Amphoreus.

Chapter Text

Stelle wasn’t exactly bored when Cyrene was telling her about the history of the Flame Chase and the Imperator. She knew the information was important and did her best to listen to Cyrene. But she was distracted. Very distracted. She couldn’t help but continue to think about what Lygus had said to her in the Exomyth; about what he knew of her.

He called her the “Vessel of Nanook”.

Remembering that sent a chill down her spine. Only three people knew of her being that, of her true nature. Well, four now, she supposed, including Lygus. But still, that raised so many questions in her mind.

How did he know?

Could he sense the power within her? If so, how?

What would he want with her?

Why was he so obsessed with the Destruction?

Who was he?

As Stelle continued to spiral, she then felt a sharp jab at her arm. Looking down to where she felt it, she saw Gaia giving her a concerned look. Before she could reassure Gaia that she was alright, she then pointed to Cyrene. Stelle looked at her to see her hands on her hips and a disappointed expression on her face. Cyrene then lightly scolded her for zoning out during her history lesson. Stelle did her best to make her excuses, and even though Cyrene didn’t seem to believe her, she let it go, at least for now.

According to Cyrene they were right at the time when the first Flame-Chase ended, and Law was acquired. They had to earn the Demigod’s trust before she ascended. The plan was to go to Okhema to meet her, but as they were about to leave, they heard what sounded like a fight happening in the Temple of the Three Fates. Curious, but also figuring they should keep to themselves, the three entered the Temple to watch from afar.

The fight, which was between a priest and a warrior, seemed to already be at its peak when they entered. But what really caught the three of them off guard was the priest mentioned several things that he shouldn’t have known.

“Stars beyond the sky? Gods who created the Titans? What kind of nonsense!”

Cyrene wondered aloud about how he could’ve known that. But her thoughts were soon interrupted by another person stepping in. Stelle recognized her as that unfamiliar woman she saw in the Exomyth. Hysliens, as Cyrene quickly explained who she was. Hysilens told the warrior to stand down, claiming they were there to welcome “the Deliverer from beyond the sky”. But just as Stelle was processing that, another unfamiliar person stepped in, a short woman dressed in blue with white hair, wearing a crown of flame. As she walked forward, she asked the priest a simple question.

“If the old laws were so perfect, why did they crumble beneath my feet?”

The priest tried to stammer out a response but the woman kept speaking.

“Talanton is long gone. Now, I am the Law…Challenge me, or submit to my judgment.”

Stelle wanted to intervene, trying to step forward as the woman stared down the priest. But as she attempted to do so, Hysilens rushed in front of her, holding a single finger up. It was clear Stelle was to wait. So wait she did. And all she could do was watch in surprise, awe, and bit of horror as the white haired woman set the priest alight in bright blue flame. Yet to the white haired woman, this seemed to be business as usual, as she simply ordered the warrior to spread the ashes of the priest around the Temple to send a message to the people still there.

And even with that, Stelle didn’t have time to question it, as the white haired woman asked Hysilens to present something to the three of them. Only for the group to be utterly shocked as the thing they were presented with was the corpse of Caenis. As the woman explained, she and her Cleaners have been trying to interrupt the Flame-Chase Journey. She also said that she knew that this incarnation of Caenis caused the three of them trouble, so she wanted to present her as a gift to them.

Stelle had no idea whether to laugh awkwardly or get sick on the spot. So she just tried to keep a straight face and thank the woman.

The woman then introduced herself by a few different titles. The “Flamebearer” who ends wars, the “Tyrant” of Dawncloud, the “Empress” of the holy city, and the “Imperator” of the Flame-Chase. But she told them they could refer to her by her true name.

Cerydra.

“On behalf of my people and this land, greetings, ‘Deliverer.’” she said.

Cyrene asked how Cerydra knew Stelle’s identity, to which she explained that Tribbie prophesied her arrival as “the Deliverer from the future beyond the sky”. She said it would happen on this very day, she could recognize the description of Stelle from anywhere.

As such, Cerydra ordered the return to Okhema, calling it triumphant. And that the Flame Chase Alliance would convene when they arrive. She then told the three of them she would confer with them after. Hysilens said that she knew they had questions, but told them to save those questions for later.

Neither Stelle nor Cyrene nor Gaia were sure of what to make of any of this. Clearly something had happened that allowed for everyone to be aware of what was beyond Amphoreus, but what that was, it was still unclear. The only thought that did seem to come to mind was Lygus meddling somehow, but there was no way of knowing for sure.

So they just hoped their questions would be answered in Okhema when they arrived. And even if not, they still had their chance to proceed forward with their mission. Using Stelle’s identity as the Deliverer, they could hopefully sway Cerydra and the people of Okhema to their side.

And besides, it would be nice to see some familiar faces in Okhema again.

Chapter Text

It was an Okhema from a different time. And despite it not being physically different from the Okhema she knew, it still didn’t feel like Gaia’s home. Although, she very well knew the reason for that. Her parents weren’t here to welcome her into their arms.

But now wasn’t the time to think about that, no matter how much she missed them.

Talking to the different people that Cerydra has recruited to the Flame Chase went well for the most part. Each of them were quite the characters with their own reasons and thoughts for standing behind Cerydra. Some believed in her wholeheartedly. Others were skeptics but followed her anyway. Some were nervous, while others told them they had nothing to fear as long they were in the Imperator’s favor.

But of course, the hardest part of all came down to seeing Aglaea and Tribbie again. It took everything in Gaia’s power to not throw herself at both of them sobbing. She missed them both as well. As she looked up at Stelle, she could tell that she was having a hard time managing how she felt as well. Yet she attempted to keep her expression neutral anyway.

According to them, Oronyx had not only given the prophecy of Stelle’s arrival, but also told all of Amphoreus of the world beyond the sky. It was a bit hard for all of them to wrap their heads around, but they managed to understand enough. It seemed Oronyx was the one who allowed all of them to learn about the sky beyond Amphoreus. Gaia didn’t really understand why or how Oronyx knew of it, but she assumed it had something to do with Stelle’s arrival the last cycle.

And so, with that question answered, what came next was the convening of the Flame Chase Alliance. Hysilens was the one to lead them to their seats amongst the council and announced the start of it soon after. In and of itself, the meeting was…something. It reminded Gaia a lot of the debates her Papa would participate in at the Grove and here at Dawncloud. It was clear that Cerydra’s orders and plans were just as divisive as her Papa’s theories, the vitriol being spat at her more than palpable. Cerydra announced her plan to campaign against Phagousa next, now that the Deliverer was a part of the army. To which a representative attempted to paint her as a simple power hungry liar.

But with the Coreflame shown to everyone in the council, the dissent was quickly silenced.

It wasn’t long after that show of power that the meeting was adjourned, with the campaign against Phagousa set in stone. Even though that same representative refused to give any more soldiers.

But before the three of them could leave, Cerydra asked to speak to them. After apologizing for the state of the meeting, Cyrene mentioned how tiring it must be. Cerydra simply scoffed and said that her strategy simply adds color to their fates. But that wasn’t important in the grand scheme of things to her, now that she had seen what lies beyond Amphoreus. She then asked if the existence of Aeons was a reality. Stelle confirmed it almost instantly, which seemed to greatly please Cerydra. The conversation continued with Stelle and Cyrene explaining their plan and purpose. That Law must be protected so Amphoreus doesn’t fall into Destruction.

Surprisingly, Cerydra was impressed by how bold they both were. And thus, she allowed them to join the Flame-Chase Army so their mission of Deliverance could be completed. After giving them each a medallion of nobility, she sent them on their way.

As they walked away, Gaia could feel Cerydra’s gaze boring into them. It wasn’t her trust they had, Gaia knew that, but her attention instead. She was interested in what they had to offer, meaning if they were to complete their mission, they had to keep her attention.

How they could do so, that was what they had to figure out. Which meant they had to consult with the geniuses again.

Walking through Marmoreal Palace to find a place to chat privately, Stelle and Cyrene were able to pry more information from some of the other nobles. Namely the Dux Fragoris, Labienus. According to him, there was a certain lord called the Theoros that was speaking to Cerydra.

Hearing that name nearly sent Gaia into a panic. Lygus was here. He was here and already trying to impede them. Trying to hide her fear, she simply followed behind Cyrene and Stelle, hoping no one would notice her. And it seemed, for a time, that was the case, as no one paid attention to her. At least until they reached the room they were to use.

It came as a bit of a surprise that Hysilens was already there, bathing. Although she didn’t seem to mind their arrival. The conversation, while a bit awkward at first, considering it opened with Hysilens admitting to killing a delegate, seemed to give Cyrene much insight into who Hysilens was. What exactly that insight was, Gaia didn’t know. But Cyrene seemed to understand her, which Gaia supposed could be useful.

Aglaea soon arrived into the same room, scolding Hysilens for dirtying her clothing with blood again. Hysliens hardly seemed bothered by the scolding, simply falling into banter with Aglaea.

The conversation soon switched from that to the banquet held in honor of the campaign against Phagousa. Which then switched to a talk about Aglaea’s wish for when she gets the Coreflame of Romance. She, unlike the Aglaea Gaia knew, was unsure of losing her humanity. But Stelle and Cyrene encouraged her, Stelle in particular telling her that she will “weave the most romantic thing in the world”.

That seemed to satisfy Aglaea, as she gave Stelle a smile. She gave a bit of her own insight on the prophecy before preparing to take her leave. But as she was just about to leave she turned back around.

“Oh and, Young Lady Gaia?” she called out.

“The Imperator wishes to speak to you alone.”

Chapter Text

Cerydra knew she had to be decisive. She had to take one side or the other in this conflict, since both parties were after her and her Coreflame. Of course the words of the Theoros enticed her, that was the whole point of what he was doing. He played into everything she desired, making sure what he said was tailored to her. And yet, she could practically feel the poisoned honey drip from his words. He was a being who made promises, promises he could keep if he wanted, there was no doubt about that. But the selfishness that radiated off him was so obvious it was basically an aura. It was clear he only cared about himself and his own goals. She knew that kind of person all too well. She had killed many of those selfish people in the past, those who had stood in her way.

And yet it still made her think so much of her “family”…

No.

Now wasn’t the time to sink into the past.

It was never the time to do that.

So Cerydra continued to wait, knowing the girl would arrive soon. Already she had thought of what she intended to ask of her. And the girl’s answers and reaction would be crucial in seeing who was truly willing to help Amphoreus.

Soon enough she heard light footsteps approaching her.

“Imperator…I…I have been told you wanted to speak to me?” a small voice asked.

Cerydra had never heard the girl’s voice before this moment. It was light, nervous, unsure, much unlike the Deliverer and her companion. She also made note of the fact of how she kept quiet as the other two spoke. She spoke with a great amount of fear.

“Yes. I have some questions for you, Gaia.”

She turned to see the young girl shifting her weight back and forth on each leg nervously, her eyes down at her feet.

That simply wouldn’t do.

“Look at me when you answer my questions,” she commanded.

Gaia’s posture immediately straightened her arms stiffening at her sides.

“S…Sorry, Imperator!” Gaia stammered out.

Cerydra just shook her head.

“An apology isn’t necessary,” she replied, a very light touch of softness in her voice.

Cerydra turned around to face Kephale. She contemplated her words for only a second before speaking.

“Now,” she began.

“The Deliverer knows about the sea of stars and the gods beyond Amphoreus. Her companion knows about everything from within Amphoreus. But you…”

She turned to face Gaia again.

“You know about the previous cycles, don’t you?”

Gaia’s eyes widened in surprise, seeming to not expect her to know of, or ask about that. But she recovered quickly before nodding.

“Yes, Imperator. I’ve been through eight cycles myself, but I know about all of them.”

“Tell me, what became of the Flame-Chase I led in each previous cycle?”

Gaia seemed to hesitate. She looked around nervously, as if someone else could be listening in on their conversation. It was more than clear that she believed that this information would be her undoing if she revealed it to the wrong person. Yet she seemed to finally trust Cerydra, as she took in a deep breath and spoke.

“It…it failed. Each previous Flame-Chase failed because…because completing them would spell the end of Amphoreus.”

“Oh?”

“I won’t tell you to beware of others. Because that would make it seem like I was trying to turn you against your allies. But…”

Another set of nervous glances. Despite Cerydra’s expression not changing, despite her body not betraying her mind, her heart ached for the girl. She was put into a position that she wasn’t designed for. Molded by someone else to carry a burden that would’ve been too much for even the greatest of warriors.

It made Cerydra furious.

But keeping her composure, she let Gaia continue speaking.

“There’s a reason we need Law. The reason no other Flame-Chase you led was completed was because Era Nova would create a monster.”

No doubt this ‘monster’ was the ‘beast’ the Theoros spoke of, Irontomb. And while he did say it would be used for her conquest, she should’ve suspected it wouldn’t be that.

“Tell me about this ‘monster’ you speak of.”

“I…I don’t know much about it,” Gaia answered, seeming somewhat ashamed.

“But all I know is that if it is born, then Amphoreus, along with countless other worlds will die. Our world will be used as its body, our lives as its food, and it will do nothing but destroy.”

Cerydra noticed that Gaia began shivering, shaking. As if the mere thought of death still scared her. Although…Cerydra knew that becoming the fuel for a machine was a fate far worse than death. It would mean the body was torn apart, turned to absolutely nothing until it eventually melted away entirely, becoming one with the machine.

It was enough to make her own stomach turn.

“That’s why we need your help,” Gaia explained.

“If we change the laws of Amphoreus, we can escape our fate. The monster would never be born, and Amphoreus can continue to live on.”

A hopeful glimmer shone in Gaia’s eyes as she kept speaking.

“It could even connect with other worlds! We could finally see what’s beyond the sky! Our world, our home, it can finally be real!” 

She let out a bit of a sigh, her expression now pleading, desperate.

“But we can’t do it without you Imperator.”

Cerydra gave a cursory few seconds to take in the girl’s words. Before turning her back to her once again, her gaze drifting towards the sky.

“You can be on your way now, Gaia. I thank you for giving me this information.”

“O…Okay. Thank you for giving me your time, Imperator.”

And with that, Gaia walked away, leaving Cerydra alone once again.

The girl was smart, Cerydra could give her that. She knew what to say to appeal to the humanity within her; a complete opposite of the Theoros who appealed to her desire to be known and remembered.

And yet…

Even if it did appeal to her humanity, Gaia wasn’t trying to appeal. She was simply speaking the truth she knew, what she was told. Cerydra watched her carefully. She saw the way she continued to be fearful, as if something, or rather someone would kill her if she did the wrong thing.

No…

Not kill.

She could feel it lie deep within the girl. She didn’t fear death. She feared something else. Whatever fate she feared, it would result in her being in torment.

Forever.

And Cerydra simply couldn’t allow that to happen.

Smiling a bit to herself, she thought of how to move the chess pieces to work in her favor.

And how Amphoreus could finally break free of this prison it was built to be.

Chapter Text

The banquet for the campaign against Phagousa arrived in no time at all. Which meant it was the time for Cerydra to make her move against the Theoros. Of course, she couldn’t let him become aware of that. She still had to make him believe she was wrapped around his finger. And as such, she had to make everyone else believe she was swayed by him as well. Especially Hysilens, who was crucial to her plan working.

That in and of itself was not a difficult task, as Cerydra was an actor her entire life. No, the difficult task was to not break character around the Theoros and have Hysilens do away with him at that moment. He spoke in circles, never meaning what he said and it absolutely drove her up a wall. And she knew by now every word he said was steeped in lies.

He spoke of the worlds outside of Amphoreus, painting them as either primitive, insane, or misguided. She couldn’t gauge whether or not he truly believed the statements he was making, but that hardly mattered. His words went mostly in one ear and out the other.

It was only after he finished portraying the Deliverer as a hopeless self-important hero, that he turned to look at his quarry. Cerydra held her breath for just a moment, hoping that her three guests of honor would not draw attention to the fact they were not under Hysliens’s spell. But it seemed they knew what to do, as the Deliverer immediately chugged her drink, her companion made idle chatter with the other guests, and Gaia stayed close to Hysilens. The Theoros seemed to be fooled as his attention was soon off them again and back on Cerydra.

Their conversation continued for only a moment longer before the Theoros made his goal clear. He wanted the Deliverer to be handed over to him. For what purpose, he didn’t make that entirely clear, but from the way he said “experimentation” it was clear that she, much like everyone else to him, was simply a part of his study of Destruction.

Cerydra should’ve left it at that, ending the conversation there. But a part of her grew morbidly curious. She had to ask.

“And what of the other two?”

The Theoros simply laughed.

“Her companion is of no consequence to me. You may deal with her as you see fit, great Imperator. But as for the child…it is best if she is put in my care as well.”

“Do you plan to…‘experiement’ on her as well?”

“My, is that venom in your voice?”

She only then realized she let her animosity slip for just a moment. Recovering quickly, Cerydra scoffed.

“Hardly. Call it…simple curiosity.”

“Ah, of course. She is different from the Deliverer, but still a threat to your glory as well. The child is an anomaly, a thing that should not exist. But I am curious as to how she exists. As such, under my care, I will uncover those secrets for you, Imperator.”

It took everything in Cerydra’s power not to react. She had to fight the urge to grip the armrest of her throne, scowl, glare, or worse, set the Theoros alight with azure flame right there and then. Even then, the fury rose within her.

How dare he?

How dare he make a child of all people a part of his scheme?

How dare he even think of using her?

She knew punishment would be swift.

But she had to continue her play first.

She told the Theoros to leave and return to Okhema while she handled everything. And he seemed to have done so.

Now was the time for her to begin the second phase of her play. She had to protect those the Theoros was after.

Hysliens’s spell was soon lifted and she made herself known to everyone. She apologized for her tardiness and began to act. She spoke of testing loyalty and severing the heads of those who are not loyal. Before then revealing Hysilens’s plan to the crowd, or at least, a half truth of her plan. It seemed to catch everyone off guard, but especially her guests of honor.

She continued to speak. She spoke of the Cleaners, of Aidonia, and of Januopolis, all of whom refused to bow to her, but are now silent. She then turned to Hysilens, asking her what she intended to do.

And what Hysliens said next made pride swell in her chest.

“‘After I cross this river, it will be a tragedy for mankind. But if I do not cross, then it will be the end of me.’ If you are ready, then I'll follow you and fight to the last, ‘Deliverer.’”

Cerydra knew Hysilens would one day find a path outside of her service to others. And it seemed she had started to walk down it. But even with the pride she felt, she had to stay focused. Turning towards the Deliverer and her two companions, she waited for what they would do next.

And that’s when the Deliverer started to tell a story.

She told a story of a hero who started from nothing, who saw the lies of Amphoreus for what they were and defied destiny for 30 million cycles. And that destiny was the exact same one Gaia had warned her about. It was the total annihilation of Amphoreus and the birth of a machine that would only continue to decimate the universe. She then spoke of her own resolve as a “Trailblazer” as she called it. Her goal all this time was to “explore, understand, establish, and connect” the universe and all the worlds within.

Glaring at Cerydra she then made one final declaration.

“Therefore, if you choose the way of the Destruction…Then I'll place your ambitions into the same basket as Lygus, and smash them into pieces with my baseball bat!”

Cerydra couldn’t help but laugh. The Deliverer truly was a sight to behold, a hero through and through. And even if she wasn’t the best at speaking, she did get her point across either way.

But she couldn’t act swayed.

Ordering two of her people to escort the three of them to a prison, she was already planning how to handle the next phase of this long and winding game.

So, of course, a wrench had to be thrown into her plan.

The Theoros made himself known once again, apparently not having left at all. He claimed he wanted to see the fall of the “nameless one” as he called the Deliverer.

Before turning to Cerydra, his usually impassive face being replaced by an unsettling smile.

“Or perhaps,” he began.

“I am waiting for you to give me an answer. Why would someone as powerful as you…Use such a clumsy excuse as ‘imprisonment’ to ensure the Deliverer's safety?”

Chapter Text

Gaia’s blood ran cold when she heard that familiar voice. She wanted to run. She wanted to hide. Every fiber of her being was telling her to do so. Yet all she could do was remain frozen, her entire body shivering. At least until Cyrene moved an arm in front of her. Gaia looked up towards her and saw a gentle smile, a promise that nothing would happen to her.

Yet, she still wasn’t sure that promise could be kept. Especially not in the face of someone that had the kind of power Lygus did.

The three of them watched as Cerydra and Lygus continued to speak back and forth, Lygus seemingly applauding Cerydra’s skills as an actor and chessmaster. To which Cerydra threw the word actor back in his face, asking why he would pretend to be mortal and subservient to her.

Lygus simply laughed at the thought. He then explained that he was only trying to make sure his experiment progressed in the exact way it was supposed to, in the way he wanted it to. Had he intervened any more, more variables and errors could arise, reducing the experiment’s efficiency. Had Cerydra not been swayed by Stelle, Cyrene, and Gaia, he wouldn’t have had to intervene.

But of course, that wasn’t the case. So he had to step in. He said he had to eliminate factors that could cause the experiment to fail. Turning to the three of them he continued to give them that unsettling smile.

“Factors such as you, her, and that child.”

Both Cyrene and Stelle took defensive stances in front of Gaia, Stelle summoning her weapon. Lygus simply laughed at them.

It was then Gaia heard someone whispering. An unfamiliar voice, telling Stelle to be careful. She looked around trying to find the source of it. Yet nothing seemed to be nearby. Her attention was soon back on Lygus, who was now approaching them.

“The time of judgment is nigh,” he began.

“My lady Stelle, dear Gaia, the prison I have built for you is now complete…In the name of the Erudition, I invite you to step into the same cage as mine.”

Gaia’s eyes darted around, looking for some sort of escape. But instead, that power that she hated so much surrounded her and Stelle, preventing them both from moving. As it did both times before, this power tore through Gaia, also seeming to dig its claws into her, threatening to rip her open. Her gaze went towards Cerydra, pleading for her to do something.

And she did.

Slamming a chess piece on her throne, she ordered Hysilens to attack. But Lygus seemed to expect that, catching the blade between his fingers. He then pushed her back with little to no effort.

Gaia’s one hope vanished.

No one could stop him.

No one could save them.

And yet she still called out, not ready to accept her fate.

“Please…” she silently begged.

“Someone…anyone…help…”

It was only then she received an answer.

“Don’t worry,” that unfamiliar voice whispered into her ear.

“I’ll save you…”

And instead of the feeling of her body ripping itself apart, it almost felt cradled, wrapped in a strange but warm embrace.

Before the entire world slipped away.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

When Gaia’s senses returned, she realized pretty quickly that she wasn’t in the Exomyth. She was somewhere else entirely. The place around her was a deep blue, swirling with violets and golds, and dotted with white specks, much like stars. It was like the night sky, yet even more so. 

Gaia sat up and looked around, not sure what to make of where she was. Or of who saved her. She then saw a massive door in front of her, one that reminded her of gates in the Abyss of Fate.

“Is that…” she asked no one in particular.

“…the way back home?”

“It is,” that same unfamiliar voice replied.

Gaia then heard someone walking up behind her. Standing up, she turned around to see who was speaking to her. And before her was a strange woman with pink hair and bright red eyes. The woman pointed towards the door with a smile.

“That door was the same one that led me to Amphoreus. And it will be the one you’ll use to return.”

She then lowered her hand.

“That is…if you want to.”

“Of course I want to!” Gaia replied.

“Amphoreus is my home! And I want to do what I can to save it!”

The woman’s smile never faltered, but she closed her eyes and shook her head.

“Suit yourself. I won’t stop you. Just be warned, that a lot of time has passed in here, even though it felt like no time at all to you.”

“So…what does that mean?”

“It means that most of the people you were with before are now gone. But others you know are there again.”

Gaia wasn’t entirely sure what the woman meant by that. But to her it hardly mattered. Many other things were on her mind.

“Who…are you? And why did you save me?” she asked.

“You may call me Evernight,” the woman answered.

“And the reason I saved you is because, heh. Well, you’re like me. Someone who is intrinsically attached to this world, yet always a bit distant from it.”

She then leaned down and placed a hand on Gaia’s head.

“You’re also a memory holder, like me. You made it your job to carry everything that everyone else forgets. And I couldn’t let someone like that be hurt.”

“I…I see,” Gaia said.

“Well…thank you, Miss Evernight,”

“Take care, little one.”

Evernight removed her hand from Gaia’s head. Gaia then turned around and began walking towards the door. She really didn’t know what to expect when she entered back into Amphoreus. She hoped at least someone she knew would be there. Stelle, Cyrene, anyone she knew the name of really. But there was truly only one way to find out.

So, she stepped through the door, and let herself melt away.

Chapter Text

The moment her feet touched the ground, Gaia was standing back where she was before. She was in the Grove of Epiphany, right before the Luminary Throne. Looking around, she didn’t see anyone at first. The tables from the banquet were gone, and there was no sign of anyone from Okhema. She didn’t know how much time had passed. Until she heard footsteps coming up from behind her, followed by a voice.

A voice she had hoped for so long that she would hear again.

“Unless you have a good reason to be here, I recommend you return to your-”

The footsteps stopped and the voice trailed off. Gaia immediately turned around to see her Papa standing there, staring at her. For a few very long seconds, the two stood in silence, staring at each other, neither one of them willing to make the first move. For just a moment, Gaia wasn’t sure if her Papa knew who she was. After all her Dad didn’t exist in this cycle. Which meant that she was never created.

But he took a step forward. Followed by several more steps. Until he practically ran towards her. He then pulled her into a tight embrace, tears now falling.

“Gaia…” he whispered.

“I finally made it back to you…”

She broke out into a smile, her own tears beginning to run down her cheeks as she hugged him back.

“Papa…” she whispered in return.

The two stood, holding onto each other tightly, as if either one of them would vanish if they let go.

Gaia didn’t want to question how her Papa remembered her. It didn’t matter. She finally had him back. He finally kept his promise.

And yet, Gaia couldn’t help but begin to cry harder into him, her tears of joy soon becoming bitter. They still weren’t a whole family, even after all this time. Her Dad was still gone, swallowed by the world. Her Papa simply held her, letting her sob into him.

“It shouldn’t be like this…” she said through her sobs.

“We were supposed to be all together again. But Dad is gone…and he can’t come back to us…”

“Not yet,” her Papa answered.

“But he’ll return. We’ll make sure of it. I’ll make sure of it.”

He finally released her from his embrace, his hands on her shoulders.

“Now,” he said.

“Much has happened since you were gone. So I’ll need to catch you up on everything. And we have quite a lot to do.”

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The information Gaia was given was hard for her to wrap her head around. And even harder for her to accept.

Cerydra…Aglaea…Castorice…Mydei…Tribbie, Trinnon, and Trianne. All of them were gone once again. Okhema still stood, but in ruins. It was slowly being rebuilt but so many parts of it were still missing. From what Gaia was told, Lygus had been utterly relentless in his search for the Worldbearing Coreflame. He was determined to complete his Era Nova. And he still hadn’t stopped yet. Despite the peace that had been allowed by Mydei’s sacrifice, preparations still had to be made for Lygus’s eventual return.

Which is why Gaia had to finally be trained in both alchemy and swordplay.

Admittedly, it felt a bit weird that her Papa would be teaching her both. For one thing, she didn’t expect him to know how to use a sword, since she had only ever seen him use his gun. But surprisingly, at least to her, he was a great teacher in that regard. And for another thing, she hoped that when she learned how to use a sword, it would be her Dad teaching her. 

But that wasn’t going to happen now.

Learning swordplay was easy enough, at least to her. Although that was purely because she remembered all the times she watched her Dad use his sword. So what she did was imitate what he used to do. Something about watching her imitate her Dad seemed to bring both pride and longing into her Papa.

She knew he missed him too. But if he believed he would come back, Gaia had to trust in that.

Then of course there was learning alchemy, which was an entirely different thing. It was complicated, confusing, and very much something she wasn’t used to. But her Papa was a good teacher either way. He walked her through every step of the processes she learned.

She knew he was a great teacher, but being on the receiving end of it really put things into perspective of just how good he was. Her Papa always encouraged her to try new things, to push herself to her limits. Every question she had, he was willing to answer. And while she wasn’t as much of an expert as him, she was gaining a lot of knowledge.

She would be ready for when Stelle came back.

Whenever that would be.

Chapter Text

Five years had passed since Gaia’s return. And there was still no sign of Stelle anywhere. Hysilens wanted to believe she would come back one day, she really did. But it grew harder and harder with everything passing year. A rather loud part of Hysilens’s mind told her that Lygus had killed Stelle. That she would never return.

She envied the faith Cyrene had in Stelle. Cyrene believed with her whole heart that Stelle would return, that a perfect Era Nova would be completed. That Amphoreus would live on.

Hysilens wasn’t sure of how much she believed that. It was exceptionally hard for her to hold onto hope in the same way. But her own thoughts never mattered much. All she ever did was follow the ones who gave her purpose. And right now, that was Cyrene.

At least, that was until she was called upon for a scheme.

It happened rather suddenly. She received a message on her teleslate from Cipher, telling her to meet her for something important. 

Hysilens’s more pessimistic thoughts filled in the gaps for her. Lygus had found a way through the protection Mydeimos had created. And now a new plan to stop him had to be enacted.

Of course, she was more than willing to help. As much as she herself had lost hope, she’d do anything to stop Amphoreus from reaching its destined end. If not for herself, then for everyone else.

When she arrived at the meeting spot, she indeed saw Cipher waiting for her, but oddly enough, she wasn’t the only one there. By her side was Anaxa and Gaia, both appearing to have expected her as well.

“Miss Hysilens. Thank you for joining us,” Anaxa said.

“Of course. I’d imagine this is about Lygus.”

“Good to know you’re quick on the uptake. Yes, we have reason to believe our years of peace are coming to an end. As such Cipher and I have devised a plan to trap him until Stelle’s return.”

There it was again. That promise that she couldn’t see being fulfilled. But now wasn’t the time to argue or question it.

She listened to Anaxa as he explained the plan to her. Cipher would act as Stelle and lure Lygus into the Vortex of Genesis while Hysilens was hiding in the waters. Then she would use a philosopher’s stone to turn the Vortex into a prison for Lygus. And once that happened, Gaia would turn herself into an extra seal for the Vortex so no one could get in or out without her.

As stated by Cipher, Lygus would be furious, and thus, not fully in control. Thus, he would be more easy to fool. The plan was solid, but a certain question came up.

“Forgive me for asking, Anaxagoras,” Hysilens said.

“But where exactly would the philosopher’s stone for the spell come from?”

Anaxa smiled. At first glance it seemed to be his usual haughty, confident smile. But as Hysilens looked again, she could see sadness in his expression. It was only then she understood. He would become the philosopher’s stone.

It was, admittedly, hard to believe that someone could do that. But with someone as insane as Anaxa, nothing was impossible. Seeing the expression on her face, Anaxa gave Hysilens and Cipher a knowing look.

“I suppose now is the time. Farewell, Hysilens, Cifera.”

He then turned to Gaia.

“I hate to leave you behind again, but-”

“It’s okay, Papa,” Gaia interrupted.

“If you can come back from what you did last time, then you can do it again.”

That seemed to satisfy Anaxa. So, without another moment of hesitation, he plunged his hand into his chest, his hand sinking into the cavity created by his other experiments. He gave Gaia one last confident smile before he recited a spell under his breath. The moment the final word of the spell was spoken his body began to be enveloped in golden light. The light consumed him in his entirety making his form impossible to see. It then compressed, growing smaller and smaller until it was small enough to fit into someone’s hand. As the light dissipated a small golden stone hovered in the air for just a moment before falling. Gaia rushed forward, catching the stone in her hands, not letting it hit the ground.

As she held the stone, she crouched on the ground, clutching it tightly to her chest. Cipher was about to tell her that they didn’t have time, but Hysilens stopped her. She held a hand up, silencing Cipher for just a moment.

“Let her grieve for these few seconds,” she said.

“You and I never got the luxury of doing so.”

Cipher looked away, knowing Hysilens was right. So the two waited for a few moments longer. And it was only after a minute or so passed that Cipher approached once again. She knelt down to Gaia’s level, allowing her to make eye contact with her.

“Are you ready to go now, Gaia?” she asked.

She didn’t say anything for a few seconds before rising to her feet. Giving Hysilens and Cipher a nod, she made it clear she was. Hysilens took her cue and carefully picked up Gaia holding her tightly. She then gave a nod to Cipher, who then scooped her up into her own arms.

“Well, let’s not waste any more time!” Cipher said, flashing a grin.

And with that, they were off. They almost instantly arrived in Styxia, thanks to Cipher’s speed. Cipher then dropped the two in front of the entrance to the Vortex. She flashed another grin at them.

“Time to show that Tin Man who he’s messing with.”

Without another word, Cipher entered the Vortex, leaving Gaia and Hysilens alone. They waited for just a moment, knowing Cipher was getting into position. And once those few moments had passed, Hysilens turned to Gaia.

“He should be here soon. It’s time for us to play our parts.”

Hysilens held out her hand to Gaia, awaiting the stone. Gaia hesitated for just a moment, not wanting to let go of it, of what remained of her father. But she took a deep breath and held the stone close for a bit longer.

“Bye, Papa…” she whispered into it.

She then finally handed the stone to Hysilens, her hands shivering ever so slightly, and tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she did so.

“See you, Hysilens,” Gaia said with a sorrowful smile.

Hysilens gave one of her own in return.

“May your slumber be a peaceful one, Gaia.”

Chapter Text

Waiting was the hardest part of the plan. Hysilens didn’t know how long it would take for Lygus to arrive. But she knew she had to stay silent for as long as was necessary before he did. She stayed under the water, clutching the philosopher’s stone rather tightly.

She couldn’t help but wonder if this plan would even work. Lygus was brilliant, a genius according to Cerydra. What if he could see through everything? What if he just killed them all? Those thoughts terrified her. But now wasn’t the time to sink into them. She had to have faith. Faith in the plan, faith in her companions, faith that Amphoreus would be able to survive.

It was hard, near impossible even. But she already “crossed the river”. The tragedy of mankind already happened. She already betrayed the one she cared for most. There was no going back now.

So she continued to wait silently, hoping, praying that this was not all in vain.

An eternity of dead quiet seemed to pass in the Vortex, of her being alone. And it was only then, after seemingly hours had passed, did she hear footsteps walking into the Vortex. They were measured, calm, each one of them with purpose. Hysilens held her breath, wondering what that person would see when they arrived. The moment the footsteps stopped, a familiar voice rang out.

“Ah, Lady Stelle. I was waiting for your return for so long.”

“Stelle” said nothing. Hysilens finally let herself exhale in relief, knowing that Cipher was fooling Lygus. He let out a short laugh, filling in the silence.

“And I imagine everyone else was as well,” he said, the smugness practically dripping from his voice.

Hysilens listened as he approached “Stelle”, who still wasn’t saying anything to him.

“But unfortunately, your time on Amphoreus must come to an end. It really is such a shame to eliminate someone as precious as you, but you have stood in my way for far too long.”

“And you…” Cipher finally said.

“Are really much too confident in yourself.”

That was Hysilens’s cue. Summoning one of her swords, she slammed the hilt of it into the stone, shattering it to pieces. She gripped the pieces tightly in her hand as she began to swim as fast as she could. Swimming in a circle around the Vortex, she scattered the shattered pieces of the stone all throughout the waters. And once none remained her hands she rose from the waters.

Lygus’s gaze rose to stare at her, confusion clouding his expression for just a moment. Taking advantage of that, Cipher turned around towards her, warning her of how little time she had left.

“You only have a minute before the array activates, get going!”

It was only then did Lygus realize what was happening. A forced smile appeared on his face, his fury being impossible to hide.

“I see…” he began.

“An alchemical array designed to trap me. I imagine it was created by Lord Anaxagoras. And I doubt that he would risk Lady Stelle’s safety for this trap. So the one before me can only be…”

His gaze returned to Cipher, her form rippling back into view now that her lie had been exposed. Cipher only smiled at him.

“It’s a wonder what even a genius will believe,” she said.

She took advantage of his mild surprise. Swinging her leg around, Cipher brought her heel against Lygus’s face, causing him to stumble for just a moment. Now utterly furious, Lygus summoned Black Tide creatures. He sent them after Cipher and Hysilens, fully intent on killing both of them. Despite knowing the clock was ticking, Hysilens drew her swords and began fighting off the creatures beside Cipher. Yet Lygus simply summoned more creatures, trying to overwhelm them.

Hysilens was handling the ones going after her with relative ease, but she noticed Cipher was getting overpowered. She tried to rush over but Cipher held up a hand, telling her to stop.

“Thirty seconds! You need to go!”

“But-!” Hysilens tried to say.

“Clock’s ticking, Swordfish!”

Cipher threw a few coins at the creatures knocking them back. But the moment she did, more closed in on her. And yet, she smiled at Hysilens.

“Go on, Swordfish. You gotta be there to greet our Deliverer after all.”

Hysilens knew Cipher was right. So she ran. She tried to ignore the roars of the Black Tide creatures as they continued to close in on Cipher. She kept running and as she did, she could’ve sworn she heard Lygus trying to chase after her. Knowing she couldn’t let him escape, she pushed herself even harder, to run even faster.

Until she finally broke out of the Vortex and back into Styxia. Hysilens continued to breathe heavily as she could feel the seal complete behind her, trapping both Lygus and Cipher in the Vortex. Although…she knew that Cipher wouldn’t last long at all.

She didn’t want to imagine what would happen to her. But she could only assume that the Black Tide creatures tore her apart. Despite her being used to death, she couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of it.

She shoved that thought to the back of her mind and looked ahead. She saw that the seal between her and the rest of Styxia held. Meaning that Gaia had completed her part of the plan as well.

All that was left to do was to wait once again. Wait for Stelle to eventually come back. Just like they all were doing before. As always it would be hard. But it was her duty.

So, not knowing what else to do, Hysilens began to sing. She sang a wordless melody, one that she remembered from before she found a purpose. From before she was Hysilens.

As her song was wrapping around Styxia she began to let her tears flow.

And all she could do as she cried and sang, was something she never thought she would be able to do.

She hoped.

Chapter Text

A millennium.

One thousand years.

Stelle had been gone for one thousand years. It was almost impossible for her to believe. Yet there the proof was all there. Cyrene, through her maze of time, had made it so Stelle could catch up with everything that happened while she was stuck in the Exomyth. And even though she felt genuine pride in all that was accomplished, it was overridden by pure overwhelming sorrow.

They were all gone again.

Every single one of the people she grew to care about had died, all of them sacrificing themselves to protect Amphoreus from Lygus. To prepare for her return. She didn’t even get to say goodbye to any of them. Those were her companions, her friends. And she couldn’t be there beside them. She couldn’t even mourn alongside those who were left. Stelle wanted to cry as each Chrysos Heir gave her their final words. She felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes when Cyrene gave her final farewell.

The sorrow was soon replaced by fury. Because they never had the opportunity to live. They never had the chance to see the new cycle, to see the end of their own torment.

So when she was presented with the crescent moon staff, she was now, more than ever, ready to finish what she had started. She was ready to give Lygus hell for everything he had done

Grasping the staff in her hand, Stelle pulled it from the stone it was in and raised it above her head. The moment she did, Hyacine’s rainbow bridge appeared. She began walking across it. As she did, she could’ve sworn she heard everyone she knew wishing her luck.

It made her smile.

The walk to Styxia was long yet felt like it took no time at all. Stelle hardly noticed how much her legs ached from all the walking. Her determination was keeping her going, making the pain seem like nothing.

And much to her surprise, instead of the dark, dismal place she arrived at in the last cycle, it was a beautiful shining city. One that seemed to be full of life. She wasn’t sure what to make of any of it, but that hardly mattered. She had to find the entrance to the Vortex of Genesis.

Yet the moment she stepped foot at the entrance of the city, she was greeted by a voice she grew to despise. Lygus, despite being imprisoned, was able to project his consciousness to where Stelle was and talk to her. She only half-listened to what he had to say, knowing it was probably more nonsense about the Destruction and Amphoreus. And she was right for the most part, but one thing she did learn from him was that in a hope to immerse Lygus in a siren song, Hysilens ended up falling into her own song and slumber. Which meant Stelle had to wake her from it.

Proceeding forward, trying her best to ignore Lygus, Stelle witnessed Hysilens’s origins. When she was Helektra, a sea siren of Phagousa. The Titan promised that once the Black Tide was vanquished, they would celebrate with a great feast in Styxia.

Stelle had to admit one thing, it was strange to see Hysilens with such resolve in the past.

She watched as the Titan fell to the Black Tide, and one by one, Hysilens’s sisters did the same, leaving only her remaining. She watched as Hysilens’s resolve was slowly broken by the Black Tide. She held onto that promise for so long, finally completing her mission. Yet when she became human to go to her promised home, Styxia had fallen. 

In her mind, all that was left was an emptiness that she believed could never be filled again. Stelle couldn’t help but empathize with her, understanding her question of “why go on when everything promised is gone?”. For Stelle, the answer was simple. It was that continuing on, that living despite the loss was the greatest resistance to Nihility and Destruction.

Yet Hysilens still didn’t find her purpose in simply living. She found her new purpose in serving Cerydra. Becoming her sword gave her life, just like how serving the Titan once did.
Which made it hurt all the worse, when Hysilens turned to her and asked if she enjoyed the dream. Stelle understood that Hysilens fully knew this was just a fantasy. But still, the words slipped out anyway.

“It’s not the right ending…”

Hysilens smiled sadly, before shaking her head.

“It's time for me to wake up from this drunken dream.”

So Stelle continued forward, learning one last thing. That Hysilens was the one that killed Cerydra. She couldn’t help but wonder why, but Hysilens saw no need to explain herself. Yet despite being the one to end the Imperator’s life, she wished the Flame-Chase feast would never end.

With that, the phantom of Hysilens vanished, allowing Lygus to speak once again. And the more he did, the more furious Stelle became. He spoke of a certain allegory, one that explained how a shallow perspective can consume one’s reality, blinding them to the truth of existence. He then asked if Stelle’s will to trailblaze was simply her own shallow perspective, one created by someone else.
If Stelle could throttle Lygus there and then, she would’ve. Because his question ignored one crucial aspect of everything. That sure, everything makes choices based on their surroundings, but those choices are still their own. It doesn’t matter that she was set on this path by someone else. What matters is that when presented with it, she chose it. Just like how Phainon and Cyrene chose to resist him the first time he revealed his plan to them, instead of simply accepting the end. Just like how Phainon continued to resist even after his body and mind broke down. Just like how everyone in this cycle chose to fight back against him.

But to argue with Lygus would accomplish nothing. He would never be swayed. Hell, even beating him into submission wouldn’t sway him.

But it would accomplish one thing. It would allow Stelle to choose a new fate for Amphoreus.

Which is why she had to press onward.

Chapter Text

The area beneath Styxia and the ocean was a horror show. Stelle saw the people she met when she first arrived at Okhema, barely alive, surrounded by the corrupted sirens. She wanted to step in, to help them, but somewhere deep inside her, she knew there was no point. Like the Styxia above, this was another memory.

As Lygus had explained, this was the final moments of the first Flame Chase. When the legion stormed Styxia and the sirens bared down on them. It made Stelle sick, as this was another moment where she was unable to help the allies she had made.

But there was no point in wallowing.

Moving forward still, she walked past Verginia and Apollonius who died in each other’s arms still forever devoted to each other. She walked past Labienus and Seneca who despite nearing their deaths, held to both of their ideals. She finally saw Hysilens and Cerydra, engaged in a heated conversation. Hysilens had been sent away to guard the rear of the legion, but that was simply an excuse for Cerydra to press forward to complete her plan.

Which was to sacrifice 500 of the Chrysos Heirs following her for the sake of obtaining Law.

For as much as Stelle was shocked by that, Hysilens was even more so. To which Cerydra explained what Lygus had told her. The golden blood that ran through all veins of the Chrysos Heirs was the blood of Destruction, and thus accursed. They were the antithesis of what Cerydra wanted to achieve. And thus, their sacrifices were necessary.

But Hysilens couldn’t accept that. She called Cerydra cold-blooded, and demanded to know if their loyalty meant anything; if her loyalty meant anything. And Cerydra said no, that if it meant progressing her plan, then loyalty meant nothing. She then offered Hysilens a choice. To kill the Titan she once served with joy and pride, or to kill her right there and then, defying the Law she created. Cerydra then made one last declaration. That she will do anything, sacrifice anything to conquer the sea of stars.

Stelle didn’t have to see how that conversation ended. She knew very well what Hysilens did. But one thing still weighed on her mind.

Turning to Lygus, she narrowed her eyes at him, attempting to hide the horror in her expression.

“Why are you showing me this?” she asked.

Lygus merely laughed.

“I gave up on using words to solve conflicts two thousand years ago…” he began.

“But I won't squander a chance, not even a sliver of one. If there's even a crack in the walls of your conviction…Then my victory is already assured.”

Stelle couldn’t help but roll her eyes. Of course this was just another way to shatter her resolve. Which was all the more reason she couldn’t let it happen.

Further down, getting closer to her destination, Stelle came across a strange sight, a gravestone. And beside it, an odd, familiar statue. As she approached both, she listened in on one last memory. 

That of Hysilens and Lygus, trapped together. She listened as they spoke back and forth, as Lygus recounted how the moment both Hysilens and Cerydra ascended, Hysilens stabbed Cerydra through the heart, killing her. He asked why he was still guarding her grave, even if she committed the greatest crime against her loyalty. Hysilens had nothing to say at first, so Lygus continued, musing aloud about how trapped they both were. It was only then that Hysilens spoke, questioning why he believed that the ones who lost everything were trapped like him. He simply laughed, saying that loneliness had never truly bothered him as he had waited for over 30 million cycles for his dream to be realized. He continued to muse, wondering what Hysilens’s fate would be. But all she had to say was that she didn’t know, nor did she know how others were able to hold onto hope for so long.

As the memory ended, Hysilens’s voice remained, still calling out. She declared she was finally singing for herself, and standing against the Nihility deep within her to honor those who had fallen. Her thoughts then turned to Stelle, asking if she remembered the gift she gave her, the one that could dispel the siren’s song. Giving instructions to pour the honeydew on the grave and statue, Hysilens finally wished Stelle well, telling her that once her mourning ends, they would bring judgement on Lygus.

It was only then Stelle looked at the statue once again. It was of a young girl, standing with her eyes closed, a determined expression on her face. She was holding a large sword tightly in her hands, its tip on the ground. Stelle tilted her head to the side, the familiarity aching at the back of her mind. Until she saw the eight pointed star settled in the hair of the statue. Covering her mouth, she whispered a certain name.

“Gaia…?”

“Indeed,” Lygus answered.

“She turned herself into a seal for this place, so if the wayward siren were to ever fail, I would still be trapped.”

Stelle understood what that meant and knew what she had to do. She pulled out the honeydew, and poured the smallest drop on the base of the statue. The drop seeped into the stone and began to travel up along the statue, almost becoming veins for it. As it did so, life and color returned to the cold stone. Until instead of a stone form standing on the base, a now living Gaia stood, eyes still closed. She then raised her head and slowly opened them.

“Welcome back, Deliverer,” she said with a smile.

Stelle smiled back and carefully helped her down from the pedestal. As the two stood in silence for a moment, Stelle couldn’t help but laugh a bit.

“You’ve grown since I last saw you,” she noted.

Gaia laughed back.

“I suppose I have.”

Gaia then turned to the gravestone, her smile disappearing.

“So…are you ready?”

“I’m ready,” Stelle said, without hesitation.

“We’ll mourn for those who have passed. Then we’ll show Lygus what for.”

Chapter Text

Despite, or maybe because of Gaia’s awakening, Lygus became a lot more chatty.

“At long last…” he began.

“33,550,336 cycles and 4,931 years later, Amphoreus' final curtain is ready to fall. The shadows within the cave gave everything, yet all they did was mimic "life" outside its walls. A futile effort steeped in sorrow.”

Stelle only became furious at his insistence of her friends on Amphoreus being as meaningless as shadows.

“Enough!” she shouted.

“They were no shadows…Everything they did shattered the darkness of this cave and unearthed the Coreflame of the Trailblaze…And now, with that Coreflame, I'll light the dawn of Amphoreus!”

Lygus simply let out a short laugh in response.

“Do you still choose the will of the Paths as your answer in the end? I do not agree with that answer, but I respect your tribute to them. Allow me to take back my earlier words.”

Stelle could feel Lygus turning towards the gravestone, despite him being invisible.

“As an apology, and in the name of Theoros who saw all destinies in this world, let me join you in mourning. Let us bid farewell to the heroes who sleep here…And then, let us face each other and decide whose flame will rise with this new dawn.”

With that, his voice vanished, awaiting what Stelle would do next. So she looked at Gaia and nodded. The young girl nodded back at her. Stelle tipped the contents of the honeydew vessel on the gravestone. She watched it seeped into the stone almost as if it was drinking the brew. Both girls then closed their eyes as they began to mourn.

“To Verginia, Apollonius, Seneca, Labienus, and Cerydra…” Stelle said.

“Through a brutal sacrifice, they lit the stars of Law in this world, propelling Amphoreus' fate forward. In the shimmering mirage of illusion, they entrusted their dreams to ride among the stars to the hero yet to come.” Lygus added.

The silence in the air held for just a moment. Before Stelle tipped the vessel again, letting the brew seep into the stone a second time.

“To Aglaea, Tribios, Mydeimos, Castorice, Anaxagoras, Cifera, Hyacinthia…” she said, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

“In a relay spanning a thousand years, they stood against enemies far beyond their strength, and won a bitter victory through what seemed like futile resistance. And in that same thirty million cycles, also marked by futility, they remained steadfast in fulfilling their duty to the experiment…unchanging, unwavering.”

Another bout of silence as all of them mourned for those who were no longer with them. As both Stelle and Gaia opened their eyes, Lygus spoke once again.

“Let this be the end of mourning the fallen. At last, allow me one final toast to the lost prison warden, a prisoner bound by loyalty.”

As he said that, a wordless melody started to echo all around them. It filled the air, turning the silence into sweet song. And there was only one voice that could be singing in such a manner.

“Hysilens…” Stelle whispered.

“This tombstone of the old world serves as the anchor of the siren's illusion,” Lygus explained.

“A sigil Helektra used to bind herself. At the same time, it is the very thing I once proclaimed at the start of the show: a microcosm of Amphoreus itself…A group of prisoners bound themselves in a cave, crowning their suffering with heroism, an epic staged with shadows and echoes.”

Stelle could practically feel him smiling at her.

“Now, destroy it. End the illusion. The Theoros will take his leave for now. And when next we meet…That shall be the moment that decides the fate of Amphoreus and the entire cosmos.”

Using her power from Oronyx, Stelle rewound time around the gravestone. In doing so, she opened the way for her and Gaia to proceed. With that, the two began walking forward, towards the song.

“The prison warden's dream is nearly over,” Lygus said.

“And the prisoner will soon be freed…To the final execution ground, where I shall be executed, or be the executioner,” he finished.

And for once, he stopped talking, leaving the two alone only with the song. As well as the memories of the past that stood by them. Each memory, each person was telling them to go forth.

And so they did.

Through the song, they finally saw Hysilens, her eyes closed and her hands clasped together as she sang. As they approached, she began to lower closer and closer to the ground. Until she was standing before them. She then opened her eyes, and gave the two a warm smile, before taking both of their hands.

“Seems like my feast is over,” she said.

She clutched both their hands tightly, making sure they wouldn’t be lost.

“It's now your turn to perform.”

And in an instant, they were no longer in Styxia, but rather, the Vortex of Genesis. It was only then that Hysilens released both of their hands. She smiled once again.

“Little Gray Fry…” she began.

“Please, accept my thanks. I was the only one left after the world was destroyed, and I maintained this lonesome feast with my songs. I have prayed to that lightless sea for centuries, hoping it would reply to me, yet the emptiness never answered…Thankfully, you arrived as promised, and everyone's wait was not in vain.”

“Are you still holding it together?” Stelle asked.

“Even though madness claws at my mind, my sword stays sharp, my hands agile. If I can uphold this last battlefield, clarity is but an afterthought,” Hysilens answered.

“Your song is beautiful, Miss Hysilens,” Gaia added.

“Thank you, final audience of mine…”

She let out a sad laugh.

“This is probably the last praise I'll ever hear in my life.”

She turned towards the basin in the center of the Vortex. Gaia and Stelle followed her gaze and looked towards it as well.

“Now…You and I will walk towards the end of this world,” Hysilens began.

“The heroes have waited for this moment for far too long. Let us use our blades to testify our resolve.”

Hysilens drew her swords. Gaia did the same with her own sword. Stelle summoned her bat.

“O prisoner of the seas, Theoros carrying thirty million cycles of sin, slave of the Erudition…” Hysilens called out.

“Show yourself! The Deliverer has returned, and the time of your execution draws near.”

It was only then did Lygus reveal himself to the three, a calm, smug, smile on his face.

Chapter Text

As the three continued to approach Lygus, weapons drawn, he continued to speak.

“I see an awakened human who has mistakenly taken fallacies as truths, and has returned to the cave to try to bring her friends into the sunlight she once bathed in…Alas, prisoners will always be prisoners, blind to the very chains that bind them.”

His attention turned towards Stelle, his expression new feigning sorrow.

“As the only other existence with free will in this world, I express regret toward your choice, but I shall retain your right to express yourself. After all, every actor should have a final line before they bow out.”

Stelle gripped her bat even tighter and grit her teeth.

“For a narrator, you're awfully talkative,” she commented.

“Trust me. This will be the final scene. The last dusk this world will ever see shall become the climax that decides the fate of the cosmos. What an appropriate end.”

He gestured to himself.

“My cognition resides in the Exomyth. It is pointless to defeat my avatar, projected into the experiment. My body is the shadow cast on the wall by the fire, and my words are lingering echoes within the cave.”

Turning his back towards Stelle, Gaia, and Hysilens, Lygus stared up into the sky of the Vortex.

“How can a character in the play fight against the audience? Khaslana failed. The demigods' sacrifices were pointless. As for the two geniuses you placed such high hopes on…I ask of you: where are they now?”

“That doesn’t matter!” Gaia shouted.

“Even if you managed to shut them out from our world, we can still stop you!”

Lygus simply laughed at her.

“Oh dear Gaia…even though I did ‘shut them out’, as you said, that’s not what I meant at all.”

He turned to face the three of them again before raising his hands.

“Allow me to pull you into one more memory.”

Before any of them could object, their minds were pulled into a void. And soon they were no longer in the Vortex, but the Grove of Epiphany once again. They watched as Herta and Screwllum argued back and forth with Lygus. The two explained all they knew about the Scepter that made up Amphoreus. How it was once a part of Nous before it was discarded. And that there was only one person capable of rewriting a Scepter that contained Aeonic knowledge.

Lygus, to his credit for once, gave a straightforward answer. He confirmed what they knew about who he was and what his intentions were. He then told his own story of the mistakes he supposedly made, and how he led the universe down a path where no new things could be discovered. He spoke of how at the end of his life he created nine vessels to fulfill his purpose of defying his creation. And that Lycurgus is simply one of the nine.

Herta then made her stance, and the stance of the rest of the universe clear. That if the beta version of Irontomb could already completely corrupt the life logic of inorganic beings, there would be dire consequences if it would be complete. And Lygus simply acknowledged it while saying that was his goal.

To make Erudition fall.

As the three were pulled out of the memory, Lygus finished his thought.

“Then, within the infinity nurtured by that constant, a new universe shall bud in the chaos. A universe that cannot be predicted…and not shackled by the Erudition. As the first prisoner to awaken in the cave, I must lead the others who are blind back onto the right path and reach true sunlight.”

He began to walk towards the three of them. On instinct, Stelle pushed Gaia behind her.

“Do you understand me now?” Lygus asked.

“As Khaslana stated, ‘Destruction’ is not the process, but the outcome…It is revolution through complete annihilation…and the grand rebirth after all has been reduced to ash.”

Hysilens fell silent, seemingly unsure of what to think of what she’s been told. Stelle just shook her head and told Lygus she’d never agree with his views. While Gaia shouted again, absolutely furious.

“You don’t know anything about my Dad! That’s not what he believed and you know it!”

Before Lygus could respond to Gaia, Hysilens stepped forward.

“The Amphoreans already answered long ago: be it as a tiny fish destined to be swallowed, or as a giant whale poised for a magnificent descent…We will all fight against fate till our last breath. That includes me, Helektra, once the Imperator's subject, now the Deliverer's blade!”

If Lygus had eyes to roll, he most certainly would’ve done so.

“Such noble chivalry. Admirable,” he said with a bit of scoff.

He then smiled at the three of them.

“I will also show my true self to you on this momentous occasion as a gesture of respect, and provide an insignificant academic suggestion.”

He lowered his head for a moment before raising it to face them once again.

“Thus speaks Genius Society #1, Zandar One Kuwabara, the Entelechy of the universe's Alpha and Omega…There's no need to rage against the truth. The value of any formula resides only in its answer. As for the process of solving it... No matter how elegant, violent, solemn, or humorous…It is all utterly meaningless.”

The moment he finished saying that, his body began to rise off the ground. Wires appeared out of nowhere and attached to him, causing his body to lurch forward several times. The world around him glitched and wavered as his true form appeared before all of them.

It was just as strange as Gaia remembered, and still just as terrifying. She could feel herself begin to shiver under his gaze. The last time she saw his true form, she was alone, utterly powerless to stop him. But that was when she felt a hand on her shoulder, Stelle’s hand. She wasn’t alone anymore. And they would find a way to defeat him. She knew they would.

As Lygus —no, not Lygus anymore— Zandar held himself above the ground, he looked down at the three, his gaze completely and utterly cold. It was only then that he spoke once again.

“As the Theoros, I will…Personally participate in performing this world's end.”

Chapter Text

With Zandar’s final words said, the battle began. Almost immediately, Zandar had summoned Black Tide creatures and sent them to attack the three. And so, they sprang into action, fending off the creatures with everything they had. Yet as they did so, Zandar also attacked them with his own power. They knew that they had to be crafty about their approach to defeat him, otherwise they’d become overwhelmed by the sheer amount of force he was using.

Thus their efforts were split. Gaia and Hysilens focused on taking out the Black Tide creatures, while Stelle focused on Zandar himself. That seemed to work for some time, as Hysilens fully trusted Stelle to handle herself.

So of course something had to change. 

Donning a strange mask, Zandar changed his tactics, summoning even more Black Tide creatures. But they seemed to only be a distraction, as he pushed forward with his own attacks. The three of them were forced to go on the defensive because of the sheer amount they had to fight off. And Zandar took full advantage of that. As the three were trying to hold off the Black Tide creatures, Zandar enveloped the entire battlefield in his power. The three became trapped, and unable to move. But it was not for the Black Tide creatures to tear them to shreds. Instead, they felt very small as they Zandar looming over them. And before they could question how he was able to do that, he clapped his hands together, crushing the trap they were all in. Painful energy ruptured through the entirety of their bodies, threatening to tear them apart.

But just as quickly as the energy shot through them, it vanished, leaving the three of them lying on the ground in agony. Zandar simply smiled as they tried to push themselves to their feet again. He then pointed towards them, commanding the Black Tide creatures to close in. Gaia was the first to rise, trying to take a defensive stance in front of Stelle and Hysilens. But it was clear by her entire body shaking that she wouldn’t last long. Forcing themselves upright as well, Stelle and Hysilens took their own stances.

That was when Hysilens seemed to get an idea.

“Keep him busy, I know what to do,” she told Stelle.

Stelle nodded and charged at Zandar, making sure all his attention was on her. As she did so, she heard a splash as Hysilens dove into the waters of the Vortex. It was only then did Stelle realize what Hysilens was doing.

Because even geniuses can be overwhelmed by the sheer might of the ocean.

With an enormous amount of water rising from the Vortex’s sea, Hysilens sent a tidal wave towards Zandar. And he couldn’t defend himself from being washed away by it. As the waters enveloped him, he was sent careening into the ocean within the Vortex. And with a loud splash, he disappeared. The three were breathing heavily, still coming down from the high of the fight, but soon, pure silence returned to the Vortex.

“Is…is that it…?” Gaia asked nervously.

“I…think so…” Stelle replied.

Cautiously Stelle made her bat disappear and pulled out the Coreflame. She approached the basin, still unsure if they had won. And as nothing else seemed to happen, Stelle felt herself relax slightly.

But just as she was about to let the Coreflame fall into the basin, it was suddenly trapped in a strange power. 

“All is futile,” Zandar said.

Stelle, Hysilens, and Gaia, barely had time to turn around to see Zandar rising out of the water. Before the entirety of the Vortex was enveloped in his power. 

“In Erudition's calculations, the end of the saga is simply…A comment awaiting deletion.”

Stelle tried to shield herself from it, but as it consumed her, her vision went white. When it did return, instead of being in the Vortex, she was standing in a white void before Cyrene. Confused and not sure of what to do, Stelle simply looked at Cyrene, to which the girl before her simply smiled.

“I don't like such a cold statement, okay?” she said.

“If numbers can decide the end of a story…Then we can surely…Also pen a new beginning.”

It was only then did Stelle realize that Cyrene had a plan. And she knew her place in it. Opening the book, As I’ve Written, before her, Stelle wrote something down, before tearing out the page and sending it flying.

In an instant, she was back in the Vortex, the moment Hysilens sent Zandar into the water. There was another brief pause, as none of them could be really sure if the battle was over this time. But Stelle hoped it was the case as she tried to place the Coreflame in the basin again. Only for the same thing as before to happen.

In the white void again, Stelle knew what she had to do.

Over and over again she rewound time, knowing by now that the outcome wouldn’t change but that Cyrene had a plan. It was straightforward enough. She simply implanted a memory of the last few moments of the battle into Zandar’s mind. And when he eventually would try to escape the memory, he would trap himself in the Exomyth.

And sure enough, it worked. As they predicted, Zandar gave into the loops she and Cyrene created. When the loop rewound one last time, there was something quite different about it. Zandar was no longer in the Vortex. It was simply just Stelle, Hysilens, and Gaia. They all looked at each other, Hysilens and Gaia confused by Zandar’s disappearance. Before Hysilens just shook her head with a smile and a laugh.

“It seems you had conducted a secret hunt in the depths that even I cannot reach,” she said.

“In that case…go, swim onward and give this campaign a fitting end. I shall send you off with my song, gray fry. May this song penetrate time…and become the prelude to the new world.”

As Hysilens sang, Stelle finally approached the basin once again, ready to finish this once and for all.

Now if only she wasn’t stopped by some inherent sense of wrongness she felt in this ending.

Chapter Text

Something was wrong with Stelle. Very wrong. Just as she was about to put the Coreflame into the basin, she froze. She looked around confused for a moment before her hands went slack and her eyes seemed as if they had glazed over.

"Stelle?" Gaia tried to call out.

She didn't answer. Gaia tried again to get her attention.

"Stelle!"

Again, no answer. Gaia looked towards Hysilens, who seemed just as confused and worried as her. She watched as Hysilens approached carefully, her swords drawn, expecting a fight. Gaia wondered if she should summon her own sword. But as Hysilens walked towards Stelle, Gaia's gaze went towards the constellations in the Vortex. As she did so, she saw something that made a pit settle in her stomach.

"The…the Time Coreflame…" Gaia stammered out.

Hysilens looked back at Gaia, confused. Before she followed her eyes to where she was looking.

"It…" Hysilens breathed out.

"Its constellation is dark…it was never returned…"

"But how?" Gaia asked.

"How did we all think that it was there when it never was?"

Both of them fell silent for just a moment, not sure of what to think. Hysilens started muttering to herself about how this was possible and what could be done about it. While Gaia was just looking at Stelle nervously, hoping she would come out of the trance she was in. Yet she never seemed to. Instead, the Vortex of Genesis began to shift.

Gaia noticed something bubbling below the surface of the sea within the Vortex. Walking over to the edge of the platform, she looked down, wondering what could possibly be happening. Squinting a bit, she saw something cloudy and murky beneath the crystal blue waters. And it was rising towards them. 

Letting out a scared cry and running over to Hysilens, Gaia clung onto her. As Hysilens was about to ask what was wrong, she pointed towards the bubbling waters.

"Something's there," she said.

"And it's getting closer to the surface."

Hysilens looked to see what Gaia was pointing to. And as she did, she held her closer.

"Stay by me," Hysilens said.

"You were right. There's something here."

"Indeed there is. ♭" another person chimed in.

Both Hysilens and Gaia whirled around to see a figure standing next to Stelle. And while Hysilens looked at her with no recognition, Gaia immediately knew who that was. The pink hair and red eyes gave it all away.

"Evernight…?"

The woman, Evernight, nodded at her.

"It's been a while, little one."

"What…what have you done to Stelle?!"

"Oh, don't worry about her. I just made sure we had a private conversation before I did what I was here for."

With that, Stelle seemed to snap out of her trance. She looked around confused, before her eyes settled on Evernight. And that was when Evernight made her move.

With one hand, she motioned towards the waters and raised it. As she did so, that strange cloudy substance began to rise as well, forming a strange rope. But just as the three were about to question what it was, Evernight pointed towards Stelle. And as she did, the coil shot forward. Stelle let out a cry as the strange water wrapped around her.

"What're you…" she tried to say.

"Let me go!"

Evernight said nothing, simply smiling as Stelle reached out towards her. Stelle tried to struggle as it crawled across her body, slowly enveloping her. But her struggles were of no use as the water fully encased her, the last thing taken being her hand, outstretched towards Evernight. As the waters consumed her, Gaia cried out.

"Stelle!"

Hysilens didn't waste any time. She summoned her swords and charged at Evernight. Gaia knew she had to do the same. She tried to run alongside Hysilens, summoning her own sword. But Evernight seemed to notice her as well, turning to face her. Her crimson eyes shone with power as she stared Gaia down, her smile never wavering. Gaia felt herself freeze up as Evernight started to approach her. She knew she had to raise her sword to attack or at least defend herself, but it suddenly felt very heavy in her hands. It was as if she couldn't lift it anymore. Her feet felt as if they anchored themselves on the ground, preventing her from moving. All she could do was watch in mounting horror as Evernight continued to walk towards her.

"I would really hate for you to be forgotten…so perhaps you can join us in 'Oblivion' as well. ♭"

"…W…What…?"

"Don't be afraid, little one. Just let yourself sink into the memoria tide. And let the agony of your world fall away."

With that, another strange snaking rope of that cloudy water —or "memoria", Gaia guessed— rose out the Vortex's sea. As it rose to its full height, Evernight pointed at Gaia. The coil of memoria shot towards her rapidly. Gaia's eye widened and she let out a scream as no doubt it would swallow her too, just as it did to Stelle.

But before it could, Gaia felt herself be swept into someone's arms just as the memoria was supposed to crash down on top of her. As her savior skidded to a stop, Gaia looked up to see it was Hysliens. She was just about to say something to her, but there was no time, as more snaking coils of memoria shot towards the two of them. Hysilens evaded them nimbly, even with Gaia in her grasp. That was until there were near the exit of the Vortex, to which Hysilens finally put her down and summoned her swords.

"Gaia, run! I'll hold her off!"

"But what about-" Gaia tried to say.

"I'll do all I can for Gray Fry! But I can't let you be swallowed by the tides! Go! Now!"

 A part of her wanted to argue more, but the fear within overtook her. She didn't want to fall into "Oblivion" whatever that meant. She didn't want to be taken by Evernight.

So, Gaia ran.