My eyes shoot open, and my vision welcomes an unfamiliar ceiling. Luminous streaks of sunlight beam through the window to my right, and I set myself upright to assess the situation. As I start looking around the room, my blood runs cold. Not due to any magic, just the presence of the people in the room… and the five lance rifles pointed towards my head and chest from a distance. Besides five heavily armoured guards, there are three additional figures in the room. A woman, with extravagant helmetless armour that produces light akin to the sun, covered with symbols of the mighty star from the shoulder plates to the chest and even down to the bottom of her armour. A man with a mellower yellow military outfit, accompanied by a military beret that has an embroidery of the sun. Lastly, there is a smaller, unknown figure covered in a robe that seems to block any perception of their face.
The woman in armour steps forward and, with an authoritative voice, begins speaking.
“Osiris Arkenia, third child of the Arkenia family, hear the decree of the Solar Pantheon: answer all questions truthfully or suffer the consequences of defying the will of the heavens.”
She looks towards the hooded figure, and nods at them. With a similar terse nod, the hooded figure pulls out two callused hands and begins twirling threads of deep blue mana mixed with divine energy, murmuring something illegible from beneath the hood. The man on the armoured woman’s right pulls out a notepad and prepares to begin writing. As the hooded figure finishes their incantation, the mana and divinity spread to every corner of the room and lingers. The armoured figure begins speaking again.
“Osiris of the Arkenia bloodline, understand this: this entire room has been affected by the Goddess of Truth’s Absolute Truth ritual. We can detect any lie, no matter how small, with Absolute Truth. Your fate now relies on your ability to answer our questions. Do you understand?”
With five lance rifles pointed straight at me, three imposing figures in front and a wall to my back, I am fighting back a panic attack as thousands of questions swirl in my mind, giving me a throbbing headache. I fight back an urge to vomit. I understand the gravity of the situation. If I do not answer the woman in armour, my fate ends here, with no way to fight back. There is much I need to do, and many people I care for that await my safe return home. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I manage to speak.
“... Yes, I understand”
My answer is followed by silence. The armoured lady clears her throat and begins speaking.
“Ahem… Then let us begin.”
She presses a button on a recording device attached to her armour, and it whirs to life. The man with the beret casts a spell, and luminous gold mana fills his eyes. He begins furiously writing away in his notebook while staring at me.
“My name is Clarice von Lux, a Major belonging to the Lux Armed Forces. What is your name?”
With sweat slowly rolling down my face, my eyes dart around. The piercing gaze of the beret man puts incredible pressure on my mind, and what’s even worse is that I am constantly experiencing the wonderful feeling of being at the pointy end of five lance rifles. I lightly shake my head and take a deep breath before speaking.
“I am Osiris Arkenia, third child of the main Arkenia household.”
The sound of pen upon paper envelops the room, and Clarice continues her questioning after a brief pause.
“Very good, now answer with everything you know. Thanks to Absolute Truth, we can catch even lying by omission, so do not leave out any details. What happened during the Solar Servant oath-taking ceremony?”
With a loud gulp, I try to recall everything I can.
“Uh… I remember gathering with all the oath-takers and meeting up with my friend Max and his sister Ruby, my fiancée that is, and then lining up with everyone single file… I entered the cathedral, and then I waited for my turn… I remember feeling on edge as I was watching Ruby take her oath, and as I got closer to the altar I remember feeling more and more alarmed…”
“Is that all?” Asks Clarice in a patient tone.
Thinking really hard, I try to recall anything else I can remember.
“I remember pain… pain across my chest– and pain in my eye” Strangely, the pain that felt like it would last an eternity disappeared without a sign. I look down upon my chest. The pain may have faded completely, but the bright red colour of fresh scars stretches over my chest. They seem to form characters that I cannot decipher.
Clarice looks towards the hooded figure, and the hooded figure gives her a nod. Clarice turns back to me.
“It seems there were no lies in that, so at the very least you believe that to be true. Alright this next question should be the most important. What do you know about the being named Tenebris?”
Tenebris
As soon as she says the name Tenebris, my mind recalls a truth that was buried after waking up. A truth that resonates with my body.
“I shall follow the will of Tenebris.” Words involuntarily escape my mouth. A compulsive action that I cannot resist.
As soon as the words leave my mouth, silence reigns in the entire room. I continue speaking, as if trying to justify what I just said not just to the people present, but also to myself
“I do not know who they actually are… but I feel a compulsion to follow their will, whatever that may be.” I softly touch my cheek. “Who is Tenebris?”
Looking at me with serious eyes, Clarice begins her explanation. “Tenebris is the Goddess of Darkness who betrayed the heavenly realm 10,000 years ago. She was a major player in causing the fracture, and she was locked away in an inaccessible place decamillennia past. I do not know more than that, but unfortunately for you, you have been marked by her.” Clarice points towards my chest. “Among the arsenal of the realms of heaven is the ability to enforce wills upon people in the form of a precept. That is exactly what she did to you. She carved a new ‘truth’ upon your chest that you cannot ignore. It is taboo even among the Solar and Truth Pantheons, but it seems that a Pantheonless fool would pull such dirty cheap tricks.” Harsh words that are usually not directed towards deities flow out of her mouth. “I know what you are thinking, Osiris Arkenia. How could she spew such words towards a deity when they are supposed to be revered? Well– you are the only person who would not understand. The Solar Pantheon decreed her an enemy to be annihilated 10,000 years ago, and that decree resonates within the servants of the Solar Empire. I have a visceral reaction just saying the name Tenebris”
Her face twist into one of disgust as soon as she says the name. What does this mean? I am bound to a Goddess who is a public enemy across the empire? The why haven’t I heard the name Tenebris before this?
“I have questions.”
“I apologize, but at this time I am unable to answer any questions you may have. The directive came straight from the Solar Pantheon., the Empress herself cannot defy those orders. You seem to be no threat, and as verified by Absolute Truth, you seem to have told no lies you are aware of. However, this does not mean that we can let you go. You have been marked by Tenebris, which essentially makes you an enemy of the empire. So we will have to keep you here until we can develop a proper threat assessment.”
Not understanding the full situation, I can only nod. With the faint sounds of chains in the distance, Clarice finally lets out a faint smile and begins speaking again.
“Thank you for your understanding. I will have to talk to my superiors about the situation. If you could patiently wait here for a bit, I will–”
Before Clarice can finish the sentence, a thundering explosion rings out in the room. The window side of the room shatters as a spear crashes through. With a whooshing sound followed by a loud thud, the spear embeds itself in the wall between me and the three imposing figures. Even the superhuman reaction speed of the guards could not see through the spear’s trajectory. Stone and steel scatter and hit everyone in the room as another spear impales the hooded figure onto the wall. As the rapidly moving spear comes to an abrupt halt, I can make out the face underneath the robe. A young girl, her once-vibrant blonde hair now limp, her green eyes dull and vacant, with blood trickling from her parted lips. Another spear strikes, its impact ringing out with a deafening crash. Since even the superhumans in the room could not react, I never had a chance. The spear pierces my lung and propels my body with the still-moving spear towards one of the guards. The guard is likewise hopelessly pierced, and the spear hits the wall behind us. With the last bit of my life, I look down upon my chest. Blood bubbles from the wound every time I try to breathe. Choking and bleeding out at the same time, the unbearable pain drowns my consciousness into nothingness. I have died.
* * *
[ User [REDACTED] has died]
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
[ Determining cause of death ]
[ Searching user’s memories… ]
[ Pierced through the lung ]
[ Drowned in blood ]
[ Severe blood loss ]
[ Source of death: Unknown ]
[ No other relevant data found ]
[ Connecting to The Loom ]
[ … ]
[ … ]
[ … ]
[ Connection established ]
[ System Setting: Preservation Mode ]
[ Calculating the earliest prevention point ]
[ Energy Insufficient ]
[ Sacrificing branch [REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED] ]
[ Energy Sufficient ]
[ Beginning Transfer ]
[ May the Threads of Fate Guide You ]
* * *
My eyes shoot open, and my vision welcomes a slightly familiar ceiling. A sickening nausea assaults me as phantom pain wells up on the right side of my chest. Vomit rushes from the pits of my stomach, and I quickly set myself upright to redirect to the side of the bed. I hurl until there is nothing left, then I look around the room. As if the spears crashing through the wall were a lie, luminous streaks of sunlight beam through the window to my right. As I start looking around the room, I am welcomed by a familiar sight. Five heavily armoured guards accompanied by lance rifles, and three figures in front of my bed. As I stare at them in a haze, trying to recover and thinking what just happened to me–
The woman in armour steps forward and, with an authoritative voice, begins speaking.
“Osiris Arkenia, third child of the Arkenia family, hear the decree of the Solar Pantheon: answer all questions truthfully or suffer the consequences of defying the will of the heavens.”
She looks towards the hooded figure, and nods at them. With a similar terse nod, the hooded figure pulls out two callused hands and begins twirling threads of deep blue mana along with divinity, murmuring something illegible from beneath the hood. The man on the armoured woman’s right pulls out a notepad and prepares to begin writing. As the hooded figure finishes their incantation, the mana and divinity spread to every corner of the room and lingers.
Haven’t they already set up the Absolute Truth? Was that merely a vision before my eyes? An intense feeling of déjà vu takes over my whole body.
The armoured figure begins speaking again.
“Osiris of the Arkenia bloodline, understand this: this entire room has been affected by the Goddess of Truth’s Absolute Truth ritual. We can detect any lie, no matter how small, with the Absolute Truth. Your fate now relies on your ability to answer our questions. Do you understand?”
I stare at the armoured figure, and give my response, driven by the feeling of déjà vu.
“... Yes, I understand”
My answer is followed by silence. The armoured lady clears her throat and begins speaking.
“Ahem… Then let us begin.”
She presses a button on a recording device attached to her armour, and it whirs to life. The man with the beret casts a spell, and luminous gold mana fills his eyes. Yet again, he begins furiously writing away in his notebook while staring at me.
“My name is Clarice von Lux, a Major belonging to the Lux Armed Forces. What is your name?”
Being overwhelmed by the flow of time, I can only repeat my actions from my memory
“I am Osiris Arkenia, third child of the Arkenia household.”
The sound of pen upon paper envelops the room, and Clarice continues her questioning after a brief pause.
“Very good, now answer with everything you know. Thanks to Absolute truth, we can catch even lying by omission, so do not leave out any details. What happened during the Solar Servant oath-taking ceremony?”
With a loud gulp, I try to recall everything I can.
“I remember gathering with all the oath-takers and meeting up with my friend Max and his sister Ruby, and then lining up with everyone single file. I entered the cathedral, and then I waited for my turn. I remember feeling odd as I was watching Ruby take her oath, and as I got closer to the altar I remember feeling more and more alarmed…”
“Is that all?” Asks Clarice in a patient tone.
Not thinking at all, just being guided by déjà vu, I reply.
“I remember… pain, pain across my chest– and pain in my eye” I look down upon my chest. My pupils shake as the scene of a spear lodging itself neatly into my lungs play out before my eyes.
Clarice looks towards the hooded figure, and the hooded figure gives her a nod. Clarice turns back to me.
“It seems there were no lies in that. Alright, this next question should be the most important. What do you know about the being named Tenebris?”
Tenebris, the Goddess of Darkness.
“I shall follow the will of Tenebris.” Words involuntarily escape my mouth yet again.
As soon as the words leave my mouth, silence reigns in the entire room. Once again guided by déjà vu, I continue speaking.
“I do not know who she actually is…” My eyes wander and I softly touch my cheek. I think about the soft and delicate hands that I felt back in the Cathedral, and a strange figure that stood above me. Wait, was she not the Goddess of Darkness, have they not told me this fact before? My thoughts are interrupted by someone who has not said a word during this entire interrogation.
A distorted voice slithers past the darkness of the hood and declares. “Lie”.
A glaring eye from Clarice pierces me. She steps closer to the bed I am sitting on, and lightly holds onto the end.
“Osiris, I told you. Your fate relies on how well you answer these questions.” Anger slowly seeps into her voice. “I do not know if you realize the gravity of the situation, but you are currently the biggest enemy the empire has. Tenebris is a Pantheonless fool who seeks to spread chaos and destruction and the Solar Pantheon has decreed her an enemy to be annihilated 10,000 years ago, and that decree resonates within the servants of the Solar Empire. I have a visceral reaction just saying the name Tenebris. And the fact that you can say her name without batting an eye means that you are under her control. Now answer the question. What do you know about Tenebris?”
Can’t I tell them about these odd memories of the future? I still do not know what they are, but they are extremely vivid. The pain in my chest from the spear lingers still. Was that a vision of the future? Would they believe me if I told them? There is a person from the Department of Truth, so her abilities should be able to tell that I am not lying.
“Major Clarice, this may seem hard to believe, but I have had a vision of the future. This room is about to be destroyed, and that girl from the Department of Truth and I will die, along with that guard to my left.” I point at the hooded figure.
The hooded figure seems unfazed. A warped voice flows out from behind the veil of darkness in the hood. “Lying yet again…” Lowering her hood, the robed figure turns out to be a young girl around my age. She has short blonde hair with bangs and a ponytail. She has beautiful lime green eyes that seem to pierce my very existence. “Yet you could see past the shroud of this magic cloak. Explain that.”
Hearing a faint rattling of chains, I open my mouth.
“I have seen your dying face. I do not understand how, or why, but we will both–”
My words are cut short as a spear collides with Clarice. In an instant, she is swung into the wall, but the spear that came crashing through failed to penetrate her armour. The second spear appears on cue and impales the blonde haired girl against the wall. Realizing the situation, I jump from my spot to dodge the next spear. I dodge out of the way, but the third spear manages to catch the entirety of my left leg. Excruciating pain overwhelms my body. Looking down, I can see that my leg is missing. Blood gushes forth and rushes past a bone sticking out of my leg. I scream in agony as crimson blood colours the white bedsheets. The guards in the room raise their weapon towards the wall, and they all activate magical shields that block five more spears that appear. The beret man rushes over to the young girl and checks her vitals. With a sunken expression, he turns away and walks towards me. Clarice, thrown against the crumbling wall, rises with debris rolling off here armour.
“Status report Bert.”
As the beret man walks over to me, I can barely focus.
“Helix has passed. Attack origin unknown, scale of attack unknown. I have sent a signal to the garrison, they should be preparing the troops to assess the situation and evacuate civilians if necessary.”
An agonizing, strangled howl escapes Clarice, raw and guttural, shaking her to the core. Her eyes scan the lifeless body impaled against the wall, disbelieving. “How? There were no signs—no warning... I should have seen it coming.”
Her hands tremble as she clenches her fists, nails biting into her palms, but nothing changes. Her breath comes in ragged gasps as the truth sinks in. “I failed her... I swore I would protect her. And now she’s gone…”
My eyes are losing focus. I fall onto my back on the bed, and the pain is slowly fading. So her name was Helix, huh?
“What of Osiris?”
Bert, the beret man, ties cloth around my leg. “I have given basic first aid, but I am afraid he lost too much blood…”
As he is speaking, a loud ringing noise overtakes everything. My vision blurs even more, and all five of my senses lose meaning. I have died.
* * *
[ User [REDACTED] has died]
[ Determining cause of death ]
[ Searching user’s memories… ]
[ Limb detached ]
[ Severe blood loss ]
[ Source of death: Unknown ]
[ Detected interference from the Pantheon of Truth ]
[ Activating countermeasures ]
[ Using authority granted by [REDACTED] ]
[ Pantheon of Truth ability rendered inoperable against user ]
[ Connecting to The Loom ]
[ … ]
[ … ]
[ … ]
[ Connection established ]
[ System Setting: Preservation Mode ]
[ Calculating the earliest prevention point ]
[ Energy Insufficient ]
[ Sacrificing branch [REDACTED][REDACTED][REDACTED] ]
[ Energy Sufficient ]
[ Beginning Transfer ]
[ May the Threads of Fate Guide You ]
* * *
