fessions of the Historian are non-tinuous pseudo chapters that feature a timeframe far removed from the main story. They will not affect the main story’s update schedule, and will instead be uploaded at random intervals alongside them.

  Ep 131. fessions of the Historian: Memories Abze

  It was his way from the beginning.

  Once, you’d looked to your creator fuidance. You’d guide and teach others. You led a life befitting that of a deity.

  Had you tio live in ignorance of your blessing, then perhaps you’d still have retained yourself.

  A, your curiosity had pushed you onto a path to madness.

  Who are you, really?

  In your broken, faded memories,

  Who is it that you truly yearn to be?

  ? ? ?

  “Aymeia.”

  “Oh, Lord Felicir! You’re here!”

  In the ers of a flowerbed within their golden temple, a lone girl remained on the ground, beamed a bright smile at her creator. Despite her lengthy dark hair sprawled about the dirt beh her, she didn’t seem to mind it at all.

  And although her head was lowered in a respectful gesture, her two hands remained glued onto the ground.

  Watg the girl’s as in amusement, the Reaper sloroached the star deity, his gaze falling unto the two little hands that were toug the soil beh.

  “Good to see you’re well. What’re you reading today?”

  Resoh their very world: an exclusive right that beloo the deity of stars. While Aymeia herself had little idea of its actual ws, in her own words, it was akin to reading an endless picture book.

  tless lives that had thrived upoar’s soil prised the book’s tents. A simple read was all it took for Aymeia to share their feelings, and experieheir memories.

  “Today…well…”

  After a brief pause, Aymeia made a sheepish smile towards the Reaper.

  “To be ho, today’s memories aren’t really happy ones. It’s a lone son that was left all on his own…it looks like he missed his mother a lot.”

  The Reaper tilted his head in respoo him, the peculiar story was rather familiar.

  “That’s quite unfortunate. But if that’s the case, then wouldn’t it be better for you to glimpse into someone else’s memories?”

  “You’re right, I absolutely could. But…”

  With longing eyes, the star deity beamed towards the soil beh her.

  “It’s just…I feel strangely ected to this individual. It’s like they’re my own memories…”

  “…Is that so?”

  As much as he wao stop Aymeia by force, even Felicir couldn’t hastily bend the star deity to his will.

  If she were to die under any means, then that would call for yet another suitable vessel to the divinity she held – and having one was already a miracle in of itself. If worse es to pass, then Aymeia’s passing may very well ate another reset of their world.

  And so, the Reaper merely gave Aymeia an encing tap on her back, supp the girl’s peculiar pastime.

  “Don’t get too absorbed now. If you bee depressed from those memories, then who’s going to put the sun up every m?”

  “The sun?...But the sun’s never…?”

  “Haha. I’m joking, I’m joking.”

  Not even the Reaper had any way of knowing at this point – of just how much the star’s resonance would ge his i student.

  But as soon as Felicir walked out of Aymeia’s temple, a pair eyes caught his attention.

  A dissatisfied hero stood leaning on a temple pilr, arms crossed in a defiant stance.

  “…Got a problem there, hero?”

  “I do not approve.”

  “Are we going there again? I told you, we need Aymeia.”

  “The need you speak of is but a mere opinion of yours. You’d dare defy divine will?”

  “I mean, even if you put it like that…my will is divine will now.”

  Widening his sunken eyes in fury, Hathelon immediately summoned a bde into his hand.

  “Insolence! You’d dare repce the First? You could never bec-“

  “Shh. Pipe down, hero.”

  Following the Reaper’s phrase, Hathelon instantly froze in his act. Despite his screaming senses, his body refused to move; even as Felicir approached him with an ominous smile on their lips, Hathelon couldn’t so much as even lift a finger.

  “Have you not yet learned? Your boundless iory, your peerless divinity, ons of the velklord’s make…none of it have any meaning before me.”

  “…”

  “Watch yourself, Hathelon. Especially in Aymeia’s presence.”

  “…Hmph. If you cared so much about your dear student, then you should’ve denied her from the very beginning. That demonling doesn’t even remember who you a- kgh!”

  As the smile faded away from Felicir’s lips, Hathelon’s grip on his on instantly loosened, his bde cttering onto the ground. The Judge’s hands soon ed themselves around his own neck, choking their very owner.

  And in his fading sciousness, Death whispered into his ears.

  “I allowed you to live. I allowed you to judge the remaining demonkin like you wished. I even allowed you to keep the velklord’s shell. How much more do you need before you learn some humility?”

  “…”

  “Felicis asked me to allow your survival. Don’t make me resider that, Hathelon.”

  ? ? ?

  Upon his visit, Felicir looked around the golden temple’s interior in fusion. He searched from er to er to look for Aymeia, but to no avail.

  ‘That’s stra’s only noon. Where is she?’

  Giving up on his search, the Reaper iurned back to approach the gardener outside.

  “Sorry. Could I interrupt you for a sed?”

  “…?! Lord Felicir! Why, of course! I help you?”

  “I’m looking for Aymeia. Have you seen her?”

  “Uh…Lady Aymeia? She did say she’d go on a walk earlier today. Now that you mention it, I don’t believe she’s returned since…”

  “Ah, thanks. That helps.”

  After beaming back at the gardener, Felicir briskly turned around to leave the temple’s viity. His eyes darted from er to er as he searched for the star deity.

  “That’s odd. She’s not oo go out for so long…huh?”

  Before long, the Reaper’s eyes beheld what was likely the weirdest sight he’d seen this decade.

  “Grrgh…”

  In the nearby field of grass, Aymeia was on all frowling like an animal as she held a dead rabbit between her ched teeth. As if proud of her success, the deity’s expression resembled that of a wild predator after a successful hunt.

  Though, as soon as she locked eyes with the Reaper, the rabbit fell out of her mouth.

  “Ah, Lord Felicir!”

  “…Aymeia…what’re you doing?”

  “Oh, me? I was just on a walk…”

  “A walk, you say…”

  As Felicir lowered his gaze, a bloodied rabbit came to view. Aymeia’s lips and clothes were likewise drenched in blood, causing the Reaper to question his vision.

  “If you’re on a walk…then do tell, what’s the rabbit for?”

  “Huh? Um…”

  Aymeia lowered her own gaze to the rabbit that had fell out of her mouth. She soon rose to her two feet like a proper human being, scratg her head in fusion.

  “The children…I was going to…um…”

  “…The children?”

  After a fused silence, Aymeia met her creataze once more, her eyes just as fused as his.

  “…I’m…not sure…what was I doing with a rabbit…?”

  “…”

  Hearing the fusion in Aymeia’s voice, Felicir forced himself to smile, gently petting the star deity’s head.

  “…I suppose the ret drought had been a bit harsh on Asarda’s children. You wao give them something to eat, didn’t you? That’s very kind.”

  “Huh? Um…m…maybe? Since you’re saying so, I…think that’s probably right…”

  “Mhm. But since you’re not quite presentable at the moment, let’s get you and that rabbit thhly ed before we visit the vilges. Aime, you simply call on me if you want to catch a wild animal.”

  “Ah…okay. I’ll do that!”

  As Aymeia rushed to herself at a nearby stream, Felicir wordlessly waved his hand towards the runniy.

  And at this point, not even the Reaper had any way of knowing.

  That Aymeia’s strange hunts would repeat over, and over, and ain.

  ? ? ?

  “Lady Aymeia.”

  “Huh?…Lord Clyus?”

  “No, no, please. Just Clyus is enough.”

  The elf approached the star deity with cautious steps, g not to step on the flowers nearby. And as he made his way through the flowerbeds, he couldn’t help but notice the peculiar ge within the girl before him.

  “I see your hair’s ged in color. Was the st not to your liking?”

  “Oh, um…I’m…actually not too sure why it ged. They just started growing e like this…is it weird?”

  “Not at all, my dy. The brightness suits you quite well.”

  Beaming a warm smile, Clyus spared a moment to gaze upon the flowerbeds that surrouhem.

  “And pairs nicely with the flowers, might I add. This gardeo grow iy every visit.”

  “Haha…it’s all thanks to everyone w so tirelessly. I just sit here all day…”

  “While I do agree that their efforts are invaluable, you should give yourself credit as well. Even the Sky’s left Asarda’s climate entirely in your hands, yes? They haven’t experienced a single drought since. I’m sure Asardans are ever thankful for their nd’s guardian.”

  Even as she heard the elvey’s pliment, Aymeia could do little than look away in shame. She stared down at the blooms beh her, w if that’s what the people actually thought of her.

  “…I don’t think I deserve their gratitude. I’m only doing this because I ’t leave Asarda.”

  “Oh? Not too fond of this nd anymore?”

  Aymeia hurriedly wove her hands in denial, shaking her head.

  “Oh, um, that isn’t to say I dislike it here or anything! It’s just…the world’s a big pce. And even without being there, I still see and hear so many things. Sometimes, I ’t help but want to be there myself. But I ’t leave my temple, so…”

  “Ah. As I recall, you were able to read the star’s memories like a book, yes? To have memories without the experience…I ’t imagine what that’d be like.”

  After flig the e in his hand, Clyus lightly tipped his top hat, beaming towards the pouting star deity.

  “Well, Felicir did seo che you. So, how about this? Just for today, I will escort you anywhere you’d like.”

  “Huh…? But if Lord Felicir found out…”

  “He’s quite occupied with Letherien’s request today. You’ve nothing to worry about – I won’t tell a soul of our small venture.”

  “…But…”

  “We return whenever you’d like. You need but say the word.”

  “…”

  A wave of temptation g Aymeia’s heart. She’d seen Clyus apanying her creator a number of times; she kly what he was capable of.

  After a few more seds slipped past in waniation, Aymeia slowly parted her lips.

  “Then…there’s one pce I do want to visit…”

  ? ? ?

  Stepping through the dimensional gate, Aymeia’s eyes marvelled before the surrounding walls of ice. Despite being in the depths of an enormous pit, their frozen surface seemed to gleam in a magical radiance.

  “…Wow. So it really was here…”

  “Hm. Have we e to the right pce?”

  Clyus followed after the star deity, studying their destination with a curious gaze. He then faced upwards, staring into the clouds far, far above.

  “A frozen pit? That’s rather peculiar. Is there something special about this pce, my dy?”

  “…This is the pce…that I see most from the star’s memories.”

  Even as she spoke, Aymeia’s eyes remained fixed onto the frozen figure at the pit’s tre.

  Entraeps carried the star deity forth towards the figure – towards the frozen remains of a resolute dragon that had raised the current kin.

  “…You…must be…”

  Following Aymeia’s steps with a fused expression, Clyus too, studied the mass of ice before them.

  “Quite the sight to behold. Is that an ice sculpt?”

  “…No. He was a living dragon. He was…”

  Aymeia trailed off her words, delicately ying her hand upon the draic figure.

  And soon, her watered eyes burst into tears.

  “Lady Aymeia? What’s wrong?!”

  When Clyus abruptly pced his hand upon Aymeia’s shoulder, she slowly turo lock eyes with the elvey.

  And, much to the elf’s dismay, resting withiar deity’s eyes were a pair of inhuman bck streaks that had repced her pupils. Watered eyes glistened amidst her grief-stri expression.

  “Feli…cir…”

  “My dy, are you alright? If you’re looking for Felicir, I could take us to where he is.”

  “…Curse you.”

  “…? I’m sorry?”

  In a burst of anger, Aymeia forcefully pushed away the elvey.

  e fmes fred to life around her body, her eyes growing crimson in color to mirror the fiery light. A pair of crimson-tipped hrew out of her head, her voice coated in a deep-seated hatred.

  “…Your soul will rot in the deepest pits of hell. I will remember your atrocities for all eternity!”

  ? ? ?

  “…And that’s what she said. But she doesn’t seem to remember any of it.”

  “Huh. Iing.”

  “Iing? That’s it?”

  Clyus dropped his jaw at his friend’s dismissive tone. He frantically wove his e atop the lifeless mountainside, pointing down towards Aymeia’s temple far below.

  “You’ve nothing else to say? She almost blew up the valley whole! If I hadn’t moved her elsewhere, the dragons would’ve found out instantly!”

  “What else would you like to hear? A ‘good job’? Good job, Clyus.”

  “…”

  Clyus squinted his eyes at the Reaper’s respoo his story – or ck thereof.

  “…e, Felicir. Surely you have SOME idea of what was going on there.”

  “Why, sure I do. While I was busy ing after Letherien’s mess, you were sneaking off with Aymeia behind my back.”

  “…”

  Instead of a serious respohe Reaper only returned a casual smile towards the elvey – as if their story had little to no value.

  “It’s not the first time she’s fused memories of others as her own. It’s nothing to be ed over.”

  “…Are you saying this has been happening frequently? She wasn’t like this in the beginning.”

  “I’m sure she’ll stabilize in time.”

  “And if she doesn’t?”

  “…”

  Clyus crossed her arms, shaking his head in dismay. He tone grew heavy as he pressed the Reaper for a serious solution.

  “This is no small problem, Felicir. You know what her divinity’s capable of. If Aymeia were to lose her mind to some evil entity, then she could cause irreversible damage upoar.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  “…Listen, I’ve heard that Hathelon’s been searg for new ways to destroy the shards. If he succeeds, then perhaps we should just-“

  “Clyus.”

  As soon as the Reaper spoke his he elvey immediately shut his lips. Even though ernal influence ailed his body, Clyus found his body frozen in fear from his friend’s unfiving gaze.

  “I said that’s not going to happen.”

  “…Right.”

  The Reaper dismissively wove his hands. His tone loosened in temper, though Clyus remained frozen just the same.

  “And fet about that pit. Don’t ever take Aymeia ba there, either.”

  “…Why? What even was that pit? She said the sculpt inside was once a living dragon, but I’ve never heard ons having such exquisite burials.”

  “How do you NOT know what that pit is? I even told you about the tract we’d made with the dragonkin.”

  “…? You did?”

  As his elven friend struggled to uand his words, the Reaper let out a derisive snort.

  “You weren’t listening before, were you?...Actually, perhaps it’s for the best.”

  “Why? What was that pit?”

  “Fet it. It’s best you don’t know.”

  It’s best nobody ever knows.

  Ever.

  ? ? ?

  Clyus looked around the strange sery that stretched on from the same mountaintop. The elvey drew a cold, raspy breath, shivering from the chilling winds brushing against his face.

  “…I realize it’s been a while, but…really?”

  Ever since his little veh Aymeia a few turies ago, Felicir had outwardly bahe star deity from going anywhere he dragonlord’s grave. In fact, she was told to remain iemple at all times uold otherwise by the Reaper.

  But in the passing years, stras tio happen throughout Asarda.

  The lush fields of grass grew cold and lifeless from their prolonged winters. Flowers withered away in the nd’s falling climate, and bursts of fire had long ied the star deity’s temple.

  tless Asardans were left to starve or freeze. Many were forced to leave their homend for survival.

  But eveheir once-benevolent guardian remained holed up where her temple once was. The mounds of ice tio grow arouo eventually form a rge, frozen cavern of her own.

  ‘It’s like she made this entire pce to be that pit…’

  No more could Clyus see the rainbow of flowers around Aymeia. No worshipper remaio greet his ing, and no Asardan remaio build a temple for their worshipped guardian.

  A bitter ughter escaped the elvey.

  “You were wrong, my friend. Just look at this pce…she never did stabilize.”

  Even as Aymeia spoke of the welfare of her children, never again would she show any affe for her people.

  Even as she longed for those that had left her here, never again would she show any gratitude for those that remai her side.

  And even as she tio call herself ‘Aymeia,’ never again would she greet Felicir with the same smile.

  He was her creator and teacher. At the same time, he was her sworn enemy.

  She was still Aymeia.

  But of course, she no longer was.

  ? ? ?

  Who is it that you see reflected upon the ice?

  Who is it that you hear in your voice?

  The answer should be an obvious one. A, it is not so obvious to you anymore.

  Poor child. You were taught how to live, taught how to lead. You thought yourself capable of everything you were entrusted with.

  A, you were aught how to die.