(This chapter is undergoing revisions for tone adjustment and pacing)
Chapter 19
The petals coating the ground began to rot and curl before Hoku's eyes.
Like a low tidal wave originating from afar, it advanced toward the few that rested near his boots.
A shiver ran through Hoku as he felt an unnameable cold energy surround him, engulfing him like a thick veil of darkness.
Fleur hurried away from Li, scrambling over to Mars and Yu-ze.
As Abel approached them as well, his fingertips released a faint blue aura.
Feeling an unexplainable weight, Hoku's eyes were drawn to a bare tree in the distance, positioned to the right of Li.
His lips parted before he could pinpoint what was amiss the dirt around the stump moved.
Boom!
Li seemed to assume the tree's descent, as its roots were wrenched from the ground, sending it crashing down with a speed that implied a powerful shove.
He glimpsed at Li, who had hurled himself toward Hoku and rolled in the debris before briskly sitting up.
His sword was unsheathed and driven into the dirt in front of Hoku.
Li pushed on the hilt to give himself leverage, a low grunt escaping him as he steadied himself.
Li slid his sword back under his mantle and stretched out an arm toward Hoku,
"Give her to me."
Hoku glances from the side at Juno, her head still resting peacefully on his shoulder.
He nodded and bent down, carefully releasing his hold of her legs.
Juno's head rolled across his shoulder blades as Li assisted in tugging her off of his back.
The relief in his arms almost quelled his fear.
Just as Hoku was about to lend a hand to him, Li had already managed to properly secure her limp figure before he could offer.
"I told you, no! We don't have time for this Yu-ze, we can carry you through Abel's Astrapie. You won't slow us down."
Hoku blinked, shortly unsure who had shouted.
He turned, confusion knitting his brow, then found Mars intensely glaring at Yu-ze, who had returned his arm across Fleur's shoulders.
Yu-ze met Mars' gaze, an overbearing hint of fatigue etched into his visage.
"If there were less than two I might've given in to your persistence. But we've made too many mistakes," he replied, his tone both measured and husk. "I don't think this will be our last sequence."
Hoku's mind was toiling endlessly over comprehending the unfolding scene, though gradually he had assembled the seriousness of their altercation.
'Is he asking to be left behind…?'
The idea grew more upsetting as he fathomed Yu-ze's resolve.
"Mars, we need to go," Fleur interjected.
"I'm sorry—but I think Yu-ze is right. We'll come back for him if this sequence isn't over by the time we depart this nest."
She squinted, her eyes betraying a mixture of worry and sadness.
Mars lingered in silence, his shoulders slumped, as his fingers pinched something under his clothing.
An evident sense of defeat shrouded him.
Hoku hesitated, ready to step in and implore Mars to keep pleading on Yu-ze's behalf when a familiar voice broke through the stillness.
It changed in pitch every so often between the breaths of his words,
"Abel… give me your pendulum." Mars drew in a deep breath, gathering himself from the depths of his own regret before carefully taking the dowsing pendulum from Abel, and continuing to address Yu-ze. "I never understand why you feel compelled to be so selfless, especially when it brings irreversible consequences for yourself and pain to those who care about you. But…" Mars paused.
Near the roots of hundreds of trees, a low, gravelly growl reverberated from behind the group.
Hoku felt his heart plummet, a cold dread settling in his stomach as his eyes darted toward the origin of the disturbing noise.
However, outside of his vision, no one else had turned to acknowledge it.
Mars gripped the bird at one end of the chain, ignoring the discomfort that came from its sharp beak and dull-ended wings caving in the flesh of his palm.
All but one paid no attention as Mars reached his hand down inside the collar of his shirt and retrieved a plain star-shaped pendant with a rather long point at the end of its silver-plated structure.
Abel glanced down at the ground, where the debris—once a murky brown—had deepened into a darker hue, mingling with the dried blood that poured from Yu-ze's mouth and nose.
Mars swiftly removed the pendant from around his neck, the brown-knotted string slipping off effortlessly.
He stole a two-second glimpse at its cold appearance, then resumed what he was saying to Yu-ze.
Meanwhile, Hoku remained paralyzed in sheer horror, his eyes fixed on the cloaked figure that emerged from the shadows cast beneath the branches.
It carried a perplexingly shaped staff that nearly stretched to the height of its covered form.
"—Sadly, I don't think I'll ever be able to alter that instinct of yours," Mars completed.
Fleur too looked away as Mars secured his fingers between the points on the side of the star and raised it above his chin.
The slim figure approached slowly, digging the sharpened end of its 'cane' into the ground before picking it up and puncturing it into a new place through the leaves.
"Is it humming?" Hoku wondered, disturbed by the fragmented shifts in its pitch that almost seemed to mimic the melody of a lullaby.
"There's something—something is coming in—" Hoku's voice faltered, panic rising past its limit as an overwhelming urge to flee took hold.
His eyes darted toward the others in the forest.
Mars had tipped his head back, the way one might when applying eye drops, but this was no ordinary act.
In an almost frenzied motion, he drove the sharp end of the pendant deep into his right eye.
Hoku's mouth hung open in shock as Mars yanked the pendant out.
As he lowered his head, a dark fluid began to seep from the wound.
It didn't look like any type of blood Hoku had seen.
The substance oozing from Mars' eye was thick and black, creeping out in tendrils.
Mars remained eerily hushed as if the act hadn't caused him any pain at all.
He felt repulsed, watching as the dark liquid spread further from Mars' socket.
Li, suddenly grabbed Hoku's arm, yanking him toward the others with a firm grip.
"Come on," he commanded, constraining access for refusal.
As Hoku was pulled closer, he heard Yu-ze speak, "Fleur. You can let go now."
Fleur turned her head, with a solemn expression.
Then, carried him over to a nearby tree and propped him against it.
Mars didn't acknowledge any of them and gazed up.
With a deliberate motion, Mars spread his fingers around the area of his wounded eye.
Slowly, something began to form— a bright, yellow core that filled a hollow space, glowing like a miniature sun where his eye had been.
The eerie light cast long, distorted shadows.
Mars' voice emanated calmly. "Redirect this pendulum's power onto the holder...and undo my third eye."
A sudden chill seeped through the soles of each of their boots.
Before Hoku could look down, he was roughly tugged downward, sinking into a dense fluid.
He disdained the sensation as it clung to his skin like syrup, hindering his movement during the brief phase he was able to struggle.
The setting around him gradually dissolved.
. . .
"You have quite an unpredictable nature."
The Memoir Chapter 17
Objective 11
To: Flyingduck2112@*****
CC: Aliceliddle2106@*****
Subject: Contract reminder!
Hello, 'Beholder'.
We hope this system message finds you well! We are contacting you to remind you that your contract with "Alice Liddle" may expire if not used before the next sequence.
Failure to utilize any exchanges made in the contract will result in the extermination of resources toward both parties.
Your "rabbit hole" will require immediate use if you wish to continue your contract.
We apologize for the inconvenience and wish you all the best with future experiences.
Thank you for choosing Contracts [category: Clavier Trade]!
Sincerely,
Your automated service provider.
Attachment: Hoku, don't forget about this! I printed the message receipt here so you would remember. If you put me in debt again, I will force you to do labor for compensation. I don't care if you're still a kid—technically, I am too.
Don't forget you punk!
Rule 21
The Nine Eyes are a collection of hidden fragments, deliberately concealed from all perception. Aside from the Prism that is concealed in the central stream, these Nine Eyes serve as the secondary pillars of the Sequel. Their role is to stabilize this interconnected universe of distinct "worlds," as timelines that are not meant to overlap coexist here. Each "world" contains a separate "catalog" that the abundant creator has woven into the Mantras, simulating various epochs that once existed as centuries or eras in the original universe. This design emerged to expand upon what began as a solitary star, intended as an alternate planet to safeguard an enigmatic source of significance belonging to an individual known as the "Story Keeper"—the original architect of this intricate series of worlds.
Currently, our understanding of the Nine Eyes is limited; they appear to play a role in separating each mantra. Initially, we speculated that these fragments were responsible for the barriers between mantras, but we soon discovered that they were not the source of that function. We eagerly await clarity on how the Nine Eyes exert their influence, especially given that they seem to exist merely as placid monuments.
How can something eternally anchored in place channel 'division' across diverse worlds? Perhaps these fragments govern an external species, acting as vessels for their control.
If this is true, we should prepare for the possibility that the external entity could be human, as such power would need a stable vessel. Creatures unable to withstand even an elixir's energy would likely be unsuitable, as their instability could threaten the balance it aims to preserve.
A human conduit could fundamentally change our understanding of the Nine Eyes and their influence in the universe.
It would ultimately mean we need to kill our own companions.
-The Memoir Chapter 17 End-