Claudina floated in the empty darkness of her sub consciousness. After fainting from pain she floated aimlessly, distant memories playing under her eyelids.
Something called out to her from the shadows. Whispering her name like a mantra. Awaking her from her slumber.
She opened her eyes to see nothing but a soft hand was covering her eyes.
A sad gentle voice brushed her ears. "... Don't look…" Claudina mindlessly obeyed. Something about the voice was…nostalgic.
Shrieks erupted through the darkness.
Claudina groaned but the same warm hands shield her eyes. "...Don't look and don't hear them…They can't hurt you as long as I am here…"
Bareilly her mind registered who this warm person was. But the words won't come out of her mouth.
A cold air blew at her face and the shrieking stopped. The hands moved themselves from her face and she couldn't help but chase after them by moving her head.
In return she was faced with an open field that merged with the horizon in the distance. The skies were clear and cloudless while gentle breezes flowed freely.
A bright humanoid entity passed her vision. Claudina turned to her. "Wait-!"
"...Follow me…" the words of the entity carried away in the wind.
Her face scrunched up in sadness but she followed the bright entity. What bothered her more was she couldn't look at her face. Of she tried to sneak a glance her vision would burn.
It led her to a knoll that overlooked the endlessly field. On the knoll was a single and only tree.
Under the tree was something shuffling around.
Claudina stepped on a leave and the thing shot up. It whirled around. Smoke and haze cloaked the thing in secrecy.
Fear coursing through her veins, Claudina slumped down. This sensation was similar to when Chronos would get angry. Eyes wide as saucers she watched with bated breath as the creature
The hands came back on her eyes again. "... Don't scare her anymore…" she scolded.
A low hiss.
"...Even if it's for something important that doesn't give you the right…"
More hisses but they sounded irritated.
At last the hands removed themselves and Claudina was faced with a strange androgynous looking person.
They didn't look beautiful or hideously ugly. Both feminine and masculine features were delicately curved into a polite and mild mannered. They had scales on areas of their thinly clothed body and burn marks that reached all the way to their neck. Chains were shackled on to its wrists and ankles. Their long silver hair dragged on the wet ground. Their cheeks were hollow and sunken in as if they hadn't eaten for days. Their eyes were red rimmed and the heavy bags under them gave the impression of sleepless nights. It painted a pitiful picture.
Yet the pressure remained albeit lightly. Her stomach dropped when it walked in all four of its limbs.
It craned its head up to meet Claudina's eyes. Her hand touched her trembling shoulder, halting it."...As long as I hear no one can hurt you…" with that reassurance she took a breath and stood up.
"Greetings. I, Claudina, bid you a good day." She tried keeping her smile as long as she could.
It hissed. "Don't bother. We all know your true nature." Her smile dropped and she shrank away. Being under this person's eyes felt suffocating.
It didn't last for long though for the person quick as an eagle darting out to its prey grabbed her chin and made her face them.
They looked deeply into her eyes which she immediately averted to the side. "Look me in the eye, lass." Her hand smacked the bruising grip.
"...Don't be rough. Treat her gently…"
They looked up at her, soulless gray eyes darkening. "You of all people shouldn't be saying that to me."
Their gaze turned back to the cowering Claudina who had gripped her hands in a death grip.
"This Vessel my children have prepared is quite cowardly."
Hearing that made her blood boil. Raising her head up she spoke in a defiant voice, "I am no coward!"
They smirked. "Then what's stopping you from meeting my gaze?"
She narrowed her eyes but didn't look away though goosebumps still ran down her back.
"...Don't give in to its taunts. It plays cruel tricks…"
She smiled tentatively. "Got it."
It looked over where the bright entity was floating behind Claudina. "You recognize her, but what about me?"
Claudina was silent for a moment and squinted her eyes trying to recognize them. "...I am sorry but I don't think we have ever met before…"
"Hah! Of course you wouldn't!" Somehow their tone irked her but she kept to herself.
They turned around and sat down again with their legs crossed. Clauidna noticed there were many iron rings with rare stones on their toes.
"Do you know why I am here?"
"Because I am dead?"
"Hah! Does this place look like the afterlife to you? Fool! You're not dead! Yet."
Clauidna looked around. Nothing but vast endless fields stretching beyond her vision.
"...So where am I?" she asked after a pause.
"That depends on what you want to do." They had closed their eyes and begun to meditate.
She tilted her head to the side, not quite understanding.
"I don't think-"
"That's exactly why you are here!"
This time she couldn't hold back. "Listen here you!"
"Oh shut up!"
She opened her mouth to refute only to find her lips were sealed off behind a layer of ice. Screams and insults all died behind her frozen mouth.
Picking, piercing and melting it with magic, all came to null. Blood filled in the icy cavity but Claudina continued to pry off the ice.
"...Stop that…You will further hurt yourself…"
Finally she cracked it open. Huffing, she ran her finger over her numb, bloodied lips. She licked off the blood and grimaced at the taste.
"...Hey who are you?"
"Oh, being polite? Or is this one of your contraptions?"
"No. I am genuinely asking; who are you?"
They stood up alarmingly fast. "You summoned me here."
She grimaced, feeling their hot breath on her face. "I did no such thing. I am no summoner."
"Well obviously not. Your mortal brain can't comprehend it. Essentially my Grimoires summoned me but you were the key to bring them all together."
"Grimoires? Ah you must be the author of those Forbidden grimoires."
They raised a brow, a sly smile on their lips. "Author? I was called a storyteller but that's something no one has ever told me. Tell me, lass, what do you think of me? "
Claudina looked up and down, taking in their details. They were shockingly thin with their bones jutting out like broken twigs. They had deathly pallor to their face and the bags under their eyes tell her they hadn't had a proper rest. "You look very weak and malnourished."
"...Didn't even mince your words, now did you?
"Well you wanted to know and I was taught to be honest."
"Yes, and I must be the child loved by fate."
"Are you?"
"Of course not!!" And they went back to meditating again.
"You have yet to tell me how to get back?"
"Can you not figure it out yourself? You claim you're a genius, where's your brain when you need it?"
She signed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Sir, lady, I don't know what your deal is but I hate riddles. Please get to the point."
They smirked. 'Haven't you realized who I am?"
"I just said-! Ok. You know what? I don't need your help. I will figure a way out myself."
"...Look what you have done…now she's upset…didn't you say you were lonely?…"
"Leave them. They can go to hell for all I care." And with that she started to descend down the knoll.
"But lass I have never once told you to leave though?" A leafy vine strung around her waist and dangled her up in the air. "Kyaaak!"
"Put me down! This instant!" screamed Claudina.
"When you learn some manners, the vine will gradually let you down."
"NO! PUT! ME!! DOWN!!! NOW!!! BEFORE I COMBUST YOUR HEAD WITH FLAMES!!!!"
"Such a scary threat~ But you see," they opened one eye to smile slyly at her. "You are not the first one to say you will kill me~"
Claudina stopped, looked at them before flushing to her roots. "You-!"
They chuckled. "This is the most fun I've had in centuries!"
"...I understand you are having fun but if you continue to do this I will haunt you again…" They glanced at her. "You stay in the είδηusstseание -the consciousness-of the most interesting person I have ever met. Live a little."
She glared at them whereupon they clicked their tongue. "You're no fun." The vine hurled down at break neck speed before jerkily stopping a breath away from the ground.
"Jerk…" Claudina muttered.
"Thank you for the compliment, lass." They stood up again as she finished brushing her hair down from odd angles. "Lass you are not very curious about the world are you?"
She looked up with a grimace. "What has the world offered me? If anything, the world should be curious about me."
"Narcissism is never a good look for anyone."
"It's not narcissism. It's self love."
"A-hem as you say…" they gazed at the side. "But are you not a tad bit curious about why I left the Forbidden Grimoires?"
Bored out of her mind she answered the first thing that came to her head, "Preference maybe?"
"Lass, please be curious enough to ask questions. This is the first time in a long while I have gotten someone to talk to."
"Not my problem. Now let me out of here. The sooner I finish off that Ezra, the sooner I can get home. And when i do" she looked down with a determined face. "I will find Ophelia."
"What will you do if she doesn't want to be found?" they muttered. "Not in that state…"
''Pardon? I didn't catch that."
"I said if you listen to my ramblings, I will let you go."
The visage nodded in her direction. She sat down in a heap. "...Do whatever you want."
Hours must have passed down there but Claudina wouldn't for time seem to have stopped for eternity.
The strange person who called themselves in the name of a long lost language went on a tirade about their life. Their life as someone from the scorned Heiva race. And Claudina, despite saying she wasn't curious, was more curious than the cat that was killed by curiosity.
Claudina shook her head. "Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, so you're telling me that you had no intention to destroy the Celestial Heavens? Then why are you seen as a criminal?! You were just an ordinary person who wanted to be the strongest existence on earth! You weren't gifted with a strong physique nor were you any good with magic so you created your own form of magic which you thought of calling it 'Taboo' because anyone can learn it. Unlike how the Celestial Heavens were, they would determine who would be gifted and who won't." Her mouth gaped. "That doesn't make any sense! Just how did the words get twisted?!"
They flashed her a toothy grin. "I have yet to finish~"
"First and foremost, the reason why the Heiva race was seen as a threat by the Celestial Heavens was because of me. Before only other humans would hate us. Probably because we don't look like them which is strange since neither do beastmen, elves or dwarves. And I can assume that despite being weak we are still seen as other races wielding powerful magic. But when the humans found out they took their anger out on us."
"That's so different from what is being taught in the academy…"
"Oh pray tell?"
"You might not like it but…apparently the Heiva race was acknowledged as a race where all of creation would love and envy them for their mysterious powers. Because of their affinity to be seen on equal footing with the Celestial Heavens humans were jealous of them to the point humans started to hunt the people of the Heiva race. Later on, they would sell the body parts in black markets. This angered the other creatures and a hundred-year war started. Even during this time, the Heiva race was needlessly prosecuted. Finally, the war ended and so did the Heiva race."
"The Progenitor of Taboo was the last savior of the Heiva race. When they were dying, the Celestial Heavens did nothing since at that time they were arrogant and didn't want to meddle with the affairs of man. So the Progenitor took matters in their own hands and found a way to not only destroy mankind but also to oppose Celestial Heavens. This was what led to the war of Celestial Heavens and Taboo. The war never ended and the Celestial Heavens learned their lesson and created the eight Gods to rule over."
"Nowadays the Heiva race is known as a supernatural race where their magic affinity is superior to the gods. That's why people do experiments on them because the humans want to be powerful and kill the gods."
They blinked before falling into laughter. "Oh goodness what a joke!! So those damn high horsed pansy wearing freaks decided to rotate history!! What a joke!!"
"Oooh I wonder how they feel knowing their own creations that they saved wants to kill them now~"
"I am sorry, but rotated history?"
They leaned forward. There was a glimmer of interest in her eyes. They smiled. "I will tell you~"
"You see the reason I was getting stronger was to save my race from humans and when the Heiva started to fight back with means unknown to all, the Celestial Heavens took notice. At first it was curiosity, then it was excitement and soon their envoys came with an offer. Can you guess what it is?"
She shook her head, anticipation rolling off. "What is it?"
"They offered to take my magic, my Taboo that I spent my blood and sweat on. And in exchange for what? Giving me mercy. Giving my race mercy from their wrathful annihilation."
They tilted their head back as far as possible. "I still remember it like yesterday. When the words left from their strange lips I felt a numb sensation and a voice whispered in the back of mind, 'Sleep.' I had blacked out. When I came to, I was standing covered in divine blood. I had slain the four envoys from the Celestial Heavens. My power truly surpassed them. I had become someone who can kill divinity. My name as θεοκötterогов spread far and wide. Humans finally left my race alone. Everything was at peace. But I wasn't. I knew what they, the Celestial Heavens were capable of. "
"And I had expected the worst. With how proud they were, they didn't take it well. All because one creature refused to give them what they wanted."
"Or maybe they didn't like the creatures I had made using my Forbidden magic as they like to call it now," they said shrugging.
"But what was I supposed to do? When we were being prosecuted, they had turned a blind eye. We had to find a way, a means to survive. And when it was threatened, we could only lash out in fear of our salvation being lost."
They paused for a moment. Claudina couldn't help herself and asked, "...Then what happened?"
They bore a sad smile. "We were destroyed. Simple. Unleashing horrors beyond mortal comprehension, they descended from their loft thrones to vanquish a peaceful settlement."
"But that doesn't mean I went down crying. No, I fought back. I destroyed their winged armada. I cut down their heads. I killed them with my Taboo. My own creations swallowed their horrors."
"...However you lost," Claudina finished for him, looking at her lap.
"I did. And to add insult to injury, they fabricated a whole new story. They retold history. That I wanted to take revenge on them when I simply wanted the best for my race and live and farm away peacefully. My closest loved ones were turned into my disciples. They said Taboo is the creation that goes against the order of the Heavens and Forbidden magic is the magic of Taboo creatures. What's more is that they created something that is supposed to be me."
"And so my Taboo is seen as evil. My loved ones turned disciples who had their memories whipped are continuing my so-called teachings in ways I never intended it to be used."
"I hear there is a group called the Resonance that is trying to bring this imposter back to life. I don't know what will happen if they do succeed but I do hope the Celestial Heavens can have a taste of their own medicine.
"..."
"Don't be upset, lass. I, myself am not so why should you be?"
"...It has been more than centuries huh?"
"Hm? Yes, before the Great War, we were thriving, during it we went hiding and remained so. But we are still caught now and then. Ah if you are wondering how I know so much about the outside world, me and my Taboo creations communicate telepathically. So even if I am gone, my spirit was in the purple Grimoire which I had hidden. Just so you know not everyone can find it~" they added, teasingly
"Why me though?" she asked quietly.
"Why? Well, she chatted my ear off with how great you are." Then they gestured behind her, where the bright figure was floating, silent the whole time. Claudina opened her mouth to say something but closed it, grinding her teeth. Tears pricked her vision. "I am not good actually…I can't protect what's mine…" Her hand rested on her shoulder and Claudina leaned on to the touch.
"I know my legacy will be safe in your hands. You don't have that many good qualities but if one person can say you are good, then no matter what you think the other person is always correct."
They stood up. "Now I think I have taken more time than I had intended to do but I am a chatterbox and once I start I don't stop." They clapped their hands and Claudina started to float up, up, up.
"Uwah!"
"I will make sure you can control my legacy from now on and my creations will obey you from now on."
Claudina looked down but she had turned into a ball of light and went up to her.
"And Claudina."
She looked down again.
"If you ever want someone to chat with, you know where to find me." The vision faded colors before spinning into nothingness.